CALMING YOUR INNER LABRADOR

“The science of meditation may be new, but meditation itself is not. People have been practicing meditation in cultural and religious contexts for thousands of years. But it doesn’t matter what religion (if any) you ascribe to - anyone can practice meditation without any religion whatsoever. In fact, if everyone meditated for just ten minutes a day, we’d all be healthier, happier, and a lot nicer to one another. The reason is that meditation drives self-awareness…

Studies show that meditation changes the brain on a structural level. This of it like strength training; when you life weights, you gain visible results in the form of stronger, shapelier muscles. A regular meditation practice also yields visible results - you develop more folds in the outer layer of the brain, a trait that’s highly correlated with intelligence across species. When you have more folds in your brain, it’s easier to process information because your neurons can access more surface area within the same skull volume. This allows them to communicate with each other more quickly and efficiently. Aging naturally flattens these folds, but meditation slows this process.

Meditation also helps to thicken areas of the cortex and insularegions of the brain associated with complex thought, bodily awareness, concentration and problem solving - that also typically thin with age. And meditation has been shown to significantly reduce levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, effectively reducing inflammation and calming your inner Labrador so that you can maintain focus and emotional stability under even the most challenging circumstances. Basically, meditation can help you feel sharp, stay calm, learn new things, and stop being a jerk. It’s not surprise, then, that research shows that meditation can improve your relationships and make it easier for you to achieve your life goals.”

- Dave Asprey, Headstrong