Everyday Health is a publication committed to supporting you on your journey to a healthy life.
Its team includes accredited health journalists, board-certified physicians, and other health professionals who adhere to the highest standards of accuracy, objectivity, and balance in their work.
They create content based on the latest evidence-based health information, as well as real-world patient and clinician experiences, to help inform you on how to take control of your health. That’s why I’ve compiled ten of the best Everyday Health articles on meditation, along with my favorite quotes.
1. “7 Ways to Get Started With Meditation”
At first, meditation may seem intimidating. Luckily, once you know the basics, you can practice it essentially anywhere and at any time. Meditation is the practice of training one’s attention or focusing the mind for a period of time. There are many forms of meditation, and they often bring about feelings of relaxation and inner peace.
Meditation comes with numerous researched health benefits, according to the Mayo Clinic, including decreased stress, improved mood, and increased focus and concentration. Research has suggested that, over time, meditation is useful as a tool to manage a number of chronic health problems, such as mental health disorders like depression and anxiety. Here are seven tips to getting started on your practice.
Click here to read the article “7 Ways to Get Started With Meditation.”
2. “4 Ways Meditation Changes the Brain”
Meditation is a powerful tool that comes with a number of health benefits. It’s the practice of thinking deeply or focusing one’s mind for a period of time, with the goal of obtaining feelings of relaxation and inner peace. While meditation is an ancient practice that has been around for centuries, scientists are just beginning to study its effects on the human body.
One realm of research concentrates on how meditation impacts the brain. Studies show that meditation has a variety of neurological benefits, from changes in brain volume to decreasing activity in parts of the brain involved with stress. Below are four ways that meditation has been shown to change the brain:
Click here to read the article “4 Ways Meditation Changes the Brain.”
3. “8 Dos and Don’ts for Beginning Meditators”
Since there are only so many hours in the day, you may feel that sitting still with your eyes closed for 20, 10, or even 5 minutes isn’t a productive use of your time. … A growing body of research suggests there are many health benefits of a regular meditation practice. … Many dedicated practitioners also see meditation as a way to support well-being and healing.
To reap this bounty of physical and mental benefits, it’s important to experiment with different meditation styles and cut yourself a little slack until your practice becomes second nature. These dos and don’ts from meditation experts will help get you going — the rest is up to you!
Click here to read the article “8 Dos and Don’ts for Beginning Meditators.”
4. “Meditation May Be Good for Your Heart, Study Says”
A study published June 29 in the American Journal of Cardiology examined data from 61,267 adults who participated in the National Health Interview Survey from 2012 to 2017, including 5,851 people (9.6 percent) who said they practiced meditation.
These surveys ask about a broad range of health topics, including whether or not people meditate. Compared with people who didn’t meditate, those who did had a lot of heart health benefits.
Click here to read the article “Meditation May Be Good for Your Heart, Study Says.”
5. “9 Highly Successful CEOs and Celebrities Who Practice Meditation”
Meditation is the practice of deepening one’s awareness or focusing one’s mind for a period of time to support mental and emotional balance and well-being. And it may help reduce stress, boost immunity, increase concentration, and improve sleep quality — all of which are beneficial to highly successful people.
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Here are 9 highly influential CEOs and celebrities who practice these various forms of meditation to help them be successful in the workplace:
Click here to read the article “9 Highly Successful CEOs and Celebrities Who Practice Meditation.”
6. “How Meditation Can Help Manage Chronic Illness”
Meditation is an ancient practice that’s been around for centuries but has gained resurgence in recent years, as researchers study it to determine its effects on health. A number of studies have established the many benefits of meditation, including using it as a tool in managing chronic illnesses.
Click here to read the article “How Meditation Can Help Manage Chronic Illness.”
7. “Can Meditation Slow Down Time? Exploring the Relationship Between Meditation and Perception”
It’s a well-known phenomenon that, as people age, time seems to pass faster than when they were young, as described in an article in European Review in 2019. In other words, perceived (subjective) time can feel shorter than measured (or objective) “clock time.” If time feels like it’s flying by, you may be interested in learning how to slow it down. One possible technique to use? Meditation.
Click here to read the article “Can Meditation Slow Down Time? Exploring the Relationship Between Meditation and Perception.”
8. “How Meditation Can Improve Your Mental Health”
In a review published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers reviewed more than 18,000 scientific studies looking at the relationship between meditation and depression and anxiety. Forty-seven trials with data on 3,515 patients met their criteria for well-designed research.
The results showed that mindful meditation programs over an eight-week period had moderate evidence in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Another study, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, found that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder who participated in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program had a greater reduction in stress markers than a control group.
Click here to read the article “How Meditation Can Improve Your Mental Health.”
9. “Guided Imagery: Possible Health Benefits”
Imagine that you’re in a place where you feel totally relaxed. For example, perhaps you’re sitting on a calm, quiet beach. Picture waves lapping along the shoreline. Hear the gentle sound they make and smell the salty air. How does the breeze feel against your skin? What does the soft sand feel like between your toes?
That’s guided imagery at work, and brief, regular breaks like this may make you feel more at ease. Guided imagery, a meditative mental health practice, can be used in a variety of ways for possible health perks, from regulating everyday stress via mindfulness apps to assisting in trauma therapy via a clinical setting.
Click here to read the article “Guided Imagery: Possible Health Benefits.”
10. “Can Mindfulness Meditation Help You Sleep Better?”
Statistics show lots of Americans are struggling to get a decent night’s sleep. About 1 in 3 U.S. adults report not getting enough sleep every day; and approximately 40 percent report falling asleep unintentionally during the middle of the day at least once in the past month, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Wellness gurus preach that stress management techniques like mindfulness and mediation can help with our slumber deficit. What does the science say?
Click here to read the article “Can Mindfulness Meditation Help You Sleep Better?“
Complement this list of best meditation articles from Everyday Health with Buddhist Meditation: Tranquility, Imagination, and Insight by Kamalashila and then revisit Everyday Health artciles on mindfulness and why you should read Mindful America by Jeff Wilson.
I’m a freelance writer and mindfulness advocate behind this blog. What you see here is the combination of my three favorite things: reading, writing, and mindfulness. While you’re here, subscribe to my blog updates and gain access to free mindfulness resources for stress relief.
