Are you a “church-goer”? Did you know there are health benefits to attending many religious services? Many would assume it is due to the positive effects of having a good social support system, but even more tangible is the power of prayer. Scientists generally agree prayer is a form of meditation. When is the last time you meditated? Likely, it is the last time you prayed. This may beget the question: just what is meditation?

Meditation is a means of transforming the mind. Various meditation techniques exist, with a common goal of developing concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, a level of calmness. Some consider it a way of seeing the true nature of things. By engaging with a particular meditative practice, you learn the patterns and habits of your mind. And meditation does take practice. It is a skill, one that can take considerable time, effort, and patience, to develop. It is believed by many that meditation can, in turn, provide a way to cultivate new, more positive ways of being. With regular work and patience, these focused states of mind can lead to a profoundly peaceful and energized state. Such experiences have had a transformative effect on many who practice meditation, and have led some to a new understanding of life.

Both mind and body can benefit from taking time out of your daily life to shut down. Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, and was originally meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, meditation is more commonly used for relaxation and stress reduction. Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine, and can produce a deep state of relaxation, and eventually to a tranquil mind.

Studies show that meditation is associated with improvement in a variety of psychological areas, including stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, eating disorders and cognitive function, among others. There’s also research to suggest that meditation can reduce blood pressure, pain response, stress hormone levels and even cellular health. But what does it actually do to the body?

Research into the health benefits of meditation are on-going, and the results of these studies are by no means definitive. But when millions of people world-wide believe in, and practice regularly, some form of meditation, it would tend to indicate that there is something to it, and that it can improve some aspect of your life. These experiences are borne out by studies showing that meditation not only lowers blood pressure, but also can amp up your immune system — although the mechanism isn’t clear — while improving your ability to concentrate. Only the mental and psychological attributes of a meditative practice seem logical to most Westerners.

Many emotional benefits are gained by those who meditate regularly, and can include such diverse things as building the skills to manage stress, increasing self-awareness, reducing negative emotions, and increasing patience and tolerance. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. And it would seem these benefits don’t end when your meditation session ends. Many state emphatically meditation can help carry you more calmly through your day.

What does the research show concerning the purported health benefits? This seems to wander into the question of what is the mind-body connection, and how that may work. This is a topic on which there is much discussion, many questions, and little agreement. Does meditation produce physical changes only because of its effect on our emotional and psychological state? Is it the connection between the mind and the body that allows the practice of meditation to improve our physical health? Most have heard of the monks who were able to heat up their bodies simply with meditation. Western scientists studied this phenomenon, and had no other explanation than these individuals had the mental powers to manifest these changes with their mind, apparently, they were told, via meditation.

In another study, UCLA investigators examined the brains of life-long meditators with MRI. They were fascinated to find that long-time meditators showed higher levels of folding of the cerebral cortex. This kind of structural change seems to be associated with faster information processing. In another study from 2012, they found that the more years a person had been meditating, the more of this increased folding of the brain was revealed by their MRIs.

Perhaps you have heard about meditation, and its ability to reduce stress. Since it is rather likely that you have a lot of stress or anxiety in your life, you may have thought meditation could be a way to better deal with it. But research hints at benefits to a number of other conditions including asthma, chronic pain, irritable bowel syndrome, even sleep problems. Of course, meditation isn’t a replacement for traditional medical treatment. But it may be a useful addition to other standard allopathic treatment methods.

Anyone can practice meditation. It’s simple and inexpensive, and it doesn’t require any special equipment. And you can practice meditation wherever you are — whether you’re out for a walk, riding the bus, waiting at the doctor’s office or even in the middle of a difficult business meeting. You can make meditation as formal or informal as you like, however it suits your lifestyle and situation. All you really need is a few minutes of quality time for meditation.

How does one learn to meditate? Apparently, there are various techniques for meditating. Many methods concentrate on the breath, while others are more concerned with how one is breathing. Some of the most common features of meditation include a focusing of one’s attention. The cliched view of meditation is that of some beaded guru chanting “ommm”, but the use of a mantra, a calming word or sound, is also very common. Some teachings combine walking and meditation, which is likely a very efficient use of time, but this kind of a walk is not centered on getting to a particular destination.

During meditation, you should attempt to focus your attention, thereby eliminating the stream of jumbled thoughts that crowd our minds. Focusing your attention is generally one of the most important elements of meditation. And one of the most difficult to do. Have you ever tried to not think? For more than a few seconds, it is nearly impossible. Go ahead, give it a try!

Research indicates that the process of meditation can result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being. Yet it clearly requires a great deal of dedication and perseverance to become practiced, and so obtain the very desirable benefits of this ancient practice. Yet people have been meditating for a millennium: it must have some attributes. If there is excess stress in your life, this would be appear to be a relatively safe and inexpensive way to deal with it. Upon examining the 21st century to date, it would appear that most residents should take it up.

Editor’s note: Dr. Conway McLean is a podiatric physician now practicing foot and ankle medicine in the Upper Peninsula, having assumed the practice of Dr. Ken Tabor. McLean has lectured internationally on surgery and wound care, and is board certified in both, with a sub-specialty in foot orthotic therapy. Dr. McLean welcomes questions, comments and suggestions at drcmclean@penmed.com.