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Meditation Practice is Perfect

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Today's Meditation: Stay in Your Own Lane - Bare Bones Yoga

Meditation Practice is Perfect

John M. de Castro

 

“Sometimes we get the idea that there’s a best practice, a right practice, a most powerful practice. But different practices and different qualities or nuances of practice might be most appropriate for us at different times as our practice, understanding, and recognition of what’s helpful, needed, or skillful evolves.” – Martin Aylward

 

The human mind is always judgmental and critical. This has been a very good thing for our adaptation to the environment. It causes us to constantly analyze our experience and the results of our activities producing adjustments that improve the outcomes. This process is one of the key reasons why humans have learned to control and dominate our environment. But when applied to meditation practice it is counterproductive.

 

Being judgmental and critical regarding meditation practice is contrary to the nature of practice. The core practice of meditation involves seeing and accepting everything just as it is in the present moment. There is no need to analyze it. There is no need to criticize it. Indeed, there is no need to change it in any way. This includes the practice itself. It just is as it is. It just needs to be experienced and accepted. There is no such thing as good practice or bad practice. There is only practice as it is. There is no need to change it or try to improve it.

 

In meditation, if the mind wanders, there is no need to feel bad. It is just what experience is in that moment. There is no need to try to make the mind wander less. Just observe that the mind is wandering letting go of all judgment. If the mind is focused and calm, there is no need to feel good about it. There is no need to try to keep it up or stay focused. Just observe that the mind is focused and let go of all judgment.

 

In meditation no matter what transpires, the experience arises in awareness. Simply being aware of it is all that is needed. In fact, awareness in the present moment is all there is. There is nothing more to existence. In meditation, we amplify that experience of awareness allowing the mind to better see and accept it. But what the mind does and doesn’t do is irrelevant. Awareness simply is, regardless of the mind’s appreciation of it. So, there is no need to do things to make the mind better see it. That makes no difference. Awareness simply is. In fact, the mind’s activity is simply a part of what we’re aware of.

 

Awareness and the objects of awareness are not separate processes. Without objects of awareness there is no awareness. Conversely, without awareness there are no objects of awareness. They are one and the same thing. During meditation there is seeing, there is hearing, there is feeling, there are many sensory experiences. They do not just occur in awareness they are awareness itself. It is all one. Meditation is simply observing the co-arising of awareness and experience.

 

I often repeat during meditation “just be.” This is a reminder to not try to do or be anything, to not judge what is going on, to not criticize or analyze it, and to not try to alter it. Just be. In fact, the implicit speech of “just be” is also simply an object in awareness. It is not something to be acted upon. It is a means to keep the mind from interfering with experience.

 

So, relax and enjoy meditation, regardless of its nature. Just be.

Reduce Hypertension with Mindfulness

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Reduce Hypertension with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“High blood pressure is a silent killer. It can strike without warning, but with proper care and lifestyle changes, it can be controlled.” – Dr. David B. Ryder

 

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is an insidious disease because there are no overt symptoms. The individual feels fine. But it can be deadly as more than 360,000 American deaths, roughly 1,000 deaths each day, had high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause. In addition, hypertension markedly increases the risk heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and kidney disease.  It is also a very common disorder with about 70 million American adults (29%) having high blood pressure and only about half (52%) of people with high blood pressure have their condition under control. Treatment frequently includes antihypertensive drugs. But these medications often have adverse side effects. So, patients feel lousy when taking the drugs, but fine when they’re not. So, compliance is a major issue with many patients not taking the drugs regularly or stopping entirely. Obviously, there is a need for alternative to drug treatments for hypertension. Mindfulness practices have been shown to aid in controlling hypertension.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effect of Adapted Mindfulness Training in Participants With Elevated Office Blood Pressure: The MB-BP Study: A Randomized Clinical Trial” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10381983/ ) Loucks and colleagues recruited adults with elevated blood pressure and randomly assigned them to either enhanced usual care or to receive Mindfulness-Based Blood Pressure Reduction, based upon Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, consisting of 8 weekly 2,5 hour group sessions along with home mindfulness practice. The participants were measured at baseline and at 3 and 6 months later for blood pressure, health behaviors, physical activity, diet, alcohol consumption, antihypertensive medication, perceived stress, and mindfulness.

 

They found that mindfulness training produced a significantly greater reduction in blood pressure at 3 and 6 months. They also found significant reductions in sedentary activity and perceived stress and a significant increase in mindfulness.

 

Hence, mindfulness training was found to be an effective treatment for hypertension.

 

“The secret to managing blood pressure is a healthy lifestyle”– Dr. Andrew Hall

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog  http://contemplative-studies.org

 

Study Summary

 

Loucks EB, Schuman-Olivier Z, Saadeh FB, Scarpaci MM, Nardi WR, Proulx JA, Gutman R, King J, Britton WB, Kronish IM. Effect of Adapted Mindfulness Training in Participants With Elevated Office Blood Pressure: The MB-BP Study: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Jun 6;12(11):e028712. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.028712. Epub 2023 May 23. PMID: 37218591; PMCID: PMC10381983.

 

Clinical Perspective

What Is New?

This study represents the first randomized controlled trial of a mindfulness‐based program that has been customized to participants with elevated blood pressure.

What Are the Clinical Implications?

This study demonstrated a clinically significant reduction in systolic blood pressure, with evidence of effects on sedentary activity, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension dietary pattern, and mindfulness.

This program may offer an appealing approach to help control blood pressure of the 46% of Americans with hypertension, of which >75% is uncontrolled.

 

Abstract

Background

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Despite availability of effective lifestyle and medication treatments, blood pressure (BP) is poorly controlled in the United States. Mindfulness training may offer a novel approach to improve BP control. The objective was to evaluate the effects of Mindfulness‐Based Blood Pressure Reduction (MB‐BP) versus enhanced usual care control on unattended office systolic BP.

Methods and Results

Methods included a parallel‐group phase 2 randomized clinical trial conducted from June 2017 to November 2020. Follow‐up time was 6 months. Outcome assessors and data analyst were blinded to group allocation. Participants had elevated unattended office BP (≥120/80 mm Hg). We randomized 201 participants to MB‐BP (n=101) or enhanced usual care control (n=100). MB‐BP is a mindfulness‐based program adapted for elevated BP. Loss‐to‐follow‐up was 17.4%. The primary outcome was change in unattended office systolic BP at 6 months. A total of 201 participants (58.7% women; 81.1% non‐Hispanic White race and ethnicity; mean age, 59.5 years) were randomized. Results showed that MB‐BP was associated with a 5.9‐mm Hg reduction (95% CI, −9.1 to −2.8 mm Hg) in systolic BP from baseline and outperformed the control group by 4.5 mm Hg at 6 months (95% CI, −9.0 to −0.1 mm Hg) in prespecified analyses. Plausible mechanisms with evidence to be impacted by MB‐BP versus control were sedentary activity (−350.8 sitting min/wk [95% CI, −636.5 to −65.1] sitting min/wk), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet (0.32 score [95% CI, −0.04 to 0.67]), and mindfulness (7.3 score [95% CI, 3.0–11.6]).

Conclusions

A mindfulness‐based program adapted for individuals with elevated BP showed clinically relevant reductions in systolic BP compared with enhanced usual care. Mindfulness training may be a useful approach to improve BP.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10381983/

Mindfulness Protects Against Depression and Psychopathology in Alzheimer’s Disease

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“People do not realize that Alzheimer’s is not old age. It is a progressive and fatal disease and staggering amounts of people develop Alzheimer’s every day.” – Melina Kanakaredes

 

The normal aging process involves a systematic progressive decline in every system in the body, the brain included. The elderly often have problems with attention, thinking, and memory, known as mild cognitive impairment. But sometimes the decline is rapid and results in dementia; a progressive loss of mental function produced by degenerative diseases of the brain. It is quite common with about 3% of adults ages 70 to 74, 22% of adults ages 85 to 89 and 33% of adults ages 90 and older. Between 60% to 80% of dementia cases are classified as Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

An encouraging new development is that mindfulness practices such as meditation training and mindful movement practices can significantly reduce these declines in cognitive ability and dementia. In addition, it has been found that mindfulness practices reduce the deterioration of the brain that occurs with aging restraining the loss of neural tissue. This suggests that mindfulness may help to relieve some of the symptoms and/or slow the progression of mild Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

In today’s Research News article “Mindfulness Prevents Depression and Psychopathology in Elderly People with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9881020/) Quintana-Hernández and colleagues recruited elderly patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease and randomly assigned them to one of four conditions; Mindfulness-based Alzheimer’s Stimulation; CS, Cognitive Stimulation; PMR, Progressive Muscle Relaxation; or no treatment. All participants received 3 weekly sessions for 2 years combined with daily 10 mg Donepezil. They were measured for depression, geriatric depression, and neuropsychological symptoms at baseline or 6, 12, 18, and 24 months later.

 

They found that the groups did not differ at baseline but that the Mindfulness-based Alzheimer’s Stimulation group had significantly lower scores than the other 3 groups at the 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-months for depression, insomnia, agitation, anxiety, somatic symptoms, weight loss, delusions, apathy, irritability, and night time behaviors and higher levels of appetite and insight. These measures for the mindfulness group did not differ from baseline at any follow up while the other 3 groups significantly deteriorated over time relative to baseline.

 

These findings suggest that mindfulness training prevents deterioration in depression and psychopathology while other treatments or no treatment continue to deteriorate. Hence mindfulness training would appear be beneficial in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

“You only know yourself because of your memories.” – Andrea Gillies

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog  http://contemplative-studies.org

 

Study Summary

 

Quintana-Hernández DJ, Rojas-Hernández J, Santana-Del Pino A, Céspedes Suárez C, Pellejero Silva M, Miró-Barrachina MT, Ibáñez Fernández I, Estupiñán López JA, Borkel LF. Mindfulness Prevents Depression and Psychopathology in Elderly People with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Alzheimers Dis. 2023;91(1):471-481. doi: 10.3233/JAD-220889. PMID: 36442199; PMCID: PMC9881020.

 

Abstract

Background:

This longitudinal study addressed whether mindfulness practice prevents psychological and behavioral symptoms, especially mood disorders, in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Objective:

To assess the incidence of depression in the course of AD and to determine which non-pharmacological treatment (NPT) is most effective in preventing psychopathological symptoms.

Methods:

We conducted a longitudinal, non-inferiority and equivalence randomized clinical trial, repeated-measures design, with a control group and three experimental treatments: mindfulness, cognitive stimulation, and relaxation. Each experimental group performed three weekly sessions for two years. The pharmacological treatment of all participants was donepezil (10 mg). Participants were patients with probable AD without diagnosed depression from the public neurology services of the Canary Health Service, Spain. Psychological evaluation was performed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q). The statistical analysis included only patients who attended at least 75% of the sessions. A nonparametric, repeated-measures analysis was performed with Kruskal-Wallis H test and between-group differences with Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction (p < 0.008). Effect size was calculated with partial eta-squared.

Results:

The results showed significant differences with large effect sizes (η2p>0.14) between mindfulness and the rest of the experimental groups as well as the control in the GDS, HDRS, and NPI-Q scales.

Conclusion:

Compared to the other experimental groups, only mindfulness prevented the onset of depression and other psychopathologies in early-stage AD. Based on its effectiveness in maintaining cognitive functions and preventing psychopathology, we recommend mindfulness as the first-choice NPT for mild to moderate AD.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9881020/

Improve Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly with Tai Chi

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Tai Chi Chuan, the great ultimate, strengthens the weak, raises the sick, invigorates the debilitated, and encourages the timid.” –Cheng Man-ch’ing

The aging process involves a systematic progressive decline in every system in the body, the brain included. The elderly frequently have problems with attention, thinking, and memory abilities, known as mild cognitive impairment. This is often a prelude to more severe decline such a dementia. An encouraging new development is that mindfulness practices such as meditation training and mindful movement practices can significantly reduce these declines in cognitive ability.

 

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese practice involving mindfulness and gentle movements. It is easy to learn, safe, and gentle. Tai Chi has been practiced for thousands of years with benefits for health and longevity. Tai Chi training is designed to enhance function and regulate the activities of the body through controlled breathing, mindful concentration, and gentle movements. Only recently though have the effects of this practice been scrutinized with empirical research. This research has found that it is effective for an array of physical and psychological issues. It appears to strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation and increase the number of cancer killing cells in the bloodstream, improve cardiovascular health, reduce arthritis pain, improve balance and reduce falls. It also appears to improve attentional ability improve cognitive ability in the elderly, and relieve depression.

 

In today’s Research News article “Mitigating effects and mechanisms of Tai Chi on mild cognitive impairment in the elderly.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9906996/  ) Wang and colleagues review and summarize the published randomized controlled studies of the effects of Tai Chi practice on patients diagnosed with mild cognitive decline.

 

They report that Tai Chi practice relieved the symptoms of mild cognitive decline and delayed the onset of more severe dementia. The benefits include improved memory, executive function, and sleep and reduced body pain. They also report that Tai Chi practice appears to produce these benefits by altering the brain including increased brain volume, connectivity, and white matter efficiency and reduce inflammation.

 

Hence, the published research suggests that Tai Chi practice is an effective treatment for patients with mild cognitive impairment.

 

“The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability as opposed to resilience and hard work, we will be brittle in the face of adversity.” – Joshua Waitzkin

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog  http://contemplative-studies.org

 

Study Summary

 

Wang X, Si K, Gu W, Wang X. Mitigating effects and mechanisms of Tai Chi on mild cognitive impairment in the elderly. Front Aging Neurosci. 2023 Jan 6;14:1028822. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1028822. PMID: 36760710; PMCID: PMC9906996.

 

Abstract

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a major public health concern that endangers health and decreases the quality of life of the elderly around the world. A recent clinical guideline has recommended regular exercise (twice per week) for patients with MCI as part of an overall approach to management. Tai Chi, a form of light-to-moderate-intensity mind-body exercise, is particularly suitable for seniors. This review aims to summarize epidemiological studies related to the effects of Tai Chi on symptom remission in older adults with MCI and reveal the potential mechanisms. Evidence suggested that Tai Chi can improve cognitive functions and alleviate the accompanying symptoms of MCI in the elderly potentially by activating the expression of signals in different brain regions, altering their connectivity, increasing the brain volume, and modulating brain-derived neurotropic and inflammation factors. Studies comparing various types of Tai Chi may contribute to the identification of paradigms that have appropriate intensities and difficulty and exert good effects on older people with MCI. In addition, studies are warranted to determine the frequency and duration of training that can optimize the beneficial effects of Tai Chi on MCI.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9906996/

Improve the Cognitive, Social, and Psychological States of Mild Alzheimer’s Patients with Mindfulness

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Improve the Cognitive, Social, and Psychological States of Mild Alzheimer’s Patients with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“You have to be patient with Alzheimer’s. Once you understand that it’s a medical condition, you become a little more compassionate. You get less frustrated.” – Kim Campbell

 

The normal aging process involves a systematic progressive decline in every system in the body, the brain included. The elderly often have problems with attention, thinking, and memory, known as mild cognitive impairment. But sometimes the decline is rapid and results in dementia; a progressive loss of mental function produced by degenerative diseases of the brain. It is quite common with about 3% of adults ages 70 to 74, 22% of adults ages 85 to 89 and 33% of adults ages 90 and older. Between 60% to 80% of dementia cases are classified as Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

An encouraging new development is that mindfulness practices such as meditation training and mindful movement practices can significantly reduce these declines in cognitive ability. In addition, it has been found that mindfulness practices reduce the deterioration of the brain that occurs with aging restraining the loss of neural tissue. This suggests that mindfulness may help to relieve some of the symptoms and/or slow the progression of mild Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) in Patients with Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10046197/ )  Giulietti and colleagues recruited elderly (>70 years old) patients suffering from mild Alzheimer’s disease. They were randomly assigned to either receive no treatment or a once a week for 6-month mindfulness-based intervention including stress management, relaxation, and 15-minute meditations once in treatment and twice at home per week. At baseline and after 6-months the patients were measured with the Mini Mental States Inventory, and for health-related quality of life, depression, spiritual well-being, social status, everyday cognition, and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

 

In comparison to baseline the patients that received the mindfulness-based intervention had significantly greater levels of everyday cognition, spiritual well-being, and social functioning, and lower levels of depression, agitation/aggression, anxiety, apathy, euphoria, sleep, apathy, and appetite. Whereas the control patients had significantly worsening Mini Mental States Inventory, apathy, appetite, and depression.

 

Caution should be exercised in interpreting these results as it was a relatively small pilot study without an active control condition.

 

But the results suggest that mindfulness training improved the cognitive, social, and psychological states of mild Alzheimer’s disease patients while the untreated patients showed a worsening of their cognitive and psychological states.

 

 “People do not realize that Alzheimer’s is not old age. It is a progressive and fatal disease and staggering amounts of people develop Alzheimer’s every day.” – Melina Kanakaredes

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog  http://contemplative-studies.org

 

Study Summary

 

Giulietti MV, Spatuzzi R, Fabbietti P, Vespa A. Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) in Patients with Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease: A Pilot Study. Brain Sci. 2023 Mar 13;13(3):484. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13030484. PMID: 36979294; PMCID: PMC10046197.

 

Abstract

Bachground In this study, we hypothesize that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may improve well-being and the related outcomes in Alzheimer’s dementia patients (AD-P) at an early stage. MBIs consist of the practice of consciously observing the psychic contents in the present moment (thoughts, sensations, feelings, and other events). This attention allows one to become aware of the psychic contents and integrate them, thus favoring the quality of life and an increase in the mood of practitioners. Methods The randomized controlled study enrolled 22 AD-P at an early stage (age ≥ 60 years) treated with MBIs and 22 patients without treatment (six months of MBI training). Tests (T0–T1 six months): Mini-Mental State Examination (MMPI); Spiritual Well-Being (SWB); Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); SF36. Test-Caregiver: Everyday Cognition scales (ECOG). Results AD-P with mindfulness: Improvement of ECOG (p = 0.026), quality of life (p < 0.001), spiritual well-being (p < 0.001); decrease in depression BDI (p < 0.001). The MMSE remains unchanged. The control group of untreated patients showed a significant worsening in all these dimensions. Conclusions MBI training is effective in increasing quality of life and preventing worsening in patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s dementia.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10046197/

 

Long-Term Meditation Changes Large-Scale Brain Connectivity

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Long-Term Meditation Changes Large-Scale Brain Connectivity

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

There has accumulated a large amount of research demonstrating that meditation practice has significant benefits for psychological, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. One way that meditation practices may produce these benefits is by altering the brain. The nervous system is a dynamic entity, constantly changing and adapting to the environment. It will change size, activity, and connectivity in response to experience. These changes in the brain are called neuroplasticity. Over the last decade neuroscience has been studying the effects of contemplative practices on the brain and has identified neuroplastic changes in widespread areas. In other words, meditation practice appears to mold and change the brain structures and connectivity, producing psychological, physical, and spiritual benefits, especially mindfulness.

 

Two in particular types of meditation can be characterized on a continuum with the degree and type of attentional focus. In focused attention meditation, the individual practices paying attention to a single meditation object, learns to filter out distracting stimuli, including thoughts, and learns to stay focused on the present moment, filtering out thoughts centered around the past or future. In open monitoring meditation, the individual opens up awareness to everything that’s being experienced regardless of its origin. These include bodily sensations, external stimuli, and even thoughts. The meditator just observes these thoughts and lets them arise and fall away without paying them any further attention. These differences are likely to produce different effects on the practitioners, their psychology and their brains.

 

In today’s Research News article “Long-Term and Meditation-Specific Modulations of Brain Connectivity Revealed Through Multivariate Pattern Analysis.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10164028/ )  Guidotti  and colleagues recruited established long-term meditators (Buddhist Monks) and novice meditators. The novices practiced both focused and open monitoring meditation for 30 minutes per day for 10 days. Both groups then practiced both focused and open monitoring meditation while having their brains scanned with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).

 

The found that large-scale functional interactions in the brain could better predict both focused and open monitoring meditation styles in practiced meditators as opposed to novices. Open Monitoring meditation enhanced connectivity between regions that process somatosensory, auditory, and visual information. On the other hand, Focused Meditation enhanced connectivity between regions that are involved in attentional control and self-awareness.

 

These findings suggest that long-term meditation changes the brain to process different information in large-scale networks for focused versus open monitoring meditations, but not so much in novice meditators. Hence, long-term meditation practice changes the brain to facilitate brain processing of meditation type specific functions.

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Guidotti R, D’Andrea A, Basti A, Raffone A, Pizzella V, Marzetti L. Long-Term and Meditation-Specific Modulations of Brain Connectivity Revealed Through Multivariate Pattern Analysis. Brain Topogr. 2023 May;36(3):409-418. doi: 10.1007/s10548-023-00950-3. Epub 2023 Mar 28. PMID: 36977909; PMCID: PMC10164028.

 

Abstract

Neuroimaging studies have provided evidence that extensive meditation practice modifies the functional and structural properties of the human brain, such as large-scale brain region interplay. However, it remains unclear how different meditation styles are involved in the modulation of these large-scale brain networks. Here, using machine learning and fMRI functional connectivity, we investigated how focused attention and open monitoring meditation styles impact large-scale brain networks. Specifically, we trained a classifier to predict the meditation style in two groups of subjects: expert Theravada Buddhist monks and novice meditators. We showed that the classifier was able to discriminate the meditation style only in the expert group. Additionally, by inspecting the trained classifier, we observed that the Anterior Salience and the Default Mode networks were relevant for the classification, in line with their theorized involvement in emotion and self-related regulation in meditation. Interestingly, results also highlighted the role of specific couplings between areas crucial for regulating attention and self-awareness as well as areas related to processing and integrating somatosensory information. Finally, we observed a larger involvement of left inter-hemispheric connections in the classification. In conclusion, our work supports the evidence that extensive meditation practice modulates large-scale brain networks, and that the different meditation styles differentially affect connections that subserve style-specific functions.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10164028/

 

Prevent Depression and Dementia-Related Behavioral Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease with Mindfulness

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Prevent Depression and Dementia-Related Behavioral Symptoms in Alzheimer’s Disease with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Alzheimer’s is not about the past—the successes, the accolades, the accomplishments… Alzheimer’s is about the present and the struggle, the scrappy brawl, the fight to live with a disease. It’s being in the present, the relationships, the experiences, which is the core of life, the courage to live in the soul”. – Greg O’Brien

 

The normal aging process involves a systematic progressive decline in every system in the body, the brain included. The elderly frequently have problems with attention, thinking, and memory, known as mild cognitive impairment. But sometimes the decline is rapid and results in dementia; a progressive loss of mental function produced by degenerative diseases of the brain. It is quite common with about 3% of adults ages 70 to 74, 22% of adults ages 85 to 89 and 33% of adults ages 90 and older. Between 60% to 80% of dementia cases are classified as Alzheimer’s Disease. Depression is a common symptom.

 

An encouraging new development is that mindfulness practices such as meditation training and mindful movement practices can significantly reduce these declines in cognitive ability. In addition, it has been found that mindfulness practices reduce the deterioration of the brain that occurs with aging restraining the loss of neural tissue. This suggests that mindfulness may also help to relieve some of the psychological symptoms of the disease; particularly mindfulness practices ability to prevent the development of depression in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

In today’s Research News article “Mindfulness Prevents Depression and Psychopathology in Elderly People with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9881020/ ) Quintana-Hernández and colleagues recruited patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease who were not showing depressive symptoms and randomly assigned them to receive either no treatment, mindfulness practice (Mindfulness-based Alzheimer’s Stimulation), cognitive stimulation, or progressive muscle relaxation. They were provided with three weekly sessions over 2 years. Mindfulness-based Alzheimer’s Stimulation involves caregiver and patient joint activities emphasizing present moment awareness.

 

The participants were measured at baseline and every 6 months thereafter for depression, and caregiver rated dementia-related behavioral symptoms, including delusions, hallucinations, agitation/aggression, dysphoria, anxiety, euphoria, apathy, disinhibition, irritability/lability, aberrant motor activity, night-time behavioral disturbances and appetite and eating abnormalities.

 

They found that, over the 2-year study period, mindfulness training and practice prevented the onset of depression and dementia-related behavioral symptoms in these patients while these symptoms increased progressively and significantly in all other groups.

 

These findings are remarkable and demonstrate that mindfulness training can prevent the development of depression and neuropsychiatric symptoms in early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease patients over a substantial period of time. This suggests that mindfulness training should be incorporated into the routine treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

“You have to be patient with Alzheimer’s. Once you understand that it’s a medical condition, you become a little more compassionate. You get less frustrated.” – Kim Campbell

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on the Contemplative Studies Blog  http://contemplative-studies.org

 

Study Summary

 

Quintana-Hernández DJ, Rojas-Hernández J, Santana-Del Pino A, Céspedes Suárez C, Pellejero Silva M, Miró-Barrachina MT, Ibáñez Fernández I, Estupiñán López JA, Borkel LF. Mindfulness Prevents Depression and Psychopathology in Elderly People with Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Alzheimers Dis. 2023;91(1):471-481. doi: 10.3233/JAD-220889. PMID: 36442199; PMCID: PMC9881020.

 

Background:

This longitudinal study addressed whether mindfulness practice prevents psychological and behavioral symptoms, especially mood disorders, in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Objective:

To assess the incidence of depression in the course of AD and to determine which non-pharmacological treatment (NPT) is most effective in preventing psychopathological symptoms.

Methods:

We conducted a longitudinal, non-inferiority and equivalence randomized clinical trial, repeated-measures design, with a control group and three experimental treatments: mindfulness, cognitive stimulation, and relaxation. Each experimental group performed three weekly sessions for two years. The pharmacological treatment of all participants was donepezil (10 mg). Participants were patients with probable AD without diagnosed depression from the public neurology services of the Canary Health Service, Spain. Psychological evaluation was performed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-Q). The statistical analysis included only patients who attended at least 75% of the sessions. A nonparametric, repeated-measures analysis was performed with Kruskal-Wallis H test and between-group differences with Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction (p < 0.008). Effect size was calculated with partial eta-squared.

Results:

The results showed significant differences with large effect sizes (η2p>0.14) between mindfulness and the rest of the experimental groups as well as the control in the GDS, HDRS, and NPI-Q scales.

Conclusion:

Compared to the other experimental groups, only mindfulness prevented the onset of depression and other psychopathologies in early-stage AD. Based on its effectiveness in maintaining cognitive functions and preventing psychopathology, we recommend mindfulness as the first-choice NPT for mild to moderate AD.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9881020/

Mindfulness is Associated with Less Self-Talk and Greater Self-Compassion

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Mindfulness is Associated with Less Self-Talk and Greater Self-Compassion

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“You’ve been criticising yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”— Louise L. Hay

 

One of the more remarkable aspects of Western culture is that in general people do not like themselves. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others and since there can only one best, virtually everyone falls short. So, we constantly criticize ourselves for not being the smartest, the swiftest, the strongest, the most liked, the most handsome or beautiful. If there wasn’t something wrong with us, then we would be the best. As a result, we become focused and obsessed with our flaws. This can lead to anxiety and worry impairing well-being.

 

Mindfulness promotes experiencing and accepting ourselves as we are, which is a direct antidote to seeing ourselves in comparison to others and as we wish to be. In other words, mindfulness promotes self-compassion. Self-compassion is “treating oneself with kindness and understanding when facing suffering, seeing one’s failures as part of the human condition, and having a balanced awareness of painful thoughts and emotions” (Kristin Neff). Because self-compassion is so lacking and yet necessary for well-being, it is important to study the relationship of mindfulness and self-compassion.

 

In today’s Research News article “Trait Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Self-Talk: A Correlational Analysis of Young Adults.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9495966/)  Grzybowski and colleagues recruited undergraduate students and had them complete measures of mindfulness, self-talk, positive and negative automatic self-statements, and self-compassion.

 

They found that the higher the levels of mindfulness the higher the levels of positive self-talk and the lower the levels of negative self-talk. In addition, the higher the levels of positive self-talk the greater the levels of self-compassion.

 

These findings are correlative and as such caution must be exercised in reaching conclusions regarding causation. Regardless, the findings suggest that mindfulness and self-compassion are associated with positive internal speech, self-talk. This suggests that mindfulness may promote positive internal self-statements that are in turn associated with self-compassion which is very important for the individual’s psychological well-being.

 

”It is a beautiful experience being with ourselves at a level of complete acceptance. When that begins to happen, when you give up resistance and needing to be perfect, a peace will come over you as you have never known.”— Ruth Fishel

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Grzybowski J, Brinthaupt TM. Trait Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Self-Talk: A Correlational Analysis of Young Adults. Behav Sci (Basel). 2022 Aug 23;12(9):300. doi: 10.3390/bs12090300. PMID: 36135104; PMCID: PMC9495966.

 

Abstract

This research explores the relationships between trait mindfulness, self-compassion, self-talk frequency, and experience with mindful practice. We expected to find that positive self-talk would be positively related to mindfulness and self-compassion, and negative self-talk would be negatively related to these variables. Participants (N = 342) were recruited through a university research pool, as well as via social media posting. The participants completed two measures of trait mindfulness (the 15-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the Trait Toronto Mindfulness Scale), two measures of self-talk (the Self-Talk Scale and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire—Revised), and the Self-Compassion Scale short form. The results showed moderate positive correlations between (1) positive self-talk and trait mindfulness and (2) positive self-talk and self-compassion. A significant negative correlation also emerged between negative self-talk and trait mindfulness. Additional analyses indicated no moderating effects of mindfulness experience on self-talk or self-compassion in predicting trait mindfulness. We discuss implications for the significance of the relationship between self-talk and mindfulness for the effective implementation in future treatment methodologies.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9495966/

 

Mindfulness is Associated with Greater Psychological Well-Being

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Mindfulness is Associated with Greater Psychological Well-Being

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”  ― Amit Ray

 

The primary focus of the majority of research on mindfulness has been on its ability to treat negative emotional states such as anxiety, depression, and perceived stress. As such, it has been found to be effective for a large array of medical and psychiatric conditions, either stand-alone or in combination with more traditional therapies. But mindfulness training has also been shown to improve health and well-being in healthy individuals. Indeed, it is possible that the effectiveness of mindfulness training in relieving mental and physical illness may result from its ability to improve positive psychological states.

 

In today’s Research News article “Could mindfulness diminish mental health disorders? The serial mediating role of self-compassion and psychological well-being.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9362435/ )  Tran and colleagues, during the Covid-19 pandemic, sent an online survey to university students and again after 15 days measuring mindfulness, self-compassion, anxiety, depression, stress, and psychological well-being. Students who practiced mindfulness were followed up with structured qualitative reports.

 

They found that the higher the levels of mindfulness the lower the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, and the higher the levels of self-compassion, and psychological well-being. They also report that mindfulness has direct relationships with lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression and also indirect relationships. Mindfulness was associated with higher levels of self-compassion which in turn was associated with higher levels of psychological well-being which in turn was associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The qualitative results corroborated these findiings.

 

These results suggest that the anxiety, depression, and stress that occurred during the Covid-19 pandemic are less in mindful students and suggests that these relationships are partially mediated by mindful people having higher levels of self-compassion and psychological well-being.

 

“The way to live in the present is to remember that ‘This too shall pass.’ When you experience joy, remembering that ‘This too shall pass’ helps you savor the here and now. When you experience pain and sorrow, remembering that ‘This too shall pass’ reminds you that grief, like joy, is only temporary.” – Joey Green

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Tran MAQ, Vo-Thanh T, Soliman M, Ha AT, Van Pham M. Could mindfulness diminish mental health disorders? The serial mediating role of self-compassion and psychological well-being. Curr Psychol. 2022 Aug 3:1-14. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03421-3. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35967505; PMCID: PMC9362435.

 

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic clearly has various detrimental psychological effects on people’s mental health, emphasizing the importance of mindfulness in overcoming such repercussions. This is in line with the growing number of studies that have been conducted to assess the effects of mindfulness in diverse settings. However, the role of mindfulness in reducing mental health issues among university students has received little attention. Therefore, the current work seeks to investigate how mindfulness could reduce the anxiety, depression, and stress of university students and how self-compassion and psychological well-being could mediate the links between mindfulness and these mental health disorders. To that end, an explanatory sequential mixed-method design was adopted. Quantitative data collected, through a two-wave survey, from 560 Vietnamese students having an average age of 18.7 years were used to test the hypotheses. To measure the six variables in the research models, we opted for the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-26), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21–7 items for each subscale), and World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Additionally, qualitative data from 19 in-depth interviews were utilized to explain the quantitative findings and explore students’ experiences in practicing mindfulness and self-compassion to decrease stress, depression, and anxiety. The results elucidated that self-compassion and psychological well-being serially mediated the relationships between mindfulness (as a predictor) and anxiety, stress, and depression (as outcome variables). The findings demonstrated the key role of mindfulness in increasing students’ self-compassion and psychological well-being as well as reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. This research holds substantial contributions by providing universities and psychotherapists with recommendations to deal with negative psychological consequences caused by COVID-19.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9362435/

 

Improve Asthma Symptoms with Mindfulness

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Improve Asthma Symptoms with Mindfulness

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Asthma is treatable and well can be controlled.” —Cathy Freeman

 

Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs that involves a persistent inflammation of the airways. When the inflammation worsens, it makes it more difficult for air to move in and out of the lungs provoking coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. It is estimated that 300 million people worldwide and 30 million people in the U.S. suffer from asthma and the incidence appears to be growing. Asthma is not fatal and those with moderate asthma have an equivalent life expectancy to those that don’t. There is no cure for asthma. So, it is a chronic disease that must be coped with throughout the lifetime. Treatments are aimed at symptomatic relief. Most frequently drugs, anti-inflammatory hormones, and inhalers are used to help control the inflammation. Mindfulness training has been shown to improve the symptoms of Asthma.

 

In today’s Research News article “Clinically relevant effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in individuals with asthma.” (See summary below or view the full text of the study at:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9513112/ ) Higgins and colleagues recruited asthma patients and randomly assigned them to either a wait-list control condition or to receive an 8-weekly 2.5 hour sessions of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)  consisting of meditation, yoga, body scan, and group discussion. The participants were measured before, midpoint, after and every month for 6 months for asthma control, asthma severity, airway inflammation, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, symptoms and severity, and mindfulness.

 

They found that in comparison to baseline and the control group, the MBSR had significantly improved mindfulness and asthma control and significantly reduced symptom distress and airway inflammation. Hence, MBSR produced significant improvements in asthma symptoms and the patients ability to control the symptoms.

 

So, improve asthma with mindfulness.

 

“Asthma would not keep me from enjoying life.I beat asthma everyday.” —Unknown

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Twitter @MindfulResearch

 

Study Summary

 

Higgins ET, Davidson RJ, Busse WW, Klaus DR, Bednarek GT, Goldman RI, Sachs J, Rosenkranz MA. Clinically relevant effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in individuals with asthma. Brain Behav Immun Health. 2022 Sep 14;25:100509. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100509. PMID: 36177306; PMCID: PMC9513112.

 

Abstract

Background

Psychological distress and comorbid psychopathology contribute to exacerbation risk in patients with asthma. Thus, interventions designed to reduce stress and improve emotion regulation, such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), may augment standard care. Few studies have addressed this question and a paucity of data exists to determine the ability of MBSR to impact clinical outcomes in asthma.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial investigated effects of MBSR training on asthma control and airway inflammation, in relation to psychological symptoms, in adults with asthma. Participants were randomized to an 8-week MBSR training (n = 35) or wait-list control group (n = 34). Clinically relevant asthma assessments, including Asthma Control Questionnaire and inflammatory biomarkers, were collected at baseline and six approximately-monthly follow-ups. Self-reported mindfulness, distress, depression, and anxiety symptoms were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and study completion. Chronic stress level was determined at baseline only.

Results

Asthma control improved significantly in individuals randomized to MBSR, relative to wait-list controls (p = .01; effect size d = 0.76), which was maintained at 4mo post-intervention. 32% of MBSR participants achieved a clinically significant improvement, based on the ACQ6 Minimally Important Difference, relative to 12% of wait-list participants. Moreover, MBSR-related improvement in asthma control was associated with a reduction in distress (p = .043) and the intervention was most efficacious for those with the highest baseline depressive symptoms (p = .023). Importantly, MBSR also reduced levels of exhaled nitric oxide, a biomarker of airway inflammation, relative to wait-list controls (p < .05).

Conclusion

Supporting and extending extant evidence of mind-body relationships in asthma and the benefits of stress reduction for these patients, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first RCT to demonstrate that training in MBSR improves clinically relevant asthma outcomes. MBSR may thus be a valuable addition to optimal asthma management, particularly for those with comorbid psychopathology.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9513112/