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.

Study highlights human's potential to cultivate compassion

Until now, little was scientifically known about the human potential to cultivate compassion - the emotional state of caring for people who are suffering in a way that motivates altruistic behavior.

24 May 2013

Enrollment now open for Nalanda Institute's Certificate Program in Contemplative Psychotherapy

The Nalanda Institute announced that enrollment is now open for their inaugural Certificate Program in Contemplative Psychotherapy to begin in Fall 2013. The program offers therapists, health workers, coaches, educators and other professionals in the healing arts an opportunity to immerse themselves in the inspiring new field of contemplative neuropsychology.

18 May 2013

People who experience more upbeat emotions have better physical health

People who experience warmer, more upbeat emotions may have better physical health because they make more social connections, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

10 May 2013

Loyola and Edward Hines receive award to study MBSR in women veterans at risk for heart disease

Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing researchers and Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital recently were given an award to study mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in women veterans at risk for heart disease.

9 May 2013

Loyola opens 20-bed unit for patients undergoing stem cell transplants for cancers

Loyola University Medical Center has opened a new 20-bed unit for patients undergoing stem cell transplants for cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

9 May 2013

Study discusses how mind-body class helps medical students better manage stress

A Boston University School of Medicine study shows a mind-body class elective for medical students helps increase their self-compassion and ability to manage thoughts and tasks more effectively.

2 May 2013

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapies have significant benefits for veterans with PTSD

Mindfulness exercises that include meditation, stretching, and acceptance of thoughts and emotions might help veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder find relief from their symptoms.

18 Apr 2013

Aetna releases two new metabolic syndrome programs to lower risk factors

Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced the launch of "Metabolic Health in Small Bytes" and the "Metabolic Health Advisor." The two new components can help people control the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome.

16 Apr 2013

Working-memory training can improve range of skills, new study reveals

A brain-training task that increases the number of items an individual can remember over a short period of time may boost performance in other problem-solving tasks by enhancing communication between different brain areas.

16 Apr 2013

Study: Transcendental meditation reduces posttraumatic stress in African refugees

A significant percentage of veterans returning from wars exhibit symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS). This is now recognized as a serious health problem, but what about the victims of such violence? Refugees live with the constant reminder of what war has done to their lives and those of their families.

9 Apr 2013

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