![]() Many have heard about meditation, though many don’t practice it. Do you think it’s too much effort? Might help some, but just not for you? Think it’s just an Eastern culture mojo thing? Perhaps you are waiting for more scientific facts to prove it is worth the effort? Well good news! Scientific medical research over the past 10 years has begun to show how meditation may have some very scientific applications as their studies observe changes in the brain and has improved mental and physical wellbeing of meditative individuals. Eastern medicine has a more holistic solution to bring the body and mind back into balance using gentle, noninvasive techniques such as herbs, manipulative techniques, movement, or meditation. The Western health model is based on diagnosing the underlying cause of a problem and then finding an active medical or behavioral intervention to remove it. People with chronic illness are often urged to "stay strong," or to have "a fighting spirit." Not very helpful to the sufferers, so researchers began to explore eastern solutions scientifically. · Improved Immune Response In 2003, Richard Davidson and his colleagues did a study, with healthy employees, showing that 8 weeks of meditation practice changed their pattern of electrical activity in their brains. The researchers also found that the meditator group had more antibodies to the influenza vaccine than the control group, indicating better immune functioning. These benefits lasted for months after the intervention. · Reduced Pain Sensitivity Chris Brown and colleagues at the University of Manchester showed that applying a Mindfulness Meditation course to subjects expected to receive a painful stimulus such as a small electric shock or contact with a hot object, there were less unusual activity in areas of the prefrontal cortex. Those who meditated reported finding the pain less unpleasant as well. · Increased Conscious Control In a recent controlled study, meditation was associated with increased grey matter in the hippocampus, which is responsible for your learning and memory abilities. There was decreased grey matter in the amygdala, which is the initiator of the brain's pre-cortical flight or fight system. These physiological changes parallel the theory that meditation increases conscious control over your emotional, behavioral, and focused response to threats. · Shift Away From Negative towards Positive Affect Patients in another study demonstrated significant changes in brain electrical activity in the right to the left cortical hemisphere, from before to immediately following meditation and several months later, compared to a control group. This brain activity is associated with a shift away from negative and towards more positive emotional experiences. In other words, they appeared to experience and maintain more positive emotions such as love, compassion, or contentment. Why isn’t everyone meditating then? One reason why you may resist meditating is the time it takes. The original protocol involved eight weeks of mindfulness training sessions plus 45 minutes a day of at-home practice. Many people find it difficult to sustain attention on their breathing for that length of time. Especially for beginners, and they would soon give up or lose interest. I know I was frustrated myself at first until I dug a little deeper… But Wait…There’s More…. A recent study published in the journal Psychological Science shows that a briefer meditation protocol can produce similar changes in brain activity. It showed people in a meditation group practiced at home a couple of times a week for about 25 minutes each time, on average. These meditation subjects showed the same changes in cortical activity as those who had the full intervention in earlier studies! This suggests even shorter meditation periods can significantly increase positive emotional experience in your brain. I have included some easy instructions for a basic breath awareness meditation. Do this a couple of times a week and observe what happens. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Try to accept whatever your individual experience is. Simple Breath Awareness Meditation Instructions 1.) Pick a comfortable, quiet place where you will not be disturbed. 2.) Sit with the spine upright on a cushion on the floor or a chair. If you use a chair, make sure your feet are touching the ground. 3.) Begin to notice your breathing. Try to maintain an open and curious attitude. Notice where your breath travels as it enters and leaves your body. 4.) Do not try to change your breathing in any way. It may change naturally as you observe it. 5.) If your mind wanders away, note what it is doing, then gently bring your attention back to the breathing. 6.) Continue observing your breathing for 15-20 minutes.
5 Comments
Hello Cyn,
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5/31/2012 05:17:35 am
Excellent tips. Really useful stuff .Never had an idea about this, will look for more of such informative posts from your side.. good job...Keep it up
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6/5/2012 10:52:26 pm
really meditation play an important role in brain improvement as you share your study it prove the benefits. thank you for share...
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7/31/2012 11:43:22 pm
Very interesting and informative blog, The points you highlighted are very mind grabbing Thanks .
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9/1/2012 09:00:15 pm
Exciting blog post! I really enjoyed reading this content. You are a brilliant writer. I like your way of presentation. Keep it up.
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Cynthia A NahinI live in Southwest Michigan and am excited at being able to create and share this blog with you. I hope you return often as I will provide you with many creative concepts that I have learned and put to practice successfully to achieve my end set goals! Believe me, you can do it, too! Blog Archives
March 2012
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