Inspiring Developments - Celebrating the Dawn of a New Fortune for All Mankind

November 26, 2009

Men - X-Men Star Takes Time To Meditate - Contactmusic News

X-MEN STAR TAKES TIME TO MEDITATE

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND star BEN FOSTER is a Transcendental Meditation expert - he's been practicing the calm process since he was four years old.
And he insists his talent for finding stillness on movie sets helps him focus on the intense roles he plays.
The 3:10 To Yuma villain explains, "TM, like many techniques, allow us to hear our own voice and one can take a walk in the evening by themselves, some people go jogging, some people knit."
Foster's meditating has become a ritual for him and he always makes time to clear his mind for TM sessions twice a day.
He tells WENN, "It's a ritual that allows us that quiet space inside, so we can hear what we are feeling, what we are thinking.
"TM has always been a source of quieting the static mind... and it creates more space; it's a source of energy.
"I just know that when I do this in the morning and the afternoon that I have a clearer, calmer energy that doesn't feel forced or provoked by a chemical... You have a clearer mind and images and feelings can come up and one can actually address them.
"I usually meditate at lunch on sets. It's a technique that works for me. I have a lot more internal strength to approach the day than I do when I'm not meditating regularly."
And Foster admits he can meditate just about anywhere: "A comfortable, quiet space is great - a couch, the back seat of a car, trains, planes, automobiles, your bedroom, under a tree. It's just closing the eyes.
"It's just an ancient technique that allows for more silence to exist."

via contactmusic.com

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November 21, 2009

Study Shows Improved Symptoms of Diabetes in African American Women

African American women greatly improved their condition of dyslipidemia through the practice of the Transcendental Meditation® technique, according to a new study conducted by researchers at MUM’s Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, and Howard University Hospital and College of Medicine in Washington, DC.

MUM faculty member and trustee
Carolyn King Ph.D.

Dyslipidemia is the most common complication of diabetes, characterized by low HDL (good) cholesterol and high triglyceride levels, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The 12-month study involved 49 diabetic African American women, aged between 55 and 85 years, who were randomly allocated to a Transcendental Meditation program group or to a health-education group focusing on diet and exercise. The Transcendental Meditation group showed a 29% greater increase in HDL (good) cholesterol and a 20% greater drop in triglycerides than subjects in the diet and exercise group at the end of the trial period.

Carolyn King, Ph.D., lead author of the study, recently presented the research at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia.

“Stress reduction with the Transcendental Meditation program is both feasible and effective in reducing diabetic dyslipidemia in African American woman and it can be an important part of a lifestyle modification program for improving diabetic dyslipidemia and preventing CVD,” said Dr. King, professor of health and physiology at Maharishi University of Management.

The group practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique showed a 29% greater increase in HDL (good) cholesterol

About twice as many African American women suffer from CVD and diabetes as white women, and psychosocial stress contributes to the risk of diabetes and diabetes complications especially CVD. Combining the Transcendental Meditation technique with changes to diet and exercise may produce an even greater benefit.

Other coauthors include Robert Schneider, M.D., Maxwell Rainforth, Ph.D., Ken Walton, Ph.D., Otelio Randall, M.D., John Salerno, Ph.D., Sanford Nidich, Ed.D., Charlie Harris, Ph.D., Shichen Xu, M.D., and Gregory Strayhorn, M.D.

The group practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique showed a 29% greater increase in HDL (good) cholesterol

The group practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique showed a 20% greater drop in triglycerides

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Filed under // african american cholesterol diabetes dyslipidemia health maharishi mahesh yogi Maharishi University of Management TM transcendental meditation woman

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November 19, 2009

Eine weltweite Epidemie verbreitet sich mit rasender Schnelligkeit.

Eine weltweite Epidemie verbreitet sich mit rasender Schnelligkeit.

Die WHO befürchtet, dass Milliarden Individuen in den nächsten 10 Jahren infiziert werden.

Hier folgen die Hauptsymptome dieser schrecklichen Krankheit:

1 – Die Neigung sich durch seine eigene Intuition leiten zulassen, anstatt unter dem Druck von Ängsten, aufgezwungenen Ideen und Verhalten, das in der Vergangenheit konditioniert wurde.

2 – Totaler Mangel an Interesse, andere oder sich selbst zu beurteilen, oder sich mit etwas zu beschäftigen, das Konflikte verursachen könnte.

3 – Totaler Verlust der Fähigkeit, sich Sorgen zu machen – das ist eines der allerschlimmsten Symptome.

4 – Eine konstantes Wohlgefühl beim Wertschätzen von Menschen und Dingen so wie sie sind, was zur Folge hat, dass man andere nicht mehr verändern will.

5 - Das Bestreben, sich selbst zu ändern, um für die eigenen Gedanken, Gefühle, Emotionen, Körper, das materielle Leben und die Umgebung auf eine positive Art zu sorgen, sodass unser Potential an Gesundheit, Kreativität und Liebe voll entwickelt wird.

6 – Rezidivierende (wiederholte) Anfälle von Lächeln: einem Lächeln, das „Danke“ sagt und das ein Gefühl von Einheit aufbaut mit allem was lebt.

7 – Ein stets weiter wachsende Empfänglichkeit für Einfachheit, Lachen und Freude.

8 – Stets häufigere Momente in welchen man kommuniziert mit seiner Seele in Non-Dualität, was ein angenehmes Gefühl von Zufriedenheit und Glück verursacht.

9 – Befriedigung darin finden, dass man sich wie ein Mensch verhält, der Fröhlichkeit und Licht bringt anstatt Kritik oder Gleichgültigkeit.

10 – Die Fähigkeit, alleine, im Paar, in einer Familie und Gemeinschaft auf eine flotte und gleichberechtigte Art zu leben, ohne Opfer, TäterIn oder RetterIn spielen zu wollen.

11 – Ein Gefühl von Verantwortlichkeit und Glückseligkeit, dass man der Welt seine Träume von einer harmonischen und friedlichen Zukunft und einer Welt im Überfluss schenken will.

12 – Totale Akzeptanz der eigenen Anwesenheit auf der Erde, und der Wille, sich jeden Moment zu entscheiden für das, was schön, gut, wahr und lebendig ist.

Wenn sie weiterhin in Angst, Abhängigkeit, Konflikten, Krankheit und Konformismus leben wollen, vermeiden sie dann um jeden Preis jeden Kontakt mit Menschen, welche diese Symptome zeigen. Denn dieser Zustand ist äusserst ansteckend. Falls sich bei Ihnen schon Symptome zeigen, müssen Sie wissen, dass Ihr Zustand wahrscheinlich hoffnungslos ist. Medizinische Behandlungen können für kurze Zeit einzelne Symptome unterdrücken, aber das unausweichliche Fortschreiten der Krankheit kann nicht aufgehalten werden.

Es gibt nämlich keine Impfung gegen Glück.

Weil diese Glückskrankheit den Verlust der Angst vor dem Tod mit sich bringt, was einer der zentralen Pfeiler ist, worauf der Glaube in die materialistische moderne Gesellschaft stützt, kann eine grosse soziale Veränderung entstehen, die sich äussert im Verlust der Neigung Krieg führen zu wollen, in der Neigung Recht haben zu wollen, im Entstehen von Ansammlungen von glücklichen Menschen, die singen, tanzen und das Leben feiern; im Auftreten von Gruppierungen, die ihre körperliche und seelische Heilung feiern, die Lachanfälle und kollektive Glücksgefühlsausbrüche haben.

Bitte weiterverbreiten...

via google-wave-robot

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November 18, 2009

David Lynch Weekend '09

The David Lynch Weekend was an opportunity to hear the three-time Oscar nominated filmmaker speak, and a chance for attendees to take part in a greater conversation about the creative process, alternative education and ways to live a better life. The David Lynch "Change Begins Within" Weekend featured a range of speakers and performers, each with a unique perspective on attaining the common goals of personal development, sustainability, and peace. Among the audience were also attendees of Maharishi University of Management's Visitors Weekend being hosted simultaneously as the David Lynch Lynch Weekend.

The weekend started with a grand welcome from David, John Hagelin and an array of talented international student performers. The participants enjoyed sessions about the University, updates on the world-wide programs of the David Lynch Foundation and how students could get more involved on their campus or in their local areas. A highlight of the Weekend was the Saturday evening concert which starred James McCartney and his band 'Light', Laura Dawn and her band 'The Little Death', and the legendary Donovan.

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November 18, 2009

Meditation may lower BP and college stressors

Meditation may lower BP and college stressors

Wed Nov 18, 2009 4:20pm EST

By Joene Hendry

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If the stresses of college have put you at risk for high blood pressure, try transcendental meditation.

Blood pressure fell among college students who spent about 20 minutes at least once a day to reach the "restful alertness" state of transcendental meditation, Dr. Sanford I. Nidich, at Maharishi University of Management Research Institute in Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa, and colleagues report.

Their study, in the American Journal of Hypertension, found meditating students also had "reduced psychological distress, anxiety, and depression," Nidich told Reuters Health in an email.

He and colleagues randomly assigned 298 healthy students with and without high blood pressure to transcendental meditation training or to a training wait list. The students, 40 percent men, were just under 26 years old on average and attended universities in and around Washington, D.C.

Among the 207 students still participating in the study 3 months later, those in the meditation group had slight reductions in blood pressure, while the wait-listed students had slight increases in average blood pressure from the start of the study.

The meditating students also showed greater reductions in overall mood disturbances, anxiety, depression, anger, and hostility, and better coping skills compared with baseline measures and wait-listed students.

Nidich's team further assessed a subgroup of 48 meditating and 64 wait-listed students who initially had high blood pressure (above 130 over 85 millimeters of mercury) or were at risk for high blood pressure.

In this high-blood-pressure-risk group, the meditating students had blood pressures that were lower, on average, than at the start of the study, while the wait-listed students had increases in blood pressure.

Nidich and colleagues also found these "significant reductions" in blood pressure correlated with lower measures of psychological distress and greater coping measures.

The researchers suggest their findings warrant further investigations into the potential health benefits of longer-term transcendental meditation in college students.

SOURCE: American Journal of Hypertension, December 2009

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

via reuters.com

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Filed under // anger anxiety blood pressure coping skills depression health maharishi mahesh yogi meditation mood disturbances stress students TM transcendental meditation

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November 18, 2009

More evidence that Transcendental Meditation helps the heart | Los Angeles Times

More evidence that Transcendental Meditation helps the heart

November 18, 2009 | 6:00 am

Transcendental Meditation has been around for many years and is perhaps the most scientifically tested of all forms of meditation. Two studies presented this week add to the evidence that this form of stress reduction benefits people with heart disease and those at high risk for it.

One study, presented on Monday at the American Heart Assn.'s annual meeting, found that heart disease patients who practice TM have almost 50% lower rates of heart attacks, stroke and deaths compared to similar patients who don't practice meditation. The study was funded with a $3.8-million grant from the federal government and was conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, a major center of TM research.

The study followed African American men and women over nine years. The participants were randomly assigned to practice the stress-reducing TM technique or attend traditional health education classes on heart disease prevention.

The results of TM were so striking, it was as if the participants who meditated were taking a new class of medications, the authors said.

"Previous research on Transcendental Meditation has shown reductions in blood pressure, psychological stress, and other risk factors for heart disease, irrespective of ethnicity," the lead author of the study, Dr. Robert Schneider, said in a news release. "But this is the first controlled clinical trial to show that long-term practice of this particular stress reduction program reduces the incidence of clinical cardiovascular events."

In the second study, published today in the American Journal of Hypertension, researchers found that TM was an effective tool to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, depression and anger among college students at risk for high blood pressure.

Scientists at American University in Washington, D.C., and Maharishi University randomly assigned 298 students to either learn TM techniques or remain on a waiting list for the class. After three months, the students practicing TM had reductions of 6.3 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) in systolic blood pressure and 4.0 mm Hg in diastolic. The reductions translate to a 52% lower risk of developing hypertension in later years. The students also showed improvements in psychological distress and coping.

-- Shari Roan

Photo: The meditation room at UCI Medical Center. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

via latimesblogs.latimes.com

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Filed under // blood pressure hbp health hearth attack maharishi mahesh yogi Maharishi University of Management meditation stress stroke TM transcendental meditation

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November 18, 2009

The Square Root of 1%

Reduce crime, violence, and war with a small group collectively practicing Transcendental Meditation and its Advanced Technique. The group can be as small as the square root of 1% of your countries population!

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Filed under // crime maharishi effect maharishi mahesh yogi meditation peace prevention of crime TM transcendental meditation violence war

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November 17, 2009

Dear Prudence

"Dear Prudence" is a song written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was initially performed by The Beatles and is the second track on the 1968 double-disc album The Beatles (also known as "The White Album"). It was recorded in one take at Abbey Road on 28 August 1968.

The song is about actress Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence, who was present when the Beatles visited Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India. Prudence, focused on meditation, stayed in her room for the majority of their stay. Lennon, who was worried that she was depressed, wrote this song for her, inviting her to "come out to play". While the Beatles left the course, Mia, Prudence, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, and others, stayed and became Transcendental Meditation (or TM) teachers.

Prudence now teaches elementary school along with her husband, and they both still practice TM, and advanced versions of it, and may still teach TM.

This song, along with the preceding track "Back in the U.S.S.R.", features Paul McCartney on drums rather than Ringo Starr, who had recently walked out. Starr returned after the recording of this song to find flowers waiting for him on his drumkit.

Lennon considered this song to be one of his favorite Beatles songs, and his son Julian Lennon has named it his favorite.

In 1987, Lennon's original handwritten copy of the lyrics was sold at auction for $19,500.

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Filed under // american indians beatles Dear Prudence george harrison john lennon maharishi mahesh yogi Paul McCartney Ringo Starr rishikesh TM transcendental meditation

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November 13, 2009

Laura Dawn on crashing a prom with David Lynch, Moby, the Little Death

By Sophia Ahmad
On November 12, 2009
In Entertainment in Des Moines, Des Moines Register

Pleasantville native Laura Dawn will perform with her band The Little Death nyc Saturday in Fairfield in a concert that also features James McCartney and Donovan.

The Little Death’s self-titled debut album has what Dawn calls an “old soul and blues” vibe, however Dawn is well-versed in many styles. Along the way, she sang jazz, fronted the female punk band Fluffer and sang on Moby’s electronica album, “Hotel.”

Along with her music career, Dawn serves cultural director for MoveOn.org. She counts Brooklyn as her home, Moby as a close friend/ Little Death bandmember and David Lynch as a co-prom crasher. No kidding, there’s proof and a fun backstory:

Dawn returned to Iowa in April of 2008 to perform with Moby at a David Lynch Weekend concert. The concert happened to fall on prom night at a Fairfield high school.

“David (Lynch) heard the students were upset they couldn’t go to the concert. So after the concert, David said, ‘Why don’t we go and crash the prom?‘ So I go with Moby, Donovan, David Lynch … David Lynch crowned the king and queen of the prom. Half the kids didn’t know what was happened, half did,” Dawn said in a phone interview.

Moby played that 2008 Fairfield show because he is a big Lynch fan, Dawn said. Although neither Moby or Dawn practiced Transcendental Meditation (T.M.) before the concert, they both became fans of it afterwards.

Dawn’s music career started at age 16 when she performed at Adventureland in Altoona.

“I did the Soda and Sounds show. It’s a very funny thing, but it’s fantastic training,” she said, adding that she attributes her good sense of pitch and performance techniques to her four summers of singing four (and sometimes five) part harmony.

She studied at Central College, gigged around with local jazzer Scott Smith and moved to New York. There, she met Moby at a party called “Mothra,” located at the now defunct E and O club.

“We were sitting at a table and someone misused the word nihilism … I corrected them and Moby thought that was funny,” she said.

They got to talking, Moby invited Dawn over to play chess and that’s when things took off.

Moby will not be joining The Little Death in Fairfield this weekend, although Dawn said she hopes he can join them in the spring, when the band plans to tour.

“This is our first show without him,” she said.

Article taken from Des Moines Register Staff Blogs
URL to article: http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2009/11/12/laura-dawn-on-crashing-a-prom-with-david-lynch-moby-the-little-death/

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Filed under // david lynch foundation donovan Laura Dawn Maharishi University of Management moby transcendental meditation

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November 11, 2009

Rejuvenate at Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center in Lancaster - The Daily News Tribune

The Shirodhara massage offers deep relaxation and inner harmony as a soothing continuous flow of herbalized oil is poured slowly and gently across your forehead. Your entire nervous system will relax and experience increasing balance and calm.