Medicating with Meditation? featuring Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH

Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Khadijah welcome special guest Dr. Darshan Mehta, Medical Director of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine of Massachusetts General Hospital, to talk about something we could all use more of: Meditation. This past year has brought on new stressors and anxieties for families, on top of those they were already managing. So, what about treating this stress with a healthy dose of meditation?

Meditation is a practice that can help to decrease stress levels, increase calmness and clarity, and improve our physical health. Whether you’ve tried meditation before and are interested in the science behind how it works, or you’re looking for tips on how to start, Dr. Mehta walks through it all. Plus, he guides Gene and Khadijah through a “mini” meditation to demonstrate how even just a few minutes of focus can make a big difference.

Thank you for joining in this meditation! Do you have a question about mind body practices, or something you’d like to share? We’d love to know. Write to us!

Media List

Follow along with the conversation.

• Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH (Massachusetts General Hospital)
• Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine (Massachusetts General Hospital)
• Office for Well-Being (Massachusetts General Hospital)
• I Am Not Your Negro (IMDB)
• Meditation and a relaxation technique to lower blood pressure (Harvard Health Publishing)
• Using the relaxation response to reduce stress (Harvard Health Publishing)
• Mindfulness: A Practical Guide Toward Personal Peace and Resilience (MGH Clay Center)
• Mind and Body Practices (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• What Mindfulness Does to Your Brain: The Science of Neuroplasticity (Real Simple)
• Can Meditation Change Your Genes? (Mindful)
• How Meditation Can Make You a Better Athlete (SHAPE)
• Mental Imaging (The Musicians Way)
• Your Smartwatch Is About to Become Your New Therapist (Best Health)
• Guided Relaxation Exercises (Benson-Henry Institute)
• Four Mini Relaxation Exercises (Massachusetts General Hospital)
• Psychosocial Vulnerabilities to Upper Respiratory Infectious Illness: Implications for Susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Perspectives on Psychological Science)
• Psychological and Behavioral Predictors of Vaccine Efficacy: Considerations for COVID-19 (Perspectives on Psychological Science)
• CDC guidelines update: Face masks and fully-vaccinated people (NBC News)
• Missed Meghan and Harry’s Oprah interview? How to rewatch the whole thing (CNET)
• H.R.7120 – George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020 (Congress.gov)
• The Positive Value of Conflict: There’s Great Power in Resolution (MGH Clay Center)

Music by Gene Beresin

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

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