I was reminded of it when I stumbled across a review over at Wildmind. Head over for a brief and concise overview of a wonderful book.
Having read this a while back, I forgot about the down to earth, simple style of this series of books, Dummies. Covering so much on the topic of Mindfulness, this book is a win for novice and the experienced alike.
I was reminded of it when I stumbled across a review over at Wildmind. Head over for a brief and concise overview of a wonderful book.
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Stress is the psychological and physiological state experienced by an individual when they are subject to situations that they perceive as potentially threatening to their well-being or safety with specific reference to the cases of individuals who experience this on a chronic basis. Due to its fight-or-flight characteristics, stress has major physiological effects. The far reaching sequelae resulting from stress include but are not limited to immune system suppression, cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression and other psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and burnout. A strong link has even been found between stress and the progression of HIV to AIDS. It is now recognized that, “… the infectious diseases have been replaced as major causes of death by the so-called degenerative diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease.” but one might argue the cause to be non-degenerative, and possibly psychopathological. Considering that the recognized major ‘killers’ of modern society are cancerous and cardiovascular in nature, and furthermore that chronic stress, both directly and indirectly, contributes significantly to both of these issues, one immediately has to acknowledge the importance of the inclusion of all relevant education to all forms of learning curricula. Not only is it necessary to study psychological stress in order to understand the mechanisms of these major complications, but all treatment of its associated physiological pathologies will in essence be highly ineffective if these psychosocial stress related roots are not dealt with. The good news lies in the fact that so many very effective tools are available in the treatment of stress and its relatives and so one should emphasize a multi-disciplinary approach. Exercise and nutrition have been found to have antidepressant, stress resistant and immune boosting effects. Mindfulness based therapies, meditation, reading, yoga, pranayama, Tai Chi and Qigong are among some more therapies that have all been proven time and time again to directly combat stress as well as its extensive list of side effects extremely effectively. Insufficient knowledge or inadequate treatment are not to blame, rather it is a lack of the incorporation of the wisdom that has already been practiced for millenia. Lets calm down, lets get breathing. The paper available in the link below is the first of seven installments found in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences of 2009. Written by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Beth Israel Medical Center of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, this study is concerned with longevity, regeneration and optimal health, and has truly astounding results that have aimed to incorporate almost all purported lifespan and health-span enhancing procedures. Central to this paper is the finding that beyond any other techniques, caloric (read: food) restriction and meditative stimulation of the pineal gland appear to be the most profound ways in which to live a longer, healthier and more youthful life. "Melatonin is an extremely important pleiotropic substance, with a broad range of health-enhancing and antiaging properties produced by the body (the pineal gland, the bone marrow, circulating immune cells, and other sources),22,23 and its production is increased by several forms of meditation, including mindfulness and concentrative forms that are found in the Indo-Tibetan tradition.24–26 Moreover, we suggest that these longevity meditations associated with the Dalai Lamas and other major figures in the Indo-Tibetan traditionmay produce additional melatonin-enhancing effects through specific pineal-activating properties of the particular visualization incorporated in the longevity meditation." - William C. Bushell and Neil D. Theise The intricacies of these systems are obviously beyond the scope of this post, but if you have any interest in health and longevity, this paper is perhaps the most profound piece we have come across in ages and well worth a read. This particular installment is 14 pages long and will keep you captivated!
Ever thought of beginning a meditative practice that involves more than just focus? The two options that stand out are Hatha Yoga and Tai Chi. Yoga has seen a massive rise in popularity in the West and is fairly easily accessible in terms of studios, gym classes, videos and books. Tai Chi has not seen the same growth, but is slowly becoming more available to the average curious Westener. In most cases, it is less physically taxing than Yoga, and is more meditative in that one does not spend most of the hour or so huffing and puffing and wobbling about. The movements emphasize control and fluidity and it really is a beautiful art. A site that has helped us here at SheerMind is Tai Chi for Beginners.net. You'll find videos, written instruction and a lot of general wisdom. With Ischaemic Heart Disease (reduced blood flow through the heart) being the leading cause of death in the world (WHO), it makes sense for us to pursue activities that can lead to the strengthening and health of the heart. While most exercise, conducted in a sensible manner, will lead to a healthier heart, the added component of relaxation and stress management offered by Hatha Yoga - the stretchy type that most of us think of when the word yoga pops up - makes it the perfect option for those looking for a fun low impact, non-competitive way to get fit. For more on how yoga can give you a boost, visit Yoga-Research.com. A recent review of published studies of mindfulness based therapies and the relative health benefits was carried out by Dr. W. Marchand the University of Utah. With a focus on Zen Meditation, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), strong evidence exists supporting the use of these therapies for a wide spectrum of issues such as stress, depression, anxiety, various medical illnesses, as well as pain itself. A nice summary of the study can be found at Science Daily. It is in itself extraordinary that I have not yet come across results regarding any study of meditation and mindfulness that have been against these practices. For any reason you may have at all, motivation to meditate never hurt . There are few activities we are fortunate enough to participate in that have so many benefits with more being found as the research continues. In5d.com have posted a wonderful list of some of these benefits, 100 Reasons to Meditate. It may be a great idea to keep a copy of this nearby, the constant reminding will almost definitely change your life. This comprehensive text, by the Ven. Henepola Gunaratana, is a must read for every person from those even vaguely interested in mindfulness to those who are mastering some of the more subtle aspects of their mind. Dealing with everything from reasons to practice through to philosophy and exercises for practice this will definitely answer any questions the reader may have. The friendliest, yet most thorough read I have yet encountered on the topic of mindfulness. Available completely free of charge as a .pdf or .epub file thanks to Urban Dharma, there is no reason at all not to do yourself the favour and get stuck right into Mindfulness in Plain English. From the wonderful site Researchingmeditation.org, we came across this blog about the cross-cultural links of meditation. If you are into breadth of facts and in-depth research that is not excruciatingly difficult to read, this is the site for you. This particular blog talks about the origins and differences between the multitude of meditative practices that are out there, from the more popular Eastern traditions to the less well known Christian practices. Making meditation fun sounds quite difficult. If you have ever tried to meditate consistently you will know that some days you gravitate towards it out of a sense of duty, some days for relaxation, but very rarely for fun. This post from Tiny Buddha helps us out with some techniques that can help us stay focused and enjoy every minute. Check it out and enhance your practice! |
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