Project overview for my coming temple, where I will teach esoteric, spiritual and occult topics, practices and lessons. Donation link PayPal: https://secrets2meditation.com/goto/?url=http://www.payp…
In this video I reference a Facebook discussion concerned with the merit of reiki research and education in the massage therapy profession, and specifically discuss the limits of a specific study that purported to assess the clinical effects of reiki. Unsurprisingly, the study does not assess what the title claims.
Article by Isaac Eliaz
The Power of “Cortical Folding” aka “Gyrification”In terms of brain health, what exactly is “cortical folding” or “gyrification” and how does it increase your mental capacity? These questions may seem to address complex issues best left to neuroscience, except for one simple practice that directly relates to them: meditation. Researchers have been studying the effects of meditation on the brain for decades, and have come to some important conclusions that may offer further motivation and inspiration for regular–and certainly for aspiring–practitioners of this time-honored healing art.
Published Studies Prove Numerous Benefits of MeditationOver the years, published research has demonstrated that the practice of regular meditation can increase brain density, boost connections between neurons, decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, provide clarity of thought, and increase positive mood endorphins. Other published studies have shown meditation can improve physical functioning, decrease chronic disease risks, and enhance overall quality of life. These studies demonstrate that regular meditation effectively supports mental, emotional and physical health in numerous tangible ways. In building upon this strong body of evidence, researchers are continuing to deepen our understanding of the profound and inspirational benefits of regular meditation practice in everyday life.
UCLA Researchers Uncover New Benefits of Meditation for the BrainMost recently, neuroscientists at UCLA have shown another fascinating neural effect of regular meditation: the ability to increase “cortical gyrification” of the brain. Cortical gyrification refers to the folding of the cerebral cortex – a function that allows the brain to process information faster. The cerebral cortex is the outermost layer of neural tissue in the brain and serves an important role in controlling memory, consciousness, thought processing, decision making, attention, and awareness. During cortical gyrification, the tissues of the cerebral cortex fold, creating indented fissures and “creases” called sulci and gyri. The sulci and gyri increase neural processing and neurotransmitter communication. In this way, increased gyrification enhances the brain’s capacity for computing information, maintaining focus and attention, creating and retrieving memory, processing logic, and forming decisions.
The neuroscientists at UCLA compared meditators of different experience levels to people who never meditated. In those who meditated, they found significant increases in cortical folding across a wide area of the brain responsible for numerous functions beyond rapid information processing and retrieval. Additional areas of the brain markedly affected by meditation involve emotional and mental health capacities, influencing processes of emotional control, heightened awareness, and introspection. This falls directly in line with some of the more noticeable results of regular meditation, which often include increased compassion for one’s self and others, enhanced self awareness and introspection, and greater emotional stability.
Researchers also found significant increases in cortical gyrification among more experienced practitioners. In other words, the longer a person had been practicing regular meditation, the greater the beneficial changes in their brain.
Promotes Long Term HealthAs a holistic physician and meditation practitioner with over 25 years of experience, I have always strongly believed in the mental and emotional benefits of regular mindful meditation practice. And the physical payoffs are equally impressive. We all know that reducing stress can dramatically improve health on a number of levels. The beneficial effects of regular mindful meditation are shown to protect against and reverse DNA (telomere) damage, boost immune function, reduce cardiovascular disease risks, decrease inflammation, improve outcomes in cancer, reduce side effects of conventional treatment, and increase vital energy and physical capacity.
As regular meditation practice becomes better understood and more widely practiced, more and more doctors and health practitioners are recommending these ancient disciplines to their patients. If you are a health provider, meditation can help you become a better healer and clinician, increasing your diagnostic and therapeutic skills significantly, and allowing you to connect in more meaningful ways with your patients and community. If you are looking for some extra healing energy to improve your own health, regular meditation can provide just the solution.
As demonstrated in the UCLA study, meditation is more effective when practiced regularly. Even just ten minutes a day can offer significant and noticeable benefits over a short period of time. Below, I’ve outlined some tips on basic meditation practice for beginners to get started.
Tips for Getting StartedWhile there are countless styles of meditation practice, one of the most profound is the ancient Tibetan practice of Shamatha meditation. Shamatha means “calm abiding” in Sanskrit. It is intended to help people access their mind’s natural state of tranquility and clarity. The technique involves focusing the breath on a specific object, and letting go of all other thoughts as attention is consistently trained on the process of breathing.
Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit, and pick a small object such as a rock to place on the ground in front of you. Focus your eyes and your breathing on the rock, and as thoughts inevitably arise, simply acknowledge and then release them, letting them slip away with each out-breath. When your mind wanders off, gently bring your attention back to your breathing and the rock, visualizing each inhalation and exhalation going to and from the rock.
Exponential BenefitsAs you become more practiced at meditation, you will likely notice significant improvements in your energy, health and mental/emotional balance. You may find that as distractions and obscurities are peeled away during mindful meditation practice, the space between thoughts becomes greater and more profound. As we slowly turn down the constant chatter of our minds, we can begin to access deeper aspects of consciousness for growth and healing. This peeling process can make room for your true inner nature of love, compassion, peace and tranquility to arise and expand naturally, benefiting yourself and those around you exponentially.
To me, one of the most beautiful and profound aspects of meditation is that this process of growth and unfolding (as well as cortical folding) can continue throughout our lives. After all, we can never have too much love, compassion, and clarity. For more information about the powerful benefits of mindful meditation and the opportunity to join me for a meditation retreat, visit https://secrets2meditation.com/goto/?url=http://www.betterhealthpublishing.com.
About the Author
Dr. Isaac Eliaz, M.D., MS., L.Ac., has been a pioneer in integrative medicine since the early 1980s. He is a respected researcher, innovative product formulator, clinical practitioner, author and lecturer. Dr. Eliaz is widely regarded as the leading expert in the field of Modified Citrus Pectin research and has been using Modified Citrus Pectin in his clinical practice for over 15 years to treat a variety of conditions.
Article by Dina Oelofsen https://secrets2meditation.com/goto/?url=http://www.mindfulleadership.co.za/
The following research has been done on Mindfulness and has a significant impact on developing Leadership talent. Researchers’ interest in mindfulness practice hassteadily increased as studies continue to revealits beneficial effects. Current research looks athow the brain responds to mindfulness practice,how relationships benefit, and how physical andmental health improves, as well as other topics.The following presents a sample of the resultsfrom investigations seeking to uncover more ofwhat mindfulness can offer to enhance humanwell-being.Brain Immune SystemA burgeoning field of study has grown out ofinterest for the effects of mindfulness practice onthe brain. Current literature points towards thepotential for mindfulness to affect the structureand neural patterns present in the brain. Scientistshave seen these results last not only duringmindfulness practice, but also during the dailylife of practitioners. The results of one studypublished in NeuroReport in 2005 show thickercortical regions related to attention and sensoryprocessing in long-term meditation practitionerscompared to non-meditators. These findings alsosuggest that meditation practice may offset corticalthinning brought on by aging1. A recent studyoutlines the difference in neural functions relatedto emotion in expert meditators and novicemeditators. Individuals performed compassionmeditations, while researchers measured howthe regions in the brain responsible for emotionregulation reacted to varying stimuli. The moreadvanced meditators showed more activationin those areas of the brain that detect emotionalcues, demonstrating a heightened empathicawareness2. However, not all studies involveexpert meditators. A 2003 study focused on howan 8-week training course would affect the brainsand immune systems of individuals.This investigation provided some evidence ofincreased activation in a region of the brain correlatedwith positive affect, as well as evidence thatthe immune system would react more robustly inantibody production after meditation training3.Brief Summary ofMindfulness ResearchGreg Flaxman and Lisa Flook, Ph.D.2Article 02Another recent study showed better stress regulation,as measured by a faster decrease in levels ofthe stress hormone cortisol following a stressfullaboratory task, among Chinese undergraduatesafter 5 days of meditation training at 20 minutesa day. These students also reported less anxiety,depression, and anger compared to a group ofstudents that received relaxation training4.RelationshipsMindfulness training may affect an individual’sability to harbor successful social relationships aswell. A University of North Carolina at ChapelHill study demonstrated a correlation betweenmindfulness practice in couples and an enhancedrelationship. The couples reported improvedcloseness, acceptance of one another, autonomy,and general relationship satisfaction5. A 2007study replicated this finding, also demonstratinga correlation between mindfulness and qualityof communication between romantic partners6.Loving-kindness meditation, which can involvepositive imagery or wishes directed toward othersor self, can affect how one relates to others. Arecent study examined how individuals reacted toviewing photographs of strangers after lovingkindnessmeditation. The meditation significantlyaffected the positive values they attributed tothose strangers, demonstrating a relationshipbetween loving-kindness meditation and socialconnectedness7.Mindfulness practice can benefit familial relationships.Parents of children with developmentaldisabilities described increased satisfaction withtheir parenting, more social interactions withtheir children, and less parenting stress as a resultof mindfulnesstraining8. In another study carriedout by the same researchers regarding parentsof children with autism, the same results ofincreased satisfaction in their parenting skills andrelationship applied9. In both studies, the childrenof these parents benefited from the mindfulparenting practice, showing decreases in aggressiveand non-compliant behavior. In addition, amindfulness intervention for adolescents withexternalizing disorders that involved their parentsin the treatment showed improvement in thehappiness of the children, as well as the parents’perception of their child’s self-control10.ClinicalA popular form of mindfulness intervention,devised by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is Mindfulness-BasedStress Reduction (MBSR). This interventionoriginally came about to help those with chronicpain issues or stress-related disorders. Typically inMBSR programs, individuals go through an 8-10week session in which they practice for at least 45minutes a day. Numerous therapies incorporatingmindfulness have sprouted in recent years. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, similar to MBSR,teaches individuals to recognize their thoughtsand feelings with a nonjudgmental attitude. Whenresearchers studied its effectiveness in preventinga relapse of depression for those in remittancefrom a depressive episode, 37% of those that wentthrough an 8-week MBCT program experienceda relapse compared to 66% of those not in theprogram11. Helping professionals can use mindfulnessto improve their abilitiy to empathize withthose they serve as well. A study3Article 02of an 8-week MBSR course for nurses showed thattheir mindfulness practice facilitated empathicattitudes, as well as decreased their tendency totake on others’ negative emotions12. A previousstudy of health-care professionals going throughthe 8-week MBSR program presented results ofincreased self-compassion and reduced stress inthose individuals13. Such self-care may trickledown to improve upon the quality of the relationshipbetween those professionals and their clients.While the majority of mindfulness studies havefocused on adults, some pertain to the practice ofmindfulness in children and adolescents. A seriesof studies have documented its use as an interventionfor youth with psychological disturbances. Inone 6-week study with anxious children, teachersreported an improvement in academic functioningand decrease in symptoms of anxiety in thechildren14. Another utilized mindfulness-basedcognitive therapy with the result of significantlyreducing observable internalizing and externalizingsymptoms. Over 80% of children and parentsinvolved in this study thought that schools shouldteach mindfulness15. A mindfulness interventionfor several adolescents with conduct disorderresulted in a significant decrease in aggressivebehavior. They reported benefits from mindfullyreturning their attention to the soles of their feetduring distressing situations16. In a recent studyfor adolescents with ADHD, mindfulness trainingsignificantly reduced symptoms associated withtheir disorder17.EducationThere is increasing interest in the utility of mindfulnesspractices in educational settings. A studyof 1st-3rd grade children that involved a 12-weekprogram of breath awareness and yoga (deliveredonce per week every other week) showed improvementsin children’s attention and social skillsas well as decreased test anxiety in children whowent through the training as compared to controls18.Another program that combined elementsof MBSR and tai chi for a small group of middleschool students in a 5-week program found thatstudents reported an increased sense of calm,connection to nature, and improved sleep aftergoing through the training19. Two pilot studiesconducted through UCLA’s Mindful AwarenessResearch Center indicate improvements inself- regulatory abilities among preschool andelementary school students who participated inan 8-week mindful awareness practices trainingprogram (developed and taught by InnerKids intwo 30-minute sessions per week). Specifically,children who were initially less well-regulatedshowed the strongest improvements subsequentto training, as compared to children in the controlgroup who did not receive the training20 21.These preliminary findings suggest potentialbenefit and practical applications of mindfulnessfor children in school settings.Other mind/body practicesMindfulness is not alone in the world of mind/body awareness practices currently studied byscientists. A 2006 qualitative study followed theeffects of one year of Transcendental Medita4Article 02tion! (during the first and last 10 minutes ofeach school day) on ten middle school students.Themes that emerged from individual interviewswith students included a greater ability at selfcontroland improved social relationships, as wellas better academic performance. Other investigatorshave evaluated the benefits of Yoga as well22. Investigators found Sahaja Yoga Meditation,an awareness practice related to mindfulness, asan effective intervention for children with ADHDand their families. Results included an improvementin the self-esteem of the children, a reductionin their ADHD symptoms, and an improvedrelationship between parent and child23. A studyof Iyengar Yoga as a complement to medicationin the treatment of depression found significantreductions in overall depression, anger, andanxiety among participants. Participants alsoconsistently rated their moods higher after thecompletion of each class than before each onecommenced24. The underlying mechanismsinvolved in these types of practice remain to beunderstood, although it appears that each doesoffer health benefits.While the discussed research gives one a glimpseinto the many topics of study involving mindfulness,it does not capture the complete picture.Some areas have barely been broached by investigators,including mindfulness in the workplaceand mindfulness in athletics. Future investigationsmay increasingly shed light on both how mindfulnessworks as well as directly comparing variousforms of practice.1 Lazar, S., et al. (2005). Meditation experience is associated withincreased cortical thickness.NeuroReport, 16(17), 1893-1897.2 Lutz,