Stress-related health problems are responsible for up to 80% of visits to the doctor and account for the third highest health care expenditures, behind only heart disease and cancer.
Mind-body practices like yoga and meditation have been shown to reduce your body’s stress response by strengthening your relaxation response and lowering stress hormones like cortisol.
According to a 2015 study published by Harvard Health Publications, people who practice meditation or yoga “used 43% fewer medical services than they did the previous year.”
Upcoming Meditation Classes
If you’ve been thinking “I should try meditation sometime,” this is the time.
This powerful tool increases focus, relaxation and joy. In this changing world, it is important to develop the strength to be unshaken by whatever comes your way.
During these Monday night classes, Cara Conroy-Low will help you develop your ‘staying power’ for the present moment, the now. The natural result of a dedicated meditation practice is greater overall health, better sleep and a more peaceful yet vibrant day-to-day life.
This is a six-part series running on Monday nights from April 22nd to May 27th, 2019. It is recommended that you attend all six classes. We recommend registering early.
Physical benefits:
- Increased blood flow & decreased heart rate.
- Physical relaxation.
- Decreases blood pressure.
- Reduces anxiety by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
- Decreases muscle tension.
- Aids with post-operative healing.
- Strengthens the immune system.
- Reduces activity of viruses & emotional distress.
- Enhances energy, strength and vigor.
- Reduction of free radicals, less tissue damage.
- Drop in cholesterol levels, lowers risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing.
- Decreases the aging process.
- Prevented, slowed or controlled pain of chronic diseases.
- Cure headaches & migraines.
- Greater orderliness of brain functioning.
- Significant relief from asthma.
- Harmonizes the endocrine system.
- Relaxes the nervous system.
Psychological benefits:
- Builds self-confidence.
- Increases serotonin level, influences mood & behaviour.
- Resolve phobias & fears.
- Helps with focus & concentration.
- Increased creativity.
- Increased brain wave coherence.
- Improved learning ability & memory.
- Increased feelings of vitality & rejuvenation.
- Increased emotional stability.
- Bad habits begin to dissolve.
- Develops intuition.
- Increased productivity.
- Improved relations at home & work.
- Able to see the larger picture in a given situation.
- Increased ability to solve complex problems.
- Develop will power.
- Greater communication between the two brain hemispheres.
- React more quickly & more effectively to a stressful event.
- Increases one’s perceptual ability & motor performance.
- Increased job satisfaction.
- Decrease in potential mental illness.
- Less aggressiveness.
- Helps in quitting smoking & alcohol addiction.
- Reduces need and dependency on drugs, pills & pharmaceuticals.
- Need less sleep to recover from sleep deprivation.
- Require less time to fall asleep, helps cure insomnia.
- Decrease in restless thinking.
- Decreased tendency to worry.
- Increases listening skills & empathy.
- Greater tolerance.
- Gives composure to act in considered & constructive ways.
- Grows a stable, more balanced personality.
- Develops emotional maturity.
Spiritual benefits:
- Helps keep things in perspective.
- Provides peace of mind, happiness.
- Helps you discover your purpose.
- Increased self-actualization.
- Increased compassion.
- Growing wisdom.
- Deeper understanding of yourself & others.
- Brings body, mind, & spirit in harmony.
- Deeper level of spiritual relaxation.
- Increased acceptance of oneself.
- Fosters forgiveness.
- Changes attitude toward life.
- Helps living in the present moment.
- Creates a widening, deepening capacity for love.
- Discovery of the power & consciousness beyond the ego.
- Experience an inner sense of “Assurance or Knowingness”.
- Experience a sense of “Oneness”.