Originally published February 3 2011
New study shows meditation reduces depression, fatigue and anxiety in MS patients
by Richard Stossel
(NaturalNews) A new study conducted by the Swiss has demonstrated that certain forms of meditation may help patients with MS. The particular type of meditation known as "mindfulness" is where patients simply train their mind to focus more on the moment rather than the past or future. It is precisely described as "nonjudgmental awareness of moment-to-moment experience."
The 8 week study conducted at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland randomly assigned 150 patients to either take part in the 8 week study or continue on standard medical care. Those who performed the meditation reported lower levels of fatigue and depression for upwards of 6 months as opposed to those who received the standard medical treatments. Fatigue is often a major problem for MS sufferers with up to 50% saying that it is their most disabling symptom.
Those who took part in the meditation program reported improvement in virtually all areas including lower levels of anxiety, depression and overall improvement in quality of life. This is in contrast to those participants who continued on the standard medical treatments and who actually saw their symptoms get slightly worse over the same time period.
Study author Paul Grossman stated that the attendance rate for the meditation program was very high at over 90% with some patients driving for hours to attend the weekly classes, something that MS patients normally have a lot of trouble doing.
To those who practice natural and alternative health practice, chi-gung or other forms of meditation these results probably come as no surprise. It's been known in eastern countries, especially in China, for millennia that meditation is a major key to health, healing, strength and longevity.
Since the brain is the source of the body's EMF or Electro Motive Force, the more you calm and strengthen the mind through meditation and visualization techniques the greater the energy flow. It's a known scientific fact that the body does have electrical charges and impulses that travel along the nerves, and the more energy is allowed to flow through a calm relaxed mind, the more energy will travel through the nerves to the muscles and organs resulting in greater health, strength and immunity.
Meditation in China is practiced by all levels of society. In advanced martial arts and chi-gung (energy work) it is known to help "sustain energy" by preventing the mind from wasting it through unnecessary worrying and excessive thinking. This wastes energy in the same way as a car's engine idling for hours wastes fuel since you are going nowhere and getting 0 miles per gallon. The same thing occurs in the mind, but instead of wasting gas it's your chi or life force that is wasted.
An idling engine builds up tremendous heat and the same thing happens in the mind through excessive worry. Western studies have estimated that 85% of all cancers are stress related. Stress is known to heat up the body and in Chinese medicine cancer is considered a disease of excess fire (yang) energy.
See these related articles for more on fire energy and meditation
"Prevent Cancer by Letting Go of Excess Fire Energy (Acidity)"
http://www.naturalnews.com/022428_body_Chi_c...
"Use the Power of the Mind to Improve Your Health and Well Being"
http://www.naturalnews.com/023048_Chi_health...
Learning to calm the mind down not only helps to eliminate stress, but also cools the body and prevents countless diseases and health conditions. Cooling the body will also increase energy and longevity by slowing down the aging process of the cells and organs since premature aging and many diseases, including cancer, are strongly linked with excessive heat and fire energies.
Sources;
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/mind-soul/s...
"Harnessing The Power of the Universe" by Daniel Reid
"The Root of Chinese Qigong" By Dr. Yang Jwing Ming
About the author
Richard is a network engineer and longtime practitioner of Chinese martial arts, medicine and chi-gung for over twenty six years. Having learned many Chinese health and healing arts from old world gung-fu and healing masters and practitioners, he has helped many people to overcome their health issues and achieve their fitness goals. Through diligent study and experience he has taken this knowledge even further over the years including reading scores of books on Chinese medicine, health, chi theory, science, physics, nutrition, supplements, meditation, martial arts, and many other subjects. Utilizing the web, health and fitness videos, newsletters, articles, teachings and lectures, Rich is passionate about spreading the true knowledge of health, healing, fitness and spiritual truths. I'm proud to be writing articles for NaturalNews.com You can read many articles, hear audio interviews, and learn more about the highly praised Chinese Health and Fitness video by visiting Chinese Health and Fitness.com
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