Buddhist meditation proves effective for certain health issues

Our take: The Journal of Psychiatric Practice has released a new report showing that Zen meditation may help resolve certain health issues, both mental and physical. "Mindfulness-based practice" or meditation, when used in combination with traditional therapies, helps release tension and pain by teaching patients to experience their present rather than trying to force things to change. According to some doctors, the Buddhist practice of Zen meditation is emerging as a way to teach coping mechanisms that encourage long-term results.

According to a report in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice, mindfulness practices including Zen mediation have helped to resolve mental and physical health problems.

An extensive review of therapies that include meditation as a key component referred to as mindfulness-based practices shows convincing evidence that such interventions are effective in the treatment of psychiatric symptoms and pain, when used in combination with more conventional therapies, according to Dr William R. Marchand of the George E.

Mindfulness based therapies or exercises show clear results of health benefits. Mindfulness is described as the practice of learning to focus attention on moment-by-moment experience with an attitude of curiousity, openness, and acceptance. In other words a part of practicing mindfulness is simply experiencing the present as it is rather than trying to change anything.

Read more about how Zen meditation encourages healing on BuddhistChannel.tv.