Some Statistics RE: explosion of research in Contemplative Sciences

Hi all,

Through my work with the Mind and Life Institute, I kept some statistics on the number and types of grants that were being awarded in the area of contemplative science. I also kept track of publication records. Here are some of those statistics (through 2010) to give you a sense of where this field is coming from and the steep slope indicating where it may be going.

Allocation of Grants from NIH - keyterm "meditation"

Allocation of Grants from NIH - keyterm "mindfulness"

Allocation of Grants from NIH - keyterm "yoga"

Peer-reviewed Publications (through 2010)

Peer-reviewed publications as referenced by PubMed (through 2010) is indicated. Pubmed is a division of the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health. It comprises more than 20 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. The dotted line indicates when the Mind and Life Institute’s Summer Research Institute began in 2004.

NIH Grant funding (through 2010)

The graph above represents the number of grants awarded by the NIH through 2010. The RePorter database reports data and analyses of NIH research activities

Training in Spiritual Care – NYC Zen Center for Contemplative Care and OM Yoga

The Co-Founders of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, along with the Founder and Director of Teacher Development of OM yoga, are collaborating to bring you a year of rich training in contemplative care for those facing suffering, old age, sickness and death.

This innovative new program is designed for yoga teachers who are inspired to integrate contemplative care with yoga teaching skills in order to help people in hospices, hospitals, mental care facilities, private clients or any place where spiritual care is needed.

You will receive foundational training in spiritual care: attending the sick and dying; offering meditation, yoga and pranayama care; and performing ritual.

A unique aspect of this training is a firm grounding in meditation and yoga practice, which will give you the ability to work from the inside out, assessing a variety of situations and offering what is needed, including simply being present.

At the completion of the nine month program, consisting of 100 educational hours and 100 hours of volunteer caregiving, you will have gained the skills and confidence needed to give solace and be of benefit to those in profound transition.

AREAS OF TRAINING

• History of Contemplative Care: applications and setting for spiritual care; engaged spirituality
• Contemplative Care Skills: purpose and functioning of a caregiver, establishing spiritual care relationships, active listening, spiritual counseling, verbal and non-verbal communication.
• Contemplative practices related to health care.
• Cultural competency.
• Use of Self: when to disclose and not to; boundaries and ethics of conduct; personal safety; sexual feelings in spiritual care relationships.
• Guided and silent meditation instruction and practice for patients and families.
• How to deconstruct yoga asanas to create simple healing movements.
• Therapeutic use of pranayama: anatomy of pranayama and nervous system, breathing techniques.
• Developing sensitive quality of touch
• Learning about the lymph system and yogic methods for moving it.
• Working with pre-and post-operative patients.
• Yoga, pranayama, and meditative methods for stress reduction, anxiety and depression.
• Offering movement as meditative experience.
• Self-care for the yoga teacher.

http://www.zencare.org/chaplaincy/yoga/index.html

This reminds me of the Bardo Thodol – Tibetan Book of the Dead