For centuries, yogis, mystics and spiritual wanders have used meditation to cultivate a sense of peace and clarity while inducing relaxation. Today, science is finally starting to back what they have long known.

But this ancient practice doesn’t just help you unwind, the benefits of meditation are manifold. Meditation is a profound way to align you to a more holistic way of being, for your mind, body and soul. Let’s explore how meditation help live you live a life of abundance across all elements of your being.

The physical benefits of meditation

Lowered blood pressure: Fast-paced modern living can often leave us in a near-constant state of flight-or-flight. This elevates blood pressure and stress levels. Meditation has been proven to relax the nerve signals that coordinate heart function and blood vessel tension to lower blood pressure.

Reduced inflammation: Chronic stress can lead to an increase of cortisol and peptides called cytokines. These are a key factor in causing harmful inflammation. Excessive inflammation can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and bowel problems. Meditation positively influences the body’s stress-induced inflammatory response.

Decreased pain: On study showed that those who actively meditated experienced a 32% reduction in pain. Brain activity monitoring revealed that meditation reduces the synchronization between the thalamus and parts of the default mode network.

The mental benefits of meditation

Reduced stress and anxiety: Meditation literally rewires your brain. An eight-week course of mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) was shown to significantly reduce anxiety symptoms, while increasing the ability to cope with stress.

Lowered symptoms of depression: Depression causes the brain’s medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala to become hyperactive. A Harvard study showed that meditation breaks the connection between those two brain regions, soothing symptoms of depression.

Heightened self-awareness: When you stop getting caught up with your own thoughts, you gain higher self-awareness. With this comes the ability to control your habits and beliefs to create a more authentically happy version of yourself.

The spiritual benefits of meditation

A more balanced sense of being: Those all-important feelings of peace, calm and serenity are what help you cultivate a sense of balance and inner equilibrium. You’ll be able to navigate what life throws at you with more grace and act consciously rather than react unconsciously.

Feel more aligned with your soul purpose: When you journey inwards and release disturbing mental chatter you make space for your intuition to resonate louder. By accepting yourself wholly and completely without judgement, you can allow your higher self to guide you to your soul purpose.

With a devoted meditation practice, you may even be able to access the quantum field of possibilities, where your thoughts and intent can manifest your desired reality.

Fewer harmful thought patterns: Rather than identify with and be governed by negative thought patterns, mediation allows you to detach from them and let them float by. Once you see that you are not your thoughts, you can wave goodbye to those self-limiting beliefs.