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Insight Meditation, known in Asia as Vipassana, has remained a living practice for the past 2,500 years. At the heart of Insight Meditation is the practice of mindfulness – a process that cultivates a clear, non-judgmental awareness of our thoughts, and actions.
Practicing Insight Meditation, we reduce our preoccupation with the past and future. By focusing on the present, we more fully experience the richness of each moment as it arises and will respond more wisely to all situations. Over time, the mind’s natural home becomes lovingkindness and compassion – for ourselves and others. |
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- Strengthens immune system.
- Normalizes high blood pressure.
- Reduces cholesterol levels.
- Provides deeper level of relaxation.
- Slows heart rate & increases overall heart-health.
- Reduces doctor visits & hospitalizations.
- Helps the body heal faster (including post-operative healing).
- Reduces & heals damage caused by stress hormones.
- Reduces biological aging.
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- Reduces anxiety by lowering the levels of cortisol and corticosterone.
- Improves memory & thinking skills because brain is not flooded with stress hormones or hijacked by the old, back emotional brain (amygdala).
- Reduces pain & increases ability to manage it more effectively.
- Provides relief from insomnia.
- Helps the brain “learn, adapt and molecularly resculpture
itself.” The left prefrontal cortex (associated with
positive emotions) becomes more active while the activity
of the right prefrontal cortex (associated with anxiety
& depression) is reduced. (from the NYTimes, 10/14/2003,
“Is Buddhism Good for Your Health?” and the
research by Dr. Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin’s
W.M. Keck Laboratory for Functional Brain Imaging and Behavior.)
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