The human mind is a complex, extraordinary structure. Funny how we comprehend with the mind but cannot fully understand how it works. What a mystery!

Despite the fact, you probably often come across articles telling you that something as simple as meditation, focusing your breathing, and being in touch with your inner self can change your brain - yes, the organ itself. More than just reshifting your mindsets, mindfulness meditation can alter your brain structure - and here’s how.

Neuroplasticity is the ability of our brains to adapt throughout our lifetime. The gray matter can either thicken or shrink, neuron connections improved or deteriorate, and so on. According to studies, the positive effects of regular mindfulness meditation changed the following regions of the brain. 

 

These areas increased in brain volume:

1. Hippocampus - This is the memory storage, learning center, and emotion regulator. Neuroscientists found that 30-40 minutes of meditation improved this region’s size and functions.

2. Temporoparietal function - This is the center for empathy and compassion, where the temporal and parietal lobes meet. Regular meditation causes this area to become more active than usual.

This region decreased in brain volume:

1. Amygdala - This triggers our body’s fight-or-flight response, which usually happens when we perceive threats or when we are under stress. Because of mindfulness meditation, tendencies of responses to stress can be eliminated.

There is still a lot to learn about mindfulness neuroscience and its benefits to the human brain. Backed by studies from medical experts, mindfulness meditation is truly a practice worth investing time for. To jumpstart your routine, here’s a Mindset Activation Meditation - a guide that comes with a meditation MP3, thought-provoking journal prompts, and daily mantras to help you gain the positive effects mentioned here.

Ready to begin? Click here.