Meditation As An Anti-Aging Solution

You do not have to look very far to discover the number of anti-aging products that are available on the market. Countless hours of research have gone into the topic to help people

answer one of humankind’s greatest questions: How do we slow the aging process? One of

the best anti-aging techniques really could be something as simple as meditation!

One of the main reasons meditation slows the aging process is because it reduces stress. In

Paleolithic times humans developed the well-known fight or flight mode to deal with stress. In

other words, when faced with the mammoth, we instinctively run, but when faced with an

attacking tribe, we might choose to fight. The fight or flight mode prepares us for taking on the stressful challenge we are about to face. Your heart rate speeds up, for example, and your breathing gets faster and heavier. At the same time your digestions slows so your body can allocate resources to different actions. This includes releasing glucose and fat into your

bloodstream to give you energy for your chosen response to the stressful situation. The

inflammatory response in your body is also activated.

The problem now is that we no longer face the rare occurrence of a mammoth attack. Instead, many of us face frequent stressful situations, from being late to pick up the children from school to missing an important appointment or target at work. Modern life requires moving from one stressful situation to another. Damage caused by stress is more frequent with little or no upside.

There is more to meditation and anti-aging besides stress. in fact, there is a growing body of

scientific research to back up the thinking. Telomeres are protein caps on the end of each

chromosome in your body. During cell division, the chromosome replicates, a process that

shortens the telomeres. When telomeres become too short, the cell can no longer divide and

replicate. This increases aging in the body and is associated with age-related diseases.

University of California scientists Elissa Epel and Elizabeth Backburn conducted numerous

studies on stress. The later won a Nobel prize for work on telomeres when she discovered the effect of telomeres on the aging process. The results of the studies were significant: people who were stressed had telomeres that were equivalent to being 10 years older than the people who were not stressed! We now know that stress ages our bodies!

In one of their studies at a meditation retreat, studies showed the length of the telomeres

increased in the participant after the retreat. This study showed that just 15 minutes of daily

meditation helps with telomere production, In fact, in this study, anything that helped trigger

the relaxation response, including repetitive prayer and yoga, helps with telomerase

production. In another study they found that Zen meditators with extensive meditation

experience have telomeres that are 10 percent longer than people of a similar age and who

lived a similar lifestyle but who had never meditated!

Other benefits of meditation include:

• . Your concentration levels will improve when you meditate, plus it reduces memory loss and improves your attention span

• You will be happier. Many people believe that being happier also helps slow the aging process.

• Meditation reduces feelings of anxiety and improves your overall emotional health.

• You will become more self-aware, getting a better understanding of who you are.

• Your sleep will improve.

• Can reduce blood pressure.

• You can do it anywhere!