Pesky monkey

This is pretty amazing.

I've found two different studies that show significant heart health benefits for people who meditate daily.

Here's what's amazing: Both studies are mainstream. One was recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association and one was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

But what's truly amazing – and most important – is that in both studies all the subjects had coronary heart disease.

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Pesky monkey
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"Forget what you've heard about meditation."

That advice, from my friend Ed, is for anyone who's interested in getting started with meditation. His point: If the word "meditation" conjures images of incense, finger cymbals and crystals – and if those things aren't exactly your style – don't be put off. Some people enjoy those trappings, but none of them are necessary.

About 20 years ago, while trying to come to terms with the death of his mother, Ed learned how to meditate. He describes meditation simply as a way to relax and focus by training what he calls the "monkey mind" to take a break and calm down for a few minutes.

What's to be gained by calming the monkey mind?

Previous studies have shown that a popular form of meditation known as transcendental meditation (TM) may actually help patients control blood pressure.

Researchers at the University of Southern California divided 103 coronary heart disease (CHD) patients into two groups. Subjects in one group received 16 weeks of TM instruction. Compared to the placebo group, TM subjects experienced significantly better blood pressure control, reduction of insulin resistance and improved heart rate variability. In addition, TM helped subjects control their response to stress.

In the more recent study, researchers from The Medical College of Wisconsin collaborated with a natural medicine school in Iowa. Similar to the California study, about 200 CHD patients were divided into two groups. Half received TM instruction and half did not.

Results: Over nine years, rates of heart attack, stroke, and death were all significantly lower in the TM group.

At the AHA meeting, lead researcher Robert Schneider, M.D., suggested TM should be thought of as a new class of heart disease medications. "In this case, the new medications are derived from the body's own internal pharmacy stimulated by the Transcendental Meditation practice."

You can find information about the TM technique used in the CHD study on the Transcendental Meditation Program website at tm.org.