Clinical studies have routinely backed the benefit of mindfulness meditation exercises for folks dealing with issues as diverse as:
anxiety and panic attacks
http://www.brainresearch.us/meditation.pdf
depression
http://www-psych.stanford.edu/~pgoldin/Buddhism/MBCTrelapsedepressionTeasdale2000JCCP.pdf
obsessive-compulsive disorder
http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/18311106/
bipolar disorder
http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/ijct.2009.2.4.373
stress-related paranoia
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19545481
borderline personality disorder
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1995-98090-000
grief
HumphreyFM.pdf
and eating disorders.
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1999-05597-007
Those of us needing basic stress-relief can use it, too.
http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Jan2012/Feature2
The challenge remains for us to weave mindfulness exercises into our daily schedules, especially in the demanding hustle bustle of New York City life.
Who knew that taking a moment or two to scan one's body for tension and focus on breathing through it was so hard?
Gradually filling ones lungs with air would seem to be easy, except that our mind travels away from the task so quickly.
"Did I remember to buy milk?
"This is boring!"
"My foot itches."
"What did my boss mean by that?"
Staying in the "present" rather than reliving the past, obsessing about the future or judging ourselves and others can be an Olympian task.
I like to recommend the free downloads at Zencast.org to help you along the way.
Some favorites are:
Zencast 129: "Radical Acceptance" by psychologist, Tara Brach
Zencast 96: "Forgiveness" by Matt White Band
Zencast 67: "Being in the Moment" by Bodhipaksa
Zencast 254: "Basic Introduction to Meditation" by Gil Fronsdal
Let me know what you think of this valuable resource!
Until next, take very good care.
