The Couch Potato Health Plan
To be honest, I really don’t like to exercise. I like the way I feel after and how it shapes my body, but exercising for me is a chore, not fun. And I’m not real keen on dieting either. I love food. So I’m only careful to exercise and maintain a good diet because I care about my health. If I could get a lot of health benefits just by pushing a button, I’d keep that button in a safe in my house. I’d name it. I’d gold-plate it. I’d keep it on a velvet cushion.
The closest thing I’ve found to the magic button is the TM (Transcendental Meditation) technique. A friend told me about TM because it was good for spiritual development, but then I researched it (like any skeptical New Yorker would) and found out that there were fantastic benefits to health from doing TM twice a day. There are literally hundreds of published studies showing that TM increases energy and stamina and also reduces stress and pain and hypertension and stroke and heart attack and insomnia and normalizes weight and the list goes on and on. And, OMG–researchers have found that the TM practice slows down aging! All you have to do is cuddle up on your couch for 20 minutes 2x each day and do it. It’s easy to learn and it’s effortless to practice.
So I took my friend’s advice and learned it and have never skipped a meditation yet. Everyone saw my health and happiness improve. My friends learned. My grandma learned at 85 and my niece at 11–TM is for everyone. And… I don’t get sick. Turns out that my magic button is named Transcendental Meditation.
About the Author
Janet Hoffman is the executive director of TM for Women Professionals, a division of TM for Women in the USA
