1. Meditation Class Two: Meditation for Pain Management for Veterans August 22, 2015 By Heather Díamani

2. What is Meditation? Meditation is a cessation of the thought process. Meditation is a way of transforming the mind and achieving higher consciousness. Meditation is a state of deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent.

3. The Benefits of Meditation Makes you stronger against pain Reduces Stress Increases Attention Span, improves ADD or ADHD Improves Brain Function Improves Sleep Decreases Depression and Anxiety Enhances immunity Reduces risk for heart disease or stroke Reduces Blood Pressure Helps reduce Alcohol or Substance Abuse Gives you mental strength, resilience, and emotional intelligence Improves memory and learning Improves mood & psychological well-being Helps you prepare and better deal with stressful events Enhances creativity (Dientsmann, n.d.)

4. Types of Meditation Focused Attention Meditations: Samatha (Buddhist meditation), some forms of Zazen, Loving Kindness Meditation, Chakra Meditation, Kundalini Meditation, Sound Meditation, Mantra Meditation, Pranayama, some forms of Qigong, and many others. Open monitoring meditation: Mindfulness meditation, Vipassana, as well as some types of Taoist Meditation. Self-enquiry (I am) meditation: amana Maharishi; Dzogchen; Mahamudra; some forms of Taoist Meditation; and some advanced forms of Raja Yoga Chinese meditations: Taoist or Qigong Christian Meditations: contemplative prayer, contemplative reading, or “sitting with God” Guided meditations: traditional, guided imagery, relaxation and body scans, affirmations, binaural beats (Dientsmann, n.d.)

5. How it Works Time for a Video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAETeTPhek k

6. How Meditation Can Reshape Your Brain It’s time to watch a 8.5 minute video on how meditation can reshape your brain! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8rRzTtP7Tc

7. How it Helps with Pain Meditation can improve the perception of pain and the actual neural response to pain (Melnick, 2013)

8. Clinical Studies Brain Mechanisms Supporting Modulation of Pain by Mindfulness Meditation 18 people, given four different meditation sessions for 20 minutes while being assessed in an MRI session. No change in pain intensity with breathing alone, changes seen in pain- related brain activity, improvement in pain in mindfulness meditation and several pain-related, brain- related meditations (Zeidan, 2011) Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Chronic Pain: A randomized controlled trial 109 randomized patients with chronic pain in either a standard mindfulness meditation program or a mindfulness-based stress reduction program over a 2.5 year period. Results showed that there was a significant outcome on lower depression and anxiety as well as feeling in control of pain and higher pain acceptance. A standardized mindfulness program contributes positively to pain management (La Cour & Peterson, 2015)

9. When to Meditate and How long Meditate when you feel you need to Aim for anywhere from one to three times per week, or even daily if you can. Meditate for a minimum of 20 minutes to a maximum of one hour. (Try 20 minutes to begin and work your way up) Morning, noon, or night… whatever feels just right!

10. Self-Assessment Stress and pain assessment How do you feel right now?

11. Meditation Practice! Let’s take 20 minutes now to practice what we’ve learned and meditate… The Cleansing Pool Pain Relief and Healing Meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIjKfenNStA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIjKfenNStA

12. How do you feel now? Self-Reassessment! What was your experience like?

13. Meditation in Water Zero Gravity and Aquatonic Float Spa Aquatonic Float Spa offers a 25% off Military Discount Zero Gravity Float Spa: Big enough to stand inAquatonic Float Pod

14. Benefits of Float Spa Meditation Promotes total calm peaceful relaxation, rejuvenates and revitalizes, Alleviates mental and physical stress, Relieves pain (arthritis, migraines, injuries, etc.), Decreases production of Cortisol, ACTH, Lactic Acid and Adrenaline, Improves quality of sleep, Shifts brain waves from high to low frequency, Stimulates left/right brain synchronization… and much more (Aquatonic, 2015) Let’s watch one last video on how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJhReo1pwRE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJhReo1pwRE

15. Where to Get Meditations YouTube Internet video or print-offs CD’s Books Try keeping a Meditation Journal

16. References Aquatonic Float Spa (2015). “Benefits of Floating”. Retrieved from: http://aquatonicfloatspa.com/about-floating/ Dientsmann, G. ( n.d). “SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS OF MEDITATION – 76 THINGS YOU MIGHT BE MISSING OUT ON”. Live and Dare. Retrieved from: http://liveanddare.com/benefits-of-meditation/ Dientsmann, G. (n.d.). “23 Types of Meditation”. Live and Dare. Retrieved from: http://liveanddare.com/types-of-meditation/ La Cour, P., Peterson, M. (2015). “Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Chronic Pain: A randomized controlled trial”. The American Academy of Pain Medicine. Retrieved from: http://www.readcube.com/articles/10.1111%2Fpme.12605?r3_referer=wol&tracking_act ion=preview_click&show_checkout=1&purchase_site_license=LICENSE_DENIED_NO_ CUSTOMER Melnick, M. (2013). “Meditation Health Benefits: What The Practice Does To Your Body”. Huffpost Healthy Living. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/30/meditation-health- benefits_n_3178731.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular Zeidan, F. (2011). “Brain Mechanisms Supporting Modulation of Pain by Mindfulness Meditation”. PubMed. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3090218/

17. See you next week! Any Questions before you go?