http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (PhysOrg.com) -- Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain's grey matter. http://phys.org/news214839934.html Medicine & Health Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:48:03 EST news214839934 Whether it's food or sex, pleasurable activity provides more than just pleasure, University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers say. It actually reduces stress by inhibiting anxiety responses in the brain. http://phys.org/news208629966.html Medicine & Health Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:10:01 EST news208629966 (PhysOrg.com) -- The Dalai Lama holds that compassion -- concern for the well-being of others -- leads to happiness. Now a new study has found that compassion may also have health benefits in the form of stress reduction for women. http://phys.org/news201365891.html Medicine & Health Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:30:02 EST news201365891 (PhysOrg.com) -- If you've ever tried to quit smoking, understanding how you got hooked in the first place probably seems irrelevant. But University of Nebraska-Lincoln psychologist Rick Bevins believes those first experiences play a key role in nicotine's grip on you today, and understanding that role will eventually help you quit. http://phys.org/news180633033.html Medicine & Health Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:01:15 EST news180633033 A pet owner knows the enormous joy and comfort that an animal can provide, especially in troubled times. Most pets are considered important members of the family and irreplaceable companions. A growing body of research now documents the value of the human-animal bond in child development, elderly care, mental illness, physical impairment, dementia, abuse and trauma recovery, and the rehabilitation of incarcerated youth and adults. http://phys.org/news178812795.html Other Sciences Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:30:02 EST news178812795 Patients with coronary heart disease who practiced the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation® technique had nearly 50 percent lower rates of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to nonmeditating controls, according to the results of a first-ever study presented during the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Fla., on Nov.16, 2009. http://phys.org/news177619875.html Medicine & Health Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:10:04 EST news177619875 (PhysOrg.com) -- The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has awarded University of Rochester Medical Center researchers $2.5 million to investigate the impact of psychological interventions on attacks of psoriasis and the intensity of the disease. http://phys.org/news177180535.html Medicine & Health Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:49:30 EST news177180535 The words are in larger-than-average type. The message is simple: "The Blood Pressure Miracle." And Frank Mangano, health advocate and natural health writer, says that's all it takes to lower your blood pressure -- naturally. http://phys.org/news174916498.html Medicine & Health Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:40:05 EST news174916498 (PhysOrg.com) -- Twenty minutes per day of guided workplace meditation and yoga combined with six weekly group sessions can lower feelings of stress by more than 10 percent and improve sleep quality in sedentary office employees, a pilot study suggests. http://phys.org/news168607752.html Medicine & Health Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:33:02 EST news168607752 (PhysOrg.com) -- Stressed-out people sleep better and take sleep medication less often when they learn to let go of intrusive thoughts, according to researchers at Duke Integrative Medicine. http://phys.org/news165163898.html Medicine & Health Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:53:16 EST news165163898