Meditation for Health and Healing

    Meditation is a wonderful and simple technique to harmonize the physical, mental, and emotional state. Its regular practice provides clarity of mind, increases memory, intelligence, confidence, peace and optimism. Its wonderful effects are unmatched and surpass some of the superb medical developments of modern science.

The Secret was discovered by ancient sages for spiritual elevation. Health benefits are a bi-product which have been utilised by the ancient science of Ayurveda to remove human suffering and to promote healing. Meditation is a total immersion in the human experience of the present moment. Relaxation is a natural outcome of meditation. It brings mental tranquility, wherein it transcends all levels of past and future and remains in the present state. By stilling the mind, it brings mental peace, a positive state of mind, and rejuvenates body cells. Meditation calms the mind which leads to clarity of perception. Due to the relaxation of the mind, the autonomic nervous system is balanced during a stressful situation.

In spite of its profound beneficial effects on the health and disease, only during the last three to four decades has medical science become more attracted towards its usefulness in curative therapy. Several scientific studies have undoubtedly proved the beneficial effect of meditation on thehealth and prevention of diseases.

In 1960, Western scientists were attracted to Indian meditators possessing extraordinary control over the body and state of consciousness. Dr Herbert Bensen, a professor at Harvard Medical School, described the meditation experience as a relaxation response after he studied its effect on the long term meditators. He found that there had been falls in blood pressure, temperature, an oxygen requirement, and the basal metabolic rate. There had also been decreased muscle tension and a more relaxed mind as evidenced by the change of electrical activity of brain from abusy beta wave to an alpha wave. The mind became more alert and agile with greater creativity and quicker responses.

Several scientific studies have shown that meditation reduces the metabolic activity of the body and there is a decrease in  utilisation of oxygen and carbon dioxide since the requirement for oxygen is decreased during the practice. In some casees, its requirement decreased even up to 50 to 75% below the determined minimum level of oxygen requirement. Wallace & Benson found that during sleep the level of oxygen decreases by 10% of the daytime requirement, whereas in meditation it is decreased by 20%. This indicates that it provides greater rest to the cells. It was also found that there was a similar reduction of carbon dioxide, indicating that its requirement was also reduced during the practice.

Meditation has a relaxing effect on the mind as evidenced by a change in the brain's electrical activity from its normal beta state to an alpha state. It progresses to the delta state during further relaxation found during dreaming, and finally to the theta state found during dreamless sleep. During meditation, the lungs take in a lower volume of oxygen and the rate of breathing is also decreased from a normal level of 12 to 16 breaths per minute to 4 to 8 breaths per minute. Some researchers have reported that in certain cases, the rate of breathing may go even as low as one breath per minute. Airway resistance to the flow of air is also reduced which means that air can enter the bronchi more easily.

The heart is required to pump less blood as the rate of metabolism is decreased and the tissue require less oxygen. As a result, the tissues enhance their capacity to heal. Thomas Routt has reported that heart rate can I even slow down to 10 beats per minute. Relaxation practices also helped asthma patients according to Dr George Fuller -Von Bozzayand of the Biofeedback Institute of San Francisco and Dr Paul Leberor of Rutgers Medical School. Wallace and Benson have found that Galvanic skin resistance increased by 500% - whereas during sleep it usually increases by only 250% - indicating a greater degree of relaxation.

Lactate, a stress-related chemical gets reduced in meditators. The rate of formation of blood lactate was known to have decreased in Wallace and Benson's study. Its removal from the body during meditation is four times greater than when lying down or resting and it is three times faster than its removal during sleep. 

Dr K K Datey of Mumbai, India has shown that the use of relaxation techniques like "shavasan" and abdominal breathing have a beneficial effect of lowering the blood pressure in hypertension. He advised patients to practice abdominal breathing, which means lying on the back and relaxing the whole body, while concentrating on abdominal breathing. He found significant reduction in the requirement of drugs needed for hypertension in 50% of the cases. 

The Yog nidra using imagery symbols can be used for cancer therapy in a number of ways. Yog nidra is a rapid way to enhance the capacity of mind to heal and neutralise the disease. Moreover, meditation is proved to be effective in bestowing relief, palliation, courage and an optimistic attitude in life.

There is unanimity that the benefits of transcendental meditation in medical practice represent a major breakthrough in the field of healthcare. Transcendental meditation is a direct and perfect means for sound health, for both individuals and the society at large, as it has profound benefits of the prevention and cures of illnesses and thus its practice reduces the social cost of health care system.