Spiritual wellness isn’t something that typically comes up in a doctor’s appointment, so it’s a new topic for most of my patients to discuss. Plus, spiritual wellness looks different to every single one of us. Maybe you know exactly what spiritual wellness is to you, or maybe you’ve never given it much thought. To help inspire your thinking and ideas around spiritual wellness, I’ve provided some links to a few of my favorite resources.
Three Breathing Exercises and Techniques
“Practicing a regular, mindful breathing exercise can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders.” – Andrew Weil, M.D.
There are a lot of things we can’t control in life – but breathing is one of them. In this article, we learn three breathing exercises to help with relaxation and stress reduction: The Stimulating Breath, The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise (also called the Relaxing Breath), and Breath Counting. Give them a try and see how you feel! Learn more
12 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation
If you’ve ever wondered if meditation really works, and what it could do for you, check out this article, which outlines 12 benefits offered by meditation and backed by research studies. Among the research-based benefits are stress reduction, anxiety control, improved emotional health, enhanced self-awareness, lengthened attention span, improved memory, increased feelings of kindness, addiction recovery, improved sleep, pain control, and decreased blood pressure – plus you can do it anywhere, anytime! Learn more
The Scientific Benefits of Meditation: Head to Heart, Body to Mind
People who meditate regularly know that it works for them – that’s why they do it! But what does science say about meditation? There are very real physical benefits of meditation. MRI images taken during meditation show a complete change in the brain’s different compartments, which results in a relaxation response in the rest of the body. And Harvard researchers found that long-term meditators have increased amounts of gray matter in several regions of the brain! In addition to physical benefits, meditation also offers mental health benefits, including enhanced intuition, relief from symptoms of depression, and reduced risk factors for Alzheimer’s and dementia. Meditation has also been shown to help with addictive behaviors, PTSD and weight loss. Learn more
Meditation: In Depth
The National Institutes for Health takes an in-depth look at meditation in this article, including an overview of what is known about meditation, the effectiveness of meditation, and the safety of the practice. They report that many studies have been conducted to look at how meditation may be helpful for a variety of conditions, such as high blood pressure, certain psychological disorders, and pain. A number of studies also have helped researchers learn how meditation might work and how it affects the brain. Some research suggests that practicing meditation may reduce blood pressure, symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, and insomnia. And the best news? Meditation is generally considered to be safe for most people. Learn more
Your Parasympathetic Nervous System Explained
In another blog post, I talked about how breathing techniques have been shown to improve parasympathetic function. But what exactly is the parasympathetic system and why it is important? This article dives into these questions. Doctors often call the parasympathetic nervous system the “rest and digest” side while the sympathetic is the “fight or flight.” In other words, the parasympathetic system is all about “business as usual,” keeping your body’s basic functions working as they should. When it doesn’t work properly, you can face a number of bodily dysfunctions that affect your health. Meditation, breathing techniques and other spiritual wellness practices can help you keep this vital system healthy and performing as it should. Learn more
If you’d like to explore your spiritual wellness more, please get in touch. I’d be happy to talk with you about how spiritual wellness can fit into your overall health.