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The Benefits of Regular Meditation

Rating: Rated 30 Times.
Dr. Bryan Dempsey is in private practice and well known for his contribution in health and fitness.
Contribution from Bryan Dempsey
By  Bryan Dempsey    
Meditation Reduces Anxiety And Depression
Meditation Helps Fight StressMeditation benefits people with or without acute medical illness or stress. People who meditate regularly have been shown to feel less anxiety and depression. They also report that they experience more enjoyment and appreciation of life and that their relationships with others are improved. Meditation produces a state of deep relaxation and a sense of balance or equanimity.

Meditation Cultivates 

According to Michael J. Baime, "Meditation cultivates an emotional stability that allows the meditator to experience intense emotions fully while simultaneously maintaining perspective on them." Out of this experience of emotional stability, one may gain greater insight and understanding about one's thoughts, feelings, and actions. This insight in turn offers the possibility to feel more confident and in control of life. Meditation facilitates a greater sense of calmness, empathy, and acceptance of self and others.

Amount Of Benefit 
Meditation has long been recommended as a treatment for high blood pressure; however, there is a debate over the amount of benefit that meditation offers. Although most studies show a reduction in blood pressure with meditation, medication is still more effective at lowering high blood pressure. There are no reported side effects from meditation except for positive benefits.Studies also imply that meditation is helpful in reducing symptoms of anxiety and in treating anxiety-related disorders. 

Stress Management Techniques
 
Furthermore, a study in 1998 of 37 psoriasis patients showed that those practicing mindfulness meditation had more rapid clearing of their skin condition, with standard UV light treatment, than the control subjects. Another study found that meditation decreased the symptoms of fibromyalgia; over half of the patients reported significant improvement. Meditation was one of several stress management techniques used in a small study of HIV-positive men.

Dean Ornish's Program
Meditation may also be an effective treatment for coronary artery disease. A study of 21 patients practicing TM for eight months showed increases in their amount of exercise tolerance, amount of workload, and a delay in the onset of ST-segment depression. Meditation is also an important part of Dean Ornish's program, which has been proven to reverse coronary artery disease.

Meditation And Well-Being

Research also suggests that meditation is effective in the treatment of chemical dependency. Gelderloos and others reviewed 24 studies and reported that all of them showed that TM is helpful in programs to stop smoking and also in programs for drug and alcohol abuse. The study showed improvements in the T-cell counts of the men, as well as in several psychological measures of well-being.

Sitting Meditation
Meditation techniques have been practiced for millennia. Originally, they were intended to develop spiritual understanding, awareness, and direct experience of ultimate reality. The many different religious traditions in the world have given rise to a rich variety of meditative practices. These include the contemplative practices of Christian religious orders, the Buddhist practice of sitting meditation, and the whirling movements of the Sufi dervishes.

Meditation In Medicine

As Western medical practitioners begin to understand the mind's role in health and disease, there has been more interest in the use of meditation in medicine. Meditative practices are increasingly offered in medical clinics and hospitals as a tool for improving health and quality of life. 

It Relieve Stress And Pain

Meditation has been used as the primary therapy for treating certain diseases; as an additional therapy in a comprehensive treatment plan; and as a means of improving the quality of life of people with debilitating, chronic, or terminal illnesses. Although meditation is an important spiritual practice in many religious and spiritual traditions, it can be practiced by anyone regardless of their religious or cultural background to relieve stress and pain.

Regular Meditation 
Meditation can be used with other forms of medical treatment and is an important complementary therapy for both the treatment and prevention of many stress-related conditions. Regular meditation can reduce the number of symptoms experienced by patients with a wide range of illnesses and disorders. Based upon clinical evidence as well as theoretical understanding, meditation is considered to be one of the better therapies for panic disorder , generalized anxiety disorder, substance dependence and abuse, ulcers, colitis, chronic pain, psoriasis, and dysthymic disorder.

Adjunctive Therapy 

It is considered to be a valuable adjunctive therapy for moderate hypertension (high blood pressure), prevention of cardiac arrest (heart attack ), prevention of atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries), arthritis (including fibromyalgia), cancer , insomnia, migraine, and prevention of stroke. Meditation may also be a valuable complementary therapy for allergies and asthma because of the role stress plays in these conditions.

Improve Function 

Meditative practices have been reported to improve function or reduce symptoms in patients with some neurological disorders as well. These include people with Parkinson's disease , people who experience fatigue with multiple sclerosis , and people with epilepsy who are resistant to standard treatment.

The Relaxation Response

The relaxation response involves a similar form of mental focusing. Dr. Herbert Benson, one of the first Western doctors to conduct research on the effects of meditation, developed this approach after observing the profound health benefits of a state of bodily calm he calls "the relaxation response." In order to elicit this response in the body, he teaches patients to focus upon the repetition of a word, sound, prayer, phrase, or movement activity (including swimming, jogging, yoga, and even knitting) for 10-20 minutes at a time, twice a day.

Original Repetition
 
Patients are also taught not to pay attention to distracting thoughts and to return their focus to the original repetition. The choice of the focused repetition is up to the individual. Instead of Sanskrit terms, the meditator can choose what is personally meaningful, such as a phrase from a Christian or Jewish prayer.

Result-Oriented Treatments
Teachers of meditation advise people to return to their normal activities gently and gradually following their meditation practice, rather than making abrupt or hurried transitions. As has been previously mentioned, meditation is the opposite of result-oriented treatments.

Therapeutic Visualization 
Persons who practice meditation on a regular basis, however, usually experience the specific benefits of lowered blood pressure, more restful sleep, and relief from such physical effects of stress as ulcers, headaches, chronic muscle pain, and skin rashes. Therapeutic visualization has been shown to extend the survival time and quality of life of terminally ill patients.

Note: Image(s) the courtesy of http://www.dreamstime.com.
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Articles Comments
Comment #1
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I practice meditation and I have experienced its benefits.I think it is a great idea to allow many people to know this marvelous tool to improve our well-being.thanks a lot!Heider B.
Comment #2
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Timely and useful information that will have an impact on my current medical condition.
Comment #3
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Not teaching how to meditate
Comment #4
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it covered all points of interest in a very short amount of reading. it made me very enthusiatic about implementing meditation into my lifestyle. DT
Comment #5
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Alot of benefits and alot of information, thank you.
Comment #6
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Our society will be a peaceful one if our lives have the true happiness. Meditation is an excellent tool for thispurpose.
Comment #7
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There were multiple items that that can be addressed and or reduced with practicing meditation that I was unaware of such as arthritis, and psoriasis which i suffer from. Thank you
Comment #8
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Contains information from varies topics for meditation.
Comment #9
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Did not give techniques for meditating.
Comment #10
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The reasearch is worth the writer's as well as the reader's time. Based upon my own real life experiences, what the author has to say is absolutely true. And the technique he uses to express his thought is above average.
Comment #11
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covers many aspects of meditation,but gives no sources for learning to meditate.
Comment #12
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VERY INFORMATIVE. I AM ABOUT 5O LBS OVERWGHT AND AM LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DESTRESSIFY ME. I AM LOOKING INTO YOGA AND MEDITATION. SOMETHING THAT WILL RELAX ME SO THAT I CAN FOCUS AND ZONE ON WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
Comment #13
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It was well organized, stated simply so it could be easily understood by a person not familiar with medical terminology.
Comment #14 (Posted by brady musgrove)
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Meditation when used correctly can be of benefit to one's health and spiritural well being however, you must b aware of the potential dangers it imposes. If you don't have JESUS as your personal savior then you can be corrupted. Remember, God will not listen to you unless you first believe in CHRIST.
Comment #15 (Posted by Lorrettus)
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I was 15 years old when I was first introduced to self-hypnosis. Within a few fears I discovered meditation. After practicing it for close to 20 years now. I can say for sure that I have benefited immensely in all aspects of my life and ALSO pain relief, which can be acheived only with prolonged practice. I withstood the pain of a dislocated hip joint and broken radius and ulna for seven hours without taking any pain relievers. The benefits derived from meditation varies from individual to individual, the surroundings, etc. Beginers are often dissapointed and give it up real soon because meditation is one of those things that you need to master to various levels to reap progressive degrees of usefulness
Comment #16
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i agree to most of the things which was said because i meditate and it brings a new perception of not how i what to see life but how life really is i stop smoking do to meditation and i also am learning to control anger issue
Comment #17
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This practice has been around for awhile but it seems not enough people take advantage of this simple (non drug) answer to a lot of different problems.
Comment #18
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it gives me a sense of wellbeing and control of emotion
Comment #19
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I have suffered from generalized anxiety disorder for years and am now seeking treatment other than medication. I will try meditation. Thank you for giving me hope.
Comment #20
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Started taking yoga at the YMCA and it begins and ends with a relaxation period.
Comment #21
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There are alot of people out there that need to be eduated on the benefits of meditation,
Comment #22
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It's all true and very good to know.
Comment #23
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Very interesting and helpful information for those seeking alternative methods of relief from the effects of stress and depression--which I believe EVERYONE is experiencing to some degree in this day and age.
Comment #24
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by practice
Comment #25
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People need to know the power of the mind.
Comment #26
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easy to understand
Comment #27
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As a non-practicing TM person, I find the article inspiring and true. It has made me want to return to the practice of TM and the state of health, peace and happiness I experienced before
Comment #28
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I do agree that meditation relaxes and produces calm. It also allows one to think positively toward certain things, but it does not improve relationships or take away pain. The relationships in one's life are tended by the individual and his or her way of living. Pain can be remedied by medicine and exercise; however, I do think that meditation is a great tool for relaxation, just like taking a nap is.
Comment #29
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Made realize That what I do is of great benefit to myself and my family!
Comment #30
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because it give me enough information to began practicing meditation to restore my blood pressure to normal and my well being feelings, God bless you.
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