Transcendental meditation was introduced in 1955 in India. It is a form of mantra meditation where the person practicing it repeats words, syllables, sounds or groups of words. The goal is to “create transformation” in the person’s life.

Started by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, transcendental meditation is considered to be the most easily recognizable and widely practiced method of meditation. The technique can be completed in as little as 20 minutes, twice a day. During the 1960s and 1970s this method of meditation became very popular with as many as a million people learning to practice it.

Many people still practice transcendental meditation on a daily basis because they enjoy the benefits. They claim the mind and body learn to relax and rest. People practicing it also find stress and fatigue being released naturally rather than depending upon medicines to help them relax. They also say they have more energy, clarity of thought, and enjoy life more than before they began practicing it.

If you’re interested in learning transcendental meditation, you may be concerned about how long it will take you. There are organizations which still teach it claiming the process is easily learned. Classes are offered and generally take four days, lasting a couple of hours each day. After you learn the basics you don’t have to join the organization; you can continue to practice this method of meditation on your own or with others.

What does transcendental meditation look like? Basically you’ll sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. You may have seen people sitting in the yoga pose known as the lotus with legs crossed, hands facing with palms up, and thumb and index fingertips touching. While you may use this position to meditate, it is by no means required.

The important thing about this meditation method is for you to be comfortable and silent. It’s something you can do anywhere you have time and can close out the noises surrounding you. Some people have actually used their commute time on a train to meditate to help them be more prepared for the day ahead.

What are the benefits of transcendental meditation? Studies have been conducted for years concerning the claims of transcendental meditation. So far the studies have shown that there is a real, positive link between this technique and improved health. Some of the benefits include improved lung capacity among asthmatics, reduced high blood pressure, the ability to reduce or give up smoking and alcohol use, and less problems with insomnia.

Unlike some methods of meditation, this form does not require a particular belief system or any belief system at all. It is a natural way to relax and rejuvenate. If you do have a strong belief system, you can incorporate it with transcendental meditation without any problems.

Who doesn’t want to feel better, sleep more restfully, have more energy, and have improved health? After reading of these and other benefits, you can see why transcendental meditation is still popular.

Think about advertising.  The female population is inundated with photo after photo of the “perfect body” according to modeling agencies and style magazines.  Especially during the teenage years, the pressure to fit in and be liked by the opposite sex can lead to an unrealistic view of their bodies.

The same goes for men.  Seeing rock hard abs on models and male actors has them wondering if they need to look like that to attract girls.  This jaded thinking can lead to unhealthy eating and exercising habits that ruin a boy’s health and his self-image.

Men are still hesitant to come forward and reveal themselves as having a problem with eating disorders.  It is still thought of by some professionals as a ìfemaleî disease and they are not diagnosing it as much in males.  To help raise awareness, a few Hollywood actors have stepped forth and admitted that they suffer from eating disorders.

To heighten awareness, parents and others have to become familiar with the signs and symptoms of eating disorders not only for their daughters but also for their sons.  The first step is acceptance of the disorder in men and boys to shatter the stigma that is keeping them from getting the help that they need.

Anorexics are always concerned with weight.  They exercise to excess, constantly weigh themselves and count calories in everything – even water.  Any celebration that revolves around food will alarm them and they will likely bow out.  No matter how thin they get, they always say they are fat.

Where a person with anorexia tends to be underweight, people who suffer from bulimia nervosa are normal to slightly overweight.  They also fear getting fat and strive to control their food to control their lives.  Bulimics have a dim view of their body shape and often have low self-esteem.

As a way of coping with their feelings, they eat uncontrollably away from prying eyes.  Guilty feelings cause them to purge after their binging.  They vomit or use laxatives to get rid of the food that they have eaten.  They also shy away from any gathering that involves food and exercise a lot in an attempt to lose weight.  You may see boxes of laxatives or enema bottles in the trash or in their room if your child is bulimic.

Eating disorders are becoming quite common among teenagers.  Unless treated, anorexia and bulimia can get out of control and cause serious, irreversible damage to the body.  If you notice any of the above activities going on with your child or a friend, get them to a doctor immediately.  Early intervention can stop a lifetime of health problems and keep the disorder from proving fatal.

The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.  Both conditions can affect either males or females and are extremely serious.  To protect someone you love or care about, learn the warning signs of eating disorders.

An eating disorder develops from an unhealthy view of yourself and your relationship to food.  Food is a vehicle for delivering nutrients to the body.  That doesn’t mean that food can’t taste good but that eating the right foods is important for growth, health and a positive body image.

Anorexia nervosa involves a fear of gaining weight.  No matter how slim the person is, when they look in the mirror they see someone who is too fat.  In an attempt to control their weight, a person with anorexia nervosa will eat small portions of food.  The problem here is that the portions are not big enough to provide any type of good nutrition.

Warning signs of anorexia are easy to miss if you are not careful.  Sufferers usually explain their extremely small portions as dieting to get in shape.  At first no one will question that since teenagers are always in conflict about their body.  If your child used to eat with the family but now says that they are eating elsewhere, be concerned.

It would appear that women are less happy than they were 40 years ago, and get sadder as they get older:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcus-buckingham/womens-happiness-what-we_b_295876.html

What reasons can account for this trend?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcus-buckingham/womens-happiness-what-we_b_295876.html

Conversely, men have grown happier as the GDP has improved… Which begs the question, if we as a nation are more prosperous, why are women less happy?

We will be keeping an eye out for the latest on this topic!