Mindfulness is the other major classification of meditation practices, known as insight meditation. In the practice of mindfulness meditation, you begin by concentrating the attention to cultivate calmness.

Then by recognizing and acknowledging what thoughts and emotions are present. When thoughts or feelings come up in your mind:. Rather, you simply note any thoughts as they occur as best you can. O bserve them intentionally but non-judgmentally, moment by moment, as the events forming in the field of your awareness.

Paradoxically, this inclusive noting of thoughts that come and go in your mind can lead you to feel less caught up in them. Recognizing and acknowledging your emotions gives a deeper perspective on your reaction to everyday stress and pressures.

By observing your thoughts and emotions as if you had taken a step back from them. See much more clearly what is actually on your mind. As you see your thoughts arise and recede one after another. You can note the content of your thoughts.

The feelings associated with them, and your reactions to them. There may be agendas, attachments, likes and dislikes, and inaccuracies in your ideas.

Gaining insight into what drives you, how you see the world, who you think you are. Insight into your fears and aspirations. The key to mindfulness is not so much what you choose to focus on.

It is very important that it be nonjudgmental — more of a silent witnessing, a dispassionate observing of your inner experience. Observing without judging, moment by moment. Helps you see what is on your mind without intellectualizing it over-thinking.

Interest is the hallmark of mindfulness meditation and differentiates it most from other forms of meditation. The goal of mindfulness meditation is to be more aware of what is happening in your body and mind at the time it is happening.

This is present moment awareness. If you are experiencing a distressing thought or feeling or actual physical pain at any moment. You resist the impulse to react to it by trying to escape the unpleasantness.

Instead, you chose to respond and see it clearly as it is. Then accept it because it is already present in this moment. The complete experience is to first recognize the emotion.

Then acknowledging the emotion because it is here inside of me in this present moment. The more often that I recognize and accept my anger. The sooner I will understand it. By understanding my anger it is less problematic it is in my life.

Acceptance does not mean passivity or resignation. On the contrary, by fully accepting what each moment offers, you open yourself to experiencing life much more completely. It is more likely that you will be able to respond effectively to any situation that presents itself.

One way to envision how mindfulness works is to think of the mind as the surface of the ocean. There are always waves, sometimes big, sometimes small. The goal of meditation is not to stop the waves so that the water will be flat, peaceful, and tranquil.

The purpose of mindfulness meditation is to develop the skills to:. Source- Jon Kabat-Zinn, Director, Stress Management Clinic University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

This includes the emotional, physical, and mental awareness of your physicality, sensations, feelings, and thoughts. Researchers define consciousness in different stages and levels, with each stage having its unique characteristics.

The four stages of consciousness include awake, dream-filled, deep sleep, and beyond deep sleep. The five levels of consciousness are conscious, preconscious, unconscious, non-conscious, and subconscious.

These different stages and levels of consciousness define how our minds and bodies behave and the degree of awareness we experience.

Doctors, therapists, and other professionals typically recommend individuals who suffer from chronic pain, mental health illnesses, stress, and anxiety practice meditation as a way to cope and reduce the symptoms of their conditions.

Meditation techniques help patients focus on present moments and their consciousness to respond to their symptoms in a productive and less-critical way.

Not only can individuals feel more relaxed during a meditation session. It also allows them to reflect more closely on their thoughts and feelings to understand the sensations they have. Consciousness and meditation are closely tied together. When individuals practice meditation, they are often more attuned and focused on their consciousness in a calmer way.

When it comes to meditation, there are different types that can help an individual regain their active consciousness and become more present at the moment. For example, concentration and mindfulness meditation are two common types of meditations.

That individuals practice to mitigate the symptoms of stress. These two types of meditation are unique forms of consciousness. The definition of mindfulness meditation is the practice of self-awareness. When your mind and body are mindful of the thoughts and emotions you feel in the moment.

This could be feelings of sadness, fear, happiness, anger, or stress. People that practice mindful meditation also become aware of the things they see, hear, taste, and smell.

For example, the food in the kitchen or the cars on the street. This helps you mitigate some of the stress and anxious thoughts you have.

During a concentration meditation session, your mind and body focus all your attention on one thing. This usually involves focusing on your deep breathing as it enters and leaves your body. Some people also like to focus on a saying or mantra to help them concentrate on their meditation.

A mantra is a phrase that you silently repeat to yourself. You tend to focus less on other thoughts or feelings that could distract you. These practices help increase the level of calmness and relaxation you feel. The main difference between mindfulness meditation and concentration is what your body and mind focuses on during the session.

When you practice mindfulness meditation, you recognize and acknowledge. The feelings, thoughts, and sensations you have instead of suppressing them. The goal is to accept the feelings you have without judging or analyzing them.

Concentration meditation focuses on a specific activity that you concentrate on during the meditation session. This helps you get rid of other thoughts.

Concentration meditation is a type of meditation that focuses on your attention. Most people think about meditation as concentrating on specific elements that help ground you and keep your mind in the present.

For example, you might be encouraged to focus on your breathing, the pain you feel, the butterflies in your stomach, or a feeling of joy. These feelings remind you of what is happening in the present, which helps you calm your mind and thoughts instead of feeling stressed or worried about the future.

This one thing could be your deep breathing, a sound, or a mantra that you constantly repeat to yourself. Talk with your health care team about incorporating mindfulness meditation into your life, and see if it makes a difference in your health and general sense of well-being.

Skip to main content. Posted By. Joel Bobby, L. Recent Posts. Speaking of Health. Topics in this Post. Mindfulness meditation basics Mindfulness meditation is the practice of purposefully being aware of and focusing your attention on the present moment.

Benefits of mindfulness meditation Mindfulness meditation engages the brain. After decades of research into the practice, these benefits have been found to include an increase in: Cognitive flexibility Diabetes control Emotion regulation Empathy Focus and attention Immune system response Memory Positive emotions Positive relationships Relaxation Self-compassion Self-esteem The practice also affects many negative physical and mental symptoms, including decreases in: Addictive behaviors Anger and hostility Anxiety Burnout Depression Emotional reactivity Insomnia High blood pressure Need for pain medications Physical pain Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms Stress How to use mindfulness meditation Many people may think of mindfulness meditation as "sitting on a pillow, being still, with eyes closed.

To try focused breathing meditation: Sit down, take a deep breath and close your eyes. Focus on your breath as it moves in and out of your body. Sitting and breathing slowly for even just a minute can help.

Here are a few other structured mindfulness exercises to try: Body scan meditation Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your sides, palms facing up.

Focus your attention slowly and deliberately on each part of your body, in order, from toe to head or head to toe. Be aware of any sensations, emotions or thoughts associated with each part of your body. Sitting meditation Sit comfortably with your back straight, feet flat on the floor and hands in your lap.

Breathing through your nose, focus on your breath moving in and out of your body. If physical sensations or thoughts interrupt your meditation, note the experience and then return your focus to your breathing. Walking meditation Find a quiet place 10 to 20 feet long and walk slowly.

Focus on the experience of walking, being aware of the sensations of standing and the subtle movements that keep your balance.

According to a U. survey, the percentage of adults who practiced some form of mantra-based meditation, mindfulness meditation , or spiritual meditation in the previous 12 months tripled between and , from 4. Among children aged 4 to 17 years, the percentage increased from 0.

Mindfulness programs for schools have become popular. These programs provide mindfulness training with the goal of helping students and educators manage stress and anxiety, resolve conflicts, control impulses, and improve resilience, memory, and concentration.

The mindfulness practices and training methods used in these programs vary widely. Studies on the effectiveness of school-based mindfulness programs have had small sample sizes and been of varying quality. In a U. survey, 1.

Among those responders who practiced mindfulness meditation exclusively, 73 percent reported that they meditated for their general wellness and to prevent diseases, and most of them approximately 92 percent reported that they meditated to relax or reduce stress.

In more than half of the responses, a desire for better sleep was a reason for practicing mindfulness meditation. Meditation and mindfulness practices may have a variety of health benefits and may help people improve the quality of their lives.

Recent studies have investigated if meditation or mindfulness helps people manage anxiety, stress, depression, pain, or symptoms related to withdrawal from nicotine, alcohol, or opioids.

Other studies have looked at the effects of meditation or mindfulness on weight control or sleep quality. However, much of the research on these topics has been preliminary or not scientifically rigorous. Because the studies examined many different types of meditation and mindfulness practices, and the effects of those practices are hard to measure, results from the studies have been difficult to analyze and may have been interpreted too optimistically.

Few high-quality studies have examined the effects of meditation and mindfulness on blood pressure. According to a statement from the American Heart Association, the practice of meditation may have a possible benefit, but its specific effects on blood pressure have not been determined.

Studies examining the effects of mindfulness or meditation on acute and chronic pain have produced mixed results. Several clinical trials have investigated if mindfulness-based approaches such as mindfulness-based relapse prevention MBRP might help people recover from substance use disorders.

These approaches have been used to help people increase their awareness of the thoughts and feelings that trigger cravings and learn ways to reduce their automatic reactions to those cravings. Studies have suggested that meditation and mindfulness may help reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD.

Studies have suggested possible benefits of meditation and mindfulness programs for losing weight and managing eating behaviors. Several studies have been done on using meditation and mindfulness practices to improve symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD.

However, the studies have not been of high quality and the results have been mixed, so evidence that meditation or mindfulness approaches will help people manage symptoms of ADHD is not conclusive. Some research suggests that meditation and mindfulness practices may affect the functioning or structure of the brain.

Studies have used various methods of measuring brain activity to look for measurable differences in the brains of people engaged in mindfulness-based practices. Other studies have theorized that training in meditation and mindfulness practices can change brain activity.

However, the results of these studies are difficult to interpret, and the practical implications are not clear. The NCCIH Clearinghouse provides information on NCCIH and complementary and integrative health approaches, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature.

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Home Health Information Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need To Know. Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need To Know. What are meditation and mindfulness? Are meditation and mindfulness practices safe? How popular are meditation and mindfulness? Why do people practice mindfulness meditation?

What are the health benefits of meditation and mindfulness? Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. A NCCIH-supported analysis of groups of participants with diagnosed psychiatric disorders such as anxiety or depression examined mindfulness meditation approaches compared with no treatment and with established evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressant medications.

The analysis included more than 12, participants, and the researchers found that for treating anxiety and depression, mindfulness-based approaches were better than no treatment at all, and they worked as well as the evidence-based therapies. A analysis of 23 studies 1, participants examined mindfulness-based practices used as treatment for adults with diagnosed anxiety disorders.

The studies included in the analysis compared the mindfulness-based interventions alone or in combination with usual treatments with other treatments such cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoeducation, and relaxation. The analysis showed mixed results for the short-term effectiveness of the different mindfulness-based approaches.

Overall, they were more effective than the usual treatments at reducing the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms, but only some types of mindfulness approaches were as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy. However, these results should be interpreted with caution because the risk of bias for all of the studies was unclear.

Also, the few studies that followed up with participants for periods longer than 2 months found no long-term effects of the mindfulness-based practices.

A analysis of 23 studies that included a total of 1, college and university students looked at the effects of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation practices on symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Although the results showed that all the practices had some effect, most of the studies included in the review were of poor quality and had a high risk of bias.

High Blood Pressure. A review of 14 studies including more than 1, participants examined the effects of mindfulness practices on the blood pressure of people who had health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or cancer.

The analysis showed that for people with these health conditions, practicing mindfulness-based stress reduction was associated with a significant reduction in blood pressure.

A report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality concluded that mindfulness-based stress reduction was associated with short-term less than 6 months improvement in low-back pain but not fibromyalgia pain.

A NCCIH-supported analysis of five studies of adults using opioids for acute or chronic pain with a total of participants found that meditation practices were strongly associated with pain reduction. Acute pain, such as pain from surgery, traumatic injuries, or childbirth, occurs suddenly and lasts only a short time.

A analysis of 19 studies examined the effects of mindfulness-based therapies for acute pain and found no evidence of reduced pain severity. A analysis of 30 studies 2, participants found that mindfulness meditation was more effective at decreasing chronic pain than several other forms of treatment.

However, the studies examined were of low quality. A comparison of treatments for chronic pain did an overall analysis of 11 studies participants that evaluated cognitive behavioral therapy, which is the usual psychological intervention for chronic pain; 4 studies participants that evaluated mindfulness-based stress reduction; and 1 study participants of both therapies.

The comparison found that both approaches were more effective at reducing pain intensity than no treatment, but there was no evidence of any important difference between the two approaches. A review found that mindfulness-based approaches did not reduce the frequency, length, or pain intensity of headaches.

However, the authors of this review noted that their results are likely imprecise because only five studies a total of participants were included in the analysis, and any conclusions made from the analysis should be considered preliminary.

Insomnia and Sleep Quality. Mindfulness meditation practices may help reduce insomnia and improve sleep quality. A analysis of 18 studies 1, total participants found that mindfulness meditation practices improved sleep quality more than education-based treatments.

However, the effects of mindfulness meditation approaches on sleep quality were no different than those of evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise. Substance Use Disorder.

The mindfulness-based practices were slightly better than other therapies at promoting abstinence from substance use. A analysis specifically focused on MBRP examined 9 studies total participants of this approach.

The analysis concluded that MBRP was not more effective at preventing substance use relapses than other treatments such as health education and cognitive behavioral therapy. However, MBRP did slightly reduce cravings and symptoms of withdrawal associated with alcohol use disorders.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A review supported by NCCIH examined the effects of meditation in 2 studies, total participants and other mindfulness-based practices in 6 studies, total participants on symptoms of PTSD.

Study participants included veterans, nurses, and people who experienced interpersonal violence. Six of the eight studies reported that participants had a reduction of PTSD symptoms after receiving some form of mindfulness-based treatment. A clinical trial funded by the U.

Department of Defense compared the effectiveness of meditation, health education, and prolonged exposure therapy, a widely accepted treatment for PTSD recommended by the American Psychological Association. Prolonged exposure therapy helps people reduce their PTSD symptoms by teaching them to gradually remember traumatic memories, feelings, and situations.

The study included veterans with PTSD as a result of their active military service. The results of the study showed that meditation was as effective as prolonged exposure therapy at reducing PTSD symptoms and depression, and it was more effective than PTSD health education.

The veterans who used meditation also showed improvement in mood and overall quality of life. Mindfulness-based approaches may improve the mental health of people with cancer. A analysis of 29 studies 3, total participants of mindfulness-based practices showed that use of mindfulness practices among people with cancer significantly reduced psychological distress, fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

However, most of the participants were women with breast cancer, so the effects may not be similar for other populations or other types of cancer. Weight Control and Eating Behavior. A review of 15 studies total participants looked at the effects of mindfulness-based practices on the mental and physical health of adults with obesity or who were overweight.

The review found that these practices were very effective methods for managing eating behaviors but less effective at helping people lose weight. Mindfulness-based approaches also helped participants manage symptoms of anxiety and depression.

A analysis of 19 studies 1, total participants found that mindfulness programs helped people lose weight and manage eating-related behaviors such as binge, emotional, and restrained eating.

The results of the analysis showed that treatment programs, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, that combine formal meditation and mindfulness practices with informal mindfulness exercises were especially effective methods for losing weight and managing eating.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. How do meditation and mindfulness work? NCCIH-Funded Research. NCCIH supports a variety of meditation and mindfulness studies, including: An evaluation of how the brain responds to the use of mindfulness meditation as part of a combined treatment for migraine pain.

A study of the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy and medication buprenorphine as a treatment for opioid use disorder. A study of a mindfulness training program designed to help law enforcement officers improve their mental health by managing stress and increasing resilience.

Tips To Consider. Ask about the training and experience of the instructor of the meditation or mindfulness practice you are considering. Take charge of your health—talk with your health care providers about any complementary health approaches you use. Together, you can make shared, well-informed decisions.

For More Information. NCCIH Clearinghouse The NCCIH Clearinghouse provides information on NCCIH and complementary and integrative health approaches, including publications and searches of Federal databases of scientific and medical literature. Research confirms that the brain functions of frequent meditators change for the better.

Among the many meditation techniques that are easily accessible, one of the most effective and best-known ways to improve concentration is to practice mindfulness.

Can you think of any task that can be performed perfectly without your giving it your full attention? Many activities, including driving, playing sports or music, reading and paying attention at work or at school, require high levels of concentration. As you train the mind to remain present and fully focused on one object — physical sensations or the process of breathing, for example — you learn to let go of all other thoughts and distractions as well.

When you can be mindful at will, your ability to concentrate naturally increases. An Italian neuroscientist named Giuseppe Pagnoni conducted a study where he compared the brain functions of a dozen long-term practitioners of Zen meditation and a dozen people of similar profiles who were not familiar with meditation.

A recent study suggested that deep breathing has a positive impact on our bodies since it helps us deal more skillfully with stress. Many cutting-edge companies have meditation rooms and encourage their employees to take a break, relax and focus on their breathing.

One meditation method that is especially helpful for those who find it difficult to concentrate is counting the breathing cycles.

This form of meditation takes mindfulness a step further by giving the meditator a dynamic task: count inhale, exhale, one. Inhale, exhale, two. Inhale, exhale, three, and so on. Remaining fully aware during this process is a powerful training in concentration — many people notice that their minds have wandered before they can count to three.

Sustained attention studies indicate that people who practice guided meditation for focus on one particular task can complete it more successfully than non-meditators.

They especially perform better when the task allocated was completely unexpected, an indication that preparedness and vigilance improve with consistent meditation. If you find meditation challenging, guided meditation for concentration might be a good choice for you.

Here the voice of an instructor guides you through your meditation session. The session could take place at your home or in a group setting. Your job, as a meditator, is to notice when that happens and come back to the practice.

Concentration meditation can be practiced most anytime. You can train yourself to live in the moment and become aware of thoughts as they come and go. Consider carrying out your everyday activities mindfully.

When you eat, for instance, try to feel the texture and flavor of your food as you chew and note the different sensations present in your body. No listening to the radio, making a shopping list, checking your emails or reading the news. Use the act of eating or engaging in other activities to develop your concentration by remaining one-pointedly focused on the task at hand.

How to begin? Why not train your mind with a free online meditation course in mindfulness. About the Author: Mindworks Team. What Is Dependent Origination? The Relationship Between Shamatha and Vipashyana Meditation.