During global armed conflicts like the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine-Russia wars, innovative public health strategies are needed for peacebuilding. Evidence-based meditation from Ayurveda and Yoga, particularly the Transcendental Meditation program, may reduce collective stress and prevent collective violence and war. Empirical studies with cross-cultural replications indicate these practices can lower collective stress and war activity while improving quality of life. The mechanisms involve public health models, cognitive neuroscience, population neuroscience, quantum physics, and systems medicine, addressing brain-based factors underlying collective stress and violence. This perspective suggests Transcendental Meditation and the advanced TM-Sidhi program, as components of Traditional Medicine, could enhance societal well-being and peace.
Stress from daily living can trigger protective responses in the body, but excessive or prolonged stress can overwhelm these responses and contribute to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its risk factors. Contemplative practices such as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness are low-cost lifestyle interventions that help manage stress by calming the mind and restoring awareness of interconnectedness. Emerging evidence suggests these practices reduce the clinical complications of stress by attenuating its psychological and biological impacts. This review illustrates how contemplative practices can help prevent the development, progression, and complications of CKD and its risk factors.