Transcendental Meditation and MS (Multiple Sclerosis)

No scientific research on the benefits of Transcendental Meditation on MS (Multiple Sclerosis), but anecdotally the effects can be very profound, as well described below.

http://www.overcomingmultiplesclerosis.org/Community/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4369

I was diagnosed with MS in June and did my course in Transcendental Meditation last weekend. I went undiagnosed for 4 years and all my attacks were preceded by long periods of high stress. I have previously attempted various forms of ‘concentration’ meditation learnt from books without any success, and Tai Chi as ‘moving meditation’ (more moving than meditation, but it has its other uses).

The naturopath I have started seeing recommended TM, and I remembered that George mentioned it positively as the form of meditation that he used to practice (at the time of writing his book, he practiced another type of meditation).

The course I did was well taught (independent TM teachers in the UK) and, importantly, the meditation is very easy to do, helped by the fact that it is not a ‘concentration’ meditation as such. Two major effects of continued practice are reduced stress and reduced fatigue.

I have only been doing it for a few days, but I find I go very deep into the meditation and am calmer afterwards, for a while at least. I am still a seething ball of stress but I have faith that, with application, TM will in time reduce stress and reduce the likelihood of future attacks.

I have had MS-related fatigue for about 10 weeks following a number of attacks, and TM has already helped to greatly boost my energy levels for a few hours after each meditation.

Meditation & being a dad (or mum :) )

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/05/jerry-seinfelds-secret-for-dads_n_6804656.html

“The practice of meditation gives you those crucial extra few seconds to gather yourself. It’s an actual physical change in the brain. Instead of a reflexive moment of anger, you might be able to go, ‘well let me not do that right now. Let me not scream right now.’”

Seinfeld is a long-time meditator and has practiced Transcendental Meditation for over 40 years. It is a tool that has greatly impacted his life as a parent, he says. “In family living, there are what Harry Truman would call ‘borderline moments’ — where you get close to the borderline of snapping,” he said.

Get the rest your body requests

Again very relevant to meditation, point 5 :

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/feb/15/five-ways-to-improve-your-brainpower-norman-doidge?CMP=fb_gu

Relevant to meditation, though speed reading an advantage!

“By the time I had finished The Brain That Changes Itself, there were significant studies, which no one disputes, which show major changes in the structure of the brain of Tibetan monks, for example, brought about through the practice of meditation. I suppose it is not really a hard sell once you have grasped that the brain is plastic, that someone who has spent 30,000 hours meditating might actually have changed the structure of their brain. I mean, a London taxi driver can change his brain by studying routes through the city for a year or two.”

Norman Doidge: the man teaching us to change our minds
Do you believe you can think yourself well, changing the very structure of your brain over time through rigorous training? Norman Doidge does…
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/feb/08/norman-doidge-brain-healing-neuroplasticity-interview?CMP=fb_gu

Forever young: Meditation might slow the age-related loss of gray matter in the brain

Not TM & a tiny study, but significant !
Building on their earlier work that suggested people who meditate have less age-related atrophy in the brain’s white matter, a new study found that meditation…
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150205142951.htm

Interesting video on US military using TM to help PTSD

The David Lynch Foundation is doing some really good work in the States for war veterans who have suffered from the trauma of war.
Real PTSD Relief for our Veterans
http://davidlynchfoundation.org/

“The first 15 years I was in the army, really a nice place to be, but I didn’t have no idea that it was gonna turn…

Arnold Schwarzenegger says a year of practicing Transcendental Meditation in the ’70s changed his life

“I did 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night, and I would say within 14 days or three weeks, I got to the point where I could really disconnect my mind … and learn how to focus more and calm down,” Schwarzenegger says.

http://www.businessinsider.in/Arnold-Schwarzenegger-says-a-year-of-practicing-Transcendental-Meditation-in-the-70s-changed-his-life/articleshow/46125489.cms

Nicole Kidman uses meditation app

March 2014 issue of InStyle magazine,
On chilling out: “I like to meditate, Transcendental Meditation usually. I took it up in my early 20s and I learned the benefits. I try to do it every day. A typical session is 20 to 30 minutes. I even use a meditation app on my phone that has a timer and also shows you on a map all the people that have logged in that are meditating at that very moment.”

The power of napping = Meditation

Not just for babies! Regular naps are ‘key to learning’

www.bbc.co.uk
Regular and lengthy naps are the key to memory and learning in early life, say scientists.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30776745