Meditation News and Research

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The term meditation refers to a variety of techniques or practices intended to focus or control attention. Most of them are rooted in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years.

Today, many people use meditation outside of its traditional religious or cultural settings as a form of mind-body medicine. Many claims have been made about its value in promoting or improving health and wellness.

Experts gather to bring mindfulness in youths

Experts in the field of mindfulness will gather in San Diego from Feb. 7-9 to share the latest advancements in education, clinical care and research as it applies to the healthy development of youth through the application of meditation.

8 Jan 2014

Research: Daily meditation may improve symptoms of anxiety and depression

Some 30 minutes of meditation daily may improve symptoms of anxiety and depression, a new Johns Hopkins analysis of previously published research suggests.

7 Jan 2014

'Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living' can help tackle New Year’s resolutions

Americans will start the New Year with resolutions that are doomed to fail if they don't deal with the underlying issue of stress before they join a gym, start a diet or throw the cigarettes away. Research shows that stress negatively impacts our ability to lose weight, quit smoking and stick with a new healthy lifestyle change.

3 Jan 2014

Coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies more helpful in tackling addiction

Using a computational model of addiction, a literature review and an in silico experiment, theoretical computer scientist Yariv Levy and colleagues suggest in a new paper this week that rehabilitation strategies coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies are more helpful than drug-plus-talk therapy alone when helping people overcome addiction.

20 Dec 2013

New global survey reveals that Australia trails behind other countries on important health issues

Despite Australia’s reputation around the world as a land of keen sportsmen and healthy outdoor living, a new global survey has revealed the country is far behind many other nations on a number of important health issues; including exercise, weight, healthy eating and alcohol consumption.

18 Dec 2013

New study reports first evidence of specific molecular changes in the body with meditation

With evidence growing that meditation can have beneficial health effects, scientists have sought to understand how these practices physically affect the body.

6 Dec 2013

BIDMC pilot study shows promise for age-related cognitive disorders

It's well known that the brains of meditators change, but it's not entirely clear what those changes mean or how the changes might benefit the meditator. A new pilot study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center suggests that the brain changes associated with meditation and stress reduction may play an important role in slowing the progression of age-related cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

18 Nov 2013

Novel study explores effects of meditation on the heart and vascular system

Demystifying meditation with science, researchers at the Scripps Translational Science Institute have teamed with The Chopra Foundation and The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in a novel study of the ancient practice that uses wireless health sensors to collect physiological data from meditators.

14 Nov 2013

Lifestyle changes in diet and exercise show promise for learning, depression in teens

New studies released today underscore the potential impact of healthy lifestyle choices in treating depression, the effects of aging, and learning. The research focused on the effects of mind/body awareness, exercise, and diet, and was presented at Neuroscience 2013, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.

10 Nov 2013

Wake Forest Baptist provides guided relaxation, mindfulness meditation training to medical students

Doctors commonly tell patients that stress can be harmful to their health. Yet when it comes to reducing their own stress levels, physicians don't always heed their own advice.

31 Oct 2013

Meditation shows improved outcomes in patients with medically unexplained symptoms

A randomized controlled study published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics has investigated the role of a special form of meditation (mindfulness) in disturbances that do not find medical explanation.

23 Oct 2013

Study shows mindfulness-oriented intervention may reduce chronic pain in adults

A randomized controlled study published in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics has investigated the role of a special form of meditation (mindfulness) in Chronic pain.

23 Oct 2013

Mindfulness-based intervention leads to drop in blood pressure

Blood pressure is effectively lowered by mindfulness-based stress reduction for patients with borderline high blood pressure or "prehypertension." This finding is reported in the October issue of Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.

16 Oct 2013

State highlights: Md. submits plan to tie overhaul hospital charges to state's economy

A selection of health policy stories from Maryland, California, Missouri and Florida.

15 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 14, 2013

Today's headlines include the latest on the budget negotiations as well as examinations of what's happening with the health law's online insurance marketplaces.

14 Oct 2013

People who lower stress levels through meditation, yoga have longer telomeres

Targeting telomeres, the protective caps at the end of all chromosomes that are critical to healthy cell function, T.A. Sciences' products activate an enzyme that can slow down and possibly reverse age- and lifestyle-related telomere shortening. Short telomeres can cause mutations and degradations to chromosomes leading to loss of cell functionality. Its inaugural product, TA-65 is the only proven product specifically focused on the telomerase activation market.

12 Oct 2013

Transcendental Meditation technique has large effect on reducing trait anxiety, shows analysis

A new meta-analysis published today in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2013;19(10):1-12)1 found the Transcendental Meditation- technique (TM) has a large effect on reducing trait anxiety for people with high anxiety.

10 Oct 2013

Team Ritter to raise funds for John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health at ING NYC Marathon

Friends and family members of people with thoracic aortic disease and fans of the late legendary comedic actor John Ritter will come together as Team Ritter to raise funds for the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health at the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 3, 2013.

10 Oct 2013

Comprehensive changes in lifestyle could reverse ageing

A pilot study, published in The Lancet Oncology, shows that comprehensive lifestyle changes may increase the length of telomeres, the ends of chromosomes that control cell ageing.

19 Sep 2013

Study shows that changes in diet, lifestyle choices may result in longer telomeres

A small pilot study shows for the first time that changes in diet, exercise, stress management and social support may result in longer telomeres, the parts of chromosomes that affect aging.

17 Sep 2013