As we celebrate the successes of women in 2011, I'd like to add a small but notable achievemenRead the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Showing posts with label comparison of mindfulness with transcendental meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comparison of mindfulness with transcendental meditation. Show all posts
The 50 Best Moments For Women In 2011, what about meditation?
As we celebrate the successes of women in 2011, I'd like to add a small but notable achievemenRead the Article at HuffingtonPost
Occupy Consciousness: Healing the Collective Mind
We all want a better world, yet like many we don't have time to protest for social change. What if there was a way to uplift the collective mind through our own consciousness? Not by thinking about it, but by transcending to the deepest, most silent level of unity where we're all connected.
In support of social change, there's another powerful approach, one that's complimentary to all viewpoints -- an approach essential to social evolution, yet so quiet it's easily drowned out amid the general media's focus on the obvious and sensational.
That approach: meditation.
"Change Begins Within"
Real change begins within. Our world is as we are. It will always be necessary to affect responsible change on the outside, but whatever good can be accomplished in society depends on the quality of heart and mind of those creating the change -- individually and collectively.
Besides, everybody needs to dissolve stress, and research shows that effective meditation is the most powerful stress buster there is. Stress wears you down. It clouds your mind and diverts you from right decisions. Doctors say it can kill you. And the total stress of all individuals coalesces to become collective stress--affecting the overall quality of life in society.
Imagine: countless numbers of people across the country, in their homes or together in meditation halls, sitting, closing their eyes and transcending, experiencing a level of consciousness where we're all interconnected. What if, by silently stirring this underlying, unified field, an influence of orderliness and cooperation could be created throughout collective consciousness -- dissolving social tensions and relieving government gridlock, stimulating economic confidence and supporting positive change? Learn how to meditate
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Power Naps vs. Meditation
Power naps are useful for those who don't get enough sleep at night. I find a 20 minute meditation also has the effect of refreshing the mind and boosting energy during the day. The Transcendental Meditation technique has been found to produce a state of rest that is even deeper than sleep [1], and allows the body to dissolve deep rooted stress that sleep alone can't remove.Although meditation is not a replacement for sleep at night, it could be an alternative to napping. Neuroscientist have found that during meditation when a person transcends thought and experiences inner silent wakefulness, brain wave patterns show synchronous alpha throughout the entire brain. This particular meditative state is associated with coherent, orderly brain function, which is necessary for peak mental performance. Sleep on the other hand, produces mostly theta and delta waves, which scientists associate with lack of alertness and dullness. Naps are great for catching up on sleep, and meditation is great for developing higher states of consciousness. Reference: Levels of Rest during Transcendental Meditation: American Psychologist 42: 879–881, 1987.
Posted on 7:03 PM / 1
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Transcendental Meditation relieves stress in women with Breast Cancer
Fear, anxiety and confusion often accompany the diagnosis of cancer or any life threatening disease. Being able to take control of one's emotions and navigate through treatment options and life style changes is essential for a speedy recovery. For managing stress and finding the inner strength to deal with a serious illness, many women find that learning Transcendental Meditation is a key factor. Not only does effective meditation provide deep relaxation and calm, but also better intuition and clarity of mind to face the challenges of fighting for one's life. A recent study gives encouragement for women with breast cancer for improving their ability to manage stress and find solace from within.
A study published in the peer-reviewed Integrative Cancer Therapies (Vol. 8, No. 3: September 2009), "The Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Women with Breast Cancer" found reduced stress and improved mental health and emotional well being through their practice of the technique. The study was a collaboration between the Center for Healthy Aging at Saint Joseph Hospital; the Institute for Health Services, Research and Policy Studies at Northwestern University; the Department of Psychology at Indiana State University; and the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management.
"It is wonderful that physicians now have a range of interventions to use, including Transcendental Meditation, to benefit their patients with cancer," said Rhoda Pomerantz, M.D., study co-author and chief of gerontology, Saint Joseph Hospital. "I believe this approach should be appreciated and utilized more widely."
The one-hundred-and-thirty women with breast cancer, 55 years and older, who participated in the two-year study at Saint Joseph Hospital were randomly assigned either the Transcendental Meditation technique or to a usual care control group. Patients were administered quality of life measures, including the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast, every six months for two years. The average intervention period was 18 months.
Since emotional and psychosocial stress contribute to the onset and progression of breast cancer and cancer mortality, the Transcendental Meditation technique provides an effective technique to reduces stress and improves emotional well-being and mental health in breast cancer patients, the study found. Having a technique to experience inner silence and timelessness can alleviate the sense of helplessness women often feel in the face of a life threatening disease. Transcendental Meditation is an effortless technique and doesn't require any belief system or ability to concentrate or focus.
"The women in the study found their meditation practice easy to do at home and reported significant benefits in their overall quality of life. Decades of research have shown that stress contributes to the cause and complications of cancer," said Robert Schneider, M.D., F.A.C.C., co-author and director of Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management. "The data from this well-designed clinical trial and related studies suggest that effective stress reduction with the Transcendental Meditation program may be useful in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and its deleterious consequences."
Facts on Breast CancerBreast cancer is the most common cancer in women—and remains a leading cause of death. Breast cancer incidence in the United States is 1 in 8 (about 13%). In 2008, an estimated 250,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in women in the U.S. Women above the age of 50 have nearly four times the incidence compared to women under 50. Newly diagnosed and long-term survivors are affected by impairment in quality of life, including emotional, physical, functional, social, and spiritual domains. Psychosocial stress contributes to the onset, progression, and mortality from this disease.
Clinical diagnosis of breast cancer increases psychological distress, with sustained distress occurring during cancer treatment and continuing long-term.
There have been an increasing number of women using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for female-specific cancers. In terms of breast cancer, recent studies indicate that CAM use among women may be as high as 90 percent. As more and more women search for natural remedies for treatment of breast cancer, the Transcendental Mediation technique offers a foundation of inner peace and healing to aid faster recovery from disease. Since it is taught in a professional setting with one-on-one guidance and follow up, women suffering from a serious illness can be sure they are learning an authentic meditation whose benefits have been validated by scientific research.
Families may also benefit from the practice as they feel the impact of stress and worry almost as much or more than the cancer patient. Dealing with a crisis requires a level head and patience that stress and tension can undermine. The introduction of Transcendental Meditation as an adjunct therapy in treating cancer is an encouraging sign, indicating the rise of integrative medicine—the medicine of the future.
A study published in the peer-reviewed Integrative Cancer Therapies (Vol. 8, No. 3: September 2009), "The Effects of Transcendental Meditation on Women with Breast Cancer" found reduced stress and improved mental health and emotional well being through their practice of the technique. The study was a collaboration between the Center for Healthy Aging at Saint Joseph Hospital; the Institute for Health Services, Research and Policy Studies at Northwestern University; the Department of Psychology at Indiana State University; and the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management.
"It is wonderful that physicians now have a range of interventions to use, including Transcendental Meditation, to benefit their patients with cancer," said Rhoda Pomerantz, M.D., study co-author and chief of gerontology, Saint Joseph Hospital. "I believe this approach should be appreciated and utilized more widely."
The one-hundred-and-thirty women with breast cancer, 55 years and older, who participated in the two-year study at Saint Joseph Hospital were randomly assigned either the Transcendental Meditation technique or to a usual care control group. Patients were administered quality of life measures, including the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast, every six months for two years. The average intervention period was 18 months.
Since emotional and psychosocial stress contribute to the onset and progression of breast cancer and cancer mortality, the Transcendental Meditation technique provides an effective technique to reduces stress and improves emotional well-being and mental health in breast cancer patients, the study found. Having a technique to experience inner silence and timelessness can alleviate the sense of helplessness women often feel in the face of a life threatening disease. Transcendental Meditation is an effortless technique and doesn't require any belief system or ability to concentrate or focus.
"The women in the study found their meditation practice easy to do at home and reported significant benefits in their overall quality of life. Decades of research have shown that stress contributes to the cause and complications of cancer," said Robert Schneider, M.D., F.A.C.C., co-author and director of Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management. "The data from this well-designed clinical trial and related studies suggest that effective stress reduction with the Transcendental Meditation program may be useful in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and its deleterious consequences."
Facts on Breast CancerBreast cancer is the most common cancer in women—and remains a leading cause of death. Breast cancer incidence in the United States is 1 in 8 (about 13%). In 2008, an estimated 250,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in women in the U.S. Women above the age of 50 have nearly four times the incidence compared to women under 50. Newly diagnosed and long-term survivors are affected by impairment in quality of life, including emotional, physical, functional, social, and spiritual domains. Psychosocial stress contributes to the onset, progression, and mortality from this disease.
Clinical diagnosis of breast cancer increases psychological distress, with sustained distress occurring during cancer treatment and continuing long-term.
There have been an increasing number of women using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for female-specific cancers. In terms of breast cancer, recent studies indicate that CAM use among women may be as high as 90 percent. As more and more women search for natural remedies for treatment of breast cancer, the Transcendental Mediation technique offers a foundation of inner peace and healing to aid faster recovery from disease. Since it is taught in a professional setting with one-on-one guidance and follow up, women suffering from a serious illness can be sure they are learning an authentic meditation whose benefits have been validated by scientific research.
Families may also benefit from the practice as they feel the impact of stress and worry almost as much or more than the cancer patient. Dealing with a crisis requires a level head and patience that stress and tension can undermine. The introduction of Transcendental Meditation as an adjunct therapy in treating cancer is an encouraging sign, indicating the rise of integrative medicine—the medicine of the future.
Posted on 1:19 PM / 0
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Growth of Consciousness
In many circles of discussion, spiritual development is thought to be a matter of choice. Deepak Chopra recently wrote an article for the Huffington Post stating that "evolution or personal growth -- choose whatever term you will -- becomes voluntary once a person reaches biological maturity. You must choose to grow into insight, wisdom, love, and compassion. Our brains can adapt to all these states. Experiments with Tibetan monks have proved that their brain functioning is different and more intense in the prefrontal cortex where higher thought is centered." According to the science of consciousness revealed by Maharishi, evolution is not merely "voluntary" and doesn't wait to kick in when a person reaches "maturity." The force of evolution and laws of cause and effect are always at work, propelling everyone forward and returning karma, good and bad. One can grow in wisdom without "choosing" to. The universe has a way of organizing what lessons we need to work through in our life's journey. It's not just a matter of choice—every creature must evolve. "All actions end in knowledge," says
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita : A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1-6
. One is propelled towards higher consciousness even though some detours may be taken along the way. Of course there are choices like learning the Transcendental Meditation technique to speed one's personal growth.The article refers to experiments on Tibetan monks where it was found that the pre-frontal cortex of the brain was activated during their meditation. In comparison, during the practice of Transcendental Meditation, the entire brain is found to be in a state of total alpha coherence, indicating a highly alert yet restful state of mind and body. Science is validating that the spiritual experience of meditators is coorelated with increased order and coherence in the brain.
Posted on 9:20 AM / 0
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Transcendental Meditation vs. Positive Thinking
"Positive thinking alone is unlikely to change much of anything in the physical world. You can sit there and hope, pray, project, imagine, fantasize, visualize, make up great affirmations and just about any other kind of positive thinking idea you can imagine, and not much will change - at least not without actually getting involved, without taking some form of action towards what you want more of in your life." Russell BishopSenior Editor-at-Large, Author and Executive Coach
Many people who practice Transcendental Meditation find that their out look on life becomes more positive with out practicing 'positive thinking'. For positive thinking to work, it has to be natural and genuine. If it is contrived, it won't have the power of sincerity and conviction behind it to create successful activity.
Thinking is a spontaneous expression of how we feel. The Transcendental Meditation technique clears the mind of stress and dullness that tend to thwart our best intentions. Transcending the surface level of the mind and experiencing pure consciousness within, infuses more intelligence and creativity into the mind so thoughts are naturally optimistic and energized with positivity.
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