{"id":20894,"date":"2025-10-28T18:24:34","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T17:24:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ehdin.com\/meditation-for-healthy-gut-flora\/"},"modified":"2025-10-28T18:24:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T17:24:34","slug":"meditation-for-healthy-gut-flora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ehdin.com\/en\/meditation-for-healthy-gut-flora\/","title":{"rendered":"Meditation for healthy gut flora"},"content":{"rendered":"

New research shows that daily meditation over a long period of time strengthens the gut flora and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. The results of the study of Buddhist monks show that long-term meditation strengthens the healthy bacterial flora in the gut and produces a better blood picture, contributing to reduced anxiety, depression and risk of heart disease. <\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n

The researchers analyzed stool and blood samples from 37 Buddhist monks from three Tibetan monasteries, and compared this with 19 people in the same area, of similar ages and with similar eating habits. The analysis of stool samples<\/strong> showed that two healthy bacterial groups, Megamonas and Faecalibacterium, were significantly more abundant in the intestines of the group of monks than in the 19 people who did not meditate. The monks practiced daily meditation for at least two hours over a period ranging from three to 30 years. Tibetan meditation is often heart-centered, and this is important because it is particularly good at activating the Vagus nerve<\/a> – the main regulator of the whole body! <\/p>\n

Reference:<\/strong> “Alteration of faecal microbiota balance related to long-term deep meditation” <\/strong><\/a>in General Psychiatry<\/em> (BMJ), January 16, 2023. <\/p>\n

\n

“We suggest that prolonged meditation can regulate gut flora homeostasis and in turn affect physical and mental health.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Meditation is medicine<\/h2>\n

Meditation has been shown to be a great immune regulator. Research has clearly shown how meditation leads to reduced inflammation, an increased antiviral response, improved function of specific immune cells and a higher antibody production. This is why it is so important to meditate regularly, preferably every day. Because what you do today will affect the molecular makeup of your body over the next 80 days (almost 12 weeks)<\/em><\/strong>. Read more in my blog Meditation is Medicine<\/a> <\/p>\n

Research shows that Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) is a form of meditation that is rejuvenating. Because it is strengthening on the telomere length of the DNA, which is a strong indication of reduced physiological aging. Telomeres<\/strong> are protective ‘caps’ that sit at the ends of our DNA (chromosomes). These telomeres gradually shorten (shrink) with cell division (i.e. ageing) in general, and when they become too short, the cell can no longer divide and dies. But they can also be lengthened by the enzyme telomerase, and this counteracts ageing. <\/p>\n

Yoga, meditation, walking in nature<\/strong> are things that are beneficial for our telomeres. Meditation is generally protective and positive, but you did not get the same strong telomere protection in those who did Mindfulness or in the control group. Read more in my blog Love-filled meditation rejuvenates<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\n

Go on a health retreat and create peace and quiet for a weekend!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

.<\/p>\n

Meditation increases well-being and relieves pain<\/h3>\n

Epoch Health<\/strong> reports that many recent medical studies confirm the known benefits of meditation for both physical and mental health. Meditation can help the meditator to focus better, increase work efficiency and the practice provides a better ability to regulate emotions, bringing an inner peace. Meditation also relieves chronic pain that cannot be treated with medication, while raising your pain threshold. <\/p>\n

Bodily, conscious relaxation reduces physical suffering, and Mindfulness is very helpful scientifically proven. Mindfulness is a Western technique that originated from  Sakyamuni Buddha’s<\/strong> vipassana tradition, a tradition that is 2500 years old, but the techniques themselves are probably even older – existed naturally as long as man has existed (is my theory).<\/p>\n

\n

“When you think about what you are doing now and do it immediately without delay, you will feel relaxed almost immediately.”<\/em> Dr. Yang Jingduan<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Meditation is the best cure for today’s stress!<\/h3>\n

Dr. Yang Jingduan<\/strong>, neurologist, psychiatrist and founder of the Yang Institute of Integrative Medicine in the United States, believes that today’s lifestyle keeps people in a state of chronic tension and stress for an extended period of time – often chronically long with non-existent recovery. As a result, the body’s “sympathetic nervous system” is continuously in a hyperactive state, causing mental blocks, fatigue, accumulation of toxins, lower immune function due to the stress, poor blood circulation, hormonal disruptions and eventually exhaustion. Meditation can help improve the ‘parasympathetic nervous system’ and help repair and regenerate the body. Yes, it’s even necessary to counteract the chronic stress we are showered with on a daily basis, I claim!<\/em> <\/p>\n

\n

“When you practice loving-kindness meditation (LKM), you are de facto changing the structure of your brain. You strengthen the parts of your brain that are involved in empathy, compassion and love.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

-> Question: <\/strong>does long-term mean that it is over time (years) or whether it is about how long you sit each time?<\/h4>\n

Answer: there are two things: 1. that you do it for a longer time, because it takes a couple of weeks to adjust to more calm in the body “train the grinding thoughts” and 2. to go down in the heart, very few teach it unfortunately. I have meditated with several techniques for 37 years and found that the most important thing is to go into the heart and feed love, as in Loving Kindness meditation. Research also shows much stronger effects than Mindfulness for example. Says about it here Loving Kindness Meditation rejuvenates<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Meditation is not not thinking<\/em><\/strong>it’s letting go of the external, grinding thoughts that keep you stuck in your brain. Letting go of the outer physical world, and going down into the heart and pumping peace, love, joy and light – so that we can live in our full power. Because only the heart is here and now, the brain is in the past or future and has too easy to stress. <\/p>\n

\n

It is in the heart that we receive messages from within and from above – intuition and spiritual guidance! When we point to ourselves, we point to the heart, and that is also where we go to replenish energy! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

Choose bliss, not stress!<\/h2>\n

I believe that we need to ACTIVELY choose not to be stressed every day and choose to be in BLISS! That is, the calm, peace and tranquility of the body and mind that we are created to be in. Meditation is very helpful for this, calming and centering us. Mindfulness makes us more present in the moment – but the Blissful body approach goes furthest of them all. It allows us to actively break with the stress before it gains momentum and energy. Plus, we engage the heart –<\/x>which is always here and now. At the same time, we rewire our brain pathways, and strengthen our resilience – resistance to stress. <\/p>\n

You get all this at zero cost and with a few minutes of effort, a couple of times a day. So we do NOT need to sit in two hours of meditation every day, because who has time for that in everyday life? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Practicing the Blissful Body method turns everything around!<\/h3>\n

Tired of getting stuck in stress? It only takes three minutes to break a downward spiral of stress, worry, anger, anxiety, negative thoughts – and turn it into inner peace and calm. It helps to fall asleep more easily and sleep well. With the help of practicing my simple Blissful Body method \u00a9 everything improves fast for you. In just 3 minutes, you shift yourself into the body of peace and calm – the Bliss Body. The one we were created to be in! <\/p>\n