Researchers recruited couples who were doing fairly well in the relationship stakes and taught them meditation.

They foound that the spouses could cut interpersonal stress and related problems on average by about 50 percent. They also could boost their satisfaction with one another by about 50 percent.

Click here to read the full article.

If you are happier than your wife, you may be at greater risk of divorce. Controlling for the level of life satisfaction of spouses, we find that a higher satisfaction gap, even in the first year of marriage, increases the likelihood of a future separation. And the couples are more likely to breakup when the difference in life satisfaction is unfavorable to the wife.

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Cyclic meditation (CM) is a technique that combines yoga postures interspersed with supine rest. This combination is based on ancient texts and is considered easier for beginners to practice.

Researchers had 30 male participants practice CM twice in a day for 20 minutes. On the following day they had two sessions of supine rest (SR) of the same duration as the CM.
In the night following CM, the percentage of slow-wave sleep (SWS) was significantly higher than in the night following SR, whereas the percentage of rapid-eye-movement (REM) and the number of awakenings per hour were less. Following CM the self-rating of sleep showed an increase in the feeling that the sleep was refreshing, and an increase in feeling “good” in the morning, an overall increase in sleep duration.

Medical Science Monitor, Volume 15, Issue 7, July 2009, Pages CR375-CR381

Editors note:

We teach a similar technique to our coaching clients, that uses interval training instead of yoga poses It essentially involves exercising like hell for a minute, and then doing a breathing meditation while you a recovering.

Meditation is often credited with helping people feel more focused and energetic, but are the benefits measurable?

A new study suggests that they are. When researchers tested the alertness of volunteers, they found that the practice proved more effective than naps, exercise or caffeine. Read the article.

By the way Resilience Builder can teach you to meditate in  far less time than any other program.

Your facial expression may tell the world what you are thinking or feeling. But it also affects your ability to understand written language related to emotions. Read the full article.

People often complain about those seemingly smug married couples who constantly refer to themselves as “we.” But a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that spouses who use “we-ness” language are better able to resolve conflicts than those who don’t. Read the full article.

Low Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is associated with impaired recovery of cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune markers in healthy males. The researchers concluded that ”reduced resting HRV is a risk marker for future cardiovascular and other stress-related disease”.

European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2010, Pages 1-11

A traditional or whole diet characterized by vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and high-quality meat and fish may help prevent mental illness — specifically, depression and anxiety. Conversely, a Western diet high in refined or processed foods and saturated fats may increase the risk of depression, new research suggests.

A large, cross-sectional study conducted by investigators at the University of Melbourne in Australia shows that women who regularly consume a so-called traditional diet were more than 30% less likely to have major depression, dysthymia, and anxiety disorders compared with their counterparts who consume a Western diet. In addition, the Western diet was associated with a 50% increased likelihood of depression.

“Simply put, if you habitually eat a healthy diet that includes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and high-quality lean meat, then you may cut your risk of depression and anxiety,” principal investigator Felice Jacka, PhD, told Medscape Psychiatry.

But one caveat here, said Dr. Jacka, is high-quality meat, which is difficult to come by in the United States. This is because most of the cattle in North America are raised — from birth to death — in feed lots, where they are fed a corn-based diet.

You’ll need to become a member of medscape (it’s free) to read the full article.

Moderate physical activity performed in midlife or later appears to be associated with a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment, whereas a six-month high-intensity aerobic exercise program may improve cognitive function in individuals who already have the condition. Read the full article.

Archives of Neurology, January 2010

A new study reveals that physicians’ moods impact the number of prescriptions, referrals and lab tests ordered, as well as the amount of time they spend talking with their patients. Read the full article