Related Reading & Resources

• “In this Commentary, we define mindfulness, consider possible mechanisms, explore clinical applications, and identify challenges to the field.”

Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians- JAMA -2009;302(12):1284-1293

Mindfulness-based stress reduction lowers psychological distress in medical students – Thomas Jefferson University; Mar 1, 2003

• “Background: Medical students confront significant academic, psychosocial, and existential stressors throughout their training. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an educational intervention designed to improve coping skills and reduce emotional distress.”

Intensive meditation training, immune, cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators.

• “Telomerase activity is a predictor of long-term cellular viability, which decreases with chronic psychological distress (Epel et al., 2004). Buddhist traditions claim that meditation decreases psychological distress and promotes well-being (e.g., Dalai Lama and Cutler, 2009).”