Meditation
The Nuance of Positive Thought
As many of you know, I suffer from congenital gout disease, inherited from my father, surely exacerbated by growing up on an American diet, in addition to my own part of culpability in adolescent self-destruction. Thankfully, it is under control with an Eastern diet and medicine, a victory I take great pride in.
Between the winter holidays I am as guilty as many of pushing the over-indulgence envelope (relative to my own standards), and one night last week, as our toddler was giving us a hell of an evening in resistance to sleep, I experienced some pain in the distal inter-phalangeal joint of my big right toe (always the culprit, interestingly located on acupuncture’s meridian that corresponds with the pancreas!). It was the perfect storm of parenthood physiology: The body needs twice as much rest and self-care, and is allotted half (if you’re lucky). Needless to say, I was worried, as we all are when our Achilles heels rear their heads, that this would “turn into something.”
Because of said toddler insubordination, the subversive from within, plus an early workday the next morning, my wife and I had already conceded a good night’s sleep. Instead, just to unwind, we put on our latest favorite show, I soaked my feet in hot epsom salt water for 20 minutes, during which I needled points on my left hand to treat my right foot (a particular style and technique many of you have suffered through at my hands, no pun intended).
The next morning I woke up tired, only moments before my daughter did, insisting, requesting, yelling, and crying, offering me no moment of reprieve or transition into consciousness (it truly never ends) as I got everything ready for the day. I was tired. My head had that subtle pounding to it that heads have after going down too close to midnight and/or waking too early. I felt irritable and frustrated. BUT… my toe was pain-free!
When we are exhausted or irritable about something or someone, it can be challenging to focus on the positive—look at the bright side instead of the hole in the donut. I spent the day reminding myself, each time I got annoyed or felt resentful, of my right foot, my big toe, how much worse that could have gone, what it could have meant for the week to come, and how big of a disaster I avoided. Not to mention that my daughter did have pre-school the next day and the weather was nice! There have been instances in the past where my joint pain worsened, school was out, I was on full-time Dad-duty, and the weather was awful. All considered, I was very lucky. Sure, I was tired and the day wouldn’t feel or probably go as I’d planned or hoped, but I repeatedly made an effort to return my focus to that toe, and all the things that had gone right.
Patient sometimes come in and apologize for telling me everything that’s still wrong when overall they’re doing much better and so many things are positive, and I remind them that my office is the place to focus on the negative. Apprise me of every imperfection as it aids in the diagnostic process in our aim for physiological optimization. In the remaining 23 hours of every day though, try to focus on that healed part of you that was previously headed in a drastically different direction. I understand it’s not always that easy—the negative is not always as simple or temporary as a bad night’s sleep, a mild headache, or argument. For such instances I extend my sympathy and support.
The Benefits of Meditation
Meditation, a practice rooted in ancient traditions, has gained significant popularity in the modern world for its numerous mental and physical health benefits. As stress and anxiety levels continue to rise, more people are turning to meditation as a means of finding inner peace and improving overall well-being.
Meditation is a practice that involves focusing the mind and eliminating distractions to achieve a state of mental clarity and emotional calm. There are several forms of meditation, including mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, and loving-kindness meditation, each with its unique techniques and benefits.
One of the most well-documented benefits of meditation is its ability to reduce stress. A meta-analysis of 163 studies found that mindfulness meditation programs significantly reduced stress, with an effect size of 0.38, which is considered a moderate effect. Chronic stress can lead to numerous health problems, including heart disease and depression, making stress reduction a critical benefit of meditation.
Meditation has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders. A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that mindfulness meditation programs can help reduce anxiety, depression, and pain, with effect sizes comparable to those of antidepressant medications. This makes meditation a valuable tool for managing anxiety without the side effects associated with pharmaceuticals.
Meditation can lead to improved emotional health by promoting a more positive outlook on life. Research published in the journal Psychological Science found that individuals who engaged in loving-kindness meditation reported increased positive emotions, which contributed to greater life satisfaction and reduced depressive symptoms.
Meditation enhances attention span and concentration. A study conducted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that participants who underwent a two-week mindfulness training program showed improved GRE reading comprehension scores and working memory capacity compared to a control group. This suggests that meditation can enhance cognitive functions essential for academic and professional success.
Meditation helps individuals better regulate their emotions. Neuroimaging studies have shown that meditation alters brain regions associated with emotion regulation, such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. A study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that long-term meditation practitioners had increased gray matter density in the brain regions involved in emotional regulation, suggesting that meditation can lead to lasting changes in brain structure and function.
Meditation can contribute to lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease. A study published in the journal Hypertension found that participants who practiced transcendental meditation for three months experienced significant reductions in blood pressure compared to a control group. This effect is attributed to the relaxation response induced by meditation, which reduces stress hormones and promotes cardiovascular health.
Meditation has been shown to enhance immune function, making the body more resilient to infections. Research published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that mindfulness meditation increased antibody production in response to the influenza vaccine, indicating a stronger immune response.
Meditation can be an effective tool for managing chronic pain. A meta-analysis of 38 studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that mindfulness meditation significantly reduced pain severity, with effect sizes comparable to those of standard pain management interventions.
Meditation offers a wide array of benefits for mental, cognitive, physical, and social health. From reducing stress and anxiety to enhancing attention and immune function, meditation is a powerful practice that can improve overall well-being. As scientific research continues to uncover the mechanisms behind these benefits, meditation is likely to become an increasingly integral part of health and wellness practices worldwide.
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