Health
Learn about the potential
medical benefi ts of meditation
Meditation has long been part of
Eastern practices and recommended
by alternative health practitioners.
With the widespread adoption of
yoga, breathing exercises and general
mindfulness, meditation has become
much more mainstream and something
many traditional physicians
now recommend to their patients.
According to the yoga equipment
supply company Gaiam, meditation is
an approach to training the mind that
is similar to the way athletes train
their bodies. Many meditation techniques
exist, and the term meditation
refers to an overall discipline rather
than one specifi c activity. People who
have been meditating for some time
may be able to rest their brains for
extended periods of time. Some may
need to work up to it. Others practice
focus-specifi c meditation, which
makes them focus on a sensation or
a particular object to tune out other
distractions. Another option is openmonitoring
meditation, which involves
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paying attention to all of one’s
surroundings. Instead of reacting,
you just notice things as they are.
The brand-building company Buffer
says that meditation produces
measurable changes in the brain.
Modern technology like MRI scans
show a decrease in beta waves during
meditation. Those waves normally indicate
that the brain is processing information.
Meditation helps to slow or
stop that processing.
Meditation has been long studied
as a way to induce relaxation and help
alleviate stress. In the 1970s, Herbert
Benson, MD, a researcher at Harvard
University Medical School, coined
the term “relaxation response.” In
Benson’s words, this is “an opposite,
involuntary response that causes a
reduction in the activity of the sympathetic
nervous system.” Meditation
helps achieve that.
Meditation may produce many different
health results. Some are immediate,
and others are cumulative. Here
are some changes a person may see:
• better focus while not meditating
• reduced anxiety
• lower blood pressure
• lower blood cortisol levels
• greater feelings of well-being
• reduced feelings of stress
• ability to cope better with challenging
situations
• potential benefi ts on immune system
function
Meditation is a skill someone
learns with practice. It’s never too
early or too late to learn how to meditate.
Online courses and neighborhood
studios can help people get on
the road to wellness through meditation.
How to clean your home
when short on supplies
In light of concerns about COVID-19,
various health organizations have
issued specifi c instructions on
how to maintain personal safety and
cleanliness. These recommendations
involve using common household
products to sanitize homes, offi ces
and public spaces. As people take
such precautions, many are stocking
up on extra essentials — resulting in
shortages.
Everything from hand sanitizers
to paper towels may be hard to fi nd on
grocery store shelves, leaving some to
wonder what they can do to remain
safe without sanitizers?
The Environmental Protection
Agency states that coronaviruses are
some of the easiest types of viruses
to kill because they have an envelope
around them that enables them
to merge with other cells and infect
them. If that protective coating can be
disrupted, the virus can’t do its job.
For those having trouble fi nding wellknown
cleaning agents, these alternatives
may suffi ce.
Hot water and soap
The reason hand-washing is at the
top of the list of sanitizing methods is
because it is so effective at washing
away viruses and bacteria. Friction
from scrubbing with soap and water
can help break the protective envelope,
states the EPA. Soap and water
can clean all surfaces in a home, especially
when applying a little extra elbow
grease.
Hydrogen peroxide
As people clear isopropyl (rubbing
alcohol) off the shelves, do not discount
hydrogen peroxide.
The CDC says household hydrogen
peroxide at 3 percent concentration
can deactivate rhinovirus, the virus
that causes the common cold, within
six to eight minutes of contact. Coronavirus
is easier to destroy than rhinovirus,
so hydrogen peroxide may
be effective at combatting that virus
as well.
Natural items can be used for general
cleaning, but have not been endorsed
for use on COVID-19 disinfection.
In lieu of shortages, white vinegar,
baking soda pastes and citrus
oils and juices could fi ll the void of
chemically-based cleansers for other
home tasks.