Meditation is known to decrease blood pressure and plaque build-up in arteries. It is now seem to also be able to prevent heart attacks, strokes and premature death in people with heart problems.

In a US study of 201 African-Americans with cardiovascular disease, those who practice transcendental meditation were 47%less likely than non-meditators to have a heart attack or stroke. “We tend to rush to the pillbox, but our study shows how powerful [meditation] can be to stress reduction,” says researcher Theodor Kotchen.