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How to Boost Your Health with Meditation. Learning how to still your body and calm your
mind has all kinds of benefits. See which kind of meditation might prove useful for
you. You will need Mindfulness meditation Guided meditation Qigong Transcendental meditation
Tai Chi and yoga. Always consult a physician before attempting to do any exercise or exercise
plan. Step 1. Teach yourself to eat less by practicing mindfulness meditation, which encourages
acute awareness of what you're feeling in the moment, without passing judgment. A group
of binge eaters who applied mindfulness to their eating habits cut down on their food
binges by more than half. Step 2. Lower your stress levels -- especially after a traumatic
event -- with guided meditation. American soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress
disorder were helped by yoga nidra, a form of guided meditation that brings about deep
relaxation. Step 3. Get relief from chronic pain with qigong, which combines slow movements
with breathing techniques and meditation. Step 4. Lower your risk of having a coronary
or stroke. People at high risk for heart disease who practiced transcendental meditation -- sitting
quietly and focusing on a mantra -- had fewer heart attacks and strokes than those who didn't,
thanks to significant drops in blood pressure. Step 5. Sleep better by taking up tai chi,
which has helped some insomnia sufferers. Tai chi has also been found to help diabetics
control their glucose levels and osteoarthritis sufferers manage their pain. Elderly people
who practiced tai chi regularly had better results on a hand-eye coordination test than
those who didn't. Step 6. Get relief from chronic lower back pain by taking up Iyengar
yoga, which ensures precise alignment during poses by encouraging the use of blankets,
blocks, benches, and belts. Yoga done without props can be effective in reducing migraine
pain and preventing the weight gain that often creeps up in middle age. Downward facing dog,
anyone? Did you know One study found people who meditate have more gray matter in the
areas of the brain that regulate emotions, compared with people who don't meditate.