Mindfulness Meditation ( Mm )

This paper is about my experience with mindfulness based meditation and scientific inquiry of these experiences. Mindfulness based meditation is describes as technique used to cultivate nonreactive, non-judgmental and stable awareness of the present moment (Garland and Gaylord, 2009). The end goal is to sustain this meta-cognitive state for a long period of time. I practiced non-denominational form of mindfulness based meditation for the first time in my psychology class, which was devoted towards intellectual and experiential examination of meditation. The practice was conducted in a group it was instructed by our own professor and it begun at the end of class. There was one sessions per week and each session was structured meaning it was

Mindfulness is an incredible skill, it is a practice that is taking the world by storm and helping more and more people live in their present.

Mindfulness is another way of meditation. Meditation was used to seek to improve one’s psychological or physical health, or spiritual growth. (Brantley, 2007). The history of Mindfulness comes from Buddhism and his search for enlightenment and a foundation of the four noble truths. The Buddha teaching focus on the four noble truths which consist of knowing suffering exists, there is a cause of suffering, there is cessation of suffering and there is a path that leads to the cessation of suffering. (Van Gordon, 2015). The four noble truths were not only there to represent the Buddha’s experiential understanding of suffering, but also to express the truth (Van Gordon, 2015). Studies of Buddhism and the Four Noble Truths teach us that there is always going to be suffering in our life but to find ways to overcome suffering (Tsering, 2005).

Mindfulness is an abstract concept that can take on many different meanings to individual people. This form of self care is when one is mentally aware of the present or accepting of the moment. Many benefits come with practicing mindfulness, which is why all people should try to understand its importance.

Mindfulness has its roots in ancient spiritual traditions, namely Buddhism (Keng, Smoski, & Robins, 2011), and is commonly defined as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding experience moment by moment” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 145). Definitions like the preceding are common in contemporary literature, however many authors have suggested that mindfulness is a

Meditation therapy places one's mind into an Alpha (resting) or theta (relaxing) brainwave state and causes the brain's rhythm to slow and antibodies and endorphins (natural pain killers) to be released into the patient's system. The body's metabolism, breathing and heart rate will slow and blood pressure will decrease. Simply put, at its core, meditation therapy will help patients clear their minds of all toxic thoughts, concentrate and focus on themselves, help them practice patience and prepare them for recovery.

As discussions about the use of meditation have become more prevalent, patients are using this practice clinically and several studies have researched the benefits and limitations. One study found that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can serve as an effective treatment to reduce the anxiety and stress that comes from a chronic illness and everyday life (Praissman, 2008, para. 4). Not only are the benefits seen in chronically ill patients and/or those with psychological disorders, but practicing MBSR can be beneficial to healthcare providers that have a stressful workload and desire a way to non-chemically handle the demands of their job. Additionally, the text states a few other found physiological benefits including: reduction of blood pressure, decreasing the risk for hypertension, help cancer patient’s experiencing depression and anxiety due to their illness, be helpful in PTSD therapy, increase a patient’s productivity, decrease irritability and increase one’s sense of identity (Potter et al., 2017, p. 692). While

Mindfulness is a Buddhist-based concept centered around self-awareness and acceptance that makes heavy use of meditation to achieve these goals (Hofmann 169–171). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy adapts traditional cognitive–behavioral therapy to include the practices of mindfulness (Hofmann 170). Although a recent phenomenon, considerable research has been conducted in order to ascertain the efficacy of this new psychotherapy in treating anxiety and mood disorders. So far, the majority of research indicates that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy does indeed have positive effects on both anxiety and mood disorders (Bystritsky 38; Hofmann 169–183). Despite these assertions, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has yet to become a regular form of treatment for mental illnesses (due in large part to its religious connotations), although it has slowly begun to be used more often in the treatment of anxiety disorders (Bystritsky 38; Hofmann

Through much research towards the history of mindfulness meditation followed by understanding the risks of today’s college students practicing unhealthy methods to increase academic performance it is important to find a link between the two in order to bring forth a new means of aiding academic performance. Through proper research and diligent efforts it will be a top goal to not only scientifically support the potential for meditation to be more successful than non-prescription drugs (Adderall) when it comes to increasing academic performance.

First, a brief historical origin of meditation and contextualizing mindfulness, following the literature reviewed to provide a foundational understanding of various types of meditation being practiced and what its documented effects have been. The second body of the literature reviewed on the neurobiology and mechanisms of change with mindfulness meditation practice.

The beneficial effect of meditation for people with chronic conditions is also proven by Chan & Larson (2015), however, their point of view is that further research on the topic is necessary due to the inconsistency of the results. After examining the multiple research studies, the authors argue that meditation may “result in significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and chronic disease symptoms”. Furthermore, they state that people with chronic diseases relate more positively with their body, which is resulting in increased activity levels and improved quality of life (Chan & Larson, 2015). In some studies, the accent was made on improvement that is achieved in perception or acceptance of a specific symptom when the symptom itself was not changed. Meditation also relieved the manifestations of multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and peripheral neuropathy (Chan & Larson, 2015). In addition, this complementary treatment modality has the beneficial effects on attention span, sleep quality and latency, and enhanced well-being (Morone, Lynch, Greco, Tindle, & Weiner, 2008).

Mindfulness can give you various kinds of benefits in your day-to-day life, out of which some are science-backed and some are divine.

Mindfulness is, in the present moment, the state of mind with predictable and adjustable attention. Meditation is known for changing how people view the world (3). Mindfulness can come in many forms, like meditation, and is known for reducing the symptoms of mental illnesses like stress, distress, depression, and other mental health problems. Moreover, meditation is linked with mindfulness, and is known as a state of awareness alteration with the purpose of enhancing knowledge of oneself as well as reducing self-awareness (1).

Mind over matter, the idea that our minds have the power to overcome physical problems. One of the most ancient techniques that points to this concept is called mindfulness meditation. This ancient practice is now being researched by todays psychologist and neuro scientist for its benefits to our wellness. My research topic will explain how meditation impacts our health. If our minds have the power to heal ourselves through mental discipline, then the advantages are infinite.

great for treating psychological conditions. The author explains that meditation awareness training follows more of a traditional Buddhist approach. From the participant’s results, it shows the effectiveness of meditation. (Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. D. 2014). The results proved that the participants with stress issues improved significantly due to receiving meditation awareness training. This article is meaningful to me because it shows how meditation can reduce stress levels which can boost an individual’s self-esteem.