New age “fad” could combat cancer and COVID-19?!

It’s amusing to see so many new age “fads” slowly trickle their way into the mainstream. 

Take yoga, for example. Do you remember when it was considered “out there”? Now, yoga studios seem to pop up on every corner. And study after study shows how beneficial the practice is for health and healing. 

Well, yet another “fad” that often goes together with yoga—which I’ve talked about here before—has also been making its rounds in recent years.  

Plus, research shows it might even help the body fight off cancer… and viruses like COVID-19! 

Let me explain… 

Meditation is powerful 

A team of researchers from the University of Florida focused on how meditation supports the immune system.  

The study involved 106 people on a meditation retreat. (These retreats have become increasingly popular over the years. In fact, many of my patients go on them as a way to break free from their busy schedules and recuperate.)  

During the retreat, participants spent eight days in silence and meditated for 10 hours each day. They also followed a vegan diet and got a healthy amount of sleep each night. 

Blood samples were collected five to eight weeks before the retreat, immediately before and after the retreat, and again three months later—to better analyze how meditation affects biological processes at the molecular level.  

Ultimately, researchers found that neither following a vegan diet nor achieving optimal sleep was as beneficial to the immune system as meditation. 

In fact, meditation activated 220 immunity genes at a higher speed than usual. And 68 of those genes are directly linked to helping the body combat cancer and viruses. 

Wipe away your daily stress 

Now, I’m not suggesting you quit your job and practice extreme meditation. But I am asking you to realize how a simple daily practice can help combat life-threatening disease. 

And yes, even just a few minutes each day is a step in the right direction. Because it addresses a silent killer: stress. 

High levels of stress can ultimately lead to chronic inflammation—the root cause of most disease. Put the two together, and your immune system eventually becomes weak, inviting illnesses in. 

An easy way to address this vicious cycle is through adopting a mind-body practice, like meditation, that brings you a sense of calm. 

In fact, meditation can help create the same feeling of refreshment that going on a vacation often brings. It will help you relax and let go. Best of all? You’ll feel amazing from the inside out. 

For guidance, there are several meditation videos on the internet that you can follow from the comfort of your own home.  

Source: 

“Meditating each day activates genes that fight off cancer and viruses like COVID-19.” Study Finds, 01/10/2022. (studyfinds.org/meditating-genes-cancer-covid/)