10 unnecessary ridiculous facts about meditation
Meaning only for airy-fairy types? Not at all, we are increasingly rolling out the yoga mats. Away with the fears, on to serenity and joy. Did you already know this about meditating?
1. Meditation = gymnastics for the mind. Meditating reduces stress. Really. Your cortisol levels drop during your me-time, which means you experience less stress.
2. Maybe good to know right away: there is no meditation technique that works for everyone. In complete silence, with music in the background, with or without candles, with incense, open or closed eyes, on the floor, on a chair, in bed, in the bath; you decide how you meditate.
3. Meditating can bring you a lot. You gain more compassion and become a more loving person, you can let go of anger more quickly and learn to live better in the moment.
4. By meditating, your brain gains more ‘gray matter’ (sounds easier than cortical matter, right?). This part of the brain is responsible for decision-making, attention, and memory.
5. During sleep, your oxygen consumption decreases by 8 percent, during meditation by 10 to 20 percent.
6. Scientists were convinced for years that your brain stops growing after adulthood. That is true - and now comes the kicker - except for people who meditate regularly. It turns out that sustained meditation does indeed enable people to permanently change their brain in terms of structure and function. Wow.
7. Also interesting: in a 2006 study, students were allowed to choose whether to sleep, meditate, or watch TV. Their alertness was tested. People who had meditated responded 10 percent faster than those who had taken a nap or watched TV.
8. Did you know that… Barack Obama answered the question from singer Sia about whether he meditates: “In this job you have to!”
9. Justin Timberlake is also hooked. Remember one of the most beautiful songs ever written, Where is the Love?‘Take control of your mind and meditate. Let your soul gravitate to the love, ya’ll….’.
10. Businesswoman of the year 2003 Jeanette van den Ingh-van Wijk says in Volkskrant 23/12/03 that she could never have achieved the title without her… you guessed it… daily meditation hour.
