Semper Fidelis: Marines Who Meditate

Semper Fidelis: The United States Marine Corps. The Few. The Proud. The Marines. Meditating marines is not the picture most equate with this elite military corps, yet the effects of stress on veterans is undeniable. Max Cleland's book, Heart of a Patriot, details his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) thirty-four years after his service in Viet Nam.

Causes of Stress

The causes of stress are many and veterans are prime examples of extreme stress. Tai Chi and other martial arts all teach the importance of mindfulness, especially during battle. Research has shown for years that meditation reduces stress because it trains the mind to endure racing thoughts and bodily sensations them.

United States Marine Corps

With PTSD on the rise among the military, the marine corps and other branches are looking at meditation to help deal with it. Amishi P. Jha, PhD, assistant professor of psychology, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and his fellow researchers, divided 48 male Marines into two groups before deployment. Thirty-one participated in an eight-week mindfulness meditation course while the other 17 Marines did not practice mindfulness and were used as a control group. Their average age was 25 years old.

Mindfulness involves focusing on the present, such as the physical sensations experienced while breathing, without judging them or allowing thoughts to wander. During this study period, Marines spent an average of 12 minutes per day engaged in mindfulness meditation. Those Marines who meditated more, scored better on mood and working memory evaluations.

Semper Fidelis: Always Faithful

Although these results are preliminary, there is plenty of research on the general public at large which show pronounced improvements with meditation. Meditation has been successful in the treatment and prevention of high blood pressure, heart disease, migraine headaches, and auto-immune diseases such as diabetes and arthritis. It has proved helpful in reducing obsessive thinking, anxiety, depression and hostility. Benefits of meditation are:
• Reducing stress • Lowering blood pressure • Improving health • Increasing energy • Reducing insomnia • Reversal of biological aging

The "Fight or Flight Response" is a natural defense response, which prepares the body for running or fighting. When danger is perceived, the body responds. Physical changes that take place include:
• Increased blood pressure • Increased heart rate • Increased rate of breathing • Increased body metabolism (or rate of burning fuel) • Marked increase in the flow of blood to the muscles of the arms and legs

With the stress the military experiences, observing their results of using meditation is a practical way of determining results for the average citizen dealing with stresses of family, career and everyday living.

Special Thanks

Gratitude to all veterans and their families. It takes a warrior to live the military lifestyle just the same as it takes a warrior to overcome the mind. For those interested, Yoga for Vets, There & Back Again and Exalted Warrior offer free meditation resources for veterans and their families.

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Sources:
Rodale
Men's Journal

Semper Fidelis; Always Faithful: Marines Who Meditate copyright 2011