Yoga, Mindfulness and Benefits of Breath-work, revisited

I posted back in November 2015 about my personal journey with yoga. I started off with videos and home practice in 2007 and the personal changes that have occurred since then, through integration of classes with others, following the direction of personal yogis (who may or may not practice yoga, but they're still inspirational trailblazers to me), are phenomenal. Crow pose is still my favorite - I have yet to master the ego.

Crow Pose - Bakasana



I produced and edited (very sloppily, I might add) an article about the benefits of yoga and mindful breath. I have edited and re-formatted it to be easier on the eyes, the heart, and hopefully -- your soul.

 

∞Yoga on, my friends. Yoga on.∞

 

Overview:

Yoga and mindfulness, by association, are based on the concept of integration of the mind-body connection; by keeping the practitioner mindful, this in turn reduces emotional responsivity to internal or external triggers. The result is a direct impact on physiological response to environmental stressors, which influences physical health, emotional health, and spiritual connectedness (for those interested in these benefits).

 

• Physical Stress Response includes:

     ■ Breathing: typically short and shallow when a person is stressed

           ►Increased CO²/ decrease O² effects:

               ○ CO² can induce: Visual disturbances - Headache - Reduction in reasoning ability - A sense of “air hunger” or dyspnea (asphyxiation); In other words, if a person "forgets" to be mindful of their breath, the body thinks it is choking to death; the reduction in reasoning ability suggests that yoga and connected breathing sequences would enhance reasoning ability, and consequently, decision-making capability.

     ■ Stress response and fatigue

            ►Increased cortisol levels -- the effects of this response include:

                    ○ Weight gain

                    ○ Decrease in immune system function

                    ○ Memory impairment

 

• Short-term "fixes"

       ■ Alcohol Use and Abuse (once-a-month bingeing to daily use)

               ►Short-term effect: decrease in perceived stress (the body continues to react as if stress level had not changed though; this is a cognitive change or an illusion the mind creates)

               ►Long-term effect: raised cortisol levels

       ■ Caffeine Use and Abuse (yes, you can abuse caffeine; it's now in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual's latest version)

               ►Short-term effect: increases the perceived wakefulness of the consumer

               ►Long-term effect: raises cortisol levels

 

 ∞•∞•∞

"Short term pain, long term happiness;

Short term happiness, long term pain.

Which do you choose?

 ∞•∞•∞

 

Physical body benefits of yoga and meditation

•Body systems affected: nervous system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, diabetes, cancer, immunity, and the list goes on.

 

        ■ Specific examples of effects of yoga and meditation on particular body systems and/or disorders:

                    ►Diabetes/Blood sugar

                          ○ Postures that stimulate the pancreas lead to renewed ability of pancreas to manufacture insulin and increased insulin sensitivity.

                               ∙ This suggests that we may benefit non-diabetic patients by increasing productivity and efficiency of the pancreas (which reacts when we eat) through yoga practice.

 

                    ►Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Processes

                           ○ Transcendental Meditation (TM): increases melatonin production (melatonin is often a supplement taken to enhance sleepiness, but is actually produced by the body naturally, if given proper rest and support)

 

                     ► Response time

                             ○ Meditation, in general, increases the speed of attention location/relocation (decreasing response time and increasing information processing efficiency)

 

                     ► Mind-body connection        

                             ○ Increase in the mind's ability to focus on the present (mindfulness)

 

 ∞•∞•∞

 

Definition and overview of mindfulness meditation

» "A family of self-regulation practices that focus on training attention and awareness in order to bring mental processes under greater voluntary control and thereby foster general mental well-being and development and/or specific capacities such as calm, clarity, and concentration (Walsh & Shapiro, 2006, p. 228).”

 

»  Mindfulness meditation (in contrast to other forms of meditation) “has been shown to stimulate the middle prefrontal brain associated with both self-observation and metacognition (Cahn; Polich, 2006; Siegel, 2007b) and foster specific attentional mechanisms (Valentine; Sweet, 1999).”

 

∞•∞•∞

 

Empirically-supported benefits of mindfulness and regular yoga practice

 

 »  Emotional Regulation (based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction treatment, or MBSR)

   ► Benefits

        a. Decreased reactivity to internal and external stimuli

        b. Interpersonal benefits

        c. Intrapersonal benefits (those that occur within the self and relationship with the self)

              › Studies suggest a detached frame of mind results from mindfulness practice, stopping the trigger-thought-craving-use cycle, which is the addiction cycle (sugar counts, too!)

              › If a “lapse” occurs (i.e., a “slip”), acceptance that is learned through practicing mindfulness regularly may reduce making a negative situation worse and may reduce the resulting shame/blame, which helps the person get back on track more quickly to recovery.

 

»  Clinical Research Studies

     1. University of Utah study; correlation between physical changes and yoga practice

          a.  12 yogis; 14 fibromyalgia patients; 16 healthy volunteers

          b.  Fibromyalgia patients tend to perceive pain with less stimulus than those without fibromyalgia; yoga and mindfulness practices are beneficial to these patients.

 

    

     2. German study performed in 2005 with 24 “emotionally distressed” women

          a.  Effects of yoga practice on stress, depression, anxiety; yoga practice two times per week at 90-minute sessions

               › Depression scores: improved by 50%

               › Anxiety scores: improved by 30%

               › Overall well-being: improved by 65%

               › Somatic complaints such as headaches, back pain, and poor sleep: higher resolution rate (no specific measurement available)

    

     3. Descriptive 2005 study, New Hampshire; inpatients, 113 participants with bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia

          a.  Short term positive effects: decrease in scores on tension, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, and fatigue (during a Profile of Mood states) – (FYI: a state is changeable; a trait is static)

          b.  Improves quality of life for elderly, dementia caregivers, breast cancer survivors, epilepsy patients

    

     4. Sudarshan Kriya yoga (SKY): cyclical breathing study with 45 participants who were inpatient clients receiving treatment for depression

          a. Description of yoga "treatment"

               ∙ 30 minutes, 6 times per week for 4 weeks

                  ∙ The yoga group outcomes were compared to ECT and tricyclic antidepressant

                    ∙∙ Remission rates per group: 93% ECT; 73% antidepressant; 67% breathing

    

     5. Study of 60 alcohol dependent men; 1-week detox, 2-week SKY

          a. SKY group treatment compared to alcoholism treatment

               ∙ Results included:

                  ∙∙ A drop in depression scores: 75% in SKY group vs. 60% in tx group

                  ∙∙ Decrease in both cortisol and corticotropin (the chemical that “boosts” cortisol production) in the SKY group, but not in the treatment group

 

∞•∞•∞

 

PTSD and comorbidity with substance use and/or abuse 

Substance use is often accompanied by trauma; though it may not result in clinical PTSD (e.g., a diagnosis), but can have long-lasting effects that mimic this disorder due to the environment the user allows themselves to interact with to acquire and use and/or abuse drugs and alcohol.

There is a perception by the patient that past traumatic experiences are occurring in the here-and-now based on being triggered by cues that are similar to the original event (often flashbacks, loud noises or other environmental factors)

The traumatic memory is triggered more easily due to its storage in the short-term memory system.

 
Future research directions and implications for trauma-affected populations:

■  FACT:  20% war veterans are diagnosed with PTSD

    □ Disabled Australian Vietnam veterans with PTSD study; alcohol and antidepressants

        ·5-day course of: breathing techniques, yoga, stress-reduction education, guided meditation

        ·Pre-treatment ranking via CAPS (Clinician Administered PTSD Scale); this measure rates how severe the PTSD symptoms are

        ∙Post-tx ranking at 6 weeks and 6 months dropped from average of moderate/severe symptoms to mild/moderate while the control group (who remained on the waiting list) experienced no improvement.

■  FACT: Those who have a history of substance use and/or abuse also tend to have a history of trauma, either prior to or after his or her first episode of substance use.

    □ Mindfulness Study: MBRP (Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention) 8-week group post inpatient/outpatient substance use treatment (n=168) versus TAU (treatment as usual) group

       · Outcome: lower rates of substance use per 4-month post-intervention period measures. This included lower rates of craving, increase in acceptance and mindful action.

 

 

 

REFERENCES

    ∙Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, “Yoga for anxiety and depression” (Harvard Mental Health letter), April 1, 2009. http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression

 

    ∙Bowen, S., Chawla, N., Collins, S. E., Witkiewitz, K., Hsu, S., Grow, Marlatt, A. (2009). Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for Substance Use Disorders: A Pilot Efficacy Trial. Substance Abuse, 30(4), 295–305. http://doi.org/10.1080/08897070903250084

 

    ∙Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, “The Physiology of Stress: Cortisol and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis” (Posted by Michael Randall ’12), Fall 2010, http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fall-2010/the-physiology-of-stress-cortisol-and-the-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis#.Vh6UAXpViko

 

    ∙Physiological Responses to Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide in the Breathing Environment, W. Jon Williams, Ph.D. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, USA NIOSH Public Meeting September 17, 2009, Pittsburgh, PA

 

    ∙Balaji, P. A., Varne, S. R., and Ali, S. S. (2012). Physiological

 

     Effects of Yogic Practices and Transcendental Meditation in

     Health and Disease. North American Journal of Medical

     Sciences, 4(10), 442–448. http://doi.org/10.4103/1947-2714.101980

  

►In progress (and taken word-for-word):

Practically speaking, you do your brain-body a lot of good. Among the benefits of TM:

• It’s the only meditation practice shown to lower blood pressure.

• The practice can help increase insulin resistance.

• TM is the most effective meditation technique to slow biological aging (my favorite!).

• It can also ease feelings of anxiety in people with anxiety disorders.

              • http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/voices-of-experience/why-transcendental-meditation-works-stress-relief/?xid=nl_EverydayHealthLivingWithBipolarDisorder_20151122

 

∞   Yoga on, my friends. Yoga on.  ∞

 ©Nichol Elise 2015-2016, all rights reserved.

This is your snail, this is your snail on drugs....any questions?

Seems that according to Science Daily.com, a woman researcher by the name of Barbara Sorg, from Washington State University, has decided to get some snails (specifically: " the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis") addicted to methamphetamine for the purposes of studying what meth does to the memory.

The article goes on to explain that while addicts may be able to stop using a drug for a period of time, the brain still stores a memory for the use of the drug. Further, according to the studies performed by Sorg and a colleague, methamphetamine makes the memories formed "under the influence" harder to forget. So why get a snail high, you ask? It seems that snails have a memory for whether or not they should raise their pneumostomes (oxygen-suckers) above the water, according to the quality of the water -- and whether or not the water was laced with methamphetamine.

I believe the researchers are trying to draw a parallel between relapse on methamphetamine and the memory the brain has for common environments associated with the drug. In simplified terms this means that if you are exposed to an environment you used to use methamphetamine in, you are more likely to succumb to the memory of using and do it again. Interesting. And, unnerving.

And, ultimately, it's a questionable thing to do to a poor animal. So I just want to give a shout-out to all the lab animals who were sequestered for this experiment: Thanks for your sacrifice, little guys!

It's easier to keep smoking than we thought...

Once upon a time, there was an ex-smoker. He went to a movie. He saw someone smoke. He smoked. The end.

Well, not really. I heard of a study done many years ago that said that if you go to a movie and sit and watch the entire thing (not including potty breaks, of course) that your brain is actually tricked into thinking that you're actually there with the actors, in the same situation.

Ever wonder why you come out of a movie sad (if it's a drama), on edge (if it's an action film), angry (if there's a lot of violence), or giddy (if it's a comedy)??? This is why. So, it's no surprise to me that the following study showed that smokers who see other smokers smoke, even in a film, will be more likely to light up the next time. [Click on the blog title for the whole article]

It doesn't seem fair, but there's been a study done on it. Here's an excerpt:

In this study, researchers led by senior investigator Todd Heatherton, PhD, and graduate student Dylan Wagner of Dartmouth College set out to determine whether the parts of the brain that control that routine gesture could be triggered by simply seeing someone else smoke. The authors found that seeing this familiar action -- even when embedded in a Hollywood movie -- evoked the same brain responses as planning to actually make that movement. These results may provide additional insight for people trying to overcome nicotine addiction, a condition that leads to one in five U.S. deaths each year.

 Think about it next time you follow someone outside to chat and they light up a cigarette. I'm not sure what the implications are for non-smokers, but beware. It's an interesting, yet scary, phenomenon. 

How to catch a Drunk Driver - 2011 edition

A new device is able to detect alcohol through a person's skin. This is the newest alcohol-detecting device since the breathalyzer, which is now being referred to as "messy." I call it the temporal-swipe-thermometer-version of a breathalyzer. They call it spectroscopy, or the "TruTouch 1100." I like my term better.
Science Daily:

'Save your breath, a new tool for testing suspected drunk drivers will have cops asking, ”Stick out your arm.”'

TruTouch 1100 spectroscope

This is the latest in technology as reported by Science Daily, a site devoted to research, technology and education as it relates to science. I've visited this site on a number of occasions, mostly when I'm topped-off with information for my regular studies and I need a break and something interesting to read. Here's a link to the article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/1105-new_booze_busting_device.htm It also has an interesting video...

The article explains that there's at least 17,500 drunk driving-related deaths each year. I've got a friend I've known since just after high school who was one of two survivors in a car she was a passenger in with a drunk driver. She limps to this day. She was lucky. Maybe this new device will help more people. We can only hope.

New Methamphetamine Test -- Industrial Hygienists Create Instant Test To Identify Traces Of Crystal Methamphetamine

Just in case you were thinking that law enforcement had forgotten all about our "Meth Problem" in the United States, here they go -- or went, according to the date on the above-referenced article -- being innovative in finding new means by which to alleviate some of the fears and dangers to meth-lab cleanup crew members, as well as spark a new flame of worry under the heinies of those currently involved in meth-lab usage.

Here's the background info:
ScienceDaily (http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0310-new_methamphetamine_test.htm#) -- Industrial hygienists developed a quick swab test to identify dangerous residue of toxic chemicals left behind in the creation of homemade methamphetamine. This test works like a pregnancy test. Swabbing the suspected surface leads to a color change if meth is detected, allowing for safety precautions and immediate clean-up when necessary.