Magnesium and Meditation: A Dynamic Duo Against Stress

The holidays and winter weather are quickly approaching, and with them comes planning, gatherings, vacations, work deadlines, and sometimes stress. Unfortunately, the exciting time of year that gives us the warm and fuzzy feelings we love can also stir up stressful and frantic feelings that we could do without! If you are looking ahead to the holiday season and wondering how you will make it through while clinging to peace and calm, this is the post for you.

Holiday stress and normal life stressors can thankfully be addressed in simple ways. Certain factors make a positive difference in our maintenance of stress so that we can lessen how it impacts our health. Factors like exercise, good nutrition, proper hydration, and quality sleep can all play a big part in how you feel, and how you cope with the unexpected. In addition to maintaining healthy nutrition, it seems that two factors are exceptionally helpful in increasing our peace and calm — the combination of magnesium and meditation. This powerful duo might just be the key to a stress-free holiday season!

Magnesium

Magnesium is a naturally-occurring mineral in the body and one that we also can benefit from supplementing. Magnesium benefits our health in several areas, including our nervous system, muscles, heart, bones, and immune system. Typically, an adult body holds around 25 grams of magnesium normally, and about half of that is stored in bone. The rest is found in soft tissues, bodily fluids, and muscles. While magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body, it is still something we should focus on incorporating into our diets and supplement routines.

It likely doesn’t come as a surprise that many adults need more magnesium than what is readily available in a typical American diet. What may be surprising is that a common symptom of magnesium deficiency is stress. This is because magnesium is crucial to the proper function of our nervous system, which determines how the body handles stress.

There are several different types of magnesium, and they all have an important purpose in the body:

• Aspartate – Bound with aspartic acid; helps with fatigue and is more easily absorbed than Magnesium Oxide.
• Chloride – Used to treat low magnesium and digestive issues; may cause GI side effects.
• Citrate – Common in supplements; helps with absorption and treats constipation.
• Glycinate – Easily absorbed; supports sleep, anxiety, and mood.
• Lactate – Gentle on digestion; less common in supplements.
• L-Threonate – Brain-targeted; needs more research in humans.
• Malate – Supports endurance and blood retention; gentle on digestion.
• Orotate – Supports heart and energy metabolism; expensive.
• Oxide – Poorly absorbed; often used for constipation or heartburn.
• Sulfate – Common in Epsom salts; topical use may aid sore muscles.
• Taurate – May support healthy blood pressure and blood sugar.

From this variety, four types of magnesium are considered to be essential:

• Malate – Helps to increase endurance and can improve athletic performance.
• Glycinate – Balances energy, helps with anxiety, depression, and sleep issues.
• Taurate – A heart-healthy option, helpful for blood pressure and blood sugar support.
• Citrate – Supports digestion and regularity.

Magnesium comes in many shapes and sizes, and all of them help us to feel our best! Now, what if we could give magnesium a natural and pleasant boost in efficacy? The great news is that we can, with the amazing powers of meditation!

Meditation

Meditation and mindfulness go hand in hand and are often referred to interchangeably. Meditation is considered a “mindfulness practice,” which is a practice of becoming mindful of the precise moment, versus being distracted by thoughts and worries for the future. Previously considered a “far out” and “woo woo” practice, meditation has gained substantial scientific credibility in recent years. Meditation has been shown to be a truly powerful tool for both relieving stresses, and even physically altering our brains!

Meditation is a practice or training of awareness in the present moment. Often, meditation is done by an individual sitting or lying still, with their eyes closed. If they are engaging in a guided meditation, they might have an audio track to walk them through the process. In a beginner-level meditation, you might hear calm instructions similar to “focus on your breath and try to only focus on your breath.” The purpose of this instruction is to help the individual become more aware of their body and less aware of the millions of racing thoughts in their mind. Through the practice of meditation, a person can gain mental peace of mind, a feeling of calm, and a dose of relaxation.

There are many different types of meditation. Some explore different thoughts, sound patterns, breathing techniques, and more. Whichever variety you choose, the basic goal of practicing meditation is to slow down, pause, and be still with your breath and body. This allows the mind to slow down, rest, and recalibrate.

In tandem with a magnesium supplement, meditation is a daily practice that you can implement to further reduce your stress and find relaxation. If you’re still not convinced, check out what science has to say.

Meditation: A Scientific Miracle?

Now, for a bit of brain anatomy. The amygdala is the part of our brain that is responsible for our fight, flight, and stress response. The amygdala is a highly emotional, fearful part of the brain.

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain which allows cognitive control, including attention and regulating how you respond to impulses. This helps the brain to determine if that spider on the wall is actually a threat to your life, or perhaps just a surprising nuisance. Without the help of the prefrontal cortex, we would likely react very prehistorically to any slight or perceived threat. Thank goodness it is there to help us think!

So, why the lesson on brain anatomy? Well, according to neuroscience research, mindfulness practices (like meditation) reduce the activity in the amygdala and increase connections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. This means that meditation helps the amygdala to calm down and strengthens the physical connection between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, which allows the brain to be more rational when stressors occur. The stronger the connection, the more effectively they can work together.

In short, meditation can help us react more calmly to stressful situations.

Additionally, studies have shown that meditation may increase one’s compassion. Particularly in the case of “loving-kindness meditation” practices, it appears that meditation helps to reduce activity in the part of the brain that is self-focused and activates circuits in the brain which are connected to empathy and love. Researchers have also found that meditation sharpens attention. Some results suggest that improved attention seems to last up to 5 years after mindfulness training.

M&M: Magnesium and Meditation

You know we aren’t talking about “candy” when we say M&M. No, we are talking about the relationship between magnesium and meditation, as a powerful pair to fight off stress!

In addition to finding a high-quality magnesium supplement, here are some tips to get started with meditation. Remember, there are many kinds of meditation out there, so don’t be afraid to explore and try new ones until you find what works for you. Here are a few resources to help you get started:

• Headspace: an app with free introductions to basic meditation, and paid premium content.
• Insight Timer: a free app with one of the largest libraries of meditations.
• YouTube: countless free meditation tracks from various creators.
• Calm: a user-friendly app with both free and paid meditation options.

I hope you enjoy your new daily routine of magnesium supplements and meditation practice. If you gain consistency with this powerful pair, you are sure to have a more peaceful and joyful holiday season!