How Mindfulness Meditation Rewires the Brain

Commercial real estate investor and advisor Amandeep Khun-Khun follows a healthy lifestyle. Amandeep Khun-Khun performs a weightlifting routine five times a week and engages in a daily mindfulness meditation practice to achieve physical and mental well-being.

Mindfulness meditation is a restorative practice that encourages focus on the present moment. Several studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can trigger long-term changes in brain structure and function.

Frequent mediation increases activity and density in brain areas associated with emotional regulation and concentration. Meditation also strengthens neural connections between the pons, a part of the brain stem, and other areas of the brain. This can lead to improved sleep, balance, and coordination.

Mindfulness meditation also has been found to thicken the prefrontal cortex, which governs high-level cognitive processes such as planning and problem-solving. Additionally, studies have shown that the amygdala, an area of the brain associated with negative emotions, becomes smaller, which results in a less-sensitive fight or flight response. Since the amygdala can exacerbate pain perception by associating present pain with memories, mindfulness meditation may also reduce pain intensity.