Yarra Valley Living Centre is transitioning

Sad news this. So many of us will have happy memories of times well spent on this amazing land, meeting, working with or supporting wonderful people doing truly wonder - full things. 

And as all things change, it seems the conditions created by the pandemic have proven too much to overcome and the Centre will close, with the prospect of morphing into something new. So this week, a few reflections and observations, but first

Thought for the day

The world is a fragile and unpredictable place. 

There are no sacred cows here either :) 

Everything can be turned upside down in a moment. 

That must not be a shock, 

But rather an expectation of an inevitability.  

If we had 1000 lifetimes to live, 

We would pursue every pleasure and adventure. 

Fulfill every wish. 

But after all that, at some point,  

We would choose a life that is a total surprise. 

One where nothing is under control, 

Where you do not know what is going to happen. 

That is the life we are living right now. 

The closer I am to experiencing reality 

Instead of trying to control it, 

The closer I am to God. 

This year is a practice in presence.

Adam Schwartz

Maybe it is worth remembering the work of the Foundation began in 1981 with the inception of the Melbourne Cancer Support Group in rented premises. It was not long before we were conducting wellness groups and meditation programs. Residential programs commenced end of 1983. 

However, it was not until 1984 the land at Yarra Junction was purchased and not until 1991 we had established buildings on that land to enable fully residential programs to be presented there.

So the early history was of many years without a place to call a centre we owned. While it is appropriate to mourn the end of the Living Centre as we know it; it will be interesting to learn what arises in its absence.

Having said that, so many people benefited from that wonderful property. It was selected because of its palpable presence. 

So many people have walked onto those 40 acres and felt a deep, natural peace, along with an atmosphere of healing. Maybe it is because the land is in the heart of the Yarra Valley with all its magnificent tall trees. Maybe it is because the buildings are nestled into the land away from roads and the gaze of others. There is comfort in its solitude. Maybe it is the view from the top of the hill, or the tranquil sounds of the Little Yarra River flowing on through.

Maybe the place had significance for its indigenous ancestors; it certainly has been developed more recently with work, love, prayer, a great deal of meditation and the good-hearted efforts of many, many well motivated people.

Having not been so directly involved for nearly a decade now, I remain acutely aware of all these good people who have contributed. Those who donated time or money, those who worked as staff or as volunteers, those who attended programs and contributed their own learnings and energies. What a remarkable time we all had! And how much good work was accomplished – so many people’s lives transformed for the better.

The first Melbourne Cancer Support Group, the genesis for all this, was held on 16th September 1981. It will be 40 years this September since it all began. Forty years. Wow!

People are beginning to ask me how I feel about the closure. 

It is like this.

I feel deeply saddened that things have changed to a point where the Centre is no longer viable. So many people benefited from what was offered there by an incredible crew of staff and volunteers. And while the MS work is carried forward by Overcoming MS, and there are plenty of people and groups offering meditation and retreats, there is real concern for how the cancer work will continue to be made available. In my view the cancer residential program remains world’s best practice; offering a truly integrated, lifestyle-based, cancer self-help program. 

It is hard to be clear why such a closure should happen; the pandemic was clearly a major and final factor, however, it would be simplistic to say there was no more to it. 

Times change. People change. Foundations change. Some come for a while, do their work and then fold; others morph into something new.

Regarding ownership of land, it always has been clear – we never really own land, we simply serve as its custodians and guardians for a while. My aim with all the places I have lived and worked upon was to leave them better than when I arrived. 

Also, I do not identify too closely with the many and varied roles I have played in this life. 

So - co-Founder of the Foundation, student, teacher, father, son, husband, veterinarian, athlete, football player, gardener, one-legged person – lots of roles. And this by way of saying, I care for what the Foundation has offered and may still offer, but have little attachment to its personal impact upon my own sense of self. 

Hope this sounds close to the way it is intended – not dispassionate; I care deeply for others and to be engaged in how to be more useful, but it is what it is and we have no idea as yet as to what will emerge from it all.

I do feel deeply for those closely involved with the Centre as this unfolds. The Board has difficult decisions to make, staff will need to look for new employment, volunteers lose their connection and all those who relate to the Centre as a place of healing and renewal, a place where they might return to one day, and need time to adjust to the loss.

So in practical terms, I have been informed that the meditation retreat Ruth and I will present end of March will be the last before the doors close and staff cease employment. For those of you who know and care for Dorothy Edgelow, every effort is going into ensuring she can continue to live on the property. 

Apparently discussions are under way with the Board and several groups interested in taking
responsibility for running the Centre going forward, with different models being explored as to how this might work. 

The Board has told me their primary aims are to preserve the legacy of the Foundation and to be of benefit to the community as much as possible. 

So thank you again to all who participated in what was achieved until now, and all best wishes to those who plan to contribute to what transpires. Life goes on… Bon chance to all.

Better sleep – how to enjoy it - and the latest research

Many people are in need of a better night’s sleep. After many requests, we have now added a specific “Better Sleep” section to the Allevi8 App. This is offered with confidence. Having assisted people for over 4 decades to apply relaxation, mindfulness and meditation to manage their sleep disturbances, three things really stand out, and we cover them all in the App with specific techniques many have found transformed their sleep patterns. 

So this week, a guide to better sleep – and the latest research (including links to the original articles) that supports the use of relaxation, mindfulness and meditation to make sleep easier to get to, and easier to stay in, but first

                     Thought for the day

    People often tell me 

   “I cannot sleep because I have pain”. 

   While I understand that, 

   My approach is 

   “Because I have pain, I go to sleep”.

    Good sleep is both a necessity

    And a refuge.

    It makes sense

    To train a little so we sleep better.

                         Ian Gawler 

Three best tips for a better night’s sleep

1. Regular relaxation-based mindfulness and meditation improve sleep patterns significantly

Over the years, many people have reported significant sleep benefits when they practice using the key practices we have included on the Allevi8 App. My sense of this is the deep physical relaxation is very important as a foundation, and then mindfulness and meditation lead to a calmer, more relaxed mind. The two together then combine so that many people, including those dealing with major illnesses like cancer and MS report it is easier to go to sleep, easier to get back to sleep if they do happen to wake, and their quality of sleep feels deeper and more refreshing. 

So in fact, many of the people I have helped sleep better found regular practice was the key. The 3 practices most commonly agreed upon to be helpful have been the Deep Relaxation, the Daily Practice and the Healing Light Imagery practices.

2. Specific techniques for when you need extra help

The best support to use as you are going to sleep, or to use again if you do need help to return to sleep during the night, is the simplified Deep Relaxation exercise. 

As guided in the Sleep section of Allevi8, this exercise has a simple introduction and at the end it fades into silence. 

Many people have told me they fall asleep around half way through when listening to this track in bed, and many have used it repeatedly without ever hearing how it ends!

3. Attitude is important

As we all know, worrying does not help, so do what you can to let go of dwelling on whether you are sleeping or not, how much you are sleeping, or how often you are waking. This approach is actually supported by sleep research that indicates we receive almost as much benefit from simply lying in bed relaxed, as we might from being fully asleep. Maybe this is where the Deep Relaxation exercise comes in again. This exercise does reliably lead to deep relaxation of body and mind, so do what you can to let go of any worry and simply relax into the exercises and the restful nature of simply being in bed.

RELAXATION, MINDFULNESS, MEDITATION AND SLEEP 

The research evidence base

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH HAVE TO SAY?

1. The size of the problem

Sleep disturbance is widespread with significant adverse consequences on quality of life for the individual and significant economic burden for society. 

Approximately 6% to 20% of adults suffer from an insomnia disorder, characterized as persistent difficulty falling or staying asleep with concomitant waking dysfunction, making it the most prevalent sleep disorder.

Ohayon MM. Epidemiology of insomnia: What we know and what we still need to learn,  Sleep Med Rev, 2002, vol. 6 – P97-111

Morin CM et al. Prevalence of insomnia and its treatment in Canada, Can J Psychiatry, 2011, Vol 6- P540- 548.

Roth T et al, Prevalence and perceived health associated with insomnia based on DSM-IV-TR; international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems, tenth revision; and research diagnostic criteria/international classification of sleep disorders, second edition criteria: results from the America insomnia survey, Biol Psychiatry, 2011, Vol 69, P 592 – 600.

2. What might be possible? Early research

Although meditation is about cultivating restful awareness, it can help to significantly improve sleep. Early research indicated meditation to be associated with better sleep quality, being able to go to sleep more easily, longer sleep duration and less use of sleep medications.

Cohen L et al, Psychological adjustment and sleep quality in a randomized trial of the effects of a Tibetan yoga intervention in patients with lymphoma. Cancer. 2004 May 15;100(10):2253-60.

These benefits may explain why meditation also can be responsible for reducing depression in those with chronic insomnia.

Britton WB, Haynes PL, Fridel KW, Bootzin RR. Polysomnographic and subjective profiles of sleep continuity before and after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in partially remitted depression. Psychosom Med. 2010 Jul;72(6):539-48.

3. Recent relaxation, mindfulness and meditation sleep studies

What follows is a sample of some of the recent individual mindfulness and meditation sleep studies with links to the original articles. While not a definitive research compilation, they provide evidence to support the common clinical experience that both regular relaxation, mindfulness and meditation practice, along with the use of specific techniques, does in fact improve sleep patterns significantly.

i) Alleviating chronic insomnia

This study involving 54 people, found mindfulness meditation appears to be a viable treatment option for adults with chronic insomnia and could provide an alternative to traditional treatments for insomnia.

Jason C. Ong, PhD, et al, A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Insomnia, Sleep, Volume 37, Issue 9, 1 September 2014, Pages 1553–1563,

ii) Deep Relaxation alleviates anxiety and improves sleep for people affected by COVID-19 

The researchers commented that through clinical observation, many COVID-19 patients developed anxiety and sleep disturbances after isolation treatment. Anxiety, as a kind of psychological stress, will trigger a series of physiological events and cause a decrease in immunity. Because the symptoms are mild in the early stage, but can suddenly worsen after a few days, the use of benzodiazepine-type sleep-promoting drugs may cause respiratory depression and delay the observation of the disease.

Therefore the Progressive Muscle Relaxation as used in the Deep Relaxation exercise on Allevi8) was trialled. Fifty one patients who entered a Hospital isolation ward were included in the study and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group used progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) technology for 30 min per day for 5 consecutive days. During this period, the control group received only routine care and treatment. 

The study concluded that using the Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise (as guided during the Deep Relaxation exercise on Allevi8) as an auxiliary method can reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality in patients with COVID-19.

Liu K, Chen Y, Wu D, Lin R, Wang Z, Pan L. Effects of progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety and sleep quality in patients with COVID-19. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2020;39:101132. 

iii) Reducing depression and fatigue; improving sleep

This randomised clinical trial showed  Mindfulness Awareness Practices led to significant improvement relative to a thorough Sleep Education group on secondary health outcomes of insomnia symptoms, depression symptoms, fatigue interference, and fatigue severity. 

Black DS et al. Mindfulness Meditation and Improvement in Sleep Quality and Daytime Impairment Among Older Adults With Sleep Disturbances: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(4):494–501. 

iii) How does mindfulness improve sleep?

The authors of this study suggested that awareness and acceptance could be the mechanisms of mindfulness interventions in improving sleep quality, partly via reducing psychological stress.

Lau WKW, Leung MK, Wing YK, Lee TMC. Potential Mechanisms of Mindfulness in Improving Sleep and Distress. Mindfulness (N Y). 2018;9(2):547-555. 

iv) Does mindfulness lead in to better sleep?


This research examined whether a brief mindfulness induction immediately prior to sleep following night training might improve athletes’ sleep. University athletes were randomly assigned into experimental group (n = 32) and control group (n = 31). Following night training and just prior to sleep, those in the experimental group received a self-administered brief 6-min mindfulness induction via a video clip, whereas the control group participants viewed a similar 6-min video devoid of mindfulness induction passively. Results showed reduced pre-sleep arousal, and improved level of rest and overall sleep quality, but not sleep duration. These findings suggest that the brief mindfulness induction may be an effective approach for decreasing pre-sleep arousal and improving sleep quality after night training among athletes.

Li C et al; Effect of Brief Mindfulness Induction on University Athletes’ Sleep Quality Following Night Training. Front. Psychol., 12 April 2018  https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00508

v) Sleep quality - Mindfulness meditation interventions produce significant improvements – a meta- analysis 

From 3303 total records, this study examined 18 trials with a total of 1654 participants. The study sought to evaluate the effect of mindfulness meditation interventions on sleep quality. At posttreatment and follow-up, there was low strength of evidence that mindfulness meditation interventions had no effect on sleep quality compared with specific active controls. Additionally, there was moderate strength of evidence that mindfulness meditation interventions significantly improved sleep quality compared with nonspecific active controls at postintervention and at follow-up. 

These preliminary findings suggest that mindfulness meditation may be effective in treating some aspects of sleep disturbance. Further research is warranted.

Rusch HL, Rosario M, et al. The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019 Jun;1445(1):5-16. 

Pain relief through relaxation, mindfulness and meditation - personal experience and a review of recent research

Before diving into the techniques and the research, please be clear; people can have very different experiences with pain. Growing up, I always seemed very sensitive to pain. Therefore, as an adult, to be able to experience a root canal treatment with a live tooth root and no local anaesthetic as non-hurtful came as a major breakthrough.

Reaching to this point took some mind training, so this week, how it became possible, the latest definition of pain, and what the latest research has to say concerning the use of mind techniques for the management of pain -  it is very positive. This post will be added to the research sections of my own website, as well as that for our Allevi8 meditation App, but first

   

    Thought for the day

           All great spirituality 

           Is about what we do with our pain. 

           If we do not transform our pain, 

          We will transmit it to those around us.

                                  Richard Rohr

A personal experience

My own deep interest in improving my pain management skills was provoked by the extremely painful experience of having my right leg amputated through the hip due to bone cancer, and the knowledge that bone cancer if it was to recur (which it did) is regarded as one of the most painful of all cancer types.

That imperative led me to Dr Ainslie Meares and meditation. 

Dr Meares was a psychiatrist who had a special interest in pain management and a curious mind. 

He travelled widely visiting cultures that used mind control to better manage pain, and eventually came across meditation. 

His worldwide bestseller of 1967, Relief Without Drugs set out a way to use meditation to completely alter our relationship with pain and our perception of pain.

It is to Dr Meares I owe my own remarkable shift in pain management, and his approach informed the way I have been able to help others.

Personal experience helping others to manage their own pain

Having recovered from Osteo-genic sarcoma (bone cancer) secondaries in 1978, I began a lifestyle-based cancer self-help program in 1981. The program was set out in my 1984 book You Can Conquer Cancer (still in print) and pain management was a key part of the program.

Over decades I have been fortunate to observe many, many people transform their own experience of pain. In some this has just made life a little easier, for others it has brought about major relief and the capacity to return to a more normal life.

Pain management techniques

We need to be clear here. Many people who meditate regularly find they seem to manage pain more easily. Pain does not seem so acute, they become more tolerant of it, it does not adversely affect their lives so much. So simply meditating on its own is helpful.

However, the real benefits seem to come from actually training in pain management. 

How to do this is fully set out in You Can Conquer Cancer, and covered more essentially in my latest book on meditation Blue Sky Mind.

The techniques most people have found most helpful are included on the Allevi8 App. They are the basic, but very effective Daily Meditation practice, along with the more specific Pain Relief and Finding Peace exercises. 

There is also an introductory video I recorded.

If you are experiencing pain currently, it is important to know that relief is possible and I do wish you find help like I was so fortunate to do. 

The incidence of pain

Chronic pain is common in Australia. One in 5 Australians aged 45 and over are living with persistent, ongoing pain. Chronic pain affects 1 in 3 adults in the USA. This pain can be disabling and stressful, making it hard for a person to work and do the things they enjoy. In 2018, chronic pain cost an estimated $139 billion in Australia, mostly through reduced quality of life and productivity losses.

The definition of pain

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) revised its definition of pain in July 2020. This definition followed lengthy consultation and is widely accepted. 

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.

This definition is expanded upon by the addition of six key Notes and the etymology of the word pain for further valuable context.

• Pain is always a personal experience that is influenced to varying degrees by biological, psychological, and social factors.

• Pain and nociception are different phenomena. Pain cannot be inferred solely from activity in sensory neurons.

• Through their life experiences, individuals learn the concept of pain.

• A person’s report of an experience as pain should be respected.

• Although pain usually serves an adaptive role, it may have adverse effects on function and social and psychological well-being.

• Verbal description is only one of several behaviours to express pain; inability to communicate does not negate the possibility that a human or a nonhuman animal experiences pain.

Definition reference : Raja, Srinivasa N et al. International Association for the Study of Pain definition of pain: concepts, challenges, and compromises, PAIN: September 2020 - Volume 161 - Issue 9 - p 1976-1982.

Acute Pain

Pain that is acute, or short-term, is a response to damaged tissue and usually disappears once the tissue has healed.

Chronic Pain 

Chronic pain is pain that lasts beyond normal healing time after injury or illness—generally 3 to 6 months. It is a common and complex condition, and the pain experienced can be anything from mild to severe. The defining characteristic of chronic pain is that it is ongoing and experienced on most days of the week. Chronic pain can result from injury, surgery, musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, or other medical conditions such as cancer, endometriosis or migraines. In some cases, there may be no apparent physical cause.

Chronic pain is more complex than acute pain and may result from damage to body tissue from an acute or chronic condition, or changes in the nerves or nervous system that result in the nerves continuing to signal pain after the original condition has healed. 

Chronic pain can affect a person’s use of health care and ability to work, exercise and socialise. People with chronic pain are more likely than those without chronic pain to experience mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and fatigue.

There may also be a two-way relationship between chronic pain and mental health disorders. Many people with chronic pain report psychological distress, and psychological symptoms may be associated with increased risk of chronic pain.

Chronic Pain in Australia, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2020

Clearly, chronic pain is a major public health problem. Based on the alarming prevalence, enormous cost to society, and current limitations with conventional treatment approaches, the Institute of Medicine  has called for a cultural transformation in the way pain is viewed and treated.

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2011. PMID: 22553896.

THE RESEARCH into relaxation, mindfulness, meditation and pain – a summary

In simple terms, mindfulness meditation does offer a fundamental shift in view and a path of transformation in its own right. While studies have provided varying results, there is now ample evidence mindfulness meditation-based interventions can have a positive impact on individuals suffering from chronic pain of various kinds. By teaching the core self-regulation skills of bare attention, detached awareness, self-compassion, and uncoupling, mindfulness meditation offers a new way of seeing, and a new way of being, which holds potential to relieve pain, reduce suffering, and restore wholeness, hope, and functionality. 

Again, speaking personally, the results observed in our own groups seem way more consistent and strong than those reported in the literature, and this reflects why I am so confident in advocating the techniques on Allevi8. 

Significantly, in both my personal and clinical experience, the Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique (Deep Relaxation on Allevi8) plays a significant part in long-term effective pain relief and is well worth practicing regularly.

KEY RESEARCH STUDIES 

EXAMINING RELAXATION, MINDFULNESS, MEDITATION AND PAIN

This is not intended as an exhaustive review, rather a representative sample of the published research in this field, with a number of key meta-analyses included.

EARLY RESEARCH

1. Mindfulness alleviates chronic pain syndromes

Early research found mindfulness meditation to be associated with a significant reduction in pain, fatigue, and sleeplessness along with improved function, mood and general health for people with chronic pain syndromes.

Kabat-Zinn J, Lipworth L, Burney R. The clinical use of mindfulness meditation for the self-regulation of chronic pain. J Behav Med. 1985 Jun;8(2):163-90.

Singh BB, Berman BM, Hadhazy VA, Creamer P. A pilot study of cognitive behavioral therapy in fibromyalgia. Altern Ther Health Med. 1998 Mar;4(2):67-70.

Astin JA, Berman BM, Bausell B, Lee WL, Hochberg M, Forys KL. The efficacy of mindfulness meditation plus Qigong movement therapy in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. J Rheumatol. 2003 Oct;30(10):2257-62. 

2. Deep Relaxation and pain relief

This review reported positive findings for relaxation interventions in 8 of the 15 studies reviewed. The most frequently supported technique was Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR – and the basis of the Deep Relaxation exercise in Allevi8), particularly for arthritis pain.

Most of the studies reviewed had weaknesses in methodology, which limited the ability to draw conclusions about interventions. The authors recommended further research is needed to confirm positive findings related to PMR, jaw relaxation, and systematic relaxation, to address questions related to the dose-response relationship and the individual differences that might influence response to relaxation interventions. These and other relaxation techniques require testing in carefully designed and conducted trials.

Kwekkeboom K, Gretarsdottir E. Systematic review of relaxation intervention for pain. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2006;38: 269–277.

RECENTLY PUBLISHED STUDIES

1. Mindfulness and Pain – a meta-analysis

This systematic review was undertaken to describe the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions for pain and its underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms. Six studies met the search criteria. These studies tested several types of intervention including mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, meditation with massage, and mindful awareness practices. 

Study outcomes include reduced pain severity, anxiety, stress, depression, and improved quality of life. 

Ngamkham S, Holden JE, Smith EL. A Systematic Review: Mindfulness Intervention for Cancer-Related Pain. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2019;6(2):161-169. 

2. Mindfulness and chronic pain – a systematic review

In this review of both randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials of mindfulness -based interventions (MBI) for chronic pain, the authors note MBIs were generally associated with greater psychological and physical symptom reduction than wait-list control groups (i.e., comparing MBI to no treatment at all), but did not consistently demonstrate greater efficacy when compared to active control groups (i.e., comparing MBI to alternative treatments). However, a preponderance of evidence suggests MBIs are effective for reducing both physical and psychological symptoms among individuals with chronic pain.

Chiesa A, Serretti A. Mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain: a systematic review of the evidence. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Jan;17(1):83-93.

3. Mindfulness meditation and pain management - is it effective? A major review

This study from Johns Hopkins University’s Evidence-based Practice Center in Baltimore, examined 18,753 studies. Only randomized clinical trials with active controls for placebo effects were selected. Next the strength of evidence was graded using risk of bias, precision, directness, and consistency, and then the group determined the magnitude and direction of effect by calculating the relative difference between groups in change from baseline. Forty seven trials (with 3515 participants) met the criteria to be included in the final analysis. 

The results? Mindfulness meditation programs had moderate evidence of reduced anxiety at 3-6 months, depression at 8 weeks and at 3-6 months, and pain; and low evidence of improved stress/distress and mental health-related quality of life. 

Among the 9 RCTs evaluating the effect on pain, moderate evidence was found that mindfulness-based stress reduction reduces pain severity to a small degree when compared with a nonspecific active control. 

It is worth noting most studies only evaluated short-term effects, and there may well be significant differences between different techniques and different times people spend practicing these techniques.

Goyal, M et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Mar;174(3):357-68. 

4. Online mindfulness program effective for pain relief

This study investigated 99 people with chronic pain. Those who attended in person, and those who used videoconferencing achieved similar gains in mental health and pain catastrophizing levels relative to controls. However, those who attended in person obtained significantly higher scores on the physical dimension of quality of life and lower usual-pain ratings than the online group. The results suggest that videoconferencing is an effective mode of delivery for the Mindfulness course and may represent a new way of helping chronic pain patients.

Gardner-Nix J, Backman S, Barbati J, Grummitt J. Evaluating distance education of a mindfulness-based meditation programme for chronic pain management. J Telemed Telecare. 2008;14(2):88-92. 

5. Mindfulness and pain relief – a meta-analysis

Researchers reviewed more than 200 studies of mindfulness among healthy people and amongst other benefits, found mindfulness can help treat people with specific problems including pain. For example, mindfulness may reduce pain, fatigue and stress in people with chronic pain. 

Mindfulness meditation: A research-proven way to reduce stress. Mindfulness meditation can improve both mental and physical health. Creswell JD and Khoury B. American Psychological Association website, 2019

6. Mindfulness does reduce pain intensity

This review examined articles published from 1960 to 2010. Only studies providing detailed results on change in pain intensity ratings were included. Sixteen studies were included in this review (eight uncontrolled and eight controlled trials). In most studies (10 of 16), there was significantly decreased pain intensity in the MBI group. Findings were more consistently positive for samples limited to clinical pain (9 of 11). In addition, most controlled trials (6 of 8) reveal higher reductions in pain intensity for MBIs compared with control groups. Results from follow-up assessments reveal that reductions in pain intensity were generally well maintained. The authors concluded MBIs do decrease the intensity of pain for chronic pain patients.

Reiner K, Tibi L, Lipsitz JD. Do mindfulness-based interventions reduce pain intensity ? A critical review of the literature. Pain Med. 2013;14: 230–242. pmid:23240921

7. Acceptance, mindfulness and chronic pain – a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis examined 25 Randomised Controlled Trials totalling 1285 patients with chronic pain that compared acceptance and mindfulness-based interventions to the waitlist, (medical) treatment-as-usual, and education or support control groups. Effect sizes ranged from small (on all outcome measures except anxiety and pain interference) to moderate (on anxiety and pain interference) at post-treatment and from small (on pain intensity and disability) to large (on pain interference) at follow-up.

Veehof MM, Trompetter HR, Bohlmeijer ET, Schreurs KMG. Acceptance- and mindfulness-based interventions for the treatment of chronic pain: A meta-analytic review. Cogn Behav Ther. 2016;45: 5–31. pmid:26818413

CONCLUSION

There is a solid evidence base for deep relaxation, mindfulness and meditation being used to help people alleviate their experience of pain.

What is enlightenment?

 Had the good fortune to complete a 10 day silent meditation retreat at home prior to Christmas. As we all know, meditation has many practical benefits while for millennia it has been at the heart of the spiritual path. The destination? Give it many names, however, enlightenment is a common one. So this week what is enlightenment? And what is enlightenment like? Seems like a great topic to dive into at the start of a New Year - 2021. 

And best wishes for a safe, healthy and fulfilling year, but first

         Thought for the day

The Minimum Working Hypothesis 

1. There is a Godhead, Divine Ground of Being, or Brahman that our reality depends upon for its    existence. 

2. This Ground both transcends the world and is immanent as the world. 

3. It is possible for human beings to love, know and, from virtually, to become actually identified with the Divine Ground. 

4. To achieve this unitive knowledge is the ultimate end and purpose of human existence. 

5. There is a Way or Dharma that must be obeyed if people are to achieve their final end, and this Way is a way of peace, love, humility and compassion. 

                             Aldous Huxley

The mind has two aspects. 

The Active Mind is the domain of our thinking (including our unconscious) and emotions. The Still Mind is beyond all that and is the domain of enlightenment. To experience the enlightened qualities of the Still Mind is to experience the fact that the Godhead, Divine Ground of Being, or Brahman Huxley speaks of above (and that others might call the true nature of our mind) is for real. 

Meditation provides the pathway, the possibility to test this for ourselves – and to experience it for ourselves. The experience is beyond words and beyond concepts, yet it can be experience directly through our own experience. And then we can use words to allude to what it is like. It has a lot to do with experiencing a state filled with unconditional, pure or divine love.

During my retreat, experientially there came a reminder of a previous experience.

When I was recovering from cancer in the 70s, still very ill and still on the path to recovery, I visited the Indian Hindu sage Sai Baba. Regarded as an Avatar – a divine incarnation – by millions of followers, Sai Baba had a strong reputation for being omniscient and a powerful healer. I was attracted to both!

The full story of the meeting that followed is in my biography The Dragon’s Blessing by Guy Allenby. 

The key point is that  in a small interview room in remote rural India, I met with him and 2 Indian families. 

We were addressed in turn and the couple before me were overawed. Very devotional, amazed to be interviewed, they were on their honeymoon.

The husband was the spokesperson for the couple and he gushed…

“Baba we want to you to guide our marriage, our lives. We want you to be with us , to protect and to guide us”.

The love was palpable.

Sai Baba responded

“You are like a fish in the ocean. 

You are the fish and I am the ocean. 

I am in front of you and I am behind you.

I am above you and I am below you. 

I am on either side of you. 

When you breathe in, I am in the breathe you breathe in.

When you breathe out, I am in the breathe you breathe out.

I am in you; I am all through you.

I am with you always. I always have been; I always will be…"

So the thing is to understand this. Sai Baba represents pure love. Divine love if you will. He embodies pure love and he is speaking from the awareness of pure love.

This Still Mind, this stillness we can come to experience in meditation is the experience of unconditional, limitless, pure love. 

This love is not a place or a destination. 

To experience it is akin to what it would be like to be a fish and to realise you were in fact swimming in an ocean; that the water was all around and through you, that it was integral to your being. 

That the water was your real home; that it did both support, nourish and maintain you.

So enlightenment is to experience the truth of who we really are. A finite being swimming in an ocean of pure love. A finite being that struggles to realize this and struggles to live in accord with the love that is our natural state and our heritage. A love that is filled with potential and possibilities. A love constantly drawing us back home.

And omniscience? Well that is another matter altogether. 

Enlightenment is conceivable; omniscience is for the very rare few…

JOIN IN

Each Monday, courtesy of the free Allevi8 App, many of us gather to meditate together on Zoom. Maybe it is the practice benefits you need and crave; maybe enlightenment is of more interest; either way you are welcome. 

Download the Allevi8 App from your App store and the Zoom link will be sent for these regular, free guided meditation sessions…

COVID-19 and Conspiracy Theories – a very personal account

What Conspiracy Theories (CT) have you heard? Believe any? Confused by some? Amazed by others? Personally, it has been astounding to hear some of the theories friends and even families have put forward; while others do leave me pondering.

So in this time of COVID, a very personal account from someone I value who has dived deeply into the world of CT, has reflected deeply and offers valuable insights.

Also, very warm wishes to all of you who follow this blog. We seem to be part of a community of people who value the same things – caring for our health, the health of our families and communities, and the health of the planet. We also value life as an exquisite opportunity. So may the spirit of Christmas – the birth of unconditional love as personified by Christ – touch your own heart and the hearts of all who you care for and about, but for now

  

          Thought for the day

   Everything we hear is an opinion,

   Not a fact. 

   Everything we see is a perspective, 

   Not the truth.

                   Marcus Aurelius - Meditations

I worked closely for many years with my good friend Siegfried Gutbrod. Some will have known Siegfried as the Foundation’s Business Manager; later he transformed into an exceptional group leader and therapist. His clown phase inspired by Patch Adams was particularly colourful, delightful and straight up fun!

Anyway, Siegfried left Germany as a young man and has a long interest in and engagement with Conspiracy Theories. Highly intelligent and a deep thinker, what he has to offer now on the subject seems highly relevant, so it is a pleasure to be able to share his experiences and reflections…

                                    Siegfried on the left, with Julia Broome, Ruth and myself

Siegfried writes :  

Triggered by the Corona pandemic and my recent online study with Eckhart Tolle I have been deeply questioning my attitude and approach to so-called conspiracy theories (CT). These CT have been part of my adult life since my late twenties in differing intensities. CT provided the narrative and certainly contributed significantly to the decision to migrate as a family from Germany to Australia in 1981. 

Uncertainties about the future play a big part in the advent of CT. They seem to well up collectively and personally at times of global crisis, turbulence and chaos. These global turbulences and the uncertainties about the future trigger a ‘lower ego’ reaction of anxiety and fear in me (and others). 

Personally, I then respond by reading a lot about the crisis; so at this time about Covid-19 and everything else that goes with it. I read about the mainstream narrative and also the so-called CT narratives. I feel drawn to some of the CT such as ‘New World Order Agenda’ etc. 

Then I communicate with likeminded friends and fairly quickly a leading alternative narrative sticks out which gets reinforced by the communication with ‘trusted friends’ and relevant sections of social media (‘echo chambers’). 

With other friends who do not share the same narrative or do not want to engage in the discussions about the topic, I put the topic ‘on ice’ altogether in future communications with them.

The shared narrative with ‘trusted friends’ provides a sense of certainty of what the future may bring. I can then take necessary steps to best position myself and the family in anticipation of the shared narrative occurring. The ‘lower ego’ loves all this. It thrives on the uncertainty and its resultant fear and anxiety. 

The shared narrative gives a good story for the ‘ego’ to hang on to. The story is then constantly reinforced with new updates from ‘likeminded friends’ and relevant social media. It gives an illusion of knowing what the future may bring and of being prepared and potentially a step ahead!

So what is the problem with all this? It worked well for me over the last 40 years!

A. The shortcomings of this approach for me are:

1. It all happens under the control of the ‘lower ego’ and it is basically fear/anxiety based.

2. It is an illusion to be able to know what the future will bring or look like.

3. Regardless how much I study and research I cannot get to the bottom of it all and find the ‘ultimate truth’. It is like a ‘bottomless pit’.

4. Reality has shown me repeatedly that the present always turned out quite differently from what I expected it to be based on my ‘narratives’. The expected ‘nasties’ did not eventuate but who knows they may very well this time around!

5. I experienced ongoing unsettledness, restlessness and frustration in not knowing what I should be doing to contribute towards much needed change in the outer world.

6. All of this has been quite stressful keeping me locked in time and space, in the future or the past. It therefore prevented me from being able to be fully present in the NOW and to experience ‘inner peace’ as the dominant state of consciousness.

This clearly is not where I want to be! As a matter of priority I want to learn to approach the future from a different state of consciousness. 

B. The cornerstones of the ‘new approach’ are;

1. I do not know what the future will bring and it is perfectly OK ‘not knowing’!

2. There is no need for fear, anxiety and fictitious narratives about the future. 

‘Everything is as it needs to be’.

3. ‘Accepting completely each moment as it is’ is the goal. 

Surrender to the present moment. 

No attachment to outcomes. 

‘I do not mind’ in a constructive sense.

4. I am not afraid of the future. 

‘I will eradicate from the soul all fear and terror of what comes towards me from the future…’ 

‘We must think only that whatever comes is given to us by a world direction full of wisdom…’ (from the Michael Verse).

5. The most important element I can contribute is to not add further to the collective unhappiness and confusion of humanity as a result of my ‘egoic’ state of mind. I want to be able to add Presence, Inner Peace and Compassion to the overall dynamic.

6. The future may involve suffering. That is as it is. I trust that I will be able to transform suffering on a personal and collective level by accepting it and surrender to it and find the transformative opportunity the suffering wants to teach me.

7. It has always been a characteristic of cosmic and earthly and personal evolution that order and chaos alternate. The current major upheaval and turmoil at the collective level is a good teacher for further transformation on the spiritual level.

C. Covid-19 Situation – What has changed for me?

1. I do not know which narrative or CT is right or wrong nor what the ‘truth’ is. And that is ok! I am sure that at some level some CT are true. There is no doubt for me that powerful manipulations are taking place at many levels. At the ‘meta conspiracy level’ there is the battle going on between ‘good and evil’. 

2. At another level the key question for me is how I am inwardly dealing with these conflicting narratives without contributing more to the turbulences in a negative way. See above under B.

3. I do not have an attachment to the likely progression of the pandemic. I can see many different
scenarios and will not take sides.

4. I am on alert to notice any anxiety, fear or attempts on my part to outguess the future at the earliest possible time and then bring myself back to the Presence as a matter or priority.  

5. ‘Everything is as it needs to be’.

6. I do not need to worry about what might happen or not in the future e.g. Covid vaccinations. I trust that if and when the present moment presents me with a decision making situation or a situation where I need to act there and then, I will be able to take the appropriate action out of the consciousness of the present moment rather than from a fear driven ‘egoic dysfunctional’ state.

7. The surrender to the present moment does not mean that I cannot take action in the outer world. However, it means if and when I take action it will be from the present moment consciousness and not driven by the lower ego.

8. If I do not meet these objectives, I will have compassion with myself and try again the next time.

It is work in progress.