Differences in baseline electroencephalogram (EEG) activity have been found among longtime practitioners of meditation (3+ years) in comparison to novice meditators (<1 year). In the current study, 10 participants (5 experienced meditators; 5 novices) engaged in a series of weekly, 20-minute Open Heart Meditation (OHM) practices; 5 control participants (all novices) engaged in a 20-minute reading/study session. EEG activity was measured in all participants during the first and final sessions. While the differences did not reach statistical significance, there were differences in the expected direction, suggesting an increase in baseline mean frequency of EEG measurements within the beta range for experienced meditators in comparison to novices and controls, suggesting an increase in neurological engagement during meditation. These findings suggest that there are potential neurological gains of certain meditative practices, which should lead to further investigation into the merits of meditative practice as a form of therapy.
Yoga has existed for centuries in the East, beginning in India, as a religious practice of meditation and mindfulness. In the West, however, yoga is more often a popular exercise-based practice with little to no emphasis on its religious or spiritual foundations. Curiously, the mindfulness aspect of yoga has become increasingly popular within the United States, particularly as a method for therapeutic treatments, such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapies (MBCT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These therapies have been useful for patients in the early stages of psychiatric disorders (e.g. Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, Type 1 Bipolar Disorder), as some patients can supplement their medication in exchange for these forms of therapy. This paper investigates the origins of yoga from a Hindu perspective, explaining how recent trends in the U.S. have extracted elements of the traditional practice while adding other elements with a Western influence. This paper also investigates current symptoms and treatments for psychiatric disorders and explores how mindfulness can play an important role in future forms of therapy.
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