Say "Om" And Stay Young

It's no secret that we YOU Docs are big fans of meditation (we do it every day). It helps with stress, sleep, blood pressure, staying young and finding calm in the middle of chaos. But even we were surprised by this: Meditating also makes your brain bigger. Yep, if you meditate regularly, you'll actually have more grey matter and keep all those smart brain signals flashing.

Just sit down and say "om." Your brain will develop stronger connections and show less atrophy. Translation: Meditating protects your brain from shrinking and slowing down. It also helps you feel less stress and cope better with nagging aches and pains.

How does om-ing do its stuff? Each deep, steady breath you take generates alpha brainwaves that let you relax and mentally move away from things that are bothering you. It decreases stress hormones and releases feel-good chemicals in your brain. That may partly explain why meditation has such positive effects on your immune system and memory. (MORE)

Source: Healthzone.ca