Lastly, the traditional form of Transcendental Meditation starts with a short gratitude ceremony. This is to show gratitude to the Vedic tradition of Transcendental Meditation. Then, concentrate and select a mantra, one that feels right to you. Silently start repeating this mantra to yourself for 20 minutes. In time, it will feel like the mantra is repeating itself. Relax, and don’t think of what your mind is doing, just let it flow effortlessly. At the end of 20 minutes, take a few minutes to contemplate on the peacefulness of the session. Think about how the stress has been relieved, and how you are now in a state of blissfulness.
As stated before, you can practice any form of Transcendental Meditation you choose. Either one is fine. They all provide the same benefits, and many people trust that Transcendental Meditation will help them relax, find peace, and de-stress. It's like healing yourself from the inside out. James McCartney once stated that through his practice of Transcendental Meditation, he feels like he will snap out of situations that normally would have derailed him. He said,“ You'll snap out of situations in which previously, you might have stressed yourself out."
Benefits of Using Transcendental Meditation
We have discussed up to this point the endorsement of Transcendental Meditation from celebrities and meditation instructors. Now, let’s talk about the science behind these claims of positive health benefits. There have been many studies about Transcendental Meditation since the 1970's, such as the ones listed below, but they are not the only ones. Continuous studies are going on to prove the validity of the claims of positive health benefits.
Transcendental Meditation is considered a complementary or alternative approach to solving a medical issue. However, the term "alternative" means "in place of"; this technique is "in lieu of." It is what is considered integrative healthcare. It integrates into the already designed treatment plan that the doctor has prescribed for the patient. By practicing Transcendental Meditation, you are now taking a more active role in your own health. Studies have shown that more people will go towards integrative healthcare, are spending more time focusing on their health by eating healthier, and using a more natural approach which includes Transcendental Meditation. It is an empowering feeling for practitioners to know they are playing an active role in their healing. As medical professionals, such as Norman Rosenthal, catch on to the benefits, more and more doctors are finding acceptance for Transcendental Meditation as they see the success rates rising in their patients' medical reports. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) stated that the majority of the chronic conditions that we suffer with can be prevented by proper self-care, which means that by practicing Transcendental Meditation, we are managing our stress and lifestyle properly.
If you are suffering from high blood pressure, consider adding Transcendental meditation to your healthcare routine. In control group studies, it has been shown to help those suffering from hypertension and heart disease with a rate of mortality decreased by 30% in Transcendental Meditation practitioners. Whether you are old or young, you can use Transcendental Meditation to lower your blood pressure or prevent heart disease before it starts.
Studies also showed a 48% reduction in heart attack or stroke due to heart disease. This also decreased the death rate of several of these diseases:
● Metabolic Syndrome
● Congestive heart failure
● Myocardial ischemia
● Left ventricular hypertrophy
● Atherosclerosis
It has been proven effective to combat alcohol addiction as well. Studies have shown that there is a 70% alcohol abstinence rating for those practicing Transcendental Meditation for 18 months. Also, there is a reduction in consumption of alcohol by 1.5-8%. These results come, from not only those with support for their healing but from also those that have little financial support or social support in recovery.
They have also found improvements in ADHD symptoms to include:
● Happiness
● Ability to focus on schoolwork
● Ability to work independently
● Organizational abilities
Statistics show that every 10th person suffers from ADHD symptoms. Consistent practice of Transcendental Meditation will alleviate these symptoms, and improve their lives. They have also found that relationships have improved with a regular practice of Transcendental Meditation. It increases your ability to reason in new situations along with better information processing.
So much research has been done on Transcendental Meditation and the benefits of it. A few of the below publications and their findings of the benefits of Transcendental Meditation will give you a quick overview.
In a 5-year study in Circulation, the leading heart magazine, they found a 48% reduction in heart attacks, strokes, and deaths. Journal of Human Stress found that patients with high cholesterol who practiced Transcendental Meditation experienced a major reduction in cholesterol levels compared to a control group who did not practice Transcendental Meditation. And, in Stroke, they stated facts showing a reduced thickening of the carotid artery, due to the use of Transcendental Meditation.
With all these endorsements, we can not leave out the American Heart Association, which believes it lowers blood pressure in hypertension sufferers. Dr. Norman Rosenthal, M.D. is one of the leading doctors who support Transcendental Meditation, and in his book, he wrote about the benefits and his support of the use of Transcendental Meditation along with therapy. Dr. Rosenthal believes that no single treatment plan works. He said, “We often have to try several different medications or treatment approaches before we find the right mix.” Rosenthal also stated that “TM should be part of that mix especially when conventional approaches prove unsatisfactory.”
Rosenthal has been leading a movement that supports the practice of Transcendental Meditation as a secondary tool to help with the treatment of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and many other medical conditions. There has not only been the wide popularity of Transcendental Meditation, but there is extensive research as well. Some studies have found it to be highly effective for stress-related conditions. They also found brain function and cardiovascular health to be improved. Many celebrities practice Transcendental Meditation and have wonderful things to say about it. As with any new practice in your life, you should definitely talk with a medical professional. However, Transcendental Meditation has been generally rated safe and may improve your quality of life.
One amazing benefit of Transcendental Meditation that most people don’t consider is that you can possibly let go of addictions such as smoking. First, let's discuss what smoking does to your body. As soon as you light a cigarette, nicotine immediately overflows into your brain. What it does is mimic a chemical called acetylcholine; this is the chemical that makes you feel happy.
So that cigarette you just lit caused a false happiness. So when we try to quit smoking, we experience unhappiness because our brain has been replacing our happiness chemical with a false chemical. Once we remove it from our system, we have to reboot. So what do we do to solve this reboot issue? We start Transcendental Meditation. Transcendental Meditation helps calm those crazy feelings. It helps with the stress, which was the reason you smoked in the first place. Studies have shown that once people start meditating, they are less stressed, and as a result, they stop needing to smoke due to stress.
Dr. Stixrud, one of the leading child psychologists, is utilizing Transcendental Meditation on teens who suffer from all kinds of stress, disorders, and special needs. He has found that with less stress, you have more focus. He has noticed that the students he works with have fewer distractions and an increased brain- functioning coherence. They tend to organize better and are easily prioritizing tasks more efficiently. They are retaining information better and can see the larger picture much easier.
He has also noticed evidence that Transcendental Meditation improves schoolwork among those participants. There is an increase in their intelligence and nonverbal commun
ications as well. He considers, knowing what Transcendental Meditation can do for young people, that it would be a shame and a disadvantage not to offer them the choice to learn. It puts students at a disadvantage to not have Transcendental Meditation as a resource.
The Role Transcendental Meditation Plays in Your Life
So how does Transcendental Meditation work? Transcendental Meditation is a form of meditation that utilizes mantras to experience a state of meditative peace. Transcendental Meditation is practiced by repeating the same mantra silently for 15-20 minutes at a time, on average of twice per day. That means that first thing in the morning and the last thing before bed, you sit down comfortably in a quiet place with no distractions. You close your eyes and silently repeat your mantra. Your mantra is something that you are given by your mentor when you take your training course for Transcendental Meditation.
Your mind is busy with all the constant to-do’s, the must-dos, and the got-to- do’s. We are in a constant rush to get so many things accomplished; it’s like we don’t have time for rest. But in Transcendental Meditation, your inner focus, clarity, peace, and happiness take place. Oftentimes, we think there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done. We say we can’t afford to add anything else to our to-do list. But when we practice Transcendental Meditation, we can find the time in our day for more.
We can let go of the stress and feel more peace during the day. Our mind is unbound; it is where we hold creativity, intelligence, and focus. Transcendental Meditation helps us harness that unbound creativity. Kellee Maize, an American singer, has said that Transcendental Meditation has helped her in so many ways. She stated, “I’ve had an immediate decrease in the level of anxiety, my stress levels… I notice, mostly when I don’t actually do TM, that I actually see a rise in these things.”
We are so stuck on the surface of our mind. The surface of our mind is so busy all the time. Transcendental Meditation allows the active mind to settle, and transcend to the source of silence. Transcendental Meditation gives us that deep rest that we need. When we rest, we can think more clearly, solve problems better, and be more organized. It strengthens our frontal lobe and helps us to have more ethical thinking. Studies have shown that it reduces the cortisol, which secretes when anxious, by 30% with 20 minutes of Transcendental Meditation.
Studies have also shown that Transcendental Meditation increases our serotonin levels, which is the chemical that is released when we are happy, as well as prolactin, which is the chemical that helps us with our well-being. Dr. Rosenthal's findings were surprising in his research. He has found that “Several patients reported increased calmness, improved focus, and improved ability to stay organized and set priorities.” He also found “TM helped bipolar patients improve their executive function just as it did for people with anxiety disorders and ADHD.” All in all, he said that “TM might be very helpful for bipolar patients.”
How does Transcendental Meditation work in our minds? It works in our amygdala where our fear is located. Strengthens the left and right sides of the brain, and the neuroplasticity helps us solve problems better. It has been shown to help students make better grades. Transcendental Meditation happens in the Alpha state, which is the state of restful alertness. It is a blissful experience, a very satisfying experience. Transcendental Meditation gives attention of mind to an inward direction, automatically drawn and settled, that helps quiet the mind.
People are meditating to fundamentally change their self-perceptions. This, itself, is an amazing accomplishment. We all think either slightly higher of ourselves than others, or slightly less of ourselves than others so better self-perception is necessary for harmony and balance. Practitioners of Transcendental Meditation have shown a wholeness or unity in their awareness. This helps them have a sense of peace. It helps them feel connected, and often, feel relieved of stress. Several electroencephalograms(EEG’s) have shown significant differences between those who practice Transcendental Meditation, and those who have not learned the technique.
Studies have shown that Transcendental Meditation has vastly improved the lives of soldiers who suffer from PTSD. “When I came back from Afghanistan, I was angry, depressed, and suicidal. Transcendental Meditation has lifted my depression, eased my pain, and given me my life back,” said Luke Jensen, Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran. David Lynch has a program designed to assist warriors that come back with PTSD. Operation Warrior Wellness is a Transcendental Meditation based-resilient warrior program. It is designed to make Transcendental Meditation simple and easy to learn. It is based on evidence of relieving the stress and symptoms of PTSD along with depression.
It initially launched in 2010. And since then, it has partnered with veterans service organizations, a few Army bases, Marine bases, and VA medical facilities all over the world. They are helping veterans and active duty soldiers and families who have suffered due to the war. It has also partnered with the military colleges so that they can create a new generation of more resilient officers.
The results are astounding with the Resilient Warrior Program. They have been given $26 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of the program on reducing heart disease. They found that among the participants, they have seen great results such as:
● PTSD and depression symptoms have been reduced by 40-55%.
● Insomnia reduced by 42%
● Satisfaction with quality of life has improved by 30%.
● Plasma cortisol levels reduced by 25%
● High blood pressure has been decreased and is on par with first-line antihypertensives.
● Cardiovascular-related mortality has been reduced by 47%
Veterans are finding peace in the Resilient Warrior Program by the David Lynch Foundation. One soldier named Carlos said, “After starting TM, my heart and mind were calmed. I had my first full night of sleep in 21 years. I have new goals in my life, and I haven’t stopped smiling ever since my first meditation.” Carlos, veteran of Operation Desert Storm and Liberation of Kuwait
So how does it work? The Resilient Warrior Program fits in perfectly with the military community seamlessly.
● It's based on evidence of over 340 published studies about its effectiveness.
● Simple and easy to learn. Available to both civilians and military practitioners.
● Standard instruction for consistent practice.
● No concentration or controlling of the mind needed.
● Not difficult for those suffering from intrusive thoughts and flashbacks.
● It can be used everywhere and is confidential since it's a silent process.
Through a random study in Mind & Brain, the Journal of Psychiatry, it was found that Transcendental Meditation improves brain functioning, and the symptoms of ADHD and ADD were decreased. This is not the first publication that found these benefits either. Several others have studied the effects of Transcendental Meditation on students, and it is amazing the results they are getting. The first study was done with students in middle school. These students were diagnosed with ADHD. The findings were published in Current Issues in Education. In this study, they found that students who meditated 2 times per day had a 50% reduction in stress. They also noticed a reduction in anxiety and ADHD symptoms. They noticed a considerable difference in symptoms in under 3 months; that is a drastic improvement since medicines can take years.
The second study included 18 ADHD students that were aged 11-14, and they found that over 6 months, there were improved brain functions, processing, and language-based skills. "We chose the TM technique because studies show that it increases brain function,” said Dr. Grosswald. They used extremely difficult EEG machine-based tasks that required attention, focus, memory and impulse control to test the validity of the results. They also were given a fluency test to determine the language improvements. They measured for higher-order executive functions. This included simultaneous processing of information and retrieval of knowledge. These are all
things kids with ADHD struggle with on a daily basis, even while on medicines. Dr. Grosswald went on to say that, “We wanted to know if it would have a similar effect in the case of ADHD."
We know stress interferes with our normal functions such as working memory, organizational abilities, and mental flexibility. “It made sense that a technique that can reduce a child's level of stress should also improve his or her cognitive functioning," said Dr. Stixrud. Dr. Stixrud thought this would be a great way to test the validity of the Transcendental Meditation claims for improvement in people's lives. Dr. Stixrud added, "Because stress significantly compromises attention,” they knew that it would be inhibiting other functions that are present with ADHD kids. If it could improve those functioning issues, then it seems to be a good choice.
The research has shown amazing results for those who suffer from stress and anxiety. By using Transcendental Meditation, it has improved the cognitive functions among the test subjects. Amazingly, they noticed that this also worked in these kids with ADHD.
Overcoming stress is an amazing thing, and with Transcendental Meditation, you can do just that. The benefits of overcoming stress are that you are balancing many things such as your nervous system, hormone levels, and brain coherence. As a result, you will see a drastic change in your reaction to stress.
With a reduction in stress, they are also finding improvements in leadership abilities, health, and professional relationships. But that isn’t all. In many research studies, there were great improvements in job satisfaction as well as relationship satisfaction.
So what can we say about Transcendental Meditation other than what we have already said? It is, overall, effective in all aspects of your life. But mainly, Transcendental Meditation is beneficial to everyone and anyone. If you are willing to try it, you will immediately see that it can help you.
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