Would You Be Insulted If Your Doctor Prescribed Meditation?

Meditation and other holistic therapies are slowly starting to become an accepted form of medical treatment.  Meditation has been proven to lower blood pressure, alleviate depression, moderate cortisol, and help people manage chronic pain. 

Yet, despite all the evidence pointing to meditation being effective as a medical treatment, people feel like they are being told that they are crazy or that their ailment is due to a mental problem.  This is not true.  Meditation affects the body in a physical way.  It stimulates the body's relaxation response which improves the blood supply to all the body's organs and muscles, moderates the stress hormone cortisol, and slows down a person's heart and breathing rate.  

Our thoughts and responses to life also can activate body processes.  Imagine you are driving on a busy street and a car pulls out of nowhere, almost creating a collision with your car.  Luckily you are able to swerve away from the oncoming car without hitting any other cars.  Would your heart be racing after this event?  Would you be hyperventilating?  Sure you would.  Your body would feel like you just had an accident, but you did not.  Notice how your body feels even after just imagining this scenario.  Yes, your emotions and mental state can affect your body function.  There is no reason to feel negative about it, because that will fill you with even more negative emotions. 

The process of meditation gives your body a break and a chance to come back to balance.  This is done without drugs, saving your body potential harm from the side effects of prescription medication and saving your money from being spent on an unnecessary expense.  Sometimes a doctor may feel you need medication even with the meditation, and you should evaluate your situation with your doctor.  However, even doctors who prescribe medication will want you to change your lifestyle because the medicine cannot totally heal a condition.  I personally know people who reduced and /or eliminated their need for medication with lifestyle changes.  Meditation is a great place to start.

Ayurveda uses meditation as a way to balance and heal people.  I am happy the medical community is starting to appreciate meditation's value too.

Stay healthy & well,
Lisa