Sitting to lower risk of heart attack

「靜坐」 心臟病發、中風機率減半 (原文來自"人間福報") 2011/6/29
【本報綜合外電報導】心臟病為全球十大病因之一，刊登在《內科醫學檔案》的一份報告指出，就靜坐對心臟病患所產生作用進行九年的研究結果顯示，靜坐減少了一半死亡、心臟病發和中風的機率。此外，美國一項研究發現，打太極拳有助慢性心臟衰竭患者提升生活品質。

科學家針對二百零一名美國黑人男性和女性進行追蹤，這些人平均年齡五十九歲，都有心臟動脈狹窄的問題。這些實驗對象維持目前的靜坐，並隨機被編入靜坐組或控制組，而後者接受「傳統的衛生教育課程」。

研究人員比對這二組後發現，從事「超覺靜坐」的實驗對象死亡、非致命心臟病發，以及中風的機率減少了百分之四十七。

研究人員表示，靜坐組實驗對象的血壓、壓力和憤怒情緒大幅降低，可能有助於上述結果。

此外，波士頓進行的研究指出，每周結伴打二次、每次一小時的太極拳，能明顯改善情緒和自信心。

主導這次研究、任職於貝斯以色列女執事醫療中心的葛蘿莉亞‧葉說，太極是項安全的運動，也比較容易持續練下去，在改善瘦弱、健康失調的收縮性心力衰竭病患的日常鍛鍊、生活品質、自我效能和情緒上，有其價值。

而先前已有多項研究顯示，打太極對有高血壓、全身肌肉無力和壓力太大的人，也頗有幫助。

In March 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet announced that he would formally relinquish his political leadership role in the Tibetan exile government, a political decision, yet in my opinion, duly reflects his inner spiritual strength.
Upon making the announcement, and while being interviewed, the Ven. described himself as follows: "I am a simple Buddhist monk — no more, no less." Granted, from an outsider's point, his life is anything but simple. Yet, the point is: he is able to maintain a mindset as such. It takes long-term meditation to train the mind before one can calmly but confidently reaffirming such a self-identity.
Let's not put too much emphasis on his past political career, if you intend to learn something from the Ven. from a pragmatic perspective. Instead, start your mindful training now, see you can confidently, but very consciously, identify yourself as "I am what I am, no more and no less" in three years. Cheers!