This is the tenth in a 15 part series of A Month of Mindfulness Posts

Multiple studies show a remarkable benefit to hear health from daily meditation.

15 Minutes Per Day

According to the British Heart Foundation, a 5 year study asked people to do 15 minutes of transcendental meditation per day. The study found that “this reduced the risk of death, heart attack, and stroke by 48 per cent. These changes were associated with lower blood pressure and lower stress levels. The researchers concluded “this practice may be clinically useful in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease [the prevention of further heart or stroke events for people who already have the condition].””

These results are amazing, from something that has little to no side effects and little to no cost involved. You can do 15 minutes sitting meditation at home by yourself. Or get out and join a local group and benefit from company and a teacher’s guidance.

Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat any time and be yourself.

– Hermann Hesse

Stress And Blood Pressure

We have looked at mindfulness and stress in the post How Mindfulness Reduces Stress. Check that out if you haven’t already read it.

In an article on forbes.com, Why Cardiologists Are Prescribing Mindfulness For Heart Health, Joon Sup Lee says in conversation with Jean Cho:

“There are well documented studies that show meditation reverses the physiologic manifestations of stress such as elevated blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, there is now more gathering evidence that stress can have harmful effects on the functioning of our immune system. An abnormally activated immune system may actually trigger heart attacks and worsen coronary artery disease”.

Check out my post Mindfulness And Immune Response to learn more about how mindfulness can help with this.

“Meditation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body”

— Deepak Chopra

There can be little doubt that mindfulness meditation can improve your heart health. It can help to prevent stroke and heart attacks, or further events from occurring.

If you want to reap the benefits and make your heart happy, try and find at least 15 minutes per day.

There are different meditations you can try. As always, a search on YouTube will bring out lots of meditations related to heart health. Or you can just sit and follow your breath, for 5, 10 or 15 minutes.

If 15 minutes is too much for you at first, just start off with 5 and build up. You will soon be glad you did.

Gill Washington does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information