Meditation as a cure?
(Dra Schwartz/iStockphoto)
Meditation is no longer just for the groovy folk. Lately, the practice has been garnering attention from a host of medical and scientific researchers; more than 120 meditation studies are listed on clinicaltrials.gov, a clearinghouse for research supported by the National Institutes of Health, investigating the intervention in patients with conditions from cancer and heart disease to post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, and binge eating. It's no cure-all, but early research is suggesting meditation could play a helpful role in mediating the stress response that contributes to a number of physical and mental conditions. Benefits appear to be attainable by meditating between 20 and 40 minutes daily. Consider five reasons a clinician hip to the importance of the mind-body connection may cite for prescribing you meditation—and one reason she might choose not to:
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