<![CDATA[
<html><head>
<title>The Center for Health & Healing</title>
<link rel=stylesheet href="../chhstyle.css" type="text/css">
<meta name="keywords" content="meditation,relaxation, autogenic training, profressive muscular relaxation,alpha,beta">
<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
function MM_jumpMenu(targ,selObj,restore){ //v3.0
eval(targ+".location='"+selObj.options[selObj.selectedIndex].value+"'");
if (restore) selObj.selectedIndex=0;
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#ffffff" leftmargin="0" topmargin="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0">
<base target="_top">
<a name="head"></a>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="98%">
<tr>
<td width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="149" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
<td width="95%" bgcolor="#95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="500" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
<td width="5%" bgcolor="#95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="60" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff" align="left" valign="top"><a name="top"></a><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="149" height="24" border="0" alt=""></td>
<td>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="padding:0px 0px 0px 5px">
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#95a920" align="left" valign="top"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="274" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
<td align="right"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="123" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
</tr>
<!-- TITLE -->
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#95a920" width="274" align="left" valign="top" class="title">Complementary / Alternative Therapies</td>
<td align="right">
<!-- DROPDOWN MENU -->
<form name="form1" method="post" action="">
<select name="menu1" onChange="MM_jumpMenu('top',this,0)">
<option value="#" selected="selected">Select One</option>
<option value='gen_pract.asp'>General</option>
<option value='accu_pract.asp'>Acupuncture</option>
<option value='acupress_pract.asp'>Acupressure/Shiatsu</option>
<option value='alexander_pract.asp'>Alexander Technique</option>
<option value='aroma_pract.asp'>Aromatherapy</option>
<option value='art_pract.asp'>Art Therapy</option>
<option value='bio_pract.asp'>Biofeedback</option>
<option value='chiro_pract.asp'>Chiropractic</option>
<option value='cog_pract.asp'>Cognitive Behavioral Therapy</option>
<option value='cranio_pract.asp'>Cranial Therapy</option>
<option value='dance_pract.asp'>Dance Therapy</option>
<option value='exercise_pract.asp'>Exercise</option>
<option value='feldenkrais_pract.asp'>Feldenkrais Method</option>
<option value='herbal_pract.asp'>Herbal Medicine</option>
<option value='homeo_pract.asp'>Homeopathy</option>
<option value='hypnosis_pract.asp'>Hypnosis</option>
<option value='imagery_pract.asp'>Imagery</option>
<option value='massage_pract.asp'>Massage Therapy</option>
<option value='meditation_pract.asp'>Meditation/Relaxation</option>
<option value='music_pract.asp'>Music Therapy</option>
<option value='nutrition_pract.asp'>Nutrition/Supplementation</option>
<option value='osteo_pract.asp'>Osteopathy</option>
<option value='prayer_pract.asp'>Prayer</option>
<option value='xigong_pract.asp'>Qigong</option>
<option value='reiki_pract.asp'>Reiki</option>
<option value='rolfing_pract.asp'>Rolfing</option>
<option value='taichi_pract.asp'>Tai Chi</option>
<option value='tens_pract.asp'>TENS</option>
<option value='therap_pract.asp'>Therapeutic Touch</option>
<option value='trager_pract.asp'>Trager Approach</option>
<option value='yoga_pract.asp'>Yoga</option>
</select>
</form>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<!-- LEFT NAV -->
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="149" bgcolor="#ffffff">
<table width="120" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" style="padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px;">
<tr>
<td>
<p><a class="leftNavOff" href="meditation_pract.asp">Practitioner Statement</a></p>
<p><a class="leftNavOff" href="meditation_history.asp">History & Philosophy</a></p>
<p><a class="leftNavOff" href="meditation_treatment.asp">Treatment Approaches</a></p>
<p><a class="leftNavOn" href="meditation_how.asp">How it works & when to use it</a></p>
<p><a class="leftNavOff" href="meditation_what.asp">What you need to know about treatment</a></p>
<p><a class="leftNavOff" href="meditation_training.asp">Training & Licensing</a></p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">
<!-- HEADLINE -->
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="padding: 0px 0px 5px 0px;">
<p class="headline"><br>
Meditation/Relaxation — How it works & when to use it</p>
</td>
<td width="100%"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="95a920"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
<td width="100%" bgcolor="ffffff" height="1"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="ffffff" colspan="2"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="10" border="0" alt=""></td>
</tr>
</table>
<!-- MAIN CONTENT -->
<table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
<tr>
<td class='content'>
<p><span class='head2'>Different Theories on How it Works</span><br />
The physiological mechanisms by which emotions and cognitions are altered during meditation are not fully known. Like other methods that induce relaxation (autogenic training, biofeedback, self-hypnosis, progressive muscular relaxation), meditation brings about changes consistent with decreased sympathetic nervous system arousal (e.g., reduction in oxygen consumption, decreased heart rate, galvanic skin resistance, changes in blood flow, etc.) Alterations of brain physiology also occur with meditation, as documented by EEG studies which show increased synchronicity of alpha-theta brain wave activity during the meditative state. One theory on the psychobiology of meditation is that it entails greater activation in the right hemisphere where non-verbal, spatial-holistic, intuitive capacities predominate. It is also hypothesized that the simultaneous increase in mental alertness and relaxation that occurs in meditation makes it a unique physiological event that is qualitatively different from ordinary rest.</p>
<p><span class='head2'>Conditions it Works Best For</span><br />
Although controlled research on meditation/relaxation is relatively recent, there is considerable evidence documenting its stress reduction benefits. According to government and medical society clinical guidelines, meditation and relaxation are beneficial in the treatment of post-operative pain, management of cancer pain, treatment of substance use disorders in children, adolescents and adults, chronic insomnia, chronic pain, and temporomandibular disorders.</p>
<p>Clinical studies to assess the benefits of meditation/relaxation have shown that this therapeutic approach is beneficial in the treatment of chronic pain, insomnia, phobias, post-operative pain, psoriasis, psychological symptoms, surgical pain and the reduction of cardiac events after myocardial infarction. In addition, federally funded research in progress includes studies on the beneficial effect of meditation/relaxation for stress reduction, mental well-being in chronic disease, breast cancer coping, coronary heart disease, and hypertension.</p>
<a href='#head' target='_self' class='disclaimer'>Top</a>
<p class="timestamp">Content last modified on Mar 25, 2003</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
<td valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/bg_curve.gif" width="60" height="300" align="right" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt=""></td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/spacer.gif" width="1" height="200" border="0" alt=""></td>
</tr>
<!-- COPYRIGHT -->
<tr>
<td width="149" bgcolor="ffffff"> </td>
<td colspan="2" bgcolor="ffffff">
<p> </p>
<p class="copyright">©2002 Center for Health and Healing</p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>
]]>