Think for a few seconds about meditation. Done? Some of you might have envisioned a Tibetan Buddhist monk perched cross-legged against a tranquil backdrop. Or perhaps you reflected on meditation’s meteoric rise in popularity in recent years, wondering if what might seem to be little more than a New Age stress ball is in fact no more than a passing fad. However, if you habitually meditate, I suspect your thoughts were far more positive. If you’re an experienced meditator, you’ve probably found that your practice has markedly improved your ability to regulate your responses to your emotions . You may have also benefited from improved mood , resilience , and focus. Perhaps you’ve noticed effects on your behaviors – how you eat , how well you sleep , and your ability to abstain from addictive substances . Or maybe you find that aches , pains , and infections simply don’t bother you quite so much now. There’s been a surge of scientific research into meditation in the last few years, a