Posts Tagged ‘TM’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

The answer to happiness lies within us. In the grips of the recession some TM can help, writes Barry Egan of The Independent

October 23, 2011

Health

The answer to happiness lies within us

In the grips of the recession some Transcendental Meditation can help, writes Barry Egan

Sunday, October 23, 2011

If there ever was a time that Ireland needed a little spirituality it is surely now.

Wise men of thought (wiser than the dour, sourpuss economists who seem to get off on telling us the bad times are only going to get badder) have long told us that meditation is a more substantial reality than that which we normally take to be reality. Many people are searching for a more meaningful existence, and Transcendental Meditation (TM) is providing the answer for some; myself included, my mum was dead a year last Sunday and TM helped me through some if not all of that darkness.

Next Tuesday, Transcendental Meditation Ireland will try to answer the need for something deeper in a country and a people shaken by recession with the public launch of the new TM website.

“It’s obvious that many people in Ireland have become very disillusioned with life,” influential TM teacher Noel O’Neill told me. “The material dream that had been held up to them has been pulled out from under their feet and many are left with nothing but debts and a life-long mortgage. Even the people who are not financially crippled are facing ever increasing levels of stress. TM is becoming increasingly recognised as a means of dealing with these stressful situations. When we practise TM we become aware of an inner aspect of our lives, a silent level of our minds which is untouched by the chaos going on around us. We discover a sense of happiness which is dependent on nothing else but ourselves, we become more self-reliant and don’t let our situation overwhelm us,” Noel says, adding that the new site — www.tm-ireland.org — contains endorsements of TM by the likes of David Lynch, Paul McCartney, Clint Eastwood, Jerry Seinfeld and a whole host of Irish TM luminaries like Dr Donn Brennan.

Hollywood actress Eva Mendes credits TM with having a positive effect on her career. In a recent interview, she spoke of the virtues of TM.

“I’m actually huge into meditation, Transcendental Meditation, and that really helps create not only a sense of balance, but serenity and a calm state of mind. It helps me deal with life’s ups and downs,” she says.

She also spoke of the influence of Hollywood director David Lynch’s book on TM and creativity, Catching the Big Fish, and how the technique has helped her as an actor.

“All aspects of life improve with TM — mental, physical and spiritual,” says Noel. “The research is there for anyone to see. Now we need a new formula for living life. We are ‘human beings’, it’s the aspect of ‘being’ that has been ignored in life. We are only aware of the surface values of life, our happiness is dependent on outside things, how much we get paid, how big your house is etc, but as we now know all these things are subject to very rapid change.

“Being, the silent field of creativity that lies deep within everyone, however, is not subject to change, and it is this aspect of life, this side of our nature that we experience and enliven when we practise TM. True lasting happiness can only come from within us.”

Noel says that there is an upsurge in interest in TM worldwide. “Oprah Winfrey surprised the ladies of Fairfield, Iowa, who practise Maharishi Mahesh Yogi‘s Transcendental Meditation when she meditated with them last Wednesday evening,” he says.

Drogheda GP Dr Alan Moran says he looked into TM, and saw how relaxed it left people, how it lowered blood pressure, and left people with an overall feeling of calmness and wellness. Their thoughts were clearer, they slept better and seemed to adjust to life’s ups and downs better.

“Daily I meet people who I feel could benefit from TM I see them suffering in large and small ways from worries and annoyances that they have allowed under their skins. People ask if I do TM, I say it’s a bit like a stockbroker who comes across a fund which is doing really well, is stable, and has a long history of doing well and paying dividends to those who are part of it. Would that stockbroker then buy shares in that fund?”

Noel O’Neill adds that the new Irish site will give up-to-the minute details of all the latest research on TM.

The site will also include details about a new book by internationally respected psychiatrist, Norman E Rosenthal, Transcendence: Healing and Transformation through Transcendental Meditation.

“The site will answer any commonly asked questions,” says Noel, who will speak at its public launch at 3pm on Tuesday in Buswells Hotel, Dublin, along with Dr Donn Brennan GP, Dr Joe Hayden (TM Ireland national director) and TM teacher John Burns.

More information on TM can be obtained by visiting www.tm-ireland.org or by contacting Noel O’Neill at 012845742/0861946792 or noeloneill@tm-ireland.org.

Originally published in http://shar.es/bhJQg

————–
Also listen to an excellent interview with Norman Rosenthal and Jenny Crwys-Williams on South Africa’s 702 Talk Radio. Click to download Podcast. It’s mentioned in this post: Meditation for Health, Happiness and Spirituality.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, Health | Leave a Comment »

Reports of Oprah’s visit to Fairfield, Iowa

October 22, 2011

Oprah visits Maharishi School, Fairfield

Fairfield (IA) Ledger

By DIANE VANCE, Ledger staff writer | Oct 20, 2011
“It was a tremendous honor to have Oprah Winfrey here even for a brief visit,” said Richard Beall, director of Maharishi School. “We’ve been in communication for some time about this visit; it’s hard to believe it’s actually happened.”

Oprah came to the kindergarten through 12th grade private school around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday on a planned visit. She brought an entourage of film and production crews.

Fairfield Police Chief Julie Harvey said Oprah’s visit included her trip to Maharishi School, a visit to the campus of Vedic scholars (the pundits in Maharishi Vedic City), a visit to a private residence, coffee at Cafe´ Paradiso and meditating in the women’s dome. She left Fairfield airport about 6:30 p.m.

Beall escorted Oprah around Maharishi School to the places she had indicated an interest in visiting. The crews mostly went separate, pre-assigned ways, he said.

“She had an opportunity to watch the children’s meditation,” said Beall. “Then she participated in meditation with older students.

“She talked briefly with all of the high school students, boys and girls. She selected a few students to interview more closely,” said Beall. “All together, she interviewed about 10 students.”

Beall said a lot of cameras were around, but they all belonged to Oprah’s people. It was Oprah’s request to not have publicity about her visit.

“I was so busy, I didn’t really think about photos,” said Beall. “If Oprah’s people release any of the photos, then we’ll have some.”

All MSAE staff were told not to bring cameras or gifts to school, another source reported.

“She’s an absolutely remarkable person,” said Beall. “She’s clearly passionate – and compassionate of others.”

Oprah left the school around 1 p.m.

About three hours later, she was seen around Fairfield’s square.

“My wife Linda and I were driving over to pick up The Ledger in the late afternoon,” said Ralph Messerli this morning by phone. “We saw a commotion, a bunch of people clustered on the sidewalk near George’s Pizza. My wife said, ‘that looks like Oprah!’ and I said, ‘yeah, right.’

“We saw a parking space and started to pull in. Police Chief Julie Harvey was standing nearby and motioned us to go ahead and pull in,” said Messerli. “Then I see a gal who looks like Oprah. It was Oprah! She was talking with Fairfield folks, shaking hands and letting people take pictures with her.”

The Messerlis stayed in their car, observing.

“After she took some pictures, she walked over to our car, stuck her hand in to shake ours,” said Messerli. “We said some nice things and chatted briefly. It was pretty informal.”

Messerli said they don’t watch the Oprah show normally, but have caught a few now and then.

“She’s certainly made her impact,” he said. “She’s quite a lady.”

Married Maharishi University of Management students, Baruti and Mina KMT-Sisouvong had taken an afternoon walk and stopped at Cafe´ Paradiso about 4:15 p.m.

“I ordered a wonderful organic, raw, chocolate cheese cake,” said Baruti by phone today. “My wife and I sat down to enjoy our coffee and cake – and in walked Oprah.”

Two bodyguards and a few staff accompanied her.

“She saw my sweatshirt and made a connection,” said Baruti.

He was wearing a Morehouse College, Atlanta, sweatshirt.

“She let out a ‘Moor-house’ in the way it’s said around campus,” said Baruti. “She got it right. It was fun. We talked a little about Morehouse College, my awards from there and my mentors, Dr. Franklin and Dr. Carter. Oprah asked Mina and I how we came to be in Fairfield.”

Baruti is a doctoral candidate and Mina is in the graduate program to earn a master’s degree in Vedic Science at M.U.M.

“One of the nice things about Fairfield is people are very respectful here,” said Baruti. “Who ever we might see around town, we stay respectful. Those of us at Cafe´ Paradiso got to have a little time, sharing afternoon coffee.

“Oprah sat down, people came up to speak with her and she was very friendly and welcoming. She ate and drank, and visited. It was very nice.

“Later, I talked about the experience with Tom Morgan, who was also there,” said Baruti. “It’s a little strange to admire someone for some time, then meet her casually in everyday life. I’m getting ready to call my mentors in Atlanta and share with them.”

An M.U.M. employee shared her experience in an email Wednesday night:

“I walked [along the sidewalk to the dome for evening meditation] behind Oprah tonight. I didn’t realize it was her until she turned around near the gate and greeted us.

‘Hi ladies,’ she said. ‘Are you coming here from work? From home?’

Some of us responded ‘work,’ others ‘home.’

‘Work? Home? Homework?’ Oprah said, then laughed.

We were all going to the women’s Golden Dome, a meditation hall here at M.U.M. Oprah recently learned Transcendental Meditation and wanted to experience meditating together with hundreds of women, so she joined us.

It was a very sweet experience. The room seemed to be filled with more love and bliss than usual.

My daughter, 19, especially enjoyed being there. It seems the younger generation were more excited about having her here; the college-aged were chatting away animatedly about it.

My daughter’s comment afterwards, ‘I got to meditate with Oprah in the dome and my sister didn’t. I’m gonna rub it in her face!’

###

See this earlier post where: Oprah says she and her staff meditate, enjoy a Quiet Time twice a day—Facebook Live interview

Other reports of Oprah’s visit to Fairfield include:

KTVO: Oprah and her jet land in southeast Iowa | Oprah Jets into Fairfield and Meditates | Oprah Winfrey Meditated in Fairfield Iowa tonight with other Transcendental Meditation Meditators | associated content from Yahoo | The Associated Press: Chicago Tribune: Oprah travels to Iowa school for group meditation |KGAN CBS 2 News: Oprah travels to Iowa school for group meditation|Washington Examiner | The Republic: Oprah travels to Iowa school for group meditation, talks to students about spiritual journey, includes a Comment by Jean Welch Tobin: Oprah was so appreciative and eloquent about Transcendental Meditation. She commented on her experience of practicing the TM technique with close to 500 other women – over 2000 people if you consider everyone in the community. She said, “That was amazing, that was truly amazing!” | The Washington Post: Oprah Winfrey meditates with women in Iowa, talks to students about her spiritual journey | The Huffington Post: Winfrey meditates with women during Iowa visit | WHO-TV: OPRAH VISIT: Oprah travels to Iowa school for group meditation | TheCelebrityCafe.com: Oprah meditates in Iowa, and more.

The Fairfield Weekly Reader, October 27 – November 2, 2011. Oprah visits the Fairfield Square
“It was great to spend time with Oprah. She is so excited about Fairfield and the peaceful energy she felt while here.”
—filmmaker Zappy Zapolin

Here’s a PDF of a follow-up article in the Nov 23, 2011 Fairfield Ledger: Oprah’s network to air Fairfield footage.

Here’s a link to a report in the MUM Review: Oprah Visits Campus; Program to Air Early Next Year on OWN.

Here’s a report in the Maharishi School News: Oprah Winfrey Visits Maharishi School

Follow-up piece in the Fairfield Ledger, March 19, 2012: Oprah’s Fairfield show set to air Sunday night

See NPR: Fairfield, Iowa: Where ‘Art Belongs To Everyone’

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles | 9 Comments »

The Hawk Eye: Nurses heal themselves

October 17, 2011

Nurses heal themselves

Nurses use TM to help cope with stressful profession.

Monday, October 17th, 2011

John Lovretta/The Hawk Eye
From left, Terry Arellano of Burlington, Anne Dietrich of Fairfield, Amy Ruff of Fairfield, Mona Smith of Burlington and Adrienne Pelton of Fairfield gather Thursday for their weekly group practice of transcendental meditation at the Transcendental Meditation Center, 409 N. Fourth St. in Burlington. The center soon will start classes specifically targeted at nurses.

By WILLIAM SMITH
wsmith@thehawkeye.com

It’s no secret nurses often sacrifice their physical and mental health for the sake of their patients. Amy Ruff of Fairfield, who became a registered nurse 39 years ago, can attest to that.

“Being a new nurse was very stressful, and I started to realize that it was affecting my health,” she said.

Ruff was working at an intensive care unit in New Jersey at the time, and six months after she started the job, she saw a poster for a transcendental meditation lecture. Once she learned the process of TM, Ruff noticed an immediate change in her life.

“I was calmer at work, I could prioritize better, and I had more energy at the end of the day,” she said.

Ruff and her fellow TM instructors, Adrienne Pelton and Anne Dietrich, will lead a lecture dedicated to introducing nurses to TM next Wednesday at the Transcendental Meditation Center in Burlington. Their goal is to provide stress relief and higher quality of living for those who sacrifice it during their work.

“If you can think, you can meditate,” Ruff said.

The Transcendental Meditation Center in Burlington was founded last year by the TM instructors and Terry Arellano, who owns the Social Services Building the center is housed in. She said if the TM classes prove to be popular among area nurses and nurses-in-training, she will refurbish the sleeping rooms of the third floor of the building so they can act as dormitories for the female nurses.

“There will be a shortage of nurses in the United States, especially as the baby boomers age,” she said.

Learning TM is a seven-step, four-day process that requires a couple of hours of practice each day. The technique involves shutting your eyes and staying calm, allowing the mind to be free and without concentration.

Once the technique is learned, it requires much less commitment, and practitioners usually meditate twice a day for 20 minutes at a time. The Transcendental Medication Center in Burlington also has weekly group meditation sessions that coincide with sessions in Fairfield.

The idea to target area nurses came from Brandman University in Irvine, Calif., which offers continuing education credits for nurses who study TM. Arellano and Dietrich are working with Southeastern Community College about a possible relationship between the Transcendental Meditation Center and the school.

Ruff said more than 6,000 studies from 250 medical schools and universities have validated the health benefits of TM, which include increased coherence and reduced blood pressure. The practice also has been linked to decreased rates of heart disease, according to a study at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield.

Mona Smith, who has been practicing TM since 1969, said the practice allows her to live medication free. She recently attended her 50th high school reunion, and classmates could not believe she was able to live so healthy without the aid of medication.

“When I mentioned the natural ways I’ve trained, they tried to laugh it off,” she said. “People continue to underplay the naturalness of it.”

According to particle physicist John Hagelin, who is the director of the Transcendental Meditation movement in the United States, the practice can be life-changing. He stresses TM is not a religion or philosophy, it’s just a technique.

“The TM technique is the world’s most widely practiced, extensively researched and broadly prescripted program for the reduction of stress, the prevention of disease and the promotion of health,” he said.

The lecture is free and open to the public and will be 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Transcendental Meditation Center, 409 N. Fourth St.

For more information on learning TM locally, call the center at (319) 850-3276. Learn more at www.tm.org.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Articles, Health | Leave a Comment »

David Lynch Foundation launches Veteran’s Day national meditation initiative

October 14, 2011

David Lynch Foundation launches Veteran’s Day national meditation initiative

Veteran’s Day falls on 11.11.11. and the David Lynch Foundation is hosting a national meditation initiative for veterans.

The charitable organization is teaming up with online fundraising network Crowdrise, to raise funds for its veteran’s outreach – Operation Warrior Wellness – which has the goal of providing stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation to 10,000 veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress and their families.

Here’s how it works: Donate $11 or more to Operation Warrior Wellness on Crowdrise and you are automatically entered to win the Warrior Wellness Gift Pack – which includes the Operation Warrior Wellness commemorative coin, OWW t-shirts and hoodies, and books by the iconic filmmaker David Lynch, the NY Times bestselling author Dr. Norman Rosenthal, and WWII fighter pilot Jerry Yellin. The value of the gift pack is approximately $200.

Recent published research has shown a 50% reduction in PTSD symptoms among meditating veterans, as well as greater resiliency, reduced cardiovascular disease, decreased substance abuse and decreased medical expenditures.

Russell Brand, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Donna Karan, Candy Crowley, and many decorated veterans have partnered together in support for Operation Warrior Wellness. Explained Vietnam veteran Dan Burks, “The experience I had from Transcendental Meditation basically saved my life.”

To make a donation to the Operation Warrior Wellness Veteran’s Day Campaign and enter the give-away please visit: crowdrise.com/operationwarriorwellness.

For more information on the David Lynch Foundation’s veteran’s initiative, please visit operationwarriorwellness.org.

See: Finding Her Son Again – Julia George and Iraq Veteran David George:

Also see: Medication or Meditation for Veterans with PTSD?, Author Veteran Jerry Yellin To Sign Four Books Proceeds To Benefit Operation Warrior Wellness, Huffington Post: What Meditation Did for Me: A War Vet’s Story, Wall Street Journal: A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress by David Lynch and Norman E. Rosenthal.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Peace, Videos | 1 Comment »

Author Veteran Jerry Yellin To Sign Four Books Proceeds To Benefit Operation Warrior Wellness

October 14, 2011

Jerry Yellin will be doing a book signing on Saturday evening, November 5, from 7:30-8:30 at the Fairfield Library meeting room. Receipts from the sale of his four books will benefit Operation Warrior Wellness, a division of the David Lynch Foundation. Here is an article promoting this event written by Jerry’s son, Steven Yellin. Jerry’s books are listed at the end of this article.

A WWII P-51 Pilot Talks About Healing His Soul Through Meditation

On March 7, 1945, Jerry Yellin, a current resident of Fairfield, Iowa landed on a small strip of land in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. For the next six months he saw sights that would haunt him for the next 35 years.

The strip of land was Iwo Jima.

28,000 soldiers died on Iwo Jima. Had the American commanders known in advance how many casualties there were going to be in taking that island, they never would have invaded. Jerry was a P-51 fighter pilot who strafed the island for the Marines, and then flew 19 missions over Japan.

When Jerry returned to the States, he took those memories and images of what he saw on Iwo Jima with him. Everyday and many horror-filled dreaded nights, he relived the images of war. Time passed, the memories did not.

Though he didn’t die on Iwo, the memories of Iwo were slowly killing him. Then in 1975 Jerry learned the Transcendental Meditation program. Slowly, the memories of war started to fade from his mind. For the first time, he started to reconnect with himself on a deep level and experience the joys of life that were absent for so long. Though he had married a wonderful woman and had four great sons, he couldn’t really feel the flow of life until he learned to meditate. Years later, he said unequivocally that TM saved his life.

Last year, a friend of his called and said that her son was having a difficult time adjusting from the many military tours of duty he had done. Jerry met with him and as a former soldier that had seen combat, tried to console him. It didn’t work. Two weeks later that young man committed suicide. A little known fact is that more soldiers commit suicide each month than die in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jerry was devastated because he knew exactly what this young soldier experienced. He felt that something had to be done to prevent these kinds of suicides and the ruined lives of soldiers caused by Post-Traumatic Stress. So he contacted the David Lynch Foundation, a non-profit organization that has been teaching Transcendental Meditation to at-risk youth around the world since 2006. They immediately said they were interested and Operation Warrior Wellness was launched.

Since then Jerry has talked about OWW to military groups all over the country. The response has always been the same—this is an organization that needs to be successful because the problem is so acute. “We send our young men and woman to fight,” says Jerry, “and then, when they return, we can’t really help them integrate into society successfully, because what they saw and heard are so devastating to their souls.”

The four books Jerry Yellin will be signing are:

The Resilient Warrior, Healing the Hidden Wounds of War: stories of veterans of war who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress and how Transcendental Meditation helps cure them.

Of War and Weddings, A Legacy of Two Fathers: an autobiographical story of one American and one Japanese soldier who hated each other in their youth and came to be family by the marriage of their two youngest children in 1988.

The Blackened Canteen: a true story of 23 Americans who were killed on June 20, 1945, and the Japanese man who buried their remains in a common grave next to the 2000 Japanese citizens their bombs helped to kill.

The Letter: literary fiction about a powerful American Senator who goes through life hating people of different religions only to find out that his birth mother and father were everything he hated.

###

The David Lynch Foundation teamed up with Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation on June 7, 2011, to garner support for their shared goal: to help veterans who are suffering with Post-Traumatic Stress reclaim their lives. In this video, former WWII captain and fighter pilot Jerry Yellin speaks out about the horrors of returning to civilian life after experiencing the trauma of combat—and how he overcame the hidden wounds of war through the practice of Transcendental Meditation. More articles on Jerry Yellin are posted here on this blog.

Click here to download a beautifully-designed poster announcing the book-signing event.

Upcoming Event: David Lynch Foundation launches Veteran’s Day national meditation initiative

See Huffington Post: What Meditation Did for Me: A War Vet’s Story | Wall Street Journal: A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress by David Lynch and Norman E. Rosenthal | Medication or Meditation for Veterans with PTSD?

Tags:, , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Peace, Writing | Leave a Comment »

The Norwich Guidon: Rooks experiment with meditation

October 8, 2011

Rooks experiment with meditation

By Thomas Carson
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Norwich University has received a $40,000 grant from Foundations of America to conduct a study on how to lower stress among rooks. One rook platoon is using Transcendental Meditation (TM) twice a day, every day, to see if meditating helps, according to Dr. Peg Meyer, director of academic achievement and educational effectiveness.

“The big thing about the TM practice is that it is an individual tool, people will say, ‘What about a team performance or a platoon performance’ but it is really about what it does for you,” said Shelby Wallace, the director for student success. “I have been TM’ing for almost a year now this December, and it has definitely helped with a level of prioritization.”

“I can handle situations in a more effective way, and reduce my stress, so I have seen a lot of positive results in a personal and professional way,” said Wallace.

Last February, Norwich conducted a study with the men’s lacrosse team to test TM.

“The spring study was more or less an intro for the university to take a cross section of students, staff and faculty who were trained, as well to learn a little more about the TM practice to understand if this was something that we wanted to do,” said Wallace.

After seeing good results, Meyer, Wallace and President Richard W. Schneider went to New York to meet with the David Lynch Foundation to get trained in TM and to see its effects firsthand.

After receiving the grant, Norwich sent out emails to the rooks of 4th Company, 3rd Platoon, asking if they would participate.

Twenty-eight rooks volunteered.

“I received an email, I volunteered, and now I am apart of this great study,” said Frank Ruscito, an 18-year-old freshman study of war and peace major from Rome, N.Y. “I feel it has worked better than I expected.”

“I see other people falling asleep (in class), and I am energized and focused,” Ruscito said. “I’m doing much better in my classes than I expected.”

The 4-3 platoon cadre are trained in TM and do it with the platoon, as well as by themselves when needed to. The rooks are free to meditate whenever they please as well. The platoon meditates at 0800 and between 1620 and 1630 as a platoon.

“My stress levels are down. As far as academics, everything seems to be clicking very well,” said Scott Heimann, a 18-year-old freshman computer security major from Colorado Springs, Colo. “I do believe with the help of the TM, my rookie knowledge is sticking very well.” Heimann added, “I strongly believe that I will continue TM after rookdom.”

“It has helped me with my academics tremendously. I feel more alert, I can focus better on my homework,” said Timothy Hunter, a 18-year-old freshman biology major from Stratham, N.H. Hunter also described how the effects of the TM helped him with his rookie knowledge, and how it relieved the stresses of balancing the rook environment and school work.

All the rooks who were interviewed said TM should be done by everyone; and that they will continue doing TM.

“I feel more organized, I feel I have more energy, I’m more productive, and it helps relieve stress,” said Madison Dupouy, a 22-year-old senior physics major from Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Dupouy went to a dinner for people interested in this new study. After discovering that TM actually helped him with his academics, his stress and his energy level, Dupouy decided to get involved as one of the cadet officers who will oversee the study.

“I have always been interested in meditation,” said Brandon Jennings, a 21-year-old senior history major from Gales Ferry, Conn. Jennings found out about the study, and when he tried it for himself he noticed an improvement in his energy levels, organization habits and his academics.

“I took 23 credits with two seminar classes last semester, and I got a 3.407 GPA for the semester,” said Jennings. These good results got him interested in being a part of the study, and he became one of the officers in charge.

Related:

Tags:, , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health, Peace | 4 Comments »

Medication or Meditation for Veterans with PTSD?

September 9, 2011

 National Office • 654 Madison Avenue • Suite 806 • New York, NY 10065 Tel: 212-644-9880 • OperationWarriorWellness.org

MEDICATION OR MEDITATION
FOR VETERANS WITH PTSD?

Filmmaker David Lynch Announces $500,000 Matching Grant
to Teach Transcendental Meditation to 10,000 Veterans

Iconic filmmaker David Lynch will announce this September 11 a $500,000 matching grant to be used to teach the Transcendental Meditation technique to 10,000 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their families.

Lynch is inviting philanthropists and foundations to match the offer by Veterans Day, November 11, 2011.

Hollywood directors Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, and George Lucas, as well as Dr. Mehmet Oz, Paul McCartney, Jerry Seinfeld, and Russell Brand have joined Lynch in support of the outreach.

Lynch’s veteran’s initiative comes from Operation Warrior Wellness (OWW), a division of the David Lynch Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2005 to bring Transcendental Meditation to at-risk populations.

Jerry Yellin, a distinguished World War II fighter pilot and national co-chair of Operation Warrior Wellness, said the need is urgent for Lynch’s initiative. “We are in a crisis of epidemic proportions. More soldiers died from suicide last year than died in combat. This is unconscionable. We must give our active duty personnel and our veterans something more than a handful of pills to help them overcome the nightmare of PTSD. Research shows Transcendental Meditation is the best way to go.”

Ed Schloeman, a Marine Vietnam service disabled veteran and national co-chair of Operation Warrior Wellness, says Americans need to help their military, now:  “I call on civilian America to support the men and women who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan—alive but wounded. Let’s come together for our military, as they have come together for us.”

Evidence-Based Meditation

According to Norman Rosenthal, M.D., psychiatrist, clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Transcendence, research on the Transcendental Meditation technique on OEF-OIF veterans as well as Vietnam veterans demonstrates its effectiveness for reducing symptoms of PTSD—and treating a number of the disorders associated with the illness. Findings include:

• Reduced PTSD: 40 to 50 percent reduction in PTSD symptoms, including depression, anxiety, flashbacks, and insomnia (see PTSD)

• Greater resiliency: Reduced stress levels and quicker recovery from stress (see Resiliency to stress)

• Reduced cardiovascular disease: Decreased blood pressure, harmful cholesterol, and atherosclerosis; and a 47 percent reduction in cardiovascular-related mortality (see Cardiovascular disease)

• Decreased substance abuse: Decreased smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse (see Substance abuse)

• Decreased medical expenditures: 14 percent reduction in annual medical expenditures, as compared to the norm (see Decreased healthcare utilization)

“Operation Warrior Wellness is giving our dedicated service men and women a meditation technique that is a traumatic stress buster—it’s not hocus-pocus,” said David Lynch. “When they get this simple, effortless technique they will get their lives back.”

Operation Warrior Wellness is working with veterans’ service organizations, army bases, and military colleges to bring Transcendental Meditation to active duty personnel and veterans and their families.

• For more information on how to contribute to the matching grant campaign of Operation Warrior Wellness, please contact Heather Hartnett at 212-644-9880, or email Heather@OperationWarriorWellness.org.

• Veterans of four wars, from WWII to the present, launched the OWW initiative in December 2010. Researchers and celebrities joined founding veterans Jerry Yellin, Ed Schloeman, and Col. Brian Rees, MD, at a press conference and inaugural gala event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

• In June this year, CNN anchor, Candy Crowley, hosted an event honoring the initiative at American University in Washington, DC. Crowley concluded: “The initial research offers so much hope: reduced anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, and insomnia, as well as reductions in substance abuse, violent behavior, and suicidal tendencies—better than many things being tried and at far less a cost.”

• For recent press coverage of Operation Warrior Wellness visit the OWW News and Archives.

• More news coverage, including  interviews, and the NYC OWW launch at Urban Zen, is also available on this blog’s archive.

• To arrange press interviews with leaders of Operation Warrior Wellness, please contact Steve Yellin at 641-455-9999, or email Steven@OperationWarriorWellness.org.

News Reports: , Paul McCartney Examiner: Paul McCartney lends support to 9/11 TM veterans outreach | The PR Newswire press release, Medication or Meditation for Veterans With PTS?, was also posted by: The Sacramento Bee | MarketWatch | DigitalJournal.com | Hola Arkansas | SunHerald.com | SYS-CON Media | RedOrbit | MedIndia | Virtual Press Office: Filmmaker David Lynch Announces $500,000 Matching Grant to Teach Transcendental Meditation to 10,000 Veterans | SourceMedia Group: Kathleen Serino for Eastern Iowa News Now: Fairfield Resident Helps Veterans Recover (more articles listed there) | Odewire: Diving deep with David Lynch | Wall Street Journal: A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress by David Lynch and Norman E. Rosenthal | Huffington Post: What Meditation Did for Me: A War Vet’s Story.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Peace | 3 Comments »

Inspiring results from the TM-Quiet Time Program in the San Francisco Unified School District

August 12, 2011

Click on these links and you’ll be inspired as I was by the amazing results of the TM-Quiet Time Program in some San Francisco schools:

Schools Students and teachers speak about their experiences with TM-Quiet Time Program in San Francisco schools. http://t.co/D0QJtvf

Laurent Valosek, director of the Center for Wellness and Educational Achievement, discusses the implementation and results of the TM-Quiet Time Program in the San Francisco Unified School District. http://t.co/dAfYdTw

James Dierke, Principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco, presents research findings on the TM-Quiet Time Program. http://t.co/m4INjFT

David Lynch, founder of the David Lynch Foundation, gives an inspiring address to educators about experiences with the Transcendental Meditation program. (Q & A with Bob Roth). http://t.co/6IZOggu

See the complete presentation of Meditation for Students: Results of the David Lynch Foundation’s Quiet Time/TM Program in San Francisco Schools

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in David Lynch Foundation, Education | Leave a Comment »

TM improves brain function in ADHD students

July 26, 2011

New study shows Transcendental Meditation improves brain functioning in ADHD students

A non-drug approach to enhance students’ ability to learn

A random-assignment controlled study published today in Mind & Brain, The Journal of Psychiatry (Vol 2, No 1, pp. 73–81) found improved brain functioning and decreased symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, in students practicing the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique. The paper, ADHD, Brain Functioning, and Transcendental Meditation Practice, is the second published study demonstrating TM’s ability to help students with attention-related difficulties.

The first exploratory study, published in Current Issues in Education, followed a group of middle school students diagnosed with ADHD who meditated twice a day in school. After 3 months, researchers found over 50% reductions in stress, anxiety, and ADHD symptoms. During the study, a video was made of some students discussing what it felt like to have ADHD, and how those experiences changed after 3 months of regular TM practice.

In this second study, lead author, neuroscientist Fred Travis, PhD, director of the Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition, joined principal investigator Sarina J. Grosswald, EdD, a George Washington University-trained cognitive learning specialist, and co-researcher William Stixrud, PhD, a prominent Silver Spring, Maryland, clinical neuropsychologist, to investigate the effects of Transcendental Meditation practice on task performance and brain functioning in 18 ADHD students, ages 11-14 years.

The study was conducted over a period of 6 months in an independent school for children with language-based learning disabilities in Washington, DC. The study showed improved brain functioning, increased brain processing, and improved language-based skills among ADHD students practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique.

A local TV news station reported on the study in-progress during the first 3 months.

What was Measured

Students were pretested, randomly assigned to TM or delayed-start comparison groups, and post-tested at 3- and 6-months. Delayed-start students learned TM after the 3-month post-test.

EEG measurements of brain functioning were taken while students were performing a demanding computer-based visual-motor task. Successful performance on the task requires attention, focus, memory, and impulse control.

In addition, students were administered a verbal fluency test. This test measured higher-order executive functions, including initiation, simultaneous processing, and systematic retrieval of knowledge. Performance on this task depends on several fundamental cognitive components, including vocabulary knowledge, spelling, and attention.

Theta/Beta Power Ratios and ADHD

Using EEG measurements, the relationship of theta brain waves to beta brain waves can be diagnostic of ADHD. Dr. Joel Lubar of the University of Tennessee has demonstrated that the theta/beta ratio can very accurately identify students with ADHD from those without it.

While theta EEG around 4-5 Hz is commonly associated with daydreaming, drowsiness, and unfocused mental states, theta EEG around 6-8 Hz is seen when one focuses on inner mental tasks, such as memory processing, identifying, and associating.

“In normal individuals, theta activity in the brain during tasks suggests that the brain is blocking out irrelevant information so the person can focus on the task,” said Dr. Travis. “But, in individuals with ADHD, the theta activity is even higher, suggesting that the brain is also blocking out relevant information.”

“And when beta activity, which is associated with focus, is lower than normal,” Travis added, “it affects the ability to concentrate on task for extended periods of time.”

“Prior research shows ADHD children have slower brain development and a reduced ability to cope with stress,” said Dr. Stixrud. “Virtually everyone finds it difficult to pay attention, organize themselves and get things done when they’re under stress,” he explained. “Stress interferes with the ability to learn—it shuts down the brain. Functions such as attention, memory, organization, and integration are compromised.”

Why the TM Technique

“We chose the TM technique for this study because studies show that it increases brain function. We wanted to know if it would have a similar effect in the case of ADHD, and if it did, would that also improve the symptoms of ADHD,” said Dr. Grosswald.

Dr. Stixrud added, “Because stress significantly compromises attention and all of the key executive functions such as inhibition, working memory, organization, and mental flexibility, it made sense that a technique that can reduce a child’s level of stress should also improve his or her cognitive functioning.”

The Transcendental Meditation technique is an effortless, easy-to-learn practice, unique among categories of meditation. “TM does not require concentration, controlling the mind or disciplined focus—challenges for anyone with ADHD,” Grosswald added.

There is substantial research showing the effectiveness of the TM technique for reducing stress and anxiety, and improving cognitive functioning among the general population. “What’s significant about these new findings,” Grosswald said, “is that among children who have difficulty with focus and attention, we see the same results. The fact that these children are able to do TM, and do it easily, shows us that this technique may be particularly well-suited for children with ADHD.”

Transcendental Meditation produces an experience of restful alertness, which is associated with higher metabolic activity in the frontal and parietal parts of the brain, indicating alertness, along with decreased metabolic activity in the thalamus, which is involved in regulating arousal, and hyperactivity.

With regular practice, this restfully alert brain state, characteristic of the TM technique, becomes more present outside of meditation, allowing ADHD students to attend to tasks. “In a sense,” Dr. Travis said, “the repeated experience of the Transcendental Meditation technique trains the brain to function in a style opposite to that of ADHD.”

Improved Brain Functioning

During the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, coherence is found across different EEG frequencies. After meditation, the brain utilizes this increased functioning ability to support the performance of a task in an integrated manner.

Three months of TM practice resulted in significant decreases in theta/beta ratios and increased verbal fluency.  This translates into improved executive function and more efficient cognitive processing.

During the first 3 months of the study, the theta/beta ratios of the control group (delayed start) actually increased. After learning, and practicing TM for 3 months, this group experienced dramatic decreases in theta/beta ratios and increased verbal fluency as well.

Student and Parent Surveys

Students reported that the TM technique was enjoyable and easy to do. They felt calmer, less stressed, and better able to concentrate on their schoolwork. They also said they were happier since they started TM. This correlated with reports from the parents.

At the end of the research, the parents completed a questionnaire to assess their perceptions of changes in five ADHD-related symptoms in their children from the beginning to the end of the study. There were positive and statistically significant improvements in the five areas measured: a) Ability to focus on schoolwork, b) Organizational abilities, c) Ability to work independently, d) Happiness, and e) Quality of sleep.

Promising Results

The combined results were significant. There was a 48% reduction in the theta/beta power ratios and a 30% increase in brain coherence after the 6-month period. Studies have shown that pharmaceuticals decrease theta/beta power ratios by 3%, and neurofeedback by 25%.

“These are very encouraging findings,” said Dr. Stixrud. “Significant improvement in the theta/beta ratio without medication and without having to use any expensive equipment is a big deal, as is significant improvement in student happiness and student academic functioning reported by the parents.”

“While stimulant medication is very beneficial for some of my clients with ADHD,” Stixrud added, “the number of children who receive great benefit from medicine with minimal side-effects is relatively small. The fact that TM appears to improve attention and executive functions, and significantly reduces stress with no negative side-effects, is clearly very promising.” Stixrud said he hoped these findings would lead to more research on the use of TM with children and adolescents.

In conclusion, these findings warrant additional research to assess the impact of Transcendental Meditation practice as a non-drug treatment for ADHD, and to track meditating students’ improved academic achievements.

The study was funded by a grant from the David Lynch Foundation.

###

FACT SHEET

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—characterized by inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity—is diagnosed in almost 10% of children ages 4-17 years, representing 5.4 million children.
  • The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported among children with current ADHD, 66.3% were taking medication for the disorder. In total, 4.8% of all children ages 4-17 years (2.7 million) were taking medication for ADHD. The majority of them stay on it into adulthood.
  • The rate of prescriptions for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the U.S. has increased by a factor of five since 1991—with production of ADHD medicines up 2,000 percent in 9 years.
  • The commonly used drugs for ADHD are stimulants (amphetamines). These drugs can cause persistent and negative side-effects, including sleep disturbances, reduced appetite, weight loss, suppressed growth, and mood disorders. The side-effects are frequently treated with additional medications to manage insomnia or mood swings. Almost none of the medications prescribed for insomnia or mood disturbances are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use with children.
  • The long-term health effects of ADHD medications are not fully known, but evidence suggests risks of cardiac disorders and sudden death, liver damage and psychiatric events. It has also been found that children on long-term medication have significantly higher rates of delinquency, substance use, and stunted physical growth.
  • A new study, Study raises questions about long-term effects of ADHD medication, the first of its kind, released February 17, 2010 by the Government of Western Australia’s Department of Health, found that “long-term use of drugs such as Ritalin and dexamphetamine may not improve a child’s social and emotional well-being or academic performance.” The chair of the Ministerial Implementation Committee for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Western Australia said in the Department’s press release, “We found that stimulant medication did not significantly improve a child’s level of depression, self perception or social functioning and they were more likely to be performing below their age level at school by a factor of 10.5 times.”

The Transcendental Meditation Technique

  • The Transcendental Meditation technique is an effortless technique practiced 10-20 minutes twice a day sitting comfortably with the eyes closed.
  • TM is not a religion or philosophy and involves no new beliefs or change in lifestyle.
  • Over 350 peer-reviewed research studies on the TM technique confirm a range of benefits for mind, body and behavior.
  • Several studies have compared the effects of different meditation practices and found that Transcendental Meditation provides deeper relaxation and is more effective at reducing anxiety, depression and hypertension than other forms of meditation and relaxation. In addition, no other meditation practice shows the widespread coherence throughout all areas of the brain that is seen with Transcendental Meditation.
  • The Transcendental Meditation technique is taught in the United States by a non-profit, educational organization.

Source: EurekAlert!

Some Media Coverage: PhysOrg.com: New study shows Transcendental Meditation improves brain functioning in ADHD Students, PsychCentral.com: Transcendental Meditation Lessens Kids’ ADHD Symptoms, eMaxHealth: Transcendental Meditation Improves ADHD Symptoms, Academic Skills, ADHD/ADD Natural Remedy Report: New study shows Transcendental Meditation improves brain functioning in ADHD students, GGN-Education News: New study shows Transcendental Meditation improves brain functioning in ADHD students, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5; The Times of India: Transcendental meditation for the brain, Health24: Meditation boosts brain functioning, RedOrbit: New Study Shows Transcendental Meditation Improves Brain Functioning In ADHD Students, The Behavioral Medicine Report: Transcendental Meditation Improves Brain Functioning In Students With ADHD, Science News Line medicine, Science Codex, Transcendental Meditation Blog: New study finds TM boosts brain functioning and helps students with ADHD, GoodTherapy.org: Children with ADHD May Benefit from Transcendental Meditation, and many others.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Education, Health | 1 Comment »

A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress by David Lynch and Norman E. Rosenthal

July 13, 2011
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL OPINION JULY 13, 2011
A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress
One study of soldiers showed a 50% reduction in symptoms after eight weeks of meditation.

By DAVID LYNCH and NORMAN E. ROSENTHAL

War wounds come in many forms. Some are obvious, such as scars, gashes and amputations. Others, the psychological ones, are less visible but equally devastating. The numbers in this second group are staggering: The military’s latest mental health survey of combat troops in Afghanistan found that 20%—one in five—suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

People with combat-related PTSD often suffer from periods of emotional numbness and depression that may coexist or alternate with intense anxiety and delusional thinking. Their days may be afflicted by flashbacks to traumatic situations. Their nights are often disrupted by sleeplessness and nightmares, from which they awake drenched in sweat as though back on the battlefield.

Yet most veterans with PTSD do not receive adequate treatment for various reasons, including fear of stigma, a dearth of effective treatments, and insufficient government resources. Gen. Peter Chiarelli, vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army, recently acknowledged that, “The therapies used for treatment of brain injuries lag behind the advanced medical science employed for treating mechanical injuries.”

Clearly, there is a need for new, creative approaches: Transcendental Meditation, better known as TM, is a promising candidate. An ancient Vedic technique developed in India, TM was brought to the West in the late 1950s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It involves sitting comfortably with eyes closed for 20 minutes twice a day while thinking a mantra. It does not require adherence to any religious belief system or ritual practices. Yet to date there are over 340 peer-reviewed papers describing the beneficial effects of TM on the mind and body.

lynch

The David Lynch Foundation recently hosted an event to help raise funds to teach TM to our wounded warriors returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. We heard from veterans of three wars: Jerry Yellin, a fighter pilot in World War II who flew 19 missions over Japan; Dan Burks, who served in Vietnam; and David George, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Despite differences in age and wartime experiences, these men had two things in common: All suffered terribly from PTSD, and all experienced tremendous relief from TM. Life became once again peaceful and even joyful for them.

What was clear from these men’s stories was how great a toll their symptoms took on their families, as well as on themselves. In a poignant video, Mr. George’s mother described the transformation of her son from a courteous young man into a hard-drinking, depressed and deeply disturbed veteran, who she feared would take his own life or someone else’s.

All that changed when Mr. George began to meditate on a regular basis. According to Ms. George, TM saved her son’s life.

In a study of Vietnam vets conducted by James S. Brooks and Thomas Scarano and published in the Journal of Counseling and Development in November 1985, TM outperformed the conventional psychotherapy of the day. More recently, a pilot study of five Iraq and Afghanistan veterans published in the June 2011 issue of Military Medicine showed a 50% reduction in PTSD symptoms after just eight weeks of practicing TM.

There is a scientific basis for the observed benefits of TM for combat-related PTSD. In several studies, TM has been shown to buffer fight-or-flight responses, which are thought to be overactive in people with PTSD, as evidenced by their hypervigilance, anxiety and exaggerated startle responses.

In addition, TM has been found to reduce blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart attacks and strokes—other conditions in which an overactive fight-or-flight response may play a role. In a similar manner, TM may modulate nervous system responses, thereby allowing affected veterans to relax and leave behind the traumas of war.

Regardless of how TM helps, the mounting evidence leads to one conclusion: If a simple, low-cost technique like TM can substantially alleviate the suffering of even some of the thousands of veterans afflicted with PTSD, how can we afford not to give it a try?

Mr. Lynch is a filmmaker and the founder of the David Lynch Foundation. Dr. Rosenthal is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School and the author of “Transcendence: Healing and Transformation Through Transcendental Meditation” (Tarcher-Penguin, 2011).

Photo credit: Associated Press
Link to article: http://on.wsj.com/rg8tYC

WSJ: LETTERS: VA Meditating on Good Therapies, July 22, 2011

In “A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress” (op-ed, July 13) David Lynch and Norman E. Rosenthal pose a challenge for the federal agency entrusted with caring for our nation’s 23 million veterans: “If a simple, low-cost technique like TM can substantially alleviate the suffering of even some of the thousands of veterans afflicted with PTSD, how can we afford not to give it a try?” In fact, Transcendental Meditation has received substantial attention at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health. Indeed, meditation and other forms of complementary and alternative medicine are already used at VA to help veterans suffering from PTSD. We have embarked on a series of clinical investigations to evaluate all forms of meditation, TM among them, in order to determine whether this promising technique can produce results consistently for our patients, and which kind of meditation, from among several practiced widely today, would be most helpful to them. VA is beginning demonstration projects across the country in different care settings. We are looking for a simple, natural, culturally neutral and repeatable technique that can augment existing PTSD treatments. These studies require us to be open to new techniques for prevention and treatment, as well as structured in our approach to determining their value and efficacy. The studies already conducted, and those currently underway, are listed at http://tinyurl.com/3gx74o3.

The promising personal experiences mentioned in the article and the dedicated efforts of our VA, DoD and NIH team offer us all hope for finding more effective treatments for PTSD. We can’t afford not to.

W. Scott Gould

Deputy Secretary

DVA

Robert A. Petzel, M.D.

Under Secretary for Health

DVA

Washington

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Health | 5 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »