Recent findings presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association have revealed that transcendental meditation (TM) may have legitimate therapeutic value for patients suffering from coronary heart disease.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, monitored 200 subjects over the course of five years. What they found was that high risk patients who meditated regularly cut their chances of having a heart attack or stroke roughly in half. This was in comparison to the other half of the group who were given more conventional means of intervention, which included information about healthy diet and lifestyle. The people who meditated also remained disease free for a longer period and managed to lower their systolic blood pressure.

Patients found TM to be easy to learn and adhere to, mainly because it does not require any form of rigid training nor does it have any underlying principles that might offend certain philosophies or beliefs. Many supporters of TM see it is a straightforward and simple way for getting the body the rest it needs and thereby helping it to repair itself. They also advocate TM as a way to reduce stress in our lives, and by extension, suppress the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol that are linked to such conditions as atherosclerosis, depression, and hypertension.

This is especially significant in light of the fact that stress is so prevalent in our lives. While some stress is normal and to be expected, when it begins to overwhelm us, it is our bodies and our health that pay the price. Stress, after all, was probably originally intended as a protection mechanism against external threats from predators or danger. Our bodies reacted by elevating blood sugar levels and increasing your heart rate in order to increase energy supplies. In the classic fight or flight response, other bodily functions that are not as critical, including reproduction and digestion, are suppressed.

These responses are meant to be short-lived and designed for quick bursts of energy in order to escape from danger. When our bodies are under constant pressure due to stress from our daily lives, our bodies respond by being under constant alert.

This disrupts the normal, healthy functioning of our metabolisms and puts us at increased risk for a variety of health problems, including heart disease, sleep disorders, obesity, and digestive problems. Furthermore, it can influence regions of your brain that control mood, motivation, and fear.

The bottom line is that stress is bad for you and the people around you. The negative consequences can adversely affect your health and your state of mind. If your life is filled with constant stress, it might not be a bad idea to investigate any means to help reduce it, even meditation. The beauty of meditation is that it doesn’t cost anything, does not involve any medication, and only requires a little bit of time each day.

And you never know, you just might like it.