Do This Only 5 Minutes Per Day for a Healthier, Happier Brain

We all want happy and healthy brains. Did you know doing just one simple thing for only 5 minutes per day can change how your brain works?

To optimize your mental processes, you only need to do one thing: Meditate.

As you age, your brain undergoes many changes. On a brain scan, you can expect a certain amount of loss of brain matter over time. This shrinkage is what causes you to forget things. It’s why your brain begins to slow down, making it harder to concentrate or remember.

Except in people who meditate, this shrinkage doesn’t happen.

Various studies have shown a marked change in people who meditate regularly vs. those who do not. Or more accurately, a lack of change. One scientific study used brain scans over eight weeks to discover if meditation changed the brain. While the brains in the control group (non-meditators) got smaller, the brains of those who meditated did not. Studies have proven that those who consistently meditate will see brain growth, reversing damage over time.

How do you meditate to get optimal brain health?

Make Meditation a Daily Practice
The meditation style doesn’t matter, but you need to do it regularly. You only need to meditate for a few minutes a day for there to be a significan impact on brain health. A commitment even a busy person can make.

Schedule a Date with Yourself
Once the commitment is made to meditate daily, add it to your calendar. Make sure you keep this particular appointment. Protect it. It’s time for you, and you alone and is necessary for your good health.

Breathe
While there are different exercises on how to breathe during meditation, there is no one right way to do it. The point is to concentrate on your breathing and to allow it to be natural.

For some quick breathing techniques to get you started:

V-Shaped Breathing
Imagine the breath going in and coming out through a V-shaped opening between your eyes. By putting the focus here, you are calming the frontal lobe. This area is where you make decisions, and so it’s an excellent place to put your concentration.

Box Breathing
* Inhale deeply through your nose while counting to four.
* Hold the breath inside you while counting to four.
* Let the breath out slowly while counting to four.
* Repeat four times.

Three-Part Breath
Inhale deeply starting with your stomach. Pull the air from there up into your chest. Keep going until it’s in the upper chest by the collarbone. Exhale out of each area. Pay close attention to how the breath feels. Pull yourself into the rhythm and feel the calm.

Protect your brain. Grow it. Meditate and discover not only an answer to stress but also optimal brain health. You can have a healthier, happier brain.