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In recent decades many busy people around the world have benefited greatly from a simple natural technique which brings increased energy, clearer thinking, and improved health.
It is TM …Transcendental Meditation

 This effortless mental technique is practised in a comfortable sitting position for a few minutes morning and evening. It soothes the central nervous system, calms the mind and gives the body a state of rest much deeper than sleep.
 In this unique state of restful alertness, accumulated stress and strain is naturally released, leaving you refreshed, relaxed, revitalised.
 Regular TM practice brings increased dynamism and focus which helps you get much more done each day while experiencing health benefits such as normalised blood pressure and less days off sick.

Since 1970 the many benefits of Transcendental Meditation have been confirmed repeatedly by independent research published in reputable scientific journals around the world:

 Reduced Anxiety  Increased Creativity
 Less Negativity  More Positivity
 Less Fatigue  Longer Life
 Reduced Alcohol Abuse  Greater Productivity
 Reduced Depression  Increased Stamina
 Less Insomnia  More Tolerance
 More Self-Confidence  Improved Relationships
 Better Overall Health  Increased Wellbeing

Seven Good Reasons To Talk To Us About TM

Clearer Thinking.

At the end of each TM session you are refreshed, relaxed and revitalised, ready to take on the challenges of life. Published research shows that TM brings increased intelligence, improved memory, improved concentration and learning ability.

More Energy.

Vital energy flows more freely through a nervous system that is less stressed. You become sharper, brighter and livelier with faster reactions and get a lot more done each day with less apparent effort.

Better Health.

Release of stress also allows the body to function normally. Research shows improvements in all areas of health including normalisation of high blood pressure, relief from insomnia and reduction in high cholesterol. A major health study showed that people practicing TM for 5 years or more need medical services 50% less than the average person. (70% less for over 40’s).

Improved Relationships.

The inner harmony that develops from TM practice manifests itself in more cordial relations with those around you including family, friends and co-workers.

Greater Creativity.

Research on brainwave activity shows that TM enlivens total brain function and this includes your ability to employ more innovative thinking and artistic processes.

Reduced Anxiety.

A meta-analysis (study of all known research) has found that TM is more than twice as effective as any other method in reducing trait anxiety, a measure of chronic stress. Other research shows a marked decrease in negative personality characteristics such as hostility, fear and irritability, as well as a reduction in the use of alcohol, cigarettes and drugs of all kinds.

Inner Happiness.

Whatever you do, the ultimate purpose of life is the expansion of happiness. TM practice develops a profound level of wellbeing that steadily grows with time and allows you to enjoy the rest of your life. As you develop your inner potential you find that life is bliss!

FAQ about TM

Frequently Asked Questions about Transcendental Meditation

Q: What does the Transcendental Meditation technique do?

A: The Transcendental Meditation technique provides the mind and body with a unique and profound state of restful alertness. The body gains an extraordinarily deep state of rest while the mind settles down to a state of inner calm and wakefulness.

The quietest level of the mind is known as Transcendental Consciousness, a field of maximum energy, creativity, and intelligence. By contacting this unlimited source of energy and intelligence twice a day, you’ll think and act more creatively and intelligently—and you’ll enjoy increased alertness and efficiency in all areas of life.

This deep level of rest also dissolves deeply rooted stress and tension in the body, rejuvenates the entire system, and provides the basis for dynamic, successful activity.

Q: I play tennis to relax. A friend of mine listens to music. Doesn’t exercise or simple relaxation do the same thing as the Transcendental Meditation programme?

A: Tennis, jogging, fishing, golfing, gardening, reading a book, listening to soothing music, bowling, etc., are all relaxing, enjoyable activities. They provide a welcome change of pace, a break in the routine.

But the important question is: While they may seem relaxing, do these activities actually release deeply rooted stress and tension? No. This is because even though they may feel relaxing, nonetheless, they keep the mind and body engaged in some activity.

What is nature’s antidote to stress? Deep rest—and the deeper the better. The Transcendental Meditation programme is not just another form of activity or recreation. It is a scientifically validated technique that provides the entire system with very deep rest—far deeper than ordinary eyes-closed rest or relaxation—and gives us an opportunity to unfold the full range of our own consciousness.

This deep rest has been shown to release accumulated stress and tension that nothing else comes close to eliminating—not a good night’s sleep, a restful vacation, relaxation exercises, a great tennis match, or a stroll in the park.

Q: Is the Transcendental Meditation programme like hypnosis or other types of meditation techniques?

A: The Transcendental Meditation programme is unique. Hypnosis involves suggestion. The Transcendental Meditation technique is natural and involves no suggestion.

All other forms of meditation or self-development involve either concentration or contemplation. The Transcendental Meditation technique is easy to learn, effortless to practice, and involves neither concentration nor contemplation.

Research comparing the Transcendental Meditation programme with other meditation and relaxation techniques has found it to be far more effective for reducing anxiety, increasing self-actualization, improving psychological health, and reducing use of cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs.

Q: Will the technique make me so relaxed that I won’t be motivated for success?

A: Just the opposite. By eliminating stress and tension, and increasing energy and intelligence, the Transcendental Meditation technique provides an effective basis for dynamism and success in life.

It’s like pulling an arrow back on a bow. Draw the arrow back 2 feet, and the arrow flies forward 50 yards. The Transcendental Meditation technique naturally draws the mind back to its own source, a reservoir of energy, creativity, and intelligence. After 20 minutes of the technique, you can plunge into activity refreshed and rested, with more creativity and intelligence.

The result: Do less and accomplish more with greater energy, success, and satisfaction in everything you do.

Q: Can I learn the Transcendental Meditation technique from a book or a tape?

A: No. Each person is unique; each person has a different nervous system and therefore a different pace of learning. Ensuring that you learn the technique properly requires personal instruction from a qualified Transcendental Meditation program teacher. Reading a book or listening to a tape cannot provide the experience of pure consciousness and the corresponding profound state of restful alertness; nor can a book anticipate or answer all of the questions that every person might ask while learning the practice. With proper personal instruction, you can enjoy the technique for the rest of your life—as well as all of the benefits it naturally unfolds.

Q: Is the Transcendental Meditation technique difficult to learn?

A: The Transcendental Meditation technique is easy to learn and effortless to practice. Over six million people worldwide of every age (10 years and up), profession, education, and religion have learned the technique and enjoy its benefits. Once you’ve learned the Transcendental Meditation technique, you practice it on your own. There is, however, a complete, optional, lifetime follow-up programme, available to all meditators, to ensure that they continue to practice the technique correctly and gain maximum benefits. You can take advantage of this programme at your convenience.

Q: Will my practice of Transcendental Meditation conflict with my religion?

A: No, it will enhance your religion. Millions of people of all religions—including clergy—practice the Transcendental Meditation technique. They report that the technique, by increasing energy and intelligence and eliminating stress and fatigue, allows them to better follow the tenets of their religion. It is a technique, pure and simple. It involves no religion, belief, philosophy, or change in lifestyle.

One Minister, Rev. Dr. Craig Overmyer, explains this point: “I would say to any Christian—to anyone of any religion—that Transcendental Meditation would benefit your life. It’s a technique, a simple process that requires no belief. It is not a religion. There are so many thoughts that clutter the mind, and Transcendental Meditation is like taking a mental bath—it’s very cleansing and very refreshing.”

Q: Where do you meditate?

The Transcendental Meditation technique is practiced sitting comfortably with the eyes closed for 20 minutes twice a day. It can be done anywhere—at home, in your office, on an airplane, on a camping trip. Anywhere.

Q: How long does it take before I will notice some benefits?

A: It varies from individual to individual. All those who practice the Transcendental Meditation technique do notice positive growth and development in their life; however, it’s not really possible to predict which particular benefits you might receive from the practice or even how long it will take before you would experience a specific benefit.

Extensive scientific research and the experience of teaching the technique to more than six million people around the world do show that correct practice of the Transcendental Meditation programme on a regular, twice-daily basis is very important for gaining the most from the technique.

Q: And everyone can do it?

A: Yes. Anyone of any age, profession, education, religion, or culture. It doesn’t matter if you believe in the Transcendental Meditation programme or not. You can be 100 percent skeptical about the technique, and it will still work perfectly.

The Transcendental Meditation technique is natural. It’s just like gravity. If you don’t believe in gravity, and you drop a tennis ball, the ball still falls. In the same way, the Transcendental Meditation technique is automatic. It does not require any belief. It works for everyone.

And for those who think, “I could never sit still for 20 minutes,” or “I’m too high strung, I could never relax,” or “I’ll probably be the first person in the world who won’t be able to learn it,” don’t worry. Everyone can learn to meditate. See for yourself.

Oprah TV Show Boosts TM in USA

19 April 2012

Oprah Winfrey’s recent TV show featuring Transcendental Meditation and the town of Fairfield, Iowa, where thousands practise the technique each day, has generated immense interest in Transcendental Meditation in the USA, where the edition of the Next Chapter show reached an audience of several million. The US Transcendental Meditation website has reported a large increase in interest in learning the technique.

Oprah is the USA’s most high-profile seeker and has interviewed many of the world’s leading spiritual and personal growth teachers, but such has been the impact of Transcendental Meditation on the lives of her and her colleagues that all 400 members of her staff at Harpo Studios now practise the technique twice-daily at work. The show is her testimony to the technique’s versatility and effectiveness.

“You can’t imagine what’s happened in the company,” she says. “People who used to have migraines don’t. People are sleeping better. People have better relationships. People react with other people better. It’s fantastic. ”

The show, of which only excerpts are available in the UK, opens with testimonies from Jerry Seinfeld, Clint Eastwood, Russell Simmons, Russell Brand and Ellen de Generes reflecting on the impact of Transcendental Meditation on their lives.

In Fairfield, which Oprah describes as ‘one of the safest, greenest, and most unusual communities in America’, the show features Oprah meditating with over 400 women in one of the town’s golden domes.

She visits the Maharishi School, a primary and secondary school which teaches ‘consciousness-based education’, with meditation an integral part of the curriculum. There, Oprah explores the 16 principles of the Science of Creative Intelligence: ‘life lessons’ that Oprah says have taken her decades to learn, including ‘Life is found in layers’, ‘Outer depends upon inner’ and, Oprah’s favourite, ‘Every action has a reaction’.

She explores ‘the houses of TM town‘ as many homes there are designed not just for sustainability but in a style of architecture inspired by nature, called Sthapathya Veda. She takes a tour of one family’s home and learns about the theory behind its layout.

She also visits Maharishi Vedic City, home to nearly 800 pandits, who are, in Oprah’s words, ‘professional meditators who practise Transcendental Meditation for hours a day in the name of world peace’.

“For two to three years, many of these men from India devote their lives to this practice in the cornfields of Iowa. They’ve never allowed television cameras to film them – until now. Today we got an unprecedented look into the life of a pandit.”

Concluding that meditation is now mainstream, Oprah says :

“Today, at least 6 million people are practising TM worldwide. People who believe in Jesus, Buddha, the Koran, the Torah, all religions, all ethnicities practise Transcendental Meditation.”

Pointing to a quote by the ancient Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius, she continues: “This is the essence of what Transcendental Meditation is all about:

‘Nowhere can a man withdraw to a more untroubled quietude than in his own soul. Grant yourself this withdrawal continually, and refresh yourself!’

“That’s it.”