Researchers using advanced brainscanning technology “are beginning to show that meditation directly affects the function and structure of the brain, changing it in ways that appear to increase attention span, sharpen focus and improve memory,” Time reported.

The magazine also reported that “one recent study found evidence that the daily practice of meditation thickened the parts of the brain’s cerebral cortex responsible for decision making, attention and memory.”

“The forms of meditation (scientists) are studying involve focusing on an image or sound or on one’s breathing. Though deceptively simple, the practice seems to exercise the parts of the brain that help us pay attention.”

I’ve been trying out meditation breaks for a couple of weeks now and I find that it helps me deal with stress better. What I do is I listen to MP3 files from Zencast and follow its instructions. A couple of times I tried listening to Bedroom Radio, which has a great selection of songs, but it’s not a podcast for meditation, there are parts that can be distracting (in a not-for-meditation way), to put it mildly.