That's what researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) found in a study of individuals in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program that included weekly group meditation and practice on their own.
Mindfulness is a practice of anchoring your attention in the present moment and experiencing all thoughts, sensations, and emotions without judgment.
Participants responded to a mindfulness questionnaire before and after the program and reported spending an average of 27 minutes each day practicing meditation exercises, according to recent findings published in the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.
Magnetic resonance images of the brains of meditating participants before and after the program showed increased grey matter density in the hippocampus, which is important for learning and memory, and in other brain structures associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection. The researchers said participant-reported reductions in stress correlated with decreased grey matter density in the amygdala, which plays an important role in anxiety and stress. This is the first study to document such changes over time. No changes were seen in the control group.
"It is fascinating to see the brain's plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life," said Britta Hölzel, Ph.D., lead author and a research fellow at the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program.
If you want to attain similar benefits from your meditation practice, consider this advice from Swami Veda Bharati, yogi master, teacher, and creator with Paul Scheele of Meditate with the Himalayan Masters.
Maintain a Good Posture
Sit so your head, neck, and trunk are aligned and your shoulders and knees are balanced. You may choose to sit on the floor or in a chair.
Choose a Mantra
Select and use a sacred word or phrase to center your mind, but do not say it aloud. It can be a word or phrase from your spiritual tradition, if you practice one, such as God or Buddha. You could also use the word the yogis use: So-ham (pronounced SOOOHH HHHUUUmmmmmm), which means "I am that." Inhale on "So" and exhale on "hum." Or you may simply use the numbers 1 and 2, exhaling on "1" and inhaling on "2."
Engage in Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing increases oxygen intake, calms your body, and boosts energy. Focusing on your breath helps you maintain present moment awareness, especially when your mind wanders during meditation. To be sure you're breathing correctly, practice right now:
Lie on your stomach…
Fold your arms in front of you, and rest your forehead on your arms.
Bring your awareness to the breathing process. Let there be no jerks or breaks in your breathing.
Observe the gentle flow of the breath as well as the rise and fall of your abdomen and navel area.
Take note of the breathing process. Resolve to breathe this way at all times.
Lie flat on your back…
Breathe slowly and evenly.
Place your left palm on your chest and your right palm on your abdomen.
Observe the rise and fall of your abdomen and your navel area. The right palm should feel the rise and fall smoothly without jerks or breaks.
Let uniform breathing develop. Length of inhalation and exhalation should be equal.
Practice meditation daily—even if only for a few minutes several times a day.
"Whatever you do repeatedly with your mind will become the mind's habit, and the mind will rediscover its original nature," says Swami Veda.
