Often overlooked, a routine of daily meditation for men can be quite beneficial. Both physically, and dare I say, emotionally, we can see some profound improvements soon to follow when practiced regularly.

Many of the physical improvements that are possible from meditation have been documented through research and studies, helping to shed light on why we should meditate.

Not limited to these physical attributes alone, here are some of the more well known characteristics that meditation can ameliorate:

Lower stress- Those who meditate show a lower production in cortisol, a hormone naturally produced in response to stress. Stress is related to many health issues. By practicing meditation, men can help reduce their stress and, in turn, reduce stress related illnesses.

Lower blood pressure- Meditation has also been shown to help lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major contributor to heart disease, the leading killer of men in the US. Blood pressure is something we should always be aware of and reportedly can be controlled with the assistance of meditation.

Physical brain growth- A study reported an increase in brain growth of participants who had meditated for up to 20 years. These participants showed increased growth in the folds on the surface of the brain, notably in the area responsible for memory and concentration. Interestingly, the increase in size correlated with the time the subject had been meditating.

Emotionally, meditation can have a positive effect on us as well. These can be backed it up through studies and documents, but some of the thoughts below are more personal.

Better Control of Anger- Not that I had Hulk-rage tendencies, but I have had issues with anger and it’s propensity to fog my judgment. have developed an ability to control this and found that I’m able to catch myself before I reach that point of “seeing red”. This really developed from being able to find acceptance, something I had problems with for quite some time.

Acceptance- I never understood the power of acceptance until I felt the tremendous relief once it’s achieved. Not only is this useful for the bigger, seemingly life altering events, but for the little episodes that you can’t do anything about. Sometimes, I repeat my mantra- “It is what it is”, and it helps.

Appreciate the Moments- I can’t remember when I would just take time to stop and notice special moments. They don’t even need to be substantial, something as simple as the sun warming my skin can have a significant impact. I feel an increase in awareness which has, in turn, developed an appreciation for these moments. It really is amazing when you start to see how everything just comes together to create what we have.

Understanding/compassion- Being able to put myself in other peoples shoes has become a lot easier and more natural since meditating. I stop, think and try to understand there’s always a story I know nothing about. Applying this to all situations will be a constant work-in-progress and subjects me to abuse, but sometimes you just have to have faith.

At first, I took the word of these studies to validate some of the reasons to practice meditation. But from my own experience, it can be amazing to see what can be achieved from a daily meditation. Even if practiced for only ten minutes a day, you can start to dramatically improve the way you think and feel.