Mindfulness Meditation and the Immune System

Can meditation help you fight off viruses? Meditation has been practiced for millennia, for more reasons than just finding inner balance and a sense of calm. Mindfulness meditation may help us to live longer, sleep better, and support the body against illnesses. Regular meditation can help strengthen our heart, mind and actions. Thus, we find ourselves fortified against whatever life throws our way.

Ways meditation boosts your immune system

Of course, meditation is not a cure and should never take the place of visiting with your doctor. Interestingly, when we meditate for 20 minutes, nitric oxide is increased in our bodies by 213%! Nitric oxide is a natural compound in our bodies responsible for keeping our blood vessels healthy, regulating blood pressure, improving the immune system’s response, reducing chronic inflammation, and even reducing the chances of cancer. You can read the full study here.

Meditation, T Cells, and improved immune response

Everyone has a class of white blood cells in their bodies called T Cells. These T Cells are strong allies for health when combined with meditation. These white blood cells are the foundation of a strong immune system. Viruses eat away at these T Cells. “An 8 week UCLA study found that, for 50 HIV positive men, only 30-45 minutes of mindfulness meditation per day stopped the decline of CD4 T cells, dramatically slowing down and even halting the disease’s typically nasty progression”. Read more on this study here. Basically, the more you meditate, the more T Cells your body has, and the better equipped your body is to fight off viruses and bacteria.

Sleep better and increase serotonin with meditation

Have you ever lost quality of sleep due to anxiety? When we are sick, it is natural to become anxious and worrisome. However, the more we can relax and find inner peace, the better we can sleep, and the faster we can recover. Meditation reduces anxiety by increasing the feel-good hormone, serotonin. Meditation also works to reduce the stress hormone, cortisol. There are many free meditations that you can listen to on YouTube. Try searching for Sleep Meditations by Michael Sealey or Jason Stephenson, two renowned hypnotherapists.

Due to the global pandemic of 2020, this year has been especially difficult. Reduce your worry by meditating. Finding inner serenity is possible with consistent practice. Meditation does not replace seeing your doctor. If you are not feeling well, it is imperative that you see your regular physician. While mediation may be able to help fight off viruses, many people still need more to achieve mental wellbeing. Regain control of your life by ending ruminating thoughts about the past. Our Core Treatment Plan may help with postpartum depression, death, and stress due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Those who don't respond or relapse on traditional antidepressants find success with ketamine therapy in 80% of cases. To learn more about our Colorado ketamine clinic, download our comprehensive guide today.