What’s considered one of the major determinants of personal growth and development? It’s height, right? As much a desirable trait it is, it’s also not easy to gain.
Even though it’s a characteristic that is largely determined by genetics, there are a variety of other factors that define how tall you are. But can something as internal as meditation impact something as physical as height?
Let's delve further into this fascinating topic and explore how to increase height as a teenager or even after 18 years of age, the potential connections between meditation, the body's growth mechanisms, and height increase and the role of pituitary gland activation for height growth.
Height increase is not a simple process which is dependent on just your genetics, although it plays a huge role. Amongst the myriad of factors having a substantial impact on increase in height are, the environment in which we grow up, our nutrition intake, and also our overall health.
Normally, the most rapid period of growth occurs in the first year of life and again at puberty. Growth doesn't stop there though. The human body continues to grow and develop in subtle ways throughout adulthood.
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So, how to increase height naturally? There are several ways to potentially influence your height. As mentioned above, proper nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate sleep are all crucial for promoting growth. While exercise, especially stretching and strength training, can aid in the promotion of development by triggering the production of growth hormones, a balanced diet ensures that your body receives the nutrients it needs for growth. Since we produce the majority of growth hormone while we sleep, getting enough sleep is also crucial.
When it comes to height increase, it’s not a uniform process and varies across different age groups in a significant manner. The body goes through fast growth spurts during early years of life and adolescence, which are mostly fueled by the production of growth hormones. However, this rate of growth tends to slow down as we get older, particularly beyond the age of 18.
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Height increase in teenagers is a typical feature of puberty During this time, the areas of growing tissue near the ends of the long bones of the body, known as growth plates, are still open. This allows for continued growth and development. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and enough sleep can all help you get the most out of this phase of growth.
Here comes the main question, ‘Can you increase height naturally after 18?’
Let’s find it out.
To maximize your natural height potential, there are several key factors to consider. First and foremost, proper nutrition is essential. A balanced diet that includes sufficient protein, vitamins, and minerals is crucial for promoting growth. Calcium, vitamin D, and zinc are particularly important for bone health and development.
Also read: Should you meditate after eating or before?
Regular exercise is another vital component of increasing height naturally. Engaging in activities that involve stretching, such as yoga or swimming, can help elongate the muscles and contribute to better posture, which in turn may make you appear taller.
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Adequate sleep is also essential for growth hormone production. Most growth hormones are released during deep sleep, so it's important to prioritize a good night's sleep to support optimal growth.
But what about meditation? Can it really influence our height? Let's explore ahead in this blog.
If you’re wondering and often questioning if there’s a way to increase height naturally, then, pituitary gland is the answer. The pituitary gland, often referred to as the "master gland" of the body, plays a pivotal role in height growth. It is a pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain that is responsible for regulation of our body's growth and development through the production of growth hormone or GH.
Scientifically how it works is, the growth hormone stimulates the liver and other tissues to secrete insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), which triggers the growth of bones and other tissues in the body. This process is crucial during the rapid growth phases of childhood and adolescence.
It’s interesting to note that the production of growth hormone is not constant but occurs in pulses throughout the day, with deep sleep typically being attributed the highest concentration. This highlights how important adequate sleep is for growth and development.
The concept of pituitary gland meditation comes into play here. Some believe that certain meditation techniques can stimulate the pituitary gland to produce more growth hormones. But how can you activate the pituitary gland through meditation? And does this actually lead to an increase in height? Let's explore this further in the next sections.
If you’ve read our previous blogs, you would know the impact of meditation on your physical, mental as well as emotional health. This practice of relaxation and mindfulness has not just been linked to stress and anxiety reduction but also improved focus, increased clarity and enhanced memory. But can it really aid in height increase? While the research is still ongoing with respect to this, some believe that certain meditation techniques can stimulate the pituitary gland and, in turn, potentially promote height growth.
Also read: How to do meditation for beginners?
One such well-known technique for activating your pituitary gland is through the ‘dot meditation’ for height increase. In this technique, you need to visualize a dot or point of light in the area of the pituitary gland. The basic idea here is that when you focus your attention on this area, you can stimulate the gland and promote the release of growth hormone, causing an increase in your height.
Majorly, the techniques within the domain of pituitary gland meditation for height increase involve deep breathing exercises and visualization techniques aimed at activating the pituitary gland. Some proponents of this method believe that it can help stimulate growth hormone production and, in turn, promote height increase.
Well, the important point to note here is that these techniques are mainly based on anecdotal evidence and personal testimonials. Scientific research on the effectiveness of these methods for height increase is limited. Largely, stress, specially during peak years of growth in height releases cortisol, the stress hormone which disrupts your height growth. Even though the research is still ongoing, regular meditation can reduce stress and help you gain clarity of thoughts, thus fueling up the process of height increase.
Also read: How to do meditation for overthinkers?
It is commonly believed that after your teenage years, you can’t increase your height. But that’s not completely true. There are still ways through which you can potentially influence height even after the age of 18. One such way is through exercise.
The most important factors with respect to exercise for increasing height can be attributed to the ones that promote good posture, flexibility, and overall body strength. Even if these exercises may not necessarily add inches to your height, they can help you stand taller and appear more upright. To maintain a taller stance, indulge in activities like yoga, pilates, and stretching exercises that can also improve your posture as a result.
Additionally, exercises that focus on the spine, such as hanging exercises and spinal stretches, may help decompress the spine and create a slight increase in height. However, it's important to note that your height is majorly dependent on natural growth processes during teenage years and these exercises may have limited impact on height increase comparatively.
Meditation: Meditation is a journey, not a destination. And no, it’s not for monks, as many people believe. Meditation is for anyone and everyone who wants to improve their overall wellbeing by spending just a few minutes everyday. To get started, explore these meditations on the Level Supermind app:
Beginners meditation: Learn the basics of meditation and make it a part of your daily routine by meditating in your preferred language from a collection of 7 different languages.
Yoga: Strengthen your muscles with mind muscle workouts- HIIT, calisthenics, strength training and yoga.
Yog Nidra: Since adequate sleep in your formative years contributes a lot to your height growth, get better sleep in a few hours with Yog Nidra by Ranveer Allahbadia.