Thoughts I've thunk while sippin' at a cup of tea and reading something provoking, often get dropped here for the benefit of humanity and my own hubris.
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I just watched Scientific American Frontiers episode, entitled, Worried Sick. The idea was to show what a lot of us had known for quite some time: that meditation was good for you in more ways than one … in this case, for stress release.
One of the more intriguing clips was of an interview with the Dalai Lama about how he was taking "secret doctrines" and giving them away to the West … not just to learn, but also to go through empirical studies and tests. While I mentioned this contribution before, it just seemed oddly pleasant to have this on national television.
Obviously at this point, we don't know how meditation technically works to affect the brain, but we can clearly see the results. And what is really great, is while this is a religious tradition, it really works with any background. Something religious that is practical? Who knew …
One of the more interesting quotes was of a scientist who said that he had interviewed people who said that if they don't do their meditation, or their yoga, or their prayers, their day just doesn't seem complete. Many paths, same conclusion.
I know I'm pretty much a basket case when I haven't been taking a little time out to regroup and recover. My meditation flavor is grounded in the Zen traditions, but that is just because I like it. And I think that liking a tradition has got to be the first step.
© 2003-2005, Howard Abrams • Except where otherwise noted, all original content is licensed under a Creative Commons License (see details).
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