By Susan Hemmingway — Herald Health Correspondent
The practice of meditation can be more than a discipline that calms the mind. Scientists have discovered that regular meditation can change brain structure in ways that prevent depression relapses; improve memory; lower blood pressure; reduce hospital stays in some cases; boost immune system markers; enhance wellbeing, and more.
No one has said meditation is a miracle cure-all, but studies have shown that meditation can reduce stress by easing the body's "flight-or-fight" response and boosting the calming side of the nervous system.
Bradenton acupuncturist John Osborn, who has practiced meditation for nearly 40 years, believes anyone can learn to meditate. The benefits are worth the effort, he said.
"If a person can just sit, five to 15 minutes a day, within three to four weeks, they are going to start noticing changes," said Osborn.
By "sit" he means close the eyes and focus attention on a repeated word, inhales and exhales of the breath, or visualized object. There won't be a way to shut off thoughts entirely, but the practice of meditation can make them less intrusive, with more awareness of the present moment.
When the experience of being in the present carries over into daily life, there are less stress-inducing thoughts such as rumination about the past and fearful thoughts about the future.
Last month, Osborn led a seminar at Palma Sola Botanical Park about enhancement of wellbeing through meditation. The interactive event was co-sponsored by Blake Medical Center and the Center for Building Hope. He expected about 25 people, but got a much bigger response. Registration was closed after 70 signed up; there wasn't room for more.
At the event, he led attendees through a basic meditation and three guided meditations that involved visualizations to deepen relaxation.
"Some people said afterward, 'This is the first time I've been able to shut my mind off and relax,' " said Osborn.
Forms of meditation vary and have been part of spiritual traditions such as Buddhism since antiquity. Sarasota psychotherapist Judy Martin, who incorporates meditation into her counseling practice, said that meditation also is secular and pursued for its health benefits.
Martin specializes in stress reduction and introduces clients to meditation as "one of the tools in their toolbox" for regaining equilibrium. She has found that mindfulness meditation -- in which people purposely concentrate on the present moment -- is effective in freeing the mind from repetitive negativity.
"But what I've found is that they really all work. A lot are variations on a theme," said Martin about forms of meditation.
"I always tell (clients) that the type of meditation I teach is generic. I'm bringing it down to earth," she said.
Sarasota psychotherapist Betsy Nelson also uses meditation in working with clients. She started the Sarasota Meditation Institute in 2009 after reading about studies that found mindfulness meditation is highly effective in helping people who have recovered from depression from having another episode.
"There have been studies that show changes in brain structure" through meditation, said Nelson.
Over time, the practice influences how parts of the brain, such as the right and left hemispheres, work together. Some of those changes bring about a higher sense of safety and feelings of optimism, both of which protect against depression, said Nelson.
She leads a twice-weekly meditation group that ranges from 12 to 30 participants, depending on the season. Although Nelson's interest in starting the Meditation Institute stemmed from reading studies on depression, the group is focused on mindfulness meditation in general and is open to the public.
Three to four times a year, Nelson teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, an eight-week program developed by mind-body medicine pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts and now used around the world. The focus of the program is learning how to practice mindfulness meditation and reap the benefits of living in a more relaxed state.
