This page is for the purpose of sharing some information about the research done on the medical benefits of meditation as well as some basic instructions on how to do meditation. I originally created this page as a quick reference for attendees at an integrative healing conference I was asked to participate in. I also thought it would be a nice place for me to store some of the many links and pieces of information I have gathered and continue to gather on meditation.
Benefits:
Mayo Clinic: Meditation and illness
Meditation might also be useful if you have a medical condition, especially one that may be worsened by stress.
While a growing body of scientific research supports the health benefits of meditation, some researchers believe it’s not yet possible to draw conclusions about the possible benefits of meditation.
With that in mind, some research suggests that meditation may help people manage symptoms of conditions such as:
Anxiety disorders
Asthma
Cancer
Depression
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Pain
Sleep problems
NIH – National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
People use meditation for various health problems, such as:
Anxiety
Pain
Depression
Stress
Insomnia
Physical or emotional symptoms that may be associated with chronic illnesses (such as heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and cancer) and their treatment.
Meditation is also used for overall wellness.
Robert Schneider, MD, FACC Medical News Today
Complementary and alternative approaches (now called integrative health care) have indeed been shown in rigorous scientific studies to have some major effects on mind and body health.
But equally important, people who use natural approaches are taking a more active role in their health. This is called self-empowerment and is what medical professionals should desire for their patients and themselves. This is the grail. We want people to adopt healthier behaviors and outlooks and attitudes, to take more responsibility.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the majority of chronic diseases could be prevented by proper self-care. That is, by people managing their own stress and lifestyle…
In studies on long-term and even short-term practitioners of Transcendental Meditation, subjects report the experience of a fundamental level of unity and wholeness in their awareness. This gives them a deep feeling of peace, connectedness and relief from stress.Electrocardiogram (ECG) and brain imaging research shows that meditators’ brains actually function differently than those who have not learned the technique.
To test their idea the neuroscientists enrolled 16 people in an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course. The course promised to improve participants’ mindfulness and well-being, and reduce their levels of stress.
Everyone received audio recordings containing 45-minute guided mindfulness exercises (body scan, yoga, and sitting meditation) that they were instructed to practice daily at home. And to facilitate the integration of mindfulness into daily life, they were also taught to practice mindfulness informally in everyday activities such as eating, walking, washing the dishes, taking a shower, and so on. On average, the meditation group participants spent an average of 27 minutes a day practicing some form of mindfulness.
Magnetic resonance images (MRI scans) of everyone’s brains were taken before and after they completed the meditation training, and a control group of people who didn’t do any mindfulness training also had their brains scanned.
After completing the mindfulness course, all participants reported significant improvement in measures of mindfulness, such as “acting with awareness” and “non-judging.”
What was startling was that the MRI scans showed that mindfulness groups increased gray matter concentration within the left hippocampus, the posterior cingulate cortex, the temporo-parietal junction, and the cerebellum. Brain regions involved in learning and memory, emotion regulation, sense of self, and perspective taking!
Simple Meditation Instructions
Basic Mindfulness Meditation Instructions
1. Sit comfortably. You don’t have to twist yourself into a cross-legged position— unless you want to, of course. You can just sit in a chair. (You can also stand up or lie down, although the latter can sometimes result in an unintentional nap.) Whatever your position, you should keep your spine straight, but don’t strain.
2. Feel your breath. Pick a spot: nose, belly, or chest. Really try to feel the in-breath and then the out-breath.
3. This one is the key: Every time you get lost in thought— which you will, thousands of times— gently return to the breath. I cannot stress strongly enough that forgiving yourself and starting over is the whole game. As my friend and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg has written, “Beginning again and again is the actual practice, not a problem to overcome so that one day we can come to the ‘real’ meditation.”
Harris, Dan (2014-03-11). 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story (p. 228). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
