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Jeanne Ball
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Jeanne Ball is a writer for the David Lynch Foundation -- a non-profit, philanthropic organization that supports meditation projects for such diverse groups as gifted children, at-risk kids, prison inmates, veterans, Native Americans, high school and college students and the homeless.

Her blog, Meditation for Women, addresses common concerns and stressors that women face, as well as women’s growth to full awakening of consciousness.

As a meditation teacher, she has lectured on theory and practice for over 25 years, instructing children and adults of all ages and backgrounds. She specializes in teaching meditation to people with ADHD, ADD, addiction, anxiety, depression, hypertension and other stress-related disorders.

For many years Jeanne has been immersed in the scientific and scholarly literature on the different meditation techniques, researching the practical benefits of meditation for mind, body, behavior and environment.

Trained and certified as a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, she has traveled the world implementing meditation programs in inner city schools, high-crime areas and war-torn countries.

Jeanne enjoys cycling, yoga, hiking, studying and reciting Sanskrit, illustrating children’s stories, and Ayurvedic cooking. With her husband Tom, she currently volunteers as co-director of the Asheville (NC) TM Center.
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Blog Entries by Jeanne Ball

Meditating Moms: A Silent Revolution

(34) Comments | Posted May 15, 2012 | 11:38 AM

More and more mothers are finding meditation to be an effective way to avoid burnout and exhaustion. Rather than taking time out for a coffee, many moms are squeezing in a few minutes of meditation while the baby is napping or before heading home from work.

Meditation is especially...

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Women, Violence and Meditation: Transcending Traumatic Stress

(63) Comments | Posted April 9, 2012 | 3:51 PM

Women's History Month closed this year with what I consider to be a momentous event: a sold-out, March 31st conference at New York City's Air and Space Museum, entitled "Women, Violence and Meditation," hosted by the David Lynch Foundation's "Operation Warrior Wellness."

CNN anchor...

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Oprah's Next Chapter: Meditation -- In 'America's Most Unusual Town'

(67) Comments | Posted March 26, 2012 | 8:30 AM

Oprah Winfrey has interviewed many of the most renowned spiritual leaders and personal growth advocates around the globe. Yet, to her surprise, she found one of the most compelling displays of higher consciousness and spirituality a few hours drive from her Chicago-based studio.

In Oprah's recent edition of her...

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ADHD Drug Shortage: Can Meditation Fill the Gap?

(133) Comments | Posted January 6, 2012 | 7:40 AM

Drugs designed to treat ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) have been widely available for decades, but America now faces its most severe shortage of these drugs since they came on the market.

Adderall, Ritalin and similar drugs are used by an estimated 5.4 million children...

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Occupy Consciousness: Healing the Collective Mind

(68) Comments | Posted November 27, 2011 | 2:43 AM

Here in Asheville, NC, ranks of the Occupy movement have struggled peacefully to keep their encampments. Recently there was a march in protest of occupier arrests.

Bloggers on The Huffington Post have commented eloquently about the widespread protests and the statement being made from Oakland to New England.

...
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Liberate Yourself: Develop a Healthy Ego Through Meditation

(82) Comments | Posted October 28, 2011 | 12:49 PM

When you hear the word "ego," does it make you shudder? We blame it for selfishness, haughtiness, false pride and according to Oprah Winfrey's first "Lifeclass," even for identifying too much with our thoughts. The former queen of daytime recently urged millions of viewers to find...

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How He Transformed The Beatles

(128) Comments | Posted October 4, 2011 | 8:43 AM

Martin Scorsese's stunning documentary, "George Harrison: Living in the Material World," will air on HBO Oct. 5-6. Among the locations selected for preview, Scorsese and Olivia Harrison chose a small Iowa town whose theatre audience was comprised of 500 meditators. Why?

The exclusive screening --...

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9/11: Have We Overlooked the Most Effective Way to Prevent Terrorism and War?

(63) Comments | Posted September 11, 2011 | 2:04 PM

We were vulnerable and unprepared for September 11, 2001. Ten years later, we take off our shoes at airports and undergo full body scans. These measures might make some of us feel a little safer, and no doubt the demise of bin Laden was a huge relief, but authorities still...

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Women and Stress: Why We Meditate

(87) Comments | Posted August 31, 2011 | 4:33 PM

Stress levels among women have been rising steadily for the past five years, outpacing men's, says the American Psychological Association's 2010 survey. Fifty percent of the women surveyed say they lose sleep at night because of stress, and report that fatigue interferes with their willpower to exercise, choose...

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Do You Need A Teacher To Learn How To Meditate?

(228) Comments | Posted August 25, 2011 | 9:39 AM

There's no shortage of opportunities for learning practices called "meditation." You can pick one up during yoga class, on YouTube, here on The Huffington Post or at the grocery store -- seriously, last week a guided meditation was going on ("All Shoppers Invited!") in the cafe of my local market....

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The Key To Health And Happiness: A 'Lost' State of Consciousness?

(264) Comments | Posted July 15, 2011 | 8:32 AM

Life happens within the realm of three, ever-changing phases: waking, dreaming and sleeping. Yet most of us intuit there's more to human consciousness than what we ordinarily experience.

Scientists have long said each of the three major states of consciousness has its own distinct style of physiology and brain activity....

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How to Transcend Trauma and Abuse

(119) Comments | Posted June 26, 2011 | 10:53 AM

Many children who run away from violence and abuse at home end up living on the streets. In the U.S., over 300,000 such children are involved in sex trafficking. For some of the lucky ones who have been rescued, in this country and abroad, meditation is a vital part of...

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Top Research Psychiatrist Promotes Meditation for Healing and Transformation

(106) Comments | Posted June 1, 2011 | 8:23 AM

Occasionally, an important scientific discovery comes along that surprises the scientists themselves. A world-renowned psychiatrist is speaking out about just such a discovery -- or rather, rediscovery: a powerful antidote, he believes, for many of our modern woes, a way to help overcome stress and stress-related disorders while opening a...

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Dispelling Meditation's Most Common Myths

(74) Comments | Posted May 16, 2011 | 6:00 AM

One concern I often hear about meditation is how hard it is to clear the mind of thoughts. When I lecture on the Transcendental Meditation technique, it's not unusual for someone in the audience to sheepishly admit that their mind is too busy to settle down. I assure...

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How Meditation Can Give Our Kids an Academic Edge

(231) Comments | Posted April 23, 2011 | 12:08 PM

Are America's students being prepared to compete in a world economy driven by science and technology? Declining math scores and lower academic achievement among U.S. students raises concerns. According to the 2010 International Student Assessment, American students ranked 25th on math among peers from 34 countries, and scored in the...

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Staying Centered During Stressful Times: How Meditation Can Help

(92) Comments | Posted March 18, 2011 | 5:21 PM

Opening The Huffington Post to scenes of political confrontation, revolution, earthquakes and meltdowns, I watch with awe and compassion as our planet heaves and reels with transformation -- masses of people demanding reform, while others stagger from the terrifying impact of natural disaster.

Whether it's one's own world crashing...

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Collective Consciousness And Meditation: Are We All Interconnected by an Underlying Field?

(360) Comments | Posted February 16, 2011 | 9:04 AM

Do you ever wonder if how you feel on a given day has anything to do with what millions of others are feeling or doing? Or if your mood is somehow contributing to a larger, collective mood?

The Internet, social media and 24-hour news cycle offer real-time insight into...

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Dr. Oz: Make Meditation Your New Year's Resolution

(218) Comments | Posted January 4, 2011 | 7:53 AM

According to polls, the most popular New Year's resolutions for 2011 are: lose weight, quit drinking and/or smoking, exercise, manage your debt, reduce stress, get a better job, fall in love and volunteer to help others.

But if Dr. Mehmet Oz is correct, perhaps "learn to meditate" should be...

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David Lynch Talks About the Benefits of Meditation

(127) Comments | Posted December 13, 2010 | 4:49 PM

We know David Lynch for his award-winning films -- "Mulholland Drive" was recently voted movie of the decade by the LA Film Critics Association. Seems like every night there's a "Twin Peaks" party going on somewhere. Lynch is also known as an artist, musician, philanthropist and proponent of meditation. He...

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Could Meditation Have Something to Do with Plummeting Crime Rates?

(87) Comments | Posted November 25, 2010 | 7:40 AM

As the nation experiences fear and uncertainty about its economic future, a quiet, unexpected phenomenon is spreading across the country. According to FBI reports, violent crime has fallen for three straight years, with the murder rate now the lowest in four decades. These statistics defy predictions; police authorities had braced...

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