Ancient practice. Modern application.
For more than 2,500 years, people have reaped the benefits of Buddhist teachings and practices. Now, researchers from Harvard, Stanford and Johns Hopkins are using technologies like neuroimaging and genomics to learn how Buddhist meditation (and mindfulness) supports the brain and body. Here's what they found:
Meditation strengthens attention, reflection and self-awareness while reducing discursive thinking and rumination on past and future.
Meditation activates brain regions that reduce worry and stress while improving concentration, memory, and well-being.
Meditation develops emotion regulation, helping practitioners overcome negative thought patterns and behaviors.
Meditation develops brain regions responsible for observation and focus, helping practitioners to live full, present lives.
Meditation has the power to reverse heart disease and hypertension, and to switch stress and immune genes on and off.
Meditation grows the "empathy centers" of the brain responsible for compassion and ego-centered thoughts.