Elise Bialylew is the author of the #1 best selling meditation book The Happiness Plan and founder of Mindful in May. A doctor trained in psychiatry turned mindfulness teacher and social entrepreneur, Elise is passionate about supporting individuals and organisations to develop inner tools to flourish. She’s shared with us why she believes meditation is key to our health and wellbeing.
So many people think meditation is about stopping thoughts. It’s one of the biggest misconceptions about the practice.
Others think it only works if you’ve got 30-60 mins a day to do it.
Another myth.
Meditation practices were once shrouded in a mystical cloak of spirituality, but these days even companies like Google and Twitter have brought meditation into the workplace to support greater wellbeing and effectiveness.
Mindfulness meditation is not a fad, it’s got solid science supporting its benefits.
Here are 4 scientifically supported ways that mindfulness meditation can support your physical and mental wellbeing.
- Mindfulness has been shown to improve the immune system.
- Growth in higher-functioning regions of the brain. A neuroscientist at Harvard University, revealed a correlation between regular mindfulness meditation and growth in the thickness of the prefrontal cortex, a high-functioning area of the brain responsible for functions like focused attention and regulating the emotional responses.
- Protection against age-related DNA damage. A groundbreaking study by Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD explored the effects of meditation on an enzyme in the body called telomerase, which functions to protect DNA from age and stress-related damage. Interestingly, telomerase was increased in the group of regular meditators, suggesting that meditation can protect the cells from age-related damage
- Overall mental health is improved. A study by Teasdale and Segal revealed that mindfulness meditation could reduce the rate of relapse of depression by up to 44% in people who had suffered previous episodes. This effect was comparable with staying on a maintenance dose of antidepressants.
All of this research points to the fact that mindfulness meditation may be a key tool in helping us to combat the mental health crisis that we face.
Mindful in May, the world’s largest online global meditation campaign is about to start. It offers people who are completely NEW to meditation (or needing a reboot to create a habit) a way to learn how to calm the mind in just 10 minutes a day. You’ll get daily guided meditations delivered to your inbox each day in May, and so much more. Learn to meditate with the world’s leading teachers, while also helping to make a positive difference in the world. Each year donations to the campaign help to bring clean, safe drinking water to those affected by the world water crisis.
You can find out more about Mindful in May here. Sign up to the Locals Matter program before 3rd May 2021 to receive your 25% discount code to the program in our next newsletter. Mindful in May is offering a buy one get one free 48-hour flash sale starting 3rd May 2021, meaning our Locals Matter Community Program members have the chance to gain two registrations for only $45!