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A new office devoted exclusively to women's health concerns has just been established at The Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Maharishi University of Management. "This new development reflects the growing national interest in women's health and personal development," says Dr. John Hagelin, the Institute's Director. Called the Center for Research on Women, the office will coordinate research, publishing, and teaching on the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health from the angle of women's health concerns.
Researching Women's Health
According to Dr. Marci Freeman, founding Director of The Center for Research on Women, scientists have conducted over 500 research studies that describe how the Transcendental Meditation technique and its related programs benefit various aspects of human life. "However, to date, these programs lack clinical application to many specific biomedical and behavioral concerns of modern women," she says. "This previous research provides the foundation for us to address this need."
Using these studies on the TM program, the Center's researchers can predict with some confidence how women's stress-related issues will benefit from this technique. For example, several studies show that practice of the TM technique reduces anxiety, depression, and sense of physical inadequacy while increasing self-reliance, self-regard, and contentment. These results indicate the practical value of investigating how the TM technique affects women with disorders associated with low self-esteem and depression.
Topics for research under consideration range from cardiovascular health and osteoporosis to eating disorders and substance abuse. The Center would also like to examine how the TM technique and its related programs improve the health and effectiveness of women in demanding professions, such as law enforcement.
"The Center for Research on Women is especially timely, since women's health has recently commanded a vastly increased share of the nation's biomedical research funds," explains Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf, Medical Director of the Maharishi Ayur-Veda Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The Center plans to apply for funding to collaborate on researching the TM technique with scientists experienced in women's health at universities and research institutes.
Publicizing Women's Issues
In addition to research in these areas, The Center for Research on Women will coordinate publication of articles in magazines and academic journals. These articles will relate the benefits of the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health to women's health needs and health-care policy issues.
"Women need to hear new solutions to the concerns in their lives so that they can participate in decision-making processes that affect them," says Robert Herron, Director of Health Policy Development at the Institute. "Knowledgeable women with solutions can guide social policy and promote positive change."
Dr. Veronica Butler, of the Family Practice Center in Ottumwa, concurs. "We need to educate a wider range of women," she says. "Publishing articles will bring to women's homes and offices the relationship between their health concerns and the benefits of the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health."
Organizing Speakers
The Center for Research on Women will also organize and train women to speak on the development of women's consciousness, through the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health, as the means to resolve health issues. "We can be bold about our programs--because they work," says Dr. Freeman.
According Amparo Castillo Richmond, M.D., a post-doctoral fellow researching cardiovascular health, "Women's healthcare issues are right now at the forefront of the scientific agenda. Every nation on earth closely follows America's scientific advances. For this reason, clinically connecting the effectiveness of the TM technique and its related programs to women's unique health-care issues may be significant for women everywhere."
The Center is seeking names of professionals who may be contacted to participate in research projects. If you know of such individuals, please call 472-7251.
If you are interested in publishing articles or making presentations in these areas, come to a meeting on Tuesday, November 4, at 1:30 or 8:00 p.m. at Henn Mansion on the MUM campus.
The Center's projected activities will be featured at World Congress on November 10 at 8:00 p.m. in Yagyavalkya Hall.
