The great thing about Transcendental Meditation is that it does not require a lot of work. It’s like a conditioning of the mind. We just sit back and enjoy the peace and silence. Know that after a continuous practice of Transcendental Meditation, you will feel like you have more energy, less stress, and are sleeping better.
Transcendental Meditation has been helping others heal from hypertension, depression, anxiety, and several other diseases for years. When we make a conscious effort to start the healing process, we start to notice the changes we have made. In Transcendental Meditation we go into the depths of our being and find our happy place. Maharishi once said “Don’t go for what you know you can get. Go for what you really want.” This is so true for Transcendental Meditation.
David Lynch is the leading supporter of Transcendental Meditation in schools. He calls it Consciousness-Based Education. It's that place where school and Transcendental Meditation meet and work together to improve everyone's lives. Later in the book, we discuss David’s great system and his accomplishments through his foundation. He is a pillar of the Transcendental Meditation movement, and many celebrities support his efforts to bring healing to those in rural areas and impoverished inner-city locations.
Chapter 2: The Origins of How Transcendental Meditation Started
“Transcendental Meditation opens the awareness to the infinite reservoir of energy, creativity, and intelligence that lies deep within everyone.” Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
The history of Transcendental Meditation is quite fascinating. It started in the Vedic traditions of the Indies. Transcendental Meditation's rise to popularity started with Brahmananda Saraswati, who was the teacher and master of the most recent teacher of Transcendental Meditation, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Yogi designed a certification program to help others learn how to teach as well.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced the Transcendental Meditation technique to India in the 1950's. He taught people all over the world how to practice Transcendental Meditation, and eventually, his teachings became a sort of certification course for others to teach it as well. He believes “The golden gate to peace in life is the experience of bliss, and it is easy for everyone to acquire this great glory and live it throughout life.” In the 1960's and 1970's, celebrities started practicing Transcendental Meditation, and it became mainstream.
After the celebrities had made it mainstream, Maharishi designed a training program to certify others to teach business teams and students how to use Transcendental Meditation. But first, Maharishi started as Brahmachari Mahesh, and as he was trained and given his yogi name, things started to not only blossom for him, but also for Transcendental Meditation. A little back history on Maharishi would have to start with his original training in Transcendental Meditation, and how he got his start.
“The fortunate one uses the instrument of meditation and probes deep into his heart. Then the waves of love gain the depth of the ocean, and the ocean of love flows, and fills the heart, and thrills every particle of being. Every wave of life then flows in the fullness of love, in the fullness of divine glory, in the fullness of grace, in bliss and peace.”Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Brahmachari Mahesh began to teach Transcendental Meditation in 1955. He was teaching a technique called Transcendental Deep Meditation. After he was given his yogi name of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1958, he started his world tour which began in Rangoon, Burma. He remained in the Far East for around 6 months, touring and teaching.
Some of the tour's locations took place in Germany and London for the European tour as well as several states in the United States tour.
The first US office was in Los Angeles, CA and he called it the Spiritual Regeneration Movement. This became the birthplace of the United States Transcendental Meditation Office and Teaching Center, and it remained the only one from 1959-1965.
He then trained Henry Nyburg of England. Nyburg became the first Transcendental Meditation teacher. He used his organization, the International Meditation Society, to provide the training facility. Nyburg became his personal representative as he toured in Europe. With his training, he was able to teach Transcendental Meditation, which gave him some authority over many of Maharishi’s classes. This made him the first European teacher of Transcendental Meditation. Maharishi has spread the word of Transcendental Meditation for the world to experience its benefits because he believes “You are the master of all the laws of nature if you know the transcendental field.”
The first Transcendental Meditation teacher in the United States was Leon MacLaren, who was taught in Caxton Hill, London. The very first teacher-training was held near Rishikesh, India. He trained over 60 meditators from locations all over. Some of the countries that the meditators traveled from were Denmark and Norway for two of the European location, as well as the United States, Australia, Canada, Italy, India, and many more.
Over the next 10 years, more teachers continued to be trained in Transcendental Meditation. This helped with spreading the movement even further. The total number of teachers in the United States Transcendental Meditation Society was around 7,000 in 1978. Maharishi made several TV show appearances. Many of them were in the United States and Europe. At one particular show at Royal Albert Hall, he spread the word to over 5,000 people about Transcendental Meditation. Spreading the reach for his movement even further.
He spoke of the time, often, of when 21 members of the Indian Parliament endorsed his Transcendental Meditation technique. He started making many public appearances to support Transcendental Meditation. He was also featured in several newspapers such as the Canadian newspaper The Daily Colonist, the Calgary Herald, and The Albertan.
With so much publicity around Maharishi and his Transcendental Meditation teachings, there were lots of societies that started to represent Transcendental Meditation and to provide support and training such as the Students International Meditation Society, which began in Germany, and then moved into the United States. He also taught through the American Foundation for the Science of Creative Intelligence. They taught Transcendental Meditation to businesspeople at several big companies. Some of these companies included Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, General Foods, and AT&T, to name a few. In 1968, he decided to stop touring and settled to teaching in his private center in Switzerland.
As the Transcendental Meditation movement grew, the organization started to include educational materials. It also featured health-related products and other services related to Transcendental Meditation. Because of the popularity of Transcendental Meditation, there is now an organization that certifies teachers through a standardized course to ensure proper training and technique usage. Although many say Transcendental Meditation is a religious practice, it can also be non-religious. It began as a spiritual and religious practice in the Vedic Traditions but grew to be experienced by non-religious people as well. Maharishi believes “The secret of success is conviction and persistence.” That is why he has spread the word, and trained millions of practitioners.
Transcendental Meditation has been practiced for stress relief, mindfulness, relaxing of the mind, and the development of self. Many use Transcendental Meditation to connect with themselves in a way that they can only do through meditation. Because of the religious backgrounds in Transcendental Meditation, a United States Court of Appeals deemed it a religious practice, which is not an appropriate course to teach in public school systems. There has not been a lot of documented evidence of Transcendental Meditation making a positive effect on your health. However, it is the most highly practiced meditation technique still today.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has helped more than 40,000 people to be certified to teach Transcendental Meditation, and they have then spread the message and therapeutic support of Transcendental Meditation to over 5,000,000 people. After he set up his training course, he decided that wasn’t enough, so he did a world tour where he introduced the world of Transcendental Meditation to multiple countries. By the 2000's, Maharishi Mahes
h Yogi was overseeing what some called a multinational movement.
There has been little to no change in the techniques of Transcendental Meditation since its start as the Vedic Tradition. However, there have been some advanced meditative techniques since the 1970's that have added new techniques for practitioners and students.
Several organizations have jumped on the bandwagon, and are endorsing the movement of Transcendental Meditation. The Spiritual Regeneration Movement supports the positive benefits of Transcendental Meditation. International Meditation Society is another organization that was one of the first to support the positive benefits of Transcendental Meditation as well. Recently, schools and universities have started teaching courses on Transcendental Meditation to students and faculty. There are a few non-profit organizations in the United States that support the Transcendental Meditation practice such as Students' International Meditation Society, the Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, and Global Country of World Peace.
After Maharishi’s movement, others decided to invest in the Transcendental Meditation practice and the benefits it has to everyone. One of those people was David Lynch. The David Lynch Foundation was founded on a consciousness-based education and world peace. They want to ensure that every child all over the world would have access to teachers, who are trained to teach Transcendental Meditation. The David Lynch Foundation now teaches Transcendental Meditation to adults and children all over the world.
David Lynch started Transcendental Meditation around 1973. Since the first day, he has started practicing Transcendental Meditation, he has not missed a day of practice. He attributes his energy levels, happiness, and creativity to his daily, twice-a-day meditation practice for 20 minutes. Due to his own success, he wanted to provide access to Transcendental Meditation to the world, so he started the David Lynch Foundation, with hopes to ease others' suffering. Cecilia, who is in 7th grade, practices Transcendental Meditation through a program with the David Lynch Foundation. She recently told them, “Since I started Transcendental Meditation, life has gotten a lot easier.” She went on to say, “I think more clearly, and I don’t rush into things.” Not only does she think clearly now, but she also says, “Plus my grades have gone up.”
With the David Lynch Foundation and their Quiet Time program, they have seen a 10% improvement in test scores, 86% reduction in suspensions over two years, and a 65% decrease in violent conflict. This program provides a 15-minute Transcendental Meditation session twice a day. It is designed to help balance their lives, and improve their readiness for learning. It is such a great program that many private, public, and charter schools have adopted the program. The best part is many parents, teachers, and students have started using Transcendental Meditation, and even support the teaching of it in schools.
In urban areas, the children deal with a lot of stress. This stress can be related to poverty, oppression, violence in the home or on the street, and even fear for their lives. Due to the stress being a distraction to their ability to learn, it is affecting their grades and can even affect their mental health. By incorporating programs into the school system like the David Lynch Foundation and Transcendental Meditation programs, they can see an increase in their ability to handle stress. It helps them deal with their ADHD, helping them to focus and to feel calmer. It decreases suicidal thoughts that have been leading to thousands of teen deaths over the past few years.
They have also found a decrease in the number of students turning to drugs, and a decrease in them turning to drug dealing due to gang involvement. Transcendental Meditation has also helped those who were overweight or obese learn to control their health and eat a healthier diet. By teaching Transcendental Meditation to inner-city kids, you can reduce anxiety, and increase their ability to learn and grow in a more productive and safe environment. They can handle the stress of their outside environment. It helps focus the minds of those suffering from disabilities, helping them to reboot the left and right sides of the brains, so they function more efficiently.
With the Quiet Time program from the David Lynch Foundation in schools, research has shown that they have done an amazing job at:
● Improving test scores by 10%
● Creativity has flourished.
● Teachers are staying on longer at schools with this program.
● The burnout rate of teachers is reduced.
● Students are more self-confident.
● There is an improvement in focus.
● Happiness levels have improved.
● ADHD has decreased in diagnosis, and symptoms of other learning disorders have reduced as well.
● Suspensions went done by 86%.
● Psychological distress from stress, anxiety, and depression has been reduced by 40%.
● Violence and conflict have gone down by 65%.
Numbers like these are being seen all over the board for those practicing Transcendental Meditation. The amazing thing is that anyone of any age can do it. Whether you are as young as 5, or as old as 99, you are capable of practicing Transcendental Meditation.
Another wonderful benefit of Transcendental Meditation is that, in the past 35 years, they have incorporated it into some of the toughest prisons in the United States. They are teaching not only the guards but also the prisoners. Some of the prisons that are participating are San Quentin, Folsom, and Walpole. There have been significant benefits with results such as:
● A 30% reduction in recidivism or reoffending rates
● They have noticed more prisoners following the rules during their stay.
● A reduction in criminal thoughts, trauma symptoms, and psychological distress.
● Many inmates reported a decrease in anxiety.
● Many saw a healing of their depression.
● There was a noticeable change in fatigue, and anger with others.
● Many found spiritual well-being, a purpose, and more optimism in life.
Transcendental Meditation has provided inmates with a state of relaxation or rest that is allowing them to relieve childhood traumas. Because of these childhood traumas, they have chosen the wrong path and took on a life of crime. As they release these traumas, they naturally find peace and solace in their lives. They let go of anger and violence and start to understand a greater meaning to their lives. Their responses start to be less reactive.
“Transcendental Meditation should be the first mental health program prison systems offer. The way your brain is working when you get to prison needs to be brought into balance before any mental health programs can be effective. And Transcendental Meditation just does that," said Gordon, name changed for privacy, inmate serving 9 years of a 26-year sentence. They learn how they are responsible for the actions they do, and how they can control or be non-reactive through their mantra. It helps lower the re-offender rate in United States prisons. As one of the inmates, Geoff, name changed for privacy, stated about the program, “Every since I was a kid, I’ve been miserable being myself.” He continued by saying “After just one month of meditating, I’ve felt so much energy. It’s amazing how good I feel.”
Chapter 3: Methods of Using Transcendental Meditation
Someone once asked the Buddha skeptically, “What have you gained through meditation?” The Buddha replied, “Nothing at all.” “Then Blessed One, what good is it?“ "Let me tell you what I lost through meditation: sickness, anger, depression, insecurity, the burden of old age, the fear of death. That is the good of meditation, which leads to nirvana.”
Transcendental Meditation is simple. It’s an elegant simplicity that you just don’t find in any other form of meditation. There is no manipulation required. There is no suggestibility needed. Everyone can practice Transcendental Meditation. It is simple to learn and effortless to execute. All it takes is 20 minutes twice a day sitting in a chair and going inward. It’s not a philosophy. There is no change in your lifestyle, and no belief system is required. With Transcendental Meditation, if you do not belie
ve in meditation, the benefits of it will continue to work. It does not matter if you believe or not, you still get the same benefits.
There are three different ways to practice Transcendental Meditation. Whichever method you choose is up to you. The first way is to sit comfortably in a chair or on a couch and close your eyes. After a few minutes of silence, think of your mantra that you have chosen to use. Allow the mantra to flow effortlessly, changing as it chooses. It may grow louder or fainter, faster or slower. This should be effortless; it doesn’t require any extra concentration. Allow your thoughts to come and go as they please. Don’t try to push them aside or override them. Just let them flow, kind of like water flowing through the ocean. If you find yourself no longer hearing the mantra, the awareness of not hearing your mantra will bring the mantra back to the forefront of your mind. At the end of the session, just stop the mantra. Relax for several minutes, and then open your eyes.
Another way to practice Transcendental Meditation is to find a word that is neutral to you. Something that doesn’t require thought or creates an image. Sit on a couch or chair in a comfortable position, one you can be in for a long period of time. As you close your eyes, take in 10 deep, relaxing breaths. You want to breathe in through the nose, and slowly out through the mouth after holding for 4 seconds. Start repeating your word, the neutral word that you decide on, silently in your mind. Focus your attention on that mantra; think of the pronunciation of each syllable, and continue to silently repeat that mantra while you are relaxing comfortably. Repeat for 20 minutes, and when you are ready to start the rest of your day, slowly breathe in 10 times holding the breath for 4 seconds, and then breathe out slowly from your mouth.
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