Meditation has been around for thousands of years and has been shaped and brought into the world by various traditions and cultures. More and more people meditate, with the share of men currently also increasing sharply. Recent figures are not available, but a study conducted by NRC in 2015 showed that 5 to 10 percent of Dutch people practice a form of meditation.
A growing number of companies and organisations are supporting meditation because of its positive effect on your vitality and well-being. For example, Google and Facebook are known to encourage their employees to meditate during working hours. This is understandable, because the positive effect has been demonstrated in many scientific publications. Below we will explain some of the results of these publications in more detail:
These are the most important results of research into meditation
Research has shown that meditation reduces the level of stress hormones in the blood. And that in turn ensures an improved immune system, better blood pressure and, for example, less anxiety and depression. So there is a positive effect on your well-being and simply feeling happier.
Neurologically and hormonally, all sorts of things happen in your body when you meditate. As a result, people are less often ill and the risk of burnout is reduced. You react more calmly to emotions and you can deal better with stressful situations. Your ability to concentrate is also improved and you are therefore more productive and creative.
It is essential that meditation ensures relaxation in the body, which helps people with neck and shoulder complaints, which are often related to stress and work pressure.
Research also shows that elderly people who meditate feel less lonely and that their brain activity is positively influenced, which means that old age diseases occur less often. Normally, the size of your brain decreases as you get older, research shows that people who meditate retain their brain size for longer and therefore continue to function better at an older age.
Below is further explanation of some important aspects:
Better able to deal with stress
Stress will always be there, but when stress becomes too much, it is important to recognize this and handle it well. Because long-term stress can lead to physical and/or mental complaints. Studies show that meditation helps you recover physically and mentally from stress and stressful situations faster.
Improved immune system function
Various publications show that meditation improves the functioning of the immune system, which is of course essential for combating inflammation, infections and preventing diseases. A better functioning immune system increases our resistance and therefore reduces the risk of becoming ill. In addition, you can recover from illnesses more quickly.
Reduces fatigue and increases your energy
Do you often feel listless and have too little energy to do your daily things, let alone to take on extra things. Various studies show that meditation can have a positive effect.
Better sleep and less sleep needed
Meditation has been shown to be effective in improving sleep. Research has found that meditation can improve sleep within six weeks. Research also shows that meditation improves brain function more than sleep does, and that people with meditation experience have a lower need for sleep.
Mindfulness versus meditation
Professor of psychiatry and director of the Radboud UMC Anne Speckens explains in an article in NU.nl on January 8, 2020 what the difference is between mindfulness and meditation: “Mindfulness is the ability to be present in the here and now and to be aware of all the feelings, thoughts and observations that you perceive.” She continues: “Meditation is the method with which you can develop this skill.” Do you suffer a lot from anxiety? Then the professor recommends starting to meditate in a steady way, with short sessions and not suddenly meditating in silence for entire days. This is because it can otherwise have the opposite effect.
How long and how often to meditate?
A short meditation of 20 minutes every day, alternated a few times a week with a longer session of about 40 minutes or more, works best for most people. Regularity is also easier to fit into your daily life, because it then becomes a habit and part of your daily routine. It is certainly not a waste of time, because during meditation your brain comes to rest just like during your sleep, so you can assume that you “gain” those 20 minutes by sleeping less.
When to meditate?
Some people like to start their day with a meditation, others like to do it in the evening or during the day at a time that suits them best. If you do it in the evening and then don’t watch TV, but for example go for a walk or read a bit, then that will definitely benefit your sleep.
You can choose the moment that suits you best and fits into your daily schedule with all your activities. Choose a quiet spot in your home, where you can meditate quietly and undisturbed. Meditating in nature, in your garden, on a bench in a park or by the water, is also nice because of the natural elements around you.
Meditation with The Elements
Every Thursday evening at 8:00 PM and every Friday morning at 10:00 AM there is a live session, so that you can do the meditation together with others online. The meditation lasts about 40 minutes.
This meditation is also recorded and you can play it again at any time via our app to meditate.
The meditation supports the theme of the month and helps you to improve the connection with your body. You experience how important your breathing is and that breathing well helps you to feel better. You feel relaxed afterwards and you can enjoy it at home in your own environment.
In addition, there is also a shorter meditation of about 20 minutes available every month, which you can play yourself at any time via our app.
Once you get into the habit of meditating daily, you’ll find that it’s a really enjoyable practice and you’ll miss it if you don’t do it for a day!