A team of researchers led
by Dr Ramesh Manocha at Sydney University’s
Meditation Research Program, monitored stress levels of full-time workers in
Sydney’s CBD to determine the effectiveness of meditation in combating this
widespread and expensive problem.
The study was done in three groups for a period of two months, it showed
that those who used Sahaja Yoga meditation (silent form of meditation) showed
significant reduction in their stress levels compared to those who used other
methods of meditation that didn't involve thoughtless awareness.
Dr Manocha states “The
eight-week clinical trial provides strong evidence that there are measurable,
practical and clinically relevant effects of meditation, and particularly those
that are aimed at achieving the experience of mental silence”
Stress can be due to events such
as buying a home,marriage, work or
anything. Work stress is described by many experts as a modern epidemic and the
majority seeks help from General Physicians, who are often at a loss to know
what to recommend that is safe, effective and scientifically evaluated.
Workplace stress costs U.S.
employers an estimated $200 billion per year in absenteeism, lower productivity, staff turnover,
workers' compensation, medical insurance and other stress-related expenses. It
costs the Australian economy $15 billion per year & cost to the economy of
UK is approximately £100 billion per year according to study by Mental health charity Mind.
Considering this, stress
management may be world’s most important economical challenge of the 21st
century.
At present many
studies are coming up with scientific facts which strongly prove that
meditation is something that can be used to both prevent and reduce stress and
hence it has broad implications for health and economics of the Society.
In the Art of
Meditation course by Art of living, participant is taught to use a simple sound
mentally which then allows the mind to settle down and go within. When the mind
and nervous system are allowed to repose a few moments in the profound silence,
the blocks that clog the system gradually dissolve.
“When
the mind is calm, alert and totally contended, then it is like a laser beam-it
is very powerful and healing can happen”- Sri Sri