How often do you sit still with nothing—literally nothing—pulsing through your mind? Probably not often enough. We all run ourselves in a constant state of stop-and-go. Our lives are harried, food is fast, and conversations even faster. If it doesn’t fit in a one-liner, it often goes unsaid.

In this new faster-than-ever norm, we often forget to simply be. We lose sight of the peaceful connectedness around and within us and get caught in the shuffle. Taking just a few minutes every day to meditate, practice Qigong or walk in Nature is restorative. And more than an emotional breather, neuroscience has proven that 15-minutes a day of quiet can even turn back the clock.

In an article recently published by Business Insider, Neuroscientist Sara Lazar conducted various studies to understand the benefits of meditation. She learned that 50-year-old long-term meditators had the same amount of gray matter in their frontal cortexes as 25-year-old long-term meditators. To learn more, she entered newbies into an 8-week meditation program. Afterward, regions of the brain related to learning, memory, emotions, empathy had thickened as well as an area of the brainstem that regulates neurotransmitters. Also interesting was the shrinkage of a region of the brain associated with fear, anxiety and aggression.

All in just 15 minutes a day! There are 96 opportunities each day to sit and relax for 15 minutes. Even in the midst of our busy schedules, we can all find 15 minutes to care for ourselves. You are worth it! Start today.

Learn more about the TCM approach to meditation.

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