Are the holidays stressing you out? Sometimes the holidays can bring excess stress rather than cheer. Cardiovascular disease has been associated with excessive psychological stress. Experiential research suggests that learning to relax using meditation may reduce atherosclerosis and risk of heart attack or stroke. Hypertensive participants in a controlled experiment at UCLA assigned to a Transcendental Meditation group saw a reduction in heart attack and stroke risk at rates comparable to reductions seen in lipid-lowering medications and extreme lifestyle and exercise modification. That means that stress-reduction alone (separate from genetics, diet and exercise) plays an important role in protecting the cardiovascular health of humans. Our bodies are amazing machines designed to heal themselves. This healing cannot take place when stress-responses are active. What are you currently doing to lower your levels of psychological stress? Could you care for yourself a little better? Yoga and meditation are great methods of stress reduction. So try to include regular yoga, breathing, or meditation practice in your fitness routine, especially during the holiday season.
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