APP & BOOK REVIEWS: MODERN MEDITATION 101

FOREWORD:  The Next Wellness Drivers of  Meditation (part 1)

By Lennard M. Gettz, Ed.D / Roberta Kline, MD

Experience dictates that life will throw you an occasional brow-raising REPLAY of a prior landmark experience- what can only be called "no such thing as coincidences".   By this, a significant situation may re-occur when you least expect with one difference; you are older, more self aware and you look at experiences to be a profound source of wisdom.  This REPLAY may just be the universe trying to teach you an important lesson (and take it from Ferris Bueller), "if you pay attention, you might just learn something".

Such is the case about MEDITATION. 

I was introduced to the idea of meditation for restoring life balance, mental health and a wide range of personal benefits.  But sadly, the concept never took flight with me- as I could never get to that state of effect- turning my my failed attempts into a frustrating brick wall.  

Then one day, I met an unassuming Dave Dachinger during the launch of my online NYCRA group (NY Cancer Resource Alliance) around 2018- who successfully changed my entire perspective on what is apparently a centuries old medicine.   Mr. Dachinger is a retired firefighter and cancer survivor- with a body of knowledge that fit our cancer advocacy membership perfectly.  But what caught my attention about him was inventing an APP called LOVING MEDITATIONS for cancer patients undergoing the  physically taxing discomfort of infusion therapy (infusion therapy or chemo trickle).  

Dave receiving infusion
therapy (2014)

Dave himself had stage four cancer and found a calling for his creative brilliance during his "very stressful chemo "drip" sessions.  Implementing his talents as a professional musician, Dave built tracks for his IPod and incorporating meditational audio tapes to help him endure chemotherapy sessions.  The stress management effect of meditation is well supported in the scientific community and is further expanded by endocrinologists and mental health professionals.  "By lowering his cortisol and epinephrine levels, he is able to more safely endure the therapeutic experience.  But more importantly, those stress hormones that raise the sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream and elevates other physiological changes can actually alter the effects of any therapeutic intervention", says Dr. Howard Prince.

With a little kickstarter funding and a lot of entrepreneurial spirit, Loving Meditations was launched, earning significant international following in many circles including the functional health and wellness markets.  Meanwhile, Dave's digital harnessing of the fruits of meditation became a major reference of how brain health and stress reduction could both help the end road of any therapy.

---

EXCERPT FROM "LIVE CALM WITH CANCER (…AND BEYOND)"  By: Tamara Green, LCSW & David Dachinger

DECISIVE DOCTOR VISIT

About a year after my initial diagnosis of stage IV head and neck cancer, I had a follow-up visit with my oncologist "Dr. C." After my vitals were taken and blood drawn, we had a brief wait in the bleak exam room.

During this exam, Dr. C. announced that my scans were clear and I was now officially cancer-free. He commented, “That was not an easy regimen (chemo, radiation and surgery) you just had, but you did phenomenally well!” He asked if there was actually something I did which helped me get through treatment in such good emotional and physical shape. I replied that I’d used a mindful wellness practice, listening to programs at the infusion center. His eyes lit up as he suddenly proclaimed, “That’s what I want for all of my patients!” He desired a way his patients could become calm before their exams or treatments.

As Dr. C. talked, Tamara’s eyes and mine met and a light bulb lit up. We’d been creating the Miracle Mondays guided meditation series for seven years, and we’d also recently lived through the cancer experience as patient and caregiver. Now my oncologist was pointing out a pain-point within his practice. As we exchanged huge smiles, we had our a-ha! moment: Loving Meditations was born.

RESEARCH-BASED RESULTS

Meditation has deep roots in research-based results. CancerNetwork.com, home of the journal Oncology, reported that mind-body practices like mindfulness meditation have been shown to “positively affect quality of life and biological outcomes” when used by cancer patients and healthcare professionals. [1] Let’s face it. Cancer and other major illnesses are scary, overwhelming, and stressful. How can we handle them with more ease?

[1] CancerNetwork.com, home of the journal Oncology “Mindfulness Meditation” by Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD, RN Oct 19, 2010 http://www.cancernetwork.com/oncology-nursing/mindfulness-meditation

 

HOW IT WORKS: The Loving Meditations App is available on two platforms, iOS (for iPad and iPhone) and Web App (for any device). For the free app download, go to http://www.calmcancerstress.com/ The mindful wellness programs are delivered via the App to empower cancer patients, survivors and caregivers with self-love, self-care and self-discovery on their healing journey, from diagnosis to survivorship.

As you watch Loving Meditations, Tamara’s calming voice, David’s expansive music and spectacular images shift you to a state of more calm. Our mindful techniques worked beautifully for us and also have helped thousands of people in over twenty countries.

 

REDUCING STRESS FOR PATIENTS: Imagine you’re sitting in the infusion center hooked up to a cocktail of IV medications. You are expecting to be sitting there for a few hours, anticipating discomfort and with time on your hands. Then you remember you have the Loving Meditations app on your device. Finding the right meditation is as simple as opening the app and answering a few questions with the Adviser feature. For example, when the Adviser asks, “Do you feel pain or discomfort?” you may choose to swipe right for yes, and the Adviser quickly guides you to helpful programs. Next, press play and enjoy the meditation. Whether you close your eyes and zone out or watch the beautiful images on the screen, you’ll be transported to a state of relaxation and tranquility.

RECHARGING FOR CAREGIVERS By: Dr. Leslie Valle & the Prevention101 Editorial Team During the Covid-19 surge, interviews with emergency medical professionals showed dramatic cases of ICU and ER responders exposed to major signs of advanced fatigue and risk of burnout.  This significantly raised major risks to their work performance where lives are to be affected, including theirs.  Over time, double and triple shifts resulted in "a different type of pandemic" on a national scale- where this level of exhaustion and overwhelm.   Where a leave of absence, a vacation or regular rest is not an immediate option, we can start with addressing BRAIN HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH.  Modern meditation solutions (like BrainTap®, Loving Meditations® and other such technologies) are now available for exactly this emergent case as a portable personal "Rescue" dose. By tap ping the mind/body connection into a Vital Re-charge mode, we can induce a "Refresh- Revitalize-Renew" condition.  As with conventional meditation, bringing you into a regenerative meditative state offers that level of rest, clears the mind for renewed focus and new energy to continue with the 'battle' at hand.

CALMING FOR SURVIVORS: Imagine you’re scheduled for a follow-up scan and are beginning to feel anxious about the procedure and results. Looking at your device screen, you notice an inspiring quote there from Loving Meditations. Opening the app, you navigate to one of the Mindful Minute videos called Total Focus Breath, a super easy technique to use anytime, anywhere to quickly calm and quiet the mind. You follow the breathing technique for the next several minutes. Quickly, a sense of “I’ve got this” replaces panic.

WHAT, ME MEDITATE?  We’ve heard folks say, “Yeah, but I have no time to meditate!” Looking at it another way, we don’t realize how many hours we actually spend watching the news, TV programs, or digital content on social media. Many of us devote significant time to this, sometimes to the point of addiction. Another common problem people mention about starting a mindful practice is that they can’t stop thinking and their mind is too “active” to meditate. They may have tried meditating in the past and found it difficult to sit and do nothing. Barraged by thoughts, they can’t shut them out. What if it was as easy as putting in earbuds and pressing play on the Loving Meditations App?

---

---

HOW TO QUIET THE MIND:   Refrain from giving meaning or judgment to the thoughts, beliefs, fears, emotions, and feelings that will pop up during meditation. When they arise, don’t judge yourself. Gently smile and let them float away. Know that what emerges is ready to leave your system. That’s right, all thoughts, beliefs, fears, emotions, and feelings that surface are actually trying to leave your mind and body, so let them. To help them release, be the witness and observer of what arises and watch it gently float away. Even for the most seasoned meditator, thoughts come up. It’s no biggie. Just notice them with curiosity and let them drift away. Then return your attention back onto the guided meditation.

What self-care solutions are available to reduce this harmful distress? Several easy and simple mindfulness meditation techniques can help. You can even do some standing in a checkout line, awaiting the doctor or while sitting in traffic. Along with yoga and repetitive prayer, mindful practices are known to evoke the “relaxation response”, which is the counterpart to the stress response. Meditators enjoy greater emotional clarity and mental resilience, and meditation can actually increase the amount of gray matter in your brain (which is a good thing!)

What is MODERN MEDITATION? In today’s relentless hyper-speed world of soundbites and snapchats, traditional practices like sitting and meditating for an hour in a quiet room are no longer practical. Modern Meditation reaches more people by adapting traditional meditation techniques to suit the needs and lifestyles of people today.

SCIENCE BACKED RESULTS: Researchers from Johns Hopkins University examined almost 19,000 meditation studies and found 47 trials on stress and anxiety which they deemed well-designed studies.1 The results of this meta-study were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association’s Internal Medicine, and suggest that mindful meditation brings calming benefits to psychological stresses like depression, anxiety, and pain. Meditation has been demonstrated to reduce insomnia and help lower blood pressure. The benefits of the relaxation response have also been shown to increase mitochondrial resiliency, which may reduce vulnerability to disease.2

In another study at the University of Maryland, 63 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients used mindfulness meditation.3 They reported a 35% reduction in psychological distress and increased sense of well-being after an eight week period of mindfulness.

In the field of psychoneuroimmunology (the study of how the mind affects health and the body’s resistance to disease), research is showing that thoughts influence the immune system, and stress makes you sick.4 If that’s compelling enough to motivate you, why not launch a new healthy habit of mindfulness and meditation?

EAST MEETS WEST:  One does not have to sit in a full lotus pose on a Nepalese mountain to meditate or be mindful. Modern Meditation delivers a new approach to meditation based on scientific research by combining Eastern philosophy with Western science. As little as 5 to 10 minutes per day can deliver benefits. Although some meditation techniques, like Transcendental Meditation®, have specific routines – there are no set rules for meditating. The aim is simply to develop present moment awareness.

A variety of meditation apps make it easy, by blending user-friendly technology with meditation techniques. They feature deep breathing or guided imagery to help relax your mind. Using an app for mindfulness makes the process simple, is completely portable and keeps you on track with your practice. One app company, Headspace, is now seeking FDA approval as the first prescription meditation app with clinically validated meditation programs. Its rollout date is 2020.

NO TIME TO BE MINDFUL?  Let’s keep it really simple and focus on one form of mindfulness: breathing. Respiration is actually the only automatic body function we can voluntarily control. You can shift into a present moment state of calm quickly and easily by intentionally focusing on your breath. Breath work is the fastest state-changer available, it can soothe your nervous system and deliberately move you from fear to calm.

GET ADDICTED TO THE HEALTHY MED!  Get hooked on meditation, not social media or medication! If you spend a chunk of time immersed in social media feeds every day, why not shift some of that time to receive positive benefits of meditation? Or, the next time you have difficulty sleeping or feel anxious, try five minutes of relaxing breath work to see if that helps. It’s easy to get started by adding present moment awareness to your life. Building a mindful breathing practice into a meditation practice can be a simple as establishing a small, manageable routine and expanding it as you become comfortable.

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-may-ease-anxiety-mental-stress-201401086967
2. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0062817
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17907231
4. http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec01/anewtake.aspx
5. https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/the-4-7-8-breath-health-benefits-demonstration/
6. http://www.diy-stress-relief.com/equal-breath.html
7. https://cmbm.org/blog/mind-body-medicine/soft-belly-breathing/

A CLINICIAN'S MODALITY REVIEW: BINAURAL BEATS THERAPY

Introducing the experience-based review and observational case study of Dr. Leslie Valle of Santa Barbara, CA.  Dr. Valle is the clinical director of BIOMED LIFE, a comprehensive integrative medical program comprised of biological, energy and lifestyle medical practice.  Dr. Valle incorporates her fundamental medical training and expanded knowledge in advanced healing arts including a Cancer Wellness and Chronic Disease program in support of helping people activate their own healing mechanism.  Her avid research in modern modalities and alternative innovations led to the implementation of binaural beats and blue/red light therapy- elements she found efficacious in a device called "BrainTap".

CLINICIANS' LOG: REPORT ON CASE STUDIES & PATIENT RESPONSE ANALYSIS
Dr. Leslie Valle / Edited by: Dr. Roberta Kline

Most people have two underlying health issues as a common denominator, sleep deprivation and stress management. Sometimes this comes hand-in-hand with one another.  If we allow it to control our lives, stress can become a silent killer.  This is why as an initial consultation I make sure I get an analysis of everyone's heart rate variability (HRV).  I prefer to have a measurement of function and dysfunction before I read patients complaints and concerns, so I can scientifically show patients their levels of stress, sleep health and brainwave patterns.  The majority of the population firmly believes stress is present in their day-to-day life but never plays a dominant role.  I’ve had patients tell me they are not that much stressed - just “normal” stress.  Until I show them their own HRV analysis, at that point they have acknowledged they adapted to their level of stress and they believe it's normal. 

HOW LACK OF SLEEP IMPACTS PRODUCTIVITY

Lack of quality sleep (7-8 hours of sleep) contributes to the following:

    - Weight gain
    - Brain dysregulation
    - Diabetes
    - High blood pressure
    - Inflammation
    - and the possibility of increase risk of cancer

If we don’t sleep we can’t regenerate.  Quality sleep allows our bodies to restore, regenerate and recharge.  And the solution should not push patients to seek more medication.  The answer is binaural beats.  Unlike meditation apps, binaural beats produce brainwave training without discipline effort.  Most of us don’t know how to meditate and with the use of BrainTap we can begin to experience the benefits of meditation; which improves energy levels, memory, quality sleep and a boost in their parasympathetic state (where we rest, recover, rebuild, restore and heal).  Not all mediation apps have the neuroscience technology that BrainTap can offer. BrainTap relies on four key elements that enable the sessions to induce brainwave training: Binaural beats, guided visualization, 10-cycle holographic music and isochronic tones.  The overall goal with the use of binaural beats is to decrease stress and improve your sleep quality.

A potential remedy for loss of sleep: I used to work night shifts and I was always concerned that I would never recuperate from those sleepless nights.  Many of us suffer from sleepless nights; whether it is from jet lag or late night study hours in college or suffering from a chronic disease or simply being under constant stress - now we have a tool to help us have better sleep health.  And the solution is a drug-free treatment called Binaural Beats.

One thing I ask from patients is commitment and patience. Patients have noticed it took more than one session to get used to guided meditation and dual voice.  But with patience and commitment, users have learned to love BrainTap and found it to be easily accessible to add it as part of their healing modalities.  Here, I present 3 cases of how I was able to measure before and after in patients with the use of BrainTap.

CASE EXAMPLE 1: Managing Stress

A 67 year old female was referred for stress management late January. Her stress index was over the normal range and she was aware of it but not to the extent that she could visually see it graphed in front of her. Her heart rate variability analysis showed dominance in sympathetic nervous system, sleep patterns disturbed; high percentages in Delta brain wavelength and her biological age reading her only one year younger to her actual age.  My main focus to help her regulate and manage her stress was to help her build her nonexistent brain wavelengths. For the following 6 months she learned to change her lifestyle but implemented fasting once a week, the use of PEMF therapy  and the use of binaural beats to help manage her stress levels.  She was aware that stress will always be present in her line of work at this stage in her career but learned how to manage it.  She used binaural beats four times a week and learned to love guided meditations.

At her six month consultation and after the use of binaural beats 3-4 times a week her HRV analysis brought much relief to her mind.  Her stress index lowered 70 points and her sympathetic nervous system was reduced back to normal. Her brain entrainment was regulated and her biological age was now reading her a young 53 year old. She was ecstatic to see with the simply use of binaural beats and without medication she was able to bring her body out of adrenal fatigue and able to regulate and manage her stress.

CASE EXAMPLE 2:  PTSD / Cancer Diagnosis

87 year old female with cancer diagnosis and PTSD along her lifetime presented in a hopeless state to help diminish her stress levels.  Her HRV analysis showed poor regulation, psychoemotional stress present and a biological age of 96.  She understood having a cancer diagnosis did not help alleviate the sense of pending doom of end of life.  

After one short month of daily sessions with PEMF and Binaural beats, not only did her stress levels reduce 500 points but her biological age reversed to 84 years of age.  She knew a shift had occurred in her biology and her psychoemotional state but was also excited to feel the beautiful side effects of binaural beats of regulating her sleep health.  

She continues to thrive and build courage in my practice as she turned 88 this year going on 80.  She happily drives herself to my office for daily sauna and cold plunges.  She wants to make sure she stays youthful and able to maintain the stresses of life in a tolerable state that we can’t avoid. but only learn to manage. 

 

CASE EXAMPLE 3: Alopecia

56 year patient began her consultations in desperate help in stress management.  She began losing her hair 4 months ago and believes her biggest common denominator is stress related.  Her HRV not only showed off the charts stress index but non-existent neurohormonal levels, low brain wavelengths and a biological age of 69 years of age.  She was terrified with the analysis but not surprised.  She continued her sessions for adrenal support, stress management and brain entrainment.  She was not a big fan at first of BrainTap as she learned to let go and listen.  Her daily  sessions and commitment help fell in love with the voice on the other side of the binaural beats.  

 

In four months her stress levels were manageable as her stress index decreased into the normal range (10-100), her energy resources were abundant and her biological age decreased from 69 to a healthy 45 year old. She was very pleased to see the drastic change with the use of BrainTap in combination with Ondamed.  She can now manage her stress and can focus on working on her sleep health.

---

IN-OFFICE BIOHACKING
Another common advantage to this energy therapy is managing ANXIETY within the younger generation. I've seen a lot of teenagers in my office recently for just anxiety purposes, which I think has been amplified during this recent era. To introduce the BrainTap device while on an infrared bed, or sitting in ONDAMED® session has opened up that possibility that they can be able to manage their anxiety, which is sometimes not easy to do with a counselor or a psychologist.   The use of BrainTap has been extremely beneficial for the young population. There are numerous ways to incorporate different methods of biohacking your mind and body into your daily routine. (See complete article)

---

Disclaimer: The information (including, but not limited to text, graphics, images and other material) contained in this article is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or scientific claims. Furthermore, any/all contributors (both medical and non-medical) featured in this article are presenting only ANECDOTAL findings pertaining to the effects and performance of the products/technologies being reviewed - and are not offering clinical data or medical recommendations in any way. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you read on this page, article, blog or website.

Copyright Notice: The materials provided on this website/web-based article are copyrighted and the intellectual property of the publishers/producers (The NY Cancer Resource Alliance/IntermediaWorx inc. and The AngioFoundation). It is provided publicly strictly for informational purposes within non-commercial use and not for purposes of resale, distribution, public display or performance. Unless otherwise indicated on this web based page, sharing, re-posting, re-publishing of this work is strictly prohibited without due permission from the publishers.  Also, certain content may be licensed from third-parties. The licenses for some of this Content may contain additional terms. When such Content licenses contain additional terms, we will make these terms available to you on those pages (which his incorporated herein by reference).The publishers/producers of this site and its contents such as videos, graphics, text, and other materials published are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, please always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health provider. Do not postpone or disregard any professional medical advice over something you may have seen or read on this website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 9-1-1 immediately.  This website does not support, endorse or recommend any specific products, tests, physicians, procedures, treatment opinions or other information that may be mentioned on this site. Referencing any content or information seen or published in this website or shared by other visitors of this website is solely at your own risk. The publishers/producers of this Internet web site reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify, disable access to, or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, all or any part of this Internet web site or any information contained thereon without liability or notice to you.