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8 week meditation study[/caption]
Cool new 8 week meditation study came out today. I have mentioned before that I have meditated a fair amount in the past. Nothing like Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love, but enough to know the affect that it can have. Meditation is great. Anyway one of the big things that meditation does is still the mind so that you are much better able to keep your concentration as well as creativity.
Studies tend to be inconclusive on the physical effect to your brain from meditation but a new report seems to show that in just 8 weeks it can make a big difference.

8 Week Meditation Study
An eight-week proÂgram of meditaÂtÂion led to brain strucÂture changes in peoÂple parÂtiÂciÂpatÂing in a stuÂdy, reÂsearchÂers say. Itâs the first time that meditaÂtÂion, a pracÂtice adÂvoÂcatÂed by a range of reÂliÂgious traÂdiÂtions, has been shown to lead to such changes, acÂcordÂing to the sciÂenÂtists. PreÂviÂous reÂsearch, they said, had reÂvealed strucÂturÂal difÂferÂences in the brains of medÂiÂtaÂtors, but couldÂnât docÂuÂment that meditaÂtÂion had acÂtuÂally caused those changes. The reÂsearchÂers reÂported that parÂtiÂciÂpatÂing in an eight-week meditaÂtÂion proÂgram apÂpeared to make measÂurÂaÂble changes in brain reÂgions asÂsoÂciÂatÂed with memÂoÂry, sense of self, emÂpaÂthy and stress.âAlÂthough the pracÂtice of meditaÂtÂion is asÂsoÂciÂatÂed with a sense of peaceÂfulÂness and physÂiÂcal reÂlaxaÂtÂion, pracÂtiÂtionÂers have long claimed that meditaÂtÂion alÂso proÂvides cogÂniÂtive and psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal benÂeÂfits that perÂsist throughÂout the day,â said Sara LazÂar of the MasÂsaÂchuÂsetts GenÂerÂal HosÂpiÂtalâs PsyÂchiÂatÂric NeuÂroimagÂing ReÂsearch ProÂgram, the stuÂdyâs senÂior auÂthor. âThis study demonÂstrates that changes in brain strucÂture may unÂderÂlie some of these reÂported imÂproveÂments and that peoÂple are not just feelÂing betÂter beÂcause they are spendÂing time reÂlaxing.âThe study is to apÂpear in the Jan. 30 isÂsue of the jourÂnal PsyÂchiÂaÂtry ReÂsearch: NeuÂroÂimagÂing.
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