To some people meditation may seem like a fruitless exercise, but clinical research has shown that meditation offers an array of benefits. Some of the benefits help with physical health and others are related to mental well-being.

As the practice of meditation became more popular in the west scientists began to take notice and started to conduct research on the benefits of meditation. After hundreds of studies were conducted they were able to find specific benefits associated with meditation.

In studies meditation has been shown to reduce blood pressure, increase circulation, relieve chronic pain, it also helps insomniacs fall asleep faster, and has shown a reduction in the blood sugar levels of diabetics. a study of inner city residents was conducted after they were trained in the practice of meditation. The group experienced declines of 50% in psychiatric symptoms, a 70% decline in anxiety, and a 44% decline in medical symptoms. These numbers alone create a strong case for why meditation is good for you and we still have mental health benefits to cover.

On top of the benefits covered above what else can meditation do for you? Meditation has also shown improvements in mental health, memory, concentration, and productivity of individuals who practice it. A button-pressing test was conducted with people who just started meditating, and the results showed that their concentration and speed was better than after a 40-minute nap. Meditation has also been shown to help chronically depressed persons cut their relapse rate by 50%. People who mediate also see more, but react more calmly to emotionally charged situations. People with addictions that mediate are also shown to break their habits with a more lower relapse rate. Mediate has also been shown to slow the aging process.

Many people belief mediation also has many benefits that have no way of being quantified. Such as finding inner peace, becoming one with higher self, or influencing your subconscious. Mediation also helps to relief stress by clearing your mind and allowing you to view things more objectively.

With so many benefits offered by mediation, proven or just believed there is no argument to as if mediation is a good thing. When you mediate you are receiving all the benefits, and your only investment is a little quiet time a day. So even if others don't agree with you or the benefits meditation offers keep doing it anyway its your health, not theirs.

Sources:

http://www.anandapaloalto.org/joy/BenefitsOfMeditation.html