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Meditation Improves Your Attention
from: Dr. Joseph MercolaBuddhist monks have claimed for centuries that meditation helps
increase attention and concentration. New findings offer support
for this notion.
Increases Thickness of Brain Regions
Researchers at Harvard Medical School examined Westerners who
meditated for about 20 minutes every day, but didn't necessarily
believe in the tenets of Buddhism. MRI (magnetic resonance
imaging) was used to look at brain parts involved in memory and
attention. The thickness of those regions had increased.
Those areas generally shrink as people get older, but older
meditators in the study were able to avoid some of that
shrinkage. This suggests that a regular meditation practice
might help people maintain their ability to remember and focus
on details.
Boosts Performance on Attention Tests
Another study indicates that meditation may boost performance on
tests that measure attention. A University of Kentucky study
showed that 10 people taught to meditate for 40 minutes did
better on a test of attention than they did after reading for 40
minutes.
The study also showed that meditation can improve attention
worsened by lack of sleep.
Produces a Jump in Brain Waves
A third study, of mostly Buddhist monks, found that meditation
produced a jump in brain waves associated with vigilance. The
study also showed that meditation activated brain regions
involved in attention.
USA Today November 14, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:Meditation is just one of many non-drug
tools you can use to improve your physical and mental health.
Earlier this year, I ran an article about the ways regular
meditation changes how your brain works, not only in the short
term, but possibly permanently.
One of the ways it might do so, apparently, is by increasing
your ability to maintain attention. Numerous scientific studies
have confirmed the health benefits of meditation.
One earlier study found that people who underwent eight weeks of
meditation training boosted their immune systems.
Other ailments meditation can be useful for:
- Stress, tension, anxiety and panic
- High blood
pressure - Chronic pain
- Headaches
- Respiratory problems
such as emphysema and asthma - Sleep disturbances
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Fatigue
- Skin
disorders - Mild depression
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Irritable bowel syndrome
anything like mine, you are probably wondering how you can
possibly fit regular meditation practice into your schedule,
while still trying to fit in other healthy lifestyle choices
like:
- Exercise
- More sleep
- Preparing your own food
Well folks, the answer lies with new and exciting brain wave
entrainment technology. This is a system in which you listen to
relaxing sounds of a rainfall on a CD through stereo headphones.
Each channel has different frequencies that gradually but
rapidly bring you into a state of blissful relaxation because
your brain is now resonating at frequencies consistent with
those observed in experienced meditators.
We have had the Insight CD System on our site for a while now
and have received many testimonials as to how this has helped.
The Insight CD is actually set up so you can do a 20-minute
quick session that gets you most all of the benefits. Most
people, including me, can carve out 20 minutes; however, the CD
is also set up so you can do a 40- or 60-minute session.
By listening to the CD you can literally train your brain to
function at a high level of synchronization, opening up the way
for a flood of positive effects. When left and right sides of
your brain begin to work in concert with each other, electrical
activity and energy patterns in your brain become more
widespread throughout the brain instead of remaining confined to
certain areas.
Research has indicated this type of "whole brain
synchronization" is present in the brain at times of intense
creativity, clarity and inspiration.
Therefore, whether you do it with the Insight audio CD or on
your own in a quiet, undisturbed place, make sure you make
meditation a priority of your daily life. It's a simple step
that can have lasting and profound influences on both your
physical health and mental well-being.
About the author:
This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most
visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a
limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test"
to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type
so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to
http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this
quick test!
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