Wildmind's meditation blog
Wildmind's blogs are where you'll find book reviews, commentary, podcasts, and articles that don't fit neatly into the more structured guides to meditation that you'll find on the main part of the site. Articles are arranged below by date, and you can also browse by author and category using the links on the left.
Meditation plays important role in cancer recovery
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WLBZ News: All week NBC news is focusing on stories about cancer, in preparation for the big “Stand Up to Cancer” telecast that will be aired on all 3 major networks Friday night. This next story is about the topic is about meditation and whether nurturing that mind/body connection plays any significant role in battling cancer. Read more here.
The healing effects of meditation
The National: In 10 years experimenting with the world of well-being, it’s the single most replenishing thing I’ve learnt to do, and an increasing number of spas across the globe seem to agree, for they now offer private and group sessions of meditation. You’ll get a more instant result from a good massage or facial, of course, while a meditation session can be frustrating and difficult. But if you have a good teacher you’ll take home the tools you need … Click to read more »
Study: Zen meditation really does clear the mind
Live Science: The seemingly nonsensical Zen practice of “thinking about not thinking” could help free the mind of distractions, new brain scans reveal. This suggests Zen meditation could help treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (so-called ADD or ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, major depression and other disorders marked by distracting thoughts. Read more here.
U.S. looks at new age, holistic therapies for veterans
The Courant: The U.S. military is spending $4 million to figure out whether New Age practices and holistic therapies can mend the wounded psyches of its troops. Concerned with the high number of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries, the government is handing out grants to conduct clinical studies on everything from yoga, to Reiki, to animal assisted therapy, to transcendental meditation. Read more here.
To lower blood pressure, open up and say ‘om’
National Public Radio: In his 20 years as director of the hypertension program at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Randy Zusman has maintained a rather traditional approach. He writes plenty of prescriptions for standard medications to treat high blood pressure. But in recent years, Zusman has gotten more assertive with patients about lifestyle choices. Lately, Zusman has added a new recommendation: meditation. Read more here.
Meditation helps people find inner serenity
The Earth Times: Who doesn’t know the daily aggravations brought on by work, relationships and the pursuit of one’s own needs, and who hasn’t sometimes wished for more peace and quiet?Meditation is one possible means of achieving them. Lutz Hertel, a psychologist at a German wellness association in Dusseldorf, is convinced of one of its effects: “We see a lot more value in meditation than in massages or wellness packs. When meditating, you are active, which is the opposite of … Click to read more »
Meditating through mental illness
Globe and Mail: The patients are sitting still, their eyes closed, meditating, on the floor of a group therapy room at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. It is the fifth week of an eight-week training course in mindfulness meditation for people recovering from depression. Mindfulness-based psychotherapy is growing rapidly in popularity, and these patients are part of a clinical trial to assess whether it can prevent relapses as effectively as antidepressant medications. Read more here.
Study shows meditation helps immune system
The Daily Bruin: Sitting back, getting comfortable and concentrating on the breathing patterns of your own body is how some people use mindfulness meditation to focus. People learn from mindfulness meditation to deal more effectively with many aspects of everyday life, including stress, said David Creswell, a research scientist at the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA. In recent years, the practice of becoming more mindful and tuning in to ones internal experiences has gained scientific momentum. Multiple research studies … Click to read more »
American Cancer Society study finds high use of complementary methods among cancer survivors
Medical News Today: A new study from researchers at the American Cancer Society finds many cancer patients use complementary and alternative methods, most often prayer, relaxation, supplements, meditation, and massage. The study confirmed the findings of previous surveys that found cancer patients use the same complementary methods used among the general population and among people with other chronic diseases, such as spiritual practices, relaxation methods, and dietary supplements. Read more here.
Why meditation is a sport
The Huffington Post: I read an article recently that drew an analogy of the term ‘meditation’ to ’sports’, a word that describes a large class or family of varying forms of activity such as track, baseball basketball, etc. The general family of meditation was defined as ‘complex emotional and attentional regulatory strategies developed for various ends including cultivation of well-being and emotional balance.’ Read more here.
Meditation zeitgeist, 28 July, 2008
A not-entirely-random selection of blog posts on meditation.
brain imaging research volunteer
Meditation: A Way of Awakening
Meditation for Busy Women Series: Part III - Love
Speaking of Meditation and Computer and Internet Addiction
Mindfulness meditation slows progression of HIV, study shows
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News: Researchers at UCLA report that the practice of mindfulness meditation stopped the decline of CD4 T cells in HIV-positive patients suffering from stress, slowing the progression of the disease. The study was just released in the online edition of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. “This study provides the first indication that mindfulness meditation stress-management training can have a direct impact on slowing HIV disease progression,” said lead study author David Creswell, a research scientist … Click to read more »
Meditation zeitgeist, July 5, 2008
A not-entirely-random selection of blog posts on meditation.
Benefits of meditation researched by scientists
“Maybe I will try dad’s hippie meditation bullshit”
Doctors Find Meditation Affects Your Body
Meditation and health
Las Cruces Sun-News: In the past 40-plus years, scientific researchers have begun to study the cognitive, physiological and neurological changes that occur in meditation. These investigations have found significant health benefits for regular practitioners of meditation. Read more here.
Meditation zeitgeist, July 1, 2008
A not-entirely-random selection of blog posts on meditation.
Dr. Alejandro Junger on Meditation
Wherever You Go There You Are (review)
Meditation zeitgeist, June 7, 2008
A not-entirely-random selection of blog posts on meditation.
Vipassana & Other Meditation Techniques
Meditation Video from The Mayo Clinic
Mindfulness, MediTation and Mediation
Study: meditation against ADHD
The Huffington Post: A fascinating new study (Mindfulness meditation training in adults and adolescents with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 11, 737-746) suggests the benefits of mindfulness for adolescents and adults with attention deficits. Read more here.
Meditation For dancers
Red Orbit: Find inner peace through these meditation techniques. Imagine entering an altered state of consciousness that feels calm and peaceful. Meditation, an ancient method of relaxing the mind, can take you there. Dancers and athletes can use meditation to improve their focus and concentration, but it can also be a useful tool for defeating negative self-judgment. Read more here.
Neuroscience of meditation and attention
This month’s Trends in Cognitive Sciences has a fantastic review article on the neuroscience of meditation - focusing on how the contemplative practice alters and sharpens the brain’s attention systems.
The full article is available online as a pdf, and discusses what cognitive science studies have told us about the short and long-term impact of meditation on the mind and brain.
Meditation is now being quite extensively studied by cognitive science owing to the clear effects it has on the brain, and … Click to read more »
Meditation combats everyday stresses
Female First: The method of meditation has been practised for hundreds of years and the health and social benefits are doubtless. Meditation classes are designed to calm the mind and gain clarity and perspective and once you’ve mastered the basics the methods are entirely transferable to everyday life. Read more here.