“The primary reason people meditate, the experts tell me, is that it may reduce stress. Fine. But so does quality sleep and exercise. And you can reduce stress simply by changing the way you think about it.” Some people you know immediately must just be a pleasure to be around.

Perhaps stressed by the Koch Brothers' reported interest in buying up major newspapers across the country, Rupert Murdoch has taken up a new hobby: transcendental meditation. Murdoch tweeted the news Sunday afternoon, admitting that he's had some difficulty mastering the practice.

Preaching fit! Ninja warriors! Muscle cream! Bulletproof skin! Bite counters! Vanity benefits! Meditation strength! Novak Djokovic! And the stunning origin of the TRX workout trend! It's your Monday Fitness Watch, where we watch fitness—bitingly!

A new study finds that meditation can reduce pain by as much as half, even for people with very little meditation training. This makes it more effective than morphine! And certainly more effective than crying like a little sissy.

A new study by Massachusetts General Hospital shows that the brain literally changes its structure after just 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation—including an increase in grey matter in the part of the brain associated with learning.

Discount drugs! Energy drinks! Capitol Hill junk food! Cancer moneymakers! Meditation depression! Food allergies! Youth sports fat! Baby thumb fat! Soldier fat! It's your Wednesday Health Watch, where we watch your health—dipped in Icy Hot, furiously skipping rope!

How are companies like Google and Goldman, Sachs keeping employees calm during these tough economic times? They're offering up meditation programs and classes to soothe frayed nerves. But it doesn't just keep workers from jumping off the room. "Meditation helps develop your abilities to focus better and to accomplish your tasks," says the founder of Green Mountain Coffee, who also points out that shares in the company have climbed 267 percent over the past four years. [Bloomberg]