Mindfulness Meditation Stress Reduction program Part 3

Meditation Enlightenment

Presented by
Yogi Ramsuratkumar

<< Previous 1 2 [3] Next >>

Depression relief using Mindfullness Meditation

It sounds simple, but it can have profound effects. Binge eaters, for example, often bolt down huge amounts of food without noticing the taste. In a study of binge eaters given mindfulness meditation training, Dr Jean Kristeller, professor of Psychology at Indiana State University, found they lost weight and reduced diabetic symptoms by learning to savour the moment.

Meditation is also used in treatment for borderline personality disorder - a condition marked by extreme emotional instability - and has been found to halve the risk of recurrence of depression, according to a study by Professor Mark Williams when he was at the University of North Wales.

As a treatment for depression, it works with cognitive behavioural therapy, a structured therapy that involves learning to challenge habitual negative thoughts and reframe them in more positive terms. Both techniques require monitoring one's thinking, albeit in different ways. Beyondblue, the national depression initiative, is trialling a combination of the two approaches.

All this without prescriptions or side-effects. It costs nothing; all that's needed is commitment, perseverance and regular practice. As Khong says: "Mindfulness isn't magic, it's just giving yourself a quiet place to reflect on your thoughts and behaviour."

An anchor in your awareness

Youth worker David Harvey, 44, undertook mindfulness meditation training earlier this year to improve his professional and personal performance.

"I wanted to be able to take on more in my work, parenting, family relationships - my performance overall - and be able to enjoy it in a sustainable way," he says.

"Now I meditate for about 30 to 45 minutes every morning and enjoy it. At one level it's about noticing your thoughts. By monitoring that awareness you start to have more control over your feelings. It's like an anchor in your awareness; it brings you back to your experience of what's going on rather than reacting to it.

"I'm a lot more energetic - now I'm getting up between 5.30am and 6.30am and I'm really awake - and have more satisfaction with what I'm doing. I'd recommend it for people interested not just in getting through life, but in getting more out of those little moments that make up life."

Calling cancer patients

Clinical psychologist Dolores Foley is seeking 80 participants for a NSW Cancer Institute-funded study of the effects of mindfulness on cancer patients and carers.

"At this time of great stress, many find themselves lost in concerns about the past or worries about the future so the here-and-now orientation of mindfulness is particularly useful," Foley says. "Mindfulness training has been shown to reduce tension, depression and anger in cancer patients, while improving concentration, sleep and quality of life."

<< Previous 1 2 [3] Next >>

Relax body and Mind OM Mantra