The Benefits of Mindfulness Practices

Studies on the benefits of Yoga and other mindfulness techniques are moving us beyond simply connecting the mind and the body. There is a growing a knowledge base identifying simple practices that vastly improve human health. Research suggests that mindfulness meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure, and enhanced cognitive function.

Physical as well as emotional benefits are shown in study after study. Often after only short term practice, improvements are seen in self-reports and are also measurable. One such study is a 2009 article entitled, Cancer, cognitive impairment, and meditation in Acta Oncologica, by Biegler, Chaoul, and CohenC. Their article reports that mindfulness practices improve the cognitive dysfunctions associated with cancer as well as alleviating some physical symptoms related to treatment and should be “fully investigated as an adjuvant to cancer treatment.”

A different study, by Steve Cole, a UCLA professor of medicine and psychiatry, examined loneliness in the elderly as it is known to increase risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and depression, and increase the risk of premature death. This study revealed that a simple 8 week meditation program counteracted feelings loneliness and the resulting internal reactions, by reducing the activity of inflammation-related genes.

Trauma-focused CBT and DBT both effectively utilize a mindfulness approach. From depression treatments, to improved educational outcomes, to general improved sense of well-being, mindfulness practices show immense benefits. Similarly, in terms of self-care for clinicians, the benefits are well-documented. I wonder what the results would be if more of us incorporated a mindfulness model into our own lives as well as our practices.