How Meditation Activates The Body's "Relaxation Response," Reverses Anxiety

We are living in stressful times. The mounting career, relationship, and family commitments we face makes living in this chaotic, fast-paced world all the more difficult.

Pile on always connected modern technology, and only an absolute master can truly switch his mind off from the stress of worldly pressures and demands.

In a 2010 American Psychological Association survey, 75% of Americans reported that their stress levels were so high that they felt unhealthy.

But, stress is all in your head, right? How could it possibly harm your health, as these surveyed people claim?

That’s correct, if the effects of stress were purely in the mind then it would be no big deal.

How The "Fight Or Flight" Response Triggers Anxiety

The problem is, evolution has hard-wired our DNA to physiologically react in stressful situations — our heart races, our breathing becomes shallow, our blood vessels clinch up, our pupils dilate, our muscles tighten, all in preparation to either fight or flee.

The good news is that your body has a built in stress-defense mechanism — it's called the parasympathetic nervous system. Your ability to stay anxiety-free is directly tied to activating this often elusive system each and every day.

Then, what’s the best way to wake up this sleeping giant? Meditation.

Note: Before we go any further, this infographic does a good job of detailing how meditation benefits the brain & body via the relaxation response (as discussed further down the page):

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Meditation Controls Anxiety Through The "Mind-Body Connection"

In the 1970’s, Harvard University physician Herbert Benson observed that well over half of his patient visits were because of stress related disorders, like anxiety.

He thought, if he could figure out a way to counteract this phenomenon, it could revolutionize the healthcare industry, helping untold numbers of people. He accomplished his mission.

In essence, what Dr. Benson discovered was the true power of the meditative mind-body connection — slower metabolism, measured breath rate, reduced heart rate, and quiet brainwave activity all combined to make the perfect state for healing.

Meditation Reverses Anxiety Through The "Relaxation Response"

By using meditation to simultaneously activate the parasympathetic nervous system while deactivating the body’s "fight or flight" stress mode, his patients reversed countless health issues, with anxiety often the first domino to fall.

Dr. Benson’s bestselling book, "Relaxation Response," has sold millions of copies, providing great momentum to the mind-body movement, and stands as another solid example of hard science confirming age-old mindfulness wisdom.

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Deep meditation upgrades 9 key brain regions. The result? So many benefits: less stress, more happiness, more success, deeper sleep, easier learning, better memory, higher IQ & EQ, just to name a few. Change your brain, change your life.

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Did you know that your brain power, intelligence, & memory can be dramatically upgraded? Here, we discuss why scientists keep studying the marvelous meditating brain, and how you too can tap these awesome benefits.

The world needs creativity. Books don't author themselves. Inventions don't invent themselves. Technology doesn't innovate itself. Luckily, we are creative by nature. It's in our genes. It's in our brains. Awaken yours with meditation.

Through a process called "Neurogenesis," scientists have discovered that our brain's "neuron count" is not set for life. Meditation's well-proven ability to generate a "neuron fortune" has massive implications & big benefits.

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When we break our leg, its size and strength slowly dwindle away inside our orthopedic cast. When depression has us on the ropes, our brain's hippocampus slowly wastes away inside our noggin. Luckily, meditation reverses this atrophy.

Scientists estimate the number of human thoughts at around 70,000 per day, meaning a worried, anxious mind can literally generate a new negative thought every couple of seconds! Luckily, meditation quiets the mind beautifully.

Between your magnificently complex brain's 100 billion neurons are a web-like network of "neurotransmitters." When levels run on empty, our stress defense shield drops — making us highly vulnerable to anxiety. Crank them up with meditation.

A recent study revealed that people were happiest when in a kind of fully immersed, deeply absorbed, present mind state. With our attention spans lower than ever, anxiety levels are higher than ever. Return to the present with meditation.

Like a wildfire, inflammation can fan its flames into something very big. Chronic inflammation, especially within the brain, is a self perpetuating, highly toxic condition — perfect for anxiety to proliferate. Extinguish it with meditation.

All of us require food, warmth, water, and sleep. But, is it also built into human DNA to crave doom & gloom? Is being afraid & worrying all the time human nature or did we get here through nurture? Here's how meditation deactivates fear.

From dark caves to sunlit skyscrapers, from incoherent grunting to the world wide web, from muddy riverbanks to the far reaches of the solar system, we owe everything to our prefrontal cortex. How meditation builds it up, destroys anxiety.

It's been said that the human mind is like a room full of monkeys, jumping around, chattering endlessly, carrying on all day & night. The loudest of them all is fear, their highly influential troop leader. Here's how meditation tames them.

Times are stressful. The mounting career, relationship, & family commitments we face makes living in this chaotic world all the more difficult. Pile on our connected devices, & only a master can maintain a calm mind. Unless you meditate.

Your whole essence as a human being, from your biological makeup to your thoughts, moods, & emotions (especially anxiety) show within your brainwave patterns. How meditation soothes & calms your anxious "beta" brainwaves.

Not having enough of this "calm chemical" can create an array of problems, including anxiety, nervousness, racing thoughts, sleeplessness, and most of all: bad habits. Here's how meditation uncaps the firehose.

We all know it. We have all felt it. Anger. For those of us with anger issues, our health, our work, our relationships, & our whole quality of life are dictated by one supreme ruler. Here's why meditators stay cool & calm no matter what.

When it comes to slaying Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), meditation is the proverbial magic bullet. Here, we discuss eight psychological and biological reasons meditation is the key to conquering this multilayered disease.

An incredibly complex disease, Bipolar disorder has an interwoven variety of biological, psychological, and sociological contributing factors. From a variety of angles, we discuss how meditation neutralizes Bipolar disorder.

Like a dominant hand, most of us heavily favor one side of our brain. Imaging studies have shown that highly successful, massively creative people use both brain halves in a much more integrated way. Balance your brain with meditation.

We have all forgotten where we left our keys, blanked on a friend's name, or let a family member's birthday slip through the cracks. However, memory loss is not inevitable, meditation helps us stay sharp as a razor regardless of age.

Our brains are still wired like cavemen. While modern cities are free of lions, tigers, & bears — our job stress, money problems, & relationship quarrels still trigger our fear response 8 days a week. How meditation "evolves" humanity.

As the brain's thought orchestrator, complex planner, deep thinker, & high level decision maker, if all the brain regions held an election, the prefrontal cortex would be emperor. Like Einstein, meditation builds-up this brain region.

Meditation balances your left & right brain hemispheres, resulting in what's called "whole brain synchronization." This opens the door to many amazing benefits: faster & easier learning, excellent mental health, super creativity, & more.

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Through a process called "Neurogenesis," doctors have discovered that our brain's "neuron count" is not set for life. Meditation’s well-proven ability to generate a "neuron fortune" has massive implications & big benefits.

Whether you're a college student cramming for exams, a career ladder climbing professional looking for that extra acuity, or a senior wishing to preserve your golden year mental faculties, meditation can improve your memory & brain power.

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Did you know that your brain power, intelligence, & memory can be dramatically upgraded? Here, we discuss why scientists keep studying the marvelous meditating brain, and how you too can tap these awesome benefits.

Think back to a time when you experienced "flow." What were you doing? Did your sense of self fade into oblivion? Did time disappear? Did the world drop out of sight? Were your mind, body, & soul fully absorbed? Do it again with meditation.

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To be a happy & healthy human, it's obvious that we need to sleep well, eat right, & exercise. However, very few of us realize just how important "human connectedness" is to our well-being. Here's how meditation conquers loneliness.

Thoughts are just thoughts, right? The truth is, the polarity, nature, & quality of our thoughts deeply intertwine with our physical reality (health, career, success, relationships, etc). Charge your positive thoughts with meditation.

Often called the "happy" neurotransmitter, serotonin is key to relaying signals from one part of the brain to another. This crucial chemical has a profound impact on our mood & overall well-being. Open the floodgates with meditation.

Life unfolds in the present. The problem is, like a monkey swinging from tree branch to tree branch, the human mind's tendency to jump from thought to thought has made us lose touch with the "now." How meditation trains us to be present.

Powerful CEOs, famous Hollywood actors, bestselling authors, well-known media personalities, top military rank, high level creatives, professional athletes, and even billionaires say meditation is the secret to their success.

Without the willpower to put in the hard yards today, the dream of a better tomorrow will always be just that. A dream. Luckily, willpower is never set in stone. All the great ones had it, you can too. Become "willpowerful" with meditation.

The world needs creativity. Books don't author themselves. Inventions don't invent themselves. Technology doesn't innovate itself. Luckily, we are creative by nature. It's in our genes. It's in our brains. Awaken yours with meditation.

History is full of people who, in the face of failure, diversion, & distraction, stayed the course anyway, achieving their dreams regardless of what's in their path. Here's how meditation can make us highly focused & motivated.

The world's most successful people often say that "intuition" is far more powerful than intellect and their #1 decision-making tool. Here's how meditation magnifies this mega-important sixth sense.

Dominating headlines with her viral 14+ million view TED Talk and bestselling book, a world famous psychologist makes the compelling case for "mental toughness" as successful people's real superpower. Get "Gritty" with meditation.

Whether dropped on a deserted island or elevated to the helm of a startup, with their uncanny ability to navigate uncertainty — people with high fluid intelligence always find a way to thrive. Become "fluidly intelligent" with meditation.

People with high "EQ" are masters of work & play. They usually have prosperous careers, fulfilling relationships, & tons of friends. They are often generous, empathic, with the ability to love & be loved. Here's how meditation rockets EQ.

Your subconscious & unconscious mind are incredibly powerful. Here we show you the vast benefits waiting under the surface, and how meditation is the best way to dive in, explore, and harness your deep mind. See detailed chart.

What if there was a better way to enter the lucid dream alternate reality, where there are no rules, no fears, no inhibitions, & no doubts? Where literally anything is possible? Play on the universe's coolest playground with meditation.

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The nature & origin of consciousness is life's greatest unanswered question. While science is still looking for a definitive explanation, it's clear that we can raise our own state of consciousness. What's the best way? Meditation.

The shift in consciousness achieved through meditation makes you aware of the highest & perhaps most easily forgotten universal law — "We Are All One." Is there any surprise that history's greatest humanitarians often practiced meditation?

Mindless eating. We all do it. We shovel down food as quickly as possible, eat when we aren't hungry, eat bad foods, overeat, all without a second thought as to why. And it's making us fat. Luckily, mindful eating is natural for meditators.

Layer after layer, when you peel an onion all the way, what's left? The core. Likewise, after stripping away the reasons we gain weight (poor diet, low motivation, no exercise, etc), what's at the root? The mind. Master it with meditation.

Are you starving yourself to look like a ripped Hollywood movie star? Do the covers of GQ & Vogue have you slaving away on the treadmill? If so, your weight loss efforts are apt to crash & burn. Get intrinsic motivation. How? Meditation.

Being infatuated with the scale, hating our body, & thinking that life will be perfect once we are slim is often, ironically, the very reason we pile on more pounds. Yep, hating how fat we are makes us fatter. Love yourself with meditation.

Conventional wisdom states that, when we get hit by food cravings, we have two options. We can either give in to the urge, or we can resist. Easy, right? Meditation unlocks a powerful third option. It’s called "urge surfing."

Life sucks. Our endless responsibilities, dead end jobs, & unhealthy relationships often make us feel like prisoners. With joy & hope on fumes, we smother our emptiness, unhappiness, & loneliness with food. Fill the void with meditation.

While most of our body fat is the wiggly, jiggly kind that we can see & pinch — there is an unseen, deeper, more sinister kind of fat which goes beyond simply making our favorite sweater a bit too snug. Meditation burns belly fat too? Yes!

Instead of feeling our uncomfortable emotions, we turn to food. While filling-up our belly might make us feel better for a little while, it doesn't address the deeper reasons for overeating. Here's how meditation solves emotional eating.

Stress is a fact of life. We all know this. But it goes further. In addition to making our heart race, stomach swirl, & underarms sweat, stress can also make our weight go up. Real high. To the sky. Thankfully, meditation dissolves stress.

Want to rejuvenate and restore your skin to pristine perfection? Of course, we all do! Look no further than meditation. With such overwhelming age-defying scientific evidence, it's easy to see why meditators so often look decades younger.

Buzzwords. So many products claim to be an "antioxidant." But really, what are free radicals, what are antioxidants, & for folks wanting to live a long, healthy life, why do they matter? Boost the "mother of all antioxidants" with meditation.

Life ends at 80. That’s when, according to the latest data, we need to go coffin shoppin'. But, wouldn’t it be much better to live to 130? Well, according to an overwhelming number of studies, we can. Here's where meditation fits in.

Lobsters are biologically immortal. That is, they don’t die from old age like we do. So, how are lobsters "immune" to aging while the rest of the animal kingdom, including us, withers away, DNA into dust? How meditation "lobsterfies" aging.

Telomere shortening can, like a rock star living life in the fast lane, make us age hard and fast even if we are nowhere near over the hill. Learn how meditation's telomere lengthening effectively checkmates father time and mother stress.

We've all seen the headlines, a glass a day can extend your life. So, what’s the magic ingredient in this crimson colored superfood? And how can meditation allow us to reap the same life lengthening benefits?

To the human brain, father time is the cartoon bully. But instead of losing a few lunch money coins here and there, father time’s shakedowns are relentless, robbing a tiny fraction of our precious brain resources every moment of every day.

As we get older, one key hormone decreases year after year, speeding up the hands of time, opening the door to disease, and much more. Luckily, there is a time-tested way to boost this super longevity molecule. It's called meditation.

Man has sought the elusive "fountain of youth" since the dawn of time. While we don't believe in mythical "stay young forever" potions like our ancestors once did, one magic molecule is making a very strong case. Swim in it with meditation.

Now a living legend, news of the "Iceman's" jaw-dropping feats have spread far & wide. A holder of 25+ Guinness World Records, the 60 year old dutch meditator is famous for his ability to withstand the extreme cold.

Your body is a "community" of 50 trillion living cells. When your cells are in harmony, you're healthy. In disharmony, disease can manifest. Here's how meditation heals at the molecular level, while helping to create a "cellular utopia."

What if you could train your body to, like a fully loaded Mack truck, run over any bacteria, virus, or germ crossing your interstate? You can! Here's how meditation drafts more "antibodies" & "T-cells" to your immune system's front line.

Doctors now say that our deeply intertwined "first" real brain & "second" gut brain are actually one system, not two. Here's how meditation's incredible brain benefits can transform your microbiome — and ultimately, your health.

If you want to supercharge your immune system, then boosting these three brain & body chemicals will do the trick. Thankfully, meditation fills them to the brim. Live long and prosper.

The brain’s recently discovered "neuroplastic" nature means that we can carve and mold our noggin' like a sculptor shapes his clay. Here are four immune system linked brain regions that meditation so conveniently fortifies.

Other than hibernating bears, meditators are the world's best sleepers. Here's how meditation conquers sleep problems, dominates sleep disorders, while helping people with even the worst cases of insomnia sleep like a log.

Sleeplessness goes far beyond inconvenience. With our productivity, mood, energy, & health taking a roundhouse kick to the clavicle, chronic insomnia can really crimp our potential. Luckily, meditation fortifies our brain's sleep center.

We all wish we had more hours in the day. Learn why the ancient mind practice makes our shuteye so efficient, & why no amount of meditation can ever completely replace our nightly sleep cycle.

Earth’s natural cycles of light & dark dictate our biological clock. The problem is, our screen time & long work hours have taken an (especially) heavy toll on our "sleep molecule." Luckily, meditation rebalances this critical chemical.

Did you know that meditation not only makes you a better lover, but also shifts your libido into overdrive? Here we dive into the mental, emotional, & physical reasons meditation has folks running into the bedroom. Bring sexy back into your life.

Do you wish you had more energy? You aren’t the only one, the world spends billions of dollars every year for that little bit extra to get through the day. Here's how meditation keeps your "battery" fully charged.

Chronic pain, which can go on for months, years, or more, can become so ingrained within our psyche that we feel it's who we are. It can become our identity. Here, we discuss why meditation is the world's best natural pain relief tool.

Have you ever stopped to think about how much stress affects your life? According to scientists, stress is the cause of at least 95% of all disease. A weapon of mass destruction indeed. Luckily, meditation transcends this "silent killer."

The latest research has confirmed that meditation's incredible benefits do indeed pass from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby. From inception to delivery (& beyond), here are the wonderful ways meditation helps both mom & baby.

One study had a group of heart patients practice meditation over the course of one year, with incredible results. More proof into the mind’s incredible ability to heal the body, here is what they found.

Cortisol, a major age-accelerating hormone, is the one chemical where less is more. Under chronic stress, this nasty stuff inundates our body, torpedoing our health. Here's how meditation cuts this nasty chemical down. To the ground.

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