Meditating kind thoughts helps boost the immune system, physical health and well being. A study conducted by psychologist Barbara Fredrickson , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says that there is a relationship between feeding ourselves with kind thoughts towards ourselves and others, through meditation, and the increased activity of the vagus nerve and its tone (vagal tone). This results in improved physical and mental health. The vagus nerve is a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system that works unconsciously to calm down after stress. The vagus nerve plays a role in stimulating insulin production. People with low tone are not as good as those with high tone at regulating their blood glucose levels. They have at suppressing inflammation. These factors are associated with heart problems, stroke and diabetes. Feeding self esteem and cultivating kind thoughts also helps increase the vagal tone levels.