As research continues to demonstrate the many benefits of meditation, health care professionals show increasing interest in being able to share this with their patients.
Physicians, nurses, psychologists, therapists, counselors, and social workers are discovering the positive impact that simple meditation practices can have for not only themselves but also their patients and clients. Courses and certification for meditation instruction are available from reputable institutions for those who wish to add this to their toolbox.
Based on Buddhist tenets, both mindfulness meditation and loving kindness meditation have been shown to have powerful effects in improving wellbeing. Here are just some of the many research findings that demonstrate how it can benefit for many health care patients.
1. Meditation increases positive emotions.
Various studies show reductions in stress and anxiety and a boost in positive emotions for both kinds of mediation. Loving-kindness meditation is especially recommended by Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, author of Positivity and an esteemed positivity psychology researcher. She found that practicing meditation four times a week for 20 minutes boosted feelings of hope, lessened stress, and greater resilience. Meditators even reported better sleep.
The Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, led by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, has trained over 18,000 people in a highly successful mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program. Participants find “greater balance, ease, and peace of mind,” reports the Center.
2. Meditation improves cognitive functioning.
More recent studies find that mindfulness meditation also leads to improvement in cognitive tasks. Those who were trained in mindfulness meditation showed increased focus and attention on challenging tests, for example.
3. Mediation can boost physical health.
While the actual mechanisms are not yet understood, research over the last quarter century has amassed enough evidence of health benefits for meditation to suggest it just might be “the magic bullet.” Benefits include the following: lowering of blood pressure by as much as 15 points, an average lowering of 30 points in cholesterol level in those with high cholesterol, less dependence on drugs, pain reduction, and even improvements in motor skill improvement and concentration.
4. Mediation can improve social relationships.
Various studies have shown that meditating enhances social relationships, perhaps because meditators feel calmer and more positive, attributes which can facilitate healthy relationships.
Are there any reasons NOT to meditate?
While in general meditation appears to be a boon for most people, the National Institutes of Health does offer a caution: “There have been rare reports that meditation could cause or worsen symptoms in people who have certain psychiatric problems, but this question has not been fully researched. People with physical limitations may not be able to participate in certain meditative practices involving physical movement. “
Given that meditation is easily available, economical, and effective, it is sure to become more widely used in both physical and mental health care venues. Health care providers who want to stay ahead of the curve should consider seeking quality training in meditation instruction to their clients. In doing so, it is likely that they will enjoy the many benefits themselves, so this is truly a win-win situation.
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