Meditation to focus your brain

I was poking around on the internet the other day and came across two articles that suggested meditation has positive effects on the symptoms of ADHD.  I'm not sure it would work for everyone, but it might work for some, so I thought I'd share the stories here.  Let me know if you have tried meditation and how it has worked for you!

Rhonda

Meditation may help brain tune out distractions
From CBS News Healthwatch

(WebMD)
People who meditate may be able to use their brain in ways others can't to tune out distractions and focus on the task at hand.

A new study shows that experienced meditators may have less activity in parts of the brain associated with daydreaming and distraction while meditating and in their day-to-day lives.

Researchers say this brain network, known as the "default mode network," has also been linked to anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Alzheimer's disease.

"The default mode is when you ruminate, think about yourself, or daydream," says study researcher Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, medical director of the Yale Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic. "Everybody has it, but experienced meditators have a different type."

Brewer found that people who meditate are able to link up other parts of their brains to monitor activity in the default mode network that tell them to get back on task when distractions arise and be present in the moment.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Read the rest of the article here.


Mindfully Managing ADHD    
By Ronald Alexander, Ph.D.

From The Huffington Post

Even though it was only diagnosed about 50 years ago it seems that most people today have either dealt with or at least heard about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Now there are variations of this disorder, including AD/HD and ADD, but basically the key behavioral signs in children are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Adults with ADHD often exhibit signs of depression, mood swings, anger and relationship issues, poor time-management skills and procrastination. The severity of these symptoms can vary, and there are many adults who aren't aware that they are mildly-afflicted with this disorder. Research indicates that it is caused by a genetic chemical imbalance in the brain and therefore can be inherited, although there are some who believe that factors like food additives contribute to the disorder. Most do agree though that triggers such as stress, anxiety and diet can intensify the symptoms.

As a therapist in Los Angeles I've worked with many patients with ADHD, especially in the entertainment industry. When I recommend they consider starting a mindfulness meditation practice, usually the first objection I hear is, "Oh, I could never mediate -- I'm too restless to be able to sit still long enough. Besides, it could stifle my creativity and dull my mind." I assure them that on the contrary, mindfulness meditation has proven to be a very effective tool in dealing with this disorder and takes less time than they think.

Mindfulness helps create the capacity to not only calm and sooth but increases the ability to focus. It offers two important benefits that help reduce restlessness. One is heightened concentration, allowing you to be more productive. Another is physiological changes, namely, a decrease in skin temperature and increase in oxygenation of the brain, a decrease in lactic acid (which causes fatigue) and cortisol (a stress hormone). With less fatigue and stress, you become less distracted and more efficient in using and managing your time. Through mindfulness you feel less anxiety and stress, and instead experience more "one-pointedness of mind." In Zen this means being in a state of complete focus or heightened concentration and totally aware of the present moment. The more frequent someone practices mindfulness the more they enter the zone of single-minded focus and become less plagued by the monkey mind.

For more on meditation, including a how-to guide by Ronald Alexander, please check out the Huffington Post article by clicking here.