Did you know that meditation has an impact on our gene activity? Yes, by practicing meditation we can make our genes behave differently… Let’s see next what this discovery is about and how this can benefit us.
Let me tell you that, personally, meditation, Reiki and yoga have been the best therapy for me. Thanks to them I was able to control stress-related illnesses such as vertigo and migraines.
What is meditation?
It is a practice that involves the joint participation of the mind and body that have been brought together, either actively or passively, for the well-being of those who practice it. In this sense, activities such as yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong demand a significant physical effort. On the other hand, mindfulness and breathing techniques and meditation per se are of a more passive nature. All of them are defined, among other things, as different forms of meditation whose practice brings health benefits.
What does science say?
Numerous studies suggest that meditation (in any of its forms) reduces stress, helps combat depression, decreases anxiety, and aids in the treatment of chronic diseases. On the other hand, this practice seems to have an important role in the regulation of emotions and in cognitive functions such as learning, memory, etc.
However, in recent years the scientific community has decided to go a bit beyond the effects at the neuronal level produced by meditation, in order to investigate its implications in the field of genetics.
Such studies are very valuable for understanding the biological mechanisms that interact with the various psychological and bodily effects of meditation. They also give an even more scientific foundation to meditation, which continues to make its mark in the world of science over the years.
Genes and stress
A study conducted by a group of scientists sought to determine the link between stress, different types of meditation and genetics. Here, two objectives were set: first, to know if meditation affects physical health by producing molecular changes in the different genetic expressions. Second, to determine which of these changes support the psychological benefits of meditation.
Genes work together and provide biological information that can be measured and analyzed. There are methods that record the activity of genes that determine which genes have more action on certain stimuli. Stress generates inflammation which results in a change in the expression of the genes.
This inflammation, although sometimes positive because it puts us in a state of alert and activates our immune system in certain risky situations, if it becomes chronic it could cause severe damage to our health, because there would be constant inflammation without any real risk to justify it.
The effects of meditation and its impact at the molecular level
To measure these effects, a study was conducted in which different groups of people took a few days of “vacation” at a spiritual retreat centre. Some of them participated in meditation and yoga activities, while the rest did not. What both groups had in common was that they would be away from their daily activities for a few days.
The results were overwhelming: after a month, for those who had done the meditation activities during those days, the psychological benefits lasted longer than for those who only took a vacation.
At the genetic level, 390 genes were affected and the first noteworthy change is that the stress-related genes decreased their activity considerably. In addition, among those who practice meditation regularly, a decrease in the speed of shortening of the telomeres was observed. That is, a component of genes associated with aging, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.
In short, it was found that meditation counteracts the negative effects that stress has on the immune system, reduces inflammation and delays ageing.
I believe that science is advancing and integrative medicine is increasingly embracing different meditation techniques to achieve positive health effects. The proof is that there are more and more studies that confirm this.
I invite you to tell me if you practice any form of meditation, which ones you have tried and what effects they have had on you. If not, I encourage you to start as soon as possible to engage in some form of meditation practice and to send me your comments.
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