Meditation

Reduce Mind Wandering Produced by the Brain with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“the default mode network always takes you somewhere other than where you are. You are not focused on the immediate environment and will also be “time-travelling” in the past or future – never in the present moment. . . Interestingly, researchers have found that the default mode network is less active when people meditate.” – Mindful Call

 

Mindfulness is the ability to focus on what is transpiring in the present moment. It involves a greater emphasis on attention to the immediate stimulus environment. Mindful people generally have better attentional abilities and have fewer intrusive thoughts and less mind wandering. As a result, mindfulness has been shown to be associated with differences in thought processes. A system of the brain known as the Default Mode Network (DMN) becomes active during mind wandering and relatively quiet during focused on task behavior. It is involved when we are engaged in internally focused tasks such as recalling deeply personal memories, daydreaming, sleeping, imagining the future and trying to take the perspective of others. The DMN involves neural structures including the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, precuneus, inferior parietal cortex, and lateral temporal cortex. These areas of the DMN are functionally connected, such that they are simultaneously active during mind wandering.

 

Mindfulness training has been shown to alter the size and activity of neural structures including reducing the size and activity in the Default Mode Network (DMN) as a result of neuroplasticity. The DMN, however, is a network of interconnected structures which are, in turn, connected to a number of other neural structures. This interconnectivity reflects the ability of these structures to affect other structures in the brain, in other words, the effects of mind wandering on other brain systems. Hence, it is important to investigate the effects of mindfulness training on the functional connectivity of the structures of the Default Mode Network (DMN) and the neural structures connected to these structures.

 

In today’s Research News article “Data for default network reduced functional connectivity in meditators, negatively correlated with meditation expertise.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1328281653862424/?type=3&theater

or see summary below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340916304504

Berkovich-Ohana and colleagues performed functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the brains of experienced meditators in comparison to similar individuals who did not meditate while at rest and during meditation.

 

They found that at rest the functional connectivity within the structures of the DMN and within the neural structures associated with vision were lower in meditators and that this functional connectivity decreased during meditation. They also found that the meditators had greater functional connectivity between the DMN and the visual system structures than the non-meditators and this also decreased during meditation. In addition, they found that the greater the experience with meditation the lower the functional connectivity between the DMN and other neural structures. These findings suggest that meditation lowers the ability of the structures associated with mind wandering to affect other structures in the nervous system. They also suggest that meditation practice produces less internal connectivity within these structures underlying mind wandering. Finally, these findings suggest that visualizations dissociated from the focus of attention may be higher in the meditators. This may indicate that when meditators’ minds wander they contain more vivid visual imagery.

 

These data are interesting and demonstrate that meditation alters the internal connectivity of the structures that produce mind wandering and their ability to affect other neural structures. Hence, the functional connectivity of brain structures reflects the experiences of meditators of reduced mind wandering. Meditation appears to change the brain to produce less mind wandering.

 

So, reduce mind wandering produced by the brain with mindfulness.

 

“What may happen when people practise mindfulness is that, over time, this weakens the connection between their thalamus and the rest of the default mode network. Their trait mindfulness score would climb as a result and they might just become more mentally robust and less prone to depression and other mental illnesses. That really would be brain plasticity in action.” – Plastic Brain

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Berkovich-Ohana A, Harel M, Hahamy A, Arieli A, Malach R. Data for default network reduced functional connectivity in meditators, negatively correlated with meditation expertise. Data Brief. 2016 Jul 15;8:910-4. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2016.07.015. eCollection 2016 Sep. PMID: 2750824

 

Abstract

FMRI data described here was recorded during resting-state in Mindfulness Meditators (MM) and control participants (see “Task-induced activity and resting-state fluctuations undergo similar alterations in visual and DMN areas of long-term meditators” Berkovich-Ohana et al. (2016) [1] for details). MM participants were also scanned during meditation. Analyses focused on functional connectivity within and between the default mode network (DMN) and visual network (Vis). Here we show data demonstrating that: 1) Functional connectivity within the DMN and the Visual networks were higher in the control group than in the meditators; 2) Data show an increase for the functional connectivity between the DMN and the Visual networks in the meditators compared to controls; 3) Data demonstrate that functional connectivity both within and between networks reduces during meditation, compared to the resting-state; and 4) A significant negative correlation was found between DMN functional connectivity and meditation expertise.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340916304504

http://ac.els-cdn.com/S2352340916304504/1-s2.0-S2352340916304504-main.pdf?_tid=3b020506-60c4-11e6-bbcf-00000aacb360&acdnat=1471030840_5c9ab5e6d389861ca100e4384dec9a9f

 

Meditate to Pray. Pray to Meditate

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Meditate to Pray. Pray to Meditate

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation.” ― Thomas Keating

 

Prayer takes a number of different forms most of which are not meditative. Prayers of adoration are prayers focused on the worship of God, without any reference to circumstances, needs, or desires. They are often recited by rote. Prayers of thanksgiving are expressions of gratitude towards God, made in reference to specific positive life experiences. Prayers of supplication “taps requests for God’s intervention in specific life events for oneself or others”. Prayers of confession involve the admission of negative behaviors, and a request for forgiveness. Obligatory prayers are required prayers consist primarily of fixed prayers repeated at each worship time. All of these types of prayer generally don’t parallel meditation and might be characterized as self-serving.

 

The final type, on the other hand, prayers of reception are very similar to meditation. These are prayers in which “one more passively awaits divine wisdom, understanding, or guidance”. They are “characterized by a contemplative attitude of openness, receptivity, and surrender, resulting in experiences ranging from peaceful/quiet to rapture/ecstasy”. The following story exemplifies this form of prayer:

“Mother Theresa was once asked about her prayer life.

The interviewer asked, “When you pray, what do you say to God?”

Mother Teresa replied, “I don’t talk, I simply listen.”

Believing he understood what she had just said, the interviewer next asked, “Ah, then what is it that God says to you when you pray?”

Mother Teresa replied, “He also doesn’t talk. He also simply listens.”

There was a long silence, with the interviewer seeming a bit confused and not knowing what to ask next.

Finally, Mother Teresa breaks the silence by saying, “If you can’t understand the meaning of what I’ve just said, I’m sorry but there’s no way I can explain it any better.” –  David Matthew Brown

 

This is the kind of prayer described by Mother Theresa is the form of contemplative prayer engaged in by the Christian or Sufi mystics. Receptive prayer might be characterized as the deepest most profound form of prayer. In this prayer the mind is quieted and there is no specific goal as in meditation. The practitioner simply quiets the mind and patiently monitors experience, just like meditation. So, not only can contemplative prayer be viewed as a form of meditation, but meditation can be viewed as a form of prayer. Both involve quieting the mind and simply resting peacefully observing whatever transpires.

 

This idea is further evidenced by what is arguably the most famous definition of prayer from St John Damascene ,‘Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God’. It is also evident in the sermons of the highly regarded Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart. He states that

“The most powerful form of prayer, and the one which can virtually gain all things and which is the worthiest work of all, is that which flows from a free mind. The freer the mind is, the more powerful and worthy, the more useful, praiseworthy and perfect the prayer and the work become. A free mind can achieve all things. But what is a free mind? A free mind is one which is untroubled and unfettered by anything, which has not bound its best part to any particular manner of being or devotion and which does not seek its own interest in anything but is always immersed in God’s most precious will, having gone out of what is its own. (Talks of Instruction 2 in Davies, 1994).”

 

So, prayers of reception are essentially meditations. They involve quieting the mind and simply observing what transpires. The difference is simply one of intent. In the case of prayer, the practitioner has the intent of becoming one with the Deity, while in the case of meditation the practitioner has the intent of becoming one with the universe. Simply thinking of the universe as the expression of the Devine makes contemplative prayer and meditation identical. It’s all a matter of the label put on it. The meditator calls the ultimate product of meditation as awakening or enlightenment while the contemplative prayer practitioner calls the ultimate product of the prayer Devine revelation. It could be argued that these two are identical except for the labels put on them. In fact, the mystical experiences reported by the Christian and Sufi mystics only differ from those reported by meditators in the labels put on them. In their essence they are identical and lead to effectively the same place.

 

So, meditate to pray and pray to meditate!

 

“Spiritual meditation is the pathway to Divinity. It is a mystic ladder which reaches from earth to heaven, from error to Truth, from pain to peace.” ~James Allen

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Reduce Stress during Pregnancy with Mindfulness

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Mindfulness pregnancy2 Muthukhrishian

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Mindful awareness practices helped me so much during the adventure of pregnancy and early motherhood that I began to turn my professional interest toward how mindfulness might help reduce stress and improve mood among pregnant women and early moms, enhance their connection with their babies, and really thrive through the transformation of motherhood.” – Cassandra Vieten

 

Pregnancy produces vast changes in the woman’s life, her body, her emotions, and her family. These changes may well be desired and welcomed, but they produce stress. Indeed, stress is a common experience in pregnancy. But, it must be controlled. Too much stress can produce sleeping problems, headaches, loss of appetite or its opposite, overeating. If the levels of stress are high and prolonged it can produce health problems such as hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart disease in the mother. It can also make it more likely that the baby will be born prematurely or with a low birthweight, both of which are indicators of health problems for the infant and in the later child’s life.

 

So, it is important to either control stress during pregnancy or find ways to better cope with it. Mindfulness training has been shown to reduce the individual’s psychological and physiological responses to stress. It does not lower stress. Rather, it lowers the individual’s responses to the stress. Mindfulness has been shown to be helpful during pregnancy. It can help to relieve the anxiety and depression that commonly accompany pregnancy and even appears to benefit the neurocognitive development of the infant. Hence, mindfulness training may be a safe and effective method to assist the pregnant woman in coping with the stresses of pregnancy.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Perceived Stress Scores and Autonomic Function Tests of Pregnant Indian Women.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1289644157726174/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4866093/

Muthukrishnan and colleagues studied the effects of mindfulness meditation on stress in pregnant women. They randomly assigned women who were 12 weeks of gestation to receive either 5-weeks of mindfulness meditation training in addition to treatment as usual or treatment as usual only. The meditation group received 2 training sessions per week and were asked to meditate at home for 30-minutes per day. The women were assessed prior to and after the training for perceived stress, heart rate, and heart rate variability responses normally and in response to a stressor.

 

They found that the meditation group had a significant decrease in perceived stress, respiration rate, and lower blood pressure changes in response to a physical and a mental stressor. There was also a significant increase in heart rate variability in the meditation group. These measures indicate that autonomic nervous system tone has been improved with an increase in vegetative (parasympathetic) activity. These are important findings that indicate that meditation training decreases the pregnant women’s responses to stress and improve her overall peripheral nervous system functioning.

 

Hence, mindfulness meditation is a safe and effective method to reduce the psychological and physical responses to the stress of pregnancy. So, practicing meditation should be encouraged for pregnant women.

 

“By cultivating a mindfulness practice in pregnancy you’ll be better able to switch off from worries and stay relaxed on the big day, allowing your amazing body to simply do what it is more than capable of doing: to give birth smoothly and without fear.” – Susan Morrell

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are  also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Muthukrishnan, S., Jain, R., Kohli, S., & Batra, S. (2016). Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Perceived Stress Scores and Autonomic Function Tests of Pregnant Indian Women. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research : JCDR, 10(4), CC05–CC08. http://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/16463.7679

 

Abstract

Introduction: Various pregnancy complications like hypertension, preeclampsia have been strongly correlated with maternal stress. One of the connecting links between pregnancy complications and maternal stress is mind-body intervention which can be part of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Biologic measures of stress during pregnancy may get reduced by such interventions.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of Mindfulness meditation on perceived stress scores and autonomic function tests of pregnant Indian women.

Materials and Methods: Pregnant Indian women of 12 weeks gestation were randomised to two treatment groups: Test group with Mindfulness meditation and control group with their usual obstetric care. The effect of Mindfulness meditation on perceived stress scores and cardiac sympathetic functions and parasympathetic functions (Heart rate variation with respiration, lying to standing ratio, standing to lying ratio and respiratory rate) were evaluated on pregnant Indian women.

Results: There was a significant decrease in perceived stress scores, a significant decrease of blood pressure response to cold pressor test and a significant increase in heart rate variability in the test group (p< 0.05, significant) which indicates that mindfulness meditation is a powerful modulator of the sympathetic nervous system and can thereby reduce the day-to-day perceived stress in pregnant women.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that mindfulness meditation improves parasympathetic functions in pregnant women and is a powerful modulator of the sympathetic nervous system during pregnancy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4866093/

 

Simplify to Break Through

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“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” – Henry David Thoreau

 

Science has been a tremendous success. It has produced the knowledge and understandings that have allowed us to control our environment, prevent and cure diseases, communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time, feed billions of people, and understand our universe. The accelerating rate of development can be directly traced to the practice of science. How did science achieve so much? What allowed us to unravel the mysteries of our universe and existence? What is the essence of such a successful practice? In a word, it’s simplify! Science simplified phenomena in order to break through to understanding.

 

Science studies phenomena by simplifying them. In a good scientific experiment only one thing is studied at a time and everything else is either removed or held constant. To study gravity it must be done in a vacuum, removing the resistance to movement provided by air molecules. Other objects have to be removed so that only two objects are interacting, and all other forces have to be removed or controlled. Once, this is accomplished gravity can be studied in as pure a form as possible. This simplification is the essence of the scientific method. It successfully investigates phenomena by isolating them from the surrounding complexities.

 

Similarly, the essence of contemplative practices is to simplify. This allows us to investigate what resides at the core of our being by removing complexities or holding them as constant as possible. To achieve spiritual breakthroughs, contemplative practices, like science does to produce breakthroughs in the physical realm, removes as many distractions as possible to allow for the study of our essence in its purest form possible.

 

This is particularly clear with meditation practices. The beginner is taught to remove themselves to a quiet environment, to sit as comfortably as possible while still maintaining alertness, to quiet the mental chatter, and to concentrate on a single simple thing such as the breath or a mantra. In a body scan meditation, the concentration is on the feelings emanating solely from particular areas of the body. It is difficult to do hold the concentration required, especially for a beginner. It is the challenge of meditation. But, once achieved, even for brief periods of time, the practitioner becomes in essence a scientist of awareness. S/he becomes an explorer of the essential nature of their being. If the meditation is contemplative prayer, then the individual becomes an explorer of the nature of the Deity.

 

Similarly, mindful movement practices such as qigong or tai chi simplify by concentrating the mind on specific movements and the energetics (chi) revealed in their execution. The practitioner becomes an explorer of chi, the energy of existence. Yoga practice combines a number of these components with meditation at its core, but using body postures, asanas, as sometimes the point of concentration, sometimes the breathing, and sometimes just pure meditation. But, in essence, yoga simplifies the mind so that the core of being becomes exposed.

 

If we are successful in the practice and have simplified our mental landscape what is revealed? Once we pare away the distractions from the environment, from the thoughts, plans, and memories, from the internal speech, and from the body, what is left?  First we realize that try as we may we can never really quiet our minds. The internal chatter continues. We can quiet it for brief periods, but, not for long. This is uncomfortable for the beginning meditator who sees it as a failure. But, reflection can result in the first breakthrough; the understanding that we do not and cannot control our minds. If we can’t control it, then what is it? Is it the mind that defines us or is it simply something no different than the wind blowing, something outside of our essence that is simply there? It’s just another stimulus, just a thought arising and falling away, that only has power if we believe it comes from our essence. Only by simplifying are we able to have this breakthrough.

 

By simplifying in mindfulness practice we are able to see things as they really are, not as we think they should be, or as ideas of labels, but simply as ever changing experiences. One of the next breakthroughs is the realization of impermanence. Once simplified it is easy to see that everything is changing, increasing or decreasing, arising, or falling away, sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly, but never constant or stationary. Our minds and our sensory systems are programmed to produce constancy and only when we can eliminate these processes can we clearly see the impermanence of all things. These include our sensations, feelings, our physical body, and even thoughts. This reveals the fleeting nature of our experiences and even our lives and brings us to the realization that reality exists only in the present moment, that the past is simply a faulty memory and the future is a fanciful speculation. Only by simplifying are we able to have this breakthrough.

 

Once we have these breakthroughs and we have simplified our view of experience we are open to the next breakthrough, the realization that the only thing that is not changing, that is constant is our awareness. What is aware of impermanent reality is always aware and has always been aware, never changing, always present. Once we see that this is the only constant we can begin to understand that this is our essence, that awareness is what we are. We are not fleeting experience or a constructed sense of self, but rather that which is viewing these things, awareness. Only by simplifying are we able to have this breakthrough.

 

There are other breakthroughs that await when the process of simplification is complete. These we call awakening or enlightenment or as a teacher of mine likes to say, a moment of clarity. These like the other breakthroughs depend upon our simplifying everything so that the truth of existence can shine through.

 

So, simplify to break through!

 

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” – Hans Hofmann

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

Improve Type II Diabetes with Walking Meditation

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“While meditating as we walk, we can experience how our bodies feel much more intensely than we can either while doing a sitting meditation or simply walking with our normally scattered mental energy. Instead of thinking of the past or of the future — which our minds are into essentially all the time before we learn to meditate — we can feel all the pleasant sensations as well as the pain that parts of our body is telling us as we move along. This experience can be intense, and that intensity can in turn give us intense pleasure and even joy.” – David Mendosa

 

Type 2 diabetes is a common and increasingly prevalent illness that is largely preventable. Although this has been called adult-onset diabetes it is increasingly being diagnosed in children. It is estimated that 30 million people in the United States have diabetes and the numbers are growing. One of the reasons for the increasing incidence of Type 2 Diabetes is its association with overweight and obesity which is becoming epidemic in the industrialized world. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. In addition, diabetes is heavily associated with other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, and circulatory problems leading to amputations. As a result, diabetes doubles the risk of death of any cause compared to individuals of the same age without diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes results from a resistance of tissues, especially fat tissues, to the ability of insulin to promote the uptake of glucose from the blood. As a result, blood sugar levels rise producing hyperglycemia.

 

A leading cause of this tissue resistance to insulin is overweight and obesity and a sedentary life style. Hence, treatment and prevention of Type 2 Diabetes focuses on diet, exercise, and weight control. Recently, mindfulness practices have been shown to be helpful in managing diabetes.

A mindfulness practice that combines mindfulness with exercise is yoga and it has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of Type II Diabetes. Mindfulness can also be combined with other exercises. Walking has been frequently combined with meditation. This suggests that a walking meditation practice might be helpful in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effects of Buddhist walking meditation on glycemic control and vascular function in patients with type 2 diabetes.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1275528305804426/?type=3&theater

or below, Gainey and colleagues recruited adults with Type 2 Diabetes and had them walk for 40 minutes on a treadmill at a moderate intensity (50% to 70% of maximum heart rate). They randomly assigned them to either a continue the walking exercise or to practice mindfulness (focusing attention on each foot striking the floor) while performing the walking exercise for a 12-week period. Measurements were taken before and after the 12-week walking exercise of Body mass index (BMI), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), muscle strength, artery dilatation and stiffness, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, insulin, HbA1c, lipid profile and plasma cortisol concentrations.

 

They found that both groups showed improvements in maximal oxygen consumption, arterial dilatation, fasting blood glucose, suggesting that walking exercise regardless of the inclusion of meditation improves blood glucose levels and cardiovascular fitness in patients with type 2 diabetes. Only walking meditation, however, reduced HbA1c, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, arterial stiffness and plasma cortisol concentration suggesting that the inclusion of meditation practice with the walking was effective in improving glycemic control, vascular function, and cardiopulmonary fitness, as well as reducing stress levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. The reduced HbA1c levels are particularly significant as HbA1c levels are a measure of long-term glycemic control the “gold standard” marker of diabetes control.

 

These results are quite remarkable. The exact same exercise has significantly greater benefit for patients with type 2 diabetes when it employs mindfulness while engaging in the exercise. This effect might have occurred in part because mindfulness training produces a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity and increases parasympathetic activity, thereby reducing activation during exercise. This improved physiological relaxation may increase the impact of the exercise. Mindfulness training has been shown to reduce the physiological and psychological responses to stress. This may make the exercise less stressful and more enjoyable, maximizing its impact.

 

Regardless of the explanation the results clearly suggest that you can improve type II diabetes with walking meditation. They further suggest that combining mindfulness with virtually any exercise may make it more beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes and possibly for any disease which can be helped with exercise. This should be a rich area for future research.

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

“Meditation is a way of relaxing the mind through techniques such as focusing and controlled breathing. People meditate to reduce stress and relieve a variety of physical ailments. Recent research showed meditation can also help people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels.” – ADW Diabetes

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Gainey A, Himathongkam T, Tanaka H, Suksom D. Effects of Buddhist walking meditation on glycemic control and vascular function in patients with type 2 diabetes. Complement Ther Med. 2016 Jun;26:92-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2016.03.009. Epub 2016 Mar 10.

 

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and compare the effects of Buddhist walking meditation and traditional walking on glycemic control and vascular function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS: Twenty three patients with type 2 diabetes (50-75 years) were randomly allocated into traditional walking exercise (WE; n=11) or Buddhism-based walking meditation exercise (WM; n=12). Both groups performed a 12-week exercise program that consisted of walking on the treadmill at exercise intensity of 50-70% maximum heart rate for 30min/session, 3 times/week. In the WM training program, the participants performed walking on the treadmill while concentrated on foot stepping by voiced “Budd” and “Dha” with each foot step that contacted the floor to practice mindfulness while walking.

RESULTS: After 12 weeks, maximal oxygen consumption increased and fasting blood glucose level decreased significantly in both groups (p<0.05). Significant decrease in HbA1c and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed only in the WM group. Flow-mediated dilatation increased significantly (p<0.05) in both exercise groups but arterial stiffness was improved only in the WM group. Blood cortisol level was reduced (p<0.05) only in the WM group.

CONCLUSION: Buddhist walking meditation exercise produced a multitude of favorable effects, often superior to traditional walking program, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

 

Relax with Slower Breathing with Meditation

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“We often assume breathing is just a natural skill; everyone knows how to inhale and exhale. But breathing is a miracle. Being aware of our breath not only helps us manage the difficulties in everyday life, it also helps develop our wisdom and compassion. We can sit and breathe, but it is just as important to practice mindful breathing while we are moving. Life is a path, but life is not about getting to a certain place.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

 

Breathing is essential for life and generally occurs automatically. It’s easy to take for granted as it’s been there our entire lives. Nevertheless, we become more aware of it when it varies with circumstances, such as when we exercise and also in emotional states, especially fear and anxiety. But we rarely notice it during everyday ongoing life. Yet, its characteristics are associated with our state of well-being. Slow deep breathing is characteristic of a healthy relaxed state.

 

Meditators have been trained to pay attention to and even focus on breathing. Meditation produces a relaxed state and during meditation, respiration slows and deepens. Meditation also, promotes health and well-being. All this would predict that meditation practice would result in slower deeper breathing in the individual even when they are not meditating. In today’s Research News article “Long-term mindfulness training is associated with reliable differences in resting respiration rate.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1272710419419548/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4895172/

Wielgosz and colleagues examine this question. They compared the resting respiration rates of long-term meditators to a matched group of non-meditators and found that the meditators had significantly lower respiration rates (11%) than the controls. They further explored the lower respiration rates in meditators and found that it was significantly related to the total number of hours that these practitioners had spent on meditation retreats and not to the hours spent in daily practice.

 

These are interesting results that suggest that long-term meditation practice that includes meditation retreats is associated with lower respiration rates. These lower rates, in turn, suggest that there was an improvement in the overall well-being of the practitioners. Meditation retreats allow for extended periods of calm and quiet that are unavailable during everyday life with all its demands and stressors. It is possible that these extended periods are necessary to have an overall sustained reduction in respiration rates and the suggested improvement in overall well-being. This clearly suggests that including retreats in a meditation practice is very important.

 

It needs to be kept in mind that causation cannot be determined in this study. It is possible that people who engage in long-term meditation and attend meditation retreats are characteristically calmer people who had lower respiration rates even before initiating meditation practice. It will require a study where baselines are established before a meditation practice is commenced and then randomly assigning volunteers to either meditation practice with or without retreats or to a no-meditation condition.

 

Regardless, relax with slower breathing with meditation.

 

“Our breathing is a stable solid ground that we can take refuge in. Regardless of our internal weather- our thoughts, emotions and perceptions- our breathing is always with us like a faithful friend. Whenever we feel carried away, or sunken in a deep emotion, or scattered in worries and projects, we return to our breathing to collect and anchor our mind.” – Plum Village

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Wielgosz, J., Schuyler, B. S., Lutz, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2016). Long-term mindfulness training is associated with reliable differences in resting respiration rate. Scientific Reports, 6, 27533. http://doi.org/10.1038/srep27533

 

Abstract

Respiration rate is known to correlate with aspects of psychological well-being, and attention to respiration is a central component of mindfulness meditation training. Both traditional contemplative systems and recent empirical evidence support an association between formal mindfulness practice and decreased respiration rate. However, the question of whether long-term mindfulness training is associated with stable, generalized changes in respiration has yet to be directly investigated. We analyzed respiration patterns across multiple time points, separated by two months or more, in a group of long-term mindfulness meditation practitioners (LTMs, n = 31) and a matched group of non-meditators (Controls, n = 38). On average, LTMs showed slower baseline respiration rate (RR) than Controls. Among LTMs, greater practice experience was associated with slower RR, independently of age and gender. Furthermore, this association was specific to intensive retreat practice, and was not seen for routine daily practice. Full days of meditation practice did not produce detectable changes in baseline RR, suggesting distal rather than immediate effects. All effects were independent of physiological characteristics including height, weight, body-mass index and waist-hip ratio. We discuss implications for continued study of the long-term effects of mindfulness training on health and well-being.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4895172/

 

Improve Thought Process in Addiction Recovery with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“First of all, though it may seem paradoxical, by increasing your ability to accept and tolerate the present moment, you become more able to make needed changes in your life. This is due to your learning to deal with uncomfortable feelings that might accompany modified behaviors, rather than reacting on automatic pilot. Also, practicing balanced emotional responses can reduce your stress level, and anxiety and stress are often triggers for substance abuse and addictive behavior. In addition, when you choose a neutral rather than a judgmental response to your thoughts and feelings, you can increase your sense of self-compassion rather than beating yourself up, which is often associated with addictive behaviors.” – Rachel Fintzy

 

We typically think of drug abuse as being focused on a single substance, e.g. cocaine, alcohol, opiates, etc. Many addicts, however, abuse multiple drugs, obtaining whatever is least expensive and most easily available. Some addicts combine drugs to produce a more intense high. This is called polysubstance abuse and is defined as the use at least three different classes of addictive substances over a 12-month period, without forming a preference for any single drug that qualifies for dependence on its own. Polysubstance abuse is often accompanied with significant psychological problems and it is associated with impairments in thought processes (executive functions).

 

Illicit drug use is quite common with an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—9.4 percent of the population—having used an illicit drug in the past month. It is increasing as over the last 10 years it has increased from 8.3%. It is estimated that around 42% of substance abusers are polysubstance abusers. So, polysubstance abuse is a major problem affecting around 4% of the U.S. population.

 

Mindfulness training has been shown to be effective in treatment for substance abuse, helping to reduce relapse. Recently, a combination of goal management and mindfulness training has been shown to be helpful in recovery from polysubstance abuse. In today’s Research News article “Goal Management Training and Mindfulness Meditation improves executive functions and transfers to ecological tasks of daily life in polysubstance users enrolled in therapeutic community treatment.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1271975576159699/?type=3&theater

or below, Valls-Serrano and colleagues delved a little deeper into the effects of this combined treatment on the thought processes (executive function) of polysubstance abusers. They recruited polysubstance abusers and randomly assigned them to receive the combination of goal management and mindfulness meditation training or to a treatment as usual control condition. Treatment occurred over 8 weeks with one goal management and one mindfulness meditation training session per week. Measurements were taken before and after treatment of perceived stress and a series of “laboratory tasks of basic and complex executive functions (i.e., basic: working memory and inhibition; complex: planning and self-regulation) and in an ecological task of goal-directed behavior.”

 

They found that the combined training produced a significant reduction in perceived stress and improvements in executive functions, including working memory, reflection/impulsivity decision making, and real world planning. The reduction in stress would be expected as mindfulness training has been repeatedly demonstrated to reduce the psychological and physiological responses to stress. Mindfulness training has also been shown to improve memory and cognitive function and reduce impulsivity. The importance of the present study is to demonstrate that these improvements occur with polysubstance abusers in treatment. This suggests that the treatment improves their thinking and planning ability. Importantly, improvements in these areas, particularly in working memory and impulsivity, have been shown to be highly related to successful abstinence from drugs.

 

These are encouraging results and suggest that polysubstance abuse is amenable to treatment with a combination of goal management and mindfulness meditation training which improves both executive function and perceived stress, which in turn improves the likelihood of successful treatment outcomes.

 

So, improve thought process in addiction recovery with mindfulness.

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

“There’s a shift in the individual’s relationship to discomfort. Let’s say someone is feeling depressed, or sad, lonely or bored — something that tends to trigger craving and then substance use. These practices are teaching people to notice that arising, and to relate to that differently.“ –  Sarah Bowen

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Valls-Serrano C, Caracuel A, Verdejo-Garcia A. Goal Management Training and Mindfulness Meditation improves executive functions and transfers to ecological tasks of daily life in polysubstance users enrolled in therapeutic community treatment. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2016 May 20. pii: S0376-8716(16)30115-6. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.04.040. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Highlights

  • Goal Management Training + MindfulnessMeditationimproves working memory and reflection-impulsivity in polysubstance users in therapeutic community treatment.
  • Executive functiongains transfer to daily activities measured by an ecological task.
  • The training was also associated with reduction of stress levels.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that Goal Management Training+Mindfulness Meditation (GMT+MM) improves executive functions in polysubstance users enrolled in outpatient treatment. The aim of this study was to establish if GMT+MM has similar positive effects on executive functions in polysubstance users in residential treatment, and if executive functions’ gains transfer to more ecologically valid goal-oriented tasks.

METHODS: Thirty-two polysbustance users were randomly allocated to eight weeks of GMT+MM (n=16) or control, i.e., no-intervention (n=16); both groups received treatment as usual. Outcome measures included performance in laboratory tasks of basic and complex executive functions (i.e., basic: working memory and inhibition; complex: planning and self-regulation) and in an ecological task of goal-directed behavior (the Multiple Errands Test – contextualized version, MET-CV) measured post-interventions.

RESULTS: Results showed that GMT+MM was superior to control in improving basic measures of working memory (Letter-number sequencing; F=4.516, p=0.049) and reflection impulsivity (Information Sampling Test; F=6.217, p=0.018), along with initial thinking times during planning (Zoo Map Test; F=8.143, p=0.008). In addition, GMT+MM was superior to control in improving performance in the MET-CV (task failures; F=8.485, p=0.007).

CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that GMT+MM increases reflective processes and the achievement of goals in daily activities, furthermore ecological test can detects changes easily than laboratory tasks.

http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.shsu.edu/science/article/pii/S0376871616301156

 

Meditation Improves Longevity by Producing a Healthier Relationship with Existence

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Theories differ as to how meditation might boost telomeres and telomerase, but most likely it reduces stress. The practice involves slow, regular breathing, which may relax us physically by calming the fight-or-flight response. It probably has a psychological stress-busting effect too. Being able to step back from negative or stressful thoughts may allow us to realize that these are not necessarily accurate reflections of reality but passing, ephemeral events. It also helps us to appreciate the present instead of continually worrying about the past or planning for the future.” – Jo Marchant

 

One of the most exciting findings in molecular biology in recent years was the discovery of the telomere. This is a component of the DNA molecule that is attached to the ends of the strands. Recent genetic research has suggested that the telomere and its regulation is the biological mechanism that produces aging. It has been found that the genes, coded on the DNA molecule, govern cellular processes in our bodies. One of the most fundamental of these processes is cell replication. Cells are constantly turning over. Dying cells or damaged are replaced by new cells. The cells turn over at different rates but most cells in the body are lost and replaced between every few days to every few months. Needless to say we’re constantly renewing ourselves.

 

As we age the tail of the DNA molecule called the telomere shortens. When it gets very short cells have a more and more difficult time reproducing and become more likely to produce defective cells. On a cellular basis this is what produces aging. As we get older the new cells produced are more and more defective. The shortening of the telomere occurs each time the cell is replaced. So, slowly as we age it gets shorter and shorter. This has been called a “mitotic clock.” This is normal. But, telomere shortening can also be produced by oxidative stress, which can be produced by psychological and physiological stress. This is mediated by stress hormones and the inflammatory response. So, chronic stress can accelerate the aging process. In other words, when we’re chronically stressed we get older faster.

 

Fortunately, there is a mechanism to protect the telomere. There is an enzyme in the body called telomerase that helps to prevent shortening of the telomere. It also promotes cell survival and enhances stress-resistance.  Research suggests that processes that increase telomerase activity tend to slow the aging process by protecting the telomere.  One activity that seems to increase telomerase activity and protect telomere length is mindfulness practice. Hence, engaging in mindfulness practices may protect the telomere and thereby slow the aging process. This predicts that long-term meditators will have longer telomeres than non-meditators of comparable ages.

 

In today’s Research News article “Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1259746207382636/?type=3&theater

or below.

Alda and colleagues investigated this idea and extended it by looking at what psychological changes might be produced by meditation that act to protect the telomere. They recruited long-term meditators (at least 10 years of continuous practice) and a group of age, gender, and life-style matched control participants. They were assessed for telomere length, mindfulness, health, psychiatric issues, experiential avoidance, self-compassion, anxiety and depression.

 

They found that the expert meditators had nearly 10% longer telomeres than the comparison group. The expert meditators also had significantly higher mindfulness, resilience, satisfaction with life, subjective happiness, self-compassion, humanity, and lower experiential avoidance, anxiety, and depression. Using a sophisticated statistical technique (Stepwise multiple regression) they found that telomere length was longer with younger age, lower experiential avoidance (avoiding emotions and the present moment), and higher humanity (seeing one’s failures as due to their humanity).

 

These are interesting and important findings. They replicate the previous findings that meditation practice is associated with longer telomeres. This suggests that meditation may increase healthfulness and longevity. They also suggest that the important effects of meditation for increasing telomere length are increasing emotion regulation, focus on the present moment, and understanding one’s human fallibility. In other words, it appears that meditation helps the individual have a healthier relationship with their lives and existence and this improves the biological markers of health and longevity.

 

It should be kept in mind that these results are correlational, only documenting associations. They do not demonstrate that meditation caused the differences in telomeres. But, previous research has manipulated the amount of meditation and found that it did indeed produce longer telomeres. It is reasonable to conclude that the relationships seen by Alda and colleagues are reflective of this causal process.

 

So, meditate to improve longevity by producing a healthier relationship with existence.

 

“We already know that psychosocial interventions like mindfulness meditation will help you feel better mentally, but now for the first time, we have evidence that they can also influence key aspects of your biology,” – Linda Carlson

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Alda M, Puebla-Guedea M, Rodero B, Demarzo M, Montero-Marin J, Roca M, Garcia-Campayo J. Zen meditation, Length of Telomeres, and the Role of Experiential Avoidance and Compassion. Mindfulness (N Y). 2016;7:651-659. Epub 2016 Feb 22.

 

 

Abstract

Mindfulness refers to an awareness that emerges by intentionally focusing on the present experience in a nonjudgmental or evaluative manner. Evidence regarding its efficacy has been increasing exponentially, and recent research suggests that the practice of meditation is associated with longer leukocyte telomere length. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying this potential relationship are unknown. We examined the telomere lengths of a group of 20 Zen meditation experts and another 20 healthy matched comparison participants who had not previously meditated. We also measured multiple psychological variables related to meditation practice. Genomic DNA was extracted for telomere measurement using a Life Length proprietary program. High-throughput quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (HT-Q-FISH) was used to measure the telomere length distribution and the median telomere length (MTL). The meditators group had a longer MTL (p = 0.005) and a lower percentage of short telomeres in individual cells (p = 0.007) than those in the comparison group. To determine which of the psychological variables contributed more to telomere maintenance, two regression analyses were conducted. In the first model, which applied to the MTL, the following three factors were significant: age, absence of experiential avoidance, and Common Humanity subscale of the Self Compassion Scale. Similarly, in the model that examined the percentage of short telomeres, the same factors were significant: age, absence of experiential avoidance, and Common Humanity subscale of the Self Compassion Scale. Although limited by a small sample size, these results suggest that the absence of experiential avoidance of negative emotions and thoughts is integral to the connection between meditation and telomeres.

 

Be Less Controlled by Rewards with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Mindfulness should no longer be considered a “nice-to-have.” It’s a “must-have”:  a way to keep our brains healthy, to support self-regulation and effective decision-making capabilities, and to protect ourselves from toxic stress. It can be integrated into one’s religious or spiritual life, or practiced as a form of secular mental training.  When we take a seat, take a breath, and commit to being mindful, particularly when we gather with others who are doing the same, we have the potential to be changed.” – Christina Congleton

 

Behavioral Psychology teaches that we are slaves to rewards and punishers. The Law of Effect states that we tend to repeat actions that are followed by a pleasing state of affairs (rewards) and are less likely to repeat actions that are followed by an aversive state of affairs (punishers). It is evident that people respond this way. It can be healthy and adaptive as long as it is kept under reasonable restraints and at moderate levels.

 

People who are too attached to rewards such as money are never really satisfied no matter how much they acquire. They are on what is called the “hedonic treadmill” where reward produces brief happiness but once it diminishes the individual becomes unhappy and works even harder for more reward and on and on it goes.  On the other hand, a lack of responsiveness to rewards and punishers is a hallmark of depression. But, the ability to delay reward is a characteristic of very successful people. It has been shown that, demonstrating the ability in early childhood to postpone reward to get a bigger reward later, predicts success in adult life.

 

So, it is crucial for well-being that we learn moderation and control of our responses to rewards and punishers. Mindfulness training has been shown to assist in restraining impulsivity and improving response inhibition and delay of gratification. In today’s Research News article “Adaptive neural reward processing during anticipation and receipt of monetary rewards in mindfulness meditators.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1257081990982391/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420752/

Kirk and colleagues investigate the effect of mindfulness on reward delay and the neural circuits involved. They compared the neural responses of experienced meditators vs. meditation naive participants to a monetary incentive delay task. To be successful in this task in earning money or preventing monetary loss the participant has to withhold responding until signaled. During the performance of this task the participants had their brain activity recorded with magnetic resonance imaging (f-MRI).

 

They did not find a difference in the groups in performance of the monetary incentive delay task. There were, however, significant differences in brain activation between the groups. In anticipation of rewards the experienced meditators had significantly reduced activity in the dorsal striatum and increased activity in the posterior insula. When the experienced meditators received a reward they had significantly less activation of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex than the controls.

 

The results suggest that the experienced meditators are less activated during reward anticipation in the striatum which has been shown to be activated during reward anticipation. This suggests that the meditators have a moderated response to the thought of attaining a reward. They also appear to be more in touch with their internal feelings during reward anticipation as they had increased activation during reward anticipation of the posterior insula which is known to be involved in the processing of internal sensations. The experienced meditators also appear to have a reduced valuation of the reward during reward receipt as suggested by the reduced activation of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex that has been shown to be involved in valuing reward magnitude.

 

The results thus suggest that meditation practice alters the brain producing more moderate response to the anticipation and presentation of reward and producing greater sensitivity to their internal state. Both of these modifications would be expected to make meditators better at keeping rewards and punishers in perspective, not being taken away on the “hedonic treadmill,” and being better able to delay gratification. This would in turn predict greater success in life as a results of meditation practice.

 

So, be less controlled by rewards with mindfulness.

 

“Meditation gives you the wherewithal to pause, observe how easily the mind can exaggerate the severity of a setback, and resist getting drawn back into the abyss.” — Richie Davidson

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Kirk, U., Brown, K. W., & Downar, J. (2015). Adaptive neural reward processing during anticipation and receipt of monetary rewards in mindfulness meditators. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 10(5), 752–759. http://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsu112

 

Abstract

Reward seeking is ubiquitous and adaptive in humans. But excessive reward seeking behavior, such as chasing monetary rewards, may lead to diminished subjective well-being. This study examined whether individuals trained in mindfulness meditation show neural evidence of lower susceptibility to monetary rewards. Seventy-eight participants (34 meditators, 44 matched controls) completed the monetary incentive delay task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. The groups performed equally on the task, but meditators showed lower neural activations in the caudate nucleus during reward anticipation, and elevated bilateral posterior insula activation during reward anticipation. Meditators also evidenced reduced activations in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex during reward receipt compared with controls. Connectivity parameters between the right caudate and bilateral anterior insula were attenuated in meditators during incentive anticipation. In summary, brain regions involved in reward processing—both during reward anticipation and receipt of reward—responded differently in mindfulness meditators than in nonmeditators, indicating that the former are less susceptible to monetary incentives.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420752/

 

Improve Well-Being with Menstrual Disorder with Yoga Nidra

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“The ancient practice of yoga nidra, also known as yogic sleep, is a meditative practice that results in conscious deep sleep. Current research suggests that yoga nidra can help relieve menstrual problems, diabetes symptoms and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).” – Elaine Gavalas

 

Menstrual disorders are associated with disruptive physical and/or emotional symptoms just before and during menstruation, including heavy bleeding, missed periods and unmanageable mood swings. Symptoms can include abnormal uterine bleeding, which may be abnormally heavy or absent or occurs between periods, painful menstrual periods, premenstrual syndrome, or premenstrual dysphonic disorder (depression). These disorders are all very common and most women experience some of these symptoms sometime during their premenopausal years, while around 20% experience them throughout their fertile years.

 

Yoga has documented benefits for the individual’s psychological and physical health and well-being. It has also been shown to improve menstrual problems. Yoga, however, consists of a number of components including, poses, breathing exercises, yoga nidra (meditation), concentration, and philosophy/ethics.  So, it is difficult to determine which facet or combination of facets of yoga are responsible for which benefit. Hence, it is important to begin to test each component in isolation to determine its effects.

 

In today’s Research News article “Psycho-Biological Changes with Add on Yoga Nidra in Patients with Menstrual Disorders: a Randomized Clinical Trial.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1255064667850790/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4794540/

Rani and colleagues randomly assigned women who displayed menstrual disorders for more than 6-months to either a yoga Nidra or treatment as usual group. Yoga nidra is generally practiced while lying on the back on a mat on the floor with the arms out at the sides and the palm facing up. This is the what’s known as the corpse pose in yoga. It is generally a deep guided meditation practice. It usually begins with a systematic body scan meditation and then moves into a deep meditative state. The most easily observable effect of the yoga nidra practice is the extremely deep relaxation of the nervous system and healing of the body by allowing it the rest and recharge it usually lacks in our all too busy lifestyles. Yoga nidra produces a state of deep relaxation and sedation without the individual actually going to sleep.

 

At baseline Rani and colleagues measured psychological general well-being, and a variety of hormone levels. The yoga nidra group then received 30-35-minute yoga nidra, 5 days per week for 3 months and practiced at home for the subsequent 3 months. Measurements were then repeated at the end of the 6-month program. Control participants received their normal medical treatments during the 6-month period. They found that the yoga Nidra group showed significant improvements in anxiety, depression, positive well-being, general health, and vitality while the control group did not. Similarly, they found that the yoga Nidra group had significant decreases in 4 hormone levels; thyroid-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin. Hence, yoga Nidra produced positive benefits for psychological well-being and also for endocrine (hormonal) function.

 

These are exciting findings. Yoga Nidra practice improved psychological well-being in women with menstrual disorder. Yoga practice and meditation practice have these same benefits for practitioners. But, it’s interesting that these psychological benefits can be produced by yoga nidra practice alone. The findings of decreased hormone levels are significant. Pituitary hormones, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormones, prolactin and thyroid hormones are very much involved in the menstrual cycle and are required for normal development of ova. Yoga Nidra practice may be helping with menstrual disorder by producing better regulation of these crucial hormones. Future research will be required to investigate this idea.

 

It is important to note that the control group did not receive any new active treatment. It is possible that the effects observed were not due to yoga Nidra, but to the expectations of the participants that the yoga nidra would improve their disorder. It will be important for future research to include and active or placebo control condition.

 

Regardless, the results suggest that well-being can be improved in women with menstrual disorder with yoga nidra.

 

“Yoga nidra for me is like a ‘super nap’ that recharges me in no time. It is a complete rejuvenation package – a must to relieve ourselves of daily stress in today’s busy world.” – Pritika Nair

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are also available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Rani, K., Tiwari, S. C., Kumar, S., Singh, U., Prakash, J., & Srivastava, N. (2016). Psycho-Biological Changes with Add on Yoga Nidra in Patients with Menstrual Disorders: a Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Caring Sciences,5(1), 1–9. http://doi.org/10.15171/jcs.2016.001

 

Abstract

Introduction: Menstrual disorders are common problems among women in the reproductive age group. Yuga interventions may decrease the physical and psychological problems related to menstrual disorders. The present study was aimed to assess the effect of Yoga Nidra on psychological problems in patients with menstrual disorders.

Methods: A total number of 100 women recruited from the department of obstetrics and gynecology and were then randomly allocated into two groups: a) intervention received yogic intervention and medication for 6 month, and b) control group received no yogic intervention and they only received prescribed medication). Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) and hormonal profile were assessed at the time of before and after six months on both groups.

Results: The mean score of anxiety, depression, positive well-being, general health, and vitality scores, as well as hormonal levels, in posttest were significantly different in intervention group as compared with pretest. But there was no significant difference in control group.

Conclusion: Yoga Nidra can be a successful therapy to overcome the psychiatric morbidity associated with menstrual irregularities. Therefore, Yogic relaxation training (Yoga Nidra) could be prescribed as an adjunct to conventional drug therapy for menstrual dysfunction.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4794540/