Aragon has become the standard bearer of the ful Mindfulness, a meditation technique - originally Buddhist - based on mindfulness ; a mental state that seeks to focus on the present moment, without judging it, and which, as numerous studies show, effectively improves the control of emotions and favors the reduction of stress, considered as the main cause of most diseases. Currently, it is being applied in cases of mental health, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and psoriasis, among others.
The Aragonese Research Group Mindfulness works in the application of this technique in various diseases within the scope of health. This is explained by Dr. Javier Garc a Campayo, team coordinator. There is scientific evidence that it works in patients with physical and psychiatric illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, addictions, obsessive compulsive disorder; and even in medical diseases such as hypertension, cancer or chronic pain, says the doctor, psychiatrist for ten years at the Miguel Servet Hospital .
Campayo highlights that the latest scientific studies show that the practice of this type of meditation produces significant changes in brain structure: After three months dedicating about 10 minutes a day to the Mindfulness can see changes in the areas that regulate emotions, which translate into better control of them and a greater sense of well-being .
The main ailments it corrects are anxiety and depression. It is proven effective in 70 or 80% of cases, it is also cheap and has no side effects, says Campayo. Not only is it recommended for sick people, but it is a very useful prevention tool. The University of Zaragoza launches this year the second edition of the Master on Mindfulness , pioneer in all Spain that already in its first edition was a success. "It sweeps because it works, " says the expert.
"Practicing 'Mindfulness' has meant an important change for me, " says a zaragozana who suffers from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, and who began performing this type of meditation only two months ago. “I had a mental block that caused me a lot of anguish and now it has disappeared. It seems incredible but it has worked, ”he says. Zaragoza, which is part of a research project together with people with different ailments, alternates group exercises with practices at home three times a day at home for eight minutes and ensures that the results are worthwhile.
However, the benefits of 'Mindfulness' are not limited to the field of health, but its recommended application in the field of business has been demonstrated. Some multinationals such as Google train their workers and provide them with spaces to develop the practice. “It improves performance, productivity and work climate. It has even been shown through the observation of polymers that lengthens life expectancy. It is the same effect as when you play sports, ” says the psychiatrist.
The objective of the research group is to integrate this technique into Primary Care services, although psychotherapy - a framework in which 'Mindfulness' would be included, is not offered in our system. “It can be developed in a group way so it would be more feasible. In Britain you go to the doctor and you can be prescribed to practice 'Mindfulness ', ”he concludes.
Improvement of school performance
Also in Aragon, in this case in Teruel, some researchers work on possible applications of this technique in other areas, such as in education, not only focused on students, but parents and educators. “It has been shown that children improve attention and academic results; as well as interpersonal relationships, ” explains Sebastián Lombas, professor of the degree of Psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Teruel.
A team of several professors from the University of Zaragoza and five Turolenses institutes - in collaboration with the SATI team - have developed the experiment 'Happy classrooms ' in which 368 teenagers and 26 professors participated voluntarily, to demonstrate the benefits of' Mindfulness' and positive psychology in school development. “We measured a series of psychological variables before and after the intervention, which lasted 6 or 7 months, and we appreciate numerous positive psychological effects on performance. It has been shown that motivated students feel happier, get better grades and are more adapted, ”says Lombas. "In the future its usefulness will be recognized, as happened with the practice of sport a few years ago"
Source : http://www.heraldo.es
Aragon, pioneer in the application of 'Mindfulness' meditation
