The Science of Chill

Research on Slowing Down our Brains: Condensed

If meditation were a pill, everyone would take it - Susan Piver

Synopsis: An increasingly deep body of research is catching up to what yogis and monks have taught for millennia. That in building your mindfulness muscle, you are training your prefrontal cortex. This houses your rational reasoning centers. Working from your higher faculties enables you to be less impulsive and feel more in control of your life.

The more we can evolve our thoughts and behaviors away from the amygdala or “lizard brain”, we tell our parasympathetic nervous system that we are safe. This means less stress, better decisions, and a lower threat response.

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1. Reduce Healthcare Costs by as much as 43%

In 2015, Harvard-affiliated Mass General Hospital found that practicing relaxation-response techniques such as meditation and yoga could reduce the need for healthcare services by as much as 43%.

Stahl, J., Benson, H. et al. (2015). Relaxation Response and Resiliency Training and Its Effect on Healthcare Resource Utilization. PLoS ONE 10(10): doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140212

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2. Expands Leadership Skills

A 2008 study found that in one company, 24 subjects who practiced a basic meditation technique for 8 months significantly grew in their expression of leadership skills, as defined by the Leadership Practices Inventory.

McCollum, B., (2008). Leadership development and self-development: an empirical study. Career Development International, Vol. 4 Iss: 3, pp.149 – 154

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3. Increases Confidence + Shared Vision

The University of Westminster found in a 2014 study of CEOs that meditation training significantly enhanced overall self-confidence, as well as inspiring a shared vision and demonstrating moral intelligence.

Amar, AD. et al. (2014) Academy of Management Proceedings. Effect of Meditation on Self-Perception of Leadership Skills: A control group study of CEOs. 2014:1 14282;

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4. Better Processing of Pain and Emotions

Ever wondered why mindfulness meditation makes you feel more focused and Zen? It's because it helps the brain to have better control over processing pain and emotions, specifically through the control of cortical alpha rhythms (which play a role in what senses our minds are attentive to).

Kerr, C, Sacchet, MD, Lawar, S., Moore, C., Jones, S. (2013). Mindfulness starts with the body: somatosensory attention and top-down modulation of cortical alpha rhythms in mindfulness meditation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

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