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Meditation has also been shown to improve concentration, but this aspect of it requires a bit more dedication. While meditating just 20 minutes a day has been shown to reduce the production of stress chemicals (cortisol and adrenaline), the main study used to prove meditation improves concentration was based on retreat participants who were meditating 4-5 hours a day. But the changes appeared to be permanent - i.e. even when they stopped meditating, they seemed to have better concentration than before they ever had...

I am reading a book about the latest in genetics research, including epigenetics, or how environmental factors impact which genes express in each of us. Two people can have the same gene, but it will only activate in one. What makes genes toggle on and off is one of the most interesting forms of research going on today. And meditation is very much in the mix! They are discovering the ways that different brain activities, including meditation, impacts the brain. Stress chemicals are particularly volatile, and appear to play a role in activating a number of different disease genes. So to the extent that regular meditation helps to decrease the stress hormones in our system, it helps decrease our chances of developing certain diseases, even if we are genetically prone to them...amazing stuff!

Focusing on the breath during meditation is one of the most common forms. There are two main variations of this - in yogic traditions, we are often asked to focus on 'belly breathing' - bringing our awareness down to our belly, and gently expanding our belly as we inhale and letting it fall as we exhale. This is also the form most often taught to elicit the relaxation response in medical settings.

Insight meditation is often taught with the focus on the breath as it moves in and out of the nose while we meditate. The idea is to notice with great mindfulness all of the sensations of the breath.

According to a new study from Brown University, focusing on the breath in your nose or in your belly during meditation will result in two distinct mental states. Researchers found that belly breathers tend to feel more in touch with their somatic—or bodily—sensations, while nose breathers tend to be more aware of how their attention ‘feels.’ So belly breathing increases our body awareness, and nose breathing increases our emotional and mental awareness. Makes a lot of sense.

I think ultimately they both lead us back to a deeper awareness of our own mind and body as not separate, as one fluid stream of awareness. But depending on why someone wants to meditate, what issues they are hoping meditation will help them with, this study may offer some insight as to which type of meditation is the best starting point.

I have read more about this Brown university study, and will probably write about it in an article, as it is very interesting. The main purpose of the study was to really evaluate the meditation research out there. There has been a lot of research on meditation over the last 3 decades, and a lot of claims made about its benefits. Two things this study honed in on were:

- All the various contemplative techniques called 'meditation' - the various studies out there use different methods, which mean just saying 'meditation helps you manage stress' doesn't really mean anything - you need to know which method, and for how long, was used in the study to realize its benefits.

- Some of the studies did not have adequate control groups or didn't meet scientific standards. So part of the purpose of the study was to sort all this out.

To be sure there are still plenty of benefits attributed to meditation. But this study really highlighted the need to be clear about what your goals are when meditating before selecting a practice. If its stress management, one type may be better, if its sleep aid, then another. For example MBSR (mindfulness-based-stress-reduction), the most studied form of meditation, doesn't really appear to aid insomnia. But some others - guided relaxation exercises - might.

I think the other thing it threw into question was the premise that meditation makes you happier (i.e. per the book 10% Happier that I reviewed in another thread.) What's clear is that many forms of meditation definitely increase self-awareness, and in that sense they are a great complement to personal growth. But whether or not that increases someone's happiness really depends on what they want out of life, and how they view themselves.

More to come on this topic...