No Magic, no Mysticism... Just Meditation!

What happens to your body when you meditate...

Eisha Sarkar

Posted on Hello Wellness on Aug 25 2010 10:51AM

From The Beatles to Deepak Chopra, David Lynch to Clint Eastwood, Gwyneth Paltrow to Gisele Bündchen, many celebrities have come forward to attest the benefits of meditation. Scientists have also shown how you can chant yourself healthy. So what exactly happens to your body when you meditate?

What is meditation?

Meditation is generally a subjective, personal experience and often done without any external involvement, except prayer beads. It often involves invoking and cultivating a feeling or internal state, such as compassion, or attending to some focal point. The term can refer to the process of reaching this state, as well as to the state itself.

Meditation techniques have often been used for counseling and psychotherapy. Relaxation training works toward achieving mental and muscle relaxation to reduce daily stresses.

Our body responds to stress and relaxation through the three systems:

1.       autonomic nervous system

2.       endocrine system, and

3.       skeletal (voluntary) and smooth (autonomic) musculature systems

So meditation,

Pacifies the senses

The autonomic nervous system has two branches: the sympathetic which increases arousal when the body is under threat, and the parasympathetic which restores the body to a resting state. The sympathetic nervous system's response is that of fight and flight, characterised by an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, blood flow to voluntary muscles, blood glucose level, breathing rate, acuity of senses, sweating, and a decrease in digestive activity, which are required for an alert or emergency. In the absence of challenge or excitement, these actions are reversed and the parasympathetic system takes control. It also increases the tone in our small airways (bronchial constriction), promotes blood flow to the bowels and digestion is improved.

Balances the brain

Research has shown that meditation helps to balance the logical side of the brain and the creative side of the brain. During meditation the brain manufactures alpha and theta brainwaves (detected by electroencephalography). You spend most of your day in beta brainwaves which is important to carry out every day activities but can also drain you. Attaining alpha and theta brain waves on a regular basis can help improve memory, increase concentration, help you relax, boost your energy and happiness.

Releases the body’s pain-relievers

The endocrine system works closely with the autonomic system by releasing hormones which modify the action of the internal organs in response to the environmental stimuli. While adrenaline produced by the adrenal glands is associated with anxiety and flight (flee) behaviour, the brain produces opioid peptides such as enkephalins, endorphins and dynorphins. These are associated with changes in mood, pain threshold, immune activity and on bronchial (lungs) and arterial smooth muscle tone. Meditation also induces the production of analgesic beta endorphins in the hypothalamus of the brain.

Eases muscle tension

The muscles connected to the bones are voluntary and muscles in the internal organs are smooth muscles, which are involuntary or autonomic. The release of tension in the skeletal musculature during meditation is believed to have a calming effect on the mind.

Reduces oxygen consumption

The rate of change is startling. Within the first three minutes, oxygen consumption drops by 10 to 17 per cent. Oxygen consumption is a good indicator of how much work the body is doing, and when you rest, oxygen consumption drops.  Meditation also reduces carbon dioxide production in the body.

Lowers blood pressure

A relaxation technique known as Transcendental Meditation (TM) may decrease blood pressure and reduce insulin resistance among patients with coronary heart disease. Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure, slow heart rate and improve fasting blood glucose and insulin levels, which signify reduced insulin resistance (which occurs when the body is unable to use the insulin produced by the pancreas to process sugar into energy).