Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the lungs in which the airways (bronchi) are reversibly narrowed.

When a person with asthma comes into contact with something that irritates their airways (an asthma trigger), the muscles around the walls of the airways tighten so that the airways become narrower and the lining of the airways becomes inflamed and starts to swell. Sometimes sticky mucus or phlegm builds up which can further narrow the airways.

The symptoms of asthma include:

1. Coughing
2. Wheezing
3. Shortness of breath
4. Tightness in the chest

BenefitsofmeditationinAsthma

Given the effects of mediation on reducing sympathetic activity and respiratory rates, several studies have investigated whether meditation would have an effect on respiratory diseases.

A study conducted at the Natural Therapies Unit of the Royal Hospital for women, in Sydney, Australia, showed a significant beneficial effect of Sahaja Yoga on Asthma patients who were resistent to steroids (Manocha et al., 2000).

47 patients with severe asthma were randomly allocated to two groups: one group received Sahaja Yoga Meditation treatment (21 patients), the other group received general relaxation treatment (26 patients), both conducted over 4 months and involving a 2 hour session.

The Sahaja Yoga Meditation group showed a significant reduction in the severity of asthma as measured in airway-hyper-responsivity in response to chemical challenge (an objective indicator of the severity of asthma) compared to the control group who received relaxation.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity).

ADHD has three subtypes:

1. Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive
   Most symptoms (six or more) are in the hyperactivity-impulsivity categories.
   Fewer than six symptoms of inattention are present, although inattention may still be present to some degree.
2. Predominantly inattentive
   The majority of symptoms (six or more) are in the inattention category and fewer than six symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity are present, although hyperactivity-impulsivity may still be present to some degree.
   Children with this subtype are less likely to act out or have difficulties getting along with other children. They may sit quietly, but they are not paying attention to what they are doing. Therefore, the child may be overlooked, and parents and teachers may not notice that he or she has ADHD.
3. Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive
   Six or more symptoms of inattention and six or more symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity are present.
   Most children have the combined type of ADHD.

Researchers are developing more effective treatments and interventions, and using new tools such as brain imaging, to better understand ADHD and to find more effective ways to treat and prevent it.

Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the key behaviors of ADHD. It is normal for all children to be inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive sometimes, but for children with ADHD, these behaviors are more severe and occur more often. To be diagnosed with the disorder, a child must have symptoms for 6 or more months and to a degree that is greater than other children of the same age.

Children who have symptoms of inattention may:

1. Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
2. Have difficulty focusing on one thing
3. Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable
4. Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new
5. Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
6. Not seem to listen when spoken to
7. Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
8. Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
9. Struggle to follow instructions.

Children who have symptoms of hyperactivity may:

1. Fidget and squirm in their seats
2. Talk nonstop
3. Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
4. Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
5. Be constantly in motion
6. Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.

Children who have symptoms of impulsivity may:

1. Be very impatient
2. Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
3. Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games
4. Often interrupt conversations or others' activities.

BenefitsofmeditationinADHD

A study conducted in Australia, at the Natural Therapies Research Unit, at the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, and in collaboration with the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK, showed significant improvement of the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a disorder that develops in childhood and is characterised by problems of attention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity.

The treatment of choice in ADHD is the administration of stimulant Medication. However, there are side effects, there is concern about the unknown long-term effects of stimulants on brain development and there is evidence for limited effectiveness that wanes after a few years. For these reasons parents prefer non-pharmacological treatment and there is a search for effective alternative non-pharmacological treatment options.

26 children with ADHD, aged between 4 and 12, were treated for 6 weeks with Sahaja Yoga Meditation adjunctive to their usual treatment (i.e.  some of them were receiving stimulant Medication) and then compared to a waiting list control group who received no treatment.

Children with ADHD who learned how to meditate compared to the waiting list control group showed a significant reduction of the main symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsiveness and inattention.

Other, secondary benefits were an improved child-parent relationship and enhanced self-esteem in children.

Furthermore, of the children who were treated with stimulant Medication, over 50% either discontinued or reduced their stimulant medication but still improved in their symptoms.

This pioneering study suggests that Meditation is clearly a promising non-pharmacological treatment option for children with ADHD that needs to be further explored. 

Some people say that depression feels like a black curtain of despair coming down over their lives. Many people feel like they have no energy and can't concentrate. Others feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason. The symptoms vary from person to person, but if you feel "down" for more than two weeks, and these feelings are interfering with your daily life, you may be clinically depressed.

Most people who have gone through one episode of depression will, sooner or later, have another one. You may begin to feel some of the symptoms of depression several weeks before you develop a full-blown episode of depression.

The symptoms of depression include:

1. Constant feelings of sadness, irritability, or tension
2. Decreased interest in usual activities or hobbies
3. Loss of energy, feeling tired despite lack of activity
4. A change in appetite, with significant weight loss or weight gain
5. A change in sleeping patterns, such as difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much
6. Restlessness or feeling slowed down
7. Decreased ability to make decisions or concentrate
8. Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt
9. Thoughts of suicide or death

BenefitsofmeditationinDepression

A study conducted at the University of Exeter, UK, showed that Sahaja Yoga Meditation has a beneficial therapeutic effect on the symptoms of patients with depression and anxiety.

24 patients with depression and anxiety were divided into three groups: a group receiving Sahaja Yoga Meditation over 6 weeks, a group receiving the conventional behavioural treatment for depression, i.e. cognitive behavioural therapy and a control group that received no treatment. 

The group treated with Sahaja Yoga Meditation compared to the non-treated group showed a statistically significant reduction in the symptoms of anxiety, depression and general mental health. At a trend level the Sahaja Yoga Meditation group also showed improvements compared to the group treated with CBT.

The study shows that Sahaja Yoga Meditation has a significant effect on improving the symptoms of anxiety and depression, which was more pronounced than the conventional behavioural treatment for the disorder.

Drug abuse is a serious public health problem that affects almost every community and family in some way. Each year drug abuse results in around 40 million serious illnesses or injuries among people only in the United States.

Drug abuse also plays a role in many major social problems, such as drugged driving, violence, stress and child abuse. Drug abuse can lead to homelessness, crime and missed work or problems with keeping a job. It harms unborn babies and destroys families. There are different types of treatment for drug abuse. But the best is to prevent drug abuse in the first place.

Depending on the actual compound, drug misuse including alcohol may lead to:

1. Health problems
2. Social problems
3. Morbidity
4. Injuries
5. Violence
6. Deaths
7. Suicides
8. Physical dependence
9. Psychological addiction

Benefitsofmeditationindrugabuse

A study conducted at the University of Vienna by Dr Hackl showed highly significant effects of Sahaja Yoga Meditation on drug consumption.

The study used a retrospective questionnaire in 501 Meditators of Sahaja Yoga of which 268 people had used drugs before starting with the meditative practice.

The retrospective questonnaire showed that 97% of chronic drug consumers stopped taking drugs, most of them at the beginning of the Meditation practice, i.e. 42% after the first week of meditation, 32% after the first months (Hackl, 1995).