• Ninety chronic pain patients following the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School reported less present-moment pain, less difficulty with physical activity, and fewer medical symptoms than those following traditional pain treatment.

• A recent Swedish study found that the practice of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy caused a 42% reduction in the primary symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

• Binge eaters who took part in mindful eating programs at Duke University and Indiana State University reduced the frequency of their binging by approximately 75%. They also reduced their levels of insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.

• Studies from the University of Manchester and the University of Montreal found compelling evidence that people who meditate have a higher pain threshold in comparison to people who don't meditate.

• At the University of Washington, patients in recovery for substance abuse took part in a Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention program. Two months later, they reported 50% lower substance abuse levels and significantly less craving than the group in regular treatment.

• A study from the Cleveland Clinic reported that mindfulness practiced decreased negative emotions and increased well-being in people with risk-factors for coronary artery disease.

• Mindfulness meditation helped people with multiple sclerosis cope with the depression, fatigue, and anxiety associated with the disease reports a Swiss study in the September2010 issue of Neurology.

• Working with clinically depressed patients in remission,a study at Oxford University found that only 36% patients in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy eventually relapsed, compared 62% of patients in traditional cognitive therapy.

Shambhala Sun January 2011