Want to feel happy? Go on a spiritual retreat
- Researchers conducted brain scans on 14 participants on an Ignatian retreat
- These getaways are based around meditation, prayer and having time to reflect
- They found that it helped to increase levels of both dopamine and serotonin
- These feel-good chemicals are known to help improve the mood of humans
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
2
View
comments
If you’re feeling unhappy you should probably book yourself into a spiritual retreat.
Filled with meditation, the trendy getaway designed to reset someone’s daily life can improve your mood within a week, new research suggests.
Scientists claim the peaceful practice increases levels of feel-good chemicals to the brain, allowing many to feel spiritual.
After taking brain scans of a handful of participants, US researchers found they had higher amounts of dopamine and serotonin.
Filled with meditation, a spiritual retreat can improve your mood in a week, research suggests
The former is responsible for mediating cognition, emotion and movement. While serotonin is involved in regulation and mood.
Thomas Jefferson University researchers recruited 14 Christians to attend an Ignatian retreat based solely around spiritual exercise.
These forms of getaways are based on the exercises developed by St Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits.
-
The secret ingredient to a happy life? Going VEGAN: Tibetan…
Fat people are encouraged to become SUPER OBESE so they…
Over half of mothers give up breastfeeding after just two…
Cheers! Drinkers who have one glass of wine a night ‘are at…
After going to morning mass, they spent most of their day in silent contemplation, according to the study in the journal Religion, Brain Behavior.
Alongside their reflection time and prayers they had the chance to attend a daily meeting with a spiritual director for extra guidance.
The researchers asked the participants to complete a range of surveys about their mental state after the week-long retreat.
Scientists claim that the peaceful practice increases levels of feel-good chemicals to the brain, allowing many to feel spiritual
MINDFULNESS REALLY DOES REDUCE STRESS
Mindfulness really does help to reduce stress levels, US scientists found earlier this year.
The philosophy holds that the worries of everyday life can be eased by paying attention to the present.
Researchers found this mindset, along with some light stretching, lowered stress levels far more than typical stress management techniques.
An eight-week course of mindfulness was found to lower levels of stress hormones which can lead to high blood pressure.
Not only were there emotional benefits, but they found significant improvements in their perceived physical health, tension and fatigue.
Study author Andrew Newberg said: ‘Our study showed significant changes in dopamine and serotonin transporters after the seven-day retreat.
‘It helps us understand why these practices result in powerful, positive emotional experiences.’
But the researchers are unsure if there is a certain aspect of a spiritual retreat that helps to boost wellbeing.
Dr Newberg added: ‘In some ways, our study raises more questions than it answers. Hopefully, future studies can answer these questions.’
Share or comment on this article
-
Police scramble to south London tube station as capital… -
Terrorist on the rampage: Chilling footage shows London… -
‘My life has completely fallen apart’: Husband’s grief… -
How heroic Team GB boxing coach jumped over a fence and… -
Welcome to London: We can say we’re not afraid, light… -
ISIS claims responsibility for London attack – as PM… -
‘A guy was shouting his wife had jumped into the Thames’:… -
Face of the Westminster attacker: Dramatic moment dying… -
‘I tried to save him… he’d lost too much blood’: MP whose… -
‘You have to be kidding me?!’: Donald Trump Jr reacts to… -
Dramatic videos capture the moment three shots are fired… -
Humiliation for Channel 4 as they incorrectly name… -
London on high alert: Police urge public to keep off… -
Sick ISIS posts celebrates ‘blessed London attack’ with… -
‘The Thin Blue Line just got thinner’: Tributes pour in… -
Revealed: Romanian tourist who plunged into the Thames… -
Hero doctors and nurses RAN from nearby hospital to treat… -
Tears for the hero: MPs weep in the chamber for policeman…
Comments 2
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Your comment will be credited to your MailOnline persona.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
The post will be credited to your MailOnline username. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.