Reduce Stress, High Blood Pressure and Sleep Better

Wondering how to reduce stress, high blood pressure, and sleepless nights? Meditation, but not just any kind, TM has the potential to lower your blood pressure, increase your ability to learn, and clear your mind.

Transcendental meditation, a technique offered in the United States since 1959 has medically and statistically proven benefits to your health.

It’s a well-known fact that stress damages our brain and our body by creating chronic diseases.  It causes us to do things without thinking, make poor decisions, and be emotionally distressed, short-tempered distracted, and exhausted. All actions not conducive to caring for ourselves or others.  

Using techniques to reduce stress that also includes physical exercise benefits the body and mind. Other mindfulness practices like reading inspirational books, listening to calming music, and yoga are also beneficial. 

Caregiving and the Importance of Mindfulness

If you’re in a caregiving role, it’s likely you experience stress on a daily basis. It’s time to take a daily vacation to reduce stress by considering the practice of transcendental meditation.

Very simplistically, TM or transcendental meditation strengthens the brain’s communication network. Research proves many more benefits. 

Practicing TM returns the ability to think clearly. It strengthens the immune function of the body so we feel more healthy and optimistic.  It returns the ability to be compassionate and empathetic in caring for others and ourselves. 

TM Is Meditation Done Differently

TM is not like other meditation where you imagine yourself as a bright light or on a certain path.

It “provides the experience of restful alertness”.¹ It’s also not something you can teach yourself or learn on your own.

My husband years ago was working a very stressful job when we lived in the Los Angeles area.  His blood pressure at age 30 was sky high.

Proven Health Benefits of TM

His doctor told him that he could either choose have a heart attack by doing nothing (he didn’t want to take medication) or choose to learn TM which has the proven ability to lower blood pressure and stress among many other benefits. He chose the latter and learned TM.

I saw it as a secret society because he would come home from his TM classes and couldn’t or wouldn’t talk about what happened. There were weekends he had to take flowers or fruit to class.

All of this seemed odd. Admittedly I was a bit jealous that he wouldn’t give the secrets away.

Yet TM did have the desired result, his blood pressure decreased to a normal level and he was able to manage the stress of his job much better.  Because of the work I do and my interest in maintaining my health I’ve decided to try TM.

My first class is this week; I’ll keep you updated on the results.

TM Years Later

After years of practicing TM twice daily when waking and before going to bed I can say that it has made a difference in my life and health. A commitment of 40 minutes to myself each day has changed the way I respond to stressful situations.

It’s not as if I don’t become stressed, everyone does. But the way that I think about stress and the actions of others has become more insightful. Admittedly this could be a combination of practicing TM and seeking enlightenment from wise people who have gone before me.

Here are two of my favorite quotes:

“Weak people, revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore.” – Albert Einstein

“Hurt people hurt.” I’m not sure where this quote came from but I find this to be true in my work.

Many of my elderly clients who are angry or bitter had life experiences, either self-created or environmental, that permanently changed their outlook on life and how they interact with others including their family. Many people have similar experiences but don’t recognize how their anger or negativity affect their life and daily relationships.

Persons who practice TM say that the action gives them more insight. That they are able to see the bigger picture of life and recognize how their inner feelings affect their outer actions.

So, if you’re ready for better health – physically and mentally – maybe it’s time to investigate TM.

©2013, 2022 Pamela D. Wilson, All Rights Reserved

Source:

1 TM www.tm.org

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