Do our pets change our hormone levels?

We Know We Love Our Pets and They Make Us Happy, but Do They Actually Change Our Hormone Levels?
The answer seems to be a resounding YES

We know that playing with, talking with and petting our pets enhances our mood, now we may know why…. Short term interaction between dog and owner results in elevated oxytocin—the “feel good hormone” levels

Petitations—A Low Cost, No Risk Calming Intervention for Your Hyper or Anxious Dog or Cat

I’m a public health researcher by training. However, today I am not describing research; I’m reporting to you my experiences. This is because using Petitations has been so dramatic in my own life that I believe sharing is worthwhile now AND will be after the research has been done.

Does Meditation Help Slow Down Our Brain's Aging Process?

Human beings are living longer, but as we age, our brains deteriorate.  Scientists have been trying to understand this process and determine what can be done to reduce mental illness and neurodegenerative diseases due to aging.  Scientists think that meditation may play an important role in brain health.

In a recent study comparing 50 long term meditators and 50 non-meditators, Dr. Luders and her colleagues found that the grey matter, ---the brain tissue that contains neurons---shrank at a slower rate for the meditators than for the non-meditators.  Meditators practiced a variety of types of meditation from weekly to daily and from 10 to 240 minutes at a time in duration.

The chart below shows the results, with the steeper green line depicting non-meditators’ brains and the flatter yellow line depicting the meditators’ brains.

The results of this study are significant, especially given the body of work highlighting changes in the brain due to meditation (see blog post from last year--This Is Your Brain On Meditation).  However, the results of this study are not conclusive.   The researchers were unable to completely factor out variables that may have contributed to the aging rates such as lifestyle and genetics.  More research clearly needs to be conducted to find a clear causal link.

Hot off the Press--Summary of 47 Studies Shows That Even With Regular Exercise, Prolonged Sitting Can Result in Higher Chance of Disease andEarly Death

Researchers from Toronto, Canada conducted a meta-analysis (here's a link to the study) where they analyzed the results of 47 studies that fit their criteria to see whether when controlling for purposeful exercise, sedentary behavior results in higher rates of disease.  They found that sedentary behavior resulted in higher rates of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, cancer mortality, cancer incidence, and type 2 diabetes incidence,  They defined sedentary behavior to be sitting while at the computer, while watching television, in the car, etc.

A Brisk 20 Minute Daily Dog Walk Can Significantly Prolong Your Life

  

Exercising With Your Dog is Great For Your Health and the Well-being of Your Dog

You

Dog walking is not only critical for your dog's health but it can also lengthen your life.   In fact, researchers who conducted a large scale European study published on January 14th of this year found that even what they called moderate inactivity--which could be a 20 minute brisk walk with your dog-- could decrease your chances of death by up to 16-30% depending on other factors.

Interview with Dr. Rick Hanson

I’m here with Dr. Rick Hanson, author, educator and lecturer on Buddhism and a neuropsychologist with a specialty in neuroplasticity and the positive ways we can change our brains and our minds through thought and meditation. He is the author of several books. His most recent, Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm and Confidence, became a New York Times bestseller. He has also written dozens of scientific papers ranging from neuropsychology to Buddhist wisdom. He lectures all over the world and runs a weekly meditation class in Northern California based in the Buddhist tradition. He is a Senior Fellow at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California at Berkeley. He also created a new exciting yearlong online program called “The Foundations of Well-Being" which is where I first became extremely impressed with his work and his perspective.

You can learn more about Dr. Hanson at his website: Rickhanson.net.

Elisabeth: First, I wanted to ask you about your approach to meditation teaching.

Dr. Rick Hanson:   I guess my approach is pragmatic.   In other words, I’m interested in meditation as a means to an end. So what’s going to be the most skillful means to the end that a person cares about. People care about different things, and they will also frankly have different situations, different time frames and different temperaments. I try to offer a variety of skillful methods that are informed in some ways by Buddhist wisdom but they are also really informed by an understanding of our underlying neuropsychology.

6 Female Meditation Teachers/Leaders That Can Help You Develop a Mindfulness Practice

Here are six of the well-known women who have most influenced my meditation practice.  I have linked to their websites for you to learn more.  The links are in purple.


Sylvia Boorstein

(http://www.sylviaboorstein.com/)

I love Sylvia’s humorous story-telling style as she integrates her Jewish background and Buddhist teachings with basic mindfulness techniques. She also includes lots of stories about her family. I am most touched by her Metta (loving kindness) meditations.   Sylvia allows herself to be vulnerable throughout her work—we can see her as anxious, petty and depressed like the rest of us, making her work particularly accessible.