The Science of Meditation 💫
- Rebecca Johns
- Nov 7, 2025
- 3 min read
Would you be more likely to try meditation if you knew there was solid research proving its benefits? The good news is — there is! ✨
Meditation isn’t just about feeling calmer in the moment. It’s been shown to create real, measurable changes in the brain. Thanks to the concept of neuroplasticity — our brain’s ability to adapt and rewire itself — we know that what we practise, we strengthen. The more we train the mind to settle, focus, or open the heart, the more those qualities become our natural state. ☀️
How Meditation Rewires the Brain 🧠
The power of neuroplasticity can work both for and against us. When we repeat a positive habit — like learning an instrument, practising a language, or meditating — the areas of the brain linked to that skill become stronger. But if we repeatedly dwell on worry or self-criticism, those neural pathways also strengthen. In this way, our thoughts and habits are literally shaping the structure of our brain every day.
Meditation gives us a way to harness this process for our benefit. In one of her well-known studies, Dr Sara Lazar, a Neuroscientist at Harvard, compared regular meditators (who practised for 30–40 minutes a day) with non-meditators. Brain scans showed that meditators had a larger prefrontal cortex — the area linked with focus, memory and emotional balance — a region that normally shrinks with age. In fact, 50-year-old meditators had the same prefrontal cortex thickness as 25-year-old non-meditators!! 😮 Meditating is a hugely powerful anti-ageing tool for our brains!
In a second study, Lazar followed a group of beginners through an eight-week mindfulness course. MRI scans revealed that their hippocampus (linked to learning, memory and emotional regulation) and temporal-parietal junction (linked to empathy and perspective) both grew in size, while the amygdala — the brain’s stress centre — actually shrank.
These findings show that meditation quite literally reshapes the brain, supporting our mental, emotional and social wellbeing. 🌱
Other research has found that certain types of meditation bring different desired benefits:
💙 Mindful breathing strengthens attention and clarity.
💙 Loving-Kindness meditation increases empathy, warmth and joy.
💙 Mindfulness-based stress reduction helps calm anxiety and worry.
With continued practice, these positive changes become long-term. The science shows that meditation isn’t just a moment of calm — it’s brain training for a healthier, happier life. 🌿
How Meditate Transforms the Body 🧘♀️
Meditation also affects the body in powerful ways. Back in the 1970s, Dr Herbert Benson discovered what he called the relaxation response — the body’s natural counterbalance to stress. This is because meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, putting the body into the relaxation response - a physical and mental state of feeling calm and reduced stress. When we meditate, the “fight or flight” system begins to quieten, and the “rest and digest” system takes over. This shift into the relaxation response can lead to:
⭐ Lower cortisol (the stress hormone)
⭐ Healthier blood pressure
⭐ Reduced muscle tension
⭐ Improved sleep quality
⭐ A stronger immune system
⭐ Reduced inflammation
⭐ Better digestion
⭐ Slower cellular ageing
Simply put, taking time to sit quietly and breathe can have deep, long-lasting effects — physically, mentally and emotionally. We can actively work to achieve the above benefits by regularly practicing meditation.💚
Ready to Experience It for Yourself?
If you’ve ever wondered what meditation could do for you, there’s no better way to find out than by trying it. Whether you’d like to feel calmer day to day, sleep better, or simply understand your mind a little more deeply, a guided session can help you begin.
You’re warmly welcome — whether you’re brand new to meditation or looking to deepen your practice. Get in touch here if you’d like to ask any questions or enquire about how to bring Meditate with Becky to your life via your workplace, school, a private session or course — I’d love to hear from you. 😊
Research I love on this topic 📖
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