I just discovered that until now this blog was set to accept comments only from registered participants. I have now changed the settings so that anyone can comment. Unfortunately, I can't change the settings for the posts below. You can comment on them if you wish but you will have to register to do so. You will not have to register to comment to this post or any in the future. Sorry for any inconvenience. I'm still getting used to the Blogger program! :-)
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Stress linked to premature aging: US Scientists
Today as I was driving back to the Center from lunch I heard an NPR program about stress and aging. It's now been demonstrated that this happens actually on the cellular level. If you have no other motivation to get serious about your meditative practice, let this be the deciding factor: meditation makes you look and feel younger - in fact your cells themselves age more slowly if you reduce perceived stress in your life. Tomorrow I'll post the link for the NPR program when they post it on their website. For now, here's an article I found from a different source.
Washington, Nov 30 - A recent study have identified the first direct link between stress and aging, a finding that could explain why intense, long-term emotional strain can make people get sick and grow old before their time.
Chronic stress appears to hasten the shrivelling of the tips of the bundles of genes inside cells, which shortens their lifespan and speeds the body's deterioration, according to a small but first-of-its-kind study involving mothers caring for chronically ill children.
If the findings are confirmed, they could provide the first explanation on a cellular level for the well-documented association between psychological stress and increased risk of physical disease, as well as the common perception that unrelenting emotional pressure accelerates the aging process.
"There is this deeply-held belief that stress leads to premature aging. But there is no hard evidence for how this might happen," said Elissa Epel, a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), who helped conduct the research. "This is the first time that psychological stress has been linked to a cellular indicator of aging in healthy people."
The findings could lead to new ways to detect the early physical effects of stress and monitor whether attempts to alleviate its effects are working, she said. While cautioning that the findings needed to be confirmed by additional research, other scientists said the results represent an unprecedented step in deciphering the intricacies of the mind-body connection.
http://www.sunnetwork.org/news/science/science.asp?id=5760
Washington, Nov 30 - A recent study have identified the first direct link between stress and aging, a finding that could explain why intense, long-term emotional strain can make people get sick and grow old before their time.
Chronic stress appears to hasten the shrivelling of the tips of the bundles of genes inside cells, which shortens their lifespan and speeds the body's deterioration, according to a small but first-of-its-kind study involving mothers caring for chronically ill children.
If the findings are confirmed, they could provide the first explanation on a cellular level for the well-documented association between psychological stress and increased risk of physical disease, as well as the common perception that unrelenting emotional pressure accelerates the aging process.
"There is this deeply-held belief that stress leads to premature aging. But there is no hard evidence for how this might happen," said Elissa Epel, a psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), who helped conduct the research. "This is the first time that psychological stress has been linked to a cellular indicator of aging in healthy people."
The findings could lead to new ways to detect the early physical effects of stress and monitor whether attempts to alleviate its effects are working, she said. While cautioning that the findings needed to be confirmed by additional research, other scientists said the results represent an unprecedented step in deciphering the intricacies of the mind-body connection.
http://www.sunnetwork.org/news/science/science.asp?id=5760
Monday, November 29, 2004
Bazaar
St. John's Center Arts & Crafts Bazaar
Event Details:
A market of fine arts, decorative arts and more to benefit St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation.
Event Date & Location:
Dec. 3 Friday 1:00--5:00 p.m.
Dec. 4 Saturday 10:00 a.m.--3:00 p.m.
5840 S. Memorial Dr.
Shadow Mountain Office Center Bldg.
Third Floor Conference Room
Tulsa, OK 74145
(northeast corner of bldg, third floor)
Contact Info:
St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation sjcenter@sbcglobal.net 918-663-4747
Event Details:
A market of fine arts, decorative arts and more to benefit St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation.
Event Date & Location:
Dec. 3 Friday 1:00--5:00 p.m.
Dec. 4 Saturday 10:00 a.m.--3:00 p.m.
5840 S. Memorial Dr.
Shadow Mountain Office Center Bldg.
Third Floor Conference Room
Tulsa, OK 74145
(northeast corner of bldg, third floor)
Contact Info:
St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation sjcenter@sbcglobal.net 918-663-4747
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Time for Connections
Dear friends of St. John's Center,
As you no doubt have noticed, it's taking a bit more time than we expected to get our web site up and running. And so, in the meantime, I've decided to start a blog. I'll be able to post schedule changes, reminders and make other announcements here so do plan to check in regularly. The nice thing about the blog program is that each one of you can post comments of your own very easily. Perhaps using this blog as a place to connect will help us all to strengthen our sense of community.
For now, I leave you with these thoughts:
What we need to experience, and what we can experience, is a saner and gentler state of mind. This experience is not found in something outside of us... We must work with our own minds, with our own abilities, in order to have peaceful, rich minds.
- Khenp Karthar Rinpoche
True quiet means keeping still when the time has come to keep still, and going forward when the time has come to go forward. In this way rest and movement are in agreement with the demands of the moment, and thus there is light in life.
- The I Ching
Blessings to all,
Ellie
P.S. If you wish to contact me privately, my email address is: efinlay@intcon.net
As you no doubt have noticed, it's taking a bit more time than we expected to get our web site up and running. And so, in the meantime, I've decided to start a blog. I'll be able to post schedule changes, reminders and make other announcements here so do plan to check in regularly. The nice thing about the blog program is that each one of you can post comments of your own very easily. Perhaps using this blog as a place to connect will help us all to strengthen our sense of community.
For now, I leave you with these thoughts:
What we need to experience, and what we can experience, is a saner and gentler state of mind. This experience is not found in something outside of us... We must work with our own minds, with our own abilities, in order to have peaceful, rich minds.
- Khenp Karthar Rinpoche
True quiet means keeping still when the time has come to keep still, and going forward when the time has come to go forward. In this way rest and movement are in agreement with the demands of the moment, and thus there is light in life.
- The I Ching
Blessings to all,
Ellie
P.S. If you wish to contact me privately, my email address is: efinlay@intcon.net
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