Thousands of people are successfully using meditation to deal with stress, chronic pain, high blood pressure and other issues.
Neuroscientists are uncovering the changes in the brain that accompany these benefits. Their research relies on a concept called neuroplasticity - the idea that what we focus our attention on reshapes the brain in crucial ways.
The stress-busting effects of meditation may even protect our cells from damage associated with aging, as well as from autoimmune disease and other inflammatory conditions. A Harvard Medical School team reported in 2008 that it found these beneficial changes in the genes of people who regularly practiced meditation, yoga and other relaxation-inducing routines.
Emory University scientists found in 2007 that those who meditated regularly seemed to avoid some normal age-related decline of gray matter in a part of the brain that helps control motor skills and learning.
The disciplined repetition of redirecting attention is what seems to drive the brain changes that can be seen in brain-imaging studies. It's much the same as what happens with a musician repeatedly playing scales or an athlete or dancer practicing a movement.
-- AARP
