There is a burgeoning body of research, as well, that shows that self-care of the spirit – meditation – can have a wide range of profound therapeutic effects. Meditation has nothing to do with religion, spiritual dogma, or otherworldly phenomena. Meditation is a set of skills for becoming intimate with your own consciousness, your own heart. You might as well, since it is with you 24/7!
Interested in in training in the art of meditation? I was a Buddhist monk for over 10 years in Burma, and I also have training in the Japanese Zen and Tibetan Vajrayana traditions, and am happy to share what I learned from that experience.
You will become good friends with walking meditation and activity meditation, as contemplative practice does not just mean sitting. You will learn the applied psychology of meditation, because understanding what you are doing and why you are doing it makes contemplative practice a joy and an exploration instead of a chore or spiritual obligation.
– Non-sectarian. Nothing taught should conflict with your religious affiliation
– Please dress reasonably – loose & comfortable, not revealing
– Bring your own meditation cushion, or a limited number may be available for use
Currently, I am leading two meditation groups. Please join these Meetup groups to keep abreast of our activities:
Bergen:
Tranquility/Insight Meditation of Bergen & Orange County
Orange:
Tranquility/Insight Meditation of Orange County
LAN Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine
New Windsor, NY
Acupuncture Enhances Pharmaceuticals for Mental Health
Acupuncture enhances the therapeutic effects of paroxetine, a drug often given the trade name Paxil, Aropax or Seroxat. Patients receiving acupuncture plus paroxetine showed greater clinical improvements in obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression and anxiety than patients receiving only paroxetine. Researchers discovered the synergistic effects of acupuncture combined with paroxetine plus another important advantage of adding acupuncture to paroxetine intake. Acupuncture sped up the effective Read more...
read moreAcupuncture Helps Comatose Patients Regain Consciousness
Acupuncture improves the time it takes to regain consciousness from a coma after a severe brain injury. In a new randomized controlled study, researchers discovered an acupuncture point that delivers superior positive patient clinical outcomes. Acupuncture point GV25 (Suliao) outperformed acupuncture point GV26 (Shuigou), a classically indicated acupuncture point for revival of consciousness. GV25 treatments successfully revived patients within an average of 64.6 days after a severe craniocerebral Read more...
read moreAcupuncture Eases Alcohol Cravings
Acupuncture reduces alcohol cravings in alcoholics. Researchers note that acupuncture is both safe and effective for reducing cravings in alcohol dependent patients. They add that acupuncture is an inexpensive modality of care for the treatment of alcoholism and “produces significant results.” This study breaks from other research on this topic. Prior research focused on National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) acupuncture point prescriptions for addiction. This typically involved Read more...
read moreAcupuncture MRI Brain Sleep Discovery
A new MRI study demonstrates that acupuncture affects the brain very differently for sleep deprived patients than patients with normal sleep. The fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) images show distinctly different patterns in the cerebellum. The brain’s cerebellum is an area of the brain active in motor control, balance, mood, fear, pleasure, heart rate, blood pressure changes, language use and cognition. These results mark a clear difference in how acupuncture affects the brain under Read more...
read moreAcupuncture Relieves Depression
University of York researchers conclude that acupuncture effectively reduces the severity of mental depression. In a randomized controlled trial, researchers note that acupuncture causes a “significant reduction in symptoms of depression in the short to medium term, and are not associated with serious adverse events.” The acupuncture continuing education researchers cite the use of anti-depressant drugs as the “front-line treatment in primary care,” however, their investigation reveals Read more...
read moreElectron Microscope Reveals Acupuncture Helps Alzheimer’s Patients
Electron microscopy reveals that acupuncture and moxibustion protect Alzheimer’s disease patients’ brain cells. Published in Neural Regeneration Research, laboratory experiment findings identified major brain structures that are preserved by using electroacupuncture and moxibustion. The research team documented a powerful neuroprotective effect induced by electroacupuncture including specific beneficial changes in brain chemistry. Acupuncture is the insertion of needles used to induce Read more...
read moreAcupuncture Reverses Post-Stroke Brain Damage
An MRI study finds acupuncture and electroacupuncture effective for treating brain tissue injuries and neurological disorders caused by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI). This type of brain damage is caused by the return of blood circulation to the brain after a period of ischemia, restricted blood supply. The sudden return of blood to oxygen and circulation deprived brain tissues causes inflammation and oxidative stress. Acupuncture biochemically ameliorates this condition and reduces Read more...
read moreAcupuncture Practice Expands The Brain
Researchers note that the behavioral and tactile-motor training and clinical experiences of acupuncturists promotes specific types of brain development in practitioners. This is certainly one of the more unusual acupuncturist studies of 2013. Ordinarily, studies focus on the effects of acupuncture on patients. Now, researchers have made an intensive investigation of the effects of the profession on brain neuroplasticity in this controlled experiment. The MRI data demonstrates distinct Read more...
read moreAcupuncture Fights Depression
New lab experiments reveal acupuncture has antidepressant effects. An examination of brain cells following acupuncture treatments uncovered important mechanisms by which acupuncture exerts its antidepressant effects. Acupuncture caused the regulation of brain cell activity associated with therapeutic results. The researchers discovered that acupuncture exhibits regulatory effects on special brain cells in the hippocampus called neural progenitor cells (NPs). These cells contribute to the Read more...
read moreThai Yoga Therapy Workshop
How would you like to learn Thai Massage for yourself? Whether treating your friends of applying it professionally, this is an invaluable skill that promotes health, flexibility, happiness… and it's fun! Read more [...]
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