Talk to practitioners and there seems to be no limit to the benefits of meditation on your mental health. But what about your physical health? On Thursday at Vail Interfaith Chapel, Dr. David Creswell, the director of the Health and Human Performance Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon and Vail resident Mandy Benedict will join the Vail Symposium for a discussion on the benefits of mindfulness meditation.
“Meditation is a hot topic right now, but many people don’t know about the myriad of benefits outside of just ‘relieving stress,'” said Kris Sabel, executive director of the Vail Symposium. “This program will shed light on some of the additional medical benefits of mindfulness meditation. It will be a great evening for anyone who is curious about the practice.”
Over the past 20 years, there has been evidence of some health benefits in relation to mindfulness training interventions in initial randomized controlled trials. However, scientists are still exploring how mindfulness interventions get under the skin to influence health.
During this program, Creswell will describe research linking mindfulness interventions with a broad range of health outcomes and share studies showing how mindfulness interventions change the brain and physiology in ways that may explain their health benefits. Benedict, a certified Conscious Transformation trainer, will lead a short, guided meditation as part of the program.
About the speakers
J. David Creswell is an associate professor in psychology and the neural basis of cognition at Carnegie Mellon University. As director of the Health and Human Performance Laboratory, his work broadly focuses on understanding what makes people resilient under stress. Creswell received the American Psychological Association and the American Psychosomatic Society Early Career awards and was named a rising star by the Association for Psychological Science. His work is regularly profiled in the media including coverage in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NBC News and the “Today” show.
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Mandy Benedict is a certified conscious transformation trainer and energy practitioner. She is also the owner of Ruggs Benedict in Vail where she helps the business thrive by creating a strong network of relationships. While her ongoing successes fulfilled her in many ways, she intuitively felt there was more to life. In December of 2010, an opportunity to attend a weekend workshop with Joey Klein created new meaning in Benedict’s life. Within these teachings, she learned and embraced the true meaning of transformation, expansion and unconditional love. Her appreciation of this authentic joy and fulfillment inspires her to dedicate her life to sharing these teachings with others.
IF YOU GO …
What: Your Body on Meditation: The Science Behind the Health Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation.
When: Thursday, Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; program from 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Vail Interfaith Chapel in Vail.
Cost: Tickets are $25 prior to midnight on the day before the program; tickets are $35 after midnight and at the door.
More information: http://www.vailsymposium.org.
