There’s also research to suggest that meditation can reduce blood pressure, pain response, stress hormone levels, and even cellular health.

But what does it actually do to the body?

Meditation changes the brain. The cells and neurons in the brain are continuously creating new connections and disrupting old ones based on response to stimuli, a quality that researchers call experience-based neuroplasticity. This affects the neural circuits of the brain, which in turn affects how we respond to situations. What I find interesting is that it also affects the actual structure of our brains — thickening some areas and making others less dense.

Linked to the stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol, stress raises the heart rate and blood pressure and also weakens immunity. Studies show that relaxation has virtually the opposite effect, lowering heart rate, boosting immunity and enabling the body to thrive while increasing the release of positive chemicals such as serotonin.

What I’m a proponent of is the state of deep relaxation where tension is released from the body on a physical, emotional and mental level, thus allowing your body to naturally turn to the relaxed state through self-hypnosis, guided imagery or meditation.

Many of the recordings below are intended for your personal spiritual growth. Everyone’s growth is unique and you should use your own intuition to determine where you should begin your spiritual journey. I suggest learning to ground yourself first so that you can train your body to fully relax, thus making your development a relaxing experience. You will find many of these meditations are perfect for stress relief and relaxation using the different methods of grounding.