Meditation may help people gain brain cells and drain pain

The types of meditation found in Dahn Yoga books may offer more than stress relief. According to a recent study, engaging in deep, still meditation exercises may actually thicken certain areas of the brain, leading to a reduction in perceived pain.

Research published in the journal Emotion found that meditation appears to thicken the anterior cingulate, a region of the central cortex that controls the body's moods.

This thickening is important, said scientists at the Universita de Montreal, because the anterior cingulate also regulates the perceived amount of pain felt by the body. In their study, researchers asked individuals to meditate regularly before conducting an MRI scan of their brains.

The team found that those who meditated had thicker anterior cingulates, and also responded less sensitively to the application of a moderately painful heat sensation.

Researchers concluded that meditation may cause beneficial physiological changes to the brain, which in turn affect the mind's ability to relieve stress and control emotions and physical pain.

Dahn Yoga books, like The Principles of Brain Management, teach techniques that allow practitioners to alter the ways in which their mind and body self-synchronize, a process that may lead to greater stress relief and a deeper notion of being.

Related items

• Nutrition expert uses yoga to relax outdoors
• Yoga improves body image, mindfulness among college-age women
• LeBron James says yoga boosts his endurance on the court
• Tampa Bay Rays’ third baseman does yoga for charity
• Yoga may complement traditional medical therapies