Wednesday, July 09, 2003

Physical and psychological effects of meditation...

Meditation practice has assumed an important role in my life. The Institute of Noetic Sciences has released a wonderful report on meditation, which is beneficial to longstanding meditation practitioners as well as newcomers.

"Meditation—that great and mysterious subject which in the past has always conjured up the image of the solitary Asian ascetic sitting in deep trance—is fast appearing in unexpected places throughout modern American culture. Secretaries are doing it as part of their daily noon yoga classes. Preadolescent teenagers dropped off at the YMCA by their mothers on a Saturday morning are learning it as part of their karate training. Truck drivers and housewives in the Stress Reduction Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center are practicing a combination of Hindu yoga and Buddhist insight meditation to control hypertension. Star athletes prepare themselves for a demanding basketball game with centering techniques they learned in Zen."

And yes, even economic developers and business executives meditate.

This excellent report reviews the existing scientific and subjective literature on meditation and draws together many useful observations about its positive physical and psychological benefits. I would encourage you to browse it and consider its relevance.

Website access to the report here.

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