Scoliosis Exercises
- Abdominal Stretches
- Alexander Technique
- Ashton Patterning
- Back Stretcher
- Body Rolling
- Bursitis Exercises
- Denise Vanderbush Exercises
- Feldenkrais
- General Exercises
- Gyrotonic
- Hellerwork
- Low Impact Aerobics
- Meditation
- Miracle Balls
- Neck Exercises
- Pilates
- Rehabilitation
- Rolfing
- Shiatsu
- Strengthening Exercises
- Stretches
- Tai Chi
- Trager
- Water
- Yoga for Scoliosis
Sciatica Exercises for:
Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental Meditation is a very simple, natural, effortless technique practised for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day, sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. During the practice, the mind settles down experiencing finer levels of thought, until it transcends the finest level of thought and experiences the source of thought, pure consciousness, the source of the unlimited creativity and intelligence of both man and nature. The Transcendental Meditation technique does not involve concentration or control of the mind and is not a religion, philosophy, or change of lifestyle.
What Does TM do?
The mind profoundly influences the body and vice versa. As the mind settles down during the TM technique, the body naturally gains a unique and very profound state of relaxation, far, far deeper than ordinary eye-closed rest. During the past 25 years, more than 500 scientific research studies have been conducted on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique at 210 independent universities and research institutions in 33 countries. The studies, many of which have been published in leading scientific journals, have shown that the Transcendental Meditation programme may do the following:
- Reduce stress
- Increase both creativity and intelligence
- Improve memory and learning ability
- Increase energy
- Increase inner calm
- Reduce insomnia
- Increase happiness and self esteem
- Reduce anxiety and depression
- Improve relationships
- Improve health
- Promote a younger biological age
Case Study: High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a critical health epidemic in all industrialised nations (e.g. in the U.S., over 43 million people suffer from the "silent killer"). The main treatment for high blood pressure is drugs, but these do not cure high blood pressure. In fact, they even produce serious side-effects in some people, such as diarrhoea, fatigue, dizziness, depression and insomnia.
The American Heart Association's journal, Hypertension, published a study in November 1995 showing that the Transcendental Meditation programme can be as effective as medication sometimes in reducing hypertension, without its hazardous side effects. The study also showed that 20 minutes of TM might be seven times as effective in reducing high blood pressure compared to changes in diet and exercise.
Case Study: Health Care Costs
Health care costs are spiralling out of control and threaten to bankrupt many businesses, even governments. Increasingly, experts recognise that the solution is not in finding ways to cut costs on expensive medical procedures, such as coronary bypass surgery, but rather to make people healthier.
A large study of the insurance statistics of 2,000 Transcendental Meditation participants over a five year period found that the TM group had a 50 per cent less medical care utilisation, both in-patient and out-patient, compared to controls matched for age, gender and occupation. The TM group had lower sickness rates in all categories of disease, including 87 per cent less hospitalisation for heart disease and 55 per cent less for cancer. The difference between the TM and non-TM groups was greatest for individuals over 40 years of age.
Are All Meditation Techniques The Same?
This is the most frequently asked question about meditation now that interest in the practice has gone mainstream. For years the answer appeared to be "Yes, all meditation techniques are basically the same". But in the past few years scientists have drawn another conclusion. Four studies compared findings of research on different meditation and relaxation techniques. These studies are called "meta-analyses".
- Reduced Anxiety This meta-analysis of 146 studies indicated that compared with every other meditation and relaxation techniques tested to date, Transcendental Meditation may be more effective in reducing anxiety, the most common sign of psychological stress
- Increased Self-Actualization This meta-analysis of 42 studies found that Transcendental Meditation was more effective in increasing self-actualization than other meditation and relaxation techniques
- Reduced Substance Abuse This meta-analysis of 198 studies found that Transcendental Meditation was more effective in reducing drug, alcohol and cigarette abuse than were standard treatment and prevention programmes, including relaxation
- Improved Psychological Health This meta-analysis of 51 studies showed that compared with every other meditation and relaxation techniques tested to date, Transcendental Meditation may be far more effective at enhancing psychological health and maturity. The studies showed that Transcendental Meditation promotes greater overall self-actualization, as indicated by increased self-regard, spontaneity, inner directedness, and capacity for warm interpersonal relations