Meditation

The hundreds of types of meditation share a key features: They all involve keeping your attention on the present moment , often by sitting quietly and focusing on your breath or a mantra. Most common uses stress , high blood pressure , chronic pain , anxienty disorders , headaches , PMS. Since premenstrual woes can be exacerbated by stress , using meditation to reduce tension can help pull a mood out of the dumps , say Dr. Geoffrey Redmond.

In one study oming 15 to 20 minutes twice a day for three minths cut women’s PMS symptoms by more than half. It was a patient who first told Dr.Brain L.Weiss , MD , of her success with meditation; the technique helped her prevent colds and anxiety-induced stomach-aches. So he tried it: “At first it was difficult to remain so focused but once I dropped the concept of needing to progress , I felt great,” says Dr.Weiss , who now runs a holistic medicine centre in Miami. “I even get fewer migrate.” His patients benefit too.