We live in a perceivably tech-dominated world hyper-focused on the instagram filtered definition of success. Within moments of waking, we frantically check emails and text messages, scroll through three or four social media apps; we move through life seeking stimulus and immediate reward. We’ve forgotten what it feels like to listen to our body’s internal messaging systems.
To take things a bit further, there’s a chemical reason why it’s nearly impossible to disconnect. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, sends chemical messages from the central nervous system to cell receptors. These signals exchange information for movement and speech, while simultaneously managing pathways for expectation and reward. Our choices are based on leveraging expectations, which cause us to seek interaction with the anticipation of connection. When we lack connection, whether real or perceived, we view the loss as a missed chance to engage in the opportunity for reward. Since our brains are hardwired to seek reward, the cycle repeats and our unconscious actions become habits.
The accolades and health claims surrounding meditation are compelling. Meditation has been strongly correlated to positive mental health through the reduction of stress and anxiety and improvement in sleep quality. Data suggests that just 20 minutes of daily meditation can reduce anxiety by as much as 22% in healthy subjects. Meditation has been linked to increasing emotional intelligence, mental cognition, memory, and flexible leadership. Research in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease illustrate that mindfulness promotes disease prevention through the downregulation of inflammatory genes, upregulation of immune-defense markers, improved insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.
Well known players in fitness and healthcare are pivoting from traditional programming to an expansive focus on meditation and mindfulness. Meditation has been endorsed by professional athletes, CEOs, and medical practitioners as the secret sauce for combatting anxiety and depression and improving holistic mental health and self-awareness.
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Resources:
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