| The American justice Department have recently | | | | heart disease. Brain images show that regular |
| approved the power of yoga and meditation vide | | | | meditation helps calm the most active |
| a recent judgement in the American court."Man | | | | sensory-assaulted parts of the brain. The ancient |
| Who Slapped Wife Sentenced to Yoga, It's Anger | | | | Hindu sage Patanjali who had mastered the |
| Management, Says Judge." First there was house | | | | secrets of the human mind has written a book |
| arrest. Now there's yoga. A judge ordered a man | | | | "Yogasutra".In this book we can see how super |
| convicted of slapping his wife to take a yoga | | | | powers can be achieved by meditation. It has |
| class as part of his one-year probation. "It's part | | | | both cosmic relevance and cosmic resonance. In |
| of anger management," County Criminal Court at | | | | spite of its universal appeal, for most people total |
| Law Judge Larry Standley said of the ancient | | | | control of mind remains an elusive goal and |
| Hindu philosophy of exercise and well-being. "For | | | | daunting task. From time immemorial, there have |
| people who are into it, it really calms them down. | | | | been many attempts throughout the world to |
| " Standley, a former prosecutor, said the case of | | | | unlock the mysteries of the mind and to achieve |
| James Lee Cross was unique. | | | | total control over it through a variety of |
| Cross, a 53-year-old car salesman from Tomball, | | | | techniques. One of the most powerful of these |
| explained that his wife was struggling with a | | | | techniques is meditation. |
| substance abuse problem and that he struck her | | | | Many spiritual leaders, sages, saints, and holy |
| on New Year's Eve during an argument about her | | | | people such asSri. Buddha, Sri Ramakrishna, |
| drinking. "He was trying to get a hold of her | | | | Madam Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda |
| because she has a problem," Standley said after | | | | have practised this. One of the ways to control |
| the court hearing. "I thought this would help him | | | | physiological reactions to psychological stimuli is |
| realize that he only has control over himself." The | | | | meditation, Yoga, Zen Buddhism etc. The |
| sentence came as a surprise to Cross, who was | | | | scientists take Transcendental Meditation (TM) as |
| told to enroll in a class and report back to | | | | the uniform technique, and base their |
| Standley on his progress. "I'm not very familiar | | | | observations on the study of the subjects |
| with it," Cross said of yoga. "From what I | | | | engaged in this form of meditation. In summing up |
| understand, it may help in a couple ways, not only | | | | the results the scientists have come to conclusion |
| as far as mentally settling, but maybe a little | | | | that the effect of meditation is a "wakeful, |
| weight loss." Darla Magee, an instructor at Yoga | | | | hypo-metabolic state". They have found that: 1) |
| Body Houston in River Oaks, said she would | | | | Yogis could slow both heart rate and rate of |
| recommend that Cross take a basic yoga class | | | | respiration, 2) Yogis could slow the rate of |
| emphasizing breathing and including a variety of | | | | metabolism as confirmed by decreased oxygen |
| postures -- forward bends, back bends and | | | | consumption and carbon-di-oxide output. 3) |
| twists. "Yoga can help us to get rid of many | | | | Electro-Encephalo-Gram (EEG - recording of brain |
| emotional issues we might have," she said. "It's a | | | | activity) in Yogis showed changes of calmness in |
| spiritual cleanse." Prosecutor Lincoln Goodwin | | | | the form of "alpha rhythm" during both eyes |
| agreed to a sentence of probation without jail | | | | closed and eyes open recordings. 4) Their skin |
| time because Cross had no significant criminal | | | | resistance to electric stimulation was increased |
| history report chron news. | | | | (indicating increased tolerance to external stimuli). |
| Yoga which is one of the greatest Indian | | | | Our usual 'defence-alarm' reaction to emotional |
| contributions to the world has got vast potential in | | | | and physical stress is in the form of "fright, flight, |
| all fields. In Tihar jail India Yoga is experimented | | | | and fight" mediated through over-secretion of |
| among the inmates and found successful. Their | | | | certain neuro-transmitters and neuro-modulators, |
| criminal mentality is changed. This study aimed at | | | | namely adrenaline and dopamine by way of |
| investigating the effect of Vipassana Meditation | | | | stimulation of sympathetic nervous system. Under |
| (VM) on Quality of Life (QOL), Subjective | | | | the influence of these chemicals and hormones, |
| Well-Being (SWB), and Criminal Propensity (CP) | | | | we reflexively become panicky or aggressive, our |
| among inmates of Tihar Jail, Delhi. To this effect | | | | blood pressure rises. |
| the following hypotheses were formulated. 1. | | | | Thus stress and anxiety is the end result if we |
| There will be a significant positive effect of VM on | | | | allow our natural age-old sympathetic reactions to |
| the QOL of inmates of Tihar jail. 2. VM will have a | | | | act and to come to surface. We try to run away, |
| positive and significant effect on SWB of inmates. | | | | become fearful, or fight the situation. But today |
| 3. Criminal propensity (CP) of inmates will | | | | these 'defence-alarm' reactions have no place in |
| decrease significantly after attending the VM | | | | our lives. Rather, they should be replaced by |
| course. 4. There will be significant difference in | | | | more calm and serene reactions of equanimity |
| SWB and CP of experimental (Vipassana) group | | | | and fearlessness. The need is to just 'face the |
| and control (non-Vipassana) group. 5. Male and | | | | brute, and it will go away'. Such desirable reactions |
| female inmates will differ significantly in SWB and | | | | of non-aggression and peaceful attitude are |
| CP, as a result of VM. | | | | generated by Y ga and meditation. EEG Studies |
| In the famous "Time" magazine the importance | | | | on Yogis and The Zen Meditations: Yogis practising |
| meditation and yoga, an ancient Indian system, is | | | | Raja-Yoga claim that during the state of samadhi |
| high-lighted that the ancient mind- and | | | | they are oblivious to the internal and external |
| spirit-enhancing art is becoming increasingly popular | | | | stimuli, and they enjoy a calm ecstasy during that |
| and gaining medical legitimacy. It is a multi billion | | | | state. |
| dollar business in US. In many Universities it is | | | | A study was undertaken to record the electrical |
| accepted as subject and included in the Syllabus. | | | | activity of their brain during this state by means |
| In Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna has inspired Arjuna | | | | of a regular and useful test known as |
| to rise from his depression by preaching Gita in | | | | electroencephalography EEG. Physiological and |
| the battlefield and to rise from the depression to | | | | experimental studies have demonstrated that the |
| do his duties. | | | | basis of conscious state of brain, among other |
| In Holy Gita we can see, being hidden by the | | | | things, is due to activation of "reticular system" in |
| cosmic overview of any institution beset with | | | | the brain-stem in response to internal and external |
| myriad problems, not the least of which is its lack | | | | stimuli. These stimuli bring about various changes |
| of moral probity, there is a groundswell of | | | | during sleeping and wakeful states of the |
| educated people seeking answers to deeply | | | | organism and these can be studied by EEG. The |
| personal but universally asked questions. Chief | | | | study was carried out on four subjects during the |
| Executives taking lessons from yoga, meditation | | | | state of concentration and meditation. Effects of |
| and learning how to deal with human resources | | | | external stimuli, like a loud gong, strong light, |
| equations in an enlightened manner. Individuals | | | | thermal simulation, and vibrations were studied. |
| from every walk of life can get ideas of how to | | | | The results were compiled and analyzed. It was |
| be better human beings, more balanced and less | | | | observed that two Yogis could keep their hands |
| stressed out. | | | | immersed in extremely cold water for about 50 |
| Medical studies continue to show regular | | | | minutes (raised pain threshold). It is said that in |
| meditation working magic in reducing blood | | | | the unknown period of Lord Jesus Christ , He was |
| pressure and stress-related illnesses, including | | | | under meditation. |