Kathleen Alcorn, LISW-S, LICDC-CS is Cleveland Clinic’s Administrative Director of Behavioral Services. She spoke with us about the proven brain benefits of meditation and shared her tips about how to get started with your own practice.
WAM: There are so many claims of physical and mental health benefits to meditation. What does science say?
Kathleen: Our body’s sympathetic nervous system is triggered when we experience stress, intense activities or emergency situations. Cortisol is released and hormones such as adrenaline increase as well as glucose for fast energy. This is our “fight or flight” response. Meditation helps the body activate the parasympathetic nervous system’s relaxation response. We can activate this response through various techniques like deep breathing, guided imagery, yoga, and progressive muscle to name a few.
WAM: What’s happening inside the brain during meditation that has the power to translate into physical health benefits?
Kathleen: The relaxation response in our body can lower cortisol levels and can make changes to your autonomic nervous system, which lowers your heart rate and breathing rate.
Having tools to relax and de-stress can help with sleep quality, lowering blood pressure, improving one’s mood and focus, aiding in digestion, and easing muscle tension and pain.
The body’s relaxation response signals to the brain that the body is safe, which can help calm the anxious part of the brain.
WAM: How might the effects of meditation on stress, sleep, and mood potentially influence Alzheimer’s disease risk?
Kathleen: Progressive muscle relaxation can help manage behavioral and psychiatric disturbances in Alzheimer’s patients, especially those with mild to moderate dementia.
Meditation and other types of relaxation techniques can help people who are coping with stressful environments. For example, if you’re in a stimulating environment, you can try finding a quiet place to relax. You can also try spending time with a pet, which can help reduce stress hormones.
Relaxation techniques can improve cognitive functioning.
Some studies suggest that meditation and yoga can help improve cognitive function and memory in people with Alzheimer’s. For example, one study found that participants who practiced Kirtan Kriya meditation or listened to classical music daily for three months showed significant improvements in cognitive performance and memory.
Meditation can help reduce stress, which can worsen symptoms of anxiety and depression in people with dementia. Meditation may also reverse stress-related changes in gene expression pathways and preserve grey matter that contribute to cognitive decline.
Meditation can improve sleep, cognition, and mental health and well-being in aging populations. It can also help manage moods and emotions, and alleviate depressive symptoms.
WAM: Is there a perfect time in life to develop a meditation practice? Is there a stage in life during which meditation might be particularly helpful?
Kathleen: It is the perfect time no matter your age to do meditation and relax strategies. We can always benefit from having these tools.
WAM: What’s a good first step for a beginner to get started in meditating?
Kathleen: Try a technique that interests you. There are many to choose from: guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, affirmations, breath work, massage, coloring, calming music, yoga, taking a break from your phone, cultivating joy, breath work. Set a small goal such as 5 minutes 3x per week and then add 4x per week, then add 10 minutes 4 times per week. Go slow so you are successful. Try a simple breathing technique such as blowing all of the air out of your lungs first through your mouth, then taking that deep breath in through your nose (you will get air all the way down to your diaphragm the first time), hold the breath for as long as you are able and then release all of the air out of your mouth.