| The use of meditation for healing and spiritual | | | | Heart Health: Countless studies have shown that |
| enlightenment has been an ancient practice that is | | | | regular practice has significantly helped reduce high |
| common among the world's great religions and | | | | blood pressure. A study conducted at the College |
| cultures. It is an accepted and proven alternative | | | | of Maharishi Vedic Medicine in Fairfield, Iowa, |
| therapy that is classified under "mind-body | | | | showed significant lowering of blood pressure and |
| medicine." | | | | heart rate in black adults. Another study |
| Through the years, more and more people have | | | | conducted by the American Journal of |
| found meditation as an effective way to ease | | | | Hypertension showed that teenagers who |
| chronic pain, improve heart health, relieve stress | | | | meditated for 15 minutes twice a day for four |
| and anxiety, boost mood and immunity, and | | | | months were able to lower their blood pressure a |
| resolve pregnancy problems. Even doctors are | | | | few points. |
| already prescribing meditation as a way to lower | | | | Immune Booster: In a Psychosomatic Medicine |
| blood pressure; improve exercise performance in | | | | study testing immune function, meditation has |
| people with angina; help people with asthma | | | | bben shown to be useful in warding off illness and |
| breathe easier; and to relieve insomnia. It is a | | | | infections. Flu shots were given to volunteers |
| safe and simple way to balance a person's | | | | who had meditated for eight weeks and to people |
| physical, emotional, and mental well-being. | | | | who didn't meditate. The result of blood tests |
| According to cardiologist Herbert Benson, MD: | | | | from the meditation group had produced higher |
| "Any condition that's caused or worsened by | | | | levels of antibodies against the flu virus. |
| stress can be alleviated through meditation." | | | | Women's Health: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), |
| Benson is the founder of the Mind/Body Institute | | | | infertility problems, and even breastfeeding can be |
| at Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess | | | | improved when women meditate regularly. In one |
| Medical Center. He said that the relaxation | | | | study, PMS symptoms subsided by 58% when |
| induced by meditation can help decrease | | | | women meditated. Another study found that hot |
| metabolism, lower blood pressure, and improve | | | | flashes were less intense among women who |
| heart rate, breathing, and brain waves. When | | | | practiced meditation. Women struggling with |
| the body receives a quiet message to relax, | | | | infertility had much less anxiety, depression and |
| tension and tightness begin to seep from muscles. | | | | fatigue following a 10-week meditation program; |
| Brain scans (or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or | | | | 34 percent became pregnant within six months. |
| MRI) of people who meditate have been used to | | | | Also, new mothers who meditated on images of |
| show scientific evidence that meditation really | | | | milk flowing from their breasts were able to more |
| works. It shows an increase in activity in areas | | | | than double their production of milk. |
| that control metabolism and heart rate. Other | | | | Meditation Enhances Brain Activity |
| studies on Buddhist monks have shown that | | | | Those who practice meditation regularly showed |
| meditation produces long-lasting changes in the | | | | evidence of significantly higher brain activity, called |
| brain activity in areas involving attention, working | | | | gamma wave activity, in areas associated with |
| memory, learning, and conscious perception. | | | | learning and happiness compared with those who |
| Meditation is not difficult to learn but it is a skill | | | | didn't practice meditation. Gamma waves involve |
| that needs to be practiced in order to develop | | | | mental processes including attention, memory, |
| the ability to focus on the breathing patterns and | | | | learning and conscious perception. |
| the need to ignore distracting thoughts. | | | | Many health care providers consider meditation as |
| Meditation is usually accompanied by a mantra, a | | | | a key element of an integrated health program. |
| word or phrase that is repeatedly chanted to | | | | However, when you are having a hard time |
| produce a biological response such as relaxation. | | | | getting into that meditative state, try to enroll in a |
| The soothing power of repetition is at the heart | | | | class. It will help and guide you with your |
| of meditation. Constant practice of meditation | | | | progress. Any practice that can evoke the |
| allows people to learn anddevelop the ability to | | | | relaxation response can be beneficial, be it through |
| produce meditative and relaxed states without | | | | meditation, yoga, breathing, or repetitive prayer. |
| difficulty. Meditating several times during the day | | | | The growing body of research literature on |
| makes the practitioner feel relaxed throughout | | | | meditation and other alternative therapies gives us |
| the entire day. | | | | no reason to believe that one is better than the |
| Benefits of Meditation | | | | other. |