Los Angeles Times Doctor's orders: Cross your legs and say 'Om' reports on the growing interest in the medical applications of meditation and mindfulness:

It appears to work. In a new study, published in October in the journal Pain, Natalia Morone, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, tracked the effect of mindfulness meditation on chronic lower back pain in adults 65 and older. The randomized, controlled clinical trial found that the 37 people who participated in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program had significantly greater pain acceptance and physical function than a similar size control group. Subsequently, the control group took the same eight-week program and had similar results.

Via SharpBrains blog which is a great place to keep track of trends in neuroscience, "brain fitness" and mental wellness. I check Alvaro Fernandez's site or news feed at least once a day. There are also brain teasers, in-depth articles, links to online resources, book recommendations and other information.