Transcendental meditation was practiced by yogis thousands of years ago, an ancient form of meditation, originally known as Vedic Meditation. This wisdom understood that the state of our mind can influence the body. Both, the mind and the body are intertwined and a wonderful balance between the two can be achieved through Vedic Meditation. Science has proven, what we knew thousands of years ago to be true, that balance can be attained through meditation. Meditation offsets stress chemicals by releasing neurotransmitters which boosts mental and physical wellbeing.
Transcendental Meditation is a meditative practice which involves the repetition of a mantra, for 15-20 minutes, at least twice a day. This meditation technique seeks to help an individual to move into a state of relaxed awareness through letting the body relax, as deeply as possible. You can enter a state of relaxation which is more regenerative than sleep because of the reduced cortisol (stress hormone). The actual practice is as follows, which is very easy to do as it requires no tools:-
● you do it twice a day, for 20 minutes each session
● You sit down wherever you are somewhat comfortable and close your eyes
● you relax yourself by breathing deeply a few times
● you repeat a mantra (one short word that doesn’t have an English meaning) silently in your mind. Any time other thoughts come up, gently and non-judgmentally guide your mind back to the mantra.
● be totally okay and neutral with whatever your mind is doing during the twenty minutes
After a few practices it is possible to reach what people call ‘Transcendence’, which someone best described as a cool feeling you get between laying down to sleep and actually being asleep, which lasts for about 20 minutes. The benefits include less stress and anxiety, higher cognitive ability, creative focus, better sleep, controlled BP, and inner calmness. Some teachers of Transcendental Meditation believe that the mantras should not be published, and should be chosen personally as that is the traditional way in which the meditation is taught.
Late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, derived this technique from the Vedic Tradition and started spreading it’s knowledge in India in the 50’s. He then went onto influencing the west with Transcendental Meditation in the 60’s and developed a following due to its sophisticated, simple, and beneficiary nature. He raised awareness through multiple world tours where he spoke of his spiritual beliefs and the practice of Transcendental Meditation. In 67’ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi became known as the Beatles’ spiritual adviser, although for a short time but still managed to have a big influence on the band; as well as on other western musicians. He became known as the primary source for Transcendental Meditation’s influence on the west, now a widely used technique by more than 5 million people all over the world.
