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Ordering
The Blissful Brain
The Blissful Brain is published
by Gaia Thinking. For more information on how to order your
copy, please click
here.

Guardian
G2: Mind over matter by Andy Darling
"Neuroscientist Shanida Nataraja has
proven meditation does more than clear your head, it can put
both halves of your brain to work, improving your concentration,
memory, and decision-making...". To read more, please
click
here.
The
Times: Calm down dear by Angela Pertusini
"Claims by the neuroscientist Shanida
Nataraja regarding the benefits of meditation have been backed
up by rigourous scientific research and are explained in her
acclaimed book The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof
of the Power of Meditation". To read more, please click
here.
Just
this Day event: A Day of Silence and Stillness at St
Martin's in the Field on 23rd of November 2011
Shanida Nataraja will be participating in
this exciting event that aims to explore the power of silience
and stillness in our busy world. For more information, please
click
here or visit the Just
This Day website.
Mindfulness
in the Workplace: Brain based approaches to improving employee
resilience and productivity at Robinson College, Cambridge
on 10 February 2012
Shanida Nataraja will be speaking at this
day event that brings together leading experts in mindfulness
to discuss how it could help organisations improve productivity
& resiliance. Speakers include Professor Mark Williams, Michael
Chaskalson, Ruby Wax, Margaret Chapman, and more (for more
information, please see click
here.
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Canadian
Evidence Report/Technology Assesssment
OBJECTIVES:
To review and synthesize the state of research on a variety
of meditation practices, including: the specific meditation
practices examined; the research designs employed and the
conditions and outcomes examined; the efficacy and effectiveness
of different meditation practices for the three most studied
conditions; the role of effect modifiers on outcomes; and
the effects of meditation on physiological and neuropsychological
outcomes.
DATA
SOURCES: Comprehensive searches were conducted in 17 electronic
databases of medical and psychological literature up to September
2005. Other sources of potentially relevant studies included
hand searches, reference tracking, contact with experts, and
gray literature searches.
REVIEW
METHODS: A Delphi method was used to develop a set of parameters
to describe meditation practices. Included studies were comparative,
on any meditation practice, had more than 10 adult participants,
provided quantitative data on health-related outcomes, and
published in English. Two independent reviewers assessed study
relevance, extracted the data and assessed the methodological
quality of the studies.
RESULTS:
Five broad categories of meditation practices were identified
(Mantra meditation, Mindfulness meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi,
and Qi Gong). Characterization of the universal or supplemental
components of meditation practices was precluded by the theoretical
and terminological heterogeneity among practices. Evidence
on the state of research in meditation practices was provided
in 813 predominantly poor-quality studies. The three most
studied conditions were hypertension, other cardiovascular
diseases, and substance abuse. Sixty-five intervention studies
examined the therapeutic effect of meditation practices for
these conditions. Meta-analyses based on low-quality studies
and small numbers of hypertensive participants showed that
TM(R), Qi Gong and Zen Buddhist meditation significantly reduced
blood pressure. Yoga helped reduce stress. Yoga was no better
than Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction at reducing anxiety
in patients with cardiovascular diseases. No results from
substance abuse studies could be combined. The role of effect
modifiers in meditation practices has been neglected in the
scientific literature. The physiological and neuropsychological
effects of meditation practices have been evaluated in 312
poor-quality studies. Meta-analyses of results from 55 studies
indicated that some meditation practices produced significant
changes in healthy participants.
CONCLUSIONS:
Many uncertainties surround the practice of meditation. Scientific
research on meditation practices does not appear to have a
common theoretical perspective and is characterized by poor
methodological quality. Firm conclusions on the effects of
meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on
the available evidence. Future research on meditation practices
must be more rigorous in the design and execution of studies
and in the analysis and reporting of results.
To
read the full report. please click
here.
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