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Health
It isnotuncommontohearofmeditation inbothreligiousandcontemporarytermsthese
days. The demands and preferences of younger generations have seen newmodalities
complementing traditional methods of achieving stillness of the mind, as
Edwin Koh
explores.
A
lthough
meditation has its roots in religion – and
many still practice it in its ancient forms – it has also
become somewhat of a secular buzzword popularized by
alternative medicine advocates like Deepak Chopra (who
was previously a mainstream medical practitioner) and
media icons like Oprah Winfrey.
The benefits of meditation are endless. In addition to
achieving religious goals, the National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine (nccam.nih.gov), an entity of the American
administration, states that meditationmay be practiced for many
reasons, such as to increase calmness and physical relaxation,
to improve psychological balance, to cope with illness, or
to enhance overall health and well-being.
Scientific proof of meditation as a means to cure
diseases may still has some way to go, but there has
been research and anecdotal accounts of meditation
being used to combat health problems such as
anxiety, pain, depression, stress and insomnia,
as well as physical or emotional symptoms that
may be associated with chronic illnesses and
their treatment.
It is, of course, not a recommended replace-
ment for modern medicine in treating specific
diseases, and one should consult healthcare
professionals about any complementary
practices when being treated for medical
conditions.
Buddhist Meditation
Core meditation techniques can be traced
to ancient Buddhist texts. These techniques
aspire to develop mindfulness, concentration,
tranquillity and insight. A 2003 PublishersWeekly
review stated that Buddhist meditation techniques
are increasingly being employed by psychologists
and psychiatrists to help alleviate a variety of health
conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation is derived fromBuddhism and a 2004
publication in Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice by the
American Psychological
Association sought to define ‘mindfulness’
as an approach for increasing awareness and responding skilfully to
mental processes that contribute to emotional distress and maladaptive
behaviour.
Mainstream Mindfulness