UW study reports sustained changes in brain and immune function after meditation
MADISON -- In a small but highly provocative study , a University of Wisconsin-Madison research team has found, for the first time, that a short program in "mindfulness meditation" produced lasting positive changes in both the brain and the function of the immune system. The findings suggest that meditation, long promoted as a technique to reduce anxiety and stress, might produce important biological effects that improve a person's resiliency.
Richard Davidson, Ph.D., Vilas Professor of psychology and psychiatry at UW-Madison, led the research team. The study, conducted at the biotechnology company Promega near Madison, will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
"Mindfulness meditation," often recommended as an antidote to the stress and pain of chronic disease, is a practice designed to focus one's attention intensely on the moment, noting thoughts and feelings as they occur but refraining from judging or acting on those thoughts and feelings. The intent is to deepen awareness of the present, develop skills of focused attention, and cultivate positive emotions such as compassion.
In the UW study, participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group, with 25 subjects, received training in mindfulness meditation from one of its most noted adherents, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. (Kabat-Zinn, a popular author of books on stress reduction, developed the mindfulness-based stress reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.) This group attended a weekly class and one seven-hour retreat during the study; they also were assigned home practice for an hour a day, six days a week. The 16 members of the control group did not receive meditation training until after the study was completed.
For each group, in addition to asking the participants to assess how they felt, the research team measured electrical activity in the frontal part of the brain, an area specialized for certain kinds of emotion. Earlier research has shown that, in people who are generally positive and optimistic and during times of positive emotion, the left side of this frontal area becomes more active than the right side does.
The findings confirmed the researchers' hypothesis: the meditation group showed an increase of activation in the left-side part of the frontal region. This suggests that the meditation itself produced more activity in this region of the brain. This activity is associated with lower anxiety and a more positive emotional state.
The research team also tested whether the meditation group had better immune function than the control group did. All the study participants got a flu vaccine at the end of the eight-week meditation group. Then, at four and eight weeks after vaccine administration, both groups had blood tests to measure the level of antibodies they had produced against the flu vaccine. While both groups (as expected) had developed increased antibodies, the meditation group had a significantly larger increase than the controls, at both four and eight weeks after receiving the vaccine.
"Although our study is preliminary and more research clearly is warranted," said Davidson, "we are very encouraged by these results. The Promega employees who took part have given us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate a real biological impact of this ancient practice."
Davidson, who is integrally involved with the HealthEmotions Research Institute at UW, plans further research on the impact of meditation. He is currently studying a group of people who have been using meditation for more than 30 years. His research team is also planning to study the impact of mindfulness meditation on patients with particular illnesses.

Mantras, Rosary May Help the Heart, Study Shows

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The rhythmic chanting used when saying the rosary prayer or performing a yoga mantra seems to have a calming effect on the heart, study findings suggest.
``The rosary might be viewed as a health practice as well as a religious practice,'' according to study lead author Dr. Luciano Bernardi, of the University of Pavia in Italy and his colleagues.
To investigate, the researchers measured the breathing rates of 23 adults while they either prayed the rosary in the original Latin or recited a yoga mantra. The rosary is a repetition 50 times of the Ave Maria, or the Hail Mary prayer, with the whole 50 repeated three times. For comparison, the researchers also measured the study participants' respiration during free talking, and during spontaneous and controlled slow breathing exercises.
When the participants breathed spontaneously, their respiratory rate was about 14 breaths per minute, which slowed down to almost 8 breaths per minute when they engaged in regular conversation, the investigators report in the December 22/29th issue of the British Medical Journal. During recitation of the Ave Maria or the yoga mantra, however, their respiratory rate was about 6 breaths per minute.
A slow respiration rate of 6 breaths per minute ``has generally favourable effects on cardiovascular and respiratory function,'' the researchers note.
Furthermore, breathing rate was irregularly reduced during free talking, but was significantly more regular during recitation of the Ave Maria and the yoga mantra, similar to during the 6 minutes of controlled respiration, Bernardi's team reports. This indicates ``that these methods could stabilize the respiratory rate as effectively as precisely timed control,'' the authors write.
What's more, recitation of both the Ave Maria and the yoga mantra similarly synchronized all the heart rhythms, the investigators found.
The similar effects produced by the two seemingly different cultural practices may not be merely coincidental. In fact, Bernardi and colleagues suggest, the two practices may have similar origins.
It is known that the rosary is related to the Christian religion, but it was actually introduced by the crusaders ``who learnt a similar technique from the Arabs who in turn learned it from the Indian and Tibetan masters of yoga,'' Bernardi told Reuters Health.
``So it may be that recitation of Mantras, which originally was conceived as a health practice, and the Rosary, which is essentially a religious practice in Europe, could have the same background,'' he explained.
"Classically, in the West, the rosary is the technique that is most readily recognized as a way of evoking this response," said Dr. Herbert Benson, president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute.
SOURCE: British Medical Journal 2001;323:1446-1449.

Medical Mantra

While its no surprise that mantra meditation reduces stress, researchers now show that using mantra meditation to reach a higher state of consciousness may help unclog arteries. African Americans with high blood pressure who practiced meditation for six months saw a .098mm decrease in fatty buildup in arterial wall, compared with an increase of .054mm among folks who simply tried to change their diet and lifestyle. Getting results takes some effort. First you need to learn to meditate, which can take hours and then you should do it for 20 minutes each morning and evening.
Time Magazine March 13,2000

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Meditation Does a Body Good

Meditation not only mellows your mind, it may also help your heart.
Preliminary results from a recent study demonstrate that meditation may decrease the risk of heart disease. In the study, participants with high blood pressure were randomly assigned to complete a meditation program or to participate in a health education group. The people who meditated for 20 minutes 2 times per day over the 7-month study period experienced a reduction in artery wall thickening.The participants in the health education group showed an increase in artery wall plaque buildup.
Researchers hypothesize that stress-relieving meditation triggered self-repair mechanisms that reversed the fatty buildup on artery walls.
RealAge Benefit: Taking care of your emotional health and well-being can make your RealAge 8 to 16 years younger.

Meditation Has Enormous Mental And
Physical Benefits
Lorin Roche, PhD & meditation teacher

Do you meditate? If not,
you’re missing out on
a safe, effective way to boost
your mental and physical health.
As countless studies have shown,
as little as 20 minutes of daily
meditation can have profound effects
on the body. Consider this evidence...
Chronic pain. When chronic
pain patients began practicing a
simple form of meditation known as
the relaxation response, the number of
times they visited a pain clinic in the
the Mind/Body Medical Institute at
Harvard Medical School in Boston.)
Depression and anxiety.
People who completed an eight-week
course in a form of meditation known as mindfulness
experienced a sharp decline in depression, anxiety and other
psychological problems. They also reported having a greater
sense of control over their lives. (From the University of
California at Irvine.)
Meditation has also shown at least some effectiveness
against high blood pressure, heart disease, backache,
headaches and digestive problems.
Despite its myriad benefits, meditation is practiced on a
regular basis by less than 10% of the US population.
Why don’t more Americans meditate? Most people’s
excuses are based on misconceptions about the process...
Excuse: I don’t know how to get started. The basic
elements of meditation are actually quite straightforward...
Sit comfortably.
Pick something to pay attention to. It might be your
breathing... or a silent syllable or phrase. Some people use
their name for God -- Jesus, Jahweh, Elohim, Allah, etc.
When your mind wanders -- as it inevitably will --
simply return to this focus. Don’t exert any effort at "mind
control."
One easy way to start is simply to sit on the sofa, let out a
deep breath and say, "Whew."
When you resume breathing normally, pay close attention
to the air as it flows into and out of your nostrils... your belly
rising and falling... and any other physical sensations that you
become aware of.

Feelings of relaxation may give way to intrusive thoughts.
That’s fine. Gently return your attention to your breathing or
other focus.
Do this for three minutes or so each day for one week. (It’s
okay to check your watch.)
After one week, extend your meditation to at least 10
minutes a day -- up to 20 minutes twice a day, if you wish.
Excuse: I can’t sit cross-legged. There’s nothing magic
about this position. It just happens to be the way people sat in
Asia when meditation techniques were evolving.
, Most Americans do better sitting on a chair or sofa, with a
pillow to support the lower back and feet on the ground. That’s
perfectly acceptable.
Excuse: Meditation is too hard. Not true. In fact, if you’ve
ever been swept away by beautiful music, a tranquil nature
scene, etc., you already know how to meditate.
Ultimately, meditation is really nothing more than just restful
alertness. Meditating on a daily basis helps you reach this
condition more quickly and stay there longer -- and thus reap
bigger health benefits.
Go easy on yourself. Approach meditation not as a long list
of rules to follow but as a favor you’re doing for your mind and
body. That way it won’t seem like a chore.
Excuse: I can’t empty my mind. Often while meditating,
you’ll find yourself planning, rehearsing, reviewing and
otherwise being caught up in thoughts and worries.
This does not mean that you have failed. The brain does
this kind of processing whenever you rest.
The trick is to accept your thoughts, then gently return to
your focus. Do not resist this mental "housecleaning."
Excuse: I don’t have time to meditate. You can get a lot
out of meditation even if you can spare only a few minutes a
day. And most people find that the more time they spend
meditating, the more they like it... and the more time they’re
willing to set aside to practice it.
These "mini-meditations" take only a minute or so to do...
Take a conscious nap. Sit with eyes closed for five
minutes. Let your mind drift.
Do the slump. Periodically, as you’re seated, let your
head droop slowly toward your chest.
Notice the weight of your shoulders and the gentle stretch
through your spine. Take a few breaths. Slowly return to an
erect posture.
Excuse: I don’t have a quiet place in which to
meditate. Most people can meditate even in the midst of loud
noises and bustling activity.
Have you ever become engrossed in a book while waiting
in a crowded airport? Ever fallen into a deep slumber in front
of a blaring television or radio? If so, you can certainly learn
how to meditate in less-than-perfect circumstances. Treat
noise during meditation the same way you deal with your own
thoughts. Notice the distraction, then return to your focus.
If noise is still a barrier, try meditating...
... at the office. Close your office door for 10 minutes
and ask not to be disturbed.
... in your car. Meditate in your driveway before getting
out of your car and walking inside.
... at bedtime. Sit up in bed while your partner reads
quietly beside you.
Excuse: I keep falling asleep. Fine! Most busy people
have a huge sleep debt. Nodding off may be exactly what you
need.
When you wake up, don’t try to return to your focus right
away. Give your brain a few moments to come back to
consciousness. Then continue meditating.
This is why ;mantra meditation is so powerful-just listen to the sound
pick a mantra, say it and listen
Bottom Line/Health interviewed Lorin Roche, PhD, a
meditation teacher in Marina del Rey, California, for the past
30 years. He is the author of Meditation Made Easy
(HarperSan Francisco).

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Think your self strong

You may not need to actually go to the gym to get the benefits of a gym workout. Just imaging yourself there may do the job. Dave Smith, a sports psychology researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University in England, gathered 18 men and had 6 of them contact their pinkie fingers as hard as they could for 20 minutes a day, to times a week. Six others were instructed to just imagine themselves doing the exercises. And a third group of six did nothing at all. After 30 days, the pinkies of the first group were 33% stronger. Those of the control group we unchanged. But the men who visualized themselves doing pinkie crunches actually increased their strength by 16%.
reported in Natural Health magazine, 3/99

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Meditation speeds healing

Psoriasis suffers who listened to meditation tapes whole receiving UV light treatments recovered nearly four times faster than those patients who received UV treatments alone, according to a study published in Psychosomatic Medicine.
reported in Natural Health magazine, 3/99

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Researchers get Surprise