Cave Health

Public schools play a vital role in shaping this nation’s future. As I write this article, we are about to elect a new President. It is probable that a change in administration will result in a new policy effecting education. The direction and quality of this policy will have a lasting effect on our public schools and on our nation as a whole. So where do we go from here?

At this moment, sitting in a classroom somewhere in America is a future Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet, and Martha Stewart. Will these students have the necessary tools to rise to the top of their profession or will we become dependent on other countries to provide leadership in this global economy? Education may be the determining factor.

“The economy of the future will be dominated by industries in microelectronics, telecommunications, robotics and biotechnology – not to mention new fields that haven’t even been predicted.” – NEA TODAY, March 2008

The essential focus in education must be to prepare American students for the challenge of the twenty-first century workplace. It is abundantly clear that our drop-out rate is too high and student performance levels are too low. Identifying these problems may be the first step toward a solution but current solutions simply don’t work. Under NCLB, academic testing has become the main focus for education reform. An emphasis on test results has forced educators to direct their energy and resources directly toward teaching to these tests. The irony is that some career-related courses and arts programs that clearly motivate students to stay in school and perform have been weakened, or even eliminated, in the process. The pressure that this type of reform has placed on educators can negate innovation and creativity in the classroom. Current policy hinders the teacher’s ability to inspire students.

Future planning for education must include a focus on changing technology and introduce the student to the necessity of lifelong learning. Programs like Tech-Prep, School-to-Work and Career Academies have successfully introduced these ideas to some high school students but have not gone far enough. No plan is complete without a delivery system that motivates and inspires students to learn. Such a plan must be implemented long before high school and have the potential to impact every student. When students are motivated to learn, test scores will rise. So where do we go from here?

A successful plan for education will include structured partnerships. As described in the book Facing the Future Together, educators should never plan or implement a program in isolation. Through structured partnerships with those who are stakeholders in education (business, industry and other agencies in the community) every program becomes stronger and every student benefits. Business and industry have an enormous stake in student achievement. Where will future customers, clients and skilled employees come from if not from the school system? Partnerships bring us closer as a community to address our common concerns and everyone benefits. Since we all have a stake in the student who exits our school system, the number of potential partners is almost limitless.

A successful school-business partnership is well structured, sustainable and clearly designed to show students the connection between education and the world beyond the school’s walls. This approach brings relevance to learning and helps to keep students motivated and in school. As previously stated, students will perform better in class and score higher on tests if they understand the relevance of subject matter they are expected to learn.

Taking that first step toward building a successful partnership can be a challenge but the result is that everyone wins. As a new administration takes office in Washington D.C. and a new education policy is formulated we have an opportunity to gain some of the ground we have lost in recent years. Facing the future of education together as partners gives us a strong foundation to build upon.

Life Coaching and Personal Coaching – The Crucial Role of Words on Our Health

We have slowly, but progressively learned that in the fields of physical and mental health, it makes for sense and sanity to restore the mind-body split of western science and medicine. Increasingly, we are discovering more of the systemic connections between what we do with our Life Coaching clients and how we talk to them.

As we enter the new century and millennium, medical interventions and technologies have provided us incredible advances in the healing arts. We now have tools and methodologies for interventions that verge on the miraculous. And yet these technological improvements so dazzle and amaze us that we can easily forget about some other equally miraculous things. Namely, those that occur in the domain of the human neuro-linguistics and neuro-semantics and how they play a crucial role in the healing arts.

We (the authors) have joined to write this paper in order to refresh our memory and thinking about the entire mind-body system and the marvelous human technologies available to us.

The Hard and Soft Stuff of the Human Experience

Near the beginning of modern psychiatry, Sigmund Freud highlighted the importance of language as a neuro-linguistic process and technology. In those primitive beginnings, he discovered that how our minds and bodies responded to the power of language. In searching for the words to express his incredible insight that language can have upon human experience, Freud (1935) chose to describe it in terms of “magic.”

“Words and magic were in the beginning one and the same thing, and even today words retain much of their magical power. By words one of us can give another the greatest happiness or bring about utter despair; by words the teacher imparts his knowledge to his student; by words the orator sweeps his audience with him and determines its judgments and decisions. Words call forth emotions and are universally the means by which we influence our fellow creature. Therefore let us not despise the use of words in psychotherapy.” (pp. 21-22)

A few years later, another giant of the twentieth century, although one whose influence has been far less extensive, wrote about the same dynamics. In doing so, however, he used his knowledge of engineering and neurology to express his understandings. Founder of the field of General Semantics, Alfred Korzybski (1933/1994) expressed his genius in describing the neuro-linguistic nature of language. He related language processing to the abstracting functions of the nervous system and brain, and demonstrated throughout his masterful work, Science and Sanity, how the very structure and form of our languaging, symbolizing, or mapping of the territory was a metaphor for the function of the brain.

This enabled him to sort and separate the hard and soft stuff of human experience, or as we might say today, using computer technology as a metaphor the hardware and the software programs that govern the overall gestalt of human experiencing, emoting, relating, etc.

Using this construction, we now know that we are symbolic creatures. We live our lives not only within the structure of our bodies with all of their marvelous systems, but also within the constructs of our symbols, institutions, laws, and doctrinal systems. And, at the heart of all of our operations is language the product of our nervous system and the cerebral cortex functions at the sub-microscopic level in terms of bio-electrical impulses, neuro- transmitters, message carriers, the exchange of ions charges, etc.

Yet at a higher level of operation, the operating of cell assemblages in the higher cortices, we operate by symbols, representations, concepts, beliefs, understandings, etc. It is here that language provides us a neuro-linguistic (coaching) tool. By it we create phenomenological maps of reality and then use those maps to navigate through life. It is here that words and language and symbolization provides us a semantic (meaning) medium in which we live. It creates a neuro-linguistic environment one that we cannot escape from and yet one that inescapably effects and governs our lives, and our health.

We want to here focus on the significance of this neuro-linguistic environment, how it affects our well-being and functioning, and how we in the health professions can develop greater skill and insight in using it as a technology for healing.

Environments: External and Internal

That our well-being and health is related to the environments within which we live is so obvious that we hardly have to mention it. As biological organisms, where we live, what we experience in our immediate environment plays a very significant part of our lives. An equally impactful environment that we seldom consider, however, involves our neuro-linguistic and neuro-semantic environment.

These terms refer to how our linguistics (words, language, the structure of our mental symbolization) and our semantics (meanings, higher level concepts, understandings and beliefs about ourselves, health, the world, etc.) not only operate at the immediate level of representation, but can become incorporated and instituted at higher levels. Words, language, and meaning, although strictly subjective, intra-psychic operations, can become externalised and made part of our actual, physical environment.

When we externalize our cognitive ideas, beliefs, understandings, paradigms, etc. into books, libraries, media, culture, rules, laws, etc., they begin to operate as a neuro-linguistic environment.

About this Korzybski (1933/1994) wrote:

“[Anthropology], at present, is used in a restricted sense to signify the animalistic natural history of man, disregarding the fact that the natural history of man must include factors non-existent in the animal world, but which are his natural functions, such as language and its structure, the building of his institutions, laws, doctrines, science and mathematics, which conditions his environment, his s.r. [semantic reactions], which, in turn, influence and determine his development.” (pp. 38-39)

Consider the impact of this structural understanding about the world we live in. As a symbolic class of life, we do not just live in the world of material things and forces. We also live in a symbolic world. We live in an environment that includes

“… language and its structure, the building of institutions, laws, doctrines, science and mathematics.”

Now, given this almost invisible environment of ideas, how does it affect us? What influence does it have upon our nervous system, how we function, and wellness or illness?

Given his time and place in history, Korzybski immediately applied this to the First World War.

“Take for instance, the example of the World War! Would the man in the trenches have endured all the horrors they had to live through if it had not been for words, and neurologically speaking, because of the conditional semantic reactions connected with words?” (p. 334)

It was the neuro-semantic environment that created the reality of that war, as well as every war since. Words lead to that momentous catastrophe that destroyed so many lives. Words also can lead to modern day stress and “mental and emotional breakdown.” Yet we seldom think about it in that way. We seldom realize that words and ideas can lead to such catastrophic consequences. And because we do not, we therefore seldom even consider the idea that the solution may totally involve gaining control over our language.

What explains this?

Our unawareness of this may simply arise from the fact that we are all born into a world of words. We grow and develop in a neuro-linguistic environment and then take it for granted. We then experience human life as we do by the words and concepts that we generate. It operates as our invisible environment. We live in this symbolic environment that affects our very neurology like the proverbial fish in th
e water.

Yet if we live in a sick and toxic neuro-linguistic environment, the very existence and structure of our language can make us ill. It can undermine our health. And yet, we now know that the very structure of our language can play a horrendous part in the genesis of the stresses that we suffer and endure. In recent years, the cognitive psychologies and therapies have identified numerous cognitive distortions that feed and foment a poisonous way of thinking and living along with the “cure” of exchanging the cognitive distortions for more healthy and accurate ways of mapping things out symbolically.

Life in an Invisible Neuro-Linguistic Environment

To compound the complexity and nature of our neuro-linguistic environment, Korzybski also noted that we tend to “read unconsciously into the world the structure of the language we use.” (p. 60).

How does this complicate things?

We then assume that our worlds are “real.” We confuse our words, our ideas, our way of talking with the territory and forget that they are but symbols, maps of the territory. When this happens, our capacity for adjusting to the territory and predicting how things works becomes hindered and limited. In that we become just a little less “sane.” We become “unsane” (to use the term invented by psychiatrist P.S. Graven). Today we use the term “neurotic” (full of nerves and nervous energy). And, with the use of more and more “unsane” words and maps, our neuro-linguistic, neuro-semantic environment becomes less and less sane … ordered, meaningful, significant. It fits the way things are with less and less accuracy. Yet as the mind-and-body attempts to adjust in such an environment, psychological “stress” increases which then creates more tensions and physical stress symptoms in the organism.

In a neuro-linguistic environment, we live, breathe, and have our being according to the frames set by the particular language we use. In other words, the very form and shape of our words and language formats and structures our “reality.” As we take it for granted, we give power to the ideas, beliefs, doctrines, etc.

Realizing this, Korzybski warned that many, if not most “human problems” arise from the structure of the language, from our neuro-linguistic environments, and that we needed to develop consciousness of our language and languaging in order to take control of this very powerful and “magic like” force. To that end he developed General Semantics and from that later came Neuro-Linguistic Programming (Bandler and Grinder, 1975), and even more currently, Neuro-Semantics®.

Each of these fields seek to create and provide more powerful linguistic tools so that people can take charge of their neuro-linguistic mapping. In this way, we can generate the kind of languaging and language environments that will promote health and well-being.

Languaging For Health

First we need to learn to make the distinction between map and territory. Korzybski wrote extensively about this:

“A map is not the territory it represents, but, if correct, it has a similar structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness. … If we reflect upon our language, we find that at best they must be considered only as maps. A word is not the object it represents…” (p. 58)

Upon making this distinction between these two levels, we next dis-identify and recognize the inherent unsanity in “the ‘is’ of identity.”

“… whatever we may say an object ‘is’, it is not because the statement is verbal, the facts are not.” (p. xxix)

“‘Whatever one might say ‘is’, it is not.’ Whatever we say belongs to the verbal level and not to the unspeakable objective levels.” (p. 409)

When we identify our words with the objective level, we confuse words and facts, language and actualities, and treat them as “the same in all respects.” This projects a false structure onto the world and disorients us in our adjustments to things. From this initial confusion, we have a powerful tendency to blame. Once we confuse a triggering stimuli with our neurological, emotional, and psychological responses, we then assume that the “cause” of our stress is “out there” and so we move into blaming. We fail to see our role and part in the process.

Yet the coping mechanism of blaming only increases the unsanity. The initial confusion of map and territory disorients us about the processes at work that generate our experiences. So we fail to adequately map the structure of the experience. Then, with the disorientation, and the mental map that “the problem” or “the source of the problem is the trigger out there, we try to make things better by accusing, judging, and blaming. Yet since we have little power to control things “out there,” we feel more and more insecure and dis-empowered. Attempting to adjust things in this way then increases the problem, especiallywhen we are “blaming” other people.”

To complicate things, we may then use another neuro-linguistic map, we may attempt to impose our rules, expectations, and desires on others by telling them what they “should” think, feel, or do. This, more often than not, does not work. And when it doesn’t, we make things even worse for ourselves (and them), by using another form of neuro-linguistic unsanity. We ask them “why” they won’t do what we “know” will improve their reality.

“Why not?”

“Why won’t you?”

Of course, what we then typically hear are lots of reasons, rationalizations, explanations, and history that supports and validates their refusal. Now they have become even more entrenched in their own neuro-linguistic environment. And we helped them. After all, we invited them to access all of the supporting frames as higher level states (meta-states) and that only solidified their resistance.

So we blame them some more!

And with that, we then solidify our own “Blame Frame” as our neuro-linguistic environment that gives meaning and significance to our experience.

Are Words Benign? Can They be Malignant?

We have provided this description of a common neuro-linguistic experience in order to highlight the power and neurological impact of words. So, what do you say if we now ask, “Are the words in the previous description benign?” Isn’t it clear that they are, of course, not? And what do you answer if we ask, “Could these words work in malignant and toxic ways?”

Given this, what can we do? How can we escape from them?

Does it not direct us to become conscious of our language and languaging, and the structuring that they create? Of course. Consciousness of our symbolizing empowers us to become mindful about our use of symbols and words. And that leads us to checking the usefulness, productiveness, and ecology of using shoulds, whys, etc.

Food For Thought

With this awareness of ourselves as neuro-linguistic and neuro-semantic beings living in neuro-linguistic environments and handling the technology of language, what does this mean in terms of health?

* What does it imply for health professionals in terms of carrying out the tasks of providing health care?

* How can we create a more healthy and health-producing neuro-semantic for our patients?

* What words and terms promote good adjustment?

* What words and terms increase unsanity and illness?

* How can we become more mindful of the words we use and lay on ourselves and others?

Why is the Buddha smiling? Because it’s finally happened: meditation is  mainstream.            

 Of course, the true “Buddha mind” finds reason to smile from within and is said to be unfazed by such spacetime frivolities as cultural trends, but surely the “enlightened” among us, whoever they are, must be encouraged that meditative practices are being taken up in boardrooms of corporate America, taught at YMCAs, introduced to schoolchildren around the world and even advocated within the military.

Mindfulness, Zen, the Transcendental Meditation technique and many other practices have become household words. Hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific research studies have demonstrated the efficacy of meditation for improving health, preventing disease, accelerating personal growth and even reversal of aging.

But with so many different methods of meditation available, how does one choose a suitable, effective meditation technique for oneself or one’s family? Here are some timesaving tips from a longtime meditator and 35-year meditation teacher to help you evaluate which meditation might be best for you.

 Meditation techniques are not all the same!

The first step is to recognize that not all meditation techniques are the same. The various meditation practices engage the mind in different ways. Vipassna, also commonly (and perhaps loosely) known as mindfulness meditation, emphasizes dispassionate observation and, in its more philosophical form, the contemplation of impermanence, sometimes focusing on the interconnection between mind and body. Zen Buddhist practices are likely to use concentration, whether directed at one’s breath or at trying to grasp a Zen koan. The Transcendental Meditation technique uses effortless attention to experience subtle states of thought and ‘transcend’ by use of a specialized mantra. Christian Centering Prayer uses a word of worship to stimulate receptiveness to God. And this is only a small sampling of the variety of practices commonly lumped together as ‘meditation.’

Different techniques have different aims, employ a variety of procedures and naturally produce different results. In determining which technique among this wide variety of practices might best suit your purposes, start by asking yourself what you want out of meditation, and how much time you’re willing to give it. Some meditation programs emphasize regular or twice-daily practice over time to gain maximum benefit and evolve to higher stages of personal growth, while other practices are intended for an occasional inspirational boost or to chill when you’re stressed.

Another question to ask yourself: do you want a meditation practice that comes with a religion, philosophy or way of life? Many practices, such as Buddhist and Taoist practices, are interwoven into a conceptual world view that’s an intricate part of the practice—whether it’s an approach that contemplates the cosmos and human mind as inseparable elements of a single order, or a world view that strives to get beyond all dogma and see the world as it truly is, it’s still another mentally conceived world view. Other practices, such as the form of mindfulness meditation now popular in the West, or the Transcendental Meditation technique, are secular in nature and can be practiced without embracing any particular philosophy, religion or way of life.

Are you seeking to achieve inspiration and insights during the meditation experience? Meditations that fall into this category are contemplative techniques. They promise greater depth of understanding about the topic being contemplated and help the intellect fathom various avenues of thought. These types of meditations can be pleasant and emotionally uplifting, especially if there is no straining or mind control involved. Often these practices are performed with the guidance of a CD, instructor or derived from a book.

A scientific approach:

Are you looking for a certain health benefit, such as decreased anxiety or lower blood pressure? Though proponents of most meditation practices claim health benefits, frequently these claims of benefit cite scientific research that was actually conducted on other forms of meditation, and not on the practice being promoted. Yet research has clearly shown that not all meditations give the same results.[1] If you’re choosing a meditation for a specific health benefit, check the research being used and verify that a particular benefit was actually done on that specific meditation technique and not on some other practice. While you are looking into the research, be sure the study was peer-reviewed and published in a reputable scientific or academic journal. If a study showing a specific benefit—such as deep relaxation or reduced anxiety—was replicated by several other research studies on that same practice, then the science is more compelling. 

When it comes to reducing stress and anxiety, scientists have again found that all meditation practices are not equally effective. Practices that employ concentration have been found to actually increase anxiety, and the same meta-study found that most meditation techniques are no more effective than a placebo at reducing anxiety.[2]

Need meditation to lower your blood pressure? The Transcendental Meditation technique is the only mind/body practice that has been shown both in independent clinical trials and meta-analyses to significantly lower high blood pressure in hypertensive patients.[3] To determine if a particular form of meditation has scientific evidence supporting a specific benefit, you can do a search at PubMed or through Google’s academic search engine, Google Scholar. There are over a thousand peer-reviewed studies on the various forms of meditation, with the Transcendental Meditation technique and mindfulness meditation being the most extensively researched practices, respectively.

How much time do you have?

Another consideration is how much time it takes to master a particular meditation technique. Some meditation practices require many years to master and to achieve their stated purpose—or even get a glimpse of the goal—while other practices may take only a few months or even a few minutes to produce intended results. For example, relaxation CDs can have an immediate, soothing effect—it may not be nirvana, but in some cases relaxation is all that’s promised. If you don’t have the patience to persist in a practice that takes many years to attain success, it makes sense to choose a technique that requires less or no effort. 

Along these lines, does the meditation practice you’re considering require the ability to concentrate? If you have a hard time focusing for prolonged periods, or suffer from ADHD, you may find it frustrating to attempt a concentration type of meditation. Remember, scientific findings actually indicate that concentration techniques, though they may improve focus in some cases, can actually increase stress and anxiety.[4]

Meditation and the brain:

Want to meditate to enhance brain functioning? There are several types of meditation CDs marketed on the Internet as “scientific technologies” for improving your brain. If you look past the marketing slogans (“Meditate deep as a Zen monk—instantly!”) to see if there are any peer-reviewed scientific research studies verifying such claims, don’t be surprised if you don’t find any. This doesn’t mean the CDs will not improve your brain—perhaps they will—but I hesitate to recommend such unproven methods, especially if they feign to be scientific when they are not. 

Speaking of meditating deep as a Zen monk, brain researchers have reported EEG alpha coherence in the frontal brain area during Zen meditation—as well as during the Transcendental Meditation technique (which shows EEG coherence throughout the entire brain). Neuroscientists theorize this to be a positive effect, because the prefrontal cortex (PFC) “oversees” the whole
brain, and having a more coherently functioning PFC should improve overall brain performance. Thus there’s evidence from neuroscience that certain meditation practices may be good for your brain. If the barrage of meditation CDs on the market that claim improved brain functioning were to show such prefrontal EEG alpha coherence, that might lend some credibility to their promises of improved brain function. Advances in neuroscience in recent years, and an influx of new scientific data on brain patterns during meditation, may soon expose claims of brain enhancement as true or false, based on what’s happening in the brain during meditation. 

Meditate for Relaxation:

If it’s relaxation you want, research shows that the body’s relaxation response can be induced in many ways—even by just sitting with your eyes closed and listening to soothing music. Because of the intimate connection between mind and body, the deeper you go in meditation and the more settled your mind becomes, the deeper is the state of rest for the body. Contemplation practices—one of the major categories of meditation techniques—like concentration practices, have their own particular and distinct effects on mind and body. Because contemplation and concentration practices keep the mind busy—engaged in a particular activity or mental task—they are not most conducive to the mind’s settling inward, and thus will not bring the deepest rest and rejuvenation to the body. Some methods, such as the Relaxation Response, Christian Centering Prayer, or relaxation CDs often employ a mixture of both contemplation and concentration, depending on how one approaches the practice. Beware: there’s no evidence that contemplation or concentration practices such as these will actually lower high blood pressure or significantly reduce anxiety. Easy listening meditation CDs that don’t require much active engagement on the part of the mind—especially ones that do not use guided voice instructions that keep the mind engaged in the realm of meaning and contemplation—may be your best bet if you want some mild relaxation and a little emotional upliftment.

I say “mild relaxation” because meta-studies of all available research on levels of rest during mind-body practices shows that most meditation practices, including the Relaxation Response technique, do not provide physiological relaxation any deeper than simple eyes-closed rest.[6]

If you want really deep relaxation, you need a meditation practice that takes you to the deepest, most transcendental level of your Self.

Secular or non-secular:

Certain meditation practices may conflict with your religion or beliefs. The practice of meditation, though found in almost every religion, has been predominantly associated with traditions of the East. Some of these practices require adherence to beliefs of Eastern philosophy, while others are merely mechanical practices (like watching your breath) extracted from those cultures and applicable to anyone. Granted, the East has much to offer the West—and vice versa—and most people find it possible to incorporate an Eastern-derived meditation practice from an age-old tradition without sacrificing their own personal belief system.

I could never sit like that!

A practical consideration: do you need to sit in a prescribed position to do a particular meditation practice? The popular image of a meditator in leotards sitting cross-legged in full lotus position may have you thinking, “I could never do that.” Don’t be discouraged. Even if you are unable to sit like a pretzel or for an extended period without back support, there are meditation practices that do not require any particular position and are best practiced in your most comfortable easy chair. Some forms of Zen and mindfulness are even practiced while walking!

Selecting a teacher:

Do you need a meditation instructor or guru? That may depend on the depth—or height—to which you aspire. The higher meditative states are not so readily achieved by instruction techniques learned from a book or CD. The very act of reading and self-instructing can interfere with your innocence and ability to get beyond the active, surface levels of the mind. This requirement for innocence during meditation is beautifully underscored in the classic little book entitled, “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind,” by Shunryu Suzuki. It can be a challenge to be innocent when you’re simultaneously playing the roles of expert teacher and diligent student.

And then the question arises: how do I know I’m doing it right? Without the expert guidance of an experienced teacher, howcan you know? In the great traditions of enlightenment, such as Buddhism, Taoism and the Vedic tradition, meditation was learned from sages who passed it on only to students who preformed sufficient austerities and showed receptivity and aptitude for learning. The act of “initiation” was considered sacred and the student showed great reverence for the teaching. Kings would give half their kingdoms or more to charity, just to earn the honor of studying with a master teacher of meditation—hoping thereby to gain liberation or enlightenment, full awakening to the true nature of life. Such was the regard for meditation in ancient times. These days, though many people may profess to be meditation teachers, they may not have the expertise you are looking for if you are serious about practicing meditation and committed to gaining higher consciousness and enlightenment. Check the teacher’s credentials and degree of training. Does the instructor represent a venerated tradition of meditation? Is the teacher upholding the purity and effectiveness of tested and proven procedures? Is the teacher directly connected to the lineage of a great, enlightened master who passed on to them the correct instructions for effective practice? 

How much should I pay?

Some people claim that because meditation is a spiritual practice, it should be given out for free, and in many cases it is. You can pick up a meditative technique as part of many yoga classes, from a library book or a friend’s CD. But many meditation courses require a course fee. Some teachers charging for meditation offer a structured course that includes follow-up and personal support—thus there is overhead and educational expenses. Remember the wise adage: you get what you pay for. If you are looking for regularly scheduled group meetings at a meditation center and ongoing follow-up, you may need to pay for that amenity. There is nothing unspiritual about paying for a service that directly benefits your health and wellbeing. In the West, where materialism dominates, it is new to think of paying for something we cannot hold in our hands. If you find cost a stumbling block to learning meditation, look at the cost effectiveness of the practice and what it will bring in terms of healthcare savings and increased efficiency and quality of life. And look into what the organization does with the money; the organization may be a legitimate non-profit supporting a humanitarian cause that you agree with, such as promoting world peace.

Deliberate—and Jump within!

The bottom line: assess your personal needs and strength of intention to incorporate meditation into your life. Be realistic about your abilities and the requirements of the practice. Do your homework—most meditation programs have a Website. And if you know someone practicing a type of meditation that interests you, ask for a personal testimonial. Evaluate the claims and the scientific proof behind those claims if there is any. Check the track record of the teacher and the organization. Then join the millions who are turning within to change themselves and the world.

 1.     Orme-Johnson, D.W., and Walton, K. (1998), “All approaches to Prevention are not the Same,” American Journal of Health Promotion, May/June, [5]: 297-298.

2.     Ibid

3.     Rainforth M, Schneider R, Nidich S, et al: Stress Reduction Programs i
n Patients with Elevated Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Current Hypertension Reports [9] 520-528, 2007

4.     Eppley, Abrams, & Shear, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 957-974, 1989.

5.     International Journal of Neuroscience 14: 147–151, 1981; Psychosomatic Medicine  46: 267–276, 1984; International Journal of Neuroscience 46: 77–86, 1989; International Journal of Neuroscience 13: 211–217, 1981; 15: 151–157, 1981; Scientific Research on Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi Programme: Collected Papers, Volume 1: 208–212, 1977; Volume 4: 2245–2266, 1989.

6.     Eppley, Abrams, & Shear, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 957-974, 1989.