Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Fill Up On Good Vibes

When it comes to your health, it's not just what you put in your mouth that matters, it's also what you put in your mind.

According to researchers, stress and holding on to negative emotions like anger, can seriously impact your health and damage your brain. Neuroscientist, Dr. Andrew Newberg, and therapist Mark Robert Waldman, both of the University of Pennsylvania, along with cardiologist, Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School, have spent years studying this phenomenon.

Apparently, one of the biggest culprits found with stress and negative emotions is the hormone, cortisol. Prolonged cortisol in the system can lead to lowered immunity, increased blood pressure, blood sugar imbalances, increased abdominal fat and other health problems.

Fortunately, just 12 minutes a day of mediation can reduce stress, anxiety and depression and may even slow the aging process, too. Yoga, journalling, deep breathing, guided imagery, deep breathing, other techniques and even yawning (who knew?) are also beneficial. Using the loving-kindness mediation to give a shout-out of love to yourself and to others--especially, to people you're having difficulties with--can reap rewards on many levels.

It seems like meditation and relaxation practices are just what the doctor ordered.

www.relaxationresponse.org/
www.massgeneral.org/bhi/
www.andrewnewberg.com/
www.markrobertwaldman.com/default.aspx
www.uphs.upenn.edu/radiology/research/labs/csm/
www.acupuncturedoctor.net/podcasts/simple-loving-kindness-meditation

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