Posted October 3, 2017.
At Andolino Orthodontics, we know that your mouth serves as a gateway to the rest of your body. The state of your mouth can even give clues about your current overall health.
Dr. Andolino takes great care to explain every aspect of your treatment in a way that is clear and understandable. He wants to make sure that you understand how the treatment will affect you in your daily life and health practices–and how your daily health habits affect your treatment! In that vein, we at Andolino Orthodontics would love to share with you a few health practices that may help your overall health–as well as your mouth. First, we will focus on meditation.
What Is Meditation?
There are a lot of misconceptions about what meditation is. It is primarily following your breath and clearing your thoughts. We have a basic meditation guide available; contact us for a copy.
How Can Meditation Benefit Me?
A study led by Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, found that not only did meditation reduce stress, but it also increased brain mass and function in four primary areas of the brain: the area associated with mind-wandering and self-relevance; the left hippocampus, which helps in learning, cognition, memory and emotional regulation; the the area associated with perspective taking, empathy and compassion; and the Pons, an area of the brainstem where a lot of regulatory neurotransmitters are produced.
The study also showed that the area of the brain responsible for fight-or-flight, fear, anxiety, and stress was smaller; this correlated to lower stress levels. Lower stress levels, in turn, not only assist your general health, but also reduce the stress on your temporomandibular joints. This protects your teeth and jaw from the damage and pain that comes from a TMJ disorder.
I’m Busy. How Long Does This Take?
All of these benefits were accomplished over the course of only 8 weeks, meditating for just under 30 minutes a day. This means by the time the holidays hit, you will be well on your way to a calmer, more relaxed, more focused you!
For more information on how to integrate meditation into your life, contact Andolino Orthodontics in New York, New York, at (212) 753 – 5575. Dr. Frank Andolino and our entire team are here to help you reach the pinnacle of health!