Spirituality and MeditationHW210 Unit 5 Seminar

Melissa Dengler, ND

What is Mind Body Medicine?

• According to NCCAM:

• Mind-body medicine focuses on the interactions among the brain, mind, body, and behavior, and on the powerful ways in which emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors can directly affect health. It regards as fundamental an approach that respects and enhances each person's capacity for self-knowledge and self-care, and it emphasizes techniques that are grounded in this approach.

Types of Mind Body Medicine

• Relaxation

• Hypnosis

• Visual imagery

• Meditation

• Yoga

• Biofeedback

• Tai chi

• Qi gong

• Cognitive-behavioral therapies

• Spirituality

Spirituality

• What is spirituality?

Spirituality

• Moving beyond worship practices and belief systems of organized religion, one can move into an integrated dimension of wholeness known as spirituality.

• Reflects the common threads that flow through all religions and belief systems.

• Embraces all aspects of every living thing - mind, body, spirit.

Religion vs. Spirituality

• Spirituality is not synonymous with religion.

• What is the difference?

Religion vs. SpiritualityReligion

• Words defining related to belief systems and practices of worship.

• Can be compared to following a map that was charted to keep people on a single path toward a destination.

Spirituality

• Is being.

• Can be compared to sitting on top of a mountain where insight is gained from a larger viewpoint which draws one to the best path.

Word Association

• What are some common words associated with spirituality?

Spirituality Words

• Ethereal• Airy• Holy• Higher Power• Sacred• Essence• Transcendence• Being

Word Association

• What are some words associated with religion?

Religion Words

• Belief• Creed• Faith• Church• Cult• Sect• Theology• Doctrine• Bible

Spirituality

• Creates a place of awareness and connectedness.

• Involves being, knowing and doing – people become more aware of their inner selves and begin to intuitively sense what to do and how to do it.

• Being honest.

Meditation

• Meditation is a complementary and alternative medicine modality. It is a discipline in which the mind is focused on a single point of reference. Employed since ancient times in various forms by all religions, the practice gained greater notice in the postwar U.S. as interest in Zen Buddhism rose. Meditation is now used by many nonreligious adherents as a method of stress reduction.

Types of Meditation

• Mantra meditation

• Relaxation response

• Mindfulness

• Zen Buddhist Meditation

4 Elements of Meditation

• A quiet location

• A specific, comfortable posture

• A focus of attention

• An open attitude

Benefits of Meditation

• Slowed metabolism allowing for relaxation and better sleep.

• Decrease in blood toxins.

• Decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate.

• An increase in melatonin and decline in the production and circulation of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Conditions Benefited by Meditation

• Drug Addiction• Prolonging Life Expectancy/

Increasing Body’s Resistance to Disease

• Stress Control (reduces cortisol)/ Anxiety/ Panic Attacks/ Insomnia

• Pain Management• Cancer and Other Chronic

Illnesses• Heart Disease• High blood pressure

• Infertility• Psoriasis• Respiratory crises• Premenstrual Syndrome

(PMS)• Tension Headaches• Irritable Bowel Syndrome/

Ulcers• Fibromyalgia• Repressed Memories and

Enjoying Life• Depression

Meditation – A guide for beginners

• Find a quiet place where there will be no interruptions such as your living room, bedroom, park bench, under a tree in the woods, etc.

• Allow 10-20 minutes twice daily, preferably before breakfast and dinner.

• Sit comfortably, consciously and calmly. Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply.

• Stop internal dialogue. CLEAR YOUR MIND! (Stop thinking in words. Don’t plan and don’t recall.)

Meditation – A guide for beginners

• If you need help clearing your mind, repeat a mantra such as “peace,” “love,” “tranquility,” “dream,” “shalom,” etc.

• Don’t worry if thoughts enter your mind as they will. Allow them to enter, dismiss them, repeat the mantra and BREATHE.

• When finished, sit quietly for a few minutes and merge with life and normality.

Meditation – More advanced

• Find a quiet place where there will be no interruptions.• Sit comfortably with your legs crossed, spine straight,

hands together with your right hand resting in your left hand (as your right hand gives and your left hand receives) with palms up and thumbs touching in your lap.

• Close your eyes and visualize all tension leaving your body.

• Focus all energy on the pineal gland (the third eye).• Silently chant.• Continue for 10 minutes and ignore distractions.• Inhale deeply holding for 15 seconds, exhale and relax.

Let’s do a meditation!

• Stress Relief Meditation

• Close your eyes and listen to the meditation!

Questions?

• Any questions about tonight’s seminar?