Excessive stress has been linked to the rise of psychological disorders in the twenty-first century.  Many of you are probably beginning to feel an increased pressure thanks to all of the papers, exams, and final projects that the end of another semester brings.  Additionally, as pre-medical students you feel an increased desire and expectance to perform at the top of your game.  There are varied ways to approach dealing with stress: exercise, hobbies, friends, and food.  But what about meditation?  Many world religions preach meditation as an essential way to balance a lifestyle and find your chi, equilibrium between yin and yang, or just feel well.

      Although there are many types of meditation, most of them have these four components: a quiet location, a specific comfortable posture, a focus of attention, and an open attitude.  Meditation is practiced to influence the autonomic nervous system by enhancing the parasympathetic (or rest and digest) division and decreasing the sympathetic (fight or flight) division.

      “In meditation, a person learns to focus attention. Some forms of meditation instruct the practitioner to become mindful of thoughts, feelings, and sensations and to observe them in a nonjudgmental way. This practice is believed to result in a state of greater calmness and physical relaxation, and psychological balance. Practicing meditation can change how a person relates to the flow of emotions and thoughts in the mind.”

      Would you consider using meditation techniques to help reduce stress and improve awareness and holistic health?  Comments are encouraged.

Read more at http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm

Article by Tyler Earley