Freed from accumulated stress, the body begins to normalize itself. Increased energy, reduced insomnia, normalization of blood pressure, reduced cholesterol and a slowing of the aging process are among the many benefits that have been shown to improve with meditation.
When the mind quiets down during meditation, the body quiets as well. This is due to the fact that the mind and body are connected. The rest gained during meditation has been shown to be deeper than the deepest part of sleep.
Since deep rest is the mechanism by which the body repairs and regenerates itself, the deeper rest obtained during meditation accelerates the repair and revitalization process. This is the reason meditators have more energy, greater stamina and greater resistance to disease.
In a study that came out of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, 2,000 meditators were tracked over a five year period and compared with a control group of 600,000 (who did not meditate). Doctor visits, hospitalizations, and missed days of work were about 50% less for the meditation group. In addition, the two primary causes of death in the Western world–heart disease and cancer–were reduced by 87% and 55% respectively.
