Improved sleep is one of the most commonly noticed benefits of practising Transcendental Meditation.

Bad sleep ‘dramatically’ alters body
By James GallagherHealth and science reporter, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21572686

This is the origin of previous article on which meditation works best : concentration or non concentration? Worth seeing just for the pics of brain in meditation :)

Concentrative Or Nondirective Meditation? Which Does Science Say Works Better?
www.science20.com
Mindfulness. Zen. Meditation drumming. Chakra. Buddhist and transcendental meditation. It evokes eastern mystics and hip elites in California pretending to to leave their corporeal forms behind and…

http://www.science20.com/news_articles/concentrative_or_nondirective_meditation_which_does_science_say_works_better-136401

Does meditation make you SMART? Letting your mind wander lets the brain process MORE thoughts than when concentrating

Oh god this brings out the meditation snob in me.  Very relevant article, part of the growing body of research that shows that meditation techniques based on concentration or control are hard work & people don’t keep them up  Apart from daft pic, most people do their TM on the tube or bus home, sitting comfortably – that’s why many call it “real meditation,” cause it’s so darn easy!

* Letting your mind wander is more effective than concentrating on emptying your head of thoughts, scientists said
* Researchers from St Olavs Hospital in Trondheim and the University of Oslo used MRI scanners to look at brain activity during meditations
* Concentrating on ‘nothing’ is only as effective as resting
* Meditation is practiced by millions of people but little is known about how it works

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2630446/Does-meditation-make-SMART-Letting-mind-wander-lets-brains-process-MORE-thoughts-concentrating.html

Why the health benefits of Transcendental Meditation are so profound : deep rest. Fascinating article from the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27286872

‘Arrogance’ of ignoring need for sleep

Society has become “supremely arrogant” in ignoring the importance of sleep, leading researchers have told the BBC’s Day of the Body Clock.

Scientists from Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Manchester and Surrey universities warn cutting sleep is leading to “serious health problems”.

They say people and governments need to take the problem seriously.

Cancer, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, infections and obesity have all been linked to reduced sleep.

The body clock drives huge changes in the human body.

It alters alertness, mood, physical strength and even the risk of a heart attack in a daily rhythm.

Well known pair talking about their experience of TM,

The only point to make is you don’t need a “certified” TM teacher to learn TM.  In the UK at least there are qualified, open minded & highly experienced TM teachers who teach fulll-time outside of the TM org without all the “bull.”

Howard Stern and Jerry Seinfeld Discuss Transcendental Meditation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPLn1ZgGxos

The first-ever research on TM

The first-ever research on TM was done by the late Dr John Allison, a London GP, back in 1969. It revealed a remarkably deep state of rest during TM, as measured by the drop in oxygen consumption – 16 per cent, compared with the 8 per cent known to occur during night sleep. At the time, night sleep was thought by physiologists to be the most effective form of rest available to us. The editor of The Lancet, the medical journal, at first rejected Dr Allison’s research, pointing out to him in a letter that his figures for oxygen consumption were “incompatible with life”! His findings were eventually published in The Lancet as a letter – and since then have been replicated more than 20 times by universities and research institutes.

This big drop in oxygen consumption indicates that, whatever is happening during TM must be natural, ie without effort.

Jennifer Aniston: Transcendental meditation keeps me looking good

Los Angeles – Jennifer Aniston says transcendental meditation keeps her looking young.

The Cake actress is renowned for her radiant skin and beautiful hair, but says the thing that’s helped her keep her looks best is the mantra meditation technique pioneered by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 50s.

When asked what the number one thing which has kept her looking so amazing is, Jennifer replied: “I’d say a little over a year ago I started doing TM (transcendental meditation) and that’s really changed everything. Starting your day off with that and ending with that is pretty powerful. Twenty minutes, you just notice the difference. When I get lazy and don’t get it in, I can feel a difference. I do it first thing when I wake up.”

https://za.celebrity.yahoo.com/news/jennifer-aniston-transcendental-meditation-keeps-looking-good-090002996.html

Another one on stressed “Wall Streeters” doing TM

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/the-one-weird-practice-wall-street-bankers-swear-by-175231201.html

Could this be the key to success on Wall Street? Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio thinks so
finance.yahoo.com
A string of recent deaths within the banking world have brought global attention to the stressful conditions that financiers work in and around. Large banks have attempted to respond to the problem by limiting…