Mindfulness meditation training changes brain structure in 8 weeks

 

Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain’s grey matter.

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” says Sara Lazar, PhD, of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program, the study’s senior author. “This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing.”

Previous studies from Lazar’s group and others found structural differences between the brains of experienced mediation practitioners and individuals with no history of meditation, observing thickening of the cerebral cortex in areas associated with attention and emotional integration. But those investigations could not document that those differences were actually produced by meditation.

For the current study, MR images were take of the brain structure of 16 study participants two weeks before and after they took part in the 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. In addition to weekly meetings that included practice of mindfulness meditation – which focuses on nonjudgmental awareness of sensations, feelings and state of mind – participants received audio recordings for guided meditation practice and were asked to keep track of how much time they practiced each day. A set of MR brain images were also taken of a control group of non-meditators over a similar time interval.

Meditation group participants reported spending an average of 27 minutes each day practicing mindfulness exercises, and their responses to a mindfulness questionnaire indicated significant improvements compared with pre-participation responses. The analysis of MR images, which focused on areas where meditation-associated differences were seen in earlier studies, found increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection. Participant-reported reductions in stress also were correlated with decreased grey-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress. Although no change was seen in a self-awareness-associated structure called the insula, which had been identified in earlier studies, the authors suggest that longer-term meditation practice might be needed to produce changes in that area. None of these changes were seen in the control group, indicating that they had not resulted merely from the passage of time.

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.” says Britta Hölzel, PhD, first author of the paper and a research fellow at MGH and Giessen University in Germany. “Other studies in different patient populations have shown that meditation can make significant improvements in a variety of symptoms, and we are now investigating the underlying mechanisms in the brain that facilitate this change.”

Amishi Jha, PhD, a University of Miami neuroscientist who investigates mindfulness-training’s effects on individuals in high-stress situations, says, “These results shed light on the mechanisms of action of mindfulness-based training. They demonstrate that the first-person experience of stress can not only be reduced with an 8-week mindfulness training program but that this experiential change corresponds with structural changes in the amydala, a finding that opens doors to many possibilities for further research on MBSR’s potential to protect against stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.” Jha was not one of the study investigators.

 

Sjá: http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/news/mindfulness-meditation-training-changes-brain-structure-in-8-weeks

Ég er aldrei hamingjusamur ...

 

Það sem þú flýrð það eltir þig. Það sem þú eltir það flýr þig.

Sá einn öðlast sem kann að bíða.

Spurðu ekki um hamingju: Ég er aldrei hamingjusamur, því þarsem hamingja er þar er ekkert ég.

 

Sigvaldi Hjálmarsson - Stefnumót við alheiminn. Leiðbeiningar um esóteríska iðkun.

What Is Yoga, Really?

The word yoga itself means “union”: of the individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or Spirit. Though many people think of yoga only as physical exercises — the asanas or postures that have gained widespread popularity in recent decades — these are actually only the most superficial aspect of this profound science of unfolding the infinite potentials of the human mind and soul.There are various paths of Yoga that lead toward this goal, each one a specialized branch of one comprehensive system:

Hatha Yoga — a system of physical postures, or asanas, whose higher purpose is to purify the body, giving one awareness and control over its internal states and rendering it fit for meditation.

Karma Yoga — selfless service to others as part of one’s larger Self, without attachment to the results; and the performance of all actions with the consciousness of God as the Doer.

Mantra Yoga — centering the consciousness within through japa, or the repetition of certain universal root-word sounds representing a particular aspect of Spirit.

Bhakti Yoga — all-surrendering devotion through which one strives to see and love the divinity in every creature and in everything, thus maintaining an unceasing worship.

Jnana (Gyana) Yoga — the path of wisdom, which emphasizes the application of discriminative intelligence to achieve spiritual liberation.

Raja Yoga — the royal or highest path of Yoga, immortalized by Bhagavan Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita and formally systematized in the second century B.C. by the Indian sage Patanjali, which combines the essence of all the other paths.At the heart of the Raja Yoga system, balancing and unifying these various approaches, is the practice of definite, scientific methods of meditation that enable one to perceive, from the very beginning of one’s efforts, glimpses of the ultimate goal — conscious union with the inexhaustibly blissful Spirit.

The quickest and most effective approach to the goal of Yoga employs those methods of meditation that deal directly with energy and consciousness. It is this direct approach that characterizes Kriya Yoga, the particular form of Raja Yoga meditation taught by Paramahansa Yogananda. 

 Sjá: http://www.yogananda-srf.org/tmp/meditation.aspx?id=1721

Dagskrá Lífspekifélagsins um helgina

 

Föstudaginn 21. janúar kl 20:30 heldur Halldór Jónsson læknir erindi: Hugleiðsla og heilbrigði

Laugardag 22. janúar er opið hús frá 15 - 17 og kl 15:30 heldur Vilhjálmur Hjaltalín Jónsson nemi við Háskólann í Aberdeen erindi : Hugleiðingar um hugleiðingu.   

 

 

 

Á laugardögum kl. 14:00 verður áfram hugleiðingarstund í hálftíma í sal félagsins niðri í umsjá Birgis Bjarnasonar. Kl. 14:30 mun hann svo kynna fræðsluefni úr safni Sigvalda Hjálmarssonar til kl. 15:00. Þá mun taka við hefðbundin dagskrá uppi í bókasafni eins og áður. Unnt er að sleppa hugleiðingunni kl. 14:00 ef fólk vill og mæta kl. 14:30.

Entering Buddha Mind - Dharma talk

 

Let’s look at a quotation from Confucius’ grandson, in which he explains ‘the Tao’, which is literally the way, but which throughout the history of Taoism and Zen has acquired other names at different times in history. Eventually “the Tao” also came to imply “Big Mind,” “Original Mind,” “Ordinary Mind,” “God,” and “Buddha Nature.” But the basic experience underlying all these is the same.  

“The Tao is the way things are, which you can’t depart from even for one instant. If you could departfrom it, it wouldn’t be the Tao. Therefore, the Master looks into her own heart and respects what is unseen and unheard. Nothing is more manifest than the hidden. Nothing is more obvious than the unseen. Therefore, the Master pays attention to what is happening within her innermost self.” 

Dharma talk by Joseph O’Neill on May 15, 2010 at Sonoma Mountain Zen Center

 

Children need more meditation and less stimulation

 

If you want your children to feel more relaxed and less stressed, give them silence, not iPods.

This unthinkable idea came to mind after listening to Ernie Christie and Dr Cathy Day, two educationists from Queensland, Australia. They were addressing an audience at Regent's College, London, on the benefits of allowing children to experience regular periods of silent meditation in the classroom.

A pilot study in 2005, involving teaching meditation to five- to 17-year-olds, had shown that children are not only capable of meditation, they actually enjoy it. The benefits to children's wellbeing were so obvious to teachers that it persuaded Cathy Day, director of Townsville Catholic Education Office, to spend precious funds implementing the first Christian meditation programme for all schools in the diocese.

The initiative had two important catalysts: a diocesan bishop sympathetic to meditation, Michael Putney, and the input of Laurence Freeman OSB, leader of the World Community for Christian Meditation. Without their help, Day admitted, nothing would have got off the ground. When an almost pathological "busyness" is the norm, valuing stillness and silence is counter-cultural. When our culture trains us to be winners, to compete and to consume, we all sense society's imbalance, said Freeman. We need to give children an experience of another way of relating to themselves and to others.

Deputy director Christie agreed. If children are over-stimulated we rob them of something precious: being allowed to "just be" where children discover their own inner sense of who they are. Hijacked by a "doing" culture that measures everything by what we achieve or possess, meditation helps children access a deeper part of themselves – an inner sanctuary away from a world of incessant activity and noise. They learn to honour their own spiritual life.

We all have a spiritual life, irrespective of any faith we hold, said Christie. Meditation can be practised with a diversity of beliefs: children of other faiths take part in the programme. Meditating in a group can give children an early sense of belonging, says Christie. Children with learning or physical disabilities can join in and feel part of the class. But the practice is introduced gradually. The recommended meditation time is one minute per age level; for five- and six-year-olds, it would be five to six minutes.

A video of interviews with teachers, children and parents was admirably honest. Children of varying ages said meditation helped them to feel "relaxed" or more "peaceful". One boy said it helped his thoughts "just settle"; one girl enjoyed being "quiet". A child from an indigenous community said he was able "to be himself". Teachers reported improved behaviour in difficult children. Yet no one suggested it was a "cure all" practice. But at a recent awards ceremony in the second largest school in Townsville, the key speech was on the positive benefits of meditation.

The health benefits of meditation are well documented: it can relieve stress, lower blood pressure and alleviate depression. Psychiatrist Jonathan Champion said research showed most mental health problems have begun by the age of 14. Giving children periods of quietness and reflection to promote wellbeing could save money on healthcare later.

For Day and her team, meditation is an essential part of religious education. In the foreword to Christie's ground-breaking book, Coming Home: A Guide to Teaching Christian Meditation to Children, Putney says being "still" is very different from being "quiet". "Be still and know that I am God." It is in stillness that God speaks to the heart. Meditation as a way to self-knowledge and self-acceptance is an indispensable first step towards knowledge of God. Teachers hope children will discover a love that accepts them unconditionally and an inner spiritual resource they can draw upon later in life.

When religious schools are seen as intolerant of other faiths, the lost "contemplative" dimension of religion that reaches to a divine source beyond individual differences is surely needed. By training teachers in this depth dimension of faith, this remote diocese on the edge of the Australian outback is already creating waves.

Dagskrá Lífspekifélagsins hefst aftur þann 14. janúar

 

Föstudaginn 14. janúar kl. 20:30 Jóhann Sigurbergsson sýnir myndir frá starfi Guðspekifélagsins

Laugardaginn 15. janúar Sigríður Einarsdóttir kynnir bókina "Hver ert þú?" eftir Njörð P Njarðvík og spilar tónlist.

 

Hugleiðing og fræðsluefni frá Sigvalda. Á laugardögum kl. 14 verður áfram hugleiðingarstund í hálftíma í sal félagsins niðri. Kl. 14:30 er tekið fyrir fræðsluefni úr safni Sigvalda Hjálmarssonar til kl. 15. Þá tekur við hefðbundin dagskrá uppi, sjá dagskrá laugardaga.Hægt er að sleppa hugleiðingunni kl 14 og mæta 14:30.Dagsetningar: 15. jan. (yfirlit.) 22. jan. (30. bréf) 29. jan. 5. 12. 19. og 26. feb. 5. 12. 19. og 26. mars. 2. 9. og16. apr. (42. bréf).

  

Netfang: [e-mail]        Lén: www.lifspekifelagid.is. Þriðjudaga kl. 20:30 er hist uppi til þess að lesa og hugleiða. Fimmtudaga kl. 16:30 til 18:30 er bókasafnið, bókaþjónustan og skrifstofan opin yfir vetrarmánuðina. Sími félagsins er 5517520. Laugardaga kl 14 til 15 er hugleiðing fyrir byrjendur og fræðsluefni frá Sigvalda Hjálmarssyni. Laugardaga kl 15 til 17 er opið hús með fyrirlestrum og umræðumi.

 

Allir eru velkomnir á zen-hugleiðslu-námskeið!

Námskeið eru haldin fyrsta mánudag í hverjum mánuði kl.19:30. Námskeiðið kostar 3000,-kr +(2000kr fyrir trúfélaga) og er iðkun allan mánuðinn innifalin. Hægt er að leggja inn á Zen á Íslandi – Nátthaga í heimabanka, kennitalan er  491199 2539 og reikningsnúmerið er 111 26 491199. Mikhael Óskarsson er leiðbeinandi. Áhugasömum er bent á að senda honum póst og skrá sig. ([e-mail])Þátttakendur læra m.a.:

• Sitja zen-hugleiðslu. Zazen eða sitjandi Zen
• Kinhin (gönguhugleiðslu)
• Formið í setusalnum og rétta líkamsstöðu við Zen hugleiðslu á púða eða stól
• Að fylgjast með inn- og útöndun í þögn

www.zen.is  

Eckhart Tolle TV í janúar 2011

 

Eckhart Tolle TV í janúar 2011

A Course in Miracles
A Course in Miracles was designed as a 365-day program for spiritual awakening. Eckhart, who has used this resource in his own teaching for years, invites us to see if we can get to the essence of the Course in one 90-minute session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a74gZF95j2E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lim6FXjWs0s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQX0blFGLUc
 
What is the appropriate response when someone says something rude or meant to hurt?
Right action stems from presence, and presence isn't necessarily a passive force. Eckhart explains.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grOJDgaiAsI
 
The Practice of "People Watching
Eckhart describes an awareness practice we can all use to observe and relate to others through presence rather than judgment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwX7GljTJDc
 
Does the ego strengthen itself with more consciousness?
Eckhart points out the enormous difference between seeing a pattern in yourself and being that pattern unconsciously
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE-30zUBaas
 
Is awakening a gradual process or is there also the possibility of a sudden, spontaneous shift?
The process of awakening varies for each individual, and is influenced by our decision to embrace the new state of consciousness—or remain in an egoic "shell."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfarjgYI8Ag
 
How might a conscious person respond in comparison to an egoic response?
Eckhart retells a famous Zen story to illustrate the transformational power of non-reactivity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjfpNhVjWLI
 
The Truth Will Make You Free
Eckhart shares a spontaneous teaching about the heart of Zen practice and the liberating discovery of who you really are beyond thoughts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AILLT2pEVrA
 
Qigong Meditation
Kim Eng leads us in a simple qigong practice for cultivating an awareness of our life force energy and allowing it to express itself spontaneously through our lives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD4kJXTt6uE
 

Where can we go to find God ...

 

Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being.

 

Swami Vivekananda