The Scientific Benefits of Meditation: Head to Heart, Body to Mind

When meditating, the body undergoes a structural change, which demonstrates the profound impact of simply sitting down to meditate with eyes closed. In fact, MRI images show a complete change in the brain’s different compartments, which results in a relaxation response in the rest of the body. When meditating, beta waves, which indicate a state where information is being processed, decrease and are replaced by alpha waves, which are associated with total brain coherence. The frontal and parietal lobes, which deal with reasoning, planning, and processing sensory information, slow down. And without an abundance of incoming stimuli, the nervous system can rest, resulting in relaxation and improved functioning in the entire body.