Meditation Rebuilds the Brain’s Gray Matter

By Julio L. Matta, MPA, MBA

The Synergy Meditation Center At St. Charles

More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles

Meditation Rebuilds the Brain’s Gray Matter

In this new age of medicine, in particular holistic medicine, we see our population living healthy lives late into their 70s and 80s taking a different approach to better their health. Many are seeking holistic therapeutic alternative to fighting age-related illness moving away from the traditional opioid treatment. It is important to always consult your physician, but don’t be afraid to ask the question, “Does meditation really help in reducing memory loss due to aging?”

There are hundreds of articles from many prominent medical, scientific, psychological, and physiological experts, who are now, and have been for a significant amount of time, convinced of the magnitude of the benefits to health and wellness of those who practice meditation on a daily bases. More and more people are seeking information, and turning to an alternative approach towards holistic science, and less interested in continuing on a prolonged opioid-induced treatment plan.

Numerous research articles from Harvard Medical written by Brent Lambert present studies showing that those who practiced meditation saw significant increase in the Brain’s gray matter, which is connected to retaining or losing the ability to remember, short term, or leading to more serious memory loss. These studies were proven through the use of MRI.

After many trials, results showed that meditation literally rebuilds the brain’s gray matter. The research proved that individuals who on average spent 27 minutes per day meditating stimulated a major increase in gray matter density in the hippocampus area of the brain. One of the researchers added “Participant-reported reduction in stress also were correlated with decreased gray matter density in the amygdala (neurons located deep in the brain’s medial temporal lobe, which processes emotions), and to be a bit more precise the amygdala forms part of the limbic system of the brain.

The continual daily practice of meditation played an important role in anxiety and stress reduction. The Harvard study also reveals that none of these changes seen in the control group indicated that they had not resulted merely from the passage of time. We are coming to understand with more interest that our bodies can in fact heal itself through positive thoughts, good nutrition, and meditating to increase focus and awareness, which in turn increases the gray matter to our hippocampus area of the brain.

Other studies have proven that the practice of tai chi also reduces stress, increases flexibility and balance, and has shown to have significant impact in reducing chronic pain, symptoms of fibromyalgia, and increasing focus and awareness, and so much more.

Always consult with your physician, and tell them that you want to add meditation or tai chi or even a combination of both to your wellness program. See how much your overall health has improved after three, four, or five months down the road. You will be surprised how great you will feel, and how much you begin to retain due to increases in the gray matter growth to the brain stimulated through consistent daily meditation practice.