Finally a
#Meditation Program that explained its link with
#LongevityScience! Thank you
#ArtofLiving!
My life has been a mission to promote GOOD SCIENCE. To me, a simple scientific research paper is of no use even if it has used large data sets, randomised controlled studies, too many of these have been manipulated in the past by the funders, the research journals, and biased researchers.
So what is good science?
Good science to me must be based upon
1. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: These are the "gold standard" of the gold standard. They don't just look at one study; they combine data from multiple high-quality trials to find an overall truth, significantly reducing the impact of any single flawed study.
2. Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs): These are individual experiments where participants are randomly assigned to a treatment or a control group. Randomisation is the key to trust because it ensures that differences in results are likely caused by the treatment itself rather than other factors like age or lifestyle.
Meditation and its link with longevity are based on extremely respectable good science. The connection isn't just wellness talk but is rooted in molecular biology, especially with respect to:
1. Telomere Protection: This is the "gold standard" of meditation-longevity research. Telomeres are the protective caps on your DNA. Every time a cell divides, they get shorter; when they're gone, the cell dies. Peer-reviewed studies show that meditation increases telomerase, the enzyme that repairs these caps.
2. Inflammaging: Chronic inflammation is a primary driver of aging. "Good science" shows that meditation downregulates pro-inflammatory genes, effectively slowing down the biological "rusting" of your body.
3. Brain Volume: Neurological research using MRI scans shows that long-term meditators have more gray matter in the prefrontal cortex compared to age-matched controls, suggesting it can offset the natural brain shrinking that happens as we age.
And globally one of the greatest organisations that has taken the art of meditation door to door is the Art of Living Foundation.
I have done science-based studies on almost everything possible to do with longevity over more than 15 years now.
And I'm a yoga practitioner for two decades plus. However, I have done meditation only on and off and never been happy with the results nor been able to practise on my own.
Art of Living conducts the most globally spread and appreciated — more or less — non-religious meditation programmes... and the rarest one that tries to link it systematically to longevity science.
So I got enrolled in this programme on MEDITATION FOR LONGEVITY— BEYOND SUCCESS 2.0, with an extremely limited purpose — to learn
#SriSriRaviShankar’s Sudarshan Kriya for Meditation, and to find out if that helps me practise meditation any better than previously.
I have come back extremely happy with practical knowledge of meditation and a feeling that yes, now I think I will be able to do meditation on a regular basis on my own. The Sudarshan Kriya certainly helped me meditate, and I hope now at home I will be able to do the same on my own with the simple process that was taught.
I'm grateful to the foundation and the teachers!!
Cheers
*DISCLAIMER*
This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Dr. Arindam Chaudhuri promotes science and rational thinking and is a Harvard- and Stanford-certified expert in Longevity Science. The information shared here is general in nature and based on current scientific understanding. It is not personalized medical advice. Always consult your qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your health, diet, exercise, or lifestyle, and verify any information with a professional familiar with your individual medical history and needs. Individual results may vary.
@ArtofLiving @Gurudev
