Meditation has beneficial effects on overall mental health and physical health. The physiological effects are closely related to the relaxation response it triggers in the body. This response naturally lowers blood pressure, breathing and other functions of the body.
The article, “The Science Behind Meditation” by Jennifer Wallis looks at the effects meditation has on brain waves, heart beats, blood pressure and breathing. She states in the article,
“According to a study by Harvard University, the physiologic benefits of meditation – in this instance the relaxing form of transcendental meditation – relate to quieting the sympathetic nervous system and the activation of the parasympathetic branch – otherwise known as ‘rest and digest’. Medical studies have shown that individuals who practice transcendental meditation daily had lower blood levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol”
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From originally a spiritual discipline of the East, science has discover that meditation has many benefits physically. The spiritual needs of Eastern Meditation required the quiet of the body. This purpose had dual benefits to those of those Eastern faiths. For Westerners and those of a secular nature, meditation can supply a healthy option to control blood pressure, heart issues and other problems related to stress.
Please also review AIHCP’s Meditation Instructor Program and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.