"The Grace of Diminishment"
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"The Grace of Diminishment"
Along with sadness, anger, and loss caused by dementia, are there hidden blessings such as simplicity, joy, and slowing down?
The idea of “grace of diminishment is described in Olivia A. Hoblitzelle’s book: Ten Thousand Joys and Ten Thousand Sorrows to describe her husband’s journey through Alzheimer’s.
Is there a new tenderness in the ordinary that grows. Humming a song, sitting in the garden, looking at the sky?
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2 Replies
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I’m wondering about the mind-stream of person who has had Alzheimer’s for 10 years. Any recommendations for preparing for the moment of death? At the present time, if we live to 85, we have a 50% chance of having Alzheimer’s.
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There is new evidence from a University of Pennsylvania study that suggests that the regular practice of meditation can ease the symptoms of early dementia. Results from a study indicate that those who meditated 12 minutes a day over eight weeks, had significant improvements in memory. Participants included 20 patients who had some form of memory loss and were from ages 52-70, In fact brain scans revealed dramatic increases in blood flow to the area of the brain that is associated with learning and memory.
According to the University of Pennsylvania’s Andrew Newborn, MD, who conducted the study: “For the first time, we are seeing scientific evidence that meditation enables the brain to actually strengthen itself and battle the processes working to weaken it.” So is it possible for meditation, and for mindfulness to protect against the mind’s diminishment?
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