Research finds practicing Brain Wave Vibration increases positivity in the face of stress
Brain Wave Vibration is a signature moving meditation practiced at the Dahn Yoga Centers. Most people learn it within their first few visits. Developed by Ilchi Lee (founder of Dahn Yoga), BWV is an easy-to-learn and practical meditation technique. The basic idea is to relax both mind and body through natural rhythmic movements in order to quiet the thinking mind and release emotions, particularly negative emotions, through physical movements and focus on body sensations.
BWV was the subject of a research study funded by the Korean government (the Ministry of Science and Technology), and conducted over two years by the collaborating research institutes of Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and the Korean Institute of Brain Science.
The study was designed to assess the association between stress, positive affect and catecholamine levels in meditation and control groups. The meditation group consisted of 67 subjects who regularly engaged in “Brain-Wave Vibration” mind–body training and the control group consisted of 57 healthy subjects.
The conclusion of the research is that people who meditated using Brain Wave Vibration exhibit less stress and higher plasma Dopamine levels in stressful situations compared to a control group, according to the international science journal “Neuroscience Letters,” published June 2010.
According to the study, sixty-seven participants in a meditation group regularly practicing Brain-Wave Vibration responded with more positivity under stressful circumstances. Their stress hormone levels showed better stress management skills and a faster capacity to become positive under the same stressful situations. Specifically, the control group demonstrated that the positive affect decreased as the stress level was increased, whereas this correlation between stress and positive affects did not emerge in the meditation group. Brain Wave Vibration meditation method seems to train the sympathetic nervous system to regulate and somatize stress.
“Now it is widely accepted that meditation has positive effects on regulating stress. This study supports similar results, but also gives us a clue that this can be by the regulation of the sympathetic nervous system, especially by elevation of DA level in this vibrative meditation group,” says primary investigator, Dr. Do-Hyung Kang from Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Seoul National University Medical Center.
- Genia Sullivan
References:
Jung YH, Kang DH, Jang JH, Park HY, Byun MS, Kwon SJ, Jang GE, Lee US, An SC, Kwon JS. The effects of mind-body training on stress reduction, positive affect, and plasma catecholamines. Neuroscience Letters, Volume 479, Issue 2, 26 July 2010, Pages 138-142
For more details about the study, scroll down, or visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20546836 for the abstract and links to the full article.
How can I do Brain Wave Vibration?
(Visit www.brainwavevibration.com for more information.)
- Sit in a chair with your arms resting comfortably at your sides or in front of you on a desk. When sitting in a chair, do not lean your back against the chair, but keep your back straight.
- Close your eyes and breathe comfortably, relaxing your body completely.
Begin gently shaking your head from side to side; take three seconds to shake your head from one side to the other. - Follow a rhythm that feels natural for your body. The vibration becomes stronger and deeper. Your head may also go up and down or follow the shape of an infinity symbol as you go deeper into the motion.
- Focus on your brain stem, located at the point where your head pivots left and right. The vibration is spreading from your neck to your whole body through your spinal cord.
- Repeat this movement for five minutes. Slow down your movement and focus on your lower abdomen.
- Inhale and exhale fully three times.
To learn more, please visit www.brainwavevibration.com
Brain Wave Vibration by Ilchi Lee, published by Best Life Media (www.bestlifemedia.com)
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