Regular meditation can lower heart rate and blood pressure, and reduce total cholesterol.
I've long been a proponent of regular meditation. I tell my yoga students that I'll miss a day of yoga practice, but I'll rarely miss a day of meditation. In my class yesterday I discussed how meditation or the study of the self was the key to happiness. But research is showing that regular meditation is not only the key to happiness and self awareness, it also has huge benefits on heart health.
New research is finding that daily meditation can cut your risk of a sudden heart attack in half. It also lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, reduces total cholesterol, and reduces insulin resistance. The research was primarily based on a type of meditation called Transcendental Meditation (TM), done twice daily for 20 minutes each time. The meditation is based on the repetition of a peaceful word over and over again.
The most recent study done, reported on MediFast Health was NIH-funded and led by Robert Schneider, MD, professor of physiology and health at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. The randomized controlled study followed 201 men and women at an average age of 59 with narrowing arteries. Half went to a control group and half studied TM as a part of their treatment. Both groups received regular medical care. After five years the following results were found:
* [A] 47% reduction in heart attacks, strokes and death, compared with those who did not.
*Reduced their blood pressure by an average of 5 points.
*Had significant reductions in psychological stress as measured by standard psychological tests.
Findings were presented at an annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando last November. Although TM was the only meditation used in the study, other forms of meditation have also been proven beneficial. It should also be noted that the study was led by a professor at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa which is named for Maharishi Mahesh Yogi the inventor of TM.
So give TM a try are consider another form. Here's a simple technique to start off your practice. Start by sitting for at least 15 minutes, without moving in a silent place. It's usually best to meditate in the early morning. Close your eyes and begin to follow your breath. Watch your thoughts as they move through your mind but continue to return to watching your own breath. Step away from judgment of how well you're meditating and just go with it. It's more important to do it everyday than to do it for a longer period of time. The key is regularity.