Meditation is something that many people practice and brings about plenty of benefits. It has become a well-known activity that we all can learn. Try asking someone to define what is meditation, there are sure to be plenty of different answers. However, the central concept is the same. it is all about finding awareness and perspective in life through practicing mindfulness.
But what is mindfulness? When we practice mindfulness, we are present in the here and now. We are fully engaged at the moment without thinking about the past or the future. When we meditate, we focus our attention on our breath, how our body is contacting the surface and how our chest rises with the breath.
Read on to learn more about how meditation can provide great benefits for older adults.
Benefits of Meditation
Many of the symptoms that a person experiences daily are a result of stress. When you or your loved ones are stressed out, your brain is less able to perform the necessary functions. Stress can also decrease your ability to store and retrieve memories, decrease digestion and speed up the aging process. When you or your loved ones are stressed continuously, your body becomes stuck in the fight or flight mode. Then, your body will focus less on daily functioning.
Meditation is one of the best ways to get the body out of this stressed-out mode and help you to work to the fullest capacity. Meditation helps you or your loved ones to focus on what is here right now. You can gain an awareness of your feelings, emotions and sensations.
When you or your loved ones practice meditation, you make use of the hippocampus in the brain, which is responsible for processing your memories. During meditation, you experience greater blood flow in your brain, leading to a stronger network of blood vessels in the brain. This improvement in blood flow will increase the density of the hippocampus and build new neurons as well. This enhances your cognitive processes such as executive control, emotional regulation and sustained attention. It can help to improve self-awareness, focus, compassion and introspection.
During meditation, you or your loved ones will get to practice the memory muscle. It can slow the aging process, stimulate your brain regions, tap into subconscious memory stores and increase your focus. There are so many potential benefits of meditation, here are some of them:
- You might lose weight
- You can heal faster
- Boost melatonin and serotonin levels
- Increase libido and energy
- Strengthen immunity
- Relax your nervous system
- Better circulation in your body
- Lower respiratory rate
With so many benefits, it is time for you or your loved ones to consider taking up meditation today!
Experience Discovery Village At Tampa Palms
Discovery Village At Tampa Palms is a wonderful retirement community that our residents love and call home. We do our best to raise the standards of senior living. We offer three different lifestyle options: independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Come enjoy our gourmet meals and exciting activities and events every day. Our warm and friendly team is here to meet residents’ needs. This is where residents can live their dream life! Feel free to contact us for more information.
