Meditation isn’t just for monks and gurus.

Wayne State University School of Medicine conducted a study with evidence that may support meditation holding the power of managing disorders of the immune and psychiatric system.

A Dutch adventurer by the name of Mr. Wim Hof, better known as the “Iceman,” has developed his own breathing and meditation technique, allowing him to withstand extremely cold temperatures.

Mr. Vaibhav Diwadkar, professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences, said that the method holds potential to manage things like mood and anxiety disorders.

Over a course of three days Mr. Otto Muzik, Ph.D., and Diwadkar, Ph.D., studied Hof’s brain using the technique of functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography to study his body.

He wore a full body suit that was filled with temperature-controlled water while data was being collected.

With his method, Hof is able to generate heat that then flows into the lung tissue and warms circulating blood in the pulmonary capillaries.

The study showed that the Wim Hof method increases gray matter in the brain, which may lead to the release of opioids and cannabinoids in the brain.

His method is based on three pillars: cold therapy, breathing, and commitment.

Benefits from these three pillars include increased energy, better sleep, heightened focus and determination, improved sports performance, reduced stress, greater cold tolerance, faster recovery, and enhanced creativity.

Senior Morgan Murphy encourages use of meditation and has taken interest in the Wim Hof method.

“I use meditation on a daily basis for my own mental and physical health,” Murphy said, “Short term, I believe that meditation helps with my aggression and my patience. Long term, meditation impacts society by helping others have more empathy and for thinking less about ourselves and more about the world and the people in it.”

Murphy believes that meditation should be taught in schools.

The Wim Hof method is one of many meditations that have been studied.

As scientists search for more information on meditation, more and more positive impacts on physical and mental health are found.

The featured image in this story is from flickr.