How Meditation Affects the Brain
Meditation workshops for training the mind to stay focused and manage distractions are available for older children, teens, and adults.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reported on a 10–year study of Tibetan Buddhist monks. The University of Wisconsin study compared the monks, who practice daily meditation, to non–meditators and novice meditators. The findings include data that the monks have dramatically more ability to attend and focus than non–meditators. The Buddhist monks’ brains have more coordination among the circuits of neurons, higher focus, stronger memory and learning, and a higher level of consciousness. The monks are much stronger thinkers and happier individuals who show more positive emotions. In effect, the practice of meditation improves the executive function of the brain, which controls how well people are able to regulate behavior, make decisions and control their minds.