Science on Qi

226 / Journal of Daoist Studies 9 (2016) Kimberley Academy in both Chinese and English. For more information, contact David Hessler at dhessler@mka.org. —David Hessler Universal Consciousness Festival Estes Park, Colorado, 8-11 September 2016 Hosted by Dao USA and the 25th --generation Wudang Longmen master Tseng Yunxang, this features symposium-style lectures from world renowned TCM doctors, Daoists, and qigong masters. Key speakers are Wang Zhihong, the vice president of the Chinese Acupuncture Association , and Li Guoyong, 17th-generation descendent of Bencao gangmu author Li Shizhen and creator of Guiyuan Nourishing Qigong. There will also be performances and workshops by Wudang martial artists David Wei, Lindsey Wei, Michael Vollero, and Mark Zanghi. For more information , please visit www.UniversalConsciousnessFestival.org. Science on Qi Various quantitative reviews (meta-analysis) of the research literature have examined physical and mental health outcomes of qi-cultivation practices, such as meditation, taijiquan and qigong that were published in the past year. Meta-analysis, the gold standard for research literature reviews, estimates overall effects after controlling for errors due to small sample size, poor measurement and other weaknesses in research design and methods. The estimated effect sizes are believed to represent more closely “true” outcomes than effects reported in any single research study, therefore one may have more confidence in these results. Bendelow, B., Reitt, M., Röver, C., Michaelis, S., Görlich, Y., & Wedekind, D. 2015. Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 30: 183-192. DOI: 10.1097/YIC. 0000000000000078 Pharmacological, psychological (including mindfulness-based therapies ), and combined treatments were compared for patients demonstrating one of three major anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and social phobia). Two-hundred thirty-four studies involving 37,333 participants were reviewed. Medications (especially News of the Field / 227 serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors) were associated with higher effect sizes than other forms of therapy. Mindfulness-based therapies demonstrated the highest effect size compared to other forms of psychological therapy (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy). The effect size for mindfulness-based therapies (d = 1.56) matched or exceeded the effect sizes of numerous medications commonly used alone to treat anxiety. Boccia, M., Piccardi, L., & Guariglia, P. (2015). The meditative mind: A comprehensive meta-analysis of MRI studies. Biomedical Research International , 2015: 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/419808 Neuroimaging studies (functional magnetic resonance, fMRI, and structural magnetic resonance, sMRI) that examined the effects of meditation practices on brain structure and functioning were examined. Thirty -seven fMRI (642 participants) and sixty-three sMRI (1,652 participants) studies were reviewed. When meditators were compared to nonmeditator control groups, results showed that meditators demonstrated greater activation in multiple areas of the brain as well as increased grey matter volume. Brain structures and functions most activated by meditation are involved in processing of self-referential information such as self-awareness and self-regulation, focused problem solving, adaptive behavior, and sensitivity to stimuli arising in one’s body. These results document the biological substrate of meditation practice and identify potential processes through which meditation achieves its physical and mental health outcomes. Gong, H., Ni, C., Shen, X., Wu, T., & Jiang, C. 2015. Yoga for prenatal depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 15:14. DOI 10.1186/s12888-015-0393-1 The effectiveness of two approaches to yoga (integrated yoga— which combined physical postures with meditation, pranayama and deep relaxation practices; physical-exercise-based yoga—which employed only physical postures) in the management of prenatal depression was examined in six randomized controlled trials (375 pregnant women between the ages of 20 and 40). When compared to standard prenatal care, the level of depression was significantly reduced in the integrated yoga group but not in the physical-exercise-based yoga group. Gotink, R.A., Chu, P., Busschbach, J.J.V., Benson, H., Fricchione, G.L., & Hunink, M..G.M. 2015. Standardized mindfulness-based interventions in 228 / Journal of Daoist Studies 9 (2016) healthcare: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs. PLoS ONE 10(4): DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0124344 The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in improving a wide range of...