July - September 2015 Transformation Journal by American Meditation Institute

American Meditation Institute americanmeditation.org

JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015

AVERILL PARK, NEW YORK

Self-Care for Healthy Living

Homeostasis PERFECT HEALTHY BALANCE A. K. A.

MEDITATION

IN ACTION

Photos: igbiologyy.blogspot.com and es.slideshare.net

Upcoming Classes and Events Inside this Issue: Beginner’s Meditation Comprehensive Meditation Physicians’ CME Conference If you want to start and maintain a meditation practice, this course is perfect for you. / P. 4

Guru Purnima Annual fire ceremony honoring the Guru principle will be held July 31, 2015, 7:30 -10pm. / P. 6

This six week “self-care” program offers the complete science of Yoga, and lifelong support. / P. 5

7th annual 30 CME conference to be held November 3-7, 2015 at the Cranwell Resort. / P. 3, 7

Transformation

Practical essays to support and deepen your meditation by AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) and other respected Yoga scientists. / P. 8

COMPLETE AMI CLASS SCHEDULE: Pages 4-7

CALENDAR FREE: SUNDAY GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM with Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness

JULY 2015 JUL 16-19: SUMMER RETREAT see p. 7 Thursday thru Sunday (Register before July 8)

JUL 31: GURU PURNIMA

see p. 6

Fri. Night, 7:30 - 10:00 PM (RSVP by Jul. 28)

AUGUST 2015 AUG 1 & 8: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION

see p. 4

Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 11:00 AM (2 weeks)

AUG 10- SEP 14: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.7 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM

AUG 11- SEP 15: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p. 5 Tues. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)

SEP TEMBER 2015 SEP 12 & 19: BEGINNER’S MEDITATION

see p. 4

Sat. Mornings, 9:30 - 10:30 AM (2 weeks)

SEP 23- OCT 28: COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION see p. 5 Wed. Nights, 6:30 - 9:00 PM (6 weeks)

SEP 28- NOV 9: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.7 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Print & eBook Versions Now available at the AMI Bookstore and Booksellers Nationwide

GIVING CAMPAIGN

18th l Annua

AMI needs your contribution.

Thank you for your generosity. americanmeditation.org/annual-appeal

American Meditation Institute

Self-Care for Healthy Living

americanmeditation.org \ Tel. (518) 674-8714 ami@americanmeditation.org AMI is a tax exempt, non-profit 501(c)3 educational organization. Donations are fully tax deductible.

CME Medical Conference to Discuss How Meditation Relieves Burnout Physician burnout and patient self-care will be topics discussed at The American Meditation Institute’s seventh annual CME conference on meditation and yoga November 3-7, 2015 at the Cranwell Resort and Spa in Lenox, Massachusetts. This comprehensive mind/body medicine training is accredited through the Albany Medical College Office of Continuing Medical Education. Even though doctors tend to be a physically healthy group, Carol Cassella MD, board certified in both internal medicine and anesthesiology, sadly admitted in a 2014 Wall Street Journal blog that, “We don’t always manage our mental health with the same vigilance and compassion that we offer our patients. Doctors suffer from career burnout at higher rates than their college educated peers, and depression and suicide rates exceed the norm––particularly among young doctors still in training.” And the problem is not just with U. S. physicians. According to Brian Goldman MD at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, an increasing number of Canadian doctors are riding the express lane to burnout. According to Goldman, “Burnout is a problem that affects established physicians and a disturbing number of ones just starting out.” Commenting in a recent editorial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal Goldman states, “the rate of burnout among Canadian medical residents is an astonishing fifty percent. One out of every two young MDs just starting out suffers from burnout. Burnout is defined by three characteristics: it means they’re exhausted emotionally, they feel as if they have accomplished nothing, and tend to withdraw both from patients and colleagues.” According to AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter, “The November CME Conference was designed specifically to relieve these debilitating symptoms. When the therapeutic practices of meditation and yoga are consistently incorporated into the daily lives of physicians and patients, most symptoms of stress-related burnout and chronic complex diseases can be diminished or eliminated.”

American Meditation Institute’s Yoga of Medicine Program Presents

7th Annual Conference for Physicians • RNs • NPs • PAs • Psychologists Comprehensive Training in Yoga Science as

Holistic Mind/Body Medicine A Unique Curriculum Developed for Clinical Application • Personal Health • Relieving Physician Burnout

30 CMEs

The Heart and Science of Yoga

Meditation • Mantra Science • Diaphragmatic Breathing • Yoga Psychology Mind Function Optimization • Chakras • Easy-Gentle Yoga • Lymph System Detox Yoga Nidra • Nutrition • Functional Medicine • Ayurvedic Medicine • Epigenomics Meditation Practices to Relieve Physician Burnout Self-Care For Healthy Living

NOVEMBER 3-7, 2015

Albany Medical College

Lenox, Massachusetts

5 1/2

The only 4-Diamond Resort in the Berkshires

Hour Online Video Course & Book

Space is LIMITED

Please Register EARLY!

FREE!

Leonard Perlmutter • Susan Lord MD • Beth Netter MD • Mark Pettus MD • Rosy Mann BAMS • Prashant Kaushik MD • Tony Santilli MD • Kathie Swift MS RDN • Jenness Cortez Perlmutter

americanmeditation.org/cme •

Tel. (518) 674-8714

Curriculum Endorsed by: Mehmet Oz MD, Dean Ornish MD, Larry Dossey MD and Bernie Siegel 7MD

AMI Classes for July - September 2015

BEGINNER’S MEDITATION: The Basics for Getting Started Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder LEVEL I: Have you ever thought about trying meditation, but didn’t know how to get started? In AMI’s two-session course, you’ll receive step-by-step guidance on how to start—and stick with—a daily meditation practice. It’s easy to learn the basics: how to deal with distractions, reduce stress, enhance your body’s immune system and become more focused, creative and content. This class includes a FREE “guided meditation” CD.

What is Meditation? In meditation you are fully alert, but the mind is relaxed and allowed to let go of its tendencies to think, analyze, remember, solve problems and focus on events of the past or expectations for the future. Meditation helps the mind to slow down its rapid series of thoughts and feelings that often lead to stress and dis-ease, and to replace that mental activity with a quiet, effortless, one-pointed focus of attention and awareness. Thus, meditation is not thinking about problems or analyzing a situation. Meditation is not having an internal conversation or argument with yourself. It is an inner attention that is concentrated, yet relaxed. It does not conflict with any religious tradition.

and body are calm and relaxed, dis-ease from a previously agitated system (that may have intensified issues such as high blood pressure, headaches, back pain, insomnia, digestive problems or PMS) is lessened, and you feel better. • Meditation can improve all relationships. By offering you tools to deal with stressful thoughts, meditation helps you remain calm, compassionate and skillful with others and to be more loving toward yourself. • Meditation makes you smarter. A 2005 Harvard Medical School study showed that meditation increased thickness in the regions of the brain associated with attention, sensory awareness and emotional processing.

Why Should I Meditate?

• Meditation makes you more creative. By

According to ABC World News Tonight, meditation is used today by many Americans including the U. S. Marines and students in classrooms all over the country. In 2011, 10% of U.S. adults (over 20 million) practiced meditation and 3 million patients, on the recommendation of their physicians, established their own meditation practice.

resting the mind from its habit of thinking, planning, judging and worrying, you create more space for new ideas to arise and to be noticed. Meditation also lowers resistance you may have to new concepts and ways of thinking.

• Meditation can make you healthier. Daily meditation is an essential ingredient in your own personal “self-care health program.” Scientific studies at the Mayo Clinic show that “meditating slows breathing rate, heart rate, lowers blood pressure and aids in the treatment of anxiety, depression and a range of other ailments.” • Meditation calms the mind. The mind and body are inter-connected. When the mind is calm, the body becomes stronger, more flexible, and less inflamed. When the mind 4

Meditating in a Chair: AMI teaches you to meditate in a straight-back chair. For proper posture, the head, neck and trunk should be comfortably erect (no slouching). For best back comfort, your buttocks should be slightly higher than your knees.

SATURDAY MORNINGS, 9:30 -11:00AM, $95. (2 WKS) AUG 1 & 8; SEP 12 & 19

•*

Your entire $95 registration fee will be applied to your COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION tuition should you decide to register for that additional class within one year.

americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714 TMTM

COMPREHENSIVE MEDITATION: The Heart and Science of Yoga Foundation Course in Self-Care –– with Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder

LEVEL I: Historically known as Buddhi Yoga, this is the first comprehensive curriculum ever certified by the American Medical Association. Its effective, easy-to-learn practices are designed to positively address all your physical, mental and spiritual needs. Each week Leonard will provide you the powerful tools you’ll need to transform stress into strength, reduce pain, boost your immune system, heal relationships, enhance your problem solving ability and find inner peace, happiness and security. In addition, you will receive lifelong support for your meditation practice. The material presented is in harmony with the core values of all world religions. A retrospective case study of former Heart and Science of Yoga TM students recently found these positive, reproducible, long-term health-promoting changes: • Lowered blood pressure • Lowered heart rate • Reduced cholesterol levels • Weight loss

• Increased breathing capacity • Increased exercise capacity • Improved restorative sleep • Improved energy levels

• Increased creative capacity • Diminished migraines • Reduced stress and fear • Eliminated irritable bowel

• Enhanced happiness/optimism • Diminished or extinguished acute and chronic pain

The Heart and Science of Yoga Curriculum is Endorsed by

Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD WEEK 1: YOGA SCIENCE How to use the mind for the best choices How to create new, healthier habits Understanding pain as an agent for healing Increasing energy, will power & creativity Antidotes for worry, stress and depression

WEEK 4: PSYCHOLOGY & AYURVEDA How the mind supports optimal health The power of the present moment Building and healing relationships Introduction to Ayurveda WEEK 5: EASY-GENTLE YOGA Yoga stretches and exercises for: muscles, joints, glands and internal organs Physiological benefits of Hatha Yoga WEEK 6: MIND-BODY CARE PLAN The healing power of prayer The practical benefit of contemplation Creating a therapeutic care plan Learning to budget your time Integrating spiritual beliefs

WEEK 2: MEDITATION Systematic procedure for meditation How to diminish distractions Learning the one-minute meditation Building focus, fearlessness, and strength WEEK 3: BREATHING TECHNIQUES Breath as Medicine How breathing irregularities foster dis-ease Complete (three-part) yogic breath TUESDAY NIGHTS: AUG 11 – SEP 15 WEDNESDAY NIGHTS: SEP 23 – OCT 28 6:30 - 9:00PM, $495. (6 WKS)

Registration Includes: Lifelong support for

Physicians $795; PAs, NPs, Psychologists: $695; RNs: $595

Required Texts: The Heart and Science of Yoga

and The Art of Joyful Living.

PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION (15 CMEs) This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of Albany Medical College and The American Meditation Institute. Albany Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Albany Medical College designates this Live activity for a maximum of 15 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

your meditation practice, a Guided Meditation CD, a complementary subscription to Transformation journal and a copy of The Physiology of EasyGentle Yoga.

NURSING ACCREDITATION (15 contact hours) This activity has been submitted to the American Nurses Association Massachusetts for approval to award contact hours. The American Nurses Association Massachusetts is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

PSYCHOLOGIST ACCREDITATION (15 CE hours) The American Meditation Institute (AMI) has been approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AMI maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714

Our Founder LEONARD PERLMUTTER is a philosopher, noted educator and founder of The American Meditation Institute. He is the author of The Heart and Science of Yoga TM and the mind/body medicine journal, Transformation. Leonard has served on the faculties of the New England Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine, the Himalayan Yoga Teachers Association and the College of Saint Rose. He is a direct disciple of Swami Rama––who, in laboratory conditions at the Menninger Institute, demonstrated that blood pressure, heart rate and the autonomic nervous system can be voluntarily controlled. Leonard has presented courses at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Commonwealth Club, the Albany Medical College and The New York Times Yoga Forum with Dean Ornish, MD.

GURU PURNIMA Full Moon Fire Ceremony LEVEL I: For those students who seek to deepen their meditation practice, it is traditional to gather on Guru Purnima, the full moon of July. On this auspicious day, students celebrate and rejoice in the wisdom and blessings

Friday July 31st 7:30-10pm RSVP by July 28

FREE EVENT – Love Donations Accepted

Professional

ENDORSEMENTS “ This teaching has been an enormous benefit in my personal and professional life. I have less stress, more focus, and am able to serve my patients with greater clarity. It becomes surprisingly easy now to recognize the many clinical situations in which patients with somatic manifestations of 'dis-ease' could greatly benefit from Yoga Science.” JOEL M. KREMER MD Board Certified in Internal Medicine & Rheumatology, Albany, NY

The AMI Curriculum is also endorsed by:

Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD

Directions to A MI • 60 Garner Road I-90 Exit #8 (Rt. 43 E). Take Rt. 43 for 4 1/2 miles. In W. Sand Lake, take a right turn at the lighted intersection onto Rt. 150. Go 1 mile on Rt. 150. Take a left turn on Cnty Rd #52/Sheer Rd (at stone wall). Go 1 mile on Sheer Rd and bear left at fork onto Garner Rd. AMI is the 3rd house on the right.

of their teachers and receive inspiration and instruction to further their spiritual journey. Guru Purnima is a time to acknowledge, contemplate and honor the principle of Guru. Guru is the universal force of light that dispels the darkness of ignorance. Just as fundamental as the elements of space, air, fire, water and earth, the light of Guru is also a naturally occurring element. But unlike elements which make up the material world, the Guru principle exists as a teacher both “within” and “without,” always available to help correct our ignorance and cure our dis-ease. Open to the public. Please join us.

PERSONAL COUNSELING Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder Int’l. Association of Yoga Therapists Meditational therapy is the world’s oldest form of mind/body medicine. With over 35 years of personal practice, Leonard will teach you how to enhance your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

AMI HOME CENTER, By appointment. $125 /hr.

AMI Classes for July - September 2015

The Heart and Science of Yoga

PHYSICIANS’ CME CONFERENCE

A MI’S SUMMER RETREAT

Comprehensive Training in Yoga Science as Holistic Mind/Body Medicine

Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder

July 16-19, 2015

November 3-7, 2015

AMI’s July retreat presents the same foundation course as the six week Comprehensive Meditation (see page 5) in addition to a special instruction in the therapeutic practices of Yoga Nidra. All the practices are designed for both the general public and healthcare professionals. Physicians, PAs, RNs, NPs and psychologists will receive 18 continuing medical education credits. Gourmet vegetarian meals are included. FOR MORE INFORMATION: TEL. (518) 674-8714 OR VISIT ONLINE: americanmeditation.org

YOGA PSYCHOLOGY BHAGAVAD GITA STUDY

Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning) Attend this in-depth course from your own home or anywhere in the world. Call 518.674.8714 for details.

LEVEL II: In continuous six week installments this course presents the profound teachings of the Bhagavad Gita as a handbook on the science of life and the art of living. If you are seeking a manual or guide for the supreme task of living well in the world today, this ongoing study offers you practical wisdom, meaning and purpose for your life. Each week Leonard and Jenness will teach you how to reduce stress, enhance your health and creative abilities, and will provide you a fresh, positive perspective on all your family, social and business relationships. MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, $150. (6 WKS) AUG 10 - SEP 14; SEP 28 - NOV 9 (EXCL. NOV 2)

FREE GUIDED MEDITATION Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter LEVEL I: Join AMI’s FREE 20-minute guided meditation and satsang teaching. Participants may sit on comfortable chairs or on the floor. SUNDAYS, 9:30 - 11:00AM, FREE

Cranwell Resort • Lenox, MA • 30 CMEs

Upon Completion of this Conference Participants will be able to: 1. Demonstrate knowledge of how Yoga Science as mind/body medicine can help heal disease, manage addictive habits, alleviate stress, inflammation and physician burnout. 2. Develop equanimity, discrimination, will power, creativity and energy through a daily practice of meditation and diaphragmatic breathing. 3. Incorporate long-term strategies for healthy lifestyle choices using Yoga Psychology. 4. Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of both Ayurveda and Epigenomics. 5. Recognize the physiological benefits of Easy-Gentle Yoga (exercises for lymph system detox, joints, glands, muscles and internal organs). 6. Help themselves and their patients reduce conditioned habits of negative thinking and other symptoms of burnout through the healing powers of mantra science. 7. Utilize Food as Medicine (Diet, Nutrition, Functional Medicine) to maximize personal well being. 8. Use Chakra Psychology (subtle emotional/mental causes of stress) to diagnose and treat dis-ease.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: (518) 674-8714 OR VISIT: americanmeditation.org/cme

30 CME Conference Discount Available UNTIL OCTOBER 6, 2015 7

Homeostasis Perfect Healthy Balance

A. K. A.

MEDITATION

IN ACTION Human Cell

By Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) Photo: 123RF.com

Homeostasis is the ability and tendency of a cell to maintain internal balance or equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes. Regardless of your daily activity, your cells interact with and adjust to changes originating within or outside the body to maintain relatively constant conditions like body temperature, blood pressure and pH levels. It’s a beautiful system that serves you well. Whether you’re eating, sleeping, working, vacationing, making love, or surfing the internet on your smart phone, the cells of your nervous system collect and process information from the senses and signal the muscles how to contract––just so you can walk from the bedroom to the bathroom, use a fork to eat dinner or hug your new grandchild. At the same time, your cardiovascular system circulates blood through the body delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells and organs while carrying away their undesireable waste products. And as if that weren’t mind-boggling enough, your lymph system ceaselessly filters out disease producing organisms and produces white blood cells that generate valiant disease-fighting antibodies. Your digestive system breaks down food into the protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and fats your body needs for 8

energy, growth, and repair. Your respiratory system orchestrates the inhalation of oxygen and vital prana, and the exhalation of poisonous carbon dioxide. The endocrine system produces hormones that control your metabolism, growth, and sexual development. And last but not least, the excretory and urinary systems selflessly remove waste products before they accumulate to toxic levels. According to a study published recently in the Annals of Human Biology, your body contains approximately 37.2 trillion cells. Just imagine. Every minute of every day the intelligence of your 37.2 trillion cells is ceaselessly making critical choices in critical situations to keep you alive and healthy. But when your body cannot maintain homeostasis, the resulting imbalances can lead to a state of disease. Such improper cellular functioning and disease can be caused in two basic ways: by deficiency (when cells do not receive what they need) or toxicity (when cells are poisoned by things they do not need). When the ideal homeostasis (balance) is interrupted, the cells may either correct or worsen the problem depending on the kind of influences they receive. What are these influences? According

to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, the key factors influencing an individual’s state of health have not changed significantly over the past twenty years. Heredity accounts for 18 percent, environment 19 percent, and everyday lifestyle choices contribute an impressive 53 percent! That’s right. The thousands of everyday decisions you make are the greatest factor in determining the capacity of your cells to maintain your body’s health through homeostasis. For example, the endocrine system of an individual with diabetes has difficulty maintaining the correct blood glucose level, so diabetics need to assist their body’s homeostatic balance by checking blood glucose levels throughout the day and carefully monitoring their intake of sugar. In similar situations of imbalance you can be that same kind of “knight in shining armor” who skillfully comes to the rescue. Here’s how. The next time you experience any physical, mental or emotional pain, immediately recognize it to be an S.O.S. from cellular intelligence alerting you that some of your choices are diminishing your body’s ability to maintain a healthy balance. Once you’ve acknowledged the purpose of this cellular warning, begin to contemplate which of your mind’s habitual choices might be contributing to the pain. The insights that you become aware of during this daily practice can serve as a positive, powerful prelude to establishing and maintaining balanced health and reducing or eliminating your pain altogether. Here’s how it works. Tools for Balance When you meditate every day you are developing valuable mental tools that can assist cellular intelligence in its efforts to maintain homeostasis. These tools include: 1. One-pointed attention–the ability to focus your attention at will, reducing stress and enhancing your creativity and energy levels. 2. Detachment –the capacity to create a space between you and old, unhelpful habits that often cause stress and pain. 3. Discrimination– an increased access to unerring wisdom from the superconscious portion of the mind.

4. Will Power–mental muscle that enables you to serve your Inner Wisdom in thought, word and deed, instead of some old habit. The process of using these four practical tools to determine what’s to be done and what’s not to be done is called meditation in action. Of course, every day is filled with a seemingly endless procession of choices that affect your well being. What should I say? What will I have for lunch? What time will I get to sleep tonight? Should I have a sexual relationship with the person I’m dating? Who should I vote for? How can I reduce my stress? The key to answering all these questions and every other possible query, is to employ the following practical formula for meditation in action. Meditation in Action 1. Focus the mind completely on the thought or emotion calling your attention. 2. To maintain your one-pointed attention and detachment, mindfully honor, witness and sacrifice any competing thought. With continued focus, you will find it easier to detach from the mind’s knee-jerk reactions that might conflict with your own Inner Wisdom. Your detachment increases the space between stimulus and response. 3. With the mind focused and unattached, redirect your attention to your conscience (buddhi). Your one-pointed attention activates the buddhi’s mirror-like capacity to reflect unerring wisdom from the superconscious portion of the mind into the conscious mind. By counseling with the buddhi in this manner before you take an action, you can know precisely what should be done and what should not be done. 4. Once you become aware of your Inner Wisdom, immediately activate your will power to think the thought, speak the word and/or take the action that the buddhi recommends. When you consistently base your outer actions on your Inner Wisdom all your relationships will be enhanced. But the benefits don’t stop there. Because body and mind are truly one entity, following this formula can also strengthen your cellular intelligence to establish a healthy, homeostatic balance in all your bodily systems. If this process initially seems tedious or 9

cumbersome, take comfort in knowing that in a very short time it will become effortless. To appreciate how that ease is accomplished, recall for a moment the first day you drove an automobile. You weren’t sure how far to turn the steering wheel or how much pressure to apply to the gas and brake pedals. Now, however, you place the key in the ignition and there’s only driving. It’s all second nature. You no longer consciously consider every component of the process, and driving has become a pleasure. With the consistent practice of meditation in action, new resources will always be available––whenever you need to act in service to your own Inner Wisdom. The same energy that formerly powered old, unhealthy habits (preyas), can now be used skillfully in every relationship to enhance your health. During her 2006 lecture at The American Meditation Institute, author and Vedic astrologer Linda Johnsen was asked by a student if he should check with an astrologer before making an important decision. “You could,” replied Linda, “but if you simply follow the advice of the buddhi you’ll have a clearer idea of what’s to be done and what’s not to be done.” In truth, however, the majority of people simply do not presently desire balance in life. It’s not that they don’t want to be healthy. It’s not that they don’t appreciate the cellular genius and work of homeostasis. It’s just that in our modern culture, objects and experiences are considered a gratifying form of compensation for the ever-present stress and pain of unresolved, internal mental conflict. As a result, “imbalance” in lifestyle choices for new, exotic food, sex, travel, recreation or drugs is viewed today, at least in the short term, as attractive and fun, whereas the “balancing” choice required to support homeostasis looks boring and unrewarding. Such powerful, but shortsighted preconceptions enslave people to unconscious habits that bring unintended painful consequences. Leo Tolstoy, author of “War and Peace,” observed this phenomenon more than one hundred years ago when he wrote, “If you did not desire your present position, you would not be doing everything possible to maintain it.” 10

Simply put, in today’s technologically accelerated world, immediate gratification is valued more highly than long-term benefit. Unfortunately, people seem quite willing to trade their long-term health (which they obviously cannot fully experience within the next five or ten minutes) for a quick and easy sense or ego gratification. The blame for our cultural blindness cannot fairly be placed on technology alone. As members of the animal kingdom, human beings have been making the same kind of unenlightened lifestyle choices for millennia. Just listen to the heartbreaking vision of Jesus the Christ over two thousand years ago when he noted, “I took my stand in the midst of the world, and in flesh I appeared to them. I found them all drunk, and I did not find any of them thirsty. My soul ached for the children of humanity, because they are blind in their hearts and do not see, for they came into the world empty, and they also seek to depart from the world empty.” The Shrimad Bhagavatam, one of the most ancient and authoritative yogic texts, states, “Under the sway of strong impulses, human beings who are devoid of self-control willfully commit deeds that they know to be fraught with future misery. But those individuals of discrimination, even though moved by desires, consciously become unattached from their mental ignorance and do not yield to potentially unskillful influences.” If this kind of philosophy seems quaint and unfamiliar to you, it’s probably because our modern culture prefers to portray a world without consequences. “You can eat whatever your senses desire,” we constantly hear today, “and when you get heartburn or acid reflux, you’ll only need to take a little white or purple pill and everything will be back to ‘normal.’” But if you were to examine the virtue of such philosophical claims, as the ancient Yoga scientists once did, you too would quickly discover that the naive appeal of disconnecting consequences from actions is really a dangerous form of child’s play. As the early eighth century Indian philosopher Adi Shankara warned, “To live for the physical, mental and sensual pleasures is like building a home on quicksand, or trying to

cross a stream on the back of a crocodile, believing it to be the trunk of a tree.” When you come to realize that the body and mind are one, inseparable, holistic organism, and that the condition of one inevitably affects the well being of the other, you will begin to examine the hypnotizing influence of your likes and dislikes (raga/dveshas). When you begin to heed counsel of the buddhi in all kinds of relationships and circumstances, you’ll come to understand that some of what you like is not good for you, and that some of what you dislike is not bad for you. Then for the sake of making a scientific experiment you’ll begin to set aside attractive likes and to embrace unpleasant dislikes. I guarantee that as a result of this experimentation with meditation in action, you’ll feel healthier, more creative and less burdened. And, you’ll experience an evenness of mind that makes you more willing and capable of being a response-able partner in maintaining better overall health. The technique of using meditation in action to enhance the body’s health through homeostasis is very similar to the genius used by a master sculptor before she can create a beautiful work of art. For a long time she does nothing but observe her raw block of marble from every angle. She just focuses her mind in a one-pointed manner––not allowing anything to disrupt her concentration. At first she might see nothing but a large piece of stone sitting on a table––totally

indifferent to her artistic purpose. Then, very slowly she begins to detect some subtle presence inside the marble. Finally, in a joyous burst of creativity she proclaims, “I can see it! I see an elephant in the marble!” Only at that moment of certainty does the sculptor take hammer and chisel in hand and begin to chip away everything that is not elephant–– until all that remains is the elephant. Similarly, when you regularly use the hammer and chisel of meditation in action, you’re effectively chipping away old habits that once compromised the integrity of your health and vitality. As a result, the innate cellular propensity for health and balance that was always present, but was previously overburdened or sabotaged, is allowed to flourish once again. Meditation in action can remove every obstacle to your potential for good health by providing you a sturdy, flexible and resilient body, a clear, focused mind, and life-affirming emotions. And it’s never too late! So get to work. Every day sit for meditation. Regardless of whether you’re well or ill, at home or on vacation, alone or with others, conscientiously budget your time to sit for meditation. Just as great artists channel their creative energies, sit for meditation and develop the tools of one-pointed attention, detachment, discrimination and will power. Then with the hammer and chisel of meditation in action you too will be able to create a solidly balanced, healthy and creative work of art––a life that you and the world will cherish.

It’s not too late!

AMI

Summer Retreat 18 CMEs

The Heart & Science of Yoga JULY 16-19 americanmeditation.org

A Yogic Experiment:

TRADING DIETS

Photo: University of Pittsburgh

Professor Stephen O’Keefe, MD If you’re not quite convinced that the practice of meditation in action can positively assist the body’s homeostatic balance and retard disease, you should read about a new study that imposes inner wisdom and ignorance on two different groups of people––just for the sake of a yogic experiment. The study asked participants in the U.S. and South Africa to switch diets with one another. African-Americans in the U.S. ate a South African diet for two weeks, and South Africans ate an American diet for two weeks. The switch, though brief, effected some impressive changes in both groups. Worldwide, colon cancer is the third most common form of cancer. Stephen O’Keefe MD, a professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, had noticed during his medical practice in South Africa that his patients’ colon health was persistently excellent. They rarely presented polyps or colon cancer upon colonoscopy. By contrast, colon cancer is the second leading killer of all cancers in the U.S. and African-Americans are at greatest risk among all groups. Previous studies have shown that it takes just one generation for people who immigrate from non-Western countries to assume the cancer risk of America. But Professor O’Keefe and his medical research colleagues wanted to see what would happen if South Africans and African-Americans switched diets for just two weeks. So they asked 20 people in each country, aged 50-65, to assume the diet of the other. The African-Americans ate the typical 12

low-fat, high fiber diet of South Africa: foods included hi-maize corn fritters, salmon croquettes, spinach, red pepper and onions for breakfast; hi-maize corn dogs or veggie dogs, homemade tater tots, and mango slices for lunch; and okra, tomatoes, and hi-maize corn muffins, black-eyed peas, pineapple and black tea for dinner. Meanwhile, people in South Africa ate an “American” high-fat, low-fiber diet: foods included beef sausage links and pancakes for breakfast; hamburger and French fries for lunch; and meatloaf and rice for dinner. During the study the researchers took blood samples, fecal samples, and had each participant undergo a colonoscopy before and after the diet intervention. The changes for both groups were significant. For the African-Americans, the turnover rate of the intestinal cells slowed considerably at the end of the two weeks (an indication of reduced cancer risk). In the South African participants, the turnover rate sped up (a sign of increased cancer risk). In addition, markers of inflammation increased in the South Africans who ate an American diet, and these same markers decreased in the Americans who ate the South African diet. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the composition of the gut bacteria of the two groups shifted over the two-week period. After the diet intervention, the AfricanAmerican participants had an increase in butyrate production in the gut, which is linked to reduced colon cancer risk, and the South African group showed a reciprocal drop in butyrate (linked to a higher colon cancer risk). “These findings are really very good news,” said Professor O’Keefe. “In just two weeks, a change in diet from a Westernized composition to a traditional African highfiber, low-fat diet reduced these biomarkers of cancer risk, indicating that it is likely never too late to modify the risk of colon cancer.” Of course, the study can’t determine whether the change in diet would have led to more colon cancer in the South African participants if they had continued the same diet for years. But the authors indicate that the changes they saw were very likely signs of increased cancer risk.

Physician From the AMA Wire Service

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If you’re a physician and constant stress has you feeling exhausted, withdrawn and cynical, take notice. You may be in danger of burnout. According to Mark Linzer MD, Director of Internal Medicine at Hennepin Medical Center in Minneapolis, you should be acquainted with these seven symptoms: 1. You have a high tolerance to stress Stress consistently ranks as the number one predictor for burnout among physicians. Those physicians who consistently operate under high stress are at least 15 times more likely to burn out, according to his research. 2. Your practice is exceptionally chaotic A quick glance around your practice will let you know if you or your colleagues may cave to stress. “People tend to think it’s the patients that always stress doctors out, but actually, it’s the opposite,” Dr. Linzer said. “Caring for patients keeps doctors motivated. What burns them out is caring for patients in a high-stress environment. Change the environment and you’ll change the overall quality of care.” 3. Conflict with values or leadership This one is particularly tricky to identify but “necessary to prevent burnout,” Dr. Linzer said. Whether at a large hospital or private practice, physicians need to feel as if the people leading them also share their values for medicine and patient care. Otherwise, their motivation can slowly wane.

4. You’re an emotional buffer Working with patients requires more than medical expertise. “Often, the doctor acts as an emotional buffer,” Dr. Linzer said. “We will buffer the patient from our own stressful environment until we can’t take it anymore.” 5. Your job interferes with family events Spending quality time with loved ones helps physicians perform better. “When they can’t do those things, it’s all they think about during the day and the patient suffers,” Dr. Linzer said, citing work-life interference as one of the most common predictors for burnout among physicians in his studies. 6. No control over work schedule When work demands increase, but control over your schedule doesn’t, stress can kick in and spark burnout. That’s why Dr. Linzer often urges, “If you standardize, customize.” It’s a medical motto suggesting that if physicians must work a long, standardized set of hours each week, practices should at least customize doctor’s schedules to flexibly fit changes or needs in their daily lives. 7. You don’t take care of yourself When was the last time you did something special for yourself––like meditation or diaphragmatic breathing exercises? If you continually neglect yourself, you may neglect your patients, too. “As physicians, we want to be altruistic but one of the keys leading to altruism is self-care,” Dr. Linzer said. 13

Physician Burnout: It Just Keeps Getting Worse By Carol Peckham Medscape from WebMD

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According to a 2012 national survey published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, U.S. physicians suffered more burnout than other American workers. In 2014, the Medscape Physician Lifestyle Report, claimed that slightly under 40 percent of all physicians experienced burnout, and in 2015, Medscape reports that the figure has increased substantially to 46 percent. Burnout is commonly defined as loss of enthusiasm for work, feelings of cynicism, and a low sense of personal accomplishment. Physician Burnout by Specialty Based on reporting physicians, the 2015 Medscape survey found the following burnout rates per specialty. Critical Care –––––––– Emergency Medicine – Family Medicine ––––– Internal Medicine –––– General Surgery ––––– Infectious Diseases –– Radiology –––––––––– OBGYN ––––––––––– Neurology ––––––––––

53% 52% 50% 50% 50% 50% 49% 49% 49%

Pulmonary Medicine –– 47% Cardiology –––––––––– 46% Endocrinology ––––––– 45% Orthopedics––––––––– 45% Nephrology ––––––––– 45% Plastic Surgery –––––– 45% Pediatrics –––––––––– 45% Rheumatology ––––––– 43% Psychiatry –––––––––– 38%

Consequences of Burnout Burnout has been shown to negatively affect patient care. Physician suicide rates are reportedly higher than in the general population, and a study of medical students also suggested an association between burnout 14

and suicidal thoughts. In the Medscape survey, fully half of physicians on the front line of care reported that they were burned out. Of those burned-out physicians, approximately 10 percent ranked the severity of their burnout at 6 or 7 on scale of 1 (“does not interfere with my life”) to 7 (“so severe that I’m thinking of leaving medicine”). Top Five Reported Causes of Burnout American Medical Association president Robert M. Wah maintains that, “Physicians want to provide patients with the best care possible, but today there are confusing, misaligned and burdensome regulations that take away critical time physicians could be spending to provide high-quality care for their patients.” According to the Medscape survey, the following issues are the most reported causes of physician stress and burnout: 1. Too many bureaucratic tasks; 2. Too many hours at work; 3. Insufficient income; 4. Increasing computerization; 5. The Affordable Care Act. Gender and Burnout The 2015 Medscape report found that 51% of female physicians reported burnout and 43% of males. Both genders had higher rates than in the 2013 report which reported 45% in women and 37% in men. Comparing female and male burnout among specialties just for

2015, women working on the front line— critical care (61%) and emergency medicine (58%)—and in the generalist specialties of family medicine (56%), ob/gyn (55%), and internal medicine (55%) experienced rates of burnout within the top ten. Of interest, however, female urologists (67%) and orthopedists (61%) were the top two most burned out. Age and Burnout Younger physicians (those 35 and under) also reported high levels of burnout in general (44%). The highest rates were in young physicians in small specialties: urology (63%), infectious disease (61%), and nephrology (53%). Of particular concern, however, is the high rate of burnout in generalists: young ob/gyns and internists (53%) and pediatricians (47%). A 2015 survey published by Merritt Hawkins, a major physician recruiting organization, reported that a quarter of residents regretted their choice of medicine and said they would choose another profession if they were starting over. Reducing Burnout in Physicians Cochrane Reviews are systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and

health policy, and are internationally recognized as the highest standard in evidencebased health care. They investigate the effects of interventions for prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. A 2014 Cochrane review reported that cognitive-behavioral training and mental and physical relaxation reduce stress in healthcare workers more than no intervention, although not more than alternative interventions such as meditation. According to a number of studies, the practice of meditation (known in the medical arena as mindfulness), specifically, appears to be a helpful approach in reducing burnout. In a study of Primary Care Physicians mindfulness meditation was described as “mental training that enables one to attend to aspects of experience in a nonjudgmental, nonreactive way, which in turn helps cultivate clear thinking, equanimity, compassion, and openheartedness.” After a short training period consisting of a nonresidential weekend immersion along with two short follow-up evening sessions, Primary Care Physicians experienced significant reductions in burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress.

A Musical Contemplation Inaction is an action, and every action results in a consequence. Every thought is an action, but every thought is also only a suggestion. It is not an imperial command. Without a space between the notes there is only noise. Life’s music is found within the space between the notes. In meditation you hear the music from the silence within your Self. In “meditation in action,” you play that music for the world to hear. Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)

American Meditation Institute Self-Care for Healthy Living Tel. 518.674.8714 • americanmeditation.org 60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018

Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)

Bernie Siegel MD

“Recently I was discussing with Bernie Siegel an interesting correlation between the increased incidence of physician burnout and physicians’ growing eagerness to learn meditation and yoga to relieve stress. Even though clinical studies have long substantiated the benefits, it is now their own pain that motivates many docs to look outside the box for a remedy. Observing that phenomenon, Bernie reminded me of the Thornton Wilder play, The Angel That Troubled the Waters, in which a physician, hoping to be healed of his melancholy, visits the pool of Bethesda––only to be blocked by an angel who says, ‘Without your wounds where would your power be? In Love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve.’ I believe that in recalling this quote, it was definitely not Bernie’s intention to suggest that physicians must be in pain in order to heal. Rather, he was pointing out that, in part, we must look at the pain of physician burnout as a means that can facilitate a greater kind of healing.” Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev) Founder, American Meditation Institute