Photo credit: Marilynne Morsehead. Used with permission.
What are the physiological benefits of quieting our minds?
Brain activity requires vast amounts of oxygen and receives available oxygen before all other organs. After the brain, the organ that utilizes available oxygen is bone marrow.
As we focus on the activities of our daily living, our brain utilizes much of our oxygen, which needs to be continually replenished. This replenishment is accomplished primarily by breathing. We breathe in oxygen from the air and it is carried through our circulatory system via the hemoglobin contained in our red blood cells.
The hemoglobin in our red blood cells carry the oxygen within our body. These red blood cells are produced in the bone marrow. The more oxygen that reaches the bone marrow, the more blood cells we produce to carry more oxygen.
The white blood cells, which are the base of our immune system, are also produced in our bone marrow. The efficiency of our circulatory cycle (inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide) is also dependent on the functioning of our white blood cells traveling through our lymph system.
When we can reduce excessive tension and chatter in our brains and maintain calm presence in our total mindfulness, more blood naturally flows to our bone marrow. Our bone marrow then produces more blood cells which increases our available oxygen to feed our brain and all our other functions.
So the practice of quieting our mind and letting go of monkey mind is a natural process that brings us greater efficiency, peace and vitality.