Of body and mind, and deep meditation

[Guest guest]

Of body and mind, and deep meditation

Chinese data unraveled at University of Oregon show a training technique has

brain, physiological linkage

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-05/uoo-oba051809.php

Chinese researchers have unlocked the mechanism of an emerging mind-body

technique that produces measurable changes in attention and stress reduction in

just five days of practice.

The practice -- integrative body-mind training (IBMT) -- was adapted from

traditional Chinese medicine in the 1990s in China, where it is practiced by

thousands of people. It is now being taught to undergraduates involved in

research on the method at the University of Oregon.

In October 2007, researchers led by visiting UO professor Yi-Yuan Tang and UO

psychologist Posner documented in the Proceeding of the National Academy

of Sciences that doing IBMT prior to a mental math test led to low levels of the

stress hormone cortisol among Chinese students. The experimental group also

showed lower levels of anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue than students in a

relaxation control group.

" The previous paper indicated that IBMT subjects showed a reduced response to

stress. " Tang said. " Why after five days did it work so fast? " The new findings,

he said, point to how IBMT alters blood flow and electrical activity in the

brain, breathing quality and even skin conductance, allowing for " a state of ah,

much like in the morning opening your eyes, looking outside the grass and

sunshine, you feel relaxed, calm and refresh without any stress, this is the

meditation state. "

This week, in a paper appearing online ahead of regular publication in PNAS,

Tang and 13 Chinese colleagues define brain and physiological changes triggered

by IBMT. Data were drawn from several technologies in two experiments involving

86 undergraduate students at Dalian University of Technology, where Tang is a

professor. The data were analyzed and prepared for publication at the UO with

help from Posner and psychology professor K. Rothbart, who are not

co-authors on the paper.

" We were able to show that the training improved the connection between a

central nervous system structure, the anterior cingulate, and the

parasympathetic part of the autonomic nervous system to help put a person into a

more bodily state, " Posner said. " The results seem to show integration -- a

connectivity of brain and body. "

In each experiment, participants who had not previously practiced relaxation or

meditation received either IBMT or general relaxation instruction for 20 minutes

a day for five days. While both groups experienced some benefit from the

training, those in IBMT showed dramatic differences based on brain-imaging and

physiological testing.

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) -- a scanning method less

distracting than functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) -- showed IBMT

subjects had increased blood flow in the right anterior cingulate cortex, a

region associated with self regulation of cognition and emotion.

Physiological tests also revealed significant changes. Compared with the

relaxation group, IBMT subjects had lower heart rates and skin conductance

responses, increased belly breathing amplitude and decreased chest respiration

rates, all of which, researchers wrote, " reflected less effort exerted by

participants and more relaxation of body and calm state of mind. "

Finally, researchers noted, IBMT subjects had more high-frequency heart-rate

variability than their relaxation counterparts, indicating " successful

inhibition of sympathetic tone and activation of parasympathetic tone [in the

autonomic nervous system]. " Sympathetic tone becomes more active when stressed.

Preliminary findings of a recently completed but unpublished UO study involving

a small group of U.S. students are showing nearly identical results, Posner

said. The UO study used fMRI rather than SPECT. A much larger UO study is in

progress.

IBMT avoids struggles to control thought, relying instead on a state of restful

alertness, allowing for a high degree of body-mind awareness while receiving

instructions from a coach, who provides breath-adjustment guidance and mental

imagery and other techniques., while soothing music plays in the background.

Thought control is achieved gradually through posture, relaxation, body-mind

harmony and balanced breathing. A good coach is critical, Tang said.

" Life is full of stress, and people need to learn methods to handle stress and

improve their performance, " Tang said. " There is physical training but we wanted

to see about mental training. This method appears to have benefit for the modern

society where the pace is fast. "

###

China's Natural Science Foundation and Ministry of Education and the U.S.-based

S. Bower and Templeton foundations funded the research.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the link. Seems similar to the results found with " Heartmath " if I'm

understanding that research correctly although I haven't purchased that unit

yet.

Does anybody have any info on exactly what IBMT training entails?

Mike

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> I believe that can have interest.

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> http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/552538/?sc=lwhn

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> Barreto

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