Meditation News and Research

RSS

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.

Stress affects more than 70% of Americans, study finds

In recognition of April's National Stress Awareness Month, Youfit Health Clubs conducted a survey to reveal America's stress levels and stress-related habits. The study found that more than 70% of Americans suffer from stress, and of those, more than half deal with stress on a daily or weekly basis.

4 Apr 2017

Study: Group practice of Transcendental Meditation reduces drug-related fatalities in general population

The rate of US drug-related fatalities fell 30.4% nationwide from 2007 to 2010 due to the reductions in societal stress and increased alertness in the individuals in society created by a large group practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique and its advanced program, the TM-Sidhi program, a new study shows.

14 Mar 2017

Menopausal women use alternative medicine at high rates more than doctors know

A review of previous studies about how women manage menopause symptoms has found that they frequently use alternative treatments but often do not inform their doctors about them.

8 Mar 2017

Maintaining healthy sex life could boost job satisfaction and engagement at work, study finds

Maintaining a healthy sex life at home boosts employees' job satisfaction and engagement at the office, underscoring the value of a strong work-life balance, an Oregon State University researcher has found.

6 Mar 2017

Mindfulness-based meditation program improves quality of life and well-being in ALS patients

An eight-week mindfulness-based meditation program led to improved quality of life and psychological well-being in clinical trial of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

23 Feb 2017

Review focuses on benefits of mindfulness in aging populations

As mindfulness practices rise in popularity and evidence of their worth continues to accumulate, those who work with aging populations are looking to use the techniques to boost cognitive, emotional and physiological health.

21 Feb 2017

Low-intensity exercise boosts activation in visual cortex that plays key role in information processing

It's universally accepted that the benefits of exercise go well beyond fitness, from reducing the risk of disease to improving sleep and enhancing mood. Physical activity gives cognitive function a boost as well as fortifying memory and safeguarding thinking skills.

14 Feb 2017

Baby’s sex linked to pregnant women's immune responses, study shows

Women have claimed for years that their bodies react differently whether they're pregnant with a male or female baby. Some studies suggest that a baby's sex could play a role in why some women report differences with morning sickness, cravings and other symptoms based on the sex of their baby.

10 Feb 2017

UCLA cardiology expert provides ten heart healthy tips for Valentine's Day

While boxes of decadent chocolates treats, celebratory champagne and romantic high-calorie dinners may dance in your mind as a way to celebrate Valentine's Day, your heart may be pining for something else. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it is a great time to look at the state of your heart.

9 Feb 2017

Yoga may be helpful for patients suffering from low back pain, study finds

Over the course of their lives, about 80 percent of Americans will suffer from back pain at one time or another.

6 Feb 2017

Clinical study finds evidence that mindfulness meditation training combats anxiety

Mindfulness meditation is an increasingly popular treatment for anxiety, but testing its effectiveness in a convincing way has been difficult. Now a rigorously designed, NIH-sponsored clinical trial has found objective physiological evidence that mindfulness meditation combats anxiety.

25 Jan 2017

Yoga may help improve quality of life in pediatric cancer patients, study reveals

Quality of life of patients doing yoga improved, according to the conclusions of “Results of a Pilot Yoga Intervention to Improve Pediatric Cancer Patients’ Quality of Life and Physical Activity and Parents' Well-being”.

16 Jan 2017

Church and spirituality could help in treating mothers of color with PPD symptoms

Churches and other faith-based communities are an untapped resource that health-care providers should consider when suggesting treatment options for African-American and Latina mothers who have histories of postpartum depression (PPD), according to the findings of a newly published study by a University at Buffalo-led research team.

6 Dec 2016

Rhythm of breathing influences emotional judgments and memory recall

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered for the first time that the rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the human brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall.

6 Dec 2016

New study to explore link between sleep and chronic pain

Washington State University will lead a study to understand the relationship between sleep and chronic pain, part of a nationwide effort to address the rising abuse of opioid pain relievers and expand the arsenal of non-drug treatment options.

5 Dec 2016

Penn study shows breathing-based meditation can help alleviate severe depression

A breathing-based meditation practice known as Sudarshan Kriya yoga helped alleviate severe depression in people who did not fully respond to antidepressant treatments, reports a new study published today in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

22 Nov 2016

Growing understanding of neuroplasticity could drive development of new therapeutic interventions

A growing understanding of the highly "plastic," changeable nature of the brain--from the level of DNA, proteins, neuronal connections and networks, up to communication across brain regions--is driving the development of new therapeutic approaches to treat chronic pain, stroke, Parkinson's disease, and a variety of other disorders described in an article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, a journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

17 Nov 2016

UCLA director of mindfulness education discusses ways to unwind from election anxiety

One of the most contentious and anxiety-producing elections in recent U.S. history has ended.

9 Nov 2016

Low-impact exercise program for seniors helps reduce pain, improve mobility and enhance quality of life

It's never too late to reap the benefits of exercise, and that includes older adults with arthritis and other muscle and joint conditions, according to a study.

1 Nov 2016

ERAS programs help patients better prepare for surgery and recover faster, studies reveal

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs, an important component of the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH), are helping patients better prepare for surgery and recuperate faster afterward, according to two new studies being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2016 annual meeting.

24 Oct 2016