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.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction may motivate people to move, shows study

A meditation and stress reduction program may be as effective at getting people to move more as structured exercise programs, according to a new study led by an Iowa State University researcher.

15 May 2018

Researchers explain neurophysiological link between breathing and attention

It has long been claimed by Yogis and Buddhists that meditation and ancient breath-focused practices, such as pranayama, strengthen our ability to focus on tasks.

11 May 2018

A new coping strategy to combat nursing stress

The statistic alone can cause distress: One third of newly licensed registered nurses leave the field after just two years. And yes, distress-; moral distress, as it was named by ethicist Andrew Jameton-; is a key culprit in the alarming burnout rate, says Professor Cynda Rushton of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

27 Apr 2018

Meditation could help reduce anxiety levels and some heart health risk factors

It sounds like a late-night commercial: In just one hour you can reduce your anxiety levels and some heart health risk factors. But a recent study with 14 participants shows preliminary data that even a single session of meditation can have cardiovascular and psychological benefits for adults with mild to moderate anxiety.

20 Apr 2018

To treat pain, PTSD and other ills, Tennessee vets try tai chi

Every week in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Zibin Guo guides veterans in wheelchairs through slow-motion tai chi poses as a Bluetooth speaker plays soothing instrumental music.

6 Apr 2018

Meditation provides lasting cognitive gains, study shows

Gains in the ability to sustain attention developed through intensive meditation training are maintained up to seven years later, according to a new study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement.

5 Apr 2018

Yale affiliated Greenwich Hospital offering 'Fertility Yoga' classes for women trying to conceive

Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut, affiliated with Yale University and Yale Medicine, is offering “Fertility Yoga” classes.

3 Apr 2018

Mindfulness meditation training helps prevent major depression

Among primary care patients with subthreshold depression, mindfulness meditation training reduces the incidence of major depression and improves depression symptoms.

13 Mar 2018

Jury’s in: Opioids are not better than other medicines for chronic pain

A few years ago, Renea Molden’s doctors told her they wanted to take her off her opioid pills. It did not sound like good idea to her.

6 Mar 2018

Study supports benefits of meditation in control of attention and emotions

The study's findings show that mental silence experienced through Sahaja Yoga meditation is associated with the development of neural networks and areas that are crucial for the control of attention and emotions.

24 Feb 2018

Review: Mindfulness strategies may help prevent or interrupt cravings for food, drugs

Mindfulness strategies may help prevent or interrupt cravings for food and drugs, such as cigarettes and alcohol, by occupying short-term memory, according to a new review from City, University of London.

30 Jan 2018

Transcendental Meditation technique offers relief for veterans suffering from PTSD

Veterans of the war in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder found significant relief from their symptoms as a result of practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique, according to a new study published in Military Medicine.

12 Jan 2018

An opioid remedy that works: Treat pain and addiction at the same time

Seven years ago, Robert Kerley, who makes his living as a truck driver, was loading drywall when a gust of wind knocked him off the trailer. Kerley fell 14 feet and hurt his back.

8 Jan 2018

Wake Forest Baptist receives NIH grant for alcohol addiction research center

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center a grant worth an estimated $8 million over five years for the establishment of a new center for research into alcohol addiction.

3 Jan 2018

Research finds mental and emotional health apps as effective self-help tools

When it comes to strengthening your mental or emotional health, would you trust an app? A trio of Brigham Young University health science researchers has published new research that says the answer is yes.

20 Nov 2017

Simple strategies can make it easy to eat healthier this holiday season

When an average slice of pumpkin pie and scoop of vanilla ice cream can contain 46 grams of sugar – nearly twice the recommended daily added sugar intake of 25 grams for women and well above the recommendation of 36 grams for men– the holidays can be hazardous for anyone watching their waistlines.

9 Nov 2017

Mindfulness may offer coping mechanism for mothers of infants diagnosed with CHD

Mindfulness may offer an active coping mechanism for mothers faced with the stress of having a newborn diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD).

2 Nov 2017

WVU neuroscientist explores need for greater rigor in mindfulness research

The mindfulness movement has grown in popularity over the past two decades, but research on its effectiveness is still catching up. According to a West Virginia University neuroscientist, increasing the precision of mindfulness research can multiply the potential benefits that meditation and similar practices impart.

26 Oct 2017

Yoga can be beneficial to people with lung cancer and their caregivers

In a feasibility trial of people with advanced lung cancer receiving radiation therapy, and their caregivers, yoga was beneficial to both parties. These findings will be presented at the upcoming 2017 Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium in San Diego, California.

24 Oct 2017

Tibetan yoga practice may reduce sleep disturbances in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment

Participating in twice-weekly practice of Tibetan yoga may reduce sleep disturbances and improve sleep quality in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, according to a study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

20 Sep 2017