One of the most offensive phrases a person can utter to you when you’re anxious, stressed or generally overwhelmed is “relax.” It triggers and insults us all at once — while dripping with condescension.

Why, thank you, we immediately think. Why didn’t I think of that?

There should be a campaign to ban this suggestion altogether because commanding someone to relax has never worked. Only slightly better is the suggestion to breathe. But we’ll take it.

“Breathe.” It feels obvious, yet when we’re distraught and our bodies clench up, we sometimes forget the power of a deep, cleansing breath that sweeps out stale air and invites in new life. Breath work and similar forms of meditation have been proven to calm us, ground us and help regulate our emotions.

But we — Raj Punjabi-Johnson and Noah Michelson, co-hosts of HuffPost’s “Am I Doing It Wrong?” podcast — now know that mediation can do more than benefit our mental health. It can have unexpectedly positive effects on our bodies as well. On this week’s episode, we learned about those from Dr. Rashmi Bismark, a preventive care physician, author and meditation expert.

Bismark has taught both mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based interventions for various clinical populations, including cancer patients, and she says that having what’s now decades-worth of research showing how meditation can improve our physical health has been illuminating.

“Different styles of meditation — anything where we have a focus for our mind to keep coming back to over a period of time — would engage the relaxation response in our body, which is kind of opposite of the stress response,” Bismark said, citing the work of late Harvard cardiologist Herbert Benson, whose work was heavily invested in how meditation practices can reduce stress. “That unfolded a whole series of looking at the benefits to the physical body.”

And so, while remembering to breathe can certainly help us find a calmer disposition in a stressful situation, a regular meditation practice that involves breath work and perhaps even movement or a mantra can help us strengthen our bodies in unexpected ways. Here are three links between meditation and our physical health that are worth paying attention to.

Bismark reminded us that adopting a meditation practice that will benefit us in the long run can take time and patience — so involving community can be helpful. “Anyone who has meditated or been in any kind of contemplative space in a group, I think you can’t deny the effects. It’s that shared experience,” she said, briefly mentioning sound baths, yoga and other types of group meditations. “I hope we really begin to nurture that space of practicing together.”

During this episode, we also discuss the origins of yoga and meditation, myths about breath work, and how to start a meditation practice from scratch if you have the attention span of a ferret, so click above to hear the full episode or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Make sure to subscribe to “Am I Doing It Wrong?” on whatever podcast platform you prefer so you don’t miss a single episode from our brand-new third season. And check out some of our favorites, including how to apologize or vanquish your credit card debt; how to find love online or overcome anxiety; tips for online shopping, taking care of your teeth and pooping like a pro; secrets to booking and staying in a hotel; how to deal with an angry person; how to make friends as an adult; everything you need to know about protein; getting your best workout; taking care of your car; surviving a breakup; avoiding forever chemicals, plus much more.

You can also watch the full episode on YouTube.

For more from Dr. Rashmi Bismark , head here.

Have a question or need some help with something you’ve been doing wrong? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@HuffPost.com, and we might investigate the topic in an upcoming episode.

By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.