3 scientifically proven ways meditation boosts your immune system

Did you know that you can naturally boost your body’s ability to fight off harmful organisms and increase your body’s resistance by simply meditating? Mindfulness and meditation share a powerful relationship with our body and our immune system.

According to a groundbreaking research study conducted at the University of Southern California in 2016, meditation and mindfulness exercises boosted the immune system in several different ways.

Meditation boosts T helper cells

The first finding was that meditation increased the number of T cells in the body. T cells are your body’s main line of defense against harmful organisms. They attack intruders and break them down so the body can remove them. We always want to have a strong supply of T cells, and meditation and mindfulness play an important role in stimulating the production of both of them. Stress and worrying, the opposite of mindfulness, can actually damage our immune system and T cell production.

Meditation supports healthy telomeres

The second way meditation and mindfulness positively affect the immune system is with regards to immune cell aging. At the end of each of our chromosomes, there’s a section called a telomere. Telomeres are like caps on the end of each chromosome. And as our cells age or become damaged, these telomeres shorten and become weaker. This is a sign of cellular aging. Longer telomeres are a sign of youthful cells and, more importantly, a strong immune system. Of the three studies that measured telomerase (the enzyme which helps telomeres to augment their length) activity all showed an increase in activity after mindfulness and meditation.

Meditation improves antibody response

The third way meditation and mindfulness helped the immune system was antibody response. Antibodies are the little warrior molecules in our body that fight off disease and harmful organisms. The number naturally increases when fighting intruders off. Subjects in the research study showed an increase in the major antibody constituents after regular mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques. Antibodies help your body inactivate toxic substances, defend against viruses and bacteria, and help immune cells function better. This finding means that through regular meditation and mindfulness training, we can actually increase the amount of antibodies in our body before we actually come in contact with any harmful organisms. This results in a more resilient immune system.

Meditation: a free, accessible secret to health

Meditation and mindfulness have astounding healing benefits for the mind and the body. Meditation is one of the only free, completely accessible secrets to health that we have. Use it to boost your immune system today and everyday!

yogaesoteric
October 28, 2020