Breathing Your Way To Calm

When an Ancient Practice Meets Modern Day Research

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Mediation is all the buzz these days, but the practice is far from new. Meditation is believed to date back to 3000 B.C.E. It appears in the Bible and has strong ties to Buddhism and Hinduism, among other world religions.

In the United States, what was once a fringe practice embraced exclusively by yogis and flower children is now not only socially mainstream, but scientifically supported. 

Allison’s favorite Stanford neuroscientist, Andrew Huberman (previously introduced in this newsletter) recently produced a podcast about “the biological mechanisms of the state changes that occur during different types of meditation.” Internationally recognized stress-expert Dr. Elissa Epel, professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at UC San Francisco, where she is Vice Chair of Psychology and director of the Aging Metabolism Emotions Center, recently authored a book based on her research called The Stress Prescription. Any guesses what her prescription entails? To grossly oversimplify, it’s mindfulness, including meditation. Harvard scientists are studying how mindfulness practices like meditation are changing the brains of people suffering from depression. You get the idea.

For skeptics and practitioners alike, it’s helpful to understand “what mindfulness is from a biological standpoint,” as Huberman puts it. It can help us bridge the gap between feeling like something is a waste of your time, to committing to a practice that could vastly improve your wellbeing. 

Above a portrait Tom took author, meditator, and surfer, Jamail Yogis.

Tom has been into meditation for about 15 years. He’s taken workshops at Spirit Rock, has sought out mediation experts to photograph and interview, like Jamail Yogis, and has been practicing Transcendental Meditation in recent years. (Tom will tell you all about the many celebrities who practice Transcendental Meditation, like Jerry Seinfeld and Oprah). 

Here is his overview. 

There are many different forms of meditation. Today we are focusing on the benefits of simple, mindful breathing meditation. 

Increases in cognitive capacity

We know you can find 10 minutes to meditate if you are not already meditating. According to Plos Medicine, as little as 10 minutes of day will increase cognitive capacity, which is the ability to think, learn, remember, and make decisions. 

Meditation helps fights the effects of aging

Dr. Deepak Chopra, founder of the Chopra Foundation and clinical professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego, stated that during a one-week retreat devoted to meditation, genes responsible for self-regulation, homeostasis, and healing increased 17-fold, while those associated with cancer, heart disease, autoimmune illness, and accelerated aging decreased. Telomerase, an enzyme that influences the genetic clock or aging rate, rose by 30%.

Mindfulness can be just as good as anxiety medication

A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry revealed that eight weeks of mindfulness-based interventions can be as effective in reducing anxiety as a common anti-anxiety medication, often sold under the brand name Lexapro.

When and where to meditate

It doesn’t matter what time you meditate or where, just find the time. Set a timer, put your phone on silent and sit with your breath and thoughts. 

If you are looking to get into meditation and want to find inspiration, 10% Happier by Dan Harris former ABC News anchor, is a simple, funny, exploration of his journey on meditation. Harris actually had a panic attack on live air which you can watch here which led him on a journey to calm his anxiety. 

Until next week, Age and Prosper! 

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