For those who still feel that meditation is some New Age, hippy bullshit and isn't for them, perhaps some more hard science will bring you around.

Over the years there have been some studies on the effects of meditation on the brain and the human body. Unfortunately these studies have been few in number, and suffer from problems such as unrepresentative subjects, not being randomized, and lacking a placebo control group.

A recent scientifically thorough study has changed all of that, and has shown that "mindfulness meditation" can indeed change the brains of ordinary people and improve health.

They used one group employing formal mindfulness meditation techniques, and a second control group doing less focused meditation such as stretching exercises.

At the end of three days, the participants all told the researchers that they felt refreshed and better able to withstand the stress of unemployment. Yet follow-up brain scans showed differences in only those who underwent mindfulness meditation. There was more activity, or communication, among the portions of their brains that process stress-related reactions and other areas related to focus and calm. Four months later, those who had practiced mindfulness showed much lower levels in their blood of a marker of unhealthy inflammation than the relaxation group, even though few were still meditating.

Dr. Creswell and his colleagues believe that the changes in the brain contributed to the subsequent reduction in inflammation, although precisely how remains unknown.

Mindfulness meditation was described as "an open and receptive, nonjudgmental awareness of your present-moment experience" as well as a focus on bodily sensations such as breathing.

Some have compared meditation to working out, in that it is a real pain in the ass when you first start, but over time it becomes easier and more therapeutic. So give it a try and stick with it, it can only be good for you.

Study Link

New York Times Article