As one of the principle tenets of Ayurveda is that the mind has an incredibly powerful effect on the body, Western medicine is now approaching both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda for avoiding disease through prevention through mechanisms like stress reduction. A growing number of research studies have demonstrated, according to Western clinical guidelines, that Ayurvedic herbal preparations may offer various health benefits.¹¹

Western medicine has now begun to take these ancient remedies seriously, based on multiple studies on the effectiveness of Ayurvedic treatments. In fact, research has shown that transcendental meditation (TM), another of the many tools of Ayurvedic self-care, can significantly lower stress and blood pressure levels, and can improve overall psychological and physical health.¹² A three-month clinical trial involving African Americans demonstrated that TM effectively lowered the blood pressures of mildly hypertensive subjects by the same amount as several years of anti-hypertension medication.¹³ Another review of medical records of over 600,000 people using Blue Cross/Blue Shield as a healthcare provider revealed significantly lower admission rates and medical costs (for both outpatient and inpatient services) for the 2000+ patients practicing regular TM.¹²