Meditation Changes Your Mind

Handy little chair I picked up for $1 at a garage sale last summer

Sure, I'm the only one who sits on it to put my boots on. For anyone taller, it's too close to the ground. It's also light and easy to move around, but good and solid.

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One day last week I tucked Aunt Jean's transistor radio into the pocket of my jacket when I went walking. Quirks and Quarks was on — it's a science program on CBC — and they were having a segment called "Your Brain on Meditation" that I wanted to hear.

They've finally done enough scientific study to prove what the gurus have been telling us for many years: meditation helps fight depression, stress, addictions, and may even help us avoid such brain diseases as Alzheimer's. Meditation physically changes your brain, and the effects of such change are not restricted to the moments spent in actual meditation. The change is long-lasting.

Also, meditation doesn't require hours of chanting while sitting cross-legged on the floor. It can be as simple as sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing for just a few minutes a day.

You can listen to the show by clicking here: Your Brain on Meditation.