Jessica Dean's Healthy Living: Feeling Lonely?
By: Jessica Dean, KARK 4 Today
Updated: August 21, 2012
Many feel lonely at least once in a while, for some, loneliness is a nagging feeling they must deal with more frequently.
Experts now say there's help and it's free. Researchers at UCLA had 20 people between the ages of 55 and 85 practice mindful meditation for 8 weeks. Another 20 served as a control group and did not meditate.
The meditation group learned about being attentive to the here and now and not dwelling in the past or projecting about the future. At the end of the study, the meditation group reported fewer bouts of loneliness.
Blood samples taken also show fewer markers of inflammation in the meditation group, that's a possible sign that the practice could be good for heart health.
Experts now say there's help and it's free. Researchers at UCLA had 20 people between the ages of 55 and 85 practice mindful meditation for 8 weeks. Another 20 served as a control group and did not meditate.
The meditation group learned about being attentive to the here and now and not dwelling in the past or projecting about the future. At the end of the study, the meditation group reported fewer bouts of loneliness.
Blood samples taken also show fewer markers of inflammation in the meditation group, that's a possible sign that the practice could be good for heart health.
Comments
Interesting article. In my experience, I%u2019ve found loneliness to be a function of much we realize our interconnectedness with the rest of the world. It takes some work to achieve this, but the rewards are truly worth it.
Through mindfulness meditation, I%u2019ve been able to completely overcome loneliness, because I can now see my interconnectedness with the rest of humanity. Now, I know I am never alone. I haven%u2019t felt lonely in over 17 years, whether I am with people or not. It%u2019s a very comforting feeling. Now I teach others how to find the same freedom I%u2019ve found through mindfulness meditation.
Charles A. Francis
The Mindfulness Meditation Institute
http://www.MindfulnessMeditationInstitute.org
Charles F.
August 21, 2012 at 8:25 pm
