What we know about mindfulness and meditation

The phrase “living in the moment” is a buzz word in our modern society that denotes a life well-lived. With its roots lie in Buddhism, the idea of “mindfulness” and “living in the moment” has taken root in modern American culture.

From best-selling books like Eat, Pray, Love to yoga classes offered at nearly every gym in the country, the idea of living in the moment is en vogue. But does it really lead to a happier life?

A systematic review of the evidence found  that mindfulness-based therapy – which encourages patients to focus on their breathing and their body, to notice but not judge their thoughts and to generally live in the moment – does yield positive benefits.

The review, published last year in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, is focused on mindfulness as a treatment for psychological disorders. It looked at 39 studies involving 1,140 participants who received mindfulness-based therapy for a range of conditions including cancer, generalized anxiety disorder and depression.

The review concluded that mindfulness-based therapy somewhat helped ease the mental stress of people recovering from cancer and other serious illnesses. The treatment had the strongest benefits for people diagnosed with mood disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and recurring depression.

That’s not to say that a daily meditation session can help cure severe depression or anxiety disorders, but it is a useful tool along with other treatment and for patient with more mild cases.

On a personal note, I don’t suffer from depression or mood disorders, but I do find that a few minutes spent focused on my breath and calming my mind helps me to focus and stay positive for the rest of the day. I find it’s a habit worth cultivating.