The health benefits of meditation and prayer are numerous. Thanksgiving, adoration, and even confession are all parts of worship, which is a spiritual conversation with a higher power. A method to accept that there is something greater than oneself and to let that presence ease the stress of daily life is through meditation and prayer.
Through meditation, the mind can unwind and enter a level of awareness distinct from that of ordinary walking. In meditation, the mind stays fully awake and attentive but clears, relaxes, and focuses on the internal self rather than the world and what is happening around you.
Meditation is training your mind to concentrate and divert its thoughts. Meditation is becoming more famous as more people have become aware of its many health benefits.
It can help you become more conscious of your surroundings and yourself. Many individuals consider it to be a means of lowering stress and improving concentration. Additionally, many utilize the practice of meditation to cultivate desirable traits and emotions. For example, a cheerful view of life, self-control, restful sleep patterns, and even a higher pain threshold are all positive thoughts via meditation.
One of the most popular reasons individuals practice meditation and prayer is to reduce stress. According to one review, meditation truly does live up to its reputation for reducing stress. Cortisol levels typically rise in response to both mental and physical stress. Many side effects of stress are caused by stress, such as the release of cytokines. Cytokines are inflammatory molecules that can damage your body when secreted in excess.
These adverse effects can make it difficult to sleep, encourage worry and melancholy, raise blood pressure, and cause exhaustion and foggy thinking. A meditation technique is known as “mindfulness meditation” lowered the inflammatory response brought on by stress in 8-week research.
Additionally, studies have indicated that meditation may lessen the signs of stress-related illnesses such as fibromyalgia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Prayers and meditation can lower stress levels through meditation and prayer, which leads to decreased anxiety. Meditation may lessen anxiety, according to a meta-analysis including nearly 1,300 adults. It is worth mentioning that those with the highest stress levels experienced the most substantial effects.
Additionally, one study discovered that mindfulness meditation practiced for eight weeks reduced anxiety symptoms in persons with generalized anxiety disorder and increased positive self-statements, enhanced stress reactivity, and improved coping.
Another study of 47 individuals with chronic pain discovered that an 8-week meditation program resulted in over a year of noticeable reductions in sadness, anxiety, and pain. Additionally, some evidence indicates that certain mindfulness and meditation techniques may lower anxiety levels.
For instance, studies have shown that yoga can help people feel less anxious, probably because both meditation and exercise have advantages. Anxiety-related to one’s employment may be managed through meditation. According to one study, employees who used mindfulness meditation software for eight weeks felt better and less stressed out at work than those in a control group.
According to Baylor University researchers, those who pray to a loving and caring God are less likely to suffer from anxiety disorders. Examples of anxiety disorders potentially alleviated by prayer include worry, fear, self-consciousness, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. This is in contrast to people who pray but don’t expect to receive any ease or protection from God.
Some types of meditation can result in a better sense of self and a happier attitude toward life. One assessment of therapies used on more than 3,500 adults, for instance, discovered that mindfulness meditation reduced the symptoms of depression. Similar to this, a study of 18 research found that recipients of meditation therapy had fewer signs of depression than those in a control group.
Compared to participants in a control group, those who completed a meditation exercise had fewer negative thoughts in reaction to seeing negative imagery. Additionally, cytokines, inflammatory substances released in response to stress, can influence mood and result in sadness. According to a study, meditation and prayer tend to decrease the secretion of these inflammatory substances.
Another recent study discovered that frequent meditation or other spiritual practice thickens some areas of the brain’s cortex. This phenomenon may explain why these practices tend to prevent depression, especially in people at risk for the condition.
You might be able to grow into your best self through some types of meditation by gaining a deeper awareness of who you are. For instance, self-inquiry meditation attempts explicitly to assist you in becoming more aware of who you are and how you interact with people around you.
Other techniques train you to spot potentially damaging or self-defeating beliefs. As you become more conscious of your thought patterns, you may direct them toward healthier ones. According to one review of 27 studies, tai chi practice may be linked to increased self-efficacy. Like grit and toughness, self-efficacy characterizes a person’s confidence in their capacity or ability to overcome obstacles.
In a different study, 153 persons who used a mindfulness meditation app for two weeks saw more social interaction and fewer symptoms of loneliness than those in a control group. Additionally, regular Meditation practice may foster more original problem-solving abilities.
Meditating and praying with focused concentration is like lifting weights for your attention span, and your attention’s strength and stamina are improved. For instance, one study discovered that those who listened to a meditation tape while carrying out a task had enhanced awareness and accuracy compared to those in a control group.
Similar research demonstrated that those who frequently practiced meditation outperformed those who did not work on a visual task and had a longer attention span. Additionally, a review found that meditation may change the brain’s neural pathways that, cause worry, poor focus, and mind-wandering. You might see benefits from even a brief meditation session each day.
Enhancements to concentration and mental clarity may aid in brain aging. A mantra or chant and repetitive finger movements are used in the meditation technique known as Kirtan Kriya to help you focus your thoughts. It enhances performance on neuropsychological tests in studies of older adults with memory loss.
Additionally, a review discovered preliminary evidence that different Meditation practices can improve elderly participants’ attention, memory, and mental agility. Meditation can at least partially enhance memory in patients with dementia and prevent typical age-related memory decline. Additionally, it helps improve coping and reduce stress in people taking care of relatives with dementia.
According to a 2011 study, praying helps lessen rage and aggressiveness. Members of the prayer group were more likely to experience less anger and hostility following a provocation in a series of studies where participants either prayed for or thought about a stranger, someone who had upset them, or a friend in need.
Another study discovered that praying for one another made dating and married partners less combative and more likely to forgive. Co-author of the 2011 study stated that prayer “may help people perceive things ‘in a new light’ or from a different perspective.”
By enhancing your self-control and raising your awareness of the triggers for addictive behaviors, the mental discipline you can acquire through meditation and prayer may help you overcome dependence. Meditation and prayer may aid individuals in learning to refocus their attention, control their emotions and impulsive behaviors, and develop a more profound knowledge of the reasons behind their actions.
After three months, transcendental meditation practice was linked to lower stress levels, psychological distress, alcohol cravings, and alcohol use. You may be able to curb your appetite by practicing meditation. An analysis of 14 studies revealed that mindfulness meditation decreased emotionally and binge eating in individuals.
At some point, about half of the population will experience sleeplessness. In a study comparing mindfulness-based meditation techniques, participants who meditated reported better insomnia severity and longer sleep duration than those in the unmedicated control condition.
Developing your meditation skills may enable you to manage or refocus the racing or erratic thoughts that frequently cause insomnia. Additionally, it can aid in physical relaxation, letting go of tension and putting you in a calm frame of mind where you’re more likely to nod off.
How you perceive the pain is influenced by your mental state and might become more acute in stressful circumstances. Some studies suggest that meditation in your routine might help you manage discomfort.
For instance, a review of 38 studies found that practicing mindfulness meditation could help persons with chronic pain feel better, live longer, and have fewer depressive symptoms.
Meditation was linked to lessened pain, according to a significant meta-analysis of trials involving over 3,500 people. Meditators and non-meditators experienced the same types of pain. Still, meditators demonstrated a higher level of coping with it and even felt less pain.
By easing cardiac pressure, meditation can also enhance physical wellness. High blood pressure can impair heart health because the heart has to work more to pump blood over time. Atherosclerosis, or the narrowing of the arteries, which can cause a heart attack or stroke, is also a result of high blood pressure.
People found meditation to lower blood pressure in a meta-analysis of 12 research with approximately 1000 individuals. Older volunteers and those with more significant blood pressure before the research benefited more—several meditation techniques comparably improved blood pressure.
There are numerous types of meditation that people practice, and the majority of them don’t need specialist space or equipment. Meditation can use just a few minutes per day for practice.
If you want to start meditating, consider picking a style based on the benefits you hope to derive from it.
The two main types of meditation are:
This method focuses awareness on a single thing, idea, sound, or vision and stresses getting distractions out of your head. Breathing, a mantra, or a peaceful sound can be the subject of meditation.
This manner of speaking develops a broader awareness of all facets of your surroundings, thoughts, and sense of self. It could entail becoming aware of sensations, beliefs, or urges that have been repressed.
It’s an excellent method to test out many looks and discover the one that works for you. Consider taking a class if your typical job and home situations don’t permit regular, quiet alone time. Creating a community of success can also increase your odds of success. Alternatively, think about waking up a little earlier to benefit from the morning’s peace. It can enable you to create a dependable habit and provide a great way to start the day.
Everyone can benefit from meditation and prayer regarding their mental and emotional well-being. Without specialized tools or memberships, you can do it anywhere. As an alternative, support groups and meditation classes are readily accessible. There are many diverse styles, each with unique advantages and capabilities.
Even if you have a few minutes to meditate or pray daily, do it. Try finding a prayer and meditation routine that suits you. This is a terrific approach to healthy living.
Finding meditation-induced genetic effects on the genome may reveal important details about the epigenetically altered genes and pathways that underlie the relationship between meditation and DNA. So, DNA wellness testing can help you know about your genomic sequence as part of this potential link.
We at HealthCodes DNA will help you understand your genetic make-up to improve your overall well-being in a fashion similar to prayer and meditation but through science.
Monday – Friday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST
244 Madison Avenue #1380
New York, NY 10016-2817
Sales Department:
sales@healthcodesdna.com
Media/PR:
admin@healthcodesdna.com
24/7 Customer Support: support@healthcodesdna.com
Client Results: results@healthcodesdna.com
Phone Us: +1-888-READ-DNA
These “privacy highlights” provide an overview of some core components of our data handling practices. Please be sure to readour full privacy statement below.
By agreeing to our Privacy Statement and Terms of Service, you consent to sensitive information, such as information about your health, Genetic Information, and Self-Reported Information such as racial and ethnic origin and sexual orientation (where you provide it) being used by us to:
We will not use your sensitive information without your consent unless: (i) the information has been anonymized or aggregated so that you cannot reasonably be identified as an individual; or (ii) a legal obligation requires us to use it in some way e.g. a court order requires us to disclose the information.
This privacy statement applies to all websites owned and operated by HealthCodes DNA, LLC (“HealthCodes DNA”), including healthcodesdna.com and register.healthcodesdna.com Our Privacy Statement is designed to help you better understand how we collect, use, store, process, and transfer your information when operating our website, mobile apps, products, software and other services (collectively “Service” or “Services“).
The following are our core privacy principles:
Please review this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service. By using our Services, you agree to all of the policies and procedures described in the foregoing documents. HealthCodes DNA, LLC is referred to herein as HealthCodes DNA (or “we,” “us,” “our”) and includes all of our commonly owned companies.
Web Behavior Information. We and our third-party partners use cookies and similar technologies (such as web beacons, tags, scripts and device identifiers) to help us recognize you, customize and improve your experience, provide security, analyze usage of our Services (such as to analyze your interactions with the results, reports, and other features of the Service), gather demographic information about our user base, to offer our products and services to you, to monitor the success of marketing programs, and to serve targeted advertising on our site and on other sites around the Internet. We and our third-party partners do not use your sensitive information, such as Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information for targeted advertising. We may receive reports based on the use of these technologies by these companies on an individual as well as aggregated basis. Users can control the use of cookies at the individual browser level. If you reject cookies, you may still use our site, but your ability to use some features or areas of our site may be limited.
As is true of most websites, we gather certain information automatically and store it in log files. This information may include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, and/or clickstream data. We may combine this automatically collected log information with other information we collect about you, such as your user profile ID or order number. We do this to improve services we offer you, and to improve marketing, analytics, and site functionality.
When you access our Service by or through a mobile device, we may receive or collect and store a unique identification numbers associated with your device or our mobile application (including, for example, a UDID, Unique ID for Advertisers (“IDFA”), Google Ad ID, or Windows Advertising ID), mobile carrier, device type, model and manufacturer, mobile device operating system brand and model, phone number, and, depending on your mobile device settings, your geographical location data, including GPS coordinates (e.g. latitude and/or longitude) or similar information regarding the location of your mobile device.
Because HealthCodes DNA relies on third-party ad networks who may track you across websites over time for advertising purposes, we are not able to respond to your selection of the “Do Not Track” option provided by your browser. We cannot advise on whether your selection of “Do Not Track” option will have any effect on the collection of cookie information by the third-parties who collect such cookie information on our site.
Third-parties with whom we partner to provide certain features on our site or to display advertising based upon your Web browsing activity use Flash Cookies (Local Shared Objects) to collect and store information. To learn how to manage privacy and storage settings for Flash cookies click here.
Google Analytics. Google Analytics is used to perform some of the tasks listed above. We use the User-ID feature of Google Analytics to combine behavioral information across devices and sessions (including authenticated and unauthenticated sessions). We have enabled the following Google Analytics Advertising features: Remarketing, Google Display Network Impression Reporting, Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting, and DoubleClick Campaign Manager integration. We do not merge information collected through any Google advertising product with individual-level information collected elsewhere by our service. Learn more about how Google collects and uses data here. To opt out of Google Analytics Advertising Features please use Google Ad Settings or the links provided in section 2.b.c.ii (“Targeted advertising” service providers). To opt out of Google Analytics entirely please use this link.
We are always working to enhance our Services with new products, applications and features that may result in the collection of new and different types of information. We will update our privacy statement, as needed.
HealthCodes DNA will use and share your personal information with third-parties only in the ways that are described in this privacy statement.
We use the information described above in Section 3 to operate, provide, analyze and improve our Services. These activities may include, among other things, using your information in a manner consistent with other commitments in this privacy statement, to:
You may be able to opt-in, opt-out or otherwise adjust your preferences of having your information used for certain of these activities. Please see below to learn more.
We use mobile analytics software to allow us to better understand the functionality of our Mobile Software on your phone. This software may record information such as how often you use the application, the events that occur within the application, aggregated usage, performance data, and where the application was downloaded from. We do not link the information we store within the analytics software to any personally identifiable information you submit within the mobile application.
You have the choice to participate in HealthCodes DNA Research by providing your consent. “HealthCodes DNA Research” refers to research aimed at publication in peer-reviewed journals and other research funded by the federal government (such as the National Institutes of Health – NIH) conducted by HealthCodes DNA. HealthCodes DNA Research may be sponsored by, conducted on behalf of, or in collaboration with third-parties, such as non-profit foundations, academic institutions or pharmaceutical companies. HealthCodes DNA Research may study a specific group or population, identify potential areas or targets for therapeutics development, conduct or support the development of drugs, diagnostics or devices to diagnose, predict or treat medical or other health conditions, work with public, private and/or non-profit entities on genetic research initiatives, or otherwise create, commercialize, and apply this new knowledge to improve health care. HealthCodes DNA Research uses your aggregate or individual-level Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information as specified in the Terms of Service.
Consent process for research. Your Genetic Information and Self-Reported Information may be used for HealthCodes DNA Research only if you have consented to this use by completing a Research Initiatives Consent Document. If you have completed a Research Initiatives Consent Document:
Academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and other groups are always conducting interesting new research projects. We want to make you aware of these opportunities. While we do not share individual-level Genetic Information or Self-Reported Information with third-parties without your consent, from time to time we may inform you of third-party research opportunities for which you may be eligible. For example, if a university tells us about a new cancer research project, we may send an email to HealthCodes DNA members who potentially fit the relevant eligibility criteria based on their Self-Reported Information to make them aware of the research project and provide a link to participate with the research organization conducting the study.
NOTE: Our service providers act on HealthCodes DNA’s behalf. While we implement procedures and contractual terms to protect the confidentiality and security of your information, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality and security of your information due to the inherent risks associated with storing and transmitting data electronically.
When you purchase a testing kit and report from HealthCodes DNA, you are instructed to send a saliva sample to our third-party laboratory with a unique barcode label. The unique barcode identifies you to us but not to the laboratory. We may also be required to provide to the laboratory, your sex and date of birth or age pursuant to clinical laboratory requirements such as the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). No other Registration Information such as your name, address, email, phone number or other contact information) is required or provided to the laboratory. The receiving personnel at the laboratory will remove and discard your “sender information” from the packaging (e.g., name, address) before testing personnel receive the samples for processing. Receiving personnel do not perform testing, and testing personnel handle saliva samples that are labeled only with the unique barcode. DNA and saliva samples are destroyed after the laboratory completes its work, provided that laboratory legal and regulatory requirements no longer require the actual samples to be maintained. A de-identified copy of genotyping data may be kept in accordance with CLIA. The laboratory securely sends the resulting Genetic Information to our third party reporting company along with your unique barcode. Genetic Information is stored securely on our servers; the laboratory also stores your Genetic Information, but again, labeled only with the barcode.
If you wish to not have this information used for the purpose of serving you targeted ads, you may be able to opt-out of many advertising networks by visiting here and here (if you are located in Canada, click here; or if you are located in the European Union click here). Please note this does not mean that you have opted-out of being served advertising. You will continue to receive generic ads.
Under certain circumstances your information may be subject to disclosure pursuant to judicial or other government subpoenas, warrants, or orders, or in coordination with regulatory authorities, we may be required to disclose personal data in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. HealthCodes DNA will preserve and disclose any and all information to law enforcement agencies or others if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such preservation or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal or regulatory process (such as a judicial proceeding, court order, or government inquiry) or obligations that HealthCodes DNA may owe pursuant to ethical and other professional rules, laws, and regulations; (b) enforce the HealthCodes DNA Terms of Service and other policies; (c) respond to claims that any content violates the rights of third-parties; or (d) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of HealthCodes DNA, its employees, its users, its clients, and the public.
NOTE: If you are participating in HealthCodes DNA Research, HealthCodes DNA will withhold disclosure of your personal information involved in such research in response to judicial or other government subpoenas, warrants or orders in accordance with any applicable Certificate of Confidentiality that HealthCodes DNA and/or any of its third party providers has obtained from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There are limits to what the Certificate of Confidentiality covers so please visit the Certificates of Confidentiality Kiosk ( https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/coc/index.htm).
If your Registration Information changes, you may access, correct or update most of it from your Account page. You may also modify and delete certain of your information. Please note that you may not be able to delete User Content that has been shared with others through the Service and that you may not be able to delete information that has been shared with third-parties, though we can work with you to prohibit your data from being shared with third-parties in the future. We will respond to your request to access within 30 days.
By registering for an account, you are agreeing that we may send you promotional emails about our Services. You can opt-out of such emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of any of our or third-party promotional email communications. Please note that you may not opt-out of receiving non-promotional messages regarding your account, such as technical notices, purchase confirmations, or Service-related emails.
You may decide to disclose your personal information to friends and/or family members, doctors or other health care professionals, and/or other individuals outside of our Services, including through third-party services such as social networks and third-party apps that connect to our website and mobile apps through our application programming interface (“API”). These third-parties may use your personal information differently than we do under this Privacy Statement. Please make such choices carefully and review the privacy policies of all other third-parties involved in the transaction. For example, if you have enabled a HealthCodes DNA sharing feature with another person who downloads a third-party app that uses our API, your information may also be obtained by that third-party app developer and, potentially, by other users of that third-party app.
In general, personal information, once shared or disclosed, can be difficult to contain or retrieve. HealthCodes DNA will have no responsibility or liability for any consequences that may result because you have released or shared personal information with others.
If you no longer wish to participate in our Services or no longer wish to have your personal information be used, you may close your account by sending a request to support@healthcodesdna.com. When closing an account, we remove all Genetic Information within your account (or profile) within thirty (30) days of our receipt of your request. As stated in any applicable Consent Document, however, Genetic Information and/or Self-Reported Information that you have previously provided and for which you have given consent to use in HealthCodes DNA Research cannot be removed from ongoing or completed studies that use the information. Our contracted genotyping laboratory may also retain your Genetic Information as required by local law and we may retain backup copies for a limited period of time pursuant to our data protection policies. In addition, we retain limited Registration Information related to your order history (e.g., name, contact, and transaction data) as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services, as well as for accounting, audit and compliance purposes.
HealthCodes DNA takes seriously the trust you place in us. To prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, to maintain data accuracy, and to ensure the appropriate use of information, HealthCodes DNA uses a range of physical, technical, and administrative measures to safeguard your Personal Information. In particular, all connections to and from our website and mobile application are encrypted using Extended Validation Secure Socket Layer (EV SSL) technology.
Please recognize that protecting your Personal Information is also your responsibility. We ask you to be responsible for safeguarding your password, secret questions and answers, and other authentication information you use to access our Services. You should not disclose your authentication information to any third-party and should immediately notify HealthCodes DNA of any unauthorized use of your password. HealthCodes DNA cannot secure Personal Information that you release on your own or that you request us to release.
Your information collected through the Service may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which HealthCodes DNA or its subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain facilities and, therefore, your information may be subject to the laws of those other jurisdictions which may be different from the laws of your country of residence.
In the event that HealthCodes DNA goes through a business transition such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your information will likely be among the assets transferred. In such a case, your information would remain subject to the promises made in any pre-existing Privacy Statement.
HealthCodes DNA provides links to third-party websites operated by organizations not affiliated with HealthCodes DNA. HealthCodes DNA does not disclose your information to organizations operating such linked third-party websites. HealthCodes DNA does not review or endorse, and is not responsible for, the privacy practices of these organizations. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of each and every website that you visit. This Privacy Statement applies solely to information collected by HealthCodes DNA.
HealthCodes DNA is committed to protecting the privacy of children as well as adults. Neither HealthCodes DNA nor any of its Services are designed for, intended to attract, or directed toward children under the age of 18. A parent or guardian, however, may collect a saliva sample from, create an account for, and provide information related to, his or her child. The parent or guardian assumes full responsibility for ensuring that the information that he/she provides to HealthCodes DNA about his or her child is kept secure and that the information submitted is accurate.
Whenever this Privacy Statement is changed in a material way, a notice will be posted as part of this Privacy Statement and on our customers’ account login pages for 30 days. After 30 days the changes will become effective. In addition, all customers will receive an email with notification of the changes prior to the change becoming effective.
If you have questions about this Privacy Statement, please email HealthCodes DNA at info@HealthCodesDNA.com.
