MB Mindfulness

By Lynne Adkins  PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The nation's opioid crisis has resulted in a sharp increase of the number of pregnant women with addiction problems. There is now an effort to help the moms without harming the babies. Depression is big issue for people recovering from opioid addiction, according to Dr. Karen Alexander, assistant professor at Jefferson College of Nursing. While pregnant women can safely take medication to wean them off of the opioid, the drugs for depression should be avoided, and her study looked at the benefits of mindfulness. "Align or perspective on the present moment and have the ability to stay in that present moment without judgment and with compassion on yourself and hopefully others. So it's really an orientation of the mind. It also has many physical benefits that scientists are all trying to uncover," said Alexander.  Her project included a 12-week course teaching the women the skills needed to handle the anxiety, d...

By Adrianna Mendrek  “I felt a sense of dissolving, disappearing completely.” “My body and mind melted and merged with the universe.” “I ceased to exist.” These are excerpts of what I occasionally hear from the students who come to my yoga and meditation classes. For most, these “mind-expanding” experiences are very positive and this is precisely what my students are seeking. However, there are always a few who have a difficult time with “ceasing to exist.” Most traditional contemplative practices encourage careful examination of our concept of self and reality. This can induce feelings of boundlessness, non-separation, fusing with the universe, a deconstructed self, timelessness, emptiness or the void. This can be an insightful and blissful experience, but it can also be frightening if we are not prepared. Given that meditation can sometimes produce such profound effects, is it a good idea to promote it in people with an already fragmented perception of s...