Today I did my meditation at lunch time. Noah woke us early and there was no chance for a quiet session before work. I loved my lunch time meditation break and had a clear and focussed afternoon following on from it. I also felt really energised.
People who meditate often say the practice restores their energy, and some claim they need less sleep as a result. I am absolutely sure that this is true for me.
Scientists have shown that our brainwaves change when we meditate and that neuronal firing patterns synchronise. A study at the University of Kentucky investigated this further.
They used a well-established vigilance task to quantify the effects of sleepiness on mental functioning. The test involved staring at an LCD screen and pressing a button as soon as an image pops up. Typically sleep-deprived people take much longer and sometimes miss the image altogether.
Ten volunteers were tested before and after 40 minutes of either sleep, meditation, reading or light conversation. All of the subjects tried all conditions. The 40-minute nap was known to improve performance (after an hour or so to recover from grogginess). What amazed the researchers was that meditation was the only intervention that immediately led to superior performance. This was despite none of the volunteers being experienced at meditation.
So even if you don’t meditate regularly give it a try when you are tired, it may just clear your head and give you the energy you need to carry on!
Come on a Revitalise day to see the benefits that a day of meditation and mindfulness can make to how you feel. You really will leave feeling revitalised!
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