Why Meditate: 19 Reasons From Our Healthy Living Community

The benefits of meditation are virtually endless. On the list? Lower blood pressure, improved memory and an increased sense of empathy.

Those who commit to a meditation routine are smart (and may be becoming smarter): The practice has been shown to increase tolerance to pain, improve sex life and decrease levels of stress, too.

Meditation, no wonder, is catching on: Celebrities like Oprah, Russell Brand and Paul McCartney have embraced and endorsed this mindful exercise (particularly the Transcendental variety), making it much more mainstream than it was even five years ago.

And, the proof is in the Twitter. We asked our @HealthyLiving followers why they meditate , and received answers ranging from health concerns and beyond (like, as Stacey Shipman puts it, because "it just feels good"). Check out more reasons to meditate in the slideshow below.

Let us know why you practice in the comments or Tweet (@HealthyLiving) with #whyimeditate and we'll add you to our slideshow.

For more on meditation, click here.