Meditation is associated with ancient eastern practices that develop greater awareness of the interconnection among the mind, body, and spirit. Meditation is now practiced around the world by people from all walks of life. That’s because available evidence proves meditation benefits individual health and well-being.
Meditation, Stress, and Mental Health
To understand how vital it is to achieve positive mental health, take a look at these dismal facts reported by the World Health Organization:
- Depression is the leading cause of disability.
- People who suffer from mental health conditions die as much as 20 years earlier compared to those who don’t.
- Suicide is the leading cause of death among young people, ages 15 to 29.
Stress and Your Brain
Health issues may be triggered by several factors. Perhaps the most significant of these is stress. Stress triggers a series of reactions from the brain and the nervous system which is often termed as the “fight or flight” response. This is why stress can be beneficial because it helps you survive.
Harvard provides a complete, layman’s explanation of how the brain reacts to short-term stress and chronic stress. Stress causes elevated cortisol levels, rapid breathing, and faster heartbeat, among multiple other changes to your body.
After you experience short-term stress, your brain has a switch-off mechanism that stops these reactions. That includes dumping excess cortisol so you feel less anxious and less shaky.
With chronic stress, all of these reactions happen continuously. Over time, it damages your blood vessels, heart, other internal organs, and even parts of your brain responsible for higher-order functions like memory and learning. Why meditation works has a lot to do with regulating these stress-inducing functions of the brain.
The Role of Meditation in Promoting Mental Health
Controlled breathing exercises, mindfulness, meditation and yoga can all help you cope with stress. Stress can have beneficial effects on the body. But, when chronic stress is experienced, it can cause anxiety, depression, heart disease, stroke, and other ill impacts that also affect your loved ones and communities where you belong.
Practicing meditation is an accepted form of therapy even in the medical community. No less than the US National Institutes of Health lists meditation as one of the ways to improve mental health.
How meditation affects the brain has yet to be fully understood. Here’s what available evidence shows about practicing meditation to relieve stress:
- Meditation switches off stress and the accompanying “fight or flight” responses of the brain and body.
- It can inhibit genetic expressions and pathways that cause aging and inflammation.
- Practicing meditation over the long-term increases the amount of grey matter present in brain regions associated with the senses and executive decision-making.
How to Meditate with Shilajit
Shilajit is one of the most respected natural remedies in ancient healing practices. It is used as a rejuvenator and a panacea. Scientific proof is now available confirming that shilajit can transcend the blood-brain barrier very easily.*
With Shilajit, over 80 minerals and powerful antioxidants are transported. Along with it comes a rich amount of energy-boosting, natural metabolites that facilitate vital cell functions. All of these and more are made available for the body and brain to use right away to relax tensed muscles and constricted blood vessels.
Is Shilajit Good for Anxiety and Stress?
Major components of shilajit are ashless humic acids, dibenzo-alpha-pyrones, amino acids, fatty acids and fulvic acids. These components can help relieve stress and promote faster recovery in the following ways:
- Shilajit contains rich amounts of minerals, including iron, which can help relieve tired muscles. Stress causes muscles to become tense. Shilajit works by promoting faster and more enhanced muscle relaxation.
- Fulvic acid, another major component of shilajit, delivers high amounts of dissolved oxygen in the blood. By replacing depleted oxygen levels shilajit helps the brain and body achieve calm following a highly stressful situation.
These two functions make shilajit a wonderful accompaniment to meditation. Meditation increases your personal awareness of your brain’s power to heal your body. With constant practice, you can use meditation to fight stress and create tranquility at will. Shilajit, on the other hand, assists in creating the physical conditions that can induce relaxation and help you achieve calm much faster.
There’s a growing body of evidence to show how shilajit affects the mind in positive ways:
- Shilajit increases the amount of dopamine produced by the body. Dopamine is better known as the “happiness hormone”. With higher levels of dopamine in your system, you experience increased satisfaction and less anxiety.
- Shilajit has a nootropic effect. This means it can enhance cognitive function and, thus, improve awareness and promote better focus.
- Taking shilajit alone or in combination with ashwaghanda may help treat addiction. A study involving mice showed that continuous intake enhanced GABA (aminobutyric acid) levels. As a result, a drop in nervous system activity follows which causes relaxation. Researchers also found elevated levels of dopamine and serotonin. Higher levels of these hormones create a positive mood.
Few Reminders When Taking Shilajit for Meditation
If you’re planning to supplement with shilajit, be aware that the market is teeming with low-quality and fake shilajit. Here are a few reminders:
- Check for authenticity. Genuine shilajit can only be in resin form -- not in powder, tablets, pills, or tinctures. Shilajit resin hardens in cold environments and flows like a fluid in warmer conditions. Ask the seller or manufacturer for a Certificate of Analysis.
- Never take raw or unpurified shilajit. Shilajit needs to be purified to rid it of harmful microorganisms and heavy metals.
- Take shilajit only as recommended. Shilajit can enhance your health. But, just like any other supplement, it can cause harm if taken beyond the recommended daily intake.
The world today exerts constant pressure on individuals, including in new areas of life. That includes finances, career, self-worth, relationships, social media, and the use of technologies, among others.
Taking care of your overall health by learning to manage stress and building resilience is important now more than ever. Meditation and shilajit can be the stress-busting combo you need. Make sure to check out Pürblack. It contains nothing but authentic shilajit, purified using an advanced, patented manufacturing process (US10130656B2).
Reference
- World Health Organization. “Mental Health.” Accessed 31 Mar 2021.
- Harvard Medical School. “Understanding the stress response.” Harvard Health Publishing. Last updated 6 Jul 2020. Accessed 31 Mar 2021.
- Harvard Medical School. “Protect your brain from stress.” Harvard Health Publishing. Last updated 15 Feb 2021. Accessed 31 Mar 2021.
- National Institutes of Health. “How to Improve Mental Health.” MedlinePlus. Accessed 31 Mar 2021.
- Brogaard BD, M.Sci., Ph.D. “How deep relaxation affects brain chemistry.” Psychology Today. 2015. Accessed 31 Mar 2021.
- Buric I, et al. “What is the molecular signature of mind-body interventions? A systematic review of gene expression changes induced by meditation and related practices.” Front Immunol. Published 16 Jun 2017. Accessed 31 Mar 2021.
- Lazar SW, Kerr CE, Wasserman RH, et al. “Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness.” Neuroreport. 2005;16(17):1893-1897. doi: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19. Accessed 31 Mar 2021.
- Stohs S. “Safety and Efficacy of Shilajit (Munie, Moomiyo).” Phytotherapy Research. 2013;28(4):475-479. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Accessed 23 Feb 2021.
- Jaiswal AK, Bhattacharya SK. “Effects of shilajit on memory, anxiety and brain monoamines in rats.” Indian J Pharmacol. 1992;24:12-17.
- Bansal P, Banerjee S. “Effect of Withania Somnifera and Shilajit on Alcohol Addiction in Mice.” Pharmacogn Mag. 2016;12(Suppl 2):S121-S128. doi: 10.4103/0973-1296.182170.
