Use meditation to live longer. Can you exercise your inner strength through meditation? And could this mindfulness approach open the door to a longer life? Today we explore the influence of mindfulness practices on telomeres, bits of DNA that cap our chromosomes.
Let’s take a quick look at telomeres. Telomeres are protective caps that are at the end of our chromosomes. I think of them as being similar to the little plastic tips on the ends of my shoelaces. These chromosome tips shorten each time a cell divides.
When telomeres are too short, they don’t function well to protect the DNA. As they get older, telomeres also release substances that promote inflammation and accelerate the aging process. Telomere length is a reliable biomarker of human aging.
Here’s the problem: As the telomeres become too short or senescent, releasing peptides that promote inflammation can accelerate cellular aging. Alas, telomeres shorten with each division of the cell. Then, we have a higher chance of getting whatever particular disease our genes and environment have put us at risk of getting.
I hope to give you tools that appear to reverse many aspects of the aging process. After all, it is Sunday at 6 in the morning, and I am eager to write — the power walking can wait a bit.
Mindfulness as cellular armor – Use meditation to live longer.
The good news is that mindfulness and meditation techniques work to reduce stress and improve health. Moreover, meditation is associated with longevity and longer telomere length, the proposed biomarker or aging.
Here are just some of the conditions for which mindfulness-based interventions such as meditation may be helpful:
Use meditation to live longer. Please go here to learn more (don’t forget to sign up to follow me, below):
https://medium.com/beingwell/how-meditation-might-help-you-live-longer-73063f6aaeaf?sk=44cb17b3cf82f64fed2dc8825d1588a0
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