Sarah calhoun3 hw420-02-unit 5 project

Just Breathe…A contemplative guide to mindfulness

meditation

Sarah A CalhounKaplan University

HW420: Creating WellnessUnit 5 Project

Take a deep breath….and heal

Areas of focus:

Research studies that promote mental fitness Hypertension

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Chronic Insomnia

Mental wellness exercises for you to try at home Practice Loving Kindness

Maintain a positive outlook

Benefits of Mental FitnessMental acuity/environmental awarenessLess stressImproved immunity responseImproved communicationsBetter coping/decision-making skillsImproved physical fitnessHelps build strong family dynamicIncreased ability to withstand stressOverall increased quality of life

Mental Fitness = healing?Several research studies have shown that increased

mental fitness and spiritual awareness can actually

improve the body’s ability to heal and fend off illness,

disease, and common ailments.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

A study of 298 college students

suggests that transcendental

meditation made a significant

improvement in total psychological

distress, anxiety, depression,

anger/hostility, and coping ability.

Additionally, blood pressure

decreased in the study group,

further reducing their risk for

future hypertension. Nidich, Rainforth, and Haaga. 2009. American Journal of Hypertension.

Journal of Counseling and Development

A 1981 study of 28 Vietnam veterans revealed that transcendental

meditation promoted significant improvement in delayed stress

syndrome, anxiety, depression, insomnia, alcohol use, family

problems, and employment status.

Furthermore, the characteristic foundation of

Transcendental Meditation explores a deeper

understanding and has been shown to restore

normal brain function after damage caused by

trauma and unresolved after-effects (Hankey,

2006).

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

11 study participants found that transcendental meditation

techniques during the daytime induced better, more restful sleep at

night (Gourineni, 2009).

Also, Kria Yoga was taught as a measure of decreasing elevated

arousal levels, thus reducing the state of hyperarousal chronic

insomniacs face.

Think yourself well…The possibilities are endless in the world of mind-body

medicine. Two tried and trusted methods of restoring

and maintaining mental fitness are practicing loving

kindness, and maintain a positive outlook.

Practice Loving Kindness

Also referred to as “metta,” the practice of loving

kindness allows the contemplator to cultivate love,

sympathy, benevolence, friendship, and good will

within oneself and towards others.

Loving Kindness MeditationFind a comfortable place to sit or lie down,

quiet of daily noises and distractions. Take a few deep breaths and begin to focus your thoughts and attention in six areas:

o Yourself

o A good friend

o A "neutral" person

o A difficult person

o All four together

o The entire universe, or all sentient beings

Loving Kindness

Meditation

Keep On the Sunny Side!Maintaining a positive outlook on life creates and

embodies whole wellness.

Enjoy and savor the little moments, the daily joys.

Appreciate the wonderful things in your life: people,

health, strength, intelligence, etc.

Keep a gratitude journal and make note of your

blessings every day.

Find the lesson in every obstacle, the silver lining in

every dark cloud.

References Dacher, Elliott S> MD. 2006. Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach,

California: Basic Health Publications, Inc. Audio CD, track 2.

Gourineni, Ramadevi. 2009. American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Meditation May Be An

Effective Treatment For Insomnia. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 25, 2010, from

<http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/06/090609072719.htm>

Hankey, Alex. 2006. Journal of Counseling and Development: CAM and Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder: Transcendental Meditation in the treatment of post-Vietnam adjustment. Retrieved

Monday, May 24, 2010 from <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1810367/>

Nidich SI, Rainforth MV, Haaga DAF, et al. 2009. American Journal of Hypertension: A randomized

controlled trial on effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on blood pressure,

psychological distress, and coping in young adults. Retrieved Sunday, May 23, 2010 from

http://www.nature.com/ajh/journal/v22/n12/pubmed/ajh2009184a.html