Transcendental Meditation is the game changer. Imagine a time when you were at your best. Now imagine feeling like that 24/7. While there are no magical answers to the question of how to be happier and more productive, Transcendental Meditation goes pretty close.
I was trained in the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) in Midtown Manhattan New York in the spring of 2017. Aside from a few celebrity testimonials (one of which, by Dr Norman Rosenthal, inspired me to take the training), I could not find much feedback from other practitioners. Having now practiced the technique regularly myself, I decided to share my experience.
A very poignant moment in a persons life. Source: tm.org
I was feeling slightly nervous as I walked to my first day of training in the practice of Transcendental Meditation in Midtown Manhattan. Crucially, I was also open to learning something new. That is key; not just for Transcendental Meditation, but for most personal development plans.
I attended Transcendental Meditation training each day for four consecutive days, and a had a follow up ‘check-in’ with my tutor a week later via email. By that time, I was enjoying the adventure of crossing the United States by train. That trip was conceived and enjoyed due to what I had learned and experienced the previous week.
I had already been meditating for around two years when I decided to embrace TM. Someone asked me if this now meant that I had given up on my own technique – The Paris Method. Far from it. I now use both. The Paris Method prepares me for meditation, but Transcendental Meditation literally takes me somewhere else. I am not even sure where. Probably, if I was forced to speculate, to the true self within me. It is certainly very far from my previous normal thought process. In fact there is no thought process – because there is no thought. That is the whole beauty.
Transcendental Meditation uses a silent mantra approach, which really suits me. Several years ago, I had struggled to meditate. I had (in ignorance) elected not to receive training in any meditation techniques for fear of further complicating the meditation process. I especially thought that TM would be too complicated. It was, I thought, practiced by famous and successful people after all. How wrong I was!
The Transcendental Meditation technique simplifies meditation. The TM technique is effortless. It is our own mind and our many thoughts which complicate things. I was also very skeptical of having to pay to learn how to meditate. I wondered why the TM endorsements were only from successful celebrities. I now wonder if successful people actually are successful because they practice TM!
I spent much of my life putting preconditions on my notion of what it was to be happy/successful/calm/more confident. If I had more money Id be happy was a very regular state of mind. If he/she did this/that I could get on with things, etc etc. Since practicing TM, that outlook has changed to something more akin to: Wherever I am now is where I want to be.
Regular practice of Transcendental Meditation brings a sense of purpose and awareness. It is certainly relaxing while meditating, but there is a sensory legacy throughout the day and beyond. I don’t even need to think about or understand that sensory legacy. What I do know is that I have felt a heightened sense of awareness and greater clarity. I am calmer, happier, and think in a much more creative manner. When I have creative thoughts, I am able to act upon them.
Another huge benefit is quality of sleep. Before practicing TM I constantly struggled to get enough sleep, or quality sleep. When I came to live in New York City, sleep was a huge problem. It was either too hot or too cold. The bed was too hard or too soft. The pillow too high or not high enough. I heard nearby sirens and airplanes. Since I was trained in Transcendental Meditation, I sleep within 10 minutes of going to bed – sometimes sooner. I honestly do not notice the temperature, the pillows, the sirens or the other things which ‘kept me awake’. I now know that it was my restless mind that kept me awake. Unless I am very tired due to physical exercise or work, I wake up feeling completely refreshed. Procrastination and feelings of lethargy are now the exception not the rule.
Previously I felt as though I didn’t have time to meditate. Now I feel that I don’t have time not to meditate. Transcendental Meditation is literally a ‘no brainer’, and that is what makes it so beautiful. You get to switch off, and tap into a level of consciousness that you can not otherwise experience – or benefit from.
A comparison of meditation techniques. Source: tm.org
Unlike other forms of meditation, TM requires no effort. Even Mindfulness, which is regarded as a simple meditation and awareness technique, asks first that you concentrate. When you concentrate, you are incapable of delving into the depths consciousness where true relaxation, creativity and sense of purpose stem from. With TM, you immediately move from ‘busy mind’ mode to a deep and meaningful state of consciousness. I love sitting down to meditate. I know that the most beautiful silence awaits.
Research is showing that TM can also help to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and lead to other health benefits. And all for twenty minutes of effortless meditation twice daily. I sometimes wish I had trained in the Transcendental Meditation technique twenty or thirty years ago. Yet, I have no regrets; because all that matters is right now, so I am content.
I would stop short of making any wild claims about how Transcendental Meditation has completely changed my life. It has though, completely changed how I am enjoying and experiencing my life. I have never before looked at my present and future with such clarity and optimism. Having invested heavily in adult education for seven years to MSc level, I can honestly say that by far the best training/education I have ever received was the 4-day training in Transcendental Meditation practice. Transcendental Meditation for me, really has been a game changer. I hope you can try it too.