Mindfulness: Misunderstood But Om So Magnificent
Still Mumbo Jumbo Huh?
Transcendental Meditation lowers stress in cardiac disease patients
.Mindfulness helps prevent alcohol, drug relapse
Meditation Facts and Research, NCCAM
WithinSight.com Guide to Meditation
Chopra Center 21-Day Meditation Experience
control group). For instance, a meta analysis of 18,753 mindfulness meditation studies published in the March 2014 JAMA Internal Medicine, found “moderate evidence of improved” anxiety, depression and pain, but concluded that “stronger study designs are needed to determine the effects of meditation programs in improving the positive dimensions of mental health and stress-related behavior.”
In contrast, the Sept. 11, 2011, Psychology Today provided a listing (with links to the published findings) of 20 "scientifically valid" studies which indicate that meditation not only decreases anxiety, depression and pain, but increases emotional intelligence, self-control, compassion, productivity and brain function.
It's important to note that the type of meditation researched varies from study to study, but it seems mindfulness meditation was the most common (although some studies investigated the effects of mindful awareness). The Institute of Noetic Sciences provides a nice description of various meditation practices.
Okay, you say. "That all sounds good, but there’s no way I’m going to be able to sit for an hour like a human pretzel and not think about anything. And what’s with that lady on the left page? I haven’t been able to get my feet up to my groin since I was 18. And she’s sitting – with absolutely no back support – on a rock. A rock!" Yea, we know. She earned an A+ in contortionism. Luckily for the rest of us, getting off the gerbil wheel of thought can be achieved from a more comfortable position.
These two videos – one from prolific author Deepak Chopra and the other from former Buddhist monk Andy Puddicombe – will give you some tips on how you can free yourself from the constraints of constant thought.