“What have I gained from meditation? Nothing. But let me tell you what I lost: fear, anxiety, depression, anger, insecurity, and fear of old age and death.”
-Buddha
If I were to tell you there is a healing modality that is free, can be done anytime and anywhere by anyone, has virtually zero side effects, and is effective for basically everything, including disease, mental wellbeing, and longevity – why would someone not want to try it?!
Surprise, surprise – it is not a pill. It is also not new. It is a practice that has been understood and adopted by sages and ancient medical practices for centuries. You guessed it – it’s meditation.
Why is meditation so universally effective? A healthy mind is needed for a healthy body. The body is not separate – it is a unified, functioning organism, so that when one organ is out of whack, so can be the entire body. When the mind is not grounded in the present, when it lives in the past or the future in a state of worry, fear, anger, anxiety or depression, the effects are devastating. These emotions become deadly when they become chronic. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, or the flight or flight response. This is a life-saving survival process required to run away from a bear or avert other forms of danger; however, this response is meant for acute use. If the flight or flight response becomes chronic, the body is in a constant state of emergency. Neurotransmitters like adrenaline and hormones like cortisol take over, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, imbalancing sexual and other hormones, and stimulating inflammatory and oxidation processes. A vicious cycle occurs as chronic activation of these physiological functions perpetuates further imbalance.
How does meditation counteract the effects of stress? The brain has four primary wavelengths: beta, alpha, theta, and delta. Beta (14-30 hertz or cycles per second) is the most common state of wakefulness and activity. Alpha (8-13 hertz) is the resting and relaxed twilight state, or light meditation. After alpha comes theta (4-7 hertz), the state of light sleep or a deep, meditative state. The fourth state is delta (3.5 hertz and below) which is a dreamless sleep state. Some studies have shown that monks have meditated in this range. Of note, there is a rare state of gamma, which is even higher than beta.
Transitioning from beta to alpha waves begins to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which has the opposite effect of the sympathetic nervous system (aka the fight or flight response). In the alpha state, the mind is more calm, open, creative, and receptive to healing. Stress hormones and neurotransmitters are reduced. An important part of the brain called the pineal gland is activated. This gland is critical for overall health and wellbeing, and is blocked or deactivated by chronic stress, including both physical and mental stress sources. A primary function of the pineal gland is to produce the hormone melatonin, responsible for regulating our circadian rhythm. Although the pineal gland is not fully understood, its function is critical for the prevention of disease, since sleep is necessary to maintain physiological balance.
Just like all gears are important to allow a car to function, so are all brain wavelengths for the human body to function. Imagine trying to drive in just one gear. It wouldn’t go so well, would it? The same goes for constantly living in beta state – the favored state of our active, non-stop modern day world that chronically stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. Meditation allows the brain to achieve lower frequencies like alpha and theta, counteracting the damaging effects of living in non-stop beta mode. These states exists for a reason – they are necessary for health and wellbeing.
This is why meditation is universally effective. When we balance the mind we balance the body, allowing it to achieve homeostasis. Stress is nothing more than an imbalance or lack of harmony. To maintain homeostasis we must maintain harmony and synchronicity in our system. The best part is that we are naturally inclined towards this state; however, thanks to our modern way of living, we are conditioned to get to full beta state almost immediately upon awakening, and then at the end of the day we are expected to just switch it off and go right to sleep. This is not how the brain works. Instead this promotes conditions like anxiety, insomnia and stress. After that? Pick your chronic disease…
Since meditation allows the body to reach healing brainwave states, it has the potential to improve the biggest underlying cause of chronic disease. As I wrote in my article “Think Pro-Immunity, NOT Anti-Inflammation”, the culprit is chronic inflammation! Current evidence supports the idea that meditation reduces inflammatory markers. It also lengthens telomeres, which I discuss in my article “Be Blue To Be Well.” The longer your telomeres, the longer you live!
In addition to reducing inflammation, improving brain function, and combating the negative effects of chronic stress, one type of meditation called transcendental meditation has been studied in almost every chronic disease, including but not limited to anxiety, depression, cardiovascular health, insomnia, PTSD, and addiction. Given the hundreds of published research articles, check out this link so you can peruse the research as you see fit.
How long does one need to meditate to benefit? The more the better, but any amount of time is better than none. It is like a muscle with one exception – you cannot over meditate. One rep is better than none, but to achieve desired results, consistency is required. That is why they call it a practice. When I speak to a meditating newbie, I suggest starting with 5 minutes and working up to 15 minutes a day.
Why 15 minutes? Among the plethora of positive data on meditation and mindfulness, one survey-based study found that just 15 minutes of meditation in meditating newbies had similar effects to a day of vacation. Both activities are recognized as promoters of stress reduction and well-being. On the days people meditated, lower levels of negative affect were reported, as were higher levels of well-being and positive mood. In addition, there was more observation and less reactivity to feelings, key components of mindfulness. Similar associations of mindfulness and even higher reporting of positivity were seen during vacation days. No wonder my spirit always feels compelled to increase my meditation time while on vacation.
If the benefits of meditation are endless, what are the risks? Essentially – none. What pill or surgery can claim this success? I cannot think of one! I say essentially none as there may be some emotionally troubling side effects for those who have experienced extreme trauma. Tapping into our meditative states can bring up unpleasant feelings. Someone with a lot of past trauma may want to consider working with a trained professional, such as a counselor or meditation teacher, until they can safely achieve these states without precipitating past traumatic memories.
How do we do this? More to come on DrDWellnessAddict.com, including specific meditation techniques, dispelling meditation myths, and resources – both free and for purchase – to get you started.
References
- Tooley GA, et al. Acute increases in night-time plasma melatonin levels following a period of meditation. Biol Psychol. 2000 May;53(1):69-78.
- van Lutterveld R, et al. Meditation is associated with increased brain network integration. Neuroimage. 2017 Sep;158:18-25.
- Tang YY, et al. The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nat Rev Neuroscience. 2015 Apr;16(4):213-25.
- Epel E, et al. Can meditation slow rate of cellular aging? Cognitive stress, mindfulness, and telomeres. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Aug;1172:34-53.
- Alda M, et al. Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion. Mindfulness (N Y). 2016;7:651-659.
- Black DS, Slavich GM. Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Ann N Y Sci. 2016 Jun;1373(1):13-24.
- May CJ, et al. The relative impact of 15-minutes of meditation compared to a day of vacation in daily life: An exploratory analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology. Received 23 Aug 2018, Accepted 12 Mar 2019, Published online: 28 Apr 2019.