Why Catholics Should Reclaim Meditation During National Meditation Month

How to lower cortisol levels with meditation?

Meditation is a powerful tool people can use to improve overall health, mental, emotional and physical, but it cannot specifically be targeted to treat a particular problem. Meditation has the tendency to lower cortisol levels because of its ability to help balance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in the body. Oftentimes when cortisol is high, we are in a fight or flight mode, and this causes an imbalance in the two aspects of the nervous system. Meditation can restore a balance between the two, allowing the parasympathetic nervous system to do the healing and regeneration it is known for. 

Another powerful contributing factor to cortisol production is the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis. It sends signals when the body is stressed causing the adrenal glands to secrete more cortisol. Regular and consistent meditation in addition to stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, or as a part of that overall activity, also has been shown to downregulate HPA axis activity, reducing the frequency and intensity of cortisol release.

How can it lower blood pressure?

This again comes back to balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system in the body. When the parasympathetic nervous system is working properly, less stress hormones are created, heart rate slows down and blood vessels dilate, lowering blood pressure.

Not only does meditation restore balance to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, it promotes parasympathetic dominance, helping the body to stay healthy and regulated so that when the sympathetic nervous system does have to kick in, it can do its work more effectively, without going into overdrive.

A sample meditation activity that people can try to see if meditation is right for them

It’s not about if meditation is right for people, it’s about what type of meditation is right for a specific person. We all likely know someone who says meditation hasn’t worked for them. The number 1 reason why is oftentimes because they were taught a technique that didn’t jive with their unique type. We all have a unique psychological and emotional temperament, any corresponding physical body type. In the work I do, I help people to understand these differences through an elemental approach to understanding themselves. I use the 5 elements that are part of the structure of Ayurveda, not Traditional Chinese Medicine, and I’ve found it to be a very powerful teaching tool to help people understand what will work for them any why, and also what is not likely to work for them.

For example, a person with a predominance of fire element in their constitution will definitely do well with a meditation technique that utilizes visualization (fire’s corresponding sensory perception is sight). Conversely, a person with a dominant air element, will probably prefer a breathing focused technique. The “why” is because your unique elemental constitution also governs your temperament, psychological disposition, the things you like, dislike, feel comforted by, and the things that repel you. When you do something out of alignment with your type, it just won’t work for you, but if you align with your fundamental constitution type, you’re promoting harmony and feeding into your strengths, meaning you’ll be more successful, and more quickly, then people who struggle with techniques not in alignment with their temperament.