Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Loneliness

Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Loneliness

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A new study has provided the first evidence that mindfulness meditation reduces loneliness in older adults. The researchers, led by Carnegie Mellon University’s J. David Creswell, also found that mindfulness meditation — a 2,500-year-old practice dating back to Buddha that focuses on creating an attentive awareness of the present moment — lowered inflammation levels, which is thought to promote the development and progression of many diseases.

These findings provide valuable insights into how mindfulness meditation training can be used as a novel approach for reducing loneliness and the risk of health problems — such as cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s — in older adults.