What can I expect when I practice TM ?

You sit comfortably with eyes closed and experience the mind settling while becoming progressively more awake. This happens as a result of the technique. You are not thinking about calmness, peace or happiness. You experience them, physically, mentally and emotionally. This is so important that it is worth repeating: You are experiencing calmness and peace, not thinking about them or imagining them. You are not attempting to “get centred” or “empty the mind”.

People enjoy doing TM. They look forward to it.

 

Will Transcendental Meditation work for me?

Yes it will, if you practice it regularly.

It doesn’t matter what age you are; why you are interested in learning the technique; how stressed or relaxed you are or how sceptical you feel. It doesn’t even matter whether you are able to sit still in a chair. No special abilities or beliefs are required for it to work. Anybody can learn Transcendental Meditation. You do not have to try hard or concentrate. You do not have to be able to relax.

It is also the most widely researched meditation practice. TM has been verified scientifically by over 600 studies; it’s been experientially verified by almost six million people; and it comes from an ancient tradition–it has passed the test of time as an effective technology for developing full potential. If it were a new drug, Transcendental Meditation would be hailed as a major breakthrough.

Is TM worth the investment of time and money?

Transcendental Meditation is practised for 20 minutes twice daily.

The busier we become, the more important it is that we take time to rest properly – to recharge our batteries. If you are too busy you may burn out. Then you will be forced to take a rest.

The TM technique can be practised anywhere – sitting comfortably at home, in the office, on an airplane or on the bus on the way to work. Furthermore people often find that the extra energy and clarity gained from the TM programme actually saves them time.

The cost of learning Transcendental Meditation is £390 (Standard Fee)  £290 Student/for those on unemployment benefit)

The TM course is cost effective because of the scale of its effects, it’s thorough structure and the expertise of TM instructors.

Stress, fatigue and their consequences are very expensive—financially and otherwise. So are indecisiveness, lack of creativity/focus, inability to relate or communicate. The positive effects from the TM technique are very valuable and are more and more apparent as you practise the technique over months and years. There is every indication that, as time goes by, you will feel even brighter, happier, physiologically younger and more in charge of your life.

We are often persuaded to spend money in search of a ‘good time’ or on things that we hope will make us feel better about ourselves while we can be surprised that something like Transcendental Meditation costs anything at all. In a sense this is conditioning and a triumph of marketing over substance. If Transcendental Meditation provides a fraction of the mental and physical well-being that the scientific and anecdotal evidence says it can, it will have been a great investment of time and money.

Most teachers of Transcendental Meditation are full time professionals. They are well trained. They provide a 12-month follow up to anyone who learns the technique. We want to be able to continue to keep and attract such high calibre people to be teachers of the technique. They must be able to make a modest living from their profession.

 

Does Transcendental Meditation  differ from other techniques?

See www.doctorsontm.com: What is the difference between TM and other forms of meditation–can the same benefits be obtained by any other methods?

See www.meditationforwomen.blogspot.com: Mindfulness and Transcendental Meditation, a comparison.

Many programmes advocate ‘managing stress’ by advising people how to avoid high-pressure situations, recommend mental imagery exercises, and advocate changes in lifestyle to reduce stress. They are helpful in their own right but are not nearly enough. With Transcendental Meditation you are not trying to manage stress, you are systematically dissolving it. You become better equipped to meet all your responsibilities and challenges in life, not reduce them.

Some people who learn Transcendental Meditation have already tried other forms of meditation or relaxation, either from a self-help book or a class. They are often pleasantly surprised at the effortlessness of TM and the speed at which they get benefits. The Transcendental Meditation technique, as taught by Maharishi, is a rediscovery of the natural, effortless nature of proper meditation.

The idea that TM is just another form of meditation, whose extensive significant research results can be generically extended to any other form of meditation is unsupported scientifically.

 

Is there a "best time" to start Transcendental Meditation?

No there is not. Don’t wait until you feel more desperate or more collected. No matter how young or old you are, you will enjoy practising TM and its many benefits.

Good health is won or lost by how we live our lives day-to-day. Therefore the sooner a person has an effective means of preserving their health and happiness the better. When people start TM, they often say that they wish they had begun earlier in their lives. They also notice that they begin to feel better within a relatively short period of time.

Can I learn TM from a tape or book?

Each person is unique and has a different nervous system. Ensuring that you learn the technique properly at the pace that is correct for you requires personal instruction from a certified Transcendental Meditation teacher . Reading a book or listening to a tape cannot provide the experience of pure consciousness and the corresponding state of restful alertness that the TM technique brings. A book cannot answer all of the questions, at the right time, that people might have 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.

Is Transcendental Meditation just a relaxation technique?

In the 1970s, the first research on TM led many people to pigeonhole the technique as merely a means of relaxation. By now, research has provided a more profound definition of the practice: Studies support the hypothesis that TM stimulates growth toward higher stages of human development, which is the premise offered by the ancient tradition from which TM comes. A central insight of this body of knowledge is that human life can be lived on a higher level than the mature, well-adjusted adulthood commonly held to be the highest goal in modern societies.

The implications of this are very exciting. On one level, the level of problems, reduction of tension and all kinds of self-destructive behaviour is a proven outcome of the use of the Transcendental Meditation technique.

On a deeper level, an organic growth of the sense of ‘self’ occurs. This is natural and unselfconscious, and nourishes every aspect of life. We begin to think and act naturally in ways that are in tune with our own deepest nature. This results in a marked improvement in psychological health and maturity, including increased self-confidence and self esteem, enhancement of the ability to relate to others and enhanced creativity.

A statistical meta-analysis of all available studies (42 independent outcomes) indicated that the effect of TM on increasing self-actualization is greater than Mindfulness Training, Zen, relaxation response, Yoga, Mantra Meditation, Progressive Relaxation, or other relaxation techniques.