A new study conducted at IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca shows that the subjective feeling of well-being experienced by many people with the practice of meditation is correlated with specific changes in the brain. The research, which appeared in Brain and Cognition, examined the…
By Joe Martino The Facts: Many people believe that there are spiritual/metaphysical aspects to themselves, that there exists a deeper part of ourselves that we all have the ability to connect to. Reflect On: How often do you take the time to connect with the…
A randomized controlled study recently published in Ethnicity & Disease in their Autumn 2019 Hypertension issue found that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique helps to prevent abnormal enlargement of the heart compared to health education (HE) controls. Also known as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), it…
As the leading cause of death in both the United States and the world, heart disease claims nearly 18 million lives every year, according to the World Health Organization. Many of these deaths are due to hypertension, or abnormally high blood pressure, and could be…
By Amanda Froelich The intention to be mindful is growing around the world, particularly in the West. Tired of overwork, approximately one-third of Americans now strive to meditate in the morning. In fact, the poll of 2,000 people found that time set aside for mindfulness…
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, is a disorder that makes it hard for someone to control impulsive behaviors or pay attention. Though commonly associated with children, symptoms of ADHD can continue into adolescence and adulthood. ADHD can make it hard to pay attention in class, challenging to…
Recent years have seen a renewed interest in the clinical application of classic psychedelics in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Researchers of the University of Zurich have now shown that mindfulness meditation can enhance the positive long-term effects of a single dose of…
Participating in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program appears to alter how the brain processes fear memories. In a study that will appear in the November 1st print issue of Biological Psychiatry, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that mindfulness meditation appears…
By Mark DeNicola I’m willing to bet that meditation is not a new concept to you. With one of the latest rough estimates gauging that anywhere between 200 to 500 million people meditate with regularity globally, there is a pretty good chance you’ve either tried it at…
Researchers find group meditation can positively impact society. The group practice of the Transcendental Meditation® and TM-Sidhi® programs in Cambodia between 1993 and 2008 was associated with a 96.2% decline in sociopolitical violence in that war-torn country compared to violence in the preceding three years,…
By Mayukh Saha We have all been through those terrible detentions back in school. But it’s really debatable whether detention actually results in any proper productive development in children. While many of us may have been told to step outside the class or stand while…
By John P., Guest to Natural Blaze Are you interested in yogic relaxation for stress relief? Yoga is an increasingly popular activity for relaxation, and it comes with many other benefits too. In this guide to yogic relaxation, you’ll learn everything you need to know…
By Anna Hunt The combination of meditation and music may be one of the simplest ways to fend off depression. The two have no unpleasant side-effects. Nearly everyone can enjoy them, and the cost is negligible. They can be used together or stand-alone to reduce…
By Anna Hunt Based on recent research, it seems that there’s potential for breath-focused practices to help with ADHD, cognitive decline, and other ailments that affect our ability focus. The Brain’s Response to Breath Practices For thousands of years, Yogic masters and Buddhist sages have…
By Wes Annac, Editor, Openhearted Rebel We don’t hear as much about the physical benefits of meditation as we do the spiritual. Fortunately, the scientific community is interested in it and has done a fair amount of research on it. Scientists don’t see it as something that…
By Josh Richardson Gains in the ability to sustain attention developed through intensive meditation training are maintained up to seven years later, according to a new study published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement. Several previous studies have supported the hypothesis that meditation training improves practitioners’…
By Josh Richardson Decades of research continue to unravel the relaxation response–the physiological and psychological opposite of the well-known fight-or-flight stress response that can be achieved through relaxation techniques like yoga or mediation–can reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension. High blood pressure, or hypertension,…
By Dylan Charles Doctors and psychiatrists are well-versed in the science of antidepressants. They’ve established a body of research showing how levels of certain brain chemicals fluctuate to affect mood, and they can chemically stabilize someone’s mood with pills. But truly healing from depression involves…
By Anna Hunt According to the beliefs of several ancient cultures, the early morning hours may be ideal for meditation and spiritual reflection. New Age and spiritual circles will also claim that if you wake between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., you…
By Natural Blaze After one month of transcendental meditation, 80 percent had symptoms reduced to below the clinical level. Wonderful news for those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after harrowing events – practicing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, can offer a powerful reprieve…
