Meditation

Ethnomedicine is a branch of medical science which is based on traditional healing practices of cultures around the world. Meditation is one of the most popular practices for relieving stress, increasing awareness, and developing peace of mind and within many of these cultures traditional medical practices. In ethnomedicine, meditation is a central tool for cultivating an individual's emotional, physical, and psychological well-being. Meditation has both physical and psychological benefits. Physically, it has been shown to decrease heart rate and respiration, and to increase alpha waves in the brain, indicating relaxation. It has also been found to increase immunity and reduce the negative effects of stress. Psychologically, meditation helps to regulate emotions and experience greater peace of mind. It can help the individual to break out of their patterns of stress and can open the door to insight, creativity and new perspectives. In many traditional medical systems, meditation plays an important role in healing and undergoing psychotherapies. For example, in Ayurveda, meditation is used during the panchakarma treatment to help the individual gain insight into their life and to understand the root cause of their illness or dis-ease. This enables them to create new positive habits and to move away from those behaviors which are harmful. Similarly, in traditional Chinese medicine, meditation is used as part of the healing process in order to gain insight into the individual's current state of balance and to make necessary changes. The main benefits of meditation as an ethnomedicine are to reduce stress, improve physical and mental health, and increase awareness. This can lead to positive changes in the individual’s life and to a greater sense of well-being. Additionally, meditation can help an individual to develop insight into their own belief systems and behaviors, enabling them to make positive changes to their lives. In this way, meditation can be an effective tool for healing and self-care when used as part of an ethnomedicine program.