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CE Pricing / Flex Credit

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Starts at $9.98 per contact hour
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4 hours $8.98
8 hours $7.98
12 hours $6.98
20 hours $5.98
30 hours $4.98

Meditation and Brain Health

1.5 Contact Hours / 0.15 AOTA CEUs
Target Audience: Nurses, healthcare professionals, and interested individuals
Purpose/Goal: The outcome of this course is for the learner to examine current neuroscience research and the effects of meditation on brain waves, identify meditation techniques to enhance brain health, and explore the psychological and physiological effects of meditation.
$14.97
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Meditation is a mind-body practice with many methods and variations that are all based on the silence and stillness of present-moment awareness. Exciting research is showing that a regular practice of meditation causes physical changes in the brain that can be beneficial to mental and physical health. Meditation can also change the way the brain functions.

Upon completion of the course, you will be able to do the following:

  • Explain the effects of meditation on the brain.
  • Describe the effects of meditation on brain waves.
  • Identify types and techniques of meditation that enhance brain health.
  • Describe the physiological effects of the regular practice of meditation.
  • Describe the psychological effects of the regular practice of meditation.

Meditation is a method of acquiring access to our inner wisdom, achieving clarity, and developing compassion, with the possibility of resolving inner challenges during the process. Wisdom includes being present in the moment, and the way to wisdom is to understand ourselves as human beings.

Fortney and Bonus (2012) called meditation “one of the most important components of any health plan. Its unique ability to elicit physical ease and mental stability provides a foundation for healing and directly influences one’s ability to meet the challenges resulting from illness and chronic disease” (p. 1051). When practiced in a disciplined manner, meditation provides many physiological, psychological, and health benefits. Evidence of meditation’s health effects has been well documented. The practice offers improvement in the symptoms of various disease conditions in addition to the experience of a deeper spiritual connection (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [NCCIH], 2017).

In meditation, individuals learn to focus their attention and quiet their minds. This usually involves becoming mindful of thoughts, feelings, and sensations while observing them in a nonjudgmental manner. The practice of meditation can change how individuals relate to the flow of their emotions and thoughts. As their minds become tranquil, many aspects of their lives become clear.

Our attitude during meditation is important because it reflects the way we deal with our minds, emotions, thoughts, and changing moods. The most beneficial attitudes for meditation are acceptance, gratitude, and openness to the wisdom we may receive during the process.

All types of meditation involve the basic practice of sitting or lying quietly and focusing on a sound, image, or thought (Horstman, 2012). Meditation may be practiced in many ways, including, but not limited to, deep breathing, focusing on different parts of the body, walking meditation, mindfulness meditation, and Transcendental Meditation®.

Practicing meditation once or twice a day for 30 minutes can produce measurable metabolic effects that are exactly the opposite of the body’s fight or flight response. In their study on the effects of meditation on stress, Mohan, Sharma, and Bijlani (2011) demonstrated that meditation produced a relaxation response in both adults who had practiced meditation regularly as well as in those who had never practiced meditation.

Meditation acts directly on brain chemistry, anatomy, and physiology, changing the function and physical structure of the brain. During the meditative experience, neurotransmitters and endorphins are released, neurogenesis occurs, oxygen concentrations throughout the body are increased, and blood vessel development is enhanced. All of these improve brain health, especially cognitive function, and reduce the risk of many types of chronic diseases (Horstman, 2012).

Research during the past three decades has demonstrated such significant health benefits of meditation that the practice became the first mind-body intervention adopted by allopathic health care providers and incorporated into numerous evidence-based therapy programs (Dakwar & Levin, 2009). Today, meditative practices are used in a variety of health care settings by every type of patient as well as by healthcare providers themselves.

Complete the course post exam (CE Test) with a score of 80% or greater. Complete all fields of the course evaluation form. Certificate of Completion is provided once the course post exam is passed per criteria above.

  • American Board of Managed Care Nursing
    The American Board of Managed Care Nursing recognizes all of ALLEGRA Learning Solutions' ANCC accredited courses for continuing education credit for Certified Managed Care Nurses (CMCNs).
  • ANCC - American Nurses Credentialing Center
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
  • AOTA - American Occupational Therapy Association
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC, is an approved provider of continuing education for occupational therapists by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Approved Provider # 3166
  • ASWB - Association of Social Work Boards
    This course is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC as an individual course. Individual courses, not providers, are approved at the course level. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 04/22/2021-04/22/2024. Social workers completing this course receive the specified distance learning continuing education credits.
  • California Board of Behavioral Sciences
    California Board of Behavioral Sciences Provider Number PCE 1564. Course meets the qualifications for the stated hours of continuing education credit for MFTs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
  • California Board of Registered Nursing
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP 14693 for the number of hours stated.
  • California Department of Health, Aid, and Technician Certification Section
    The California Department of Health, Aid, and Technician Certification Section accepts continuing education offered by CA-BRN approved providers.
  • District of Columbia Board of Nursing
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions (CE Provider # 50-12076) submits all continuing education records to CE BROKER after successful completion.
  • Florida Board of Nursing
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing education by the Florida Board of nursing (CE Provider # 50-12076). Courses are automatically submitted to CE Broker.
  • Florida Board of Nursing - Certified Nursing Assistants
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions (CE Broker Provider # 50-12076) submits all continuing education records to CE Broker after successful completion.
  • Florida Board of Respiratory Care
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing education by the Florida Board of Respiratory Care
  • Florida Council of Dietetics and Nutrition
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing education by the Florida Council of Dietetitics and Nutrition
  • Florida Council of Licensed Midwifery
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing education by the Florida Council of Licensed Midwifery
  • NAADAC - The National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
    This course has been approved by ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #813, ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is responsible for all aspects of their programming.
  • NCBTMB -National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) as a continuing education Approved Provider. Provider Number 451562-11.
  • Florida Board of Massage Therapists
    ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC is accredited as a provider of continuing education by the Florida Board of Massage Therapists
AOTA CEUs:

0.15

Practice Level:

Intermediate

Content Focus:

Foundational Knowledge

Course Expires:

October 01, 2026

Instructor(s):
  • Cyndie Koopsen, RN, BSN, MBA, HNB-BC, RN-BC, HWNC-BC
  • Caroline Young, MPH
Jurisdictional Requirements:

Continuing education (CE) licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction, are not well defined, and may change. These CE requirements may vary in terms of the number of hours required to the types of courses that must be taken. ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC recommends you contact your licensing board or accrediting organization for the latest continuing education requirements of your state or territory. Compliance with CE requirements is the responsibility of the individual health care provider. Health care providers must understand the CE requirements in their jurisdictions, and be sure they are up-to-date on any rule changes that affect their license. For further information, please see our Accreditation Information.

Accommodations for Disabilities:

Every effort will be made to accommodate your special needs. To request accommodations, please contact us.

Conflicts of Interest and Relevant Financial Relationships:

The authors/planning committee members have no conflicts of interests or relevant financial relationships to declare relevant to this activity.

Commercial Support:

No commercial support has been received for this activity.

Non-endorsement of products:

Accreditation refers to recognition of continuing nursing education only and does not imply ALLEGRA Learning Solutions, LLC approval or endorsement of any commercial product.

Off-label Use of Products:

None of the authors intend to discuss off-label uses of drugs, mechanical devices, biologics, or diagnostics not approved by the FDA for use in the United States.

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