Thousands of years ago, if we were being chased by a Saber toothed tiger, our bodies would release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to give us an extra dose of strength and speed.
This fight-or-flight reaction is hard-wired into our bodies so that we can defend ourselves or get away from danger.
Once the danger has passed, our levels return to normal.
But today, this same hormonal reaction can be triggered by several different (and less severe) circumstances, such as a car alarm, our boss dropping a last-minute assignment on our desk, or screaming kids in the kitchen.
There may not be any man-eating beasts in the area, but there are countless situations in today's world that are going to keep you stimulated and dump those stress hormones into your system.
When this happens, adrenaline works to increase your heart rate and blood pressure, while cortisol increases the sugar in your bloodstream, lowers your immune system, and suppresses your digestion.
This all stresses your body out and undermines your health.
But when you meditate, you lower cortisol and adrenaline levels in your body and normalize your blood pressure and your heart rate. It's like the antidote to the stresses of the modern world!
A Rutgers University doctor discovered that meditators had a nearly 50% reduction in cortisol levels!
Meditating on a daily basis will not only help lower your cortisol levels, it can also help you sleep better and help balance out your hormones!
