11.23.09 07:01 PM
A recent study to be published in the December issue of
the American Journal of Hypertension, suggests that the practice of transcendental meditation may lower blood pressure and reduce mental anguish in people who suffer from hypertension, according to
U.S. News and World Report.
Conducted at American University, the research followed nearly 300 students, half of which practiced transcendental meditation on a daily basis over a three-month period of time.
Subjects in the meditation group who were at an elevated risk of hypertension considerably lowered their blood pressure and psychological distress levels while strengthening their coping ability.
Individuals who meditated who were not at a risk of hypertension saw a decline in depression, anxiety as well as an increased coping ability, but no substantial lowering of their blood pressure.
"This is the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate that a selected mind-body intervention, the transcendental meditation program, decreased blood pressure in association with decreased psychological distress and increased coping in young adults at risk for hypertension," said the authors of the study, quoted by ModernMedicine.com.
The Mayo Clinic states that meditation can give one a sense of "calm" and can help "improve certain medical conditions."
http://www.personalliberty.com/news/...lity-19468858/
