“Just This Breath…” How Mindfulness Meditation Can Shift Everything, Including Neural Connectivity
EBioMedicine August 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.07.037 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | The commentary emphasizes the historical impact and expansion of MBSR, noting that initial participants reported significant reductions in pain, improvements in mood, and fewer medical symptoms. It positions mindfulness-based interventions as increasingly relevant across clinical and wellness settings. |
Abstract
In this issue of EBioMedicine, Shao et al. (2016-in this issue) make a significant and interesting contribution to a growing literature of changes seen in participants who receive formal programmatic instruction in mindfulness meditation. Since Kabat-Zinn's (1982) paper reporting on what would become the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program, the literature and application of mindfulness meditation instruction within the Western biomedical approach has expanded greatly. The initial MBSR program was developed for patients at an academic medical center who had on-going chronic pain despite maximized allopathic treatment. These participants reported significant reductions in pain, improvements in mood, and fewer medical symptoms (Kabat-Zinn, 1982). Since that time, mindfulness meditation instruction has been applied and, especially MBSR, studied in broadening clinical scenarios, as well as for general health and wellness.