There is a real physical and mental change in the body when you are or have been meditating. But, doctors want to learn more and often people ask, why meditating has this effect on the body and mind. For that, let’s explain a bit more.
One of the marked improvements during meditation happens to the individual’s nervous system. Instead of what normally happens, a different branch of this system takes charge, which it normally does not. This branch, called the parasympathetic branch, is prone to help relax and calm you and your body.

Another example of what happens to the body is that of the amount of lactate in your blood before and after meditation. Lactate is a naturally produced substance that is necessary in the body. It is produced by your metabolism and is done so in the muscles surrounding your skeleton.

When you meditate, this lactate level drops significantly; which therefore causes your metabolic rate to significantly drop, as we mentioned. In fact, the amount of lactate in your body decreases by some four times the rate that it would if you were lying on your back and had not meditated.

In addition to this, the amount of lactate produced in your body fits the fact that your blood will flow faster and more effectively throughout your body during and after meditation. Because your blood is flowing faster (in some areas by up to 30 percent!) that means that oxygen is getting to your muscles faster.

When your muscles have an increased amount of oxygen, which they need, they don’t produce nearly the amount of lactate that they would otherwise. Therefore, meditation helps to increase your blood flow and decrease your metabolic rate.

Read the other guide on Mindfulness Meditation and Meditation Chair