Why Meditate?

If you’ve ever read the book Bridge to Terabithia (or seen the movie), then you are familiar with Terabithia – an imaginary world that the main characters, Jesse and Leslie, create as a safe haven. It is somewhere they can go to be free from the cares and worries of the world.

Meditation has given me a Terabithia. I have created a clearing of calm and tranquility that I can enter into within seconds whenever I feel the need. I have a refuge no matter where I am or what I am doing. The worries of the world no longer threaten me.

Except this mental place isn’t imaginary, and it isn’t populated with trolls and wild creatures – it is as real as the world we live in.

Since starting my meditation habit, my brain has literally been rewired for happiness, peace and success. Here are just a few of the benefits:

1. I rarely become angry.

2. I find happiness in unexpected places.

3. I form deeper relationships and build friendships more easily.

4. By far the largest benefit, however, is that a deep, serene calm and peace is slowly permeating into every area of my life.

At first meditating felt unusual – like I was stepping out of normal life and doing something that most people find strange. I soon realized, however, that this wasn’t true – millions of people meditate and many successful people attribute part of their success to meditation.

At first, I couldn’t believe that a simple daily meditation practice affected my life so powerfully. So, I started doing research and devoured all of the scientific studies on meditation that I could find. I was amazed at what I found – it turns out meditation can transform nearly every area of your life.

Here are fourteen scientifically proven ways meditation rewires your brain for happiness, peace and success.

1.Meditation reduces stress
2.Meditation increases your sense of well-being
3.Meditation increases your sense of connectedness and empathy
4.Meditation improves focus
5.Meditation improves relationships
6.Meditation makes you more creative
7.Meditation improves memory
8.Meditation improve your ability to make decisions
9.Meditation helps people overcome addictions
10.Meditation improves cardiovascular health
11.Meditation enhances your immune system
12.Meditation helps you find “flow”
13.Meditation reduces physical and emotional pain (better than morphine)
14.Meditation takes you towards enlightenment