Is meditation increases a stress resistance?
More and more people are suffering from chronic stress. According to analysis up to 30 percent of the working population are at risk of burnout. One way to avoid stress and thus also a possible burnout is the meditation.
Studies show that meditation can help with various stress associated indications such as pain, hypertension, insomnia, burnout and depression. A meditator feels subjectively an emotional well-being, a greater awareness of your own body and the environment and the feeling that they can influence their own stress reactions more. This is confirmed by the observation of the physical processes: muscle tone of a meditator decreases, blood pressure, respiratory rate and lactate level decrease, and the level of stress hormones go down to normal level. Thus the body become relaxed.
There are different types of meditation: Zen, Yoga, Tai Chi, mindfulness training, and many others. On closer inspection, all the methods are similar quite strong. A very popular form of meditation is “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction” (MBSR), the combination of Far Eastern exercises and Modern Medicine. “Coping with stress through mindfulness” is the official translation. It was created in the late seventies by the American Jon Kabat-Zinn. MBSR conquered hospitals and medical facilities around the world, and Kabat-Zinn soon was regarded as the pioneer of a new lifestyle. Today, a method is the most studied form of meditation at all. In its main elements it consists of self-observation, breathing exercises, meditation and yoga seat. Rather than suppressing symptoms and behaviors or to fight, they should only be observed carefully, without any assessment. It is found on almost paradoxical way, that often change just by refraining from judgments symptoms that they disappear completely or that the person concerned can accept at least better.
Effectiveness of MBSR and MBCT is proven.
A modified form of MBSR is MBCT (“Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy”), which includes even more elements of cognitive behavioral therapy. You can see good results rate in depressed patients who have already experienced three or more episodes of illness, proven halve the recidivism rate. As prophylaxis it acts even better than drugs. In a meta-analysis 24 studies on the effect of MBSR and MBCT now been evaluated. It turned out, was that increased the quality of life and overall well-being by reducing the perception of stress and MBSR. In various diseases such as cancer or multiple sclerosis accompanying mental symptoms such as depression or anxiety can be reduced. A physical symptoms can be alleviated through meditation, but not conclusively clarify. However, patients could often better to deal with it. In psychiatric disorders MBSR could reduce stress symptoms. The preventive effect of MBCT against depressive relapses could be confirmed.
Where is lies the effectiveness of MBSR and MBCT is still unclear. It is assumed that through the training of mindfulness automatic responses and negative basic settings changes and new perspectives and a more detached introspection are made possible, which in turn self-acceptance and tolerance towards others promotes. This body and mind no longer seem so quick to fall into states of agitation or at least to be able to relax again more quickly, which promotes well being and reduces stress and its negative effects on health.