Recently here on FitEyes, readers have asked about the relationship between intraocular pressure about meditation. That prompted me to write this post about some of the broader spiritual aspects of what I do as well as how I view intraocular pressure in my own life and in my work as a Serene Impulse teacher.

Meditation and spirituality are often perceived as soft, delicate, wishy-washy, "New Agie", etc. My own approach is hard-core and scientific. It is also great fun. The path is filled with bliss and love -- and lots of IOP data!

Can you please tell me why TM is not good for Glaucoma.

Dianne

The following story illustrates that different forms of meditation build different types of skills. My own research also suggests that different forms of meditation have differing effects on intraocular pressure. 

Meditation May Boost Short-Term Visual Memory

05.21.09, 02:00 PM EDT

Study involving DY meditation could have wide-ranging implications

THURSDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- A certain type of meditation may help the brain retain images for short periods, says a new study on visual-spatial abilities.

News Release:

A host of musicians will perform at a gig promoting transcendental meditation.

From NBC News:

High blood pressure and hypertension are huge problems in this country.

Millions of people suffer from the condition which can lead to heart attack, stroke and kidney disease.

Now, a study shows that a different type of program can help get blood pressure under control.

56-year-old Rosemary Palmer-Powell had been taking medication for high blood pressure for years, but after getting a routine check she started down a whole new treatment path.

"I've been doing [meditation] for a solid six months and it has really changed my life," she said.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/05/meditation.stress.reduction/index.html

The following article is from U.S. News & World Report, hence it takes a financial angle on stress. See the original article here: http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/living-well-usn/2008/12/29/how-to-beat-stress-and-angst-through-meditation.html

...with the sound of music.

So...what do you do for relaxation?

Why do you do it?

Have you ever heard of EFT?  It's free. All you have to do is download the instructions and learn the patterns.

I'm copying part of a report from http://www.livescience.com/health/080902-zen-meditation.html. Please see the original link for the full article.

I guess I am like a lot of people, I take vitamins in hopes of preventing desease and to feel better. I started taking lots of Leutin and 2 1000mg of bilberry each day since they are supposed to be eye vitamins. I told a friend about the bilberry and he said it made his eyes water and I noticed mine do too.  Has anyone who tests their own pressure ever taken these vitamins to see if they bring the pressure down? 

Dear Dr. Kondrot,

I would like to know how effficient the following alternative approaches for IOP reduction and glaucoma treatment:

- acupuncture

- chinese herbs

- meditation

Thank you very much.

NOTE: This post was made in late 2006. The comments following it were made in early 2007. In the time that has passed since these initial intraocular pressure observations were made (see comments below), we have come to understand this situation much, much better. This thread is interesting for background information, but please see the more recent posts on FitEyes.com if you want to really understand the relationship between stress, breathing, meditation and eye pressure. I have been in contact with a number of people who have tonometers and who have replicated some of these observations, and the patterns continue to hold. Basically, this seems to apply to all glaucoma patients. However, there are individual differences, especially among meditators and non-meditators.

This abstract simply triggers a discussion in the comments below. All the interesting info is in the comments.