I have become fascinated by the current research in the field of neuroscience that’s being made possible by the new brain imaging technologies. One of the main reasons this is so exciting to me is that what we are learning about the brain is further validating what the mystics and yogis have taught about health and well-being for thousands of years.
I have been practicing yoga and meditation for many years and personally have experienced the mental, emotional and physical benefits. As a therapist facilitating others in their journey of psychological and/or physical healing, I am also interested in the latest, evidence-based therapeutic interventions that could accelerate or enhance treatment outcome. These two paths have now come together. We are at the crossroads where ancient wisdom and neuroscience meet to support and optimize health and well-being.
Mindfulness-based meditation is one example of this. The practice of mindfulness meditation has been taught for thousands of years in the Buddhist tradition. Over 30 years ago Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. Participants in the program meet weekly for 8 weeks. In these meetings they are taught practices to build the skills of mindfulness – a present moment awareness of one’s thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and environment without judgment or reaction. Participants are also asked to do the practices daily on their own between meetings.
Since the program’s inception people who have completed the program reported feeling less stress and more positive emotions. Those with chronic illnesses reported a reduction in pain, as well. A 2003 study led by Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin showed that people’s brain activity changed after the 8 week MBSR program.
Then, a year ago a study published in the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, suggested that meditating for just 30 minutes a day could increase the density of gray matter in certain regions of the brain. One of those regions was the hippocampus, an area of the brain often reduced in people who suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In this study using brain scans, researchers examined the brains of 16 people before and after participation in the 8 week MBSR program. Denser gray matter was found in several areas of the brain which suggested that meditation improves people’s ability to regulate their emotions, control their stress and feel empathy for others.
Finally, a new study recently published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research showed that mindfulness-based stress reduction benefits breast cancer survivors. Previous research had indicated that after their treatments end breast cancer survivors still face health challenges and that as many as 50% of survivors experience depression. In this new study, researchers from the University of Missouri found that breast cancer survivors’ health improved after they learned MBSR. Participants lowered their blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate and reported a significant improvement in their mood after taking the course.
The upshot of all this research seems to be: We can play a major role in our health and well-being. We can promote positive change in our brains, health and emotions. One step is finding a therapist, teacher or program that offers mindfulness training. The MBSR program also incorporates yoga breathing and poses so attending a yoga class is another good step.