Meditation/Medication
More and more studies are being done on the effects of meditation on the brain. Did you know meditation can have the same effect on the nervous system as some medications?
“For the first time, scientists compared patients who took an intensive eight-week mindfulness meditation program to patients who took Escitalopram, the generic name of the widely-prescribed and well-studied anxiety drug Lexapro. They found that both interventions worked equally well in reducing debilitating anxiety symptoms.
Although meditation is not the route everyone wants to take, the studies found that for participants willing to try it, they are learning new life skills that are invaluable to living a more well rounded life. In this study they were taught Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR, an approach developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
The NPR article states “It teaches students to focus on the breath and direct attention to one body part at a time to see how it feels, and encourages them to try to focus on what is happening now, rather than the past or the future.”
This is a very similar approach to the way we teach our students at Worthy Beyond Purpose.
Here are some amazing stats about our students
1. 91% of the students can correctly identify and describe the functions of the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. Whereas only about 10% knew prior to our classes and 80% knew half way. We begin with these teachings so kids know where their emotions live, how to identify them and how to stay ahead of the outbursts.
2. 88% of students say they have learned new tools and techniques on how to handle their Big Emotions. Varying from breathing techniques, moving the body with yoga, shaking, qigong or tapping and communicating effectively.
3. 85% of students have learned how to listen to the body and feel the emotion coming before it erupts (listening for Billys growl before the bite), having the chance to stay ahead of our emotions.
4. 58% of students say they’ve noticed that they get in trouble less since starting their mindfulness & meditation practices.
Although meditation programs are time consuming, we believe that trying this approach, either alone, or as a lifestyle change added to your medication routine for extra emotional support can be healing, and the best thing is the biggest side effect with meditation is bliss.
Want to learn how to be a certified meditation teacher? Visit our Teacher Training Page!