Positive Health Online

Abstract

SAMPAIO and COLLEAGUES, 1 Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, Bahia Foundation for the Development of Sciences, FBDC, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil cysampaio@gmail.com ; 2 Centro Médico Iguatemi, Av. Tancredo Neves, 805-A, Sala 301, Caminho das Árvores, 41820-021, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. cysampaio@gmail.com ; 3 Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, Bahia Foundation for the Development of Sciences, FBDC, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil conducted a review of the literature  to describe what meditation is, its practices and effects on health.

Background

A growing number of people are seeking health recovery treatments with a holistic approach to the human being. Meditation is a mental training capable of producing connection between the mind, body and spirit.

Methodology

Its practice helps people to achieve balance, relaxation and self-control, in addition to the development of consciousness.

Results

At present, meditation is classified as a complementary and integrative technique in the area of health. The purpose of this review of the literature was to describe what meditation is, its practices and effects on health, demonstrated by consistent scientific investigations.

Conclusion

Recently, the advances in researches with meditation, the discovery of its potential as an instrument of self-regulation of the human body and its benefits to health have shown that it is a consistent alternative therapy when associated with conventional medical treatments.

References

Cynthia Vieira Sanches Sampaio  1   2 , Manuela Garcia Lima  3 , Ana Marice Ladeia  3. Meditation, Health and Scientific Investigations: Review of the Literature  J Relig Health.  ;56(2):411-427. doi: 10.1007/s10943-016-0211-1. Apr 2017.

Comment

The above review demonstrated that meditation is a consistent alternative therapy when associated with conventional medical treatments.