Eating a vegetarian diet, walking (exercising) every day, and meditating is considered radical. Allowing someone to slice your chest open and graft your leg veins in your heart is considered normal and conservative. Dean Ornish in Extreme Health: The Nutrition Connection
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Americans. There is increasing evidence that regular meditation is therapeutic for our cardiovascular system, and this benefit extends to all age and ethnic groups. Tibetian Monk, Sogyal Rinpoche in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, wrote, “All too often people come to meditation in the hope of extraordinary results, like visions, lights, or some supernatural miracle. When no such thing occurs, they feel extremely disappointed. But the real miracle of meditation is more ordinary and much more useful. . . .” And this includes a better cardiovascular health, as numerous scientific studies have now confirmed.
In the June 12, 2006, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers reported a reduction in blood pressure and insulin resistance in patients with coronary heart disease when they practiced transcendental meditation for 16 weeks. In an earlier study published in Stroke in 2000, practitioners of transcendental meditation for 20 minutes twice a day, reduced their artery wall thickness, indicating improvement in the fatty deposits. This translated into a reduction in heart attack risk by up to 11 percent and stroke risk by up to 15 percent. In an another study, Robert Schneider in the American Journal of Cardiology found that in 202 elderly people practicing transcendental meditation, there were 30% fewer deaths from heart disease and 49% fewer from cancer. In a recent study reported in the Winter 2007 edition of the journal Ethnicity and Disease and sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, regular meditation was found to benefit patients with congestive heart failure. This deadly disease is diagnosed in 500,000 people and kills 300,000 people, according to figures from the American Heart Association.
The exact mechanism how meditation works is not clear. Regular meditation leads to an improvement in various physiological and psychological systems in our bodies. Stress reduction is touted as the main mechanism. This leads to a reduction in stress hormones, which in turn reduce the risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure and insulin resistance. More research is on its way, so keep tuned. The final outcome of these physiological and psychological changes is a better health and a longer life.
“I still practice Transcendental Meditation and I think it’s great. Marharishi only ever did good for us, and although I have not been with him physically, I never left him.” George Harrison, Musician, producer and composer, member of The Beatles, 1943-2001. Transcendental meditation is a technique that involves mental concentration and physical relaxation through the use of a mantra, a repeated phrase or syllable. This eastern way of meditation, once viewed as a cult or devil worships, and then a scientific curiosity, has now firmly established itself as evidence based therapeutic modality in integrative medicine. Increasing number of Americans are practicing this on a daily basis. A Thai Proverb says. “Life is short so we must move very slowly.“ Mediation teaches us to do that. And the benefits go beyond the cardiovascular system. Practitioners experience less pain, less hot flashes, a clearer thinking and better memory, less stress and more energy, more confidence and fulfilling relationships, less anxiety, less anger and depression, better job satisfaction and more effective leadership. Meditation has its ’higher’ benefits too. “Prayer is when you talk to God; meditation is when you listen to God.” Coach Diana Robinson .
“Meditation is the tongue of the soul and the language of our spirit” Jeremy Taylor quoted (English Anglican, Clergyman, Writer and Bishop, 1613-1667). Meditation is easy to do and improves your quality of life, not only physically but also spiritually. Further, there’s no ongoing financial cost, no side effects and a lot of data to demonstrate that it is good for you. So whether you are healthy or regularly pop prescription pills, add this therapeutic modality to your daily life.
Dr. Shashi K. Agarwal is a Board Certified Internist and Cardiologist with a private practice in New York City and New Jersey. He is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Holistic Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.