Anti-Ageing Meditation

When most people think of meditation they either think it’s too hard or too ‘woo woo’. How many of you reading this have an app on your phone for meditation that you've rarely used, if at all?

I’ve wanted to ‘be good’ at meditation for such a long time. Before you could even download on your phone, I had bought the books and CDs. Then, when you could download, well I downloaded the apps. But nothing ever stuck.

Then, at the beginning of 2018, I decided that something had to change. I knew stress and anxiety was encroaching on my life, and so I bought a meditation mat from Stretch Now, downloaded the Insight Timer app - and I SAT.

I decided that 5 am would be my time. My family still tucked in their beds. Work a few hours away. Life is quiet, and dawn a beautiful reminder of a new day. I made a promise to myself to honour this sacred time every day. Even if for only 5 minutes.

I truly feel that my morning practice has changed my life. I still get stressed, I have bad days, I can still be ‘crazy’ Mum. But they are fewer than before. And any stress, anxiety and anger doesn’t stay for long. I have more perspective. I also still have mornings where I might not get up at 5 am, but I still make time in the day for a moment of mindfulness to ground myself and breathe.

The volume of studies in the area of meditation and mindfulness has grown exponentially over the last 6 years. And, more and more, the research being released shows the amazing and positive effects of meditation on our brain, cells and body.

THE AGEING BRAIN - your brain volume could increase AND your memory could improve.

Ordinarily, the human brain shrinks an average of 5 per cent per decade after the age of 40, however, some studies have found that people who had been meditating for an average of 20 years, had more grey matter volume than those of the same age.

Studies also recognised an increase in the volume of the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in learning, emotion and the consolidation of learning. And amazingly, just like working a muscle, the blood flow to the frontal cortex {concentation and attention} during meditation, increases the growth of grey matter {cortical thickening}.

AGEING DNA - your cells could actually "anti-age".

Meditation could positively affect our telomeres, which are the protective little caps at the end of our chromosomes. Naturally, these are long when we are young and shorten as we age. Telomeres protect our chromosomes from becoming damaged during cell division and become shorter with each cell division. Shorter telomeres are associated with stress and higher risk for many diseases including cancer.

Research has shown that meditators have significantly higher telomerase activity - the enzyme essential for maintaining telomere length. Longer telomeres - healthier chromosomes, DNA and cells.

THE AGEING BODY - you are just more chilled, from the inside.

A very interesting study found that people suffering from anxiety had a larger amygdala, the part that is involved in fear or fear learning {and also involved in turning on the stress response}. When these people were involved in a two-month mindfulness program, the amygdala reduced in volume. So meditation actually has a measurable influence on the architecture of the brain, PHYSICALLY reducing the part of our brain that is involved in turning on the body’s stress response!

My last #theartofageingwell post also talked about how high and abnormal levels of adrenaline and cortisol constantly keeps our body in stress mode. And that this state of being will sympathetically take nutrients away from ‘non-life dependent’ systems of your body. So stress isn't just about how you feel, it's about what it does to your body, including your skin and mind.

So tomorrow morning, set your alarm for 5 minutes earlier than everyone else. I promise meditation will pay you back in more peace, love and health than you ever thought you could have.

#AgeingWell