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TM, or transcendental meditation is one of the most known relaxation and stress relieving techniques. It is an approach based on the ideas of Krishna and ancient Indian philosophers, on yoga sutras and traditional oriental religious postulates. TM was widely practiced in the middle of the last century in India and the Far East, and then achieved global popularity due to the influence of famous band the Beatles and their friendship with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the father of so called the Transcendental Meditation technique. Such celebrities as Jane Fonda, Clint Eastwood, Jerry Scienfield and Arnold Schwarzenegger are among the most eager enthusiasts promoting TM and its benefits.
It was recently reported that transcendental meditation has shown its potential property to reduce the risks of serious cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and various related health conditions by about 50 percent. The scientists at the Medical College of Wisconsin carried out a series of experiments and found out that practicing TM for just 20 minutes 2 times a day on a regular basis can help people prevent blood pressure problems, lower cholesterol levels, prevent atherosclerosis and most of the problems related to narrowing of the arteries, reduce risks of diabetes and substantially decrease levels of psychological stresses.
During the studies, 201 participants, male and female, average age of 59, were tracked by the scientists for 10 years. All of the participants were taking TM classes, health education classes and mastering various effective stress reduction techniques. All of 201 people were regularly practicing the above mentioned techniques for 20 minutes twice a day. In addition to that, they were following a heart-healthy lifestyle including eating a healthy diet, doing plenty of exercises during the day, and so on. The specialists found out that those who practiced TM had about 47 percent lower chances to have a heart attack or a stroke.
Therefore, practicing transcendental meditation which mainly involves repeating of a mantra, can assist in controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improving insulin resistance and lowering the damage from psychological stresses. “These findings are the strongest documented effects yet produced by a mind-body intervention on cardiovascular disease,” says Pr. Theodore Kotchen, one of the main co-authors of the research. Dr Robert Schneider, another co-author, explains: “This study builds on previous research findings showing that the Transcendental Meditation program reduces high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, psychological stress, and atherosclerosis, and takes it to the next step — lower rates of death, heart attack, and stroke.” Currently, cardiovascular diseases are number one cause of deaths, both in the UK and the US.
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
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