THE JOURNAL RECORD

Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013

www.journalrecord.com

Vol. 118, No. 2 Two Sections

Practicing mind over matter

Doctor: Relaxation techniques can be used to improve employee productivity
BY HEIDE BRANDES THE JOURNAL RECORD OKLAHOMA CITY Dr. Murali Krishna wants everyone to just relax. As co-founder and president of the James L. Hall, Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit, an affiliate of Integris Health in Oklahoma City, and president and chief operating officer of Integris Mental Health in Oklahoma City, Krishna said the most important thing employees and the public at large can do is relax and just stop stressing out. Not only does stress negatively affect every single part of the body, it is also a physical force on general health. It causes problems with heart function, brain function and every cell in the human body, but still, teaching patients and workers how to incorporate relaxation techniques to improve productivity and overall wellness is a challenge. Using meditation and relaxation techniques and using the mind, body, spirit connection is relatively new to Western medicine, Krishna said. In the 1970s, a doctor wrote a book about the miracle benefits of relaxation, and thats what started it in Western medicine. But, relaxation techniques have been going on for a long time in ancient traditions around the world. Now, Krishna wants Oklahoma City and the world to know that they can have an active role in their health and happiness. Hes published a book, Vibrant: To Heal and Be Whole From India to Oklahoma City, and hosts podcasts about wellness and happiness at integrisok.com/mentalhealth. But his biggest challenge is teaching those skills to hordes of employees and patients who are allowing stress, frustration and anger to kill them slowly. The awareness of the mind, body and spirit is better in this community and much better thanks to increased media attention, Krishna said. But in todays society, it is even more important. We as employees are now required to do more, tackle more with less time and less rest. More is being asked of us in our professions with less time to accomplish it. The healing power of the mind, body and spirit and their connection needs to be discovered and used in our lives. Its easier now to engage patients in their own healing by using meditation or relaxation techniques than it was 20 years ago, and the health and healing benefits of mindfulness is slowly getting the respect Krishna said it deserves from the medical community. In 1997, he was invited to speak to a group of doctors about relaxation and meditaright side of the brain to the left, which results in tion techniques. They tell me, We know you and respect you better concentration, according to studies from as a doctor. How come you are getting mixed up in the University of Wisconsin. Chesapeake Energy Corp. is an Oklahoma City this stuff? Krishna said. I got up to speak to them about how the mind, body and spirit con- company that is embracing the idea, Krishna said, with its Your Life Matters nect. I tell them that if they are program. The program helps angry about their food being employees understand how late or cold, whatever, if they their emotional health are angry, then in the next two affects their overall wellhours, their chance of a heart being. Topics include stress, attack goes up 230 percent. relaxation techniques, how Now, major university studto get better sleep and how ies from Duke University, the their patterns affect them. University of Wisconsin and Dr. Karrie Oertli, a chapmore are backing up what lain for Integris, says shes Krishna has been saying. seen the benefits of what Studies show that negative Krishna is trying to do. emotions like stress, anger, frusI think it is a hallmark tration and unresolved grief not of good healing when a only cause blood vessels to conpatient can access his or her tract and blood pressure to rise, own strength, Oertli said. they also cause platelets in the That strength comes from blood to clot faster. Negative many forms, including mediemotions create problems in tation and prayer. When every single function of the patients use these methods, body. we see significant improveWhen emotions are very ment to their health when negative, new studies say it also Murali Krishnas new they can connect with themcauses ourselves to age faster, book. C O U RTESY P H O TO selves. Krishna said. It causes the Workplace stress also is telomeres, which are the proaffected. Once an employee tective covering on our cells and learns calming techniques, it doesnt take long chromosomes, to break faster, causing us to age. for that worker to be proficient at it. Although Stress is bad. Relaxation and prayer-meditation help. However, in an age of speeding up and meditation or prayer works to help a patient or working more and more, how do employers take employee handle the stress better, it still will not take the place of traditional treatment, Oertli advantage of this form of wellness? said. Relaxation and meditation techniques are Dont do away with what has worked, but very powerful techniques that improve employmeditation, relaxation and massage, they all comee health and productivity, and corporations will plement traditional medicine and give patients a be on the bandwagon soon, Krishna said. One, chance to participate in their own healing, she they know it is the right thing to do for employsaid. Patients show a decrease in anxiety, blood ees wellness. Secondly, it is economically pressure and depression when they learn to calm imperative. When employees learn to control their stress, the mind. For more than 40 years, Krishna has collected companies see enormous savings, and productiviwhat he has learned about the mind-body connecty goes up, Krishna said. Meditation, prayer and relaxation help people to learn to be mindful and tion. It became the basis for his book. I wanted to share with people the things I aware. Just five minutes a day, and people see dralearned from my experience my insights, wismatic changes within mere weeks. Krishna said employees who practice stress dom and practical use, Krishna said. Whatever reduction techniques are shown to develop posi- you learn, you need to share, and this is very practive states of mind and more engaged behavior. tical experience that is very important. Its to help They also show improved emotional control, and a others acquire the skills to help themselves and shift happens in the prefrontal brain from the make an impact on our world.