Introduction
In today's fast-paced world, it's no surprise that many adults suffer from low immune defense. The rise of autoimmune disorders and the need for holistic medicinal practices have become increasingly crucial. One popular method for enhancing well-being is meditation, often praised for its potential benefits on the immune system. One method that will be focused on is healing meditation that is focused on mindfulness. Typically people will add this to their routine as morning meditation or sleep meditation.
This blog post will explore the limitations of meditation in boosting the immune system. The importance of sleep, sun, and efficient movement focused on how we evolved to move on the immune system cannot be overstated. Following these Functional Patterns (FP) values can actually help achieve similar results.
The State of Immunity in Modern Adults
Our immune system is our body's defense mechanism against harmful substances. However, modern lifestyles have weakened our immune defenses. Lack of sleep and inadequate exposure to sunlight can disrupt our circadian rhythm, impair our immune function, and make us more susceptible to illnesses.This has led to increased susceptibility to infections and a rise in autoimmune disorders.1
Autoimmune disease cases are estimated to be increasing between 3% and 9% per year internationally.2 This amounts to autoimmune disorders becoming prevalent enough to affect millions of people worldwide. These disorders occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body. An increasingly popular recreational practice to improve immunity is healing meditation to find a state of calmness.
Healing Meditation and Its Effect on the Immune System
Types of meditation such as healing meditation and morning meditation, have been marketed as a panacea for boosting immunity. Healing meditation can be described as developing a state of mindful awareness throughout the day with mental training. By reducing stress and promoting relaxation, meditation aims to create a more conducive environment for our immune system to function optimally. Meditation has tentatively been shown to improve certain markers in the body that increase our immune response. After analyzing 20 randomized control trials, the effects of healing meditation on immune function need more research to solidify findings.3
Morning Meditation and Meditation for Sleep
Morning meditations can be incorporated as a routine to start the day and help strengthen the immune system. Although for some people that are less organized in life, a routine may be beneficial short term for accountability. The goal at FP is to not depend on certain routines and instead develop awareness of your body and emotional state on a daily basis and respond accordingly. An example could be being aware of your extreme exhaustion and the response could be taking a nap to have the energy to prioritize your work efficiently and plan better sleeping habits.
Sleep is vital for maintaining a healthy immune system. A lack of sleep can lead to a weakened immune response, making it harder for the body to fight off infections.1 Sleep meditation is a practice to wind down at the end of the day that may help improve the quality of sleep. Meditation for sleep involves calming the mind and body through relaxation techniques, intended to increase restorative sleep.
At FP, we think there may be benefits of healing meditation for some people, but meditation alone may not offer a comprehensive solution. Sleep meditation for relaxation doesn’t account for compression and decompression in the right places on the body like training around how we evolved to move does.
To combat the root cause of these issues, we need to adopt a preventative holistic approach by focusing on the body as a whole rather than just treating symptoms. This includes incorporating practices like getting into nature for more sun exposure, prioritizing sleep, and training around the FP “Big 4” - standing, walking, running, and throwing.
The Importance of Sun Exposure and the Effect on Sleep
Sunlight plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy immune system. During midday, UV light from the sun produces vitamin D in the body, which is essential for immune function. Sun exposure also has a calming effect on the nervous system, reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.
Regularly exposing skin in sunlight from the sunrise or morning sun can be used as a tool to signal hormonal responses that increases sleep quality. Morning sun exposure can make sticking to a sleep schedule easier. At FP we recommend getting morning sunlight and blocking blue light after sunset at night as a higher priority than sleep meditation to improve circadian rhythm and sleep quality.
The Functional Patterns Approach to Immunity
The root cause of many health issues can be traced back to poor biomechanics and posture. Functional Patterns focuses on training around the FP “Big 4.” Exercise and myofascial release are used to improve these primary functions by using compression and decompression in the right joints that depend on a person's structure. A result of this is dynamic structural changes that improve efficiency of all other tertiary movements.
At FP, we have found moving more efficiently results in a lower rate of injury and less anxiety in most people. This develops a person's structure to be more adaptable to stress, their environment, and emotions to improve immune responses.
Results from client of HBS Louis Ellery at Functional Patterns Brisbane
Shown above are results using Functional Patterns from a client diagnosed 15 years ago with secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder.
Conclusion
Meditation may improve the state of the immune system, but incorporating FP values and practices can also play a significant role in boosting immunity. By focusing on regular sun exposure, improving sleep, and prioritizing the FP “Big 4” - standing, walking, running, and throwing - this addresses the root causes of lowered immunity. Incorporating practices like healing meditation, sleep meditation, and morning meditation improve some variables for immunity but don’t go far enough.
If you're interested in Functional Patterns and how it can improve your life, we encourage you to check out the Functional Patterns website.
Learn more about Functional Patterns and immunity in the following resources:
- Analyzing Meditation as a Relevant Tool for Addressing Stressors in Life
- Are Anxiety Tics Aging You Faster?
- Is Meditation the best tool to address Anxiety?
- The Surprising Connection Between Yoga and Anxiety: A Functional Patterns Approach
- Is stress really going to take you out?
- Stress, Portrait of a Killer - Full Documentary (2008)
- Robert Sapolsky: The Psychology of Stress
References
- Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Born, J. (2012). Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Archiv-European Journal of Physiology, 463(1), 121-137. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22071480/
- McKie, Robin. "Global spread of autoimmune disease 'blamed on western diet'." The Guardian, 8 January 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jan/08/global-spread-of-autoimmune-disease-blamed-on-western-diet.
- Black, David S., and George M. Slavich. "Mindfulness Meditation and the Immune System: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 1373, no. 1, 2016, pp. 13-24, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4940234.
