The current scenario in many countries due to unstable Governments or war or our daily life has presented many challenges in front of us for which we feel completely unprepared. The energy of fear and anxiety is palpable in the very air we breathe in. Understanding the effect of this stress and adopting ways to reduce stress with Mindfulness Yoga, and meditation will keep us in balance and harmony. It is even more important that pregnant women take extra care to manage their stress as they are making a new life.
The human brain’s primitive part is called the “Amygdala” and this is also known as the “Fear Centre”. This part of the brain magnifies the danger and looks to escape by going into “Fight or Flight” mode. This response of the body to a perceived threat is meant to help us pass quickly but most of us are collectively spending a very long time in this mode which causes our sympathetic nervous system to secrete Cortisol hormone (Stress Hormone). The cycle of negative thoughts, feelings, and sensations can automatically trap us in a permanently bad mood. Researches show that our brain remembers these bad mood loops. As a result, it suppresses our immune system and affects our vital organs and people start to experience digestive issues, anxiety, depression, High blood pressure, sleep problems, weight gain, etc.
The good news is that we can choose to change our personal response by paying attention to our bodies and mind and boosting our immune systems. If we bring our conscious awareness to these thought patterns and start observing them and letting them pass without being attached then fewer triggers are available for stress response and it will break the cycle of rumination. By doing this we activate our Prefrontal cortex of the brain which is responsible for executive function and when functioning properly it gives us a cool, calm mind. Albert Einstein’s prefrontal cortex was incredibly well developed. Many studies in Neuroscience have found that the brains of Meditators have well-developed Prefrontal cortex (PFC) just like Einstein. Developing the PFC area of the brain with regular meditation has tremendous benefits including less anxiety, better decision-making ability, emotional regulation, and good mental health. in short, we can say Meditation cools and quiets the Brain’s primitive “Fear Centre” Amygdala, and research have proven that the amygdala becomes less active for regular meditators. Meditators get fresh brain generation a process called “neurogenesis” which synchronizes the brain hemisphere. Doing Meditation just mean mental exercise to keep the mind healthy.
