Yogic breathing exercises reduce pain and depression

Today I was reading ScienceDaily and noticed a new entry that will be of interest to those who do suffer from chronic pain and depression. I found this report to be very interesting because I have been using Yogic breathing and Buddhist breathing and mindfulness exercises for over 20 years now to control my own pain and to cope with the depression that chronic pain leads to. In fact I have been sharing my practices in this blog.

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation comes out of traditional Buddhist meditation practices. Psychologist Jon Kabat-Zinn has been instrumental in bringing this form of meditation into medical settings. In formal mindfulness practice, the meditator sits with eyes closed, focusing the attention on the sensations and movement of the breath for approximately 45–60 minutes at a time, at least once a day. Informal mindfulness practice involves bringing awareness to every activity in daily life. Wandering thoughts or distracting feelings are simply noticed without resisting or reacting to them. The essence of mindfulness meditation is not what one focuses on but rather the quality of awareness the meditator brings to each moment. Source

Slow breathing reduces pain

Research performed by a scientist at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center has shown that controlled breathing at a slowed rate can significantly reduce feelings of pain.

Chronic pain sufferers, specifically fibromyalgia (FM) patients, also reported less pain while breathing slowly, unless they were overwhelmed by negative feelings, sadness or depression. Read the full article.

Body Awareness Exercise

How to Practice Deep Breathing Instructions and Video

This guided meditation is an introduction to cultivating mindful awareness in your life. The exercise focuses on bringing nonjudgemental, moment-to-moment attention to each part of the body. The key to this practice is to maintain an accepting attitude, gently noticing and letting go of thoughts, criticisms, or self-judgments.

Many people find that this exercise helps them become more relaxed right away, while others find that they become aware of sensations they hadn’t noticed before. Over time, regular practice can help reduce anxiety, manage panic and other uncomfortable physical sensations, improve sleep problems, cultivate self-acceptance of the body, and deepen concentration and mindfulness.

MP3 Format: 11 MB (for Download)

Healing Hands Meditation (8 Minutes)

This is a gentle guided meditation and visualization which is intended to assist people in becoming more aware of, and possibly more accepting of, their bodies. It is important to find a comfortable place and a time when you will not be interrupted. Take a few minutes before listening to get comfortable either sitting or lying down, allowing the body to relax and release tension.

MP3 Format: 7 MB (for Download)

About timethief

A down to earth woman, a passionate wordpress blogging tips blogger, a meditator, and a conscious living and self improvement blogger.

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