Meditation brings with it a whole host of positive health benefits, ranging from lowering stress hormones to blood pressure. People who meditate report feeling less stress, an improvement in verbal reasoning and better memory.

The skill is directly responsible for increased attention spans and deepened concentration powers. Meditators also sleep better, and report improved relationships at both home and work. This is because meditation has been shown to help curb irritability and make people more compassionate and kind. When relationships improve, people feel happier, and happier people are far better at controlling their emotions and cravings.

Meditation can be brought into one’s life, front and center, when and where it is needed—in traffic, with the kids or partner, at night while struggling to fall asleep or when tense, irritable, bored, triggered, impatient or overwhelmed.

Beginning January 1, Dr. Mark Pirtle will be publishing an online, six-week course called Skillfully Aware: The Tools for Transformation. More information can be found at SkillfullyAware.com.

Dr. Mark Pirtle is a stress illness specialist who teaches at Sierra Tucson, Miraval Resort and the Center for Integrative Medicine Fellowship Program at the University of Arizona. He is currently producing a documentary film, called Is Your Story Making You Sick? Connect with him at 520-795-3563, [email protected] or SkillfullyAware.com.