For a while science seemed to have been behind when it comes to the benefits of meditation, they appear to dismiss it as a non-scientific action not worthy of “science”, or that it is something that doesn’t go with scientific principles. But what happens when they start taking a closer look by getting outside of their own box?
Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist from Harvard finds after personal experimentation, that meditation really does have the power to reduce stress, depression, and even creates a better sense of calmness and compassion towards others.
Lazar: A friend and I were training for the Boston marathon. I had some running injuries, so I saw a physical therapist who told me to stop running and just stretch. So I started practicing yoga as a form of physical therapy. I started realizing that it was very powerful, that it had some real benefits, so I just got interested in how it worked.
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The yoga teacher made all sorts of claims, that yoga would increase your compassion and open your heart. And I’d think, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m here to stretch.’ But I started noticing that I was calmer. I was better able to handle more difficult situations. I was more compassionate and open hearted, and able to see things from others’ points of view.
I thought, maybe it was just the placebo response. But then I did a literature search of the science, and saw evidence that meditation had been associated with decreased stress, decreased depression, anxiety, pain and insomnia, and an increased quality of life.
