Meditation
What is it?
Meditation is a family of contemplative practices that train attention, awareness, and emotional balance. While traditions vary, many forms of meditation use breath, mantra, visualization, or open monitoring to quiet mental noise and encourage present-moment awareness.
Why it matters
Meditation is one of the most widely studied mind-body practices, with research showing small to moderate reductions in psychological stress and related symptoms. NIH and PubMed sources also note potential benefits for anxiety, depression, sleep, PTSD, and markers related to immune function, though evidence varies by population and practice type. In early research, mindfulness training was associated with changes in brain activity and stronger antibody response to a flu vaccine, suggesting that meditation may influence both mind and body.
