How Meditation Changes Your Brain: Science-Backed Benefits & Beginner's Guide

Meditation is one of the most powerful ancient habits that is gaining prominence throughout the world since the last two decades. As the world is becoming faster and digital landscape is growing wider, the significance of meditation has heightened. Today, we have everything at the tip of our finger except deep focus and profound inner calmness. Indeed, the right solution also lies exactly in front of us and it is free for our taking. In this article, we will explore what happens inside our brain when we meditate regularly and also understand how to tap into this great ancient habit as a beginner.



Research has proved that meditation, even for 10 minutes, will result in the increase of grey matter in our brains. Grey matter is extremely important for information processing, memory, emotion management, decision-making and complex-analytical thinking. Therefore, if you observe the people who meditate regularly, you will understand that his or her emotion regulation skills and overall productivity will be much higher compared to someone who don’t meditate.


People used to believe that the brain stops developing as we become adults. However, recent studies in Neuroscience have showed us brain changes throughout our lives and, in fact, we can consciously engage in practices that will result in significant brain changes. One of these activities is meditation. Our prefrontal cortex is the area that helps us control impulses and react thoughtfully. Planning, social behaviour and abstract thought processing are managed by this wonderful part of our brain. Meditation supports this area by thickening it and by strengthening functional connectivity.


If you have tried to meditating at some point in your life, you may have already experienced this. Cortisol production will be reduced in our brains as a result of meditation. Due to the strong correlation between the body, mind and breath, when stressful situations occur we will be able to achieve greater control over our lives than those who don’t meditate. Mindfulness will keep us balanced and grounded. Emotions won’t go over the top.


Another aspect that gifts us emotional equilibrium is the release of “happiness” hormones such as serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters, released due to meditation, will increase our motivation to work harder towards our goals and maintain an overall harmony and positivity in our lives. Sleep and metabolism will also be positively affected.


As a beginner, you should sit with a straight and upright spine. Avoid lying down as you may fall asleep. Sit on a yoga mat and you can start by focusing on your breath. In Buddhism, this meditation technique is called Anapana. Observe how your breath is going in and coming out naturally. This breath is the absolute reality or truth of this moment. When you experience that your mind is wandering away holding the hands of some random thoughts, become mindful. Don’t react. Instead calmly bring your focus back into your breath. As you practice this consistently, you will start feeling that your mind is calming down and is becoming less distracted. Start with 5-10 minutes a day. Keep an alarm on your phone or a clock. Then gradually increase the time period.

If you want to dig deeper and find profound inner peace then you can decide to practice Vipassana. This is a Buddhist meditation technique that purifies our subconscious minds and as a result strongly uplifts our productivity and focus. Vipassana meditation centres are available throughout the world.

Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Spiritual, Travel, Life Hacks, Trending, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How long does it take for meditation to change your brain?
   If you meditate daily for 10-20 minutes, you brain scans will start showing changes from as little as 8 weeks onwards.
2. What chemical is released when meditating?
   During meditation, dopamine and serotonine will be released in the brain, along with the manifestation of other significant brain changes.
3. What happens physically when you meditate?
   Our immunity will increase, sleep quality will improve and overall stress will reduce as a result of meditation.