REDUCTION OF STRESS WITH MEDITATION TECHNIQUE

Iva Solarević, prof.

Zagreb, Croatia

INTRODUCTION

We are all familiar with the word “stress”. Everything that causes a change in our life causes some kind of stress. It doesn’t matter if it is a “good” change, or a “bad” change, they are both stress. Stress is an unavoidable consequence of life. Infact without stress, there would be no life, because there would be no change, no growth, nor evolution.

Our bodies react to stress with the classic"fight-or-flight" response, producing adrenalin, raising the heart rate and blood pressure, and increasing blood flow to the muscles. This response helps us to combat or flee a particular physical threat. But if we continually react like this to day-to-day stress, we run the risk of suffering a variety of stress-related conditions. The problem is , that nowadays there is a very high level of stress present in our lifes (especially negative stress), and it is getting more and more difficult to function without having some health disorders caused by internal or/and external stressors.

Stress is a factor in a variety of physical and emotional illnesses and some of them (mentioned by The American Institute of Stress ) are: cardiovascular diseases (coronary heart disease, sudden death, congestive failure hypertension, stroke, accelerated atherosclerosis, heart rate variability..), neurologic disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, memory loss, migraine, tension headache..), psychiatric diagnoses(depression, anxiety and panic disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, mass hysteria, phobias..), gastrointestinal problems, dermatology problems, sexual and reproductive dysfunctions, memory, concentration and learning problems, specific disorders like; diabetes, arthritis, periodental disease, immune system disturbances etc.

It seems that stress is like an initiator for developing bigger or more difficult health problems. Stressors by themselves don’t have to be “big”(loud noise, loud music, polluted enviroment etc.), but if they are cronical, they can cause “big” physical or psychological damages. The fact is, that everybody is under some kind of stress (kids, adults, sportsmens, coaches, teachers, students, doctors, patients, you and me). We all know that to be healthy is the most important thing to develop productive, happy and creative individuals and society. So we can realize that managing and preventing stress influences could be of grait benefit.

DISCUSSION

In prehistoric times, the physical changes in response to stress were an essential adaptation for meeting natural threats. Even in the modern world, the stress response can be an asset for raising levels of performance during critical events such as a sports activity, an important meeting, or in situations of actual danger or crisis. If stress becomes persistent and low-level, however, all parts of the body's stress apparatus (the brain, heart, lungs, vessels, and muscles) become chronically over- or under-activated. This may produce physical or psychologic damages over time, and diminish success in some activitys and life in general.
There are of course different strategies of stress reduction like medications, exercise tehniques, yoga, stretching, breathing exercises, progressive muscular training, time management, cognitive restructuring, behavioral modification, massage & body work, aromatherapy, herbal and other nutritional supplements, aromatherapy, even music and variety of other strategies. The technique which will be discussed here is the meditation technique.

Meditation, used for many years in Eastern cultures, is now widely accepted in the West as a relaxation technique. The goal of all meditative procedures, (both religious and therapeutic) is to quiet the mind (essentially, to relax thought). When practiced regulary, meditation encourages a state of calm that is probably the source of its many health benefits.

The more than 500 scientific studies conducted at 200 independent universities and institutions in 33 countries and published in over 100 leading scientific journals have documented that this "technology" has grait benefit on physiological, psychological but also sociological and ecological spheres of life.

The Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa , found that meditation ( in this case; transcendental meditation-TM) decreases stress which is validated by physiological changes such as decreased cortisol (the major stress hormone), decreased muscle tension, normalization of blood pressure, increased autonomic stability and increased EEG coherence etc. At the same time, a variety of psychological changes also indicates decreased stress, including decreased anxiety and depression, decreased post-traumatic stress syndrome, increased self-actualization etc. Further I'll abstract some of the findings on TM technique which could be useful in fields of improving sport performance and health in general.

1. After four months of practice of the TM technique, altered cortisol respons to stress was noticed. The adaptation to stress was improved: reduced cortisol levels in non-stressful situations and enhanced cortisol response during stressful challenge with rapid return to baseline. (MACLEAN, C. R. K.; WALTON, K. G.; WENNEBERG, S. R.; LEVITSKY, D. K. MANDARINO, J. V.; WAZIRI, R.; and SCHNEIDER, R. H. , 1992.)

2. Increased whole body serotonin metabolism. Reduced mood disturbance. (WALTON, K. G.; GELDERLOOS, P.; PUGH, N.; MACRAE, P. . GODDARD, P.; MACLEAN, C.; and LEVITSKY, D.,1990.)

3. An experimental study of pulmonary ventilation during the TM technique and applications in preventive medicine results showed a unique state of deep rest: lower oxygen consumption per kilo body weight during and outside the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. (GARNIER, D.; CAZABAT, A.; THÉBAULT, P.; and GAUGE, P., 1984.)

4. A unique state of deep rest: lower heart rate. Decreased breath rate. Episodes of spontaneous respiratory suspension (without compensatory hyperventil-ation). Increased alertness: faster reaction time after the practice. Lower heart rate outside the practice. (GALLOIS, P.,1984.)

5. Integration of opposite styles of physiological functioning: simultaneous increased activity of sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of autonomic nervous system. (LANG, R.; DEHOF, K.; MEURER, K. A.; and KAUFMANN, W., 1979.)

6. Increased ease of breathing: increased airway conductance. Maintenance of a relaxed style of physiological functioning outside of meditation: lower basal metabolic rate after meditation. (COREY, P. W., 1973.)

7. Indications of deep rest along with wakeful, ordered state of brain functioning: Normal arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressures. Increased skin resistance. Increased regularity and intensity of EEG alpha activity in frontal and central regions. Reduction in biochemical index of stress: decreased arterial lactate levels. (WALLACE, R. K, 1972.)

A statistical meta-analysis conducted at Stanford University of all available studies-146 outcomes-indicated that the effect of TM technique is very effective in reducing anxiety (Journal of Clinical Psychology 45:957-974,1989). The researches on TM technique in the field of self-actualization showed that it has the ability to fully develop the unique potential of the individual. TM practitioners also reported significant reductions in health problems such as headaches and backaches, improved quality of sleep, and also significant reduction in the use of hard liquor and cigarettes, compared to personnel in control groups.(International Journal 6:245-262, 1993.). Some other positive effects of practicing meditation were also; increased intelligence, creativity, memory and increased physical and psychical energy. The important factor is that this technique is an integral technique which connects body and mind and allows them to function in harmony. Many athlets and coaches reported that relaxation tehniques like meditation helped them to be more relaxed, focused, concentrated, to have internal calm and power and to achive "ideal performance state"(IPS).

CONCLUSION

Variety of positive effects of the meditation technique proves that it's practicing could improve the quality of our lifes in many different spheres (especially health, like the basic one). Other positive fact about it is that this technique doesn't require any financial investments, everybody can do it and it's not complicated at all. The tehnique is simple, natural, effortless procedure practiced for 15-20 minutes one or two times a day. All you have to do is to sit comfortable (with back strait), close your eyes and relax your body and mind. Then focus on your breathing, making it very regular, and continuously repeat one word (aloud or in your mind). It should be either a simple word such as "relax" or "easy", or brief phrase -such as "om" used in transcendental meditation-or one that simply does not make you think. Then just continue to breath regulary, with your muscles relaxed. It is not helpful to try it for the first time when under enormous stress and it's recommended to learn it from experienced person. Relaxation is also a skill that requires regulare practice. It seems that people under the constant pressures don't even notice that they suffer of cronical tension and forgot how does it feel to "do absolutely nothing" and be totally relaxed. Maybe it seems to easy to be true, but it is worth trying to incorporate this technique, not just in sports training or rehabilitation process, but also in our daily routine and to try to prevent possible health problems which are caused by stress. It is clear to all of us, that only mentaly and physicaly healthy person can be productive and happy and can fully develop its unique potential , so we have to give our best to finde the ways of realizing it. Maybe this is one of the ways!

REFERENCES:

1. COREY, P. W. Airway conductance and oxygen consumption changes associated with practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique. University of Colorado Medical Center, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A., 1973. Collected Papers v1.6.

2. GALLOIS, P. Modifications neurophysiologiques et respiratoires lors de la pratique des techniques de relaxation. L'Encéphale 10: 139-144, 1984.
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3. GARNIER, D.; CAZABAT, A.; THÉBAULT, P.; and GAUGE, P. An experimental study: pulmonary ventilation during the Transcendental Meditation technique and applications in preventive medicine. Summary of a paper that appeared in Est-Médicine 4(76): 867-870, 1984.
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4. LANG, R.; DEHOF, K.; MEURER, K. A.; and KAUFMANN, W. Sympathetic activity and Transcendental Meditation. Journal of Neural Transmission 44: 117-135, 1979.
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5. MACLEAN, C. R. K.; WALTON, K. G.; WENNEBERG, S. R.; LEVITSKY, D. K. MANDARINO, J. V.; WAZIRI, R.; and SCHNEIDER, R. H. Altered cortisol response to stress after four months practice of the Transcendental Meditation program. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 18(2): 1541, 1992.

6. TOLSON,J., KLEINER, C., MARCUS.DL.,In to the zone.U.S. News&World Report,vol.129 Issue1, p38,8p,8c, 2000.

7. WALLACE, R. K., et al. The physiology of meditation. Scientific American 226: 84-90, 1972.
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8. WALTON, K. G.; GELDERLOOS, P.; PUGH, N.; MACRAE, P. . GODDARD, P.; MACLEAN, C.; and LEVITSKY, D. Stress and serotonin turnover in normal subjects: relation to serotonin deficiencies in mental disorders. Abstract presented at the 5th International Congress of Psychophysiology, Budapest, Hungary, 9-13 July, 1990.

9. http://www.tm.org

10. http://www.intelihealth.com

11. http://www.mbmi.org