Quiet your mind, benefit your body and develop a sense of inner peace. Regular Meditation can help in many ways.

Meditation is a tool that can be practiced anywhere (except while driving and operating heavy machinery), requires no monetary investment, and has noted mental and physical health benefits. It’s not exclusive to monks on mountaintops or other spiritual gurus, either. Meditation is accessible, free, and an extremely beneficial way to manage stress, learn to cope and get to know yourself as a person better.

Here are five benefits of cultivating a regular meditation practice:

Greater stress reduction.

Cortisol, the stress hormone responsible for the fight or flight response in the body, releases cytokines which are inflammatory in nature. When the body is in a heightened state of duress, it is subjective to disease and other conditions such as restlessness. Meditation helps reduce inflammation caused by cortisol.

Strengthening your cognitive functioning.

Studies have concluded that meditation helps prevent memory loss as you age. It has been known to help people with dementia remember things about their lives better. Chanting or saying a mantra such as “Om” while meditating increases your ability to stay sharp.

Helps you cultivate kindness.

You’re able to see things through a lens of love. You have a better understanding of people and their behaviors. You’re less reactionary because of the calm you’ve invited into your life through a regular meditation practice.

Promotes a better night’s rest.

The body relaxes easier after meditation. Putting on a Lavender Aromatherapy Inhalation Patch before bedtime ensures that you’ll get a good night’s sleep and fall back asleep if you do wake up during the night.

Gives you better control over pain.

No matter what ails you, meditation gives you an outlet for your pain. The brain centers that control pain are activated during your daily practice. Studies have even shown that people in the end stages of their lives reported less pain because of meditation.

So, what are you waiting for? Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and focus your thoughts on your breath. If you feel resistance the first time you try meditating, know that you’re not alone. Unfamiliar practices confuse the brain and make it go into survival mode. Your brain may come up with a hundred reasons why you can’t meditate, but like any other muscle in your body, you’ve got to keep working it until your new self-care habit of meditation sticks.