4 Ways to Improve Senior Health with Meditation

It’s no wonder older adults and seniors still working dream of retiring. All because of one thing: stress. For an elderly person who needs a caregiver at home, there are countless issues, from illness to disability, that can seriously affect their will to live. Given the great number of health concerns and end-of-life anxiety caregivers help their loved ones go through each day, try sitting together to speak about the ways meditation can improve their health below. While you can explore videos on YouTube for beginners, the easiest way to introduce meditation to you and your loved one’s life is by setting aside just twenty minutes to sit on a soft surface in a calm, silent part of your home, and focus on one thing only: breathing.

Try taking it slow, and see the wonders it can do for you and your loved one’s mind, body, and spirit! Check out the four ways meditation can dramatically improve seniors’ well being and state of mind:

1) It’s a memory booster!

As much as a healthy diet and exercise regime can stimulate the brain – even if you sit in silence for only twenty minutes! Think about it, when you meditate, you should be taking the time to take your mind off the things bringing you the most stress. On the other hand, it’s also a great moment that can boost your memory as you take a breather to collect your thoughts.

2) It erases lifelong stress!

The older you get, the more experiences you go through – both good and bad. Whether it’s chronic illness, death in the family, disability…life is difficult. Seniors carry so much of this stress over time, and oftentimes face severe end-of-life anxiety as well. Meditation can alleviate these factors as it allows you to mentally and physically breathe in, and shortly after, breathe out the stress.

3) It’s an all-natural way to cure your digestive system!

Since meditating is all about breathing correctly and slowly, it naturally eases the digestive system. Any meditation exercise improves circulation and oxygen intake, which helps the digestive organs detox a bit and take a break from painful cycles of constipation or diarrhea if your loved one suffers from either. It can also help them build up a better appetite in the meantime.

4) It can cure depression

Meditation can really calm you down, but it also stimulates the prefrontal cortex region of the brain, the “happy” region, which is one of the areas in the body that carries endorphins! As much as exercise can be a great mood booster, or a stroll in the park, great power lies in taking the time to sit still and breathe deeply to relieve stress through reflection, and let in happier thoughts.

Ever tried meditating with your client? Let us know in the comments below!