Stress Management
Telomerase Research Study
A collaboration between The Chopra Global Foundation and the Chopra Global Center with a team of doctors at the California San Francisco and San Diego Universities was part of a research study examining effects of a weeklong intensive yoga and meditation retreat program on stress and aging.
The study goes into in-depth explanations of the function of the Telomeres enzyme relating to DNA and chromosomes, as well as study conclusions. The impact is profound.
Read related Huffington Post article
Mayo Clinic promotes meditation for stress reduction
The preeminent medical entity in the world, the Mayo Clinic takes the practice of meditation seriously in relation to stress reduction/management and healing. When you enter ‘meditation’ in their web search field there are currently 418 results on topics ranging from meditation for helping with Alzheimer’s symptoms to meditations for coping with cancer. See articles on the Mayo Clinic site.
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Meditation: a simple, fast way to reduce stress
The Mayo Clinic asserts that:
“Meditation can wipe away the day's stress, bringing with it inner peace. See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you need it most. If stress has you anxious, tense and worried, consider trying meditation. Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace…”
Read the article online at Mayo Clinic summary.
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"…Clear evidence mindfulness meditation can change the way our brains look and function."
Read full article from Sept 2018 - Cedars-Sinai Hospital and Academic Health Center bulletin
“Meditation can be used to increase concentration, help with depression, and reduce stress and anxiety. It's even been shown to benefit chronic pain patients. The benefits of mindfulness-based meditation practices are now unequivocal," says Dr. Arash Asher, director of Cancer Rehabilitation and Survivorship at Cedars-Sinai's Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute. "In a remarkable study, even a short 8-week mindfulness meditation program was found to reduce size and activity of the area of the brain associated with fear and anxiety. In other words, this is clear evidence that mindfulness meditation can change the way our brains look and function."
At Cedars-Sinai, each week, Paula Ravets, PhD, and a certified facilitator in mindfulness meditation, teaches a 30-minute class to equip participants with the tools to bring the practice to their own lives.
"Mindfulness is a powerful tool for care providers who are often juggling the demands of the job and the demanding nature of the hospital environment while trying to maintain professionalism and an attitude of compassion." According to Ravets, meditation offers a way to train the mind towards equanimity—or being level and calm in the face of pressure or stress.
"Many people are reluctant to give meditation a try because they think of it as a religious practice," says Ravets. "And while it's true that meditation is a part of many religions, it can certainly offer benefits in a secular, pragmatic application."
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Military adopts meditation to deal with PTSD
The Science Daily researchers report in the journal – Military Medicine summary from the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University hypothesizes that “Regular practice of Transcendental Meditation enables some active duty service members battling post-traumatic stress disorder to reduce or even eliminate their psychotropic medication and get better control of their often-debilitating symptoms.”
Study involving 74 active-duty service members with PTSD or anxiety disorder, often resulting from multiple deployments over multiple years, who were seeking treatment at Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center's Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, Georgia.
Researchers have reported these findings in the journal of Military Medicine. Read Science Daily article.
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Meditation to reduce stress and provide hope
"Together we have seen both the best and worst humanity has had to offer and we have learned to endure the scars we have been left with."
From the US Army website Staff Sgt. Todd Knauber used to believe it would sound ridiculous to recommend something like transcendental meditation classes to fellow combat veterans but the results have changed his views. Knauber states that, "it is our greatest weapon in helping to combat the scars of conflict. This program provides veterans the grounds to reestablish hope; and begin to truly heal."
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