Breathe in, breathe out — new brain scans have revealed that mindfulness meditation really does relieve pain, and not because it acts like a placebo.
Mindfulness meditation refers to the ancient practice of drawing attention to the present moment in a nonjudgmental way — releasing thoughts of looking silly or doing it wrong, for instance. New research finds that this practice activates specific lines of communication, or pathways between brain cells, that can reduce the perception of pain.
