Friday, December 30, 2011
How Mindfulness Meditation Can Help People With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Research has shown that the benefits of mindfulness meditation are far-reaching, from minimizing pain sensitivity to helping us regulate our emotions. The newest study suggests it could also have benefits specifically for people with rheumatoid arthritis.
The small study, conducted by researchers from Oslo's Diakonhjemmet Hospital, shows that people who partake in mindfulness exercises had less fatigue and lower levels of stress than people who just receive standard treatment for the condition.
The research was published in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, and included 73 people with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis between ages 20 and 70. Half of the people were chosen to do mindfulness exercises that were done in 10 group sessions for 15 weeks, as well as one more session six months after the 10 sessions were completed. The other half of the people were just given regular care for the condition, as well as a CD that taught them how to do mindfulness exercises. (MORE)
The small study, conducted by researchers from Oslo's Diakonhjemmet Hospital, shows that people who partake in mindfulness exercises had less fatigue and lower levels of stress than people who just receive standard treatment for the condition.
The research was published in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, and included 73 people with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or psoriatic arthritis between ages 20 and 70. Half of the people were chosen to do mindfulness exercises that were done in 10 group sessions for 15 weeks, as well as one more session six months after the 10 sessions were completed. The other half of the people were just given regular care for the condition, as well as a CD that taught them how to do mindfulness exercises. (MORE)
Source: Huffington Post
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Meditation Takes Practice But It May Be Just What You Need
That nagging pain in your neck, the back pain that won't go away, the gritty strain of being under constant stress—each can be a condition for a medical doctor to assess. But what if, thankfully, all appears well, except for your suspicion that those symptoms would go away if you could just change something about your life?
Meditation could be the answer. But it's important to understand what meditation isn't, says Heidi Ash, a St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, Michigan, stress management expert who helps guide people towards more healthy, less stress-filled lives. Meditation isn't dogma nor religion. It isn't psychotherapy. Nor is it feeling blissful all the time; "That's a misconception," Ash says. "It's being conscious of the self on a deeper level, a different way of looking deeper into how you view life and how that can affect your health." (MORE)
Meditation could be the answer. But it's important to understand what meditation isn't, says Heidi Ash, a St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, Michigan, stress management expert who helps guide people towards more healthy, less stress-filled lives. Meditation isn't dogma nor religion. It isn't psychotherapy. Nor is it feeling blissful all the time; "That's a misconception," Ash says. "It's being conscious of the self on a deeper level, a different way of looking deeper into how you view life and how that can affect your health." (MORE)
Source: nwitimes.com
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Understanding Meditation: How Attention Changes Our Brains
Meditation has become increasingly popular, and at some point we may ask, "Why are we meditating? What does it actually do? What is happening that makes a difference?" This short article can only cover a small portion of the effects seen from meditation, but is meant to highlight an important aspect of what happens. Let us first set the stage.
The brain anatomy we inherit from our parents determines the original landscape upon which our brain's "empire" will be built. We inherit individual tendencies, these are like the weather patterns, and natural resources of an area -- largely predetermined, but can be nurtured or deteriorated by our habits. The landscape-anatomy of our brain determines which skills we perform best, and which habits become automatic, but there's a twist to this story. (MORE)
The brain anatomy we inherit from our parents determines the original landscape upon which our brain's "empire" will be built. We inherit individual tendencies, these are like the weather patterns, and natural resources of an area -- largely predetermined, but can be nurtured or deteriorated by our habits. The landscape-anatomy of our brain determines which skills we perform best, and which habits become automatic, but there's a twist to this story. (MORE)
Source: Washington Post
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Combating Depression With Meditation, Diet
In his book Spontaneous Happiness, Dr. Andrew Weil writes of an 'integrative' approach to mental health, warding off mild and moderate depression with an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise and activities such as yoga and meditation, rather than antidepressants.
About one in 10 Americans over the age of 12 takes an antidepressant drug, according to a report from the CDC, and the number of Americans taking antidepressants hIn his book Spontaneous Happiness, Dr. Andrew Weil writes of an 'integrative' approach to mental health, warding off mild and moderate depression with an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise and activities such as yoga and meditation, rather than antidepressants.as gone up over 400 percent since 1988. Why the rise? Are we more depressed than we used to be, simply more medicated or both?
That's one of the questions my next guest, Dr. Andrew Weil, addresses in his new book "Spontaneous Happiness," and instead of taking medications to treat mild or moderate depression, Dr. Weil recommends a few alternatives, like meditation, daily exercise and what he calls anti-inflammatory diet.
What is the evidence that these treatments can actually be - put you in a brighter mood? That's what we'll be talking about. Dr. Weil is going to be joining us. Our number is 1-800-989-8255, 1-800-989-TALK. You can tweet us @scifri, @-S-C-I-F-R-I, or join us on Facebook. (MORE)
About one in 10 Americans over the age of 12 takes an antidepressant drug, according to a report from the CDC, and the number of Americans taking antidepressants hIn his book Spontaneous Happiness, Dr. Andrew Weil writes of an 'integrative' approach to mental health, warding off mild and moderate depression with an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise and activities such as yoga and meditation, rather than antidepressants.as gone up over 400 percent since 1988. Why the rise? Are we more depressed than we used to be, simply more medicated or both?
That's one of the questions my next guest, Dr. Andrew Weil, addresses in his new book "Spontaneous Happiness," and instead of taking medications to treat mild or moderate depression, Dr. Weil recommends a few alternatives, like meditation, daily exercise and what he calls anti-inflammatory diet.
What is the evidence that these treatments can actually be - put you in a brighter mood? That's what we'll be talking about. Dr. Weil is going to be joining us. Our number is 1-800-989-8255, 1-800-989-TALK. You can tweet us @scifri, @-S-C-I-F-R-I, or join us on Facebook. (MORE)
Source: npr.org
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Stress Kills, So Try A New Action Meditation
Ask any expert, stress kills, especially when there’s no let up. Like right now as the holiday season kicks into high gear. We all want to enjoy, be happy, have fun. Unfortunately today’s stressors not only won’t let up, they’re getting worse.
That’s right: Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse with the Congressional supercommittee’s super failure to deal with America’s economic problems, this news flash from Paris: The prestigious Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is now warning world leaders: “Prepare to face the worst.”
In its latest economic outlook, the OECD warns that the European Union is also a super failure. Not only is the EU’s debt crisis metastasizing across the developed world, there’s a danger it will become a global contagion with “highly devastating outcomes.”
Get it? More stress. Lots more. And it’s not going to let up, not for Americans, not for the EU and other developed nations. Thanks to inept leaders in the U.S. and EU the entire world may soon be in a global recession … upstaging Santa, elves, reindeer and his sledge full of toys that make the kid in each of us happy. Bah humbug. (MORE)
That’s right: Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse with the Congressional supercommittee’s super failure to deal with America’s economic problems, this news flash from Paris: The prestigious Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is now warning world leaders: “Prepare to face the worst.”
In its latest economic outlook, the OECD warns that the European Union is also a super failure. Not only is the EU’s debt crisis metastasizing across the developed world, there’s a danger it will become a global contagion with “highly devastating outcomes.”
Get it? More stress. Lots more. And it’s not going to let up, not for Americans, not for the EU and other developed nations. Thanks to inept leaders in the U.S. and EU the entire world may soon be in a global recession … upstaging Santa, elves, reindeer and his sledge full of toys that make the kid in each of us happy. Bah humbug. (MORE)
Source: marketwatch.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)