Raise your self-esteem, unleash your creative potential, calm down, and strengthen your self-esteem. All of this is possible thanks to meditation. Surprisingly, meditation helped open a Disney park. Don't believe us? We'll share the truth with you.

1. Meditation activates your immune system

Regular meditation acts as a natural antioxidant, increasing blood flow and helping the body rid itself of free radicals.

2. Meditation makes your heart happy

Meditation slows your heart rate and breathing while increasing blood flow to the heart, which is thought to have a positive effect on your cardiovascular system. Meditation has also been found to lower blood pressure and reduce stress, two factors that affect heart health.

3. Meditation increases creativity

Silence, calm, and focus can bring out the artist in you. So it’s no surprise that when Disney found itself in a creative rut a few years ago, its management brought in meditation expert, doctor, and author of The Wise Mind and The Open Mind Ron Alexander, who worked with employees for two years to hone their creative vision, which eventually led to the opening of Disney theme parks in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Paris.

4. Meditation builds self-confidence

Meditation helps to find the bright side of life, increases self-esteem and eliminates fears and phobias. The exact reasons for this are still unknown, but it may be that meditation increases the level of serotonin in the body and strengthens a person’s ability to overcome internal conflict through self-analysis.

5. Meditation helps us help others

Many of us are naturally inclined to be helpful. We put others’ needs alongside our own, and sometimes even above our own. But when we pause and take time to find inner peace, we can see how it benefits those around us. Through meditation, people become calmer with their partners and children, kinder to their coworkers, and generally more pleasant to be around.

Try it yourself.

Meditation can sometimes seem like an impossible goal. Who has time to just sit with their eyes closed for hours a day? But the good news is that you don’t have to meditate for hours to see positive results. In fact, short meditations can be just as beneficial as longer practices. Try starting with a few minutes of meditation before your morning shower. Find a quiet corner in your room or in your home and try to make it special – put a pillow on the floor or light a candle. This space will remind you that you are here to focus on your consciousness.

Try different types of meditation. But don't get caught up in thinking whether your technique is right or not. That way you'll be better able to grasp the moment.

You may want to have an experienced meditator lead you through the practice, as these meditations are great for relieving stress. Jack Kornfield, in his book Meditation for Beginners, offers 6 variations of these practices that can be a great start to a daily meditation routine.