Meditation is a form of mind-body medicine, which involves using your thoughts and emotions to affect your physical health. The two most common forms practiced in the United States are transcendental meditation and mindfulness meditation. During transcendental meditation, you use a mantra, a repeated word or phrase. In mindfulness meditation, you focus on your moment-by-moment thoughts and sensations. Both forms --- as well as others --- can provide benefits.
A Kinder, Gentler You
Meditation may be able to help you become kinder and more compassionate because it affects areas in your brain that increase empathy to other people's mental states, according to a study published in 2008 by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the "Public Library of Science One." Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify whether you can learn positive emotions, such as compassion, in a similar way to playing a musical instrument or a sport. People who might benefit from this particular benefit of meditation include bullies and people prone to depression.
College Success
About 18 million college students are struggling with mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression issues, according to American University. Instead of turning to medications, you can try meditation. A transcendental meditation program to reduce stress at American University resulted in significant decreases in blood pressure among students at risk for hypertension. It also significantly improved psychological distress and coping.
ADHD Relief
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common childhood disorder characterized by symptoms, such as problems focusing or paying attention and controlling behavior. While medication is a common treatment for ADHD, some parents have concerns about medicating children to cope with the disorder. Transcendental meditation can be a safe, effective drug-free way to treat ADHD, according to a study published in "Current Issues in Education" in 2008. After three months of transcendental meditation, children ages 11 to 14 with ADHD --- one-half of them on medication --- experienced a 50 percent drop in stress, anxiety and improvements in their symptoms.
Alcohol Abuse Recovery
During recovery, alcoholics have to battle complications, such as anxiety, depression or cravings. Meditation may give them an advantage in the fight to stay clean. In a 16-week trial conducted at the University of Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, 19 recruits from addiction treatment clinics participated in mindfulness meditation sessions. Participants reported being abstinent 95 percent of the days, with 47 percent being completely abstinent for the duration of the study. Michael Waupoose, program manager for Gateway Recovery, a UW Health addiction treatment center, says that mindfulness meditation can help recovering addicts to better cope with triggers such as stress or anxiety.
References
- University Of Wisconsin-Madison: Study Shows Compassion Meditation Changes The Brain
- American University: Study Suggests Transcendental Meditation Helps College Students
- Current Issues In Education: Use Of The Transcendental Meditation Technique To Reduce Symptoms
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health: Meditation Could Help Alcoholics Av
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