Meditation has gone mainstream! No longer considered a fringe practice, meditation is being prescribed by doctors, embraced by school systems, and practiced by men, women and children of all ages. But why? What are the benefits of meditation, and what can you get out of it?

A recent Forbes article talks about the link between meditation and stress reduction and its role in coronary health. It turns out that more and more doctors are prescribing meditation for a host of health problems – the Massachusetts General Hospital network refers patients with coronary issues, anxiety, auto-immune diseases, cancer, and other conditions to The Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.

Another sign of meditation’s growing influence: the explosion of apps available. In these turbulent times, it is not surprising that more people are looking for solutions to help them turn inward, tune into their own body and thoughts, and let go of many of the stressors we all deal with every day.

Schools around the country are also embracing meditation to teach kids – who often have big emotions they are not always ready to understand or control – how to center themselves. At one school in Baltimore, the Mindful Moment Room, a space decorated with floor pillows and yoga mats, and scented with essential oils, has replaced detention for kids who act out. Students stretch, practice yoga, and do deep breathing exercises. School administrators say that the skills they learn in the meditation room help them to focus, and maintain mindfulness and calm.

Meditation is part of some very successful people’s business strategy as well. Would it surprise you to know that people like News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch, Padmasree Warrior, the CTO of Cisco Systems, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Ford, the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company, and Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Records, among others, all practice meditation and credit its benefits with their own success?

Have you been curious about meditation? Check out our offerings and try a class! You’ll be so glad you did!