How-much-does-mindfulness-and-meditation-save-Health-Funds-and-us?

Many of us have felt it. We all know it. Stress lowers psychological and physical resilience and in doing so adds a great deal to the health budget - costing us personally and drawing heavily on our Health Funds and Government spending.

Happily, many of us have felt the benefits of Mind-Body interventions (well proven to reduce stress and build resiliency). So the big question… How much can things like relaxation, mindfulness and meditation save us and our community? 

A good deal it would seem!

So this week, we examine one large study and link to a couple of earlier ones - and pose the question again… How long before your Health Fund realizes the benefits to be had and subsidises you to attend your meditation classes or use an effective, supportive App?, but first



           Thought for the day

   There is a bright pearl within me,
   Buried for a long time under dust.
   Today, the dust is gone and the light radiates,
   Shining through all the mountains and rivers.

         Master Yueh - The Golden Age of Zen 





Herbert Benson has been at the forefront of Mind-Body Medicine since publishing his first book The Relaxation Response in 1975. Benson was a contemporary of my first teacher Dr Ainslie Meares (First book - Relief Without Drugs - 1967), and we have much to thank them both for.



Benson was and still is an active Harvard medical academic and cardiologist.

He made the connection between stress and heart disease and realised meditation based upon deep relaxation could reduce blood pressure and actually reverse heart disease.

He has published many scientific studies as well as a few good books - international bestsellers actually!



Benson has been involved in this recent and important study that set out to estimate the effect of mind-body interventions on healthcare utilization Specifically, his team investigated the effect of the Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP), comparing the health costs of 4452 meditators with that of 13,149 controls over a median period of 4.2 years. A good sized study.

THE RESULTS?
At one year, total utilization for the intervention group decreased by 43% [53.5 to 30.5 be/yr]. Clinical encounters decreased by 41.9% [40 to 23.2 be/yr], imaging by 50.3% [11.5 to 5.7 be/yr], lab encounters by 43.5% [9.8 to 5.6], and procedures by 21.4% [2.2 to 1.7 be/yr]. The intervention group's Emergency department (ED) visits decreased from 3.6 to 1.7/year.  and Hospital and Urgent care visits converged with the controls.

Subgroup analysis (identically matched initial utilization rates-Intervention group: high utilizing controls) showed the intervention group significantly reduced utilization relative to the control group by: 18.3% across all functional categories, 24.7% across all site categories and 25.3% across all clinical categories.

THE RESEARCHER'S CONCLUSION?
Mind body interventions such as 3RP have the potential to substantially reduce healthcare utilization at relatively low cost and thus can serve as key components in any population health and health care delivery system.

REFERENCE
Relaxation Response and Resiliency Training and Its Effect on Healthcare Resource Utilization. Stahl JE et al, PLoS One. 2015 Oct 13;10(10):e0140212. doi: 10.1371

RELATED BLOG
How long before you are paid to meditate?
In this post from 2012, 2 other major studies showing cost savings of 30% and over 50% during a 5 year period are quoted and examined. Well worth a read!

And just think how much the insurance companies would have saved by now if they had started encouraging their members to meditate 6 years ago? Still, the good news is… Never to late to start…
LINK HERE

GOOD POST TO SHARE :) 

What-happens-on-a-meditation-retreat?-A-pictorial-essay

In celebration of presenting meditation retreats for 35 years, let us take a look at what actually does happen on a meditation retreat.

Next month, I will conduct my last meditation retreat with Ruth, and then she will continue on, working with Julia Broome and Emma Houston. They will be a fabulous team and their retreats promise to be a blend of great experience, personal insight, maturity and youthfulness!!!

Ruth's first retreat will be from 10th - 14th September - a new era and not to be missed!

For myself, it will be quite a change. It has been a delight joining with so many participants over the years as we took time out to practice together, to contemplate the nature of our own minds, and to reflect more deeply upon what this life is all about and what we are to do with it.

So wish Ruth and her new team well; here now are some photos and stories from our recently completed Deepening Your Meditation retreat at the Foundation’s meditation heaven in the Yarra Valley… , but first

                Thought for the day

                      By all means, marry. 
                      If you get a good wife, 
                      You will become happy;
                      If you get a bad one, 
                     You will become a philosopher.

                                              Socrates 









Not being much of a philosopher, Deepening Your Meditation was arranged at rather short notice to accommodate people after the last 7 day meditation retreat Ruth and I are to present together in March booked out.

So another full house gathered for just 4 days in February; and entered into a shorter but still immersive experience.

There were teachings each day.
We covered meditation techniques, the nature of our minds, what creates the obstacles many of us have to regular practice and how to breakthrough that, the difference between our ego-based character and our spiritually-based essence and how that affects our experience of life, how we might let go of destructive emotions and unhelpful habits; and of course a good deal on stillness - what it is like and how to experience it more reliably.
Quite a rich program!

        Ruth guided meditations









         

                As did Emma, Julia and myself

Then for a change of pace,
Emma led yoga sessions











 

        Julia guided others through Feldenkrais

While still others went on mindfulness walks with Ruth
















         There was plenty of input from Kookaburras

 It seems may some come just for the   kangaroos!!!

So many... and so close to Melbourne...













                And the occasional guest Koala

















The catering team led by Susanna
- and here supported by Sandy and Sarah
 did their usual fabulous job













At this time of year, a good deal of the food
does come from the Foundation’s own extensive organic gardens













And the quality, taste and nutritional value is exceptional!















Many will have first contact with the Foundation

 - and be helped to arrange coming to a retreat -

through talking to those on the phones like Dianne











And behind the scenes there is heaps going on via the inputs of an exceptional team.

Here are two of them - Lisa and Sue














And of course, the buck stops with the CEO

- the very accessible Wayne Nicholls













Many slept in shared rooms with ensuites,

  while others were in the two dorm rooms.











There was some free time as well.



Time to flow with the river

- Little Yarra River that is...







 


Or simply take in the majesty of the trees









                              It seems a good time was had by all

                                                   Gonna miss this …   But life moves on …



NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT

           with Dr Ruth Gawler    Julia Broome and Emma Houston

                         Meditation - Pure and Simple

Experience being more at ease with yourself and your feelings, 

the connectedness and clarity of mindfulness, 

and profound relaxation into stillness.

Ruth teaches with an openness and authenticity that has endeared her to many.
The content will be accessible to beginners as well as more experienced meditators.

Dates                                 September 2018      Monday 10th to Friday 14th
Venue                                The Yarra Valley Living Centre, 55 Rayner Court, Yarra Junction, Victoria Bookings and Inquiries   The Gawler Foundation         ClientServices@gawler.org
                                                                                          and 1300 651 211 - Call Mon-Fri 9-5pm

To download the brochure, click here
To learn more about Ruth, click here

Alzheimers-and-impotence-This-ain’t-all-in-the-mind!

For our brain to be fully functional, it takes a good deal of blood. For a bloke to get an erection, it takes a good deal of blood.

Ever wondered how Alzheimer’s and male impotence may be connected?

Well, for our brain to be fully functional, it requires a good deal of blood all of the time - around 750ml every minute. For a bloke to get an erection, it takes a good deal of blood some of the time… in fact, around 130ml each time.

However, what if the blood vessels were impaired? Clogged up? Suffering from atherosclerosis? Became worse with simple old age? If so, then blood could not get to the brain or the penis so easily. For the brain - multiple small strokes and brain atrophy - Alzheimer’s. For the penis - not enough blood flowing quickly enough to produce and sustain an erection - impotence!

So this week we investigate and explore how to prevent and even possibly reverse two of the most feared conditions going around, but first



          Thought for the day

              At some point
              We all sit down
              To a banquet of consequences.

                         Robert Louis Stevenson 





Let us begin with the brain. 

Apparently we normally lose around .5% of our blood flow per year. So at 65 the blood flow to our brains may be down 15 - 20%. Sounds a lot, but we are well designed and have built in reserves, so at this point, no obvious problems.

However, we are not designed for a high fat, high protein diet. This contributes to atherosclerosis; other risk factors being smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and genetics. All but the last are lifestyle factors; factors over which we have some control.

Atherosclerosis in the brain is found to be significantly more frequent and severe in those with Alzheimer’s disease. One recent study even examined specific arteries in the brains of healthy, non-demented controls and compared them to those with Alzheimer’s. They looked at the specific arteries critical to memory and the learning centers of the brain and found major differences - way more plaque in those with Alzheimer’s.

In another study, 400 people with cognitive impairment for were tracked for 4 years using CAT scan angiography.

The cognition of those with the least atherosclerosis in their heads remained pretty stable over the years, but those with more cholesterol plaques became worse and those with the most blockages rapidly declined.

The ability to carry on the activities of daily living was also affected, and the progression to Alzheimer’s disease was doubled.

An inefficient blood supply to the brain has very grave consequences on brain function. Based upon these and many other studies, more and more Alzheimer’s is being described as a vascular disorder.

Good news! Atherosclerosis is preventable and reversible - like all lifestyle related diseases.

But does treatment of vascular risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol actually make a difference? Well, a recent ground-breaking study did focus upon treating  vascular risk factors. Happily, those treated showed significantly less decline and slowed progression of their disease, compared with those who went untreated.

This is one of the first positive outcome studies for Alzheimer’s - and it is based upon Lifestyle Medicine.

So what about male impotence? 

Same risk factors. Same problem. Atherosclerosis affects blood vessels to the penis just like it affects blood vessels to the heart. It impairs blood flow making an erection much more difficult.

More good news! Prevent atherosclerosis, prevent male impotence. Treat atherosclerosis, treat male impotence. Pretty simple formula really.

And sure, there are other issues when it comes to impotence, but this is a big one and one not well recognised and frequently left untreated.

There is hope for both Alzheimer’s and impotence.



As for the old saying…

“Feed the man meat”?

Maybe not ....

Happy days


RELATED BLOGS
Want longer lasting sex?

How to improve memory through nutrition and exercises

Relaxation-mindfulness-and-meditation-What-are-the-differences?

We know they are all good. We also know the words are often used inter-changeably in a way that can be confusing and sometimes lead to unhelpful or disappointing expectations.

So this week, what are they really and how do we practice each one most simply and directly? And then a glimpse into what meditation really is and what differentiates it from the others, but first


   
                 Thought for the day

     The longer you meditate,
     The longer you persevere
     Through the difficulties and the false starts,
     Then the clearer it becomes to you
     That you have to continue
     - if you are to lead your life
     In a meaningful and profound way

                              Fr John Maine





RELAXATION
For most of us this is the easiest one. Learn to relax the body, learn to relax the mind. Reasonably straight forward.

My definition for relaxation is “using just that amount of energy required to do whatever it is that you are doing”.

It is like a stringed musical instrument.

Tune a guitar or violin too tightly and it sounds horrid.

Too loose, horrid in a different way.

Not too tight, not too loose - that is relaxation.

Body relaxed, thoughts come and go - just do not dwell on them. Relax. Let go a little.

Come back to the feeling of the physical relaxation if thoughts do become distracting.

Simple. Not too tight, not too loose. Not concentrating too tightly; not so relaxed as to space out.

The Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise remains after 40 years of experience, experimentation and research analysis by far my preferred relaxation technique. Easy to learn, easy to practise, very reliable for body and mind. Almost no associated difficulties…

Just do it! And reap the benefits.

MINDFULNESS
An easy concept. By definition (according to Jon Kabot-Zinn and associates) “simply paying attention to our present moment experience, deliberately and non-judgementally”.

Basically this means allowing whatever is happening to happen but that we take the mental/emotional reaction out of it.

Becoming more like an impartial observer.

Letting things go.

This does not mean we are passive and inactive; it means clearing the mind of internal argument, debate, commentary and particularly judgement.

Doing so will leave the mind clearer and calmer; much more able to evaluate things and act appropriately.

In practice, mindfulness is also easy to teach, learn and apply. It translates directly into daily life leaving us more present and better able to function stress-free.

To develop the practice it is recommended to start with something simple like mindfulness of the breath. Just give your full attention to the breath and aim to let go of any reaction in the form of self-evaluation/criticism, commentary or distraction. Can take a while but benefits often accrue remarkably quickly.


MEDITATION
Both of the words mindfulness and meditation are currently being used very loosely in many forums, including teaching environments.

My definition of meditation is that “Meditation is a process that takes us beyond our engagement with the Active Mind, into a direct experience of the Still Mind”.

Beyond the clouds into the blue sky.

This definition is based upon the fact that our minds have 2 aspects.

There is the Active Mind we are all familiar with that is the seat of conscious and unconscious thought, along with perception, volition (or will) and feelings.

Then there is the Still Mind that is beyond all that.

Ever feel like a functional half-wit? Many of us will have spent many years using only half our mind’s potential; maybe even totally unaware of the other half. Yet the Still Mind is the seat of wisdom and insight. The place of inner knowing, of inner truth. The real objective of the inner search that meditation shines the light upon.

Learning meditation is potentially much trickier than the other two. Maybe you are lucky and can take the Direct Path, but for most of us there is the rather long and tortuous Gradual Path based upon any variety of methods. Simple is always best.

IN SUMMARY

So here is the thing. Relaxation and mindfulness as defined are to do with the Active Mind. Sure some people brand mindfulness as meditation and claim it does more, but then if so, they need to define it more clearly and if they were to do that they would be re-defining a traditional Buddhist term in a way that it has not been used for thousands of years. Seems many have actually done this…

And meditation as defined is not a passive thing as in we enter into some empty void. It is actually about seeing the truth of how things are. The truth of an absolute reality. Making any real progress with it is highly likely to change our life irrevocably.

Looking forward to focusing upon all this in the last 2 meditation retreats Ruth and I will do before I
conclude that work this Easter (both programs are fully booked as we speak but are taking waiting lists).

And I am near to completing a new meditation book that will explore and elaborate on this short summary - may be released within 6 months… We shall see.


Happy relaxing. Happy mindfulnessing. Happy meditating!

RESOURCES

Click here - Books and downloads

Intention-The-secret-behind-positive-thinking

Positive thinking. We all value it and know its importance in every aspect of our lives. And there are two great ways I know of that explain how to “do it”. Yet even so, it seems some people do really “get it”, apply it, and flourish. Others seem to flounder…

So what is the key ingredient? And how do we activate that? 

This week we explore the power of intention, why it is so crucial, and how to bring it forward into our lives more directly, but first

            Thought for the day

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, 

The chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. 

Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, 

There is one elementary truth 

The ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: 

That the moment one definitely commits oneself, 

Then providence moves too.


All sorts of things occur to help one 

That would never otherwise have occurred. 

A whole stream of events issues from the decision, 

Raising in one's favour all manner 


Of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance 

Which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.


I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:


“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. 

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”

                                                       William Murray




NOTE This whole quote is often attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,

however, it was actually written by Murray at the start of the 1961 Scottish Himalayan Expedition.

Why is it that so many New Year’s resolutions do not actually lead to personal change? 

Maybe the problem is lack of resolve?

Consider “Positive Thinking”. My take on positive thinking is that it is all to do with understanding how our thinking mind works, and using it intelligently.

The Oxford dictionary defines mind as being “the seat of perception, thinking, volition and feeling”. 

A very instructive definition. Now, we hear a good deal about perception, thinking and feeling. 

But then there is volition. 

Do not hear much about that! Volition is our will, our determination, our resolve. Without it nothing gets done. Without it we are left vulnerable to all sorts of outer and inner conflicts.

With our volition active, with our resolve in hand, there is clarity, there is commitment and confidence. With resolve there is the energy to follow through amidst all manner of challenges, obstacles, successes and failures; there is the energy to accomplish just about anything. Resolve. Volition.

So what is the secret? How do we manifest a healthy resolve?

There are two useful ways of explaining how to put positive thinking into action. My own preference that features in several of my books is the Three Principles of Positive Thinking - 

1. Have a clear goal

2. Do whatever it takes (to accomplish that goal)

3. Choose to enjoy doing it.

The other that is often used in sporting and business circles is more instructive when it comes to resolve. This approach is based upon clarifying 4 steps - What, Why, How and How much? 

What you intend to do, Why you intend to do it, How you intend to do it, and How much you want to do it.

This last point is the key to resolve. How much do you want to do something? Is this a casual business? If it happens it would be nice, or if not, no big deal? 


Or is this endeavour a matter of life and death? 

I must say over the years it has amazed me to observe the number of people who faced with a life threatening condition life cancer remain casual. Others are more like how I was when acutely ill 40 years ago; my recovery was based on a life or death commitment. 

My resolve was that during my recovery nothing was more important than getting well. Everything I did for several years had to satisfy the basic question - is this good for my health? My recovery? Of course that included having fun, but it also made it easy to fore-go many things, and to do stuff that was not always as “easy” as it may have seemed on the surface.

I have seen this same level of resolve in business, in study, in sport, in music and in the intention to become a better person.

A strong resolve is the secret to positive thinking - to bringing into reality our good intentions.

So how important to you are the things you aspire to?

Finally, the Dalai Lama has had something useful to say on this in his New Year’s day address …

“It’s important that, as we begin the New Year, look forward. We should project our intention ahead, so that we make this year a meaningful one.”

“If an individual were to make conscious intention to live his or her life with a sense of purpose, live it in a good way, then the ripple effect of that really spreads. First, from the individual to the family, then to the community… and so on. This is how society gets changed and effected.

“When we talk about the transformation of society, the transformation really has to start from the individual, from inside to outwards,” said His Holiness.

May you all experience a healthy, content and meaningful year in 2018.

SPEAKING PERSONALLY

The last 4 months have been physically challenging for me. I have been in hospital 4 times - 3 times with acute bowel obstructions; once for a laparoscopy to clear adhesions thought to have been behind it all and acquired when my acute appendix was removed at age eight. 

Extensive testing has confirmed there is nothing sinister going on like a tumour or some other exotic condition, however, seems likely I have also had a bacterial overgrowth that has precipitated these acute episodes. So have been treated for that and we await the next exciting episode… which hopefully will be nothing at all!

Good news is I am feeling well again, have had yet another opportunity to personally test all I teach, and yes, may write something about being in hospital. What I can say is how wonderful all the staff were - from doctors through nurses, ambulance staff - yes had close encounters with them too - and the delightful cleaners. And Ruth - as well as being through a tough time, she has been just marvellous in all the ways she has supported, cared for and loved me. Much to be grateful for…


Anyway, here again is the wish for all of us to have a healthy, content and meaningful year in 2018.