ARTICLE
12 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation
By Matthew Thorpe, Rachel Link — 2020
Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its many health benefits.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
CLEAR ALL
BY TOPIC
BY TEACHER
BY TYPE
FILTER
TOPIC
- Self-Reflection Practices (107)
- Grit (89)
- Addiction Recovery (80)
- Talk Therapy (79)
- Mind-Body Connection (76)
- Neuroscience (75)
- Mindfulness (74)
- Depression (69)
- Mindfulness Meditation (69)
- Handling a Loved One’s Illness (63)
- Self-Mastery (62)
- Self-Development (57)
- Athlete Well-Being (55)
- Awareness (55)
- Dementia (54)
- Focus (54)
- Self-Healing (53)
- Self-Care (51)
- Buddhism (49)
- Physical Health (49)
- Chronic Health Conditions (48)
- Chronic Pain (47)
- Caregiver Well-Being (46)
- Stress (46)
- Spiritual Practices (45)
- Mindfulness Practices (44)
- Honoring Emotion (41)
- Mental Health Challenges (40)
- Self-Discovery (38)
- Trauma Healing (38)
- Well-Being (37)
- Addiction (36)
- Sleep (36)
- Healing Approaches (35)
- Inner Peace (35)
- Cancer (34)
- Lovingkindness (34)
- Somatic Practices (34)
- Resilience (33)
- Transformation (33)
- Brain Health (32)
- Illness and Injury (32)
- Chronic Anxiety (31)
- Happiness (31)
- Breathwork (30)
- Spiritual Growth (30)
- Alcohol Addiction (29)
- Fear (29)
- Guided Meditation (29)
- Self-Realization (28)
- Habit Formation (27)
- Presence (27)
- Anger (26)
- Goal Setting (25)
- Living with Illness (25)
- Self-Love (25)
- Compassion (24)
- Compassion Fatigue (24)
- Diet and Nutrition (24)
- Neuroplasticity (24)
- Parenting (24)
- Self-Compassion (24)
- Spiritual Awakening (24)
- Yoga (24)
- Finding Meaning (23)
- Search for Purpose (23)
- Negative Self-Talk (22)
- Self-Limiting Beliefs (22)
- Building Character (21)
- Grief (21)
- Women’s Well-Being (21)
- Drug Addiction (20)
- Relationship Challenges (20)
- Young Adult Well-Being (20)
- BIPOC Well-Being (19)
- Creative Well-Being (19)
- Panic Attacks (19)
- PTSD (19)
- Self-Acceptance (19)
- Tibetan Buddhism (19)
- Children’s Well-Being (18)
- Courage (18)
- Imagination and Creativity (18)
- Life Challenges (18)
- Productivity (18)
- Spiritual Healing (18)
- Trauma (18)
- Aging (17)
- Child’s Emotional Growth (17)
- Communication Skills (17)
- Emotional Intelligence (EQ) (17)
- Journaling (17)
- Offering Support to Others (17)
- Self-Control (17)
- Shame (17)
- Vulnerability (17)
- Confidence (16)
- Habits of Mind (16)
- Self-Esteem (16)
- Spiritual Life (16)
- Suffering (16)
- Academic Struggles (15)
- Authenticity (15)
- Black Well-Being (15)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (15)
- Consciousness (15)
- Exercise (15)
- Inner Life (15)
- Joy (15)
- Love (15)
- Memory (15)
- Self-Reckoning (15)
- Entrepreneurship (14)
- Human Potential (14)
- Identity (14)
- Intention (14)
- Kindness (14)
- Motivation (14)
- Self-Worth (14)
- Setting Limits and Boundaries (14)
- Sleep Disorders (14)
- Spiritual Crisis (14)
- Anger Management (13)
- Asking for Help (13)
- Embodiment (13)
- Empowerment (13)
- Family Dynamics (13)
- Memoir (13)
- Peak Performance (13)
- Acceptance (12)
- Community Healing (12)
- Energy Healing (12)
- Forgiveness (12)
- Lovingkindness Meditation (12)
- Science and Spirituality (12)
- Self-Actualization (12)
- Suicide (12)
- Activism/Service (11)
- Autoimmune Disease (11)
- Empathy (11)
- Fellowship and Community (11)
- Growth Mindset (11)
- Positive Thinking (11)
- Psychology and Spirituality (11)
- Racial Healing (11)
- Social Anxiety (11)
- Affirmations (10)
- Dark Night of the Soul (10)
- Decision Making (10)
- Enlightenment (10)
- Gratitude (10)
- Integrative Medicine (10)
- Letting Go (10)
- Neurodiversity (10)
- Positive Self-Talk (10)
- Rest (10)
- Values (10)
- Visualization (10)
- ADD/ADHD (9)
- Child’s Anxiety (9)
- Failure (9)
- Healthy Eating (9)
- Hope (9)
- Insight (Vipassana) Meditation (9)
- Mantra Meditation (9)
- Nutritional Medicine (9)
- Performance Anxiety (9)
- Prayer (9)
- Psychology (9)
- Romantic Relationships (9)
- Self-Pressure (9)
- Social Justice (9)
- Work Challenges (9)
- Burnout (8)
- Connection with Nature (8)
- Criticism and Rejection (8)
- Endurance (8)
- Epigenetics (8)
- Inner Strengths (8)
- Leadership (8)
- Learning Styles (8)
- Relationship with Time (8)
- Self-Discipline (8)
- Self-Reliance (8)
- Social Media Addiction (8)
- Somatic Experiencing (8)
- Speaking Your Truth (8)
- Spiritual Development (8)
- Willpower (8)
- Child’s Challenging Behavior (7)
- Compassion Meditation (7)
- Curiosity (7)
- Death and Dying (7)
- Dysfunctional Childhood (7)
- Guilt (7)
- Holism (7)
- Longevity (7)
- Neuropsychology (7)
- Oneness (7)
- Positive Psychology (7)
- Problem Solving (7)
- Shadow (7)
- Sutras (7)
- Wholeness (7)
- Challenges with Teens (6)
- Child’s Trauma (6)
- Chronic Fatigue (6)
- Collective Trauma (6)
- Disconnection (6)
- Eating Disorders (6)
- Female Empowerment (6)
- Intergenerational Trauma (6)
- Loneliness (6)
- OCD (6)
- Perception (6)
- Spiritual Direction (6)
- Spirituality and Health (6)
- Storytelling (6)
- The Feldenkrais Method (6)
- Time Management (6)
- Veteran Well-Being (6)
- Weight Concerns (6)
- Work-Life Balance (6)
- Acupressure (5)
- Belonging (5)
- Despair (5)
- Diamond Approach (5)
- Energy Balancing (5)
- Facing Own Death (5)
- Interdependence (5)
- Intimacy (5)
- Lifestyle Medicine (5)
- Movement Meditation (5)
- Racial Justice (5)
- Racism (5)
- Self-Expression (5)
- Soul Mission (5)
- The Divine (5)
- Walking Meditation (5)
- Work Ethic (5)
- Zen Buddhism (5)
- Zen Meditation (5)
- Access to Education (4)
- Autism (4)
- Biohacking (4)
- Calming Meditation (4)
- Child’s ADD/ADHD (4)
- Child’s Alcohol Addiction (4)
- Clinical Depression (4)
- Codependency (4)
- Cognition (4)
- Connection (4)
- Digital Life (4)
- Disabled Well-Being (4)
- Divorce and Breakup (4)
- Dreamwork (4)
- Freedom (4)
- Friendship (4)
- Functional Medicine (4)
- Gambling Addiction (4)
- Generosity (4)
- Heartmath (4)
- Indigenous Healing Approaches (4)
- Inner Child (4)
- Insomnia (4)
- Integrity (4)
- Intuition (4)
- Jungian Analysis (4)
- Manifestation (4)
- Moral Philosophy (4)
- Optimism (4)
- Passion (4)
- Post-Traumatic Growth (4)
- Racial Discrimination (4)
- Ritual (4)
- Spiritual Quest (4)
- Stoicism (4)
- Taoism (4)
- Tapping/EFT (4)
- Trauma-Informed Therapy (4)
- Trust (4)
- AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) (3)
- Accepting Love (3)
- Adaptability (3)
- Altered States (3)
- Art Therapy (3)
- Ayurveda (3)
- Body Image (3)
- Body Positivity (3)
- Body Scan Meditation (3)
- Cannabis/CBD (3)
- Chakras (3)
- Comparing Belief Traditions (3)
- Competition (3)
- Death or Loss of a Loved One (3)
- Death or Loss of a Parent (3)
- Fatigue (3)
- Forest Bathing (3)
- Global Challenges (3)
- Goddess (3)
- Humility (3)
- Jealousy/Envy (3)
- Karma (3)
- Kundalini Yoga (3)
- Masculine/Feminine Dynamics (3)
- Mentoring (3)
- Military to Civilian Re-entry (3)
- Naturopathy (3)
- Non-Duality (3)
- Patience (3)
- Performance Pressure (3)
- Play (3)
- Quantum Physics (3)
- Sacred Feminine (3)
- Sexuality (3)
- Situational Depression (3)
- Smoking Addiction (3)
- Social Psychology (3)
- Subconscious (3)
- The Yips (3)
- Toxic Relationships (3)
- Transcendental Meditation (3)
- Transpersonal Psychology (3)
- Vedic Meditation (3)
- Work Relationships (3)
- Abandonment (2)
- Aromatherapy (2)
- Attachment Theory (2)
- Biofeedback (2)
- Bodywork (2)
- Changes in Libido (2)
- Chanting (2)
- Child Depression (2)
- Child’s Autism (2)
- Christian Mysticism (2)
- Christianity (2)
- Conscious Evolution (2)
- Cross-Cultural Dynamics (2)
- Dharma (2)
- Doubt (2)
- Ecospirituality (2)
- Ego (2)
- Enneagram (2)
- Existentialism (2)
- Faith (2)
- Fate (2)
- Gaming Addiction (2)
- Generational Healing (2)
- Genetics (2)
- God (2)
- Herbal Supplementation (2)
- Highly Sensitive People (2)
- Hypnosis (2)
- Indigenous Well-Being (2)
- Inflammation (2)
- Inspiration (2)
- Islam (2)
- Judaism (2)
- Kabbalah (2)
- Ketamine (2)
- Kids and Sports (2)
- Laughter Therapy (2)
- LGBTQIA Children (2)
- LGBTQIA Well-Being (2)
- Life Force Energy (2)
- Light Therapy (2)
- Living as an Empath (2)
- Loss of Partner/Spouse (2)
- Managing Energy (2)
- Marriage (2)
- Massage (2)
- Men’s Well-Being (2)
- Midlife Crisis (2)
- Motherhood (2)
- Mysticism (2)
- Narcissism (2)
- Othering (2)
- Personality Disorders (2)
- Personality Typing (2)
- Psychedelic Journey (2)
- Psychedelic Research (2)
- Race and Gender (2)
- Racial Identity (2)
- Reproductive Health (2)
- Rolfing (2)
- Sex (2)
- Social Responsibility (2)
- Sound Healing (2)
- Sufism (2)
- Superfoods (2)
- The Unconscious (2)
- Theta Healing (2)
- Transitions (2)
- Unfulfilled Career (2)
- Wake-Up Calls (2)
- A Course in Miracles (1)
- AAPI Well-Being (1)
- Acupuncture (1)
- Adjusting to Parenthood (1)
- AIDS (1)
- Anat Baniel Method (1)
- Animal Connection (1)
- Anorexia (1)
- Archetypes (1)
- Ashtanga Yoga (1)
- Astral Projection (1)
- Auric Field (1)
- Awe (1)
- Binge Eating (1)
- Boundary Confusion (1)
- Buddha Nature (1)
- Building Culture (1)
- Bulimia (1)
- Bullying (1)
- Climate Change (1)
- Conflict Resolution (1)
- Cross-Cultural Parenting (1)
- Death or Loss of a Child (1)
- Death or Loss of a Sibling (1)
- Domestic Abuse (1)
- Drug Policy (1)
- Emotional Labor (1)
- Environmental Exploitation (1)
- Environmental Justice (1)
- Fatherhood (1)
- Female Friendship (1)
- Gender and Spirituality (1)
- Gender Discrimination (1)
- Grace (1)
- Handling a Child’s Illness (1)
- Hatha Yoga (1)
- Healing Touch (1)
- Higher Calling (1)
- Homeopathy (1)
- Hospice (1)
- Ibogaine (1)
- Identity Shifts (1)
- Incarceration (1)
- Jewish Renewal (1)
- Kundalini (1)
- Latinx Well-Being (1)
- Loss of Appetite (1)
- Medical Intuition (1)
- Mythology (1)
- Native American Beliefs (1)
- Nightmares (1)
- Nonviolence (1)
- Obsessions/Compulsions (1)
- Past Lives and Reincarnation (1)
- Plant-Based Medicine (1)
- Polyvagal Theory (1)
- Poverty/Economic Inequality (1)
- Pregnancy and Childbirth (1)
- Psilocybin (1)
- Psychoanalysis (1)
- Psychological Approaches (1)
- Rebirth (1)
- Regret (1)
- Reiki (1)
- Relationship with Money (1)
- Religious Experience (1)
- Sabbath (1)
- Self-Employment (1)
- Sexual Health (1)
- Shamanism (1)
- Slumps (1)
- Social Presence (1)
- Spiritual Fasting (1)
- Spirituality and Politics (1)
- Sustainability (1)
- Synchronicity (1)
- Tarot (1)
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (1)
- Tuning Forks (1)
- Veganism (1)
- Vegetarianism (1)
- Visions and Hallucinations (1)
- Vitamin Supplementation (1)
- Whiteness (1)
- Youth Activism (1)
FILTER
TEACHER
- Amishi Jha (10)
- Daniel Amen (9)
- Jon Kabat-Zinn (9)
- Russell Brand (9)
- Thich Nhat Hanh (9)
- Harriet Lerner (8)
- Karen Casey (8)
- Pema Chödrön (8)
- Deepak Chopra (7)
- Gabor Maté (7)
- Reginald Ray (7)
- Brendon Burchard (6)
- Byron Katie (6)
- Eckhart Tolle (6)
- Edward Hallowell (6)
- Herbert Benson (6)
- Kelly McGonigal (6)
- Lorin Roche (6)
- Louise Hay (6)
- Sharon Salzberg (6)
- Shinzen Young (6)
- William Cope Moyers (6)
- A. H. Almaas (5)
- Andrew Weil (5)
- Andy Puddicombe (5)
- Chögyam Trungpa (5)
- Christine Caldwell (5)
- Dan Harris (5)
- David Perlmutter (5)
- Debbie Ford (5)
- Don Hanlon Johnson (5)
- don Jose Ruiz (5)
- John Bradshaw (5)
- John Sarno (5)
- Lisa Feldman Barrett (5)
- Nicole Sachs (5)
- Patanjali (5)
- Peter A. Levine (5)
- Ram Dass (5)
- Rick Hanson (5)
- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche (5)
- Andrew Solomon (4)
- Annie Hopper (4)
- Arnold Mindell (4)
- Charles Tart (4)
- Dan Buettner (4)
- don Miguel Ruiz (4)
- Elizabeth Lesser (4)
- Ken Wilber (4)
- Luisah Teish (4)
- Martha Beck (4)
- Martin Luther King Jr. (4)
- Martin Seligman (4)
- Noah Elkrief (4)
- Queen Afua (4)
- Rich Roll (4)
- Stephan Bodian (4)
- Stephen Levine (4)
- Thomas Moore (4)
- Arianna Huffington (3)
- Bernie S. Siegel (3)
- Blaise Aguirre (3)
- Brian Tracy (3)
- Daniel J. Siegel (3)
- Donna Eden (3)
- Gary Zukav (3)
- J. Krishnamurti (3)
- Jack Canfield (3)
- Jack Kornfield (3)
- Jeffrey Mishlove (3)
- JoAnna Hardy (3)
- Judson Brewer (3)
- Kenneth Pelletier (3)
- Light Watkins (3)
- Lisa Wimberger (3)
- Lodro Rinzler (3)
- Marc Ian Barasch (3)
- Marcus Aurelius (3)
- Mel Robbins (3)
- Ralph De La Rosa (3)
- Ruby Wax (3)
- Sister Jenna (3)
- Stephanie Y. Evans (3)
- Susan Piver (3)
- Sylvia Boorstein (3)
- Tara Brach (3)
- Terri Cole (3)
- Vicki Culpin (3)
- Adriene Mishler (2)
- Amy Scher (2)
- Anna Lembke (2)
- Biet Simkin (2)
- Brené Brown (2)
- Connie Zweig (2)
- Cyndi Dale (2)
- Danya Ruttenberg (2)
- Diane Ackerman (2)
- Diane Stein (2)
- Dondi Dahlin (2)
- Elena Brower (2)
- Elizabeth Gilbert (2)
- Elizabeth Stanley (2)
- Ida Rolf (2)
- James Hollis (2)
- Jane E. Brody (2)
- Jay Shetty (2)
- Jeff Foster (2)
- Joel Fuhrman (2)
- Joel Kahn (2)
- Jonni Pollard (2)
- Joseph Goldstein (2)
- Josh Axe (2)
- Judith Blackstone (2)
- Justin Michael Williams (2)
- Karla McLaren (2)
- Kim Eng (2)
- Leah Guy (2)
- Mark Epstein (2)
- Matthieu Ricard (2)
- Michael A. Singer (2)
- Michael Bernard Beckwith (2)
- Natalie Goldberg (2)
- Noah Levine (2)
- Norman Fischer (2)
- Oprah Winfrey (2)
- Osho (2)
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (2)
- Resmaa Menakem (2)
- Risa Kaparo (2)
- Roger Walsh (2)
- Rolf Gates (2)
- Rudolph Ballentine (2)
- Sadhguru (2)
- Sanjay Gupta (2)
- Sarah Blondin (2)
- Shauna Shapiro (2)
- Stanislav Grof (2)
- Stephen Mitchell (2)
- Thomas Hübl (2)
- Toni Bernhard (2)
- adrienne maree brown (1)
- Alain de Botton (1)
- Alexandra Fine (1)
- Amit Goswami (1)
- Andrew Harvey (1)
- Angela Duckworth (1)
- Angeles Arrien (1)
- Ann Marie Chiasson (1)
- Ashley Neese (1)
- Barbara Emrys (1)
- Bessel van der Kolk (1)
- Bhikku Anālayo (1)
- Brian Weiss (1)
- Bruce Lipton (1)
- Brynn Putnam (1)
- Buddha (1)
- C. Norm Shealy (1)
- Chalene Johnson (1)
- Charlotte Joko Beck (1)
- Chip Conley (1)
- Claudia Black (1)
- Craig Hamilton (1)
- Daisy Khan (1)
- Dan Millman (1)
- Danielle MacKinnon (1)
- Dave Asprey (1)
- David Cooper (1)
- David Spiegel (1)
- David Steindl-Rast (1)
- Deb Dana (1)
- don Miguel Ruiz Jr. (1)
- Donna Jackson Nakazawa (1)
- Dorothy Day (1)
- Edgar Cayce (1)
- Eileen Fisher (1)
- Elaine Aron (1)
- Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel (1)
- Elson Haas (1)
- Eric Maisel (1)
- Ervin László (1)
- Evelyn Underhill (1)
- Frank Ostaseski (1)
- Frans Stiene (1)
- Frederic Luskin (1)
- Gangaji (1)
- Gary Craig (1)
- Gaylon Ferguson (1)
- Gordon Neufeld (1)
- HeatherAsh Amara (1)
- Helen Weng (1)
- Hyla Cass (1)
- Iskra Lawrence (1)
- Iyanla Vanzant (1)
- James Doty (1)
- James Hillman (1)
- James Oschman (1)
- Jan Willis (1)
- Jana Long (1)
- Jane Roberts (1)
- Jean Shinoda Bolen (1)
- Jerry M. Ruhl (1)
- Joan Chittister (1)
- Joanna Macy (1)
- John C. Parkin (1)
- José Shinzan Palma (1)
- Joseph M. Marshall III (1)
- Joy Bauer (1)
- Judith Orloff (1)
- Julia Cameron (1)
- Kabir Helminski (1)
- Karen Johnson (1)
- Kate Johnson (1)
- Kathlyn Hendricks (1)
- Kris Carr (1)
- Kristin Neff (1)
- Larry Dossey (1)
- Lauren Walker (1)
- Lindo Bacon (1)
- Lise Van Susteren (1)
- Lissa Rankin (1)
- Lori Gottlieb (1)
- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1)
- Mantak Chia (1)
- Marie Forleo (1)
- Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin (1)
- Mark Hyman (1)
- Mark Nepo (1)
- Mark Victor Hansen (1)
- Mark Wolynn (1)
- Mary Pryor (1)
- Matt Kahn (1)
- Michael Brown (1)
- Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (1)
- Mirabai Starr (1)
- Mooji (1)
- Moshé Feldenkrais (1)
- Nadia Bolz-Weber (1)
- Nancy Mellon (1)
- Neale Donald Walsch (1)
- Nedra Glover Tawwab (1)
- Neil Pasricha (1)
- Nicolai Bachman (1)
- Nicole Cardoza (1)
- Nicole LePera (1)
- Nikki Mirghafori (1)
- Oliver Sacks (1)
- Ondrea Levine (1)
- Paramahansa Yogananda (1)
- Paul Gilbert (1)
- Paulo Coelho (1)
- Peter Senge (1)
- Philip Goldberg (1)
- Phillip Moffitt (1)
- Piero Ferrucci (1)
- Poppy Jamie (1)
- Rachel Brathen (1)
- Rachel Naomi Remen (1)
- Rami Shapiro (1)
- Renee Baribeau (1)
- Richard Saul Wurman (1)
- Robert Augustus Masters (1)
- Roberto Assagioli (1)
- Robin Berzin (1)
- Roland Griffiths (1)
- Rupert Sheldrake (1)
- Russ Hudson (1)
- Ruth Denison (1)
- Ruth King (1)
- Sally Kempton (1)
- Shakti Gawain (1)
- Sheila Rubin (1)
- Shunryu Suzuki (1)
- Stephen Porges (1)
- Steven Kotler (1)
- Swami Mukundananda (1)
- Swami Vivekananda (1)
- Tara Stiles (1)
- Thomas Amelio (1)
- Thubten Chodron (1)
- Titanya Dahlin (1)
- Tony Gaskins Jr. (1)
- Tony Robbins (1)
- Viktor E. Frankl (1)
- William Bloom (1)
- Wim Hof (1)
- Yael Shy (1)
- Yogi Bhajan (1)
- Yung Pueblo (1)
- Zindel Segal (1)