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Meditation helping anyone?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 1/18/2015 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone, i have read few threads on here that meditation helps and i did some research online it seems it surely does help people. So i started learning basics of meditation and started it 2 days ago. I am in a mild-moderate flare and was having abdominal cramps and diarrhea. To my surprise i feel really good just after 2 days of meditating. I feel refreshed. I look forward to do some work that needs to be done. Before 2 days i was just staying in bed and not doing anything bcs of my flare. I am so happy that meditation is helping me. What is everyone else's experience on meditation? How did you start it and how has it affected your life. Please share. Thank you
Posted 1/18/2015 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
i think placebo effect
Posted 1/18/2015 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
If you want hard science on why it works and why the results are unlikely to be the placebo effect, I suggest checking the following links out:

1) Scientific primer on why meditation helps the brain.

2) 76 scientific benefits of meditation (two Harvard studies included)

As for my own experiences, I'd say it's a game changer. It has optimized my sleep and decision making, as well as eased my anxiety/depression issues. It's always a work in progress, but I can't help but notice the positive effects of it. For me, it short circuits the HPA axis (stress axis) that sets the cascade of events for autoimmunity and other illnesses to arise.

I started with Jon-Kabat Zinn after reading about the mindfulness and meditation program @ U. Mass then progressed into vipassana meditation. Right now I am doing the holosync program @ centerpointe by Bill Harris.

Best.
Posted 1/18/2015 10:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, yes meditation is extremely helpful on all levels: physically, mentally and spiritually.

I began by studying the Japanese Zen path, first with Robert Aitken Roshi, then with Shodo Harada Roshi, One Drop Zendo. Including 2 1/4 years in his Japanese Monastery. Zen is a tough discipline and I really gave it my all for over 10 years. These days meditation "techniques" for me no longer exist, it's just I've become it, meditation is seamless. It makes your everyday existence nothing short of miraculous, even if you're pooping blood.

Not sure what type of meditation you're experimenting with, we say there are 184,000 "dharma doors". I hope you find one that fits you perfectly. It helps to study and practice with others, if your meditation is successful, it becomes absolutely essential to find a teacher at some point.

Good luck!
Posted 1/18/2015 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Yea i have started with simple breathing exercises for 10 mins. Its really helping. After few days i'll look into more advanced meditating.
Posted 1/19/2015 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with ZenGirl.

Advanced meditation is kind of a misnomer - implying that it is something only a few are capable of. The truth is we are meditating on every action we take. Sakyong Mipham, the Buddhist monk who wrote the bestselling book, "Mind as an Ally" talked a bit about this -

If we are thinking about eating some food or going somewhere, we are meditating on that. If we are daydreaming with nothing but thoughts in our head, we are meditating on it. Similarly, if you are centering yourself on the present moment and focusing on the breath, you are meditating on that. Doing the latter just strengthens your ability to focus - it's like your mind lifting weights. The latest research in neuroscience suggests that the brain is just like a muscle, so it can either be built up or atrophied away.

Mindfulness, the end point of meditation, is simply being aware of your actions. When you are walking, you are aware of your foot touching the ground and so fourth. We you see a rose, you don't really define it as a rose but just see it as a physical object with all its properties. It's like seeing or doing something just as it as, without all the definitions and commentary we attach to it.

Best.

Post Edited (Guardian7) : 1/18/2015 6:47:52 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/19/2015 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Of course meditation will help you to cope with your UC. But its not going to have any effect on your malfunctioning immune system.
Posted 1/19/2015 5:07 AM (GMT 0)
That was awesome guardian - Thanks for posting that :)
Posted 1/19/2015 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
"But its not going to have any effect on your malfunctioning immune system."

Strongly disagree. Studies from the Jon Kabat-Zinn group have proven that meditation/awareness (or whatever you want to call it) have decreased pain, strengthened the immune system, increased wellness, and on and on.

Our minds are connected to our bodies, and that affects our immune system. You really can't separate the two. Although we try all the time. :)

By the way, I think all forms of meditation practice are great and I try when I can. Just simple breathing (awareness of your breath) is something we take for granted every day. Your 10 min. a day will work wonders.

John
Posted 1/19/2015 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
Anything that relaxes you and lowers your daily stress and anxieties is helpful to your uc. Stress does not cause uc but it can make the symptoms and urgency worse.
Posted 1/19/2015 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hey arizonahiker, apologies for my one-size-fits-all answer and thanks for calling me out! I absolutely believe in the connection between mind and body. I have dabbled in Buddhist techniques over the past couple of years and meditation has certainly helped me to silence negative thoughts, to cope better during the more difficult times and strengthened my resolve to beat this thing. However I don't feel like it has had any effect on the immune response when it comes to my UC. The only measurable success I have had with the behaviour of the disease has come from medication and FMT. However I concede that we are all different and what works for one may not work for another. So if meditation works for you, that's great, and I am envious. :-)
Posted 1/19/2015 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
In my personal experience, I agree with dave-nz that meditation be it Buddhist or a secular approach, has no effect at all on immune system response, at least not on mine.

As to the wondrous by-products of meditation, and there are many, are we sure that "strengthening the immune system" is beneficial when our immune system doesn't function correctly?

Regardless, I have a strong meditative practice for which I am grateful, and the course of this illness has been full of new insights, some deeply humbling. I do believe without my "faith" or "practice" the symptoms of this disorder would have been far worse. Good journey!
Posted 1/19/2015 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
zen? dave? Well I'm just thinking of it from a logical standpoint.

1. Stress can compromise the immune system
2. Meditation can relieve stress
3. Hence, meditation can boost the immune system

It's just logic. Anyway, that's the way I look at it. We studied logic problems like this in class and if #1 or #2 were not correct then #3 would not be correct. But I believe they are.

Notice I used the obscure word "can" for all of those. Because nothing in life is definite. I'm just weighing the odds.
Posted 1/20/2015 1:45 AM (GMT 0)
I'm afraid it's not so simple in auto-immune diseases but understand your rationale. I'm going to start a new thread because this question is bugging me.
Posted 1/20/2015 5:10 AM (GMT 0)

Canada Mark said...
That was awesome guardian - Thanks for posting that :)

Yes I enjoyed it too.

I do think you cannot think about all the details such as walking though you have to elevate and allow normal things to run automatically to operate on a higher level.

I think clearing thoughts and focusing on nothing but my breathing is good and stimulates the vegas nerve.

I need to know about where to start working on meditation, I read about its benefits but do not see any good primer on starting, repeat a word an relax is about it.

Thanks
Posted 1/20/2015 7:55 AM (GMT 0)

aguywithuc said...


Yes I enjoyed it too.

I do think you cannot think about all the details such as walking though you have to elevate and allow normal things to run automatically to operate on a higher level.

I think clearing thoughts and focusing on nothing but my breathing is good and stimulates the vegas nerve.

I need to know about where to start working on meditation, I read about its benefits but do not see any good primer on starting, repeat a word an relax is about it.

Thanks

You can watch some beginners video on youtube to start things off. I also read "Mindfullness in plain English" book. Its available for free in pdf format online. Just google it. It really explains what to do and how to start off. I hope this helps
Posted 1/20/2015 1:01 PM (GMT 0)

aguywithuc said...

Canada Mark said...
That was awesome guardian - Thanks for posting that :)

Yes I enjoyed it too.

I do think you cannot think about all the details such as walking though you have to elevate and allow normal things to run automatically to operate on a higher level.

I think clearing thoughts and focusing on nothing but my breathing is good and stimulates the vegas nerve.

I need to know about where to start working on meditation, I read about its benefits but do not see any good primer on starting, repeat a word an relax is about it.

Thanks

1) I agree with Mindfulness in Plain English suggestion by Youngman. It is one of the best primers on meditation I have ever read. Covers almost everything. It's available for free here.

2) The next would be anything by Jon Kabat Zinn - he has some guided meditations that are therapeutic for pain and chronic illnesses.

3) There are some meditation programs that use audiotracks to stimulate certain brainwave frequencies - the holosync program is the one I am doing currently. Basically, you listen to a track for 30 min a day, then you progress to 1 hour. After doing this for some amount of years, it apparently changes your brainwaves to match those of buddhist monks, though I don't make the same claims. I find it has helped me the most.

Best.
Posted 1/20/2015 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
To think about no-thought is thought. To think about not thinking is a dog chasing its tail, not meditation.

Concentrate on one thought as it arises, don't add a second thought consciously to the first thought. A second thought will rise, but there is a space between. THAT space is where to direct your full attention. Ideally this is done along with a certain type of breath (sussokan) where the outbreath is longer than the in-breath, and breathing originates in the belly, not the lung. At least in the Zen school...

I don't recommend Zen for beginners, it's drastic. Try G7's suggestions. Zen is too severe, it will cut your ego at the root! Painful! Die now and you won't have to die again philosophy. Check it out later after you've spent 10 years of Hinayana (mindfulness or insight meditation) training.
Posted 1/20/2015 11:32 PM (GMT 0)
The breathing part of the meditation may also be stimulating your vagus nerve. Vagus nerve stimulation appears to have a strong anti-inflammatory effect on the body. It's going into clinical trials for various autoimmune conditions via an implant, but we can do a certain amount ourselves.
http://www.setpointmedical.com/
Posted 1/21/2015 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
Meditation really helped me. It didn't affect the frequency of flares, but it took my pain scores down. Way down.

Namaste. :)
Posted 7/22/2017 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
So I have been doing some research on supplementation helpers and lo & behold, I ran into this thread.

I am developing a mindfulness meditation practice right now and have been finding benefits already. My attitude and optimism seem to get a boost.

I plan on continuing whether I see a reduction in symptoms or not and wanted to post this as there seems to be many new members here at the moment (and it's an easy and cost effective thing to implement).
Posted 7/23/2017 8:11 PM (GMT 0)
I'm new here, and diagnosed with moderate chronic colitis on Friday. Meditation has been a lifesaver in the past, however, during the last three weeks of worrying and doctors appointments I have neglected to meditate. I have read books by Jon kabat zin, Sharon Salzburg, Rick Hanson, thich nhat Hahn Pena chodron (Canadian monk) and Michael singer.

I find Micheal Singer's books intriguing, and of course JKZ and mark williams have excellent programs.

You only have to sit for ten or twenty minutes and pay attention to your breathing every day. When your mind wanders bring it back to the breath without judgement. (It will wonder, everyone's mind does).

My favourite thing to do is walk slowly with my dogs, noticing every time my feet touch the pavement, or concentrating on my breathing or looking at plants or my two dogs playing.

I don't know what to do about my UC, but I have noticed already that deep fried food or pop (or both) cause pain, and miso soup does not. So my plan is to eat sushi rolls with cooked veggies, avocado and tofu, bananas, blended vegetable soup, miso soup with ginger, and other bland things for a while if I don't get too tired of it. I bought Frozen frenchfries today that are low fat. I'll need to keep a record I think.
Posted 7/24/2017 12:53 PM (GMT 0)
@ Rosiedays, I do think keeping a journal is essential. I have noticed that the trends that seem to affect others don't affect me and vice versa.....very individual.

I am really hopeful about the meditation helping because my anxiety around this condition is pretty high and the normal things I do to lower it haven't been helping. I don't intend to become a Buddhist necessarily (I don't know much about it even) but I have joined a local chapter that meets for meditation and also a Buddhist based recovery group (I am a recovered alcoholic who quit drinking 18 years ago).

Very hopeful this connection can offer me some peace of mind, as it's difficult at the moment. I keep thinking I've "found the answer" only to have symptoms return a week or two later.....good luck on your quest to solve this !
Posted 7/24/2017 1:45 PM (GMT 0)
I think I'm rushing to believe I have answers too right now. I hope you repost in a month or so to tell us how you are after attending the group for a while. I think you'll be surprised how much it helps. I had some "Ah ha" moments where I suddenly saw a situation that is been struggling with most of my life in a clear way. There is a group near me that I looked into a few years ago but I still haven't attended.
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