Mindfulness Meditation and The Reduction of Anxiety
Mindfulness meditation is a form of meditation that has been prevalent for thousands of years, and is only becoming increasingly more popular. “Over the past decade, neuroscientists like myself have become increasingly interested in studying how meditation affects the brain and body. The number of studies conducted per year in this new field of contemplative science is rising exponentially, with more than 200 studies published last year alone,” (Hasenkamp). It’s a form of meditation in which a person builds a practice of awareness, intentionally focuses their attention on the present moment, and accepts whatever the present moment brings, without any judgment.
New research presents mindfulness meditation as a helpful source for preventing and/or reducing anxiety. Mindfulness and it’s relation to anxiety is broken down into three parts; the neurological relation, the effects presented by focusing the mind on the present moment, and the reduction of any pre-existing physical symptoms of anxiety. Any presented research regarding mindfulness implements how essential it is in successfully decreasing anxiety. Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center recruited fifteen healthy volunteers with normal everyday levels of anxiety to partake in a study to see how mindfulness specifically affected anxiety. The volunteers of the study participated in four twenty-minute meditation classes where they learned about mindfulness and were taught how to focus one’s attention on the breath and body sensations, in attempt to non-judgmentally redirect thoughts and emotions. “In this study, we were able to see which areas of the brain were activated and which were deactivated during meditation-related anxiety relief.” (Zeidan)
The study revealed that anxiety relief due to meditation is associated with the activation of the anterior
However, meditation is not as common within Buddhism as most believe. There is a large assumption “that Buddhism and meditation go hand in hand”, but the majority of Buddhists have focused on “cultivating moral behavior, preserving the Buddha’s teachings (dharma), and acquiring good karma”(Braun 2014, p.1). Meditation and Buddhism are often assumed to be one and same, but this is also not true. As Buddhism has gained popularity among lay people it’s practices have changed Buddha’s teaching of the middle path has adapted to meditation being “possible in the city” rather than with monks in jungles and caves (p.4). As seen in Burma, in less than 75 years Buddhism and meditation were able to grow “from a pursuit of the barest sliver of the population to a duty of the ideal citizen” (p.5). While meditation is not the core of Buddhism it has encouraged the growth of Buddhism as it’s practice of mindfulness has been inspiring an approachable model (p.6). Meditation and mindfulness are easily manipulated to secularization, but still have significance in Buddhism and following the patterns of your
Mindfulness helps us achieve a balance between the two. For example, many of us develop stress because of things that may have gone wrong in the past OR we may develop stress because we are unsure about the future or if there is something expected to happen in our future that we are not looking forward to or are not comfortable thinking about. What mindfulness does is that it allows us to reduce our stress and anxiety related to issues in our past or anticipated issues in our future. It helps us recognize that it is the present - the now - that is actually more important. If we fail to pay attention to our now, our life can spin out of control making our future even more complicated and our past efforts completely
The origin of mindfulness is rooted in Buddhist philosophy and practice tradition which is more than two and half thousand years old. Mindfulness can be practisced by anyone of any faith and religion and involves training the mind and doesn’t enforce any religious belief system.
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
For thousands of years people have practiced mediation for spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Albeit there are many mediation types, in this paper I will be discussing and focusing on mindfulness mediation. Before further exploring mindfulness mediation, it is crucial to define mediation as a whole. Tang, Holzel, & Posner, 2016 state “Meditation can be defined as a form of mental training that aims to improve an individual’s core psychological capacities, such as attentional and emotional capacities” (p.213). Having that in mind, we can dive into mindfulness mediation. Mindfulness meditation is defined as “nonjudgmental attention to present-moment experiences (Tang, Holzel, & Posner, 2016).” A useful analogy to consider is going to the gym, going to the gym allows one to enhance the body, well similarly, practicing mindfulness is akin to taking the mind to the psychic gym, it enhances it. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on your breathing and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present all while dismissing discursive thoughts and maintaining a special focus on breathing.
It’s easy to think that mindfulness is a relatively new fad, with companies like Google inviting Zen masters to launch their Mindful Lunches. Maybe we think it’s a new need in today’s fast-paced life or because of a modern desire to be more productive. Mindfulness and meditation, however, are mentioned in ancient texts such as the Bible and have been around for thousands of years.
05 May 2014. Barbor, Cary. " The Science of Meditation.
People of western society have observed the practice and now over eighteen million people in the United States of America use meditation for various reasons (Clarke). There are many ideologies pertaining to mediations and its benefits; however, there is also statistically proven evidence to prove the benefits of meditation. I would like to focus on a study conducted by Harvard graduated at the Massachusetts General Hospital; the study was able to show the effects meditation had on certain areas of the brain such as the amygdala as well as the surrounding grey matter. The research showed grey matter being altered, which has a direct correlation between stress, internal emotions, acceptance and memory. The study consisted of sixteen participants who participated in an eight-week mindfulness program. Prior to, along with after the program, MRI scans of the brain showed that only twenty-seven minutes a day of meditation displayed denser grey matter in the amygdala and hippocampus which also led researchers to conclude meditation has the potential to help with self-awareness and compassion (Bushack). A Harvard Medical School instructor in psychology, Dr. Sara Lazar states, “Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day”
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, as a therapeutic technique. The M square, as I call it, which stands for Mindfulness and Meditation is making an impact on today’s society, as it has been used by more people with each passing day. They are starting to acknowledge the benefits, some of which are the improvement in both mental and physical health, acceptance of one’s self, lower stress and depression, and maybe more, but to mention a few. Not excluding these two great men: Dr. Martinez, a Biocognitive Psychologist, and Keith Mitchell, an ex-American football linebacker in the National Football League. Both Dr. Martinez and Keith are strong supporters and practitioners of meditation and mindfulness.
...biology of Meditation and its clinical effectiveness in psychiatric disorders. Biological Psychology, 82(1), 1-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2009.04.003
To begin with, mindfulness is when someone can pay attention to the present moment “without being devoted to different points of view” (Martin, 1997). Along with staying focused on the present moment, mindfulness is when the particular person does not judge the current experience as the person tries to comprehend the present situation. Mindfulness makes a person reflect on one’s self by not only figuring out one’s thoughts, but also the feelings that go along with it. The complex nature of mindfulness demonstrates that it has multiple purposes that cultivates a person into realizing the potential of the brain (Davis & Hayes,
Mindfulness involves accepting our thoughts and emotions without judgment, and without believing that there is a right or wrong way to feel in a given situation. Our thoughts and emotions are not labeled as good or bad. They are observed as simply happening until they pass. While practicing mindfulness one does not rehash the past or imagine the future. Attention is focused on what is being sensed in the present moment. There is a sense of self apart from things. Mindfulness is moment to moment awareness and purposefully placing attention on things that we wouldn’t normally give a second thought to. Mindfulness can be thought of as a way of being, rather than an activity. It is the awareness of wondering thoughts and purposefully directing them back, rather than letting them
By utilizing a set of research methods, that inducts different types of mindfulness meditation training programs, and advanced mindfulness practitioners to matched control, with a capitulation of detection that enhance our understanding of the nature of mindfulness. While providing insights that will help me to target symptoms and populations that are likely to benefit from mindfulness meditation
What are your thoughts, views, musings and experiences etc. regarding meditation? As we all can learn from each other when it comes to sharing ways of creating a healthy, happy and vibrant life work balance.
Orme-Johnson, D. W., & Barnes, V. A. (2014). Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Technique on Trait Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal Of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 20(5), 330-341. doi:10.1089/acm.2013.0204