Meditation and mindfulness training may lower blood pressure

There is anecdotal evidence that meditation and mindfulness training may reduce blood pressure, according to Medical News Today.  The study can be found at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0223095.

Sleep Could Produce Cells That Protect The Brain's Circuitry

A study in the Journal of Neuroscience says that sleep could produce the cells that create the insulating material known as myeline. The findings are only in mice so far, but may lead to treatment for those with Multiple Sclerosis. The production increased most during REM. It makes me wonder how many more benefits there are to sleep that science hasn't found yet.

Meditation Reduces Pain

A study by Wake Forest University School of Medicine finds that meditation reduces pain by 40 percent and reduced pain more than pain-relieving drugs.

Of course trying to meditate while in pain can be challenging.

Study Supports the Power of Positive Thinking

While the Law of Attraction is not mentioned, it did pop into my mind. Men's Health gives a report on a study where positive thinking could protect you from a cold.

Wandering Minds Are Unhappy Minds

According to a study, people are thinking of being somewhere else or doing something else other than what they are doing half of the time and that this mind-wandering makes them unhappy.

Apparently an iPhone application would randomly ask people at different times what they were doing and if they were thinking about their activity or something else that was pleasant, neutral, or negative. The application is available at http://www.trackyourhappiness.org. People were found to be happiest when having sex, exercising, or having a conversation. They were least happy while using a computer, resting, or working.

It's interesting to note that those activities where people were happiest were those that require or bring about presence (or being in the present). Sex and exercise get you out of your mind and into the body. A conversation requires you to listen to someone else. Thankfully, we have a practice that helps us cultivate presence in our life - meditation.

Meditation and Other Related Practices for Mental Illness

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Hearts & Minds initiative is using meditation, yoga, and other "mindful" practices for mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. An article in Medical News Today discusses some information about the program.

The Body-Mind Connection

I usually hear talk of a mind-body connection, where stress, negative emotions, etc. affect the health of the body. A recent experience, however, makes me think the reverse can be true as well.

My emotional and energetic state was low since late March. I had some apathy, sadness, and a general lack of enthusiasm. I felt like I had reached a dead end. While there may have been things to look forward to in life, they did not excite me.

For a while, maybe since sometime in April, I had some earwax buildup that was not coming out, no matter how I treated it. This was in my left ear - I never really noticed any problem in my right ear. This week my ear started to ache. It went away after I had taken some aspirin to get rid of a headache, but now the earwax buildup was so bad that my hearing was greatly reduced. I tried a few more applications of earwax removal liquid you can purchase at the store, but it made no difference. So I made an appointment with the doctor.

Thankfully, they were able to remove the earwax without much difficulty. My right ear also had a bad buildup, though nowhere as bad as the left ear. It was amazing how much better my hearing was after that.

Not too long after my ears had been cleared out, I could feel an increase in my energy and mood. It's been a couple of days since then and I am still feeling good. Maybe it was just the removal of the earwax. Maybe it was getting more sound into the ear. Either way, it looks like a healing of my body also healed my mind.