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.

Researchers show for first time that brain can control core body temperature

A team of researchers led by Associate Professor Maria Kozhevnikov from the Department of Psychology at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences showed, for the first time, that it is possible for core body temperature to be controlled by the brain.

9 Apr 2013

Researchers examine effects of meditation on compassion, virtuous behavior

Scientists have mostly focused on the benefits of meditation for the brain and the body, but a recent study by Northeastern University's David DeSteno, published in Psychological Science, takes a look at what impacts meditation has on interpersonal harmony and compassion.

2 Apr 2013

Mindfulness meditation can reduce stress hormone

Focusing on the present rather than letting the mind drift may help to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research from the Shamatha Project at the University of California, Davis.

29 Mar 2013

Study examines mindfulness in large group of adolescents in school-based setting

Mindfulness is a form of meditation therapy focused on exercising 'attentiveness'. Depression is often rooted in a downward spiral of negative feelings and worries. Once a person learns to more quickly recognise these feelings and thoughts, he or she can intervene before depression sinks in.

16 Mar 2013

Funding opportunity for schools to implement innovative programs targeting childhood obesity announced by first lady Michelle Obama

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center's CHALK/Just Move program is one of three programs selected by ChildObesity180, a national organization comprising public, nonprofit, academic, and private-sector leaders, for its Active Schools Acceleration Project (ASAP). An opportunity for schools across the country to apply for a grant to implement one of the three model programs was announced today in Chicago, with first lady Michelle Obama, as part of her "Let's Move! Active Schools" campaign.

1 Mar 2013

Study explores effects of mindfulness and integrated self-knowledge in treating heart disease

With heart disease one of the world's very biggest killers, new approaches to prevention and treatment are always welcome. In fact, most heart disease can be prevented by changes in people's behaviour and attitudes. The same holds true for the effective treatment of those who have already developed the disease.

26 Feb 2013

Harmful effects of stress may be key to managing chronic pain

For chronic pain sufferers, such as people who develop back pain after a car accident, avoiding the harmful effects of stress may be key to managing their condition.

25 Feb 2013

Mindfulness practitioners gain enhanced control over sensory cortical alpha rhythms

Why does training in mindfulness meditation help patients manage chronic pain and depression? In a newly published neurophysiological review, Brown University scientists propose that mindfulness practitioners gain enhanced control over sensory cortical alpha rhythms that help regulate how the brain processes and filters sensations, including pain, and memories such as depressive cognitions.

14 Feb 2013

Transcendental Meditation technique reduces PTSD symptoms in U.S. Marines

U.S. Marines and other active-duty military personnel who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are finding relief through a simple meditation technique known as the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique.

29 Jan 2013

Qigong reduces depressive symptoms and improves QOL in women with breast cancer

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found qigong, an ancient mind-body practice, reduces depressive symptoms and improves quality of life in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer.

28 Jan 2013

New book discusses the basics of brain tumors

Empowering patients during the course of their treatment is the goal of a new book, Navigating Life with a Brain Tumor, written by neuro-oncologists from Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

24 Jan 2013

Longer looks: 'Bad suga' damages a neighborhood; A nurse's dying gift; Are ethical guidelines impeding patient care?

Bad suga' is devastating my neighborhood of North Lawndale, one of Chicago's poorest communities. Diabetes is commonly called "bad suga'" in many African American communities like the one where I grew up and live today.

18 Jan 2013

People with chronic inflammatory conditions may benefit from mindfulness meditation

People suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and asthma - in which psychological stress plays a major role - may benefit from mindfulness meditation techniques, according to a study by University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientists with the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center.

17 Jan 2013

Cognitive therapy may reduce anxiety in bipolar patients

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may help reduce symptoms of anxiety in patients with bipolar disorder, researchers report.

14 Dec 2012

Creative art therapy combined with MBSR program shows promise for women with breast cancer

Cancer and stress go hand-in-hand, and high stress levels can lead to poorer health outcomes in cancer patients. The Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine combined creative art therapy with a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for women with breast cancer and showed changes in brain activity associated with lower stress and anxiety after the eight-week program.

29 Nov 2012

John Templeton Foundation to continue and extend meditation research project

The John Templeton Foundation has awarded a grant of $2.3 million over three years to continue and extend the Shamatha Project, the most comprehensive investigation yet conducted into the effects of intensive meditation training on mind and body.

20 Nov 2012

Possible link between mind wandering and aging

Scientific studies have suggested that a wandering mind indicates unhappiness, whereas a mind that is present in the moment indicates well-being. Now, a preliminary UCSF study suggests a possible link between mind wandering and aging, by looking at a biological measure of longevity.

17 Nov 2012

New AAN book for people with primary and metastatic brain tumors

It is estimated that every 30 minutes, someone is diagnosed with brain cancer. Published in conjunction with the American Academy of Neurology as part of the Neurology Now Books series, NAVIGATING LIFE WITH A BRAIN TUMOR provides readily accessible information and encouragement for the thousands of people living with primary and metastatic brain tumors.

16 Nov 2012

Mindful eating reduces weight and blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes

Eating mindfully, or consuming food in response to physical cues of hunger and fullness, is just as effective as adhering to nutrition-based guidelines in reducing weight and blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

9 Nov 2012

Tips to overcome Hurricane Sandy stress

It's more than chaos. It's more than uncertainty. The upheaval brought about by a natural disaster the likes of Hurricane Sandy forces us to reorganize how we see the world. "We lose our mental mind map," says Henri Roca, MD, medical director of Greenwich Hospital's Integrative Medicine Program in Greenwich, Connecticut. "The challenge is that everything is different, from the places we usually go, the routes we drive, the colleagues and friends we see. We don't realize how much we depend on the things we consider solid and foundational," said Dr. Roca.

4 Nov 2012