Zen Meditation: Thicker Brains Fend off Pain!

From Science Daily

ScienceDaily (Feb. 24, 2010) - People can reduce their sensitivity to pain by thickening their brain, according to a new study published in a special issue of the American Psychological Association journal, Emotion. Researchers from the Université de Montréal made their discovery by comparing the grey matter thickness of Zen meditators and non-meditators. They found evidence that practicing the centuries-old discipline of Zen can reinforce a central brain region (anterior cingulate) that regulates pain.

"Through training, Zen meditators appear to thicken certain areas of their cortex and this appears to be underlie their lower sensitivity to pain," says lead author Joshua A. Grant, a doctoral student in the Université de Montréal Department of Physiology and Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal. "We found a relationship between cortical thickness and pain sensitivity, which supports our previous study on how Zen meditation regulates pain."

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224103357.htm

Just Mind It!

From the hindu.com

In the second of a two part series on alternative systems of therapy, we probe the benefits of Pranayam and Meditation on the human mind.

A combination of Surya Namaskar, Nadi Shodhan Pranayam and a ten minute meditation can lead to resolution of many mental disorders that find no permanent solution in Allopathic or other systems of western medicine. These systems of medicine, do not work on the root cause of the disease, but on the superficial symptoms. In the long run these medicines cause more damage through depletive side-effects.

Yogic science on the other hand has no bad side-effects and it works on the deep lying causes and cures from within.

Pranayam: Nadi Shodhan (Alternate Nostril Breathing )

Pranayam means expansion of the life energy. Since the vehicle of life energy is breath, these practices are roughly translated as breathing practices. There are many important breathing practices which have their own specific function within the general function of bringing about purification of the nerves (nadi shuddhi). Common pranayams mentioned in the yogic texts are: Bhastrika, Kapalbhati, Nadi Shodhan, Sheetali, Sheetkari and Bhramari. However the pranayam which can help most in case of psychiatric disorders is Nadi Shodhan Pranayam. As the name suggests it works on the nadis, the nerves and mental problems are also problems of the nervous system. In this pranayam we breathe through alternate nostrils in a particular ratio. The two nostrils are related to two important nadis (nerves channels) and these two nadis in turn are connected to the two hemispheres of the brain - left channel is connected to the right hemisphere of the brain and the right channel is connected to the left hemisphere of the brain. By breathing in a controlled manner in the practice of Nadi Shodhan, we work towards creating a balance in both the hemispheres of the brain. This balance leads to immense calm in the mental sphere of an individual thereby curing various mental disorders like nervousness, anxiety, fear and depression.

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http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2010/02/20/stories/2010022050740400.htm