Kimberly King is an outstanding equestrian champion, and leading woman trainer and breeder of Paso Fino horses. Ranked second in the world, Kimberly is the first woman ever to win a Grand National Championship in Colombia, and the first woman to win a Grand National Championship in the U.S. Paso Fino division.

Several years ago, however, Kimberly was suffering from severe stomach-aches and fatigue. Her energy was so low that she had to conserve all her strength for each upcoming horse show, and then go to bed for two weeks after-ward to recuperate from the event.

Although Kimberly continued to collect blue ribbons and silver trophies, her health worsened. Confounded by her symptoms, doctors could not come up with an accurate diagnosis. Instead, they told Kimberly that she was lazy, crazy, and in need of a psychiatrist or a "good swift kick."

Four years after the onset of her symptoms, Kimberly collapsed and was hospitalized for a week. After new tests, the doctors stopped accusing Kimberly of indolence and told her that she had Crohn’s disease, an inflammation of the intestines also known as inflammatory bowel disease. With no known cure, the best that western medicine could offer was an attempt to control the symptoms with medication.

Kimberly was placed on a regimen of 17 pills per day, mostly anti-inflammatory drugs. "I blew up like a balloon," says Kimberly, "and I grew facial hair. When my dosage was reduced, I lost two-thirds of the hair on my head."

After six months of medication, Kimberly was ready to try something else. A renowned heart surgeon in her area recommended a visit to the Maharishi Ayur-Veda Medical Center in Lancaster, Massachusetts. At Lancaster she met with medical director Jay L. Glaser, M.D., along with an expert in the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health from India. During Kimberly’s two-week stay, her program included the TM technique, yoga asanas, a vegetarian diet, herbal food supplements, and a special daily massage with herbalized oils.

"The program was very, very successful for me," says Kimberly. "I released a lot of tension. For the first time in five years, I had a normal bowel movement. I also had renewed energy, lots of energy. After my treatment in Lancaster, I became symptom- free without medication."

Professor’s Recovery Surprises Physicians
Sherry Corneal, Ph.D., a professor of Human Development and Family Studies, is a full-time faculty member at Penn State University. Author of a textbook, and numerous articles on research methodology, Sherry is also certified in family therapy, and prior to joining the Penn State faculty had her own private practice.

Sherry became a Meditator in 1988 because she was experiencing anxiety attacks. "These attacks really floored me," says Sherry. "Here I was a therapist, myself, having anxiety." Sherry learned the TM technique, and after four months of meditation the symptoms disappeared. "I meditated inconsistently for many years," adds Sherry.

In 1994, Sherry, who had enjoyed good health most of her life, developed quite severe adult-onset asthma. The doctors prescribed steroids and inhalers, and Sherry’s weight dropped to 120 lbs. on her 5'11" frame.

Sherry sought relief through acupuncture, chiropractic and homeopathy, but her health continued to deteriorate. At the end of one school semester, she thought she had the flu. Sherry’s symptoms quickly worsened however, and she developed double vision and paralysis in her right hand, which then spread throughout her body.

In pain and unable to move, Sherry to spend the next five weeks at the Hershey Medical Center, where she was given massive doses of steroids, and a battery of tests. Before Sherry was released from the hospital, she was told she had polyneuropathy and much of the myelin sheath on her nerves had been eaten away. The medication prescribed might keep the disease at bay, but the doctors had neither explanation nor cure.

Sherry was in pain and could move only three fingers on her left hand. She could walk, but her feet were numb. "I couldn’t even open a door, but I went back to work three weeks later. I had teaching assistants working with me. I was on a lot of pain medication and corticosteroids, but I kept going." Despite the pain and poor prognosis, Sherry intuitively felt that she would get better.

When Enlightenment magazine arrived at Sherry’s home, she typically just tossed it out. However, this time something made Sherry go and fish the magazine out of the wastebasket. In that issue was an article about a woman with sarcoidosis who had gone through the Program for Chronic Disorders and was now healthy again.

When she called the medical center in Lancaster and heard the receptionist’s voice, she knew she was in the right place. "Gail answered all my questions and I made arrangements to go to Lancaster as soon as possible. I stayed for one week and faithfully followed the prescribed regimen after returning home.

"One month later, the doctor who had said I would not get better, was amazed to see that my bloodwork had returned to normal. When I saw the doctor a second time he said, ‘Consider yourself cured.’" Sherry continues to teach at Penn State and plans to return to Lancaster in December, this time with her daughter.

On Pace for Good Health
Kim Baker is a nine-time National Champion and three-time World Challenge Winner race car driver. Racing since he was five years old, Kim started out with quarter-midgets, and rose through the ranks to racing Corvettes. Kim’s career skyrocketed even as he continued to own and man-age Baker automotive, a racing and high performance facility in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. The pace was always intense and Kim spent many a sleepless night thinking through all the details of the engineering of the cars as well as performance on the track.

Kim moved on to stock cars and NASCAR, which was growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. As the driver, team owner and manager, he pulled off two second-place finishes and one third in his first few times out. But the following year, the stress of wearing too many hats and a lifelong battle with insomnia started to take its toll.

His wife Patricia remembers one especially challenging weekend. "We were at Watkins Glen International in 1998. Due to some adjustments by the mechanic, his car had major problems on the track and Kim was furious, saying he would never race again. In my heart, I knew it was just the stress and lack of sleep talking. The next day, Kim went out and won the Pepsi 150."

After the race at the Glen, Patricia began making plans for Kim to go to the Maharishi Ayur-Veda Medical Center in Lancaster. Kim’s lack of sleep had Patricia concerned for his health both on and off the track. After some prodding, Kim agreed to go. He knew that in order to remain healthy, he would have to find something new. He was never one to take medication, so he hoped to find relief through the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health.

"My experience at Lancaster was terrific," says Kim. "I can’t ever remember a physician spending as much time with me as Dr. Glaser did during my initial consultation. He asked questions about me as a per-son, not just about my symptoms."

On the third night at Lancaster, Kim’s sleep pattern made a positive shift, and he actually experienced six hours of solid sleep. By the end of his five-day stay, Kim felt both well rested and energized. Kim remains symptom free from insomnia as long as he stays with his program of the TM technique, yoga asanas, and herbs.

Kim plans to return to Lancaster at least once a year for the rejuvenation program. In the meantime, he’s also decided to retire from the business side of racing and wear one only one hat— the one of a winning race car driver.

People from all over the world come to the Maharishi Ayur-Veda Medical Center at Lancaster, to find relief from illness or just relax and re-energize. You may not feel like a champion when you arrive, but thanks to the caring staff you most likely will by the time you leave.

For more information on programs offered at Lancaster, call 800-290-6702 or 978-365-4549.

Patricia Baker, a freelance writer, is owner of The Big Picture Agency, an advertising and PR company