After surviving cancer in 2015, I changed many things in my daily routine to help reduce stress in my life. One thing I added to my daily routine is meditation. I've noticed that I am calmer, more focused and overall a happier person since beginning my journey with meditation. Here are just a few health benefits you can have from meditation:
Lower blood pressure
Reduce stress and anxiety
Strengthen your immune system
Help with cognitive function
Decrease Inflammation
And the most interesting thing to me – increasing the length of our telomeres! These past few years, I have been fascinated with scientific research and studies on the mind body connection. Researchers at the University of California were the first to show that meditators have significantly higher telomerase activity than non-meditators. Telomeres are long stretches of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that protect our cells from aging .When they get too short, the cell can no longer divide and it dies. Shortening of telomeres has been linked with aging, cancer, and a higher overall risk of death. To give you a visual, telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying. You can also look at a telomere like a slow burning bomb fuse.
I practice daily guided meditation. I have several different apps I use. My go-to right now is Headspace. Shutting off the chatter, the roommate in our heads, for 15-20 minutes daily, is life changing mentally and physically for me. Try starting out for 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night, then increase the amount of time weekly. Remember if your mind starts to wander, this is normal, just focus on your breathing. You will get better with practice. Your body and mind will thank you!!!!
Did you know you can measure your telomeres through an at home test? Go to www.teloyears.com
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