May 5, 2015—Hypertension. Sixty-seven million Americans have been diagnosed with the condition, more commonly known as high blood pressure. For women, the female hormone estrogen likely serves as a kind of protection. But after the big 50, women’s rates of hypertension go up. That increases the risk of heart disease. And heart disease kills more women than anything else. That’s how it went for Susan Evans. Her blood pressure changed with age. “It was always 110/70, 120/80…perfectly fine blood pressure,” Evans said. “But it was beginning to creep up. I was like, hmm…not… [Read More…]
A meditator on meditating
April 6, 2015—I meditate. Nearly every day since 2008, I’ve pulled out a blue meditation cushion given to me by a friend, crossed my legs and closed my eyes to focus on my breath. My practice started in 2008 when I attended my first two meditation retreats. The second one was a 10-day retreat in Occidental. The recorded voice of S.N. Goenka taught us how to pay attention to our breath as it came and went through our nostrils. At the end of the retreat, which involved sitting for at least 11 hours… [Read More…]
TSE news roundup for 4.01.15
April 1, 2015—Creating new religions is something of a tradition in the United States. The most famous examples are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Church of Scientology. Then there’s the guy on the streets of Berkeley I met a few years ago who told me about a system of “alpha-numerics,” where zip codes and addresses take on divine meaning. Now The Washington Post reports there’s a new religion on the scene in Indiana. The First Church of Cannabis filed paperwork in response to Gov. Mike Pence signing… [Read More…]
Mindfulness is everywhere, Part III: Sleep
March 12, 2015—This week, we’re focusing on meditation and recent studies that suggest it may be good for your health in all sorts of ways. _____________________________ Waking up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning and unable to get back to sleep, is one of life’s more frustrating experiences. Insomniacs know the drill. You lay there, tired, and stressed, sometimes for hours, knowing that you’re doomed for exhaustion and crankiness the next day. It’s especially common among older adults. Sleep hygiene classes offer tips for the weary on how to promote… [Read More…]
Mindfulness is everywhere, Part II: Aging
March 11, 2015—This week, we’re focusing on meditation and recent studies that suggest it may be good for your health in all sorts of ways. _________________________________ There’s more good news for meditators. A publication out of UCLA suggests that meditation may slow down the aging process. Researchers at the UCLA School of Medicine and the Centre for Research on Ageing Health and Wellbeing in Australia compared the grey matter in the brains of meditators versus non-meditators, and found the brains of those who sit on the cushion deteriorated less. The meditators practiced all… [Read More…]
