Women, Violence and Meditation

On March 31^st The David Lynch Foundation hosted a sold-out conference at New York City’s Air and Space Museum.  CNN anchor Soledad O’Brian was conference chair and the title of the conference was “Women, Violence and Meditation.”

 

The main focus of the conference was the scientific research on the helpfulness of one form of meditation, Transcendental Meditation, for victims of trauma.  The use of the TM technique to heal anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies in persons who have experienced trauma was explored.

 

Dr. Fred Travis, a neuroscientist from the Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition explained to the group that traumatic stress creates a veil of fear through which a person experiences the world.  “You are hyper-vigilant, vulnerable, you think people don’t understand you,” said Dr. Travis.  “Because this is what your brain is telling you.”

 

According to neuroscience traumatic experience turns on the amygdala, the non-verbal area of the brain and the seat of the fight or flight response.  To recover Dr. Travis said, “We need an experience that is the opposite of trauma—an experience that is holistic and not fragmented, an experience that is silent and not chaotic.  When a person transcends, moves beyond thought and emotion, during meditation the fear signals from the brain get turned off.”

 

“Why did this happen to me?” is often the biggest question and main source of confusion and pain that a victim of trauma, rape or abuse must live with.  We can’t always explain the reasons for acts of violence, yet through the regular experience of peacefulness gained through meditation we can overcome its effects.

 

Deep within us—beyond the subconscious—is the silent transcendental field of our awareness, which remains untouched by life’s negative impressions. Meditation moves us from the surface busyness of the mind to this field.  It does this in an effortless, natural and easy way.  From the regular practice of this experience arises a power of reassurance that can pervade every fiber of our being, so that we become whole—healed and at peace.

 

Does it Really Work?

 

A handful of controlled studies support the effectiveness of the TM technique in alleviating PTSD.  There has been research ranging from Vietnam War Veterans to soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

According to a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed piece by W. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of the Veteran’s Administration, “Transcendental Meditation has received substantial attention at the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health.”  He says the VA has embarked on a series of clinical investigations into the effectiveness of all forms of meditation.

 

Tara Wise Jones, executive director of the National Women’s Veteran’s Association of America said that Transcendental Meditation saved her life.  “It calmed my mind, helped to restore my nurturing nature, restored my femininity and has helped me to become a better thinker.  Once I learned, I didn’t have to depend on anyone else, it makes me feel good inside mentally and physically.”

 

In our book Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way Sandra and I suggest practice of the TM technique for healing depression.  We give a review of significant research and explain the process of learning. This technique must be learned through a trained teacher.  The fact that such a subtle yet powerful mental technique can be taught at all is amazing, but of course it cannot be learned from a book.

 

TM does work.  It does heal anxiety and depression and we hope that you will look into its benefits.  You can learn more about the TM technique through Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way or online by clicking on tm.org.

 

As always, Sandra and I wish happiness and good health for you!

 

 

What is the Difference between Depression and Sadness?

Last Sunday, CBS Sunday Morning did a segment on depression.  Wow!  It was depressing.

 

One in every 10 Americans is depressed.  More people (30 million) take anti-depressant medications than go to the movies every week. And this is just what is known:  it is assumed that many others, perhaps millions, are among the walking wounded, depressed people who have not received medical attention. People with deep depression tend not to see their physician about the problem and people who are mildly depressed are put on medications that don’t work for them.

 

Millions of people are confused by their depression.  They believe that they should only feel bad if “something” is wrong in their lives.  In other words, they believe externals not physiological holistic health, is the cause of depression.

 

Dr. Jerome Wakefield from the New York University School of Social Work informed the listeners that what causes depression is a “big mystery.”  Dr. Wakefield said that no one knows what happens in a depressed person’s brain.  By these words he reinforced the idea that depression is the result of the “broken brain.”  This was, I thought unfortunate, because as long as our culture is stuck thinking that depression is only about a chemical imbalance in the brain, there will be no cure or plan of prevention in sight.

 

Depression is about more than a “broken brain” (a chemical imbalance.) It is a condition that intimately involves many facets of being.  It affects the physical being as well the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual self.  It is much more than a broken brain yet is often successfully addressed by changes in lifestyle and by natural interventions.

 

Dr. Wakefield put forth a strong argument against the idea that rates of depression are going up.  I found his argument to be intriguing.  He believes that through television the pharmaceutical companies have succeeded in changing our cultural view of how we should feel. Based on the plethora of ads for anti-depressants, consumers feel it is no longer acceptable to feel sad.  They believe they are depressed when what they are really experiencing is simple normal sadness.

 

I wonder if Dr. Wakefield is right about this.  I think he might well be.  Although, on the other hand, if chronic sadness is affecting millions of Americans that is certainly a problem that needs to be addressed.  Sadness is an aspect of everyone’s life, but it should not be chronic.  To counter chronic sadness Ayurveda offers strategies that help to generate a vibrant life force.  Sandra and I discuss these in depth in Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way.

 

The  CBS broadcast repeated the message we have often delivered, the that anti-depressants do not have any effect for most people who take them.  Western medicine is now accepting this as fact.  However, millions of people continue to take the pills because they do not know of another solution.  I do wish these millions of people would pick up a copy of Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way. Besides the fact that the pills do not have a positive effect, their side effects can be extremely troublesome.

 

Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way offers a holistic view of depression. It screams out the good news that happiness is our birthright and if our physiology is in balance and healthy we will experience this emotion.  At the same time, we will always have access to the full depth and breath of emotions.  It is inevitable that at times sadness will come to us.  But happiness can and should be a backdrop and accessible the majority of the time.

 

It is personally empowering to know that we hold our health and happiness in our own hands.  Sandra and I wish this empowerment for each of you!  We hope that your physiology is filled with the vitality that wards off depression and ensures good health and happiness!

 

Meditation: Transcending Darkness

                         My husband, Bud, and I learned the TM technique in 1984.  We first heard of TM in the 60’s.  A great deal of scientific research was done on the TM technique in the 60’s and 70’s.  Frequently we would notice a news article about the remarkable scientific findings related to the practice of this technique.  We would comment to each other that the research was interesting and didn’t this TM stuff sound great.  We hoped it was helping a lot of people!  We had no interest in learning ourselves until 1984.

In the winter of 1984 a respected friend told us of his experiences with TM.  Our friend encouraged us to learn.  We listened to him, thought his comments were interesting, and promptly forgot the conversation.  Several weeks after this conversation, our friend who lived in LA at the time, called.  He said a conference on TM was going to be held at the Renaissance Center in Detroit. He urged us to attend.  Since our friend was planning to be in town attending the conference we decided to go as well.

I think our experience of hearing about TM, not doing anything about it, hearing of TM again, and forgetting what we heard is typical. Most of us need to hear of something new a few times or even several times before we embrace it.  It is also human nature to embrace a new idea when we hear it from someone we know and admire rather than from a stranger. I think, too, that the media bombards us with information about a myriad of things we should or can do to improve our well being.  After a time we begin to discount information.

My husband and I did attend that conference with our friend, and I remember the experience well.  I remember the room where the conference was held, and I remember specific conversations I had with people there.  I believe I remember my thoughts and feelings, experienced that long-ago evening, because I sensed we were learning about something that would dramatically alter the success of our lives.  It was an extremely important event for us.

At the conference we were impressed by the presentation of a voluminous amount of research on the TM technique.  It seemed that there was no reason to turn our backs on the opportunity to learn.  Our only concerns regarded the time commitment of 20 minutes twice a day, but we gleaned from the speakers the information that we would not be giving up time.  We would be gaining time.  The researchers told us that the practice of the TM technique would help us to be more energetic, to think more clearly, perhaps to sleep less, and to be able to accomplish more not less.  Over the years we have learned that this is true.

Immediately after we learned TM, we realized that this technique was extraordinarily powerful.  We realized immediate effects and we clearly sensed that the benefits would be cumulative.  We realized this but neither of us thought much about it.  We simply meditated.  Meditation became a regular part of our lives.  A few months after we began meditating, Bud and I noticed changes in each other.  When we commented on these changes we both realized that we did feel quite different from how we had felt in the past.

The experience of ourselves is what we know. How we feel, how we experience ourselves is our reality.  When the experience of self changes, and changes significantly and permanently, it changes by degrees.  Because we are changing from within, we do not have full realization of the change until it is so profound that it is noticeable to others.

In our book Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way Sandra and I discuss several ways that the TM technique is helps us to change.  Transcendental Meditation has the following proven benefits.

1.  Dissolving Deep-Seated Stress
2. Providing Deep Rest
3. Alleviating Anxiety
4. Expanding Awareness
5. Increasing the Internal Locus of Control
6. Enhancing Physiological Adaptability
7. Enhancing Psychological Adaptability
8. Purification of the Mind
9. Integration and Personal Growth

Each of these benefits translates into a holistic change in the mind-body.  For instance, when we expand our awareness we acquire a wide-angle lens with which to view life.  Expanding awareness opens the “shutter” in the mind’s eye.  When we have a panoramic view of an event, our understanding is enhanced.  This deeper viewpoint gives us more flexibility in the face of change, allowing the stress of life’s transitions to roll off our backs more easily.  When stresses roll off of us more easily then we are not inclined to be reactive to others.  Our relationships improve and we don’t integrate stress into our physiology.  Our health also improves.  These are profound changes.

The TM technique has been shown to increase physical, emotional, and psychological resiliency.  What can be better than increased resiliency?  To be able to roll with life’s punches and spring back to action without integrating stress into the physiology is a great gift.

I hope you are not going to be like Bud and me and have to hear about TM over and over before you decide to take the plunge.  Positive research on this technique is still being reported in scientific journals and the technique is available for all interested parties.  Google TM.Org to learn more and locate a teacher in your neck of the woods.

Our family is delighted to welcome a new meditator into our fold this week.  Blessings to Ivy, age 13.  She recently decided to learn TM.  The TM technique will provide a natural basis for Ivy’s formation of her adult identity.  It will give her increased energy, self-confidence and a general feeling of well-being.  She’ll be able to recognize how people can be identical at their core and yet uniquely different in their personalities. This recognition will help her to have positive relationships throughout her high school experience and beyond.  We believe that practice of the TM technique will help Ivy sail through adolescence unencumbered by the stresses many teen agers experience.  She’ll be able to access her internal wisdom, rid herself of stress, and reach her full potential! Bud and I are filled with joy for her!  We hope all of you decide to learn TM too!

As always, Sandra and I send our best wishes for health and happiness,

Nancy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of http://meditationatlanta.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-is-transcendental-meditation.html

Does the New York Times Need an Antidepressant?

There’s has been a lot of chatter in the NY Times in the past week about antidepressants.  I’ve been unable to decide whether I think the general direction of the conversation is leading us out of the antidepressant confusion or not.

Certainly, it’s good that the prolific use of antidepressants is being questioned.  Actually it’s good that any use of these medications is being questioned. Research has shown that in most cases the antidepressants work no better than placebos and they have significant side effects.   But, in spite of the current research,  after reading the Times I was left wondering if professionals and consumers are having difficulty making the necessary paradigm shift.

This paradigm shift entails moving from seeing medications as the only cure for depression to investigating other treatment options.   I am not certain if the psychiatric community is open to a variety of treatment options or if most psychiatrists are stuck on the idea that what is needed is a “better pill.”

Depression is a complicated condition and effective treatment involves much more than altering brain chemistry with medications. I hope that the psychiatric community will open their collective mind to looking at different treatment options instead of continuing to view medication as the solution.

For a long time, physicians bought into the idea that antidepressants were a viable answer for the problem of depression.  It is human nature that doctors and consumers alike share a great deal of resistance to integrating information telling them something different from what they already believe,  It is difficult for them to acknowledge that the emperor is naked and to embark on a new path.  The notion that depression results from a nexus of risk factors, not only brain chemicals gone awry, is now obvious and accepted by many but unfortunately this theory has not yet been integrated into psychiatric thought and practice.

Marcia Angell, a senior lecturer in social medicine at Harvard Medical School and former editor-in-chief of The New England Journal of Medicine, echoed my thoughts when she made the following statement:

“Despite the risks and uncertain benefits, the number of Americans taking psychiatric drugs is soaring, and the heavy reliance on drugs diverts resources from efforts to find better methods of treatment. Mental illness is a serious problem, but in the absence of sound evidence, we should be skeptical about all treatment claims—particularly those promoted by the pharmaceutical industry.”

Dr. Angell’s advice is sound.  On the other hand, Dr. Lori Simon made a statement implying that despite the uncertainties she is locked into medications as the only answer for depression.  Following is her statement:

“Perhaps in the distant future, we will have a machine that will analyze each patient’s brain and create a customized medication regimen, but until then, clinicians are left with the reality that prescribing medication for depression remains much more of an art than a science.”

Anti-depressant medications have profound effects on the physiology.  Should someone believe in the benefits of antidepressants when a respected physician admits that prescribing is more an art than a science?  In addition, a diagnostic machine is not necessary.  Natural medicine offers techniques which give solid diagnosis for the underlying imbalances leading to depression.   (Read Chapter 3 in Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way.)

The Role of Big Pharma

The goal of Big Pharma is to make money and pharmaceutical companies are very successful in achieving this goal.  Money translates into power.  The pharmaceutical industry can pay for media “experts” or physicians to promote the proliferation of their products.  People want to feel better and we all tend to believe that what we hear over and over again is the truth.  As a society we have bought into the idea that good science produces good medications and that we can trust our doctors to prescribe what is best for us.  And so we believe it when our doctors tell us that the answer for depression is drugs.  But the truth is that one has to look for the proverbial needle in the haystack to find the truly viable solutions.  The viable solutions have to do with lifestyle and unfortunately no one makes any money from research into life style interventions or from depressed people changing their life style as their primary treatment option.  And so, the quest for a “pill that works” continues.  This pill doesn’t exist and looking for it is a waste of time.  Depression is not caused by a broken brain and the cure does not lie in fixing what isn’t broken.

Ayurveda

In our book Healing Depression the Mind-Body Way Sandra and I discuss how depression is created and how depression is undone.  If you are depressed we recommend you read our book and learn about “another way” (the Ayurvedic way) to view both depression and treatment for this disorder.  Ayurvedic theories correspond more readily to theories held by modern physicists than to traditional medical theories.  Therefore, although Ayurveda comes from ancient India it is also more modern than so called “modern medicine.”

Instead of looking for an answer from Big Pharma we suggest that physicians investigate how to activate the inherent physiological self-repair mechanism.   Within our physiologies there exists an internal healing intelligence that guides the healing of wounds.  This intelligence senses the pain brought on by a cut on your finger and immediately mobilizes a series of reactions to stop the bleeding, form a scab, and induce the regeneration of skin. Elegantly and effortlessly, this process has a 100 percent rate of success, assuming it is not interrupted.  It must be successful, for our lives depend on it.  Ayurveda informs us that it is possible to unleash this same innate healing intelligence to heal depression.

Depression is a condition that intimately involves many facets of the human being:  our physical being as well as the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual self.  This is perhaps why, when individuals are depressed, everything hurts, nothing seems right, and problems may at times seem larger than life.

Ayurveda does not deny that an imbalance in brain chemistry is involved in depression.  But, it highlights the fact that the interplay of molecules in the brain is incredibly complicated.  Brain health is affected by much more than the quantity of brain chemicals produced.  Hormones, for example, greatly influence the workings of the brain.  Food, in turn, influences the production of the hormones and our emotions often guide our food choices—for better or for worse.  All aspects of our physiology are interwoven. Mother Nature is a weaver, and she has woven every thread of our being into one tapestry, which is maintained by our lifestyle.

Depression can seep into an individual’s body and mind like a slow leak, like water into the basement of a house, or it can arrive like a flood, coming suddenly and with dramatic force. Depression is influenced by genes, life situations, and the state of one’s general health.  We should not underestimate the impact of the wear and tear of daily living on our physical, mental, and emotional health.  Regardless of the origin, Ayurveda gives us hope by offering strategies for keeping depression at bay.

NAMA, the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, has a website that can direct you to an Ayurvedic professional in your area.  If you suffer from depression we suggest you investigate this path in your quest to heal.  You have nothing to lose from going this route and everything to gain.  If you are currently taking medication and choose to continue, a holistic Ayurvedic program will help you to achieve radiant good health.

On the other hand, Ayurveda can help you to transition away from medication. Getting off of medications must always be carefully monitored by a physician.  Ayurveda can also help people who have never experienced depression but who may have genetic tendencies by helping them to maintain a state of optimal wellness.  Fundamentally, application of this logical and sensible knowledge can help anyone who wants to uproot depression from his or her life.

Answers do exist—-They exist in holistic, natural medicine, not in Big Pharma.  We hope you find these answers and we wish you the full extent of your birthright.  According to Ayurveda happiness is our birthright and is the result of a physiology brimming with vitality and good health.