Mindfulness and Meditation

Meditation and mindfulness are increasingly used as complementary approaches for improving health and well-being.

Overview

Meditation and mindfulness encompass a variety of techniques, such as focused breathing and structured programs like mindfulness-based stress reduction, designed to reduce stress and improve overall physical and mental well-being. While research suggests these practices can positively impact brain function and various health conditions, they should be used as complementary tools alongside professional medical care.

What is Meditation and Mindfulness?

Meditation and mindfulness are increasingly used as complementary approaches to improve general wellness, reduce stress, and to improve sleep. Meditation has a history that goes back thousands of years, and many meditative techniques began in Eastern traditions. The term “meditation” refers to a variety of practices that focus on mind and body integration and are used to calm the mind and enhance overall well-being.

Some types of meditation involve maintaining mental focus on a particular sensation, such as breathing, a sound, a visual image, or a mantra, a repeated word or phrase. Other forms of meditation include the practice of mindfulness, which involves maintaining attention or awareness on the present moment without making judgments.

Programs that teach meditation or mindfulness may combine the practices with other activities. For example, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a program that teaches mindful meditation, but it also includes discussion sessions and other strategies to help people apply what they have learned to stressful experiences. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) integrates mindfulness practices with aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Types of Meditation and Mindfulness Techniques

Meditation and mindfulness practices focus on mind and body integration. Common approaches include:

  • Mindfulness meditation: A practice that cultivates the ability to maintain focused and clear attention and develop increased awareness of the present moment
  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): A structured program that teaches mindful meditation along with discussion sessions and strategies to help people apply what they have learned to stressful experiences
  • Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT): Integrates mindfulness practices with aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP): Designed to help people with substance use disorders increase awareness of thoughts and feelings that trigger cravings
  • Transcendental Meditation (TM): A mental technique used to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and improve quality of life

Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques are practices that help bring about the body’s “relaxation response,” which is characterized by slower breathing, lower blood pressure, and a reduced heart rate. The relaxation response is the opposite of the stress response. Types of relaxation techniques include:

  • Progressive muscle relaxation: Involves tensing different muscles in your body and then releasing the tension.
  • Autogenic training: Through a series of mental exercises involving relaxation and ideas you suggest to yourself, your mind focuses on your body’s experience of relaxation.
  • Guided imagery or “visualization”: You picture objects, scenes, or events associated with relaxation or calmness and attempt to produce a similar feeling in your body.
  • Biofeedback-assisted relaxation: Through feedback usually provided by an electronic device, you learn how to recognize and manage how your body responds.
  • Self-hypnosis: Produces the relaxation response when prompted by a phrase or nonverbal cue of their own.
  • Breathing exercises: You focus on taking slow, deep breaths — also called diaphragmatic breathing.

Getting Started with Mindfulness and Meditation Techniques

You can start with just 5 to 10 minutes of practice, which may help you feel better. Options for learning and practicing include:

  • Taking a class
  • Finding videos on YouTube
  • Buying a relaxation DVD or recording
  • Finding exercises online
  • Using online programs and apps for meditation

You can try several practical exercises. For each exercise, find a quiet place where you can rest undisturbed, dim the lights, and find a comfortable chair or couch. Some people like to listen to slow, familiar music while they practice.

Breathing and Muscle Tensing

  1. Get into a comfortable position and close your eyes.
  2. Breathe deeply at a slow and relaxing pace, raising your belly with each breath rather than just your chest.
  3. Go through each major muscle group, tensing (squeezing) for a few seconds and then letting go. Start at the top of your head and work your way down.
  4. End with your feet. Focus on releasing all tension from your muscles.

Slow Rhythmic Breathing

  1. Stare at an object or shut your eyes and think of a peaceful scene. Take a slow, deep breath.
  2. As you breathe in, tense your muscles. As you breathe out, relax them.
  3. Breathe slowly and comfortably, taking about 9 to 12 breaths a minute.
  4. Continue for up to 10 minutes. To end, count slowly from one to three and open your eyes.

Imagery

  1. Close your eyes and breathe slowly.
  2. Create an image in your mind of a place or activity that made you happy in the past.
  3. Explore this place or activity and notice how calm you feel.
  4. To end, count slowly to three, breathe in deeply, and open your eyes.

Being mindful does not have to be done sitting still or in silence. Some people like to do a walking meditation either outside or inside. You can also blend mindfulness into everyday activities like waiting in line, sitting at a bus stop, or eating.

Potential Medical Uses

Mindfulness and meditation practices have been studied across a wide range of health conditions. Much of the research has been preliminary or not scientifically rigorous, and results have been difficult to analyze.

Do not use meditation or mindfulness to replace conventional care or as a reason to postpone seeing a healthcare provider about a medical problem. Talk with your healthcare providers about any complementary health approaches you use. Together, you and your healthcare provider can make shared, well-informed decisions.

Ask about the training and experience of the instructor of any meditation or mindfulness practice you are considering. Be careful to use only well-known sources or those from medical schools or universities when finding online programs and apps for meditation.

Mindfulness and meditation techniques may be helpful for the following:

Find Clinical Trials

Clinical trials uncover better ways to prevent, diagnose, treat, and understand diseases and conditions. To ensure results apply to everyone, volunteers of all ages, sexes, and backgrounds, including both healthy individuals and those with specific medical conditions, are needed. Find clinical trials on mindfulness meditation.

Research Information

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. NIH invests most of its budget in medical research seeking to enhance life and to reduce illness and disability. NIH-funded research has led to breakthroughs and new treatments helping people live longer, healthier lives, and building the research foundation that drives discovery.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports research on meditation and mindfulness.

Find NIH-funded research projects using NIH RePORTER, a searchable database of current and past research projects supported by NIH and other federal agencies.