Stop, Drop and Meditate: Lengthen Your Lifespan Through Meditation

Both Charity and I were privileged to be in the presence of Deepak Chopra last Sunday as he presented a talk based on his new book, Super Genes ( a full book review will be on the blog in the next couple of weeks).It was two hours of wonderful insights into genetics and epigenetics, and I learnt so much about all components of wellness, not just training, nutrition and healthy lifestyle, but how community, environment and finances can effect your genes and your health.

I have a rudimentary understanding of how meditation can improve wellness,  but listening to Deepak speak in detail about the health benefits of meditation, specifically in relation to lengthening your lifespan made me even more determined to incorporate meditation into my daily wellbeing routine.

Every day stress and high cortisol levels can negatively effect the health of our chromosomes. Telomeres (watch out for that buzz word in ten years time) are the very end of our chromosomes, and the more stress we encounter, the more wear and tear on our chromosomes.

Telomeres have been compared with the plastic tips on shoelaces, because they keep chromosome ends from fraying and sticking to each other,

Every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell can no longer divide; it becomes inactive or “senescent” or it dies. This shortening process is associated with aging, cancer, and a higher risk of death.

However, there is something we can do to help halt and repair this process. An enzyme called telomerase maintains and heals the telomeres, which prolongs the life of our cells. An increase in telomerase slows down the unraveling of telomeres.

This is where meditation comes in. A study completed in 2010 showed people in an intensive meditation practice had greater telomerase activity  than those who did not meditate. The Chopra Foundation, along with some of the top medical schools in the country are currently studying how mindful awareness can help increase both out health and out longevity.

I’d love to help you remove the barriers to mediation (no time, have to be in a special place, cant stop thinking, I’m bad at meditating), and encourage you to take part in a short, easy, convenient meditation practice you can do pretty much anywhere.

Here is a video originally shared on Charity’s You Tube channel (details below), to help guide you through an easily accessible breath focused meditation: