DEFINITION

• Meditative therapies encompass a broad range of mind-body activities to reduce stress and improve health.
• There are many forms of meditation, differentiated by the type of mental activity that is practiced and the philosophy underlying the training.
• The most common forms studied include mindfulness-based therapies such as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and Chinese therapies such as QiGong.
• Meditative therapies are not designed to treat any specific medical condition, but may have additional health benefits for persons with chronic diseases such as diabetes.