The first step to becoming antifragile in this time of change is to learn to centre and ground ourselves. This reconnects us with who we are at our best and what matters most to us. That then enables us to respond more proactively to any issues that arise.
One of the four ways we recommend to achieve this strong self-connection is meditation.
We’ve known for some time that meditation brings us calm, focus, and connects us with what matters most. More recently, scientists have now discovered that meditation actually changes which genes our body uses. Using our mind to meditate changes which physical proteins our body makes.
The way this works is that our DNA stores a full ‘menu’ of different genes that might be useful at different times of our lives. But our bodies don’t make all of these genes all of the time. Some genes, for example, are only used when we are children and we need the proteins that make us grow taller. In other situations, stressful events will activate genes that make proteins which produce inflammation responses in our body. In the short term, these can be useful. But if they are continuously triggered over the long term they can lead to increased risks of heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.
Through a process called epigenetics, meditation reverses the stress-related activation of the genes that are linked to poor health and depression. And these same changes can also come about as the result of meditative practices such as yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and even simple mindfulness practices such as breathing exercises.
Lead author of these discoveries, Ivana Buric, told Time magazine:
“Sitting meditation is quite different than yoga or Tai Chi, yet all of these activities — when practiced regularly — seem to decrease the activity of genes involved in inflammation that can impair both physical and mental health… Even just 15 minutes of practicing mindfulness seems to do the trick.”
Yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, and mindfulness reverse the molecular signature of chronic stress.
In addition to that, this TED talk describes how meditating for as little as 12 minutes a day mends the sections at the ends of our DNA called ‘telomeres’. These are like the protective caps on the ends of our shoelaces: they stop our DNA from fraying. Meditating with our minds physically repairs these telomeres. And this reduces our chances of getting cancer, so that we are more likely to live more healthily for longer.
Meditation and meditative practices such as yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and mindfulness all increase our focus and our self-connection. They also reduce our stress and risk of disease and they lengthen our lives.
Would you like to reduce your risk of heart attacks and cancer? Would you like to include 12 to 30 minutes of meditation, yoga, or mindfulness as part of your daily routine?
Adapted from The Churning, Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in a time of change.
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Photo By Johnny Silvercloud via StockPholio.net