More Content ON MEDITATION

 On the Harvard Gazette, the article "Eight Weeks to a Better Brain: Meditation Study Shows Changes Associated with Awareness, Stress" by Sue McGreevy shared MRI studies of 16 participants in a meditation study. The results indicated increased activity in particular parts of the brain such as the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, learning, self awareness and introspection. Results also revealed a decrease in activity in the amygdala, which is responsible to fight-or-flight responses. Participants meditated for 30 minutes a day. Other studies showed that meditation can relieve stress and anxiety. The studies presented proves that the brain undergoes structural changes in parts associated with attention and self awareness. 

 The article "Exercise with Meditation Helps Beat Depression" in The South Asian Post informed how mental and physical training helps students fight major depression. For an eight-week study, participants did 30 minutes of meditation and 30 minutes of exercise. The results showed that 22 participants with depression had less depression, as well as the 30 mentally healthy students, who also reported being less depressed. This newspaper article is useful to show that meditation can help with core issues auch as depressive disorders. Moreover, meditation can be made into a more powerful tool when acquainted with other activities.  

Jeffrey Kluger's article, "Get your Head in the Game", e how stress can lead to cellular aging and inflammation. Kluger shares how reducing stress can reduce the cellular damage from the highly reactive oxygen atoms known as free radicals. He also explains how telomeres that cap onto chromosomes and erode them over a lifetime, can be grown longer when in the right state of mind. According to the article, when a person is under a lot of stress, they release hormones such as epinephrine and cortisol which produce proteins known as inflammatory cytokines; This happens because your brain assumes you are in danger. This article gives a scientific perspective on what stress does to the body and overall encourages meditation to counteract stress-related aging. When your mind is in the right mindset, meaning a positive mindset, stress related side effects are less likely to occur.

The book Meditation for Dummies, walks through the guidelines to effective meditation. Bodian is informative on the positive outcomes that could be achieved through this practice, such as learning to understand and accept yourself, being aware of yourself, and understanding the power of emotions. Moreover, this book will help the reader thoroughly understand what meditation is, where meditation first began and how it can help a person have a healthier mindset. This book is also useful for finding information on being able to meditate comfortably and correctly, choosing the best times and places, and understanding transcendental meditation more in depth.  

 The section, "Why Learn to Meditate" helps demonstrate the benefits meditation can produce mentally. This website shows meditation can be a coping mechanism for the stressful demands of life. A great quotation from this website states, "If we train in meditation systematically, eventually we will be able to eradicate from our mind the delusions that are the causes of all our problems and suffering. In this way, we will come to experience a permanent inner peace, known as “liberation” or “nirvana”". This means, peace of mind can be found by meditating and taking your mind to a positive state. Furthermore, This website is useful for learning general information on how meditation can relax your mind and body.