New Delhi, India -- According to
a report in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice, mindfulness
practices including Zen mediation have helped to resolve mental and
physical health problems.
An extensive review of therapies
that include meditation as a key component - referred to as
mindfulness-based practices - shows convincing evidence that such
interventions are effective in the treatment of psychiatric symptoms and
pain, when used in combination with more conventional therapies,”
according to Dr William R. Marchand of the George E.
Mindfulness based therapies or
exercises show clear results of health benefits. Mindfulness is
described as “the practice of learning to focus attention on
moment-by-moment experience with an attitude of curiousity, openness,
and acceptance. In other words a part of practicing mindfulness is
simply experiencing the present as it is rather than trying to change
anything.
Dr. Marchand focused on three
techniques: Zen meditation, a Buddhist spiritual practice that involves
the practice of developing mindfulness by meditation. Mindfulness-based
stress reduction (MBSR) a combination of Buddhist mindfulness with
meditation related to yoga as well as stress coping stretegies. The
third type of technique he reviewed is Mindfulness-based cognitive
therapy (MBCT), which combines MBSR with principles of cognitive
therapy.
As a result of Dr. Marchand’s
study it has been revealed that MBSR is effective in reducing stress and
promoting general psychological health in patients with various medical
or psychiatric diseases.
These practices in addition help
to affect mental and physical health in that they impact brain function
in structure, which they believe is the reason for the practices
helping decrease stress levels as well.
The use of such mindfulness practices are promising and overtime should be used consistently in clinical settings.
2012-07-1
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