A great deal of scientific research in the last few decades has helped us show that meditation can have many positive benefits on all aspects of our lives. But can meditation actually help physically heal the body? And if so, how does it do this?
Meditation has been shown to heal the body through its physiological and psychological relaxation effects. A large number of studies have shown that meditation reduces stress, inflammation, blood pressure, and improves immunity and heart health, all which aid the body’s healing process.
There are clearly many aspects to this process and the mind-body connection is still not largely understood. The body, however, knows how to heal itself, and we just have to learn how to get out of its way. To see how we can support the body in doing this, we need to look at how meditation actually assists the healing process.
What Happens to Your Body After Meditation?
During and after meditation, a number of physiological processes take place:
- Breathing and heart rate slow;
- Cortisol and adrenaline production stop; and
- The body’s parasympathetic nervous ‘rest and digest’ system gets activated, sending the body into a state that promotes healing and regeneration.
A large part of the benefit of meditation in the healing process stems from its stress-reducing effects on the body. Quite simply, when we are stressed, the body does not get a chance to heal itself. This is because the sympathetic nervous system (‘fight or flight’ mechanism) begins to pump the body with energy to get ready to take action.
- The breath becomes rapid and shallow as the body tries to increase oxygen intake;
- The heart rate increases to pump oxygen rich blood to the muscles;
- Blood flow is restricted to only the parts that are needed (this includes restrictions to the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, the digestive system, and any injured body parts);
- Blood pressure increases;
- The palms start to sweat as the body warms with this faster blood flow; and
- Extra glucose is released into the body, ready to be consumed by the muscles.
As you could imagine, in this state, it is not a great time for the body to regenerate itself, given it is charged up and ready to take action. Healing is put on the back-burner, as we are signalling to the body that something else is more important right now. So it must stay vigilant.
The fact is, prolonged exposure to stress is harmful to the body. It has been shown to increase the risks associated with heart disease, premature aging, cancer and even mental disorders including dementia. Unfortunately for the majority of us, in the way society is structured today, we are almost always stressed. This is where meditation comes in.
Through millions of years of evolution, the body knows how to heal itself. We just have to learn how to get out of its way. Reducing unnecessary psychological distress by balancing stress levels helps the body perform optimally. Meditation is a tool we can use to do this.
During and after meditation, the body stops producing the ‘stress’ chemicals associated with the sympathetic nervous system’s fight or flight response. Negative thinking is also reduced, which can trigger the stress response and the further release of stress chemicals in the body, since negative thoughts are perceived threats. It is like we are signalling to the body and mind that it is safe, and we can calm down.
The parasympathetic nervous system’s ‘rest and digest’ mode kicks into gear, beginning to regenerate the body on a cellular level, cell by cell. When the mind and body are relaxed, they are able to function optimally. This is why healing can be maximised if one can learn to
- Avoid triggering the stress response in unnecessary situations (i.e. become less reactive); and
- Swiftly and efficiently bring the body back into equilibrium after a stressful event.
Can Meditation Heal Injuries?
There are a large range of studies which have shown how meditation can heal the body through its stress-reducing effects. Increasing the mind-body connection helps to improve the (vagal) nerve signals that are largely responsible for healing the body.
One in particular found that a range of different practices all led to lower cortisol levels, blood pressure, heart rate and triglycerides (cholesterol) in a range of populations – all physiological markers of stress. Another study found that extended periods of meditation led to lower stress, anxiety, depression in addition to a decrease in inflammatory processes.
It is well known that excess and pro-longed inflammation in the body is responsible for many diseases in addition to slowing the body’s healing process. A number of studies have shown that meditation, and mindfulness in particular, lower biomarkers of inflammation in the body, significantly reducing inflammatory disease risk. Another study showed that when combined with exercise, this correlation was even stronger. This shows the importance of exercise in bringing fresh blood (and nutrients) to an injured area (causing inflammation), along with reducing unnecessary excess inflammation through calming meditation exercises afterwards.
In addition to this, a review of 20 randomised control trials showed that meditation had positive effects on the immune system. Immune cells have an essential function in the wound healing process. Another also demonstrated that meditation could increase antibody response in individuals injected with the influenza vaccine.
Can Meditation Help You Heal Faster?
There are a large number of studies that lend support to the idea that meditation assists the speed of the healing process also through its stress-limiting effects. Lower levels of stress will ensure that stress-related chemicals such as cortisol do not interfere with the body’s natural healing process.
One study showed a clear link between psychological stress and the wound healing process while another study directly showed that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) had beneficial effects on the early stages of wound healing. This demonstrates that the mind-body connection and the psychological state of the mind has a direct relationship to the body’s internal processes, especially that of the healing mechanisms.
A number of studies have shown that mindfulness meditation significantly reduces pain in injured athletes. One in particular demonstrated an increase in pain tolerance and mood in MBSR practitioners along with decreases in stress and anxiety. These results are consistent with another piece of research which suggested that the ability of an injured athlete to support pain is related to how quickly the athlete recovers from an injury helping improve recovery time. This clearly shows that meditation can change one’s perception of pain, thereby speeding up the healing process and reducing recovery time.
In addition to this, meditation also has beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, including hypertension and blood pressure. Another enormous and ground breaking study of over 61,000 people found that meditation was linked to better heart health – with lower levels coronary heart disease, cholesterol and even diabetes. And what’s going to help you heal more efficiently than a better pumping heart? A healthier heart is going to more effectively deliver nutrients to where it is needed most.
Does Meditation Help With Muscle Recovery?
Meditation can aid in muscle recovery through its effects on inflammation in the body. Anti-inflammatories have been shown to speed muscle recovery and reduce soreness. Meditation may also reduce the lactate (lactic acid) response to a standardised exercise bout, helping promote muscle recovery.
It is well known that a full and restful night’s sleep promotes muscle recovery through the release of human growth hormone and protein synthesis. Meditation has been shown in multiple settings to promote a deeper and more restful state of sleep, thereby leading to more efficient changes in body composition as a result of intense exercise.
In addition, meditation has been shown to reduce chronic fatigue and psychological distress, particularly in cancer survivors. These studies together show that meditation can help reduce general fatigue which is a factor in muscle and injury recovery. MBSR, in particular, was found to show improvements in subjective levels of fatigue, anxiety, depression, quality of life and physical functioning.
Before we proceed, just a word on expectations during the healing process – do not expect any miracles. We have seen that meditation indeed causes a number of helpful physiological responses in the body, many which contribute to the general mechanisms through which healing takes place. While the effects of meditation on recovery might not be immediately and obviously noticeable by the average person, one should also not expect to be miraculously healed overnight.
However, it is obvious that any injury recovery, including the post-workout muscle repair process, would be more effective if it was unhindered by debilitating effects of stress. If you do meditate diligently, it is entirely likely that you will recover slightly faster than the average non-meditator, given all else is equal.
It is well-known that recovery is just as important as the intensity of a workout. To maximise recovery, maximise rest and relaxation. So meditate – and activate that regenerative parasympathetic nervous system to kickstart your recovery.
Can Meditation Heal the Gut?
Meditation regulates the stress response, which reduces chronic inflammation and helps maintain a healthy gut. Stress kills gut flora diversity and this diversity is key to good gut health. A reduction in stress from meditation can heal the gut by preventing alteration of the gut flora population.
Developing a habitual meditation practice will have a positive feedback loop on mental health in relation to gut bacteria. It has been shown that a healthy gut and diverse microbiome significantly influences mood and prevents depression and anxiety.
How Do I Heal Myself Through Meditation?
Any meditation practice that induces relaxation effects and increases the mind-body connection will assist your body in activate the processes that lead to healing. Breath-focused practices and mindfulness meditation are excellent places to start this process.
One of the easiest ways to relax and reduce stress is to simply start observing your breath. This can be done in almost any situation and any position – whether sitting, standing, lying down or walking. Bringing attention to your breath has an immediate calming effect on both your body and your mind as it cuts the negative feedback loop caused by stress. This is where unpleasant reactions to negative thoughts cause the release of stress chemicals in the body, which leads to further negative thoughts about the actual severity of the situation (and even vice-versa).
Mindfulness is the practice of observing the reality of the present moment with an accepting an non-judgmental attitude. It is practiced in the same way as breathing meditation, however with expanded awareness of all objects of consciousness – including feeling, sight, hearing, taste, smell and even thoughts.
A great way to start mindfulness practice is through a body scan – systematically scanning your awareness through various body parts and observing whatever natural sensations occur as you scan through. The best way to do this, as a beginner, is through a guided meditation.
As you practice both breathing meditation and mindfulness, you will find that thoughts will come and go as you try to keep your awareness and focus. The goal here is to not get irritated or impatient with these thoughts, but rather accept them as they arise and pass away. This is the essence of the practice – accepting the present moment, whatever it is, exactly as it is, and continually returning to your object of focus with patience.
How to Meditate to Heal Faster
Any meditation practice that helps maximise relaxation and the mind-body connection is going to help you heal faster as the body can function more efficiently. There is one in particular that stands out for this purpose however – Samatha, or Calm-Abiding meditation.
Samatha meditation, is one of the two original techniques of ancient Buddhist practice, and is extremely powerful in calming and soothing the mind and body. It uses both the breath and body to bring the mind-body connection back into alignment.
You can use the following instructions to begin your practice:
- Find a quiet place where you feel at ease.
- Sit in any position that is comfortable for you, as long as your back is relatively straight. If you are sitting on the floor, ensure you are sitting on some cushions or folded towels or blankets. Try to keep your hips above your knees.
- Take three deep breaths in and out through your nose. On the in-breath, ensure that you fill the lungs all the way and that your belly expands. On the out-breath, just let go and empty the lungs as much as comfortably possible. Focus on letting go and just releasing.
- Allow your breath to come back to its natural rhythm. Now, as you breathe in, you are simply aware of all the entirety of your body and the physical sensations you feel, allowing the body to relax and be calm. Similarly, as you breathe out, you are simply aware of all the entirety of your body and the physical sensations you feel, allowing the body to relax and be calm.
- Keep doing this for as long as you are comfortable, letting thoughts arise and fall naturally, and continually returning your attention to the actual physical sensations you feel in the entire body as you breathe in and out.
For more detailed instructions and discussion around Samatha meditation, see this post here.