RDH, March, 1999

HEALTH
Close Your Eyes: Dental professionals find reinvigorating energy in Transcendental Meditation

Dentistry is hard work. Working with dental patients and dental personnel is rewarding but stressful. If you ask Mary Jo Curtin, RDH, BS, what has challenged her most in the 30-something years of working in the profession, she will emphatically state, "Working as a dental rep for the past 24 years." Curtin, a sales consultant for Sullivan-Schein based in Tucson, has a solution for dealing with that challenge. "What's helped me to cope with the hectic pace of my job is my daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation®(TM) technique, 20 minutes in the morning and evening."

Curtin's long career in the profession hasn't been easy. She began by working nights and weekends as a dental assistant while attending high school. Then she worked full-time as a dental assistant and went to school in the evenings until she could afford to pursue dental hygiene. Curtin graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, practiced clinical dental hygiene for a number of years, and then moved to Arizona after teaching dental hygiene at Wichita State University.

In Tucson, she became one of the country's first female dental supply reps. "When I interviewed for the job, my boss told me that they had never hired a female sales rep before, but they would give it a try. That was in 1975," Curtin laughed. "Now the sales force is full of women."

She provides product information and services to dental professionals in 120 to 150 dental offices, laboratories, hospitals, schools, and clinics in the region. Her job is to stimulate "positive growth in my customers' businesses." "It's a lot of fun, but demanding and stressful," she said. "I may start my day at 6:30 a.m. and return home at 6:30 p.m. Sometimes the hours and pay of a hygienist are very appealing, but I love what I do."

Curtin's experiences after meditating are reflective of her upbeat attitude. "After I finish 20 minutes of meditation, I feel refreshed and relaxed. I'm just raring to go! Meditating in the morning clears my mind, and meditating after work totally revives me so I can enjoy getting a lot done in the evening."

Curtin started meditating in 1972 "strictly for the physiological benefits." She was impressed by her discoveries while researching TM, and friends were encouraging her to try it. "I figured, what could I lose by closing my eyes for 20 minutes twice a day? I've been meditating regularly for 26 years, and have maintained the practice because it's easy and enjoyable. For me, it's like breathing."

She explains the benefits of meditating in the morning by pointing out, "How many times have you climbed out of bed in the morning and still felt tired? Sleeping or having your eyes closed for six or eight hours at night does not necessarily mean you're rested. With TM, even after a bad night's sleep, I can feel rested and clear the next day." And you don't need special conditions to do it. I can meditate any place."

Recently, a friend bet that Curtin couldn't meditate while they were riding in a car over rough terrain in the foothills of Tucson. "I told her, 'get your money out, it doesn't matter to me where I meditate.' It's been that way from the first day I learned, too," she said. "When people ask me about TM, I tell them it's just like flossing. You may not see the overall benefits at the time you're doing it, but you won't be beset with the problems other people have if you're practicing good oral hygiene habits. Both of my sisters, who are younger, have autoimmune disorders. I haven't had any physical problems since I started meditating."

Twenty minutes that can improve your life

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced the Transcendental Meditation technique to the world 40 years ago. Since that time, more than 5 million people - including 2 million in North America - of all cultural, religious, and educational backgrounds practice the technique.

During TM, the individual sits quietly in a chair with their eyes closed. A simple, mental technique is practiced that allows the mind to settle down. As the mind settles down, naturally, the body settles down and experiences a profound state of rest. This unique, physiological state is called restful alertness. The mind is calm and fully awake; the body is in a deep state of rest.

Robert Roth writes in his book, Transcendental Meditation, that the technique has been used by more than 6,000 medical doctors and thousands of executives, managers, and employees of large corporations and small businesses throughout the United States. He wrote that homemakers practice Transcendental Meditation, as do attorneys, computer programmers, teachers, students, sales clerks, clergy, athletes, factory workers, architects, airline pilots, electricians, chefs, and artists.

"Hundreds of my patients have learned the technique - with excellent results," said Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf, a physician from Washington D.C. "I tell everyone that the TM technique is the most effective, scientifically validated procedure to reduce stress and promote health. Of all the things you can do for your health, this has the most far-reaching, wide range of benefits."

More than 600 scientific studies have been completed in 200 universities and research centers, including Harvard, UCLA, and Stanford. "There is more research on the benefits of the TM program than on any other medical procedure to improve health," commented Dr. John Zamarra, a California cardiologist.

Drs. Hari Sharma, professor emeritus and former director of cancer prevention and natural products research at Ohio State University College of Medicine, and Christopher Clark write in their book, Contemporary Ayurveda, that TM requires no belief, "but (is) a practical technology to increase success in daily life." Although meditation is perceived to be difficult, taking years to master, the authors noted that TM "involves no concentration or mental effort. It is natural and easy to learn."

"It might seem that all relaxation is alike, but the research on TM over the last decades shows something quite different," continued Sharma and Clark. "Most relaxation leads to sleepiness and dullness. By contrast, many of the studies found that TM, while producing deep physical relaxation, also simultaneously increased mental alertness."

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Reprinted with permission of RDH: The National Magazine for Dental Hygiene Professionals