Prayer to decrease stress can be an incredibly You have probably heard me talk before about all the many things we can do to calm our brains from stress. However, you may not have thought of prayer as one of those things.
How Does Prayer Decrease Stress in the Brain?
When you pray, you calm your brain. Science proves it. A calmer brain feels less stress and anxiety. Less stress improves anxiety, attention, and addictions. This is how it happens. Prayer and meditation increase the use of Alpha, medium, brain speed in your brain and decrease the use of High Beta, extra fast, speed. Alpha is the speed that creates feelings of calm and relaxed demeanor. High Beta creates and perpetuates stress.
Continue Reading Below.
When in the Brain Does Prayer Decrease Stress?
The area in the front of your brain is highly involved. It is called the medial prefrontal cortex and it is involved in self-soothing. One of my mentors, Dr. Daniel Amen, refers to the area as the “hamster on the wheel”. This is because once you get a thought that bothers you, this area will keep it going and going. The key is to calm this area and the thought goes away. When you are stressed out, this area is on fire. When you pray, you douse the fire. It is that easy.
How Many Times a Day Should I Pray?
That is easy. As many as you can or want to. I tell people all the time, the more you get your brain into the calm mode throughout the day, the easier it will be for it to stay there forever. The goal is to get the brain using Alpha and decrease the use of High Beta. You can accomplish this by praying during the morning, afternoon, and night. This will help you stay calmer across your day.
Prayer and Meditation Decrease Reactivity
Prayer has been shown to decrease reactivity. This is helpful in a stressful time because your baseline levels for reacting are lower. This, in fact, helps you to respond instead of to react. A response is a thoughtful way of handling a situation. A reaction can be harsh, quick, unwarranted, and get can get you in trouble. When you respond instead of reacting, your whole life will get better. Fight or flight is a type of reaction in the brain. Thus, you are more likely to go into fight or flight the higher your High Beta brain speed is on a daily basis.
Prayer Releases Feel-Good Chemicals in the Brain
When you pray your brain releases oxytocin, a neurochemical that can help in pain reduction and soothing of the nervous system. This can be especially helpful during times of stress.
I am a HUGE fan of the Muse Calm Brain Sensing Headband. As such, I’ve been using it myself and recommending it to patients for years. The important aspect of the headband is that it can help you get closer to the Alpha state I am explaining in this post. You have probably heard how good meditation is for you, but it is hard if you haven’t practiced. My Neuro training program will give you the practice you need to calm your brain.
I am so excited to have finally developed a specialized Neuro Training Program centered around using the Muse Calm Headband. I have the skills and knowledge to take your practice to the next level if you are a “Muser”. If not, I will show you how.
How Can Dr. Trish Leigh Help me Calm My Brain?
Join me for your personalized Neuro Training program. Not only will we have a ton of fun, but you will also end up a better version of yourself too. Find out all the elements that it includes HERE. Here is the shortlist:
- EEG Biofeedback Brain Training (my fav)
- Heart Rate Efficiency Training
- Breathing Efficiency Training
- Body Movement Efficiency Training
- Sleep Efficiency Training
- Personality Testing & Optimization (this is mindblowing)
- Goal Setting & Realization
Let’s Do This. Let me help you #controlyourbrain
If you’d like to schedule a qEEG Brain Map Assessment with Dr. Trish Leigh to determine which program is a good fit, click HERE.
