MEDITATION

Practiced for several thousand years, meditation is a mind-body technique in which a person engages in quiet contemplation in order to induce a state of mental and physical tranquility. Most types of meditation have come to the West from Eastern religious practices--particularly those of India, China, and Japan. It is only in the past three decades that the technique has begun to be used mainly for health purposes, particularly for treating stress and reducing chronic pain.

The three most popular meditation techniques in the United States are transcendental meditation (TM), breath meditation, and mindfulness meditation. In doing TM you repeat a simple word or sound (called a mantra) to yourself throughout the meditation to focus your thinking and help achieve a state of calm. Breath meditation calls for concentrating on the process of inhaling and exhaling to help clear the mind. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment, acknowledging thoughts as they come up and observing them without judgment.

Today, meditation is widely accepted as an adjunct therapy for pain reduction and stress management, and is taught and practiced in many hospitals and medical centers throughout the U.S. It is also an integral part of other mind-body techniques including yoga, qigong, and tai chi, which have gained popularity in the U.S. in recent years.

Health Benefits of Meditation

No matter which meditative technique is used, its effect on the body is similar. Researchers have found that meditating lowers levels of stress hormones, and therefore supports the healthy functioning of the immune system. In fact, by decreasing the level of one such hormone--epinephrine--meditation has been shown to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood and therefore help arteries to remain clear.

In addition, electroencephalograph (EEG) studies of the brain in those who are meditating show that meditation boosts the intensity of alpha waves--with quiet, receptive states--to levels not seen even during sleep. People who meditate also show improved blood circulation, which protects the arteries; lowered blood levels of lactic acid, which is associated with anxiety; and lowered heart rate, which places less demand on the heart. Another effect of meditation is that breathing slows, so the body uses less oxygen.

How Does Meditation Work?

Meditation is one of the better-studied alternative therapies, and it has been shown to provide a wide range of health benefits. It is particularly helpful in treating heart disease. A 1998 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine showed that people who practiced transcendental meditation (TM) had lower levels of lipid peroxide than those who didn't. Lipid peroxide can contribute to arteriosclerosis and other chronic diseases associated with aging. A 1999 study published in the same journal showed that people who practiced TM had lower blood pressure immediately after meditating than did the control group.

A 1998 study in Alternative Therapies showed that mindfulness meditation was part of a program that helped decrease symptoms such as achiness and sleeplessness in patients with fibromyalgia, a disease characterized by muscle pain, fatigue, and mild-to-moderate depression.

In a 1998 study at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, psoriasis patients who listened to a mindfulness meditation audiotape during their ultraviolet light therapy experienced faster healing than those who had the light therapy alone.

Meditation has also been associated with a longer life span, better quality of life, fewer hospitalizations, and reduced health-care costs. It has also shown promise as an adjunct therapy in relieving mild depression, insomnia, tension headache, irritable bowel syndrome, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), as well as in controlling substance abuse.

"The purpose of meditation is to train your body and mind to return to a natural peaceful condition." --------------------------------- from Dr. Chi Chang

Meditation classes are held in our Newport Beach location Tuesday 9:00 am - 10:30 am / Thursday 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm