Friday, December 31, 2010
Meditation Affects Blood Flow to the Brain
Exciting new research that will appear in the January edition of the journal, Psychiatry Research, shows that meditation affects the flow of blood to the brain.
Scientists at the Almanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center at the University of California Los Angeles studied the effects of meditation on the “stress” circuits of the brain. Ten experienced meditators performed two types of meditation: a focus-based meditative technique and a breath-based practice. The meditators’ brains were scanned using MRI technology before starting, during the meditation practices, and following meditation.
Researchers found that four regions of the brain were affected during meditation and there were different patterns of blood flow to the brain between the two types of meditation states; however, both techniques improved blood flow to the brain. Some of the brain changes continued even after meditation stopped.
While research in this area is still in its infancy, this positive impact of meditation on blood flow to the brain may have applications in brain disorders or stroke.
Scientists at the Almanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center at the University of California Los Angeles studied the effects of meditation on the “stress” circuits of the brain. Ten experienced meditators performed two types of meditation: a focus-based meditative technique and a breath-based practice. The meditators’ brains were scanned using MRI technology before starting, during the meditation practices, and following meditation.
Researchers found that four regions of the brain were affected during meditation and there were different patterns of blood flow to the brain between the two types of meditation states; however, both techniques improved blood flow to the brain. Some of the brain changes continued even after meditation stopped.
While research in this area is still in its infancy, this positive impact of meditation on blood flow to the brain may have applications in brain disorders or stroke.
Source: Care2.com
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/meditation-affects-blood-flow-to-the-brain.html#ixzz19h4TERoZ
Thursday, December 30, 2010
International Meditation, Empowerment Conference
Effective methods of harnessing the power of the mind for a better and healthier life will be spotlighted at the first ever conference on meditation and self development, due to be held from January 11 to 14, 2011 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre under the patronage of Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, according to a press release.
The conference is being held at the same time as the Health and Wellness Bahrain Expo (HWBE), which is being held in partnership with Bahrain Exhibition Convention Authority (BECA). It is the brainchild of the organisers, the Bahrain Meditation Centre for Self Development (BMC) who has been serving the community for ten years with self-development talks, workshops and courses. (MORE)
The conference is being held at the same time as the Health and Wellness Bahrain Expo (HWBE), which is being held in partnership with Bahrain Exhibition Convention Authority (BECA). It is the brainchild of the organisers, the Bahrain Meditation Centre for Self Development (BMC) who has been serving the community for ten years with self-development talks, workshops and courses. (MORE)
Source: BiomedME.com
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Meditation Helps Prevent Depression Relapse
When it comes to preventing a relapse in depression, meditation might be just as helpful as medication. That's the finding of a new study from Archives of General Psychiatry, which compared the effectiveness of antidepressants and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (or MBCT, a healing approach that pairs mindfulness meditation with cognitive behavioral therapy).
The study involved 84 people in remission from major depression, all of whom had been treated with antidepressant medication. For 18 months, one group of participants stopped taking medication and started attending weekly MBCT sessions, a second group continued taking medication, and a third group was switched to a placebo. Study results showed that relapse rates for patients in the MBCT group were similar to those in the medication group (about 30 percent), while members of the placebo group had about a 70 percent rate of relapse.
The study involved 84 people in remission from major depression, all of whom had been treated with antidepressant medication. For 18 months, one group of participants stopped taking medication and started attending weekly MBCT sessions, a second group continued taking medication, and a third group was switched to a placebo. Study results showed that relapse rates for patients in the MBCT group were similar to those in the medication group (about 30 percent), while members of the placebo group had about a 70 percent rate of relapse.
Source: About.com
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Western Influence Turns Yoga On Its Head In Mumbai
I love yoga, along with some 15 million other Americans. So when friends invited me to Mumbai for a week, I couldn't wait to explore the true essence of this ancient spiritual practice.
"Forget spiritual — women here are all rushing to yoga to lose weight," I was told by Mumbai psychologist Julia Noakes. "They see young professional Indian women with slender waists and tight butts and give them 'the Bombay Look.' " Translation: A gaze of envy.
Yoga offers many benefits, from mind control to pain relief, but I'd never heard that weight loss was one of them. A huge banner outside of Gold's Gym touted its "Fat Burning Yoga Package." The gym is a California import with franchises all over Southeast Asia. I suspected an American commercialization of India's greatest contribution to self-care.
A young Indian man named Ram Raz roared up on his motorbike and led students to a basement studio he'd rented for the hour. After two quick oms, he started shouting, "Run, on your toes, faster, faster!" He counted us through 20 sun salutations in the space of a minute. Breathless, we were then put through jumping jacks, kicks, jumps, every sort of contortion.
"This is not yoga, it's calisthenics," I told Raz after class. "Yes, yes," he agreed. "It's power yoga. You come three times a week, you lose weight, lose inches, shape body, change life." (MORE)
"Forget spiritual — women here are all rushing to yoga to lose weight," I was told by Mumbai psychologist Julia Noakes. "They see young professional Indian women with slender waists and tight butts and give them 'the Bombay Look.' " Translation: A gaze of envy.
Yoga offers many benefits, from mind control to pain relief, but I'd never heard that weight loss was one of them. A huge banner outside of Gold's Gym touted its "Fat Burning Yoga Package." The gym is a California import with franchises all over Southeast Asia. I suspected an American commercialization of India's greatest contribution to self-care.
A young Indian man named Ram Raz roared up on his motorbike and led students to a basement studio he'd rented for the hour. After two quick oms, he started shouting, "Run, on your toes, faster, faster!" He counted us through 20 sun salutations in the space of a minute. Breathless, we were then put through jumping jacks, kicks, jumps, every sort of contortion.
"This is not yoga, it's calisthenics," I told Raz after class. "Yes, yes," he agreed. "It's power yoga. You come three times a week, you lose weight, lose inches, shape body, change life." (MORE)
Source: USA Today
Monday, December 27, 2010
World's Youngest Yoga Teacher, Six, Hailed As a Miracle at Indian Ashram
At just six, Shruti Pandey is the youngest yoga trainer in the world.
The bendy youngster has been teaching adults at an ashram, in northern India, for the last two years.
Her trainer, Hari Chetan, 67, set up the ashram 35 years ago and as soon as little Shruti became one of his students, as a tiny four-year old, he spotted her talents.
Now she starts her classes at 5.30am every morning, at Brahmanand Saraswati Dham, in the Jhunsi town, dressed in white leggings and a red t-shirt surrounded by 30 eager pupils ranging from businessmen, teachers, housewives to pensioners.
Shruti said: 'It feels good when people follow my instructions, I feel like a real teacher.
'I got interested in yoga after seeing my brother do it. I tried picking it up myself but it was too hard. So I asked my parents to send me to yoga classes.' (MORE)
The bendy youngster has been teaching adults at an ashram, in northern India, for the last two years.
Her trainer, Hari Chetan, 67, set up the ashram 35 years ago and as soon as little Shruti became one of his students, as a tiny four-year old, he spotted her talents.
Now she starts her classes at 5.30am every morning, at Brahmanand Saraswati Dham, in the Jhunsi town, dressed in white leggings and a red t-shirt surrounded by 30 eager pupils ranging from businessmen, teachers, housewives to pensioners.
Shruti said: 'It feels good when people follow my instructions, I feel like a real teacher.
'I got interested in yoga after seeing my brother do it. I tried picking it up myself but it was too hard. So I asked my parents to send me to yoga classes.' (MORE)
Source: The Daily Mail
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Can Meditation Cure Disease?
A Tibetan lama believes he cured his gangrene-stricken leg by meditating for a year. Now scientists are studying his brain, hoping to discover a medical miracle.
Can the power of the mind help humans self-heal? That’s what a group of scientists are hoping to help determine by studying a Tibetan lama who believes he cured himself of gangrene through meditation.
When Tibetan Lama Phakyab Rinpoche immigrated to the United States in 2003, he was a 37-year-old refugee with diabetes and Pott’s Disease. His afflictions had gotten so bad that his right foot and leg had developed gangrene. He was hospitalized and examined by three different doctors in New York City who all gave the same treatment recommendation: amputate. (MORE)
Can the power of the mind help humans self-heal? That’s what a group of scientists are hoping to help determine by studying a Tibetan lama who believes he cured himself of gangrene through meditation.
When Tibetan Lama Phakyab Rinpoche immigrated to the United States in 2003, he was a 37-year-old refugee with diabetes and Pott’s Disease. His afflictions had gotten so bad that his right foot and leg had developed gangrene. He was hospitalized and examined by three different doctors in New York City who all gave the same treatment recommendation: amputate. (MORE)
Source: The Daily Beast
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Prayer and Meditation
Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and the worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children,
and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds
with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven,
for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and the worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.
May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children,
and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds
with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven,
for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Explaining Why Meditators May Live Longer
The image of the ancient but youthful-looking sage meditating on a mountaintop might be closer to reality than you think, according to a new study that found that after a three-month stay at a meditation retreat, people showed higher levels of an enzyme associated with longevity.
The study is preliminary and didn't show that meditation actually extends life, but the findings suggest a possible means by which it could.
Researchers led by Tonya Jacobs of the University of California-Davis compared 30 participants at a meditation retreat held at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado with matched controls on a waiting list for the retreat. Participants meditated six hours per day for three months. Their meditation centered on mindfulness — for instance, focusing solely on breathing, in the moment — and on lovingkindness and enhancing compassion towards others. (More on Time.com: Empathy Beats Bullies)
After the three-month intervention, researchers found that the meditators had on average about 30%* more activity of the enzyme telomerase than the controls did. Telomerase is responsible for repairing telomeres, the structures located on the ends chromosomes, which, like the plastic aglets at the tips of shoelaces, prevent the chromosome from unraveling. Each time a cell reproduces, its telomeres become shorter and less effective at protecting the chromosome — this, researchers believe, is a cause of aging. As the chromosome becomes more and more vulnerable, cell copying becomes sloppier and eventually stops when the telomeres disintegrate completely. Telomerase can mitigate — and possibly stop — cell aging. (MORE)
The study is preliminary and didn't show that meditation actually extends life, but the findings suggest a possible means by which it could.
Researchers led by Tonya Jacobs of the University of California-Davis compared 30 participants at a meditation retreat held at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado with matched controls on a waiting list for the retreat. Participants meditated six hours per day for three months. Their meditation centered on mindfulness — for instance, focusing solely on breathing, in the moment — and on lovingkindness and enhancing compassion towards others. (More on Time.com: Empathy Beats Bullies)
After the three-month intervention, researchers found that the meditators had on average about 30%* more activity of the enzyme telomerase than the controls did. Telomerase is responsible for repairing telomeres, the structures located on the ends chromosomes, which, like the plastic aglets at the tips of shoelaces, prevent the chromosome from unraveling. Each time a cell reproduces, its telomeres become shorter and less effective at protecting the chromosome — this, researchers believe, is a cause of aging. As the chromosome becomes more and more vulnerable, cell copying becomes sloppier and eventually stops when the telomeres disintegrate completely. Telomerase can mitigate — and possibly stop — cell aging. (MORE)
Source: Time
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Addicts Overcome Holiday Stress with Meditation
Meditation Can Make the World Seem a Less Threatening Place
It's going to be a difficult holiday season for a man named Demitrius, who didn't want to use his full name to protect his privacy.
Demitrius, now 28, won't be able to open gifts or ring in the new year with his family. Instead, he'll spend the holidays and the next several months serving out a court-mandated sentence at New York's Phoenix House, a residential and outpatient drug rehabilitation center. After he was arrested for selling drugs this past spring, his punishment was set at 15 months in residential treatment.
He's coping with his sadness in a way he never dreamed he would growing up in the tough neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn: through meditation.
"I was skeptical. I never thought I would do it. Where I'm from, people don't do a lot of meditation classes," said Demitrius.
Now, he can't imagine making it through rehab -- and the stress of the holiday season -- without it. (MORE)
It's going to be a difficult holiday season for a man named Demitrius, who didn't want to use his full name to protect his privacy.
Demitrius, now 28, won't be able to open gifts or ring in the new year with his family. Instead, he'll spend the holidays and the next several months serving out a court-mandated sentence at New York's Phoenix House, a residential and outpatient drug rehabilitation center. After he was arrested for selling drugs this past spring, his punishment was set at 15 months in residential treatment.
He's coping with his sadness in a way he never dreamed he would growing up in the tough neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn: through meditation.
"I was skeptical. I never thought I would do it. Where I'm from, people don't do a lot of meditation classes," said Demitrius.
Now, he can't imagine making it through rehab -- and the stress of the holiday season -- without it. (MORE)
Source: ABC News
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Dr. Oz's 2011 Weight-Loss Resolution
Like most Americans, Dr. Oz will have only one thing on the brain next month -- losing weight.
Starting Jan. 3 on "The Dr. Oz Show," the Oprah-approved cardiothoracic surgeon will begin an 11-week long weight loss challenge, offering viewers free, individualized weight-loss plans and a personal trainer.
"Each Monday for 11 weeks we're going to tackle different challenges that people have when they try to lose weight," Oz told reporters, adding that the threshold was picked because "it takes three months for us to be able to measure that you will live longer if you've made a lifestyle change."
Along with an altered diet and added exercise, Oz advocates meditation and will devote the Jan. 6 episode to the practice, with a Deepak Chopra-led meditation exercise.
"The reason I did this show was to put myself out of business as a heart surgeon," Oz said, "by getting folks to understand how almost all the heart surgery that I was doing -- and I still do, unfortunately -- is avoidable."
Ultimately, he said, the goal is to "playfully get to the nitty gritty of what allows us to enjoy our ultimate health, which we need for happiness in life."
Starting Jan. 3 on "The Dr. Oz Show," the Oprah-approved cardiothoracic surgeon will begin an 11-week long weight loss challenge, offering viewers free, individualized weight-loss plans and a personal trainer.
"Each Monday for 11 weeks we're going to tackle different challenges that people have when they try to lose weight," Oz told reporters, adding that the threshold was picked because "it takes three months for us to be able to measure that you will live longer if you've made a lifestyle change."
Along with an altered diet and added exercise, Oz advocates meditation and will devote the Jan. 6 episode to the practice, with a Deepak Chopra-led meditation exercise.
"The reason I did this show was to put myself out of business as a heart surgeon," Oz said, "by getting folks to understand how almost all the heart surgery that I was doing -- and I still do, unfortunately -- is avoidable."
Ultimately, he said, the goal is to "playfully get to the nitty gritty of what allows us to enjoy our ultimate health, which we need for happiness in life."
Source: New York Post
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
'Training, Meditation Can Help People With Cognitive Disorders'
Can a regular training and proper exercises help in the assessment and treatment of cognitive disorders in the long run?
While psychologists and experts in cognitive science across the globe are looking at various methods to understand medical cognition and role of cognitive process in various types of mental health problems, senior scientist and pioneer expert in the field, professor Michael I Posner from US has found a strong connection between training and meditation with white matter in the brain that could lead to assessment and treatment of cognitive disorders in the long run.
Various research studies in US have found connection between the white matter and mindfulness exercises including meditation, said Posner, a professor emeritus from the University of Oregon, while talking to TOI on Sunday.
There are also strong evidences to show that training strategies and meditation actually regulate the secretion of cortisone, also known as stress hormone. Similarly, mindful exercises in different cultures have induced changes in behaviour besides affecting the cognition level, he added. (MORE)
While psychologists and experts in cognitive science across the globe are looking at various methods to understand medical cognition and role of cognitive process in various types of mental health problems, senior scientist and pioneer expert in the field, professor Michael I Posner from US has found a strong connection between training and meditation with white matter in the brain that could lead to assessment and treatment of cognitive disorders in the long run.
Various research studies in US have found connection between the white matter and mindfulness exercises including meditation, said Posner, a professor emeritus from the University of Oregon, while talking to TOI on Sunday.
There are also strong evidences to show that training strategies and meditation actually regulate the secretion of cortisone, also known as stress hormone. Similarly, mindful exercises in different cultures have induced changes in behaviour besides affecting the cognition level, he added. (MORE)
Source: Times of India
Monday, December 20, 2010
Finding Your Center: Meditation, Yoga Calm The Soul In Stressful Times
When financial and job stresses are high, meditation and yoga can ease tension, produce mental clarity and create a climate of tranquility in your life, instructors and practitioners say.
Some use the practices to help relieve anxiety, pain, depression, stress, insomnia or physical or emotional symptoms of chronic illnesses.
"More than ever, I'm getting inquiries from people who are interested in managing stress in particular," said Mary Hilliker, 49, of Wausau, owner of River Flow Yoga. "I recently taught a whole series of yoga for stress management. I've never had a class that was as full as that class. We just had a packed room."
The economic downturn has given more people a lot to be stressed about. Hilliker said her clients say they're working harder than ever for the same or less money. They worry about losing their jobs. Or, if they have jobs, companies are asking them to do more with fewer resources.
Hilliker has personal experience. She was laid off about a year ago from a job as a health educator with the state of Wisconsin.
"Yoga helped me make that transition," she said.
For many, yoga and meditation go hand-in-hand. Often, yoga includes meditation sessions. (MORE)
Some use the practices to help relieve anxiety, pain, depression, stress, insomnia or physical or emotional symptoms of chronic illnesses.
"More than ever, I'm getting inquiries from people who are interested in managing stress in particular," said Mary Hilliker, 49, of Wausau, owner of River Flow Yoga. "I recently taught a whole series of yoga for stress management. I've never had a class that was as full as that class. We just had a packed room."
The economic downturn has given more people a lot to be stressed about. Hilliker said her clients say they're working harder than ever for the same or less money. They worry about losing their jobs. Or, if they have jobs, companies are asking them to do more with fewer resources.
Hilliker has personal experience. She was laid off about a year ago from a job as a health educator with the state of Wisconsin.
"Yoga helped me make that transition," she said.
For many, yoga and meditation go hand-in-hand. Often, yoga includes meditation sessions. (MORE)
Source: Wausau Daily Hearld
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Scans Show More Brain Activity When People Meditate
People who pray, meditate and perform religious rituals show considerably more activity in their brain's frontal lobe during these activities than when the brain is at rest, a scientist has found.
Andrew Newberg from the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Medical College in the US is a proponent of neurotheology, which tries to study the relationship between the brain and religion.
Newberg studied the brain activity of experienced Tibetan Buddhists before and during meditation, reports the Daily Mail.
He found an increase of activity in the meditators' frontal lobe, responsible for focusing attention and concentration, during meditation. He attributes the change to the effects of their religious experience, a statement of Thomas Jefferson University said.
However, it is just as likely that the scans are another example of what happens when people meditate, rather than any religious link.
Neurotheology has come under fierce attack from other academics in the past who say it is not rigorous enough in its studies and that theology and science should not be linked in this way. (MORE)
Andrew Newberg from the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Medical College in the US is a proponent of neurotheology, which tries to study the relationship between the brain and religion.
Newberg studied the brain activity of experienced Tibetan Buddhists before and during meditation, reports the Daily Mail.
He found an increase of activity in the meditators' frontal lobe, responsible for focusing attention and concentration, during meditation. He attributes the change to the effects of their religious experience, a statement of Thomas Jefferson University said.
However, it is just as likely that the scans are another example of what happens when people meditate, rather than any religious link.
Neurotheology has come under fierce attack from other academics in the past who say it is not rigorous enough in its studies and that theology and science should not be linked in this way. (MORE)
Source: SIFY News
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Don't Worry: Meditation Doesn't Have to Be a Religious Thing
Really, it's not religious. It is merely the momentary pause of thought. It is as religious as the holding of breath as you dive under water, or the halt of stepping as you pause from a rapid pace. It's as religious as the not eating that sometimes happens between meals. It's as religious as summer vacation, the space between words, or briefly being between jobs.
Meditation is innately human, and certainly in simpler times gone by, meditation came easily to us. Sitting under a tree near the river, listening to the sound of water moving, I suppose thought naturally paused for a few minutes in peaceful, spontaneous harmony. Or while watching the magnificence of the stars emerging in the sky as the world grew dark and quiet, rest undoubtedly came naturally to the mind. Science now tells us that this kind of rest for the mind is healing to the body, and it also helps to rebuild brain tissue and prevent several psychological disorders, including Alzheimer's and ADD. (MORE)
Meditation is innately human, and certainly in simpler times gone by, meditation came easily to us. Sitting under a tree near the river, listening to the sound of water moving, I suppose thought naturally paused for a few minutes in peaceful, spontaneous harmony. Or while watching the magnificence of the stars emerging in the sky as the world grew dark and quiet, rest undoubtedly came naturally to the mind. Science now tells us that this kind of rest for the mind is healing to the body, and it also helps to rebuild brain tissue and prevent several psychological disorders, including Alzheimer's and ADD. (MORE)
Source: Huffington Post
Friday, December 17, 2010
Eastwood And Brand Help Lynch Launch Veterans Meditation
Director DAVID LYNCH enlisted the help of stars including CLINT EASTWOOD and RUSSELL BRAND to launch a meditation scheme for war veterans.
The Mulholland Drive moviemaker has long championed transcendental meditation (TM) and previously encouraged children to take up the practise in a bid to improve their behavior.
Lynch is now turning his attentions to former soldiers, launching Operation Warrior Wellness to help troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
The director's Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Peace held an event in New York City on Monday night (13Dec10) to launch a campaign to train 10,000 veterans in the technique.
Eastwood and Brand joined a number of former soldiers at the event, and the Dirty Harry star revealed he has been using meditation for many years.
He says, "I'm a great supporter of transcendental meditation. I've been using it for almost 40 years now. It's a great tool for stress... especially considering the stress our men and women of the armed forces are going through."
Brand, who took up TM 14 months ago, adds, "(It's) extremely brilliant... In a way this sort of validates me as a human and my formerly secret brilliance. Let's get this out there."
Lynch is convinced Eastwood's backing will help convince veterans the practise does not compromise their masculinity, adding, "Clint Eastwood is about as macho as they get and he's been meditating longer than I have."
The Mulholland Drive moviemaker has long championed transcendental meditation (TM) and previously encouraged children to take up the practise in a bid to improve their behavior.
Lynch is now turning his attentions to former soldiers, launching Operation Warrior Wellness to help troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
The director's Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Peace held an event in New York City on Monday night (13Dec10) to launch a campaign to train 10,000 veterans in the technique.
Eastwood and Brand joined a number of former soldiers at the event, and the Dirty Harry star revealed he has been using meditation for many years.
He says, "I'm a great supporter of transcendental meditation. I've been using it for almost 40 years now. It's a great tool for stress... especially considering the stress our men and women of the armed forces are going through."
Brand, who took up TM 14 months ago, adds, "(It's) extremely brilliant... In a way this sort of validates me as a human and my formerly secret brilliance. Let's get this out there."
Lynch is convinced Eastwood's backing will help convince veterans the practise does not compromise their masculinity, adding, "Clint Eastwood is about as macho as they get and he's been meditating longer than I have."
Source: ABC 15 News
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Meditation Can Be Refuge From The Holiday Hysteria
Gift shopping, children's Christmas shows, office parties, Christmas cards, holiday baking, holiday decorating, visits with unpleasant relatives, cleaning the house before the arrival of such relatives, making sure the kids spend an equal amount of time with both sets of grandparents, finding the extra leaf for the table, the spouse's office Christmas party and on and on and on.
It's a brutal to-do list, but you might consider adding three more items:
1. Sit quietly.
2. Breathe.
3. Repeat.
You can call it taking a break, or you can call it the start of an ancient practice westerners call "meditation."
Linda Caldean, nurse and co-owner of Earthsong Gifts & Books, 2214 N. Kennedy Road, Janesville, is both a meditation practitioner and teacher.
"This is a really frazzling time of year," Caldean said. "There are all the 'have tos' at Christmas."
Meditation, she said, is just "inner focus or concentration." (MORE)
It's a brutal to-do list, but you might consider adding three more items:
1. Sit quietly.
2. Breathe.
3. Repeat.
You can call it taking a break, or you can call it the start of an ancient practice westerners call "meditation."
Linda Caldean, nurse and co-owner of Earthsong Gifts & Books, 2214 N. Kennedy Road, Janesville, is both a meditation practitioner and teacher.
"This is a really frazzling time of year," Caldean said. "There are all the 'have tos' at Christmas."
Meditation, she said, is just "inner focus or concentration." (MORE)
Source: Janesville Gazette
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Nothing Beats Yoga in Managing Mood
There's nothing to beat yoga for managing mood and anxiety disorders.
These findings by Boston University School of Medicine researchers show a link between yoga, decreased anxiety and increased GABA (brain gamma-aminobutyric) levels.
Low GABA levels are associated with depression and other widespread anxiety disorders, the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine reported.
The researchers followed two randomised groups of healthy individuals over a 12-week period, according to a Boston University statement.
One group practised yoga three times a week for an hour while the remaining subjects walked for the same period of time.
Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) imaging, the participants' brains were scanned before the study began. (MORE)
These findings by Boston University School of Medicine researchers show a link between yoga, decreased anxiety and increased GABA (brain gamma-aminobutyric) levels.
Low GABA levels are associated with depression and other widespread anxiety disorders, the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine reported.
The researchers followed two randomised groups of healthy individuals over a 12-week period, according to a Boston University statement.
One group practised yoga three times a week for an hour while the remaining subjects walked for the same period of time.
Using magnetic resonance spectroscopic (MRS) imaging, the participants' brains were scanned before the study began. (MORE)
Source: Zee News
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Celebs, War Vets Promote Meditation
Hollywood A-listers including Clint Eastwood joined grizzled US military veterans Monday to promote what they called the near-miraculous powers of meditation in overcoming war stress.
The event in New York drew an unlikely alliance ranging from fashion designer Donna Karan to traumatized veterans of World War II, Vietnam and Iraq.
Uniting them was a belief that transcendental meditation, dubbed TM for short, is the cheapest, most effective and medication-free way of healing people who have suffered severe stress in war and any other extreme experience.
"I'm a great supporter of transcendental meditation. I've been using it for almost 40 years now. I think it's a great tool for anyone to have," said Eastwood, best known for playing violent, hardened characters on screen.
The fund-raising event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was organized by experimental film maker David Lynch, whose Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Peace encourages meditation along the lines espoused by famed guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (MORE)
The event in New York drew an unlikely alliance ranging from fashion designer Donna Karan to traumatized veterans of World War II, Vietnam and Iraq.
Uniting them was a belief that transcendental meditation, dubbed TM for short, is the cheapest, most effective and medication-free way of healing people who have suffered severe stress in war and any other extreme experience.
"I'm a great supporter of transcendental meditation. I've been using it for almost 40 years now. I think it's a great tool for anyone to have," said Eastwood, best known for playing violent, hardened characters on screen.
The fund-raising event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was organized by experimental film maker David Lynch, whose Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Peace encourages meditation along the lines espoused by famed guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. (MORE)
Source: Google News
Monday, December 13, 2010
Want to Eat Less? Imagine Eating More
Imagine you could eat less, simply by thinking about eating! A new study published in Science finds just that: people who imagined themselves repeatedly indulging in sweet or salty treats ended up eating less of the actual foods than people who didn't visualize eating the same foods or thought about them only fleetingly.
The study is based on the principle of habituation — that repeated exposure to a stimulus reduces people's response to it. It explains why the 10th bite of pumpkin pie isn't as desirable as the first. And why chronic alcoholics need more alcohol to feel drunk. "People habituate to a wide range of stimuli, from the brightness of a light to their income," the study's authors write. (More on Time.com: 5 Ways to Get Oatmeal in Your Diet, Deliciously)
What the authors wondered, however, is why, when it comes to food, does the imagination usually have the opposite effect — the mere notion of a piece of pie tends to whet the appetite, rather than suppressing it. "If you look at the literature on imagination and eating, thinking about [a specific food] leads people to desire it more," says lead author Carey Morewedge, assistant professor of social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. "But when you eat a lot of a food, you desire it less. What's the difference between these two experiences?" (MORE)
The study is based on the principle of habituation — that repeated exposure to a stimulus reduces people's response to it. It explains why the 10th bite of pumpkin pie isn't as desirable as the first. And why chronic alcoholics need more alcohol to feel drunk. "People habituate to a wide range of stimuli, from the brightness of a light to their income," the study's authors write. (More on Time.com: 5 Ways to Get Oatmeal in Your Diet, Deliciously)
What the authors wondered, however, is why, when it comes to food, does the imagination usually have the opposite effect — the mere notion of a piece of pie tends to whet the appetite, rather than suppressing it. "If you look at the literature on imagination and eating, thinking about [a specific food] leads people to desire it more," says lead author Carey Morewedge, assistant professor of social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. "But when you eat a lot of a food, you desire it less. What's the difference between these two experiences?" (MORE)
Source: Time Healthland
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2010/12/09/the-imagination-diet-visualizing-eating-helps-cut-real-life-consumption/#ixzz17ytDQBMW
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Newest Weight Loss Strategy: Meditate Before Eating Your Meal
Weight loss needs a reduction in caloric intake, which can be realized by simply practicing some meditation before eating meals, a new study suggests.
The study led by Dr. Carey Morewedge from Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University shows people tended to eat less of a food if they imagined the eating process repeatedly before they actually ate the food. And the study found the more food a person "ate" in his imagination, the less food subsequently he would eat.
In the study, according to what Dr. Morewedge told NPR Science Friday radio program, study participants were told to imagine the process of eating M&M, including moving the candies into a bowl, and then asked to eat the real food. Those who imagined eating 30 M&M ate much less real M&M than those who imagined eating only 3 M&M.
Dr. Morewedge said simply imagining moving the food did not help.
He said you also need to imagine eating what you are going to eat to reduce the consumption of the food. The study showed when participants imagined they were eating M&M, and then when they were assigned to eat cheese cubes, no matter how many M&M they ate in their imagination, they ate the same amount of cheese.
What works behind this trick is a process called habituation, according to Dr. Morewedge. According to this theory, people are less responsive to what they got habituated to. In the study case, after the participants imagined they ate lots of cheese cubes, they felt less urged to eat the food and they ate less of the food as a result. (MORE)
The study led by Dr. Carey Morewedge from Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University shows people tended to eat less of a food if they imagined the eating process repeatedly before they actually ate the food. And the study found the more food a person "ate" in his imagination, the less food subsequently he would eat.
In the study, according to what Dr. Morewedge told NPR Science Friday radio program, study participants were told to imagine the process of eating M&M, including moving the candies into a bowl, and then asked to eat the real food. Those who imagined eating 30 M&M ate much less real M&M than those who imagined eating only 3 M&M.
Dr. Morewedge said simply imagining moving the food did not help.
He said you also need to imagine eating what you are going to eat to reduce the consumption of the food. The study showed when participants imagined they were eating M&M, and then when they were assigned to eat cheese cubes, no matter how many M&M they ate in their imagination, they ate the same amount of cheese.
What works behind this trick is a process called habituation, according to Dr. Morewedge. According to this theory, people are less responsive to what they got habituated to. In the study case, after the participants imagined they ate lots of cheese cubes, they felt less urged to eat the food and they ate less of the food as a result. (MORE)
Source: foodconsumer.org
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Meditation or Medication: To Prevent Depression's Return, Pick One
Depression increasingly looks to researchers and clinicians like, say, a psychiatric version of bronchitis or a heart attack. Some people come down with a case of it, have it treated (or not), and it goes away. But for a great number of patients, it's a chronic condition that must be treated when it flares. And after depression's acute symptoms subside, many patients need to manage the disease -- to continue with some kind of treatment -- to reduce the likelihood of experiencing repeated bouts of mental suffering.
And yet, Americans diagnosed with depression have a highly conflicted relationship with the notion of ongoing depression care. As a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry this week carefully documents, more Americans are being diagnosed with depression (in 2007, 2.88% of the U.S. population got a diagnosis of depression -- up from 2.37% a decade before). But fewer and fewer of those patients get any kind of psychotherapy (43.1%, down from 53.6% in 1998), despite the fact that most say that would be their preferred form of treatment. Meanwhile, the majority of depressed patients are put on antidepressant medication (75.3% in 2007, just a hair up from 73.8% a decade earlier). But more than half typically abandon those prescription drugs as soon as their worst symptoms disappear, if not sooner. (MORE)
And yet, Americans diagnosed with depression have a highly conflicted relationship with the notion of ongoing depression care. As a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry this week carefully documents, more Americans are being diagnosed with depression (in 2007, 2.88% of the U.S. population got a diagnosis of depression -- up from 2.37% a decade before). But fewer and fewer of those patients get any kind of psychotherapy (43.1%, down from 53.6% in 1998), despite the fact that most say that would be their preferred form of treatment. Meanwhile, the majority of depressed patients are put on antidepressant medication (75.3% in 2007, just a hair up from 73.8% a decade earlier). But more than half typically abandon those prescription drugs as soon as their worst symptoms disappear, if not sooner. (MORE)
Source: LA Times
Friday, December 10, 2010
Yoga: Nothing to Lose But Aches, Blues and Unwanted Weight
Mounting evidence supports yoga’s mind-body healing powers
If you’re not one of the millions of North Americans who have discovered that the corpse pose actually restores life and the sun salutation makes you cheery on a dark and stormy day, roll out a mat and give yoga a try.
Mounting evidence supports yoga’s mind-body healing powers. For instance, if you’ve been in a perpetual slump, this new finding should cheer you up: After taking a yoga class, you’ll have more GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in your brain. Just think of it as more of nature’s own anti-anxiety agent: a chemical that improves mood and decreases anxiety.
If you have painful fibromyalgia, a once-a-week yoga class can help you, too. Researchers have watched its gentle stretching and meditation help relieve fibro’s pain, fatigue and depression and also improve memory, anxiety, balance and stiffness. (MORE)
Source: The Province
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Mindfulness Meditation On A Par With Antidepressants At Preventing Depression Relapse
In preventing depression relapse, a course of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy using meditation was found to be as effective as traditional antidepressant medication when tested against placebo in a recent study done in Canada.
You can read about the study, carried out at outpatient clinics at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, and St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, both in Ontario, Canada, in the December issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
First author Dr Zindel Segal, who is Head of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Clinic in the Clinical Research Department at CAMH, told the media that:
"With the growing recognition that major depression is a recurrent disorder, patients need treatment options for preventing depression from returning to their lives."
A particular cause for concern is community-based records suggest that many patients stop taking their antidepressants too soon, either because of the side effects or because they don't like the idea of being on the drugs for years.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is being increasingly used as a psychotherapeutic approach for stress reduction, pain management, behavior change, and for self-management of symptoms of depression. (MORE)
You can read about the study, carried out at outpatient clinics at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, and St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, both in Ontario, Canada, in the December issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
First author Dr Zindel Segal, who is Head of the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Clinic in the Clinical Research Department at CAMH, told the media that:
"With the growing recognition that major depression is a recurrent disorder, patients need treatment options for preventing depression from returning to their lives."
A particular cause for concern is community-based records suggest that many patients stop taking their antidepressants too soon, either because of the side effects or because they don't like the idea of being on the drugs for years.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is being increasingly used as a psychotherapeutic approach for stress reduction, pain management, behavior change, and for self-management of symptoms of depression. (MORE)
Source: Medical News Today
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Easing Depression Without Drugs
Mindfulness helps prevent depression, study finds
Mindfulness, or paying attention to the present moment, can help prevent a relapse back into depression, according to new research. Moreover, the study concluded that being in the moment — and not judging it – helped patients stave off depressive symptoms as effectively as traditional antidepressant medication during an 18-month period.
A common problem with antidepressant medication is that patients often stop taking the drugs far too soon. Some start feeling better and discontinue their meds; others are unwilling to take pills for years or experience side effects, said lead author Zindel Segal, a psychologist at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
“To be protected from relapse, people need to continue on some form of self-care one to three years after depression has ended,” he said.
The study published in the current issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry compared the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) by studying people who were initially treated with medication and then either stopped taking the drug in order to receive MBCT, continued taking medication for 18 months or received a placebo. (MORE)
Mindfulness, or paying attention to the present moment, can help prevent a relapse back into depression, according to new research. Moreover, the study concluded that being in the moment — and not judging it – helped patients stave off depressive symptoms as effectively as traditional antidepressant medication during an 18-month period.
A common problem with antidepressant medication is that patients often stop taking the drugs far too soon. Some start feeling better and discontinue their meds; others are unwilling to take pills for years or experience side effects, said lead author Zindel Segal, a psychologist at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto.
“To be protected from relapse, people need to continue on some form of self-care one to three years after depression has ended,” he said.
The study published in the current issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry compared the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) by studying people who were initially treated with medication and then either stopped taking the drug in order to receive MBCT, continued taking medication for 18 months or received a placebo. (MORE)
Source: Chicago Tribune
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Mindfulness Meditation as a Depression Remedy
To some it sounds weird, like some false advertisement for a bad product. For others it’s an “I told you thing”, but for doctors in psychiatry a new study has changed how they view their jobs. A new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry finds that depression patients in remission who underwent mindfulness therapy did as well as those who took an antidepressant, and better than those who took a placebo. So the results are in, depression responds to mindfulness meditation positively. That means that those that are looking for an alternative to the pharmaceutical drugs for depression can look towards more than just St. Johns Wort and the other herbal remedies. Although those herbs work fine, it’s good to have a variety of ways to effectively treat depression. A recent study found that St. Johns Wort is effective against even major depression and now we are seeing another Buddhist tradition. Mindfulness meditation is a Buddhist tradition that teaches the practitioner to be in the present here and now. (MORE)
Source: Examiner
Monday, December 6, 2010
Mindfulness Is Meditation
One of the main proponents of mindfulness meditation is Jon Kabat-Zinn. He’s the founding Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Kabat-Zinn exemplifies the attempt to bring Buddhist principles of mindfulness into the mainstream of Western medicine and society.
The author of such books as Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness, Dr. Kabat-Zinn is perhaps the leading proponent of clinical applications of meditation.
His Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program has also been seen as an entry vehicle for bringing Buddhist principles of spiritual growth into the West. That strategy is dubious to my mind.
Stress reduction is a benefit of meditation, not a reason to meditate. Indeed, to my mind the term ‘mindfulness meditation’ is a redundancy, since meditation is mindfulness.
The difference between “Mindfulness Meditation” and methodless meditation is the difference between technique and no-technique, goal and no goal in one’s approach and attitude to bringing awareness and insight into one’s consciousness.
Techniques for stress reduction are clearly beneficial—for example, for people undergoing bone transplantation, or suffering from depression or other emotional disorders. Of course, simply sitting and passively but intently observing the outer and inner movement in the present, especially in nature, has the same effect. Then what is the difference between a meditative technique, and learning the art of meditation without a method? (MORE)
The author of such books as Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness, Dr. Kabat-Zinn is perhaps the leading proponent of clinical applications of meditation.
His Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program has also been seen as an entry vehicle for bringing Buddhist principles of spiritual growth into the West. That strategy is dubious to my mind.
Stress reduction is a benefit of meditation, not a reason to meditate. Indeed, to my mind the term ‘mindfulness meditation’ is a redundancy, since meditation is mindfulness.
The difference between “Mindfulness Meditation” and methodless meditation is the difference between technique and no-technique, goal and no goal in one’s approach and attitude to bringing awareness and insight into one’s consciousness.
Techniques for stress reduction are clearly beneficial—for example, for people undergoing bone transplantation, or suffering from depression or other emotional disorders. Of course, simply sitting and passively but intently observing the outer and inner movement in the present, especially in nature, has the same effect. Then what is the difference between a meditative technique, and learning the art of meditation without a method? (MORE)
Source: The Costa Rican News
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Meditation In Motion
We all know the benefits of meditation. On a basic level it reduces stress, slows down the ageing process and on a deeper plane it can lead to abundant peace and happiness. To most of us it involves being still and focusing on the breath or a particular mantra. Personally I owe a great deal to this kind of meditation for my capacity to focus for long periods of time, especially when I have my writing cap on. Yoga Nidra has been my favourite over the years, where awareness is taken to different parts of the physical and psychic self, inducing a state of “mindful sleep”.
I was introduced to Tai Chi several years ago, although I could not practise it regularly. Many people drop out of class because they find it very, very slow! Of course, that certainly was not my reason for discontinuing. I had moved to the suburbs and could not find a good teacher.
A recent trip to Shanghai renewed my interest when I saw groups of men and women of all ages diligently practising this “martial art in slow motion”, as one practitioner called it. The early morning Tai Chi sessions in the bund area of Shanghai are a tourist attraction! It is indeed quite a sight of beauty as they move with perfect synchrony between breath and movement, evident from their fluidity and unified grace. (MORE)
I was introduced to Tai Chi several years ago, although I could not practise it regularly. Many people drop out of class because they find it very, very slow! Of course, that certainly was not my reason for discontinuing. I had moved to the suburbs and could not find a good teacher.
A recent trip to Shanghai renewed my interest when I saw groups of men and women of all ages diligently practising this “martial art in slow motion”, as one practitioner called it. The early morning Tai Chi sessions in the bund area of Shanghai are a tourist attraction! It is indeed quite a sight of beauty as they move with perfect synchrony between breath and movement, evident from their fluidity and unified grace. (MORE)
Source: The Week
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Meditation On The Go
You can use meditation techniques wherever you are, including the shower, said corporate meditation coach Mark Thornton.
Start by noticing sensations — Listen to the sound of the water, notice the fragrances of soaps and shampoos. How do your shoulders, neck, legs and arms feel as you bathe them? Then, try to "widen your attention" and to experience all the sensations at once.
Take a mind timeout — Make a conscious decision to take a complete break from your mind. If you're bombarded by thoughts, choose to return to them later.
Try tai chi showering — Move your body in slow motion and notice the sensations. Take a moment to be still, close your eyes and notice how the body responds.
Sing — Notice the vibration in your throat, chest and other body parts.
Source: St Louis Today
Start by noticing sensations — Listen to the sound of the water, notice the fragrances of soaps and shampoos. How do your shoulders, neck, legs and arms feel as you bathe them? Then, try to "widen your attention" and to experience all the sensations at once.
Take a mind timeout — Make a conscious decision to take a complete break from your mind. If you're bombarded by thoughts, choose to return to them later.
Try tai chi showering — Move your body in slow motion and notice the sensations. Take a moment to be still, close your eyes and notice how the body responds.
Sing — Notice the vibration in your throat, chest and other body parts.
Source: St Louis Today
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Different Meditation Techniques For Peace
What is meditation?
Meditation is a commonly used term. But what exactly is meditation? For a beginner it is a practice, for an adept it is a state.
Meditation is awareness. It is emptiness. It is about to empty your mind off the clutter of continuous din of thoughts. An uncluttered mind (empty) translates into awareness, or consciousness or alertness. To bring about this awareness is the purpose of the practice of the act of meditating. With continuous practice its reveals the truth that it is a state; when one attains by advancing degrees, peace and harmony.
Meditation is thus basically peace.
Different Meditation Techniques
There are different meditations techniques, which could slacken the motion of the thoughts. Pick the one that appeals to you, as one ought to be involved in meditation with a natural urge.
Breath Meditation-Feeling your breath is a simple, yet an effective meditation. It involves feeling the effortless movement of the breath. Simply feel the flow of your breath. Acknowledge intervening thoughts without judgement, as to whether the are good or bad and gently turn your attention to your breath. Zen meditation involves breath meditation. (MORE)
Meditation is a commonly used term. But what exactly is meditation? For a beginner it is a practice, for an adept it is a state.
Meditation is awareness. It is emptiness. It is about to empty your mind off the clutter of continuous din of thoughts. An uncluttered mind (empty) translates into awareness, or consciousness or alertness. To bring about this awareness is the purpose of the practice of the act of meditating. With continuous practice its reveals the truth that it is a state; when one attains by advancing degrees, peace and harmony.
Meditation is thus basically peace.
Different Meditation Techniques
There are different meditations techniques, which could slacken the motion of the thoughts. Pick the one that appeals to you, as one ought to be involved in meditation with a natural urge.
Breath Meditation-Feeling your breath is a simple, yet an effective meditation. It involves feeling the effortless movement of the breath. Simply feel the flow of your breath. Acknowledge intervening thoughts without judgement, as to whether the are good or bad and gently turn your attention to your breath. Zen meditation involves breath meditation. (MORE)
Source: OneIndia
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Meditation: More Than Relaxation
Meditation is a brain-boosting, stress-busting activity that is now embraced by everyone from the U.S. military to corporate executives. And if you're living a busy, hectic life — and can't fathom finding time to sit cross-legged in a quiet room — you're an ideal candidate too.
"If you don't have 30 minutes to meditate, you probably need an hour," said Tamara Gerlach, a San Francisco-based meditation student and teacher. "The people who race through their life are usually the ones who could use some focus and serenity."
Your mind is a muscle you can train; meditation is the tool used to focus it or quiet it down. Every day thousands of thoughts zip through our heads, something Gerlach likens to a jar of dirty water: Keep shaking up the jar — or your head — and it will remain clouded. But "if we set the jar down, letting the dirt particles settle to the bottom, it leaves clarity at the top," she said.
Meditation will not stop your thoughts. It will not empty your mind. Instead, proponents say, it teaches you how to replace the mental chatter in your head with stillness. This ability helps us live more consciously in the present moment.
"Through more mindful attention, we can make wise choices," said Joseph Goldstein, who has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974 and co-founded the Insight Meditation Society. "As the Vietnamese meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh remarked, 'Happiness is available. Please help yourselves to it.'"
Still confused? Take a long, slow, deep belly breath and read on. (MORE)
"If you don't have 30 minutes to meditate, you probably need an hour," said Tamara Gerlach, a San Francisco-based meditation student and teacher. "The people who race through their life are usually the ones who could use some focus and serenity."
Your mind is a muscle you can train; meditation is the tool used to focus it or quiet it down. Every day thousands of thoughts zip through our heads, something Gerlach likens to a jar of dirty water: Keep shaking up the jar — or your head — and it will remain clouded. But "if we set the jar down, letting the dirt particles settle to the bottom, it leaves clarity at the top," she said.
Meditation will not stop your thoughts. It will not empty your mind. Instead, proponents say, it teaches you how to replace the mental chatter in your head with stillness. This ability helps us live more consciously in the present moment.
"Through more mindful attention, we can make wise choices," said Joseph Goldstein, who has been leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974 and co-founded the Insight Meditation Society. "As the Vietnamese meditation master Thich Nhat Hanh remarked, 'Happiness is available. Please help yourselves to it.'"
Still confused? Take a long, slow, deep belly breath and read on. (MORE)
Source: Chicago Tribune
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)