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The Washington Post, October 1, 1996
Meditating on the Bottom Line By Jane E. Stevens In the afternoon, computer consultant Duncan Worksometimes closes the door to his office in Bethesda and spends 20 minutesmeditating. His boss, Bob Clasen, president of Computer Solutions and Development,approves of the break. Jeffrey Abramson, a partner in Tower Companies,and 25 of the 35 employees in the real estate development and managementfirm in Bethesda, meditate in their offices before going home. Meditating is a form of deep relaxation that waspopularized in the United States more than 30 years ago when TranscendentalMeditation was introduced here by a Hindu teacher, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi."Transcendental" refers to the extraordinary concentration achievedwhile meditating by repeating a meaningless sound. Such meditation has beenpracticed by Hindus for hundreds of years to relieve stress and increaseawareness, but it is not part of the religion and is practiced by peopleof other faiths. Scientific studies have demonstrated that meditatingtwice a day for 20 minutes lowers stress, cholesterol and blood pressurelevels. Since 1970, more than 500 research studies have been con ductedon meditation, according to Robert Roth, a business consultant, teacherof Transcendental Meditation and author of a book on the subject. The most recent study was published in August inthe American Heart Association journal Hypertension. That study by CharlesN. Alexander, a researcher from the Maharishi University of Management inFairfield, Iowa, found that a group of black patients working to reducestress by using transcendental meditation lowered their blood pressure moresignificantly than by using other relaxation techniques or lifestyle modifications.A study published in April by the American Journal of Cardiology found thatsome patients with coronary heart disease improved their tolerance of exerciseafter meditating twice daily. Earlier studies indicated a general physiologicaleffect of meditation including a decline in production of a body chemicalcalled cortisol. Cortisol helps protect the body's cells and tissues frominflammation and the effects of stress. But too much cortisol, which isproduced when the body is under stress, weakens the immune system and promotesdiabetes and hypertension. Other studies found an increase in blood flowin the muscles and skin after meditation. During meditation, oxygen consumption decreases,as does heart rate, and blood flow increases, researchers have found. Some physicians prescribe it for their patientswith high blood pressure. One is Phil Lichtenfield, who practices in Encino,Calif., and began meditating in medical school 20 years ago. Many of thosewho meditate have been able to reduce their medication, he said. R.W. "Buck" Montgomery found that meditationimproved the health of his company. He instituted meditation in his chemicalmanufacturing company in Detroit in 1983. Within three years, he said, 52of the company's 70 workers -- from upper management to the production line-- were meditating for 20 minutes before they came to work and 20 minutesin the afternoon, on company time. Over three years, Montgomery said, absenteeismfell by 85 percent, productivity rose 120 percent, quality control rose240 percent, injuries declined 70 percent, sick days fell by 76 percentand profits soared 520 percent. Montgomery, who is now working with the TranscendentalMeditation Program, an Iowa-based group dedicated to promoting meditation,attributes the improvements solely to the meditation exercises. He saidthey relieved stress and made the company's employees more relaxed. "Asa result, people enjoyed their work, they were more creative and more productive,"he said. Puritan-Bennett Corp., which produces respiratorycare and other medical equipment in Kansas City, Kansas, started with apilot program in 1993 that compared 38 people who meditated with 38 whodid not. At the end of three months, Workgroup, an independentfirm at the University of Kansas, reported that those who meditated saidthey had more energy, were able to handle stress better, had fewer physicalcomplaints and had lower cholesterol levels, said Mary Martha Stevens, managerof the company's health and wellness program. Today the company offers free meditation lessons.More than 80 people at all levels of employment meditate before and afterwork. At the Tower Companies in Bethesda, after a majorityof Abramson's employees began meditating, the employees' hospital admissionsand physician visits dropped so much that the firm's insurer, Great WestInsurance, reduced the company's premium by 5 percent and agreed to pay80 percent of the meditation course costs. Still, meditation programs have made little headwayin corporate America. Only a few companies offer time or instructions formeditation to their employees often because of the cost involved and becausethe studies have not been so overwhelming that employers feel compelledto start the program. And sometimes there is a reluctance among employeesto try it. Three years before his company successfully adoptedmeditation in 1983, Montgomery had tried introducing it by strongly recommendingthat his employees participate. `It was an absolute flop," he said.Roth also has found companies that have paid to train their employees, thenabandoned the practice. And some companies regard it as an item that canbe eliminated to save money. When Montgomery sold his business, for example,the company that bought it discontinued the meditation program. For a business,the cost of training runs about $1,500 per employee, which covers 10 groupsessions plus two individual meetings with each group member. Sometimes, even people who don't meditate say theyfind a benefit in having co-workers who use the technique. Betsy Dailey,director of sales and marketing at Computer Solutions and Development inBethesda, is the only employee who doesn't meditate. "It's a lot easier to work here than any otherplace I've worked," she said. "People here are a lot more relaxed,and it's a much more low-key environment. I'm definitely the most high-strungof the bunch. They periodically attempt to persuade me to learn how to meditate.Maybe I'll cave in some day." © 1996, Jane E. Stevens, reprintedwith permission as appeared in The Washington Post, October 1, 1996. Scientific chart and summary of research study on the Transcendental Meditation program and increased business productivity. Scientific chart and summary of research study on the Transcendental Meditation program and stress and anxiety. Scientific chart and summary of research study on the Transcendental Meditation program and hypertension (high blood pressure). Watch a video about the Transcendental Meditation program online! |
