Cooper University Health Care is revolutionizing the field of pediatric and adult psychiatry through a unique program that incorporates yoga and mindfulness interventions based on the traditions of ancient India. The Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) program at Cooper is designed to reduce the effects of stress on the body and mind using meditation and focused breathing techniques. Integrating the various elements of the eight-limbed yoga of sage Patanjali and the vipassana meditation of Buddha, Basant K. Pradhan, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Founding Director of MBCT, has uniquely standardized this program for use in clinical as well as research settings in evidence-based medicine format. Although yoga is known more as a form of physical exercise, it was originally purported as a spiritual practice for better quality of life, the principle around which Cooper has designed its new program.
“The basic ingredients of happiness and health are present inside everybody, but unfortunately remain untapped,” said Dr. Pradhan, also an active yoga practitioner and mind-body medicine researcher. “Through the correct training, patients can significantly improve quality of life; reduce stress; and ameliorate symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD and psychosomatic conditions as well as symptoms of ADHD and OCD with little to even no use of medication.”
Danielle, 15, of Gloucester City, NJ, has experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression almost all of her life. At age 6, she was having panic attacks, social anxiety and hallucinations. Over the years she was sent to several doctors and therapists who put her on a variety of psychiatric medications, but nothing seemed to alleviate her condition. It wasn’t until she began meeting regularly with Dr. Pradhan in November 2012 that she saw positive results. Since attending the MBCT program for just a few weeks and incorporating yoga and mindfulness techniques not only for control of her symptoms but also in her everyday life, Danielle no longer suffers from chronic depression.
“Before coming to Dr. Pradhan, I was constantly angry and withdrew from my friends and family. It was as if I felt numb to the world and everybody and everything in it,” said Danielle. “Now I feel like I can finally live my life without fear. I feel confident in my social life and even my grades have improved in school. Every aspect of my life has changed for the better after being introduced to this program.”
MBCT is an eight-step process that focuses on one’s physical, mental and psychological state of mind. It’s an understanding that all human experience is created from within, so the basic technology for experiencing happiness or quality of life must start from exploring ones interior.
“This practice is not physically demanding and can be done anywhere, at anytime, by children as well as adults,” Dr. Pradhan says. “It’s teaching patients how to cultivate non-judgmental attitudes toward their own thoughts and selves. It’s really a practice of self-help by exploring and becoming one with your own mind and body.”
Dr. Pradhan’s yoga-meditation video can be found at http://youtu.be/pvHDCZ5D7Xk