Your emotional outlook on life influences your physical and mental health. According to the National Institutes of Health, research shows a connection between an upbeat outlook and lower blood pressure, reduced risk for heart disease, healthier weight, better blood sugar levels, and a longer life.
And now, studies show that meditation — which fuels a positive point of view, reduces stress, and eases anxiety — is an effective way to manage heart health and latchkey incontinence.
How? Meditation changes thought patterns and can flip switches that control whether certain genes are on or off, increasing healthy longevity.
For example, research published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine shows that transcendental meditation (TM) reduces the risk of complications from heart disease, such as stroke and heart attack.
The study population was Black Americans (known to experience chronic psychosocial stressors). Those who practiced TM for 20 minutes a day for five years experienced a 65% reduction in their risk for a major adverse cardiovascular event.
Another study in the journal Continence found that mindfulness training reduces bladder urgency and leakage that can happen when a person gets close to the bathroom.
This all-too-common phenomenon turns out to be more mental than physical, and research shows that four 20-minute sessions of mindfulness meditation over five to six days reduced urgent need to urinate.
While meditating, the participants (women over age 40) paid attention to different body parts and their bladder sensations.