Throughout the ages, humanity has had an obsession with reversing the effects of aging whether it be to prolong our lives and increase the quality of our years or for more superficial reasons like maintaining a younger look to feel more attractive.
When you think about all things that might help with slowing down the signs of premature aging, the mind immediately goes to expensive scientifically-formulated creams and procedures from the world’s leading dermatologists.
However, the reality is trying to slow down the aging process on the level of our skin is no different than trying to cure a sick tree by only addressing its leaves in isolation of the whole tree and the environment it grows in. To truly slow down the deteriorating impact of aging, we need to understand the root cause and not just address it at the symptomatic level.
Although the signs of aging are most clearly visible in our skin losing elasticity with wrinkles and creases forming, it is felt far more in our hearing, vision, motor skills, and cognitive function.
There are tests now that can identify the extent that our chronological age matches our biological age. In studies conducted using these systems of measurement, it is revealed that we can age biologically much faster than chronologically. These studies also indicate that we can reverse our age, too.
Although around 20 per cent of our premature aging can be put down to genetics, the remaining 80 per cent is very much in our control. The factors that cause premature aging ultimately come down to the amount of biological, psychological and emotional stress we expose ourselves to through our diets, exercise, social, and professional environments.
It’s no secret that stress and the unrelenting demands upon us can cause us to age prematurely. There are reams of studies about how stress impacts us on every level of our physiology all the way down to our DNA.
According to these studies it is stress that is at the root of premature aging. However, we don’t need a scientist for us to know this. We have all witnessed first-hand how our faces can look older and tired after a hard week, somehow with stress and fatigue in our system, we bounce back much slower. We also know that when we go away on a holiday for a week or two, our faces can completely transform into a younger, healthier version of ourselves – cue post-holiday glow compliments!
In the last five years, meditation has become immensely popular, largely due to the research that verifies why, on a biological level, people feel so good when they practice it. In essence, what meditation does is profoundly reduce the negative impact of stress and fatigue in the system by allowing the mind and body to reach deep levels of rest and recover through what is known as the relaxation response.
As a meditation teacher, I have seen the same effect of a 10-day holiday occur in only four days of meditation. So many students come to me exhausted, stressed, and unable to sleep well. It is very common for new students to not only report having better sleep, feeling more relaxed and experiencing more energy during the day, but also that they feel and look younger.
I’m a big proponent of any technology that is going to prolong our sense of wellbeing, whether it be creams and procedures that reinvigorate the skin or exercise and diets that support cellular rejuvenation, rest, and recovery.
If you are someone who is desiring to reduce premature aging and increase your vitality and joy in the present moment, meditation is one of the most important things to add to your regimen.
Meditation only takes a recommended 15-20 minutes once or twice a day and despite popular belief, it’s really easy to learn. To make learning as simple as possible, I created a Learn Meditation program in the 1 Giant Mind Learn Meditation mobile app. It will teach you how to meditate in 12 short steps along with regular support to help make it a daily habit.
Give it go! You might even see a positive change in your mood, stress levels, and sleep within the first few days.
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