Longevity’s mantra
Practicing Transcendental Meditation -- a technique involving intense breathing exercises and the repetition of words, or “mantras” -- may have benefits beyond stress reduction. It might actually help you live longer.
Researchers at five universities and medical centers including the Medical College of Georgia and the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine tracked 202 patients with high blood pressure for up to 18 years. They found that participants who used Transcendental Meditation twice a day for 20 minutes had a 23% lower death rate from all causes and nearly a third lower death rate from heart disease than those who did not practice the form of meditation.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. May 11, 2005 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday May 11, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 0 inches; 26 words Type of Material: Correction
Transcendental Meditation -- A Monday Health section article about Transcendental Meditation said Maharishi University of Management is in Fairfield, Ohio. The school is in Fairfield, Iowa.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Monday May 16, 2005 Home Edition Health Part F Page 4 Features Desk 0 inches; 26 words Type of Material: Correction
Meditation -- A May 9 Health section article about Transcendental Meditation said Maharishi University of Management is in Fairfield, Ohio. The school is in Fairfield, Iowa.
“This paints a strong picture of how [Transcendental Meditation] can restore the body and promote better health in the long term,” said Dr. Robert Schneider, the principal author of the study. He’s also the director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Ohio.
Researchers can’t say for sure how meditation lowers death rates, but studies have shown meditation can reduce risk factors associated with heart diseases and other chronic illnesses.
The small study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was published May 2 in the American Journal of Cardiology.
