Calming the Brain Waves

By Tulsa World’s own Service 9/16/98

Meditation helped woman deal with stress while battling cancer. It was through a dream that she became aware of the need for a mammogram, she said, and it was meditation that helped her eventually make it through a double mastectomy. Had I not started meditating before the diagnosis I think I would have been much more distressed, said Kinney who earned a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Texas School of Nursing and has a private nursing practice. By meditating regularly she was able to fight off panicked thoughts of being consumed by the same disease that claimed her mother’s life 35 years ago, she said. When it came time to pick a method of treatment and surgery she was relaxed enough to make a decision she does not regret. (Meditation) gave me the opportunity to listen to what was going on inside and to make some really difficult decisions following the diagnosis, said Kinney. Now enjoying excellent health, she swears by the benefits of meditation and teaches the technique to other breast cancer patients who come to a support group she conducts.

Denise Rodgers, executive director of the Association for the Development of Mind Body Potential, 6218 S. Lewis Ave., swears by meditation as well. She and Kinney plan to launch a research project in January that will track some of the specific benefits of meditation. Rodgers’ organization, which opened in 1990, offers instruction in several techniques including meditation, visualization, guided imagery, dream analysis and self-healing. These techniques are designed to help people realize their inner strengths, she said. A lot of people come here because stress and chaos have become extreme in their lives and it’s causing their health to break down, said Rodgers, who meditates daily. Some people come because they know there is more to who they are. We teach people to tap into their inherent creative potential. Rodgers has taken her techniques one step further by designing a meditation curriculum for those who are sick. She has taught meditation techniques to those suffering from multiple sclerosis and those with cancer. Kinney and Rodgers will combine their knowledge in setting up their research project, which will likely be conducted simultaneously in Texas and in Tulsa. The two plan to conduct a controlled study comparing people who meditate with those who do not. They also plan to develop a more comprehensive meditation program for cancer patients.

The popularity of meditation has historically come and gone in cycles. Along the way misconceptions and a stigma have often been attached to the practice, but these days its popularity is once again on the upswing, said Rodgers. I have more people calling me about it this year than ever before, she said. We live in a very stress-filled environment. Meditation can give you a respite from your external life and help you find some peace, calm and contentment. Well-established medical schools are even beginning to offer a mind-body approach to their curriculum, said Rodgers, who has written a chapter on meditation in the college textbook, The Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She prefers the word complementary over alternative because it describes how meditation can fit in with traditional western medicine, she said. This is not a war. We’re not trying to say that this is a better approach. We’re saying that you can combine the best of both worlds, Rodgers said. In the textbook, meditation is defined as a self-directed practice conducted for the purpose of relaxing and calming the mind and body. Most meditative practices, it says, are descended from Asian religious practices, particularly those of India, China and Japan. In the 1960s a popular form of meditation called Transcendental Meditation began to emerge. According to Rodgers’ text the philosophy and practice was brought from India to the United States by its founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Early studies in the 60s found that the physiological benefits of meditation outweigh the benefits of sleep by three times.

Research also shows that the technique can be as effective as high blood pressure medication. You feel profoundly rested, your mind is clearer and your body can function more normally. Rodgers endorses transcendental meditation, but offers her clients a more Western approach. Linda Lutherbeck, who teaches meditation and yoga with Rodgers, said the method can be incorporated into anyone’s daily routine. We’re usually sitting at a table in a comfortable position with both feet flat on the floor with music in the background. I teach (clients) to be receptive, to allow thoughts to come and go, said Lutherbeck. Meditation can be done while walking or just sitting quietly, she said. Lutherbeck often recommends waking up a bit earlier in the morning and starting the day with meditation. A teacher at Mayo Demonstration School, she even incorporates meditation into her curriculum by teaching her students how to take what she calls a brain break. The technique is simple, you do not have to be on a diet to meditate and you do not have to supplement it with an exercise routine, she said. It’s about getting quiet with yourself and listening to your thoughts, she said.

Rodgers offers five different six-week courses in developing mind and body potential. Yoga classes are also offered in four-week weekly sessions. We help move people into a healthier place, said Rodgers. We’ve recently seen the collective consciousness of the world change. People are really beginning to wake up and realize that they have tools and resources available internally to maximize spiritual and physical potential.