Meditation Improves Brain Connections

Mindfulness meditation is really a mental discipline.  To begin your meditation, focus your attention on your breath.  This will bring you into awareness of the moment.  You will eventually become aware of having thoughts, usually about the past or future, and will lose your awareness of the present moment.  As soon as you are aware of these thoughts, just bring your attention back to your breath.  It takes practice.


One recent study suggests that the effect of this "focusing-refocusing on the breath" results in increased brain connectivity especially in the areas of attention as well as auditory and visual processing.   Other studies have documented changes in the density of gray matter with increases seen in the region of the brain governing memory, self-awareness and compassion and with decreases seen in the area associated with fear and stress.


More research needs to be done but for now I'm going to continue to meditate, knowing that  meditation can change the body - including the brain - easing and even reducing stress and supporting better mind/body health.  It seems that time spent in meditation is a small price to pay for all the benefits.