Meditation is a powerful thing, and it can even affect your health in a positive way. Even my smart-assed doctor had to admit it! But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Flash back to June 14, 2007... It was exactly 2 weeks prior to my 45th birthday, and I was working the morning shift at the salon (I lived in Chicago at the time). I wasn't feeling that stressed, though I was Assistant Manager for a salon full of difficult stylists AND I was dealing with a 'boyfriend' that was impossible. Anyway, I was simply walking through the salon when I began to feel strange... one side of my body from head to toe went numb, speech became difficult, legs felt like they were going to fail me, etc. My first thought was that it was a stroke, but when it ended perhaps 2 minutes later with no apparent lasting effects, I began to doubt myself. I finally got a doctor's appointment (on my birthday) and found that I had high blood pressure (I already knew I had high cholesterol). I was sent for an MRI, which revealed that I had actually had a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack... also called a mini-stroke). I was placed on meds for my blood pressure and cholesterol, which I took faithfully until February 2008, when my insurance ended due to a change of employers. Without insurance, I simply could not afford the cost of the meds, and had no choice but to do without them until I could get insurance again. Little did I know that it would be exactly 2 years before I would have insurance or my meds again.
In 2009, I met a wonderful man who lived in Massachusetts, fell in love, and ended up moving here to be with him. Sadly, the romantic part of the relationship didn't last, but we remain best friends and house-mates to this day. One of the reasons I connected with him so quickly and so deeply was that his spiritual views are incredibly close to mine... though he's obviously progressed much farther down that spiritual path than I have thus far, and he subsequently has a greater understanding. In other words, he was the first person (other than myself) that I knew of who believed what I believed and viewed things in the same way that I do... because you simply don't find these particular beliefs in any books anywhere... and I knew immediately that I could learn much from him. I asked him to teach me (actually, it's more of a guiding than teaching), and he's been doing so for about the last month. Perhaps I'll post another blog entry later expounding on how much he's helped me, and how quickly this is changing my life in every way... but that's not for this entry. It is, however, important to note that we're doing this spiritual work at this point, as you will see shortly.
Back in February of 2010, I finally got an appointment with a doctor here in Massachusetts. This was a major step forward because it's nearly impossible to find a doctor that's accepting new patients around here. Anyway, my blood pressure and cholesterol were checked on that first appointment on the 18th, and both were very high. Blood pressure was 117/100 and cholesterol was 319... even I was surprised that I was still walking. My doctor put me back on meds for both and we scheduled a follow-up exam for a month later.
After taking my meds for about 2 weeks, I began to experience leg pain and stiffness along with a mild case of hives. I was advised to stop both meds and come in to see the doctor today... 11 days after stopping the meds. The doctor was amazed to find that my blood pressure was damned near perfect, despite not having the meds for so long. He quipped, in his usual smart-assed way, "What are you doing? Practicing meditation or something?" To which I replied, "Actually, yes... a brief devotional every morning, and once a week, my best friend and I meditate together before doing our spiritual studies." He looked dumb-founded and stated that he was just being a smart-ass, to which I replied, "Yes, I know. But seriously, I'm doing that." He was speechless for a moment, then admitted that it seemed to be having a positive effect on my health, and that I should continue doing the meditation and forget about taking any meds for the blood pressure... and we'll check it again in a month.
So, while I DO NOT recommend that anyone should arbitrarily stop taking any kind of medications without doctor approval, I DO recommend meditating and getting deeper into your chosen spiritual path. It certainly can't hurt, may actually help you physically as well as spiritually, and you might end up surprising your doctor in the process.
~Peace~