Health Benefits of Transcendental Meditation for Highly Stressed CEOs, CFOs, and Professionals

Healthful Vitality | 06/19/2021 | Transcendental Meditation Benefits for Stressed CEOs and CFOs.

The power of meditation was discovered centuries ago in promoting mental and spiritual health. Meditation including transcendental meditation practice offers many health benefits, including improved memory and intelligence, healthy blood pressure, reduces stress and anxiety, a greater sense of calmness throughout the day, among other several advantages. In addition, people love meditating as they understand the mind is the master, and practicing meditation has positive impacts on the body and mind.

Transcendental Meditation Benefits for Stressed CEOs and CFOs

Research on the impacts of meditation on cardiovascular risk

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease continues a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The research on the impacts of meditation on cardiovascular risk reveals that meditation has potential benefits on cardiovascular risk. Additionally, stress management with mindfulness and meditation shows that mindfulness meditation can assist in interrupting the stress cycle, and thus, meditation is a powerful natural tool to navigate stress.

Research on the impacts of meditation on diabetes

Research data from American Diabetes Association-Diabetes Spectrum suggests that mind-body therapies have an overall positive impact on glucose control. As a result, the mind-body approaches, meditation, yoga, and other mind-body therapies are becoming more popular and becoming more available to people over local health clubs and wellness centers.

Impact of meditation and proper sleep studies

According to Healthful Vitality, meditation and proper sleep lead to a decrease in stress behavior and result in the body’s overall wellbeing when it comes to boosting body’s immunity to curb cancer occurrence. According to Mayo Clinic, meditation can provide a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind.

Various meditation techniques are accessible today. Transcendental Meditation’s benefits seem deep inner calm, clarity of mind, and a healthier heart. Irrespective of a particular technique, a growing body of scientific study supports the health benefits of meditation. Indeed, a stressed routine CEO, taking a five to ten minutes break during work hours or before taking any big decision-making would benefit considerably.

Transcendental Meditation or TM

TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION or TM is a procedure for sidestepping disrupting reflections and encouraging a condition of peaceful consciousness. In fact, millions of individuals practice TM around the globe and there are hundreds of research studies on its advantages. While meditating, the person performing TM sits in a relaxed posture with eyes closed and an iterative process involving a mantra silently speaking [1]. The mantra varies from person to person and the mantra is gotten based on personal characteristic of the person performing it. Supporters of TM say that when meditating, the regular thoughtful process is transcended. In its place is a state of pure consciousness. When this is achieved, the mediator comes to rest, order, stability, flawless stillness and limitless possibilities of mental capacity.  TM was popularized by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960’s with many popular figures, notably the Beatles coming to him for help [2].

When a person practices TM on regular basis, he or she observes the stress melting away from his/her body. People who practice it regularly feel a sense of calmness along with more energy [3]. They are more focused, productive, proactive, and peaceful. Research studies on TM indicate its multiple health benefits including better sleep, improved self-esteem and concentration, decreased the severity of irritable bowel syndrome’s symptoms, and reduced post-menopausal symptoms [4]. In the workplace, especially for the executives, CEOs, and CFOs, the TM may settle their thoughts and direct their focus to a restful state, because of its effects on brain functioning.

Health Benefits of TM: What Doing TM Will Provide CEOs, CFOs, and Professionals?

Let us demonstrate how transcendental meditation benefits for stressed CEOs and CFOs. Nobody denies, CEOs, CFOs, and Professionals are usually under shear stress and constant pressure to optimize their decision-making, health, creativity, and fitness. Most of the top CEOs of major giant companies are linking their blossoming career with sitting in silence and regular practicing of TM. The benefits of TM can be enjoyed not only by the person who practice it, but by all his/her business partners, employees, colleagues, and clients too [5].

Transcendental meditation has been linked with multiple benefits for physical and mental well-being. Some of the major benefits of TM are related to:

• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Healthy blood pressure
• Improved intelligence
• Greater sense of calmness throughout the day

Reduces Stress and Anxiety

This can be viewed as the biggest gain of TM. It is widely accepted that stress is the main underlying factor to most of the major health issues, which is associated with a significant amount of money and time loss in businesses, due to regular absence from work. Research shows that TM reduces levels of the stress hormone “cortisol” to overcome anxiety and stress on physiological as well as psychological basis [6].

The physical and mental burden can be efficiently managed through TM. This was presented in a summit on December 8^th, 2016, at the United States Institute of Peace. TM places an individual in spot to take care of their stress levels. During the same summit, discussions were made how TM veterans take care of the PTSD acquired over the years of service. Constantly being alert and attention takes its toll on over a long period of time [7].

In the case of the CEO I met, he reliefs himself of the stress of dealing with insubordination and other challenges that come with being in charge. TM’s main effects in stress relief include positive impacts on the nervous system activation, brain coherence and hormonal levels. This makes TM even more significant for those in decision-making and executive roles, such as CEOs or CFOs.

For employees, TM on regular basis within the workplace may significantly improve their productivity and job satisfaction. This would advocate that business executives would prefer to invest in TM programs to enhance their workplace wellbeing and output.

Healthy Blood Pressure

It has also been argued desired blood pressure for healthy living has been achieved through TM. People with hypertension, people with heart disease, people with stress and at rest were tested to show TM leads to lower pressure and the results turned out positively. American Heart Association brought out an in-depth revision of research from 2006 -2011 suggesting that TM may be considered in clinical practice for the prevention and treatment of hypertension [8].

Improved Memory and Intelligence

Over the years, the world of businesses has gotten more competitive. Competitors do all they can to have an edge over those they are in the same field with. Scientific research says through TM, test scores advance swiftness of information processing, cognitive functioning, social and personality behavior, balanced use of cognitive domains (traits like curiosity, comprehension). Working memory seems to improve with regular TM practice, supporting you to retain more knowledge and information. For business executives, short TM sessions can help them focus on the work throughout the day, sharpening their cognitive potential, and minimizing their chances of getting distracted.

Other Benefits

Following is a list of other advantages that appear to have been linked with TM:

• Increased happiness
• Greater creativity
• Improved cognitive function
• Increased focus
• Enhanced productivity and high performance
• Improved emotional intelligence
• Better sleep
• More energy
• Reduced risk of stroke and heart attack
• Decreased cholesterol level

Common Myths and Misconceptions about TM

Transcendental Meditation trains business professionals to keep their attention and awareness in the present moment. As we are observing that many individuals now think of “busyness as a symbol of glory” and consider that always staying overloaded and hyperconnected is the way of success. In fact, staying overloaded and hyperconnected is a cultural disease, one that ruins both mind and body, and Transcendental Meditation is, no doubt, the antidote for the problem.

Does TMreally have health benefits or is it just a waste of money and time? Most of the business executives think that learning TM technique is a costly and time-consuming process. There is a need to understand TM technique comprehensively and dispel its following most ubiquitous myths:

1. TM is difficult and takes too much time to get desired results.
2. TM technique is costly to learn.
3. TM and other relaxation practices are basically the same and provide the same results.
4. It is a pure religious technique without any authentic scientific proof.
5. TM can have many side effects that are extremely harmful to health.
6. While learning TM, you have to attend religious ceremonies.
7. People who practice TM belong to a cult.
8. You can’t practice TM if you can’t sit cross-legged.

How to Carry Out TM?

Learning some of the benefits of Transcendental Meditation is helpful and you can go a step further and learn how to do it.

The following are steps for Transcendental Meditation or TM:

Step # 1

Find a spot you know you won’t be interrupted during the meditation. It can be in your house, out there with nature or any place devoid of distraction.

Step # 2

Sit yourself in a comfortable position. It can be a chair or a couch or on the floor. The important thing to note here is that comfort is a necessity.

Step # 3

Next act is to close your eyes.  Take in some deep breaths as much as you need to calm your mind and to prepare yourself. Inhale deeply and hold your breath for 5 seconds and exhale.

Step # 4

A mental scan of your whole body is the next step. Scan yourself from head to toe or toe to head to locate points of pain, aches, sore spots or if there are emotions stirring up. Take your time if you don’t immediately feel anything. If you acknowledged any of those emotion or unwanted pains, concentrate on these for the next couple of minutes.

Step # 5

At this point, you bring in your mantra to the process. There are many mantras but “hum” will do in this case before you decide on a more suitable one for yourself. The mantra is repeated silently and gently, be sure to create a rhythm as you do it. The idea here is to go with the flow and not to try and force or control it. It is okay if you find your mind wanders during the process. You just gently bring your mind back to the mantra.

Step # 6

As your meditation comes to a close, you let silence reign as you stop saying the mantra. You should be feeling a lot lighter and calmer if you did the technique as instructed. A pleasant feeling should engulf your body as you have fewer thoughts at this point.

Step # 7

Remember those bodily sensations talked about in the beginning of the technique? You bring your attention back to them. Focus on them and feel them once more. Gradually become aware of your environment and open your eyes. Welcome back.

So that is the technique the CEO and his buddies use. The TM technique has been ideally suited for business executives who have a hectic routine. It significantly reduces their stress and helps them to maintain proper health. The TM technique has also an immeasurable impact on their family and business relationships. Importantly, it may help them to make clearer and more effective decisions on the job.

TM does not necessitate in the least strenuous energy. Nor does it demand contemplation or concentration. The basic thing is focusing your breathing to be normal and be attentive to the mantra you use. You can do this alone or you can get a teacher to guide you. Whatever you do, enjoy the experience. Indeed, undoubtedly, transcendental meditation benefits for stressed CEOs and CFOs as well as other professionals.

References

1. Brown, C. G. (2019). Transcendental Meditation. Debating Yoga and Mindfulness in Public Schools, 39–50. https://doi.org/10.5149/northcarolina/9781469648484.003.0003
2. Shannahoff-Khalsa, D. (2012). Meditation: The Science and the Art. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior, 576–584. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-375000-6.00228-7
3. Calucchia, C. People Who Say They “Don’t Do” Meditation Haven’t Tried This Technique. Byrdie. https://www.byrdie.com/transcendental-meditation-5112916
4. Meditation – National Institutes of Health. https://files.nccih.nih.gov/s3fs-public/Meditation_04-25-2016.pdf
5. Meditation is the new edge in successful BUSINESS LEADERSHIP. Transcendental Meditation: LATEST NEWS & OPINIONS. (2016, March 29). https://tmhome.com/benefits/ceo-meditation-successful-businessmen/
6. Stress management techniques: Evidence-based procedures that reduce stress and promote health | Insight medical publishing. Health Science Journals | High Impact Articles List. https://www.hsj.gr/medicine/stress-management-techniques-evidencebased-procedures-that-reduce-stress-and-promote-health.php?aid=3429
7. The science of meditation, trauma, stress, and the brain. Transcendental Meditation: LATEST NEWS & OPINIONS. (2017, January 10). https://tmhome.com/news-events/meditation-trauma-stress-and-brain/
8. Ooi, S. L., Giovino, M., & Pak, S. C. (2017). Transcendental meditation for lowering blood pressure: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 34, 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2017.07.008