The Science Is In: Meditation Affects Aging and Telomere Length

Science is all about precision, controlled studies, and measurable, repeatable results. So for years researchers resisted working on alternative practices such as meditation, dismissing the few studies done as “fuzzy science,” “subjective,” or “impossible to duplicate.” But as research methods have advanced, so has the accuracy of the latest research. There is ample evidence now that stress leads to increased risk of health problems and that meditation reduces stress. What’s new are the studies showing how stress is related to aging and telomere length.

Thanks to groundbreaking work from researchers such as molecular biologist Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and psychiatrist Elissa Epel, (video) we can now definitively link meditation with slowing, and perhaps even reversing the aging process. Blackburn, who won the 2009 Nobel Prize for the discovery of telomeres, the protective caps on our chromosomes that wear down from aging, decided to study the effects of meditation on telomere length. Blackburn, named one of Time magazine’s 100 “Most Influential People in the World” in 2007, effectively launched the field of telomere research. Blackburn and Epel have now released a book with their research, The Telomere Effect – Living Younger, Healthier, Longer, and have appeared on Dr. Oz and other tv shows.

On his Natural Health website, www.lifespa.com, John Douillard writes, “Dr. Blackburn followed the logical paper trail: shorter telomeres cause accelerated aging, highly stressed people had shorter telomeres, and short telomeres are linked to health concerns….. meditation has been found to increase the activity of an enzyme called telomerase, which protects the chromosomal caps, called telomeres, from shortening. These chromosomal caps protect our cells from aging, degeneration and disease. Chanting, yoga, and other Ayurvedic lifestyle practices were shown to also increase the activity of telomerase in the body.” In addition to his website for natural health and Ayurveda, Mr. Douillard (video) has developed the Transformational Awareness Technique (TAT), a practice that combines meditation with action.

Delay or Reverse Aging with Qigong, Meditation, Yoga & More

Merlian News Podcast with Teresa Hale on Meditation


Spiritual Awakenings: Scientists and Academics Describe their Experiences

I’ve been reading the recently published book, Spiritual Awakenings: Scientists and Academics Describe Their Experiences, edited by neuroscientist Marjorie Woollacott and David Lorimer. In this book 57 scientists and academics discuss how their experience of spiritual awakening transformed their philosophical world-view and perception of reality. I have found that many of their stories validate my own experiences over the years. This in itself is a profound revelation for me, as I have had these events all my life, but found so few people, apart from my clairvoyant mother, Maureen Treanor, who also experienced these on a regular basis, with whom I could share.

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The Benefits of Rooibos (Redbush) Tea

Long used in Africa, and touted for its reputed medicinal properties, redbush tea has been the subject of increased research over the last few decades. As we read on www.livestrong.com: “Redbush tea is a beverage brewed from the dried leaves of the rooibos plant, a low-growing shrub native to South Africa and known scientifically as Aspalathus linearis. The herbal tea gets its name from the English translation of rooibos, which means “red bush” in Afrikaans.

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Q&A with Scott Stabile, Author of Enough as You Are

In a world dominated by the relentless pursuit of self-improvement, author Scott Stabile’s new book Enough as You Are offers a refreshing perspective on self-acceptance by empowering readers to find contentment in their inherent worth. We hope you’ll enjoy this Q&A with Scott about the book.

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Tips for Going Green at Dinnertime

The idea of switching to a vegan diet is nothing new. Unfortunately, the Western diet centers virtually every meal around meat. This can have harmful long-term consequences, including an elevated risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, obesity, and more.

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Super Natural Family International Cookbook by Nancy Mehagian

The Super Natural Family International Cookbook is a thoughtful compendium of kid-friendly recipes from around the world. Nancy Mehagian, the author of two prior award winning books – the culinary memoir Siren’s Feast: An Edible Odyssey, and the Supernatural Kids Cookbook – has knocked it out of the park again with her newest effort. Families and kids are going to love these recipes.

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When Your Body Speaks: Paying Attention to Food Cravings

| by Cheryl Shainmark

Several weeks ago I caught a doozy of a cold, leaving me with a stuffed head, chronically runny nose, sore throat and a bit of a cough. Bad enough for the first few days, weeks later it seemed like it just wouldn’t go away. I didn’t have the flu or strep throat or bronchitis, but the symptoms lingered. Finally, after weeks of getting more rest and watching my diet, it passed. During that time I ate lightly, (when I wasn’t sleeping,) but found myself throwing handfuls of thyme and garlic into virtually everything – from scrambled eggs to soup. It was a little bizarre, actually.

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Stalking the Wild Pendulum, by Itzhak Bentov

Bentov says: “I am attempting in this book to build a model of the universe that will satisfy the need for a comprehensive picture of ‘what our existence is all about.’ In other words, a holistic model that encompasses not only the physical, observable universe that is our immediate environment and the distant universe observed by our astronomers but also other ‘realities’ as well.”

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Dowsing the Conscious Cosmos by Tim Walter

Tim Walter writes on www.knightsrose.com: Dowsing seems to be the easiest way to literally access part of the quantum layer of existence in our realities. The picture here was taken by NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Peake from the space station in January 2016. Most of us aren’t lucky enough to witness the amazing visual display of the aurora during our lives let alone such a dramatic display from such a remarkable viewpoint. It’s a heart-stopping and lump-in-the-throat inducing image.

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Healing Visualizations by Gerald Epstein, MD

Healing Visualizations – Creating Health Through Imagery is a powerful, practical tool for restoring mental, emotional, and physical health. The author, Gerald Epstein, MD, has combined 30 years of clinical science and anecdotal data to develop a series of simple exercises to help a variety of ailments. These exercises are truly effective, and leave the patient empowered to participate in their own healing.

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