Meditation, an important part of Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist worship for hundreds (and in some cases, thousands) of years, is attracting a new generation of spiritual seekers. As research continues to demonstrate the strong correlation between spirituality and good health, people are discovering that meditation is a simple and practical way to combat anxiety and relieve stress.
Helps Arteries and Heart
Results of a remarkable study published in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association, demonstrated that the accumulation of fatty plaques on artery walls actually diminished in people who meditated 20 minutes twice a day.
In this study, 138 African-American adults with borderline or high blood pressure were randomly assigned to either a Transcendental Meditation (TM) program or an education program about heart disease risk factors. At the conclusion of the study, those in the meditation group had reduced their risk of a heart attack by 11 percent and reduced their risk of a stroke from between 7.7 percent to 15 percent. The heart disease education group had actually increased their risk factors.
Reduces Blood Pressure
Another study, reported on in Psychosomatic Medicine, concluded that Transcendental Meditation results in greater decreases in systolic blood pressure than relaxation alone.
In this study, 32 healthy adults (evenly divided between men and women; 30 Caucasians and two African Americans; ages 39 to 55; 18 were experienced in twice-daily TM) were tested before and during 20 minutes of open-eyed relaxation, 20 minutes of TM (TM group) and 20 minutes of eyes-closed relaxation (control group). The TM group experienced significant decreases in systolic blood pressure and total peripheral resistance (constriction of the blood vessels) during both phases of the study.
Researchers speculate that the vasoconstrictive tone (keeping blood vessels open) during TM may be a contributing factor.
Researchers are investigating the effects of spirituality and recovery following cardiac surgery. Preliminary research has indicated strong belief systems can positively affect wound closure, pain levels, medication usage, and the length of hospital stay for patients treated for heart disease. |
