Netherlands TM Blog » Mark Heath

Transcendental Meditation Makes A Comeback, With The Aim Of Giving Back

Mark Heath — Wed, 06 May 2015 12:14:20 +0000

“Transcendental meditation (TM) has been having a renaissance in recent years: Celebrities, businesspeople, and regular folk are practicing it in record numbers. Last week, the David Lynch Foundation, the major non-profit champion of TM, hosted an event in New York City at which public figures like Arianna Huffington, Robin Roberts, and Cynthia McFadden discussed the transforming role of TM in their lives. They made compelling arguments for what the practice had done for them, as previously harried and stressed-to-the-max businesspeople – they may still be stressed, but at least they’re able to balance it with a sense of calm. But the Foundation has a larger goal: To bring TM to schoolchildren, domestic abuse survivors, veterans, and prison inmates to help give them tools to process their trauma and reclaim the capacity to live fulfilling lives. And that’s not a bad goal to have.

Courtesy David Lynch Foundation

The TM movement itself has had some bumps in its past. Developed in the 1950s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, it rose to popularity after The Beatles “discovered” and helped propagate it – by the late 70s, 4% of Americans were practicing TM, according to a Gallup poll. Then things started to get shaky – and TM began to be associated with some cultishness. But in the last decade or so, the practice has gained back the respect and indeed acclaim, as people – some very famous ones – began to flock to it for its simple and straightforward method to find inner peace.

The business-meets-meditation stories are everywhere these days. Huffington told the endearing but jarring story of when she’d awoken in a pool of her own blood in her office, having passed out from exhaustion; it was then, she said, that she realized that money and power were only two legs of a three-legged stool – self-care, including meditation, being the other critical leg. And the list of companies that encourage their employees to meditate – by teaching it to them and by providing meditation time and space – is growing. Google, Target, Nike, Aetna, and Goldman Sachs have integrated meditation into their cultures.

But the more pressing focus of the David Lynch Foundation is to give psychological support in the form of TM, at low or no cost, to those who need it most: Veterans, schoolchildren, prison inmates, and women and children who have survived domestic abuse. To be sure, TM isn’t the only meditative practice that’s been used to help these groups of people. Yoga, mindfulness, and other forms of meditation are other increasingly common tools in the “service” arena. But, says Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, there’s something quite simple and powerful about TM which makes it particularly well-suited to touch people who have been through emotional turmoil, or worse. Perhaps its greatest benefit is that it’s relatively quick to learn and easy to master. No waiting weeks or months of practice before you see results: TM cuts right to the chase, taking only days – or for some, minutes – before one feels reprieve from their painful and overwhelming thoughts.

“With TM, you’re given a mantra – a word with no meaning – and taught how to use it,” says Roth. “The active thinking mind settles down to a state of inner calm without any effort. It’s not clearing your mind, as in focused awareness meditation, and not gently observing thoughts as in open monitoring (which is vipassana, or mindfulness). I can put it even more succinctly: TM uses sounds or mantra that has no meaning as a vehicle to experience a quieter, less agitated thought process.”

With the two classical forms of meditation – focused awareness (samatha) and open monitoring/mindfulness (vipassana) there’s generally more practice involved. With focused awareness, the practitioner uses a mantra or other object of concentration to bring a wandering mind back, again and again. With open monitoring/mindfulness, people observe their thoughts with curiosity and some detachment, so that they eventually lose their charge. Though the former is typically learned before the latter, they ultimately work in tandem and complement one another in practice.

To describe TM’s psychological effects, Roth often uses an ocean analogy: An agitated mind, he says, is like 30-foot surges at the surface of the ocean. Focused awareness tries to stop the waves at the top, he says, while open monitoring tries to observe them until they go away. TM, on the other hand, says Roth, has its practitioners plunge deep below the waves, to a quieter depth that’s perfectly still, and blissful. Roth adds that unlike the two classic forms of meditation, “the third form of meditation, TM, is self-transcending. It’s not concentration, and it’s not simply observing thought. TM creates a specific type of alpha brain waves, which is indicative of a unique state of ‘restful alertness.’”

The practice does seem to be helping a great number of people. Roth says the Foundation has helped bring meditation to half a million school children all over the world, and hopes to bring it to three million adults and children in the next five years. It’s also taught TM to 2,000 veterans and as many female victims of domestic abuse through Family Justice Centers across the US, where it’s offered free of charge. The Foundation has also just begun to teach the perpetrators of that abuse, Roth says. The Foundation can barely keep up with all the requests it has from school systems, family centers, and prisons to teach TM.

“There is no medicine, no wonder drug you can take to prevent trauma and toxic stress. And there is no pill you can take to treat or cure it,” says Roth, “Ambien and Xanax, while perhaps helpful to some, are often abused or mere Band-Aid solutions.” There is some relatively strong evidence that TM can affect the stress response, and much of the scientific support for TM comes from its effects on the cardiovascular system, and blood pressure reduction. “The problem of stress is not going away, it’s getting worse and worse,” says Roth. “TM can be an effective tool. It helps you navigate increasingly stressful times. I’m a skeptical person. There’s nothing to believe in. There’s no buy-in. It just works.”

….

Roth says TM is so different from other meditative practices that it’s effective for anyone, even those who have undergone trauma, who have mental health disorders, or who are on the autism spectrum. But he acknowledges that the various forms of meditation aren’t mutually exclusive: “We support whatever is based in science,” he says. “If there is published data showing yoga or mindfulness is effective, then it should also be offered… What matters is outcome. TM produces a state of deep relaxation that reduces stress. I’m not saying you have to only do TM. Do what works.”

Since the nature of everyone’s stress and trauma is different, using a combination of methods is probably most effective, as with any treatment. The classic forms of meditation certainly have slews of brain science showing their neurological and psychological benefits over the long-term … There’s no doubt TM has helped a lot of people. Add in other types and it might do even more.”

Excerpt (c) Forbes Magazine

Jennifer Aniston’s recipe for radiant beauty

Mark Heath — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 12:10:48 +0000

What keeps Jennifer Aniston looking so radiantly young and beautiful?

According to starpulse.com, Aniston has now confessed that her secret is her daily practice of Transcendental Meditation.

When asked about the number one thing which has kept her looking so amazing, Jennifer said:

“I’d say a little over a year ago I started doing TM and that’s really changed everything. Starting your day off with that and ending with that is pretty powerful. Twenty minutes, you just notice the difference. When I get lazy and don’t get it in, I can feel a difference. I do it first thing when I wake up.”

She also admitted that if yoga didn’t exist, she would probably have to invent it.

But what if she could trade bodies with someone for 24 hours?

“I’d love to be able to ski like a crazy person, like Lindsey Vonn. Then I’d also like to have Gisele’s body, just ‘cuz, why not?” Aniston referred to the supermodel and fellow fan of yoga and meditation, Gisele Bündchen.

“TM Reduces Medication Reliance in Soldiers with PTSD:” American Psychosomatic Society

Mark Heath — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 12:25:53 +0000

New research conducted at Fort Gordon’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Georgia, USA has found that regular Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice reduces medication reliance along with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in service members. The study was funded by a grant from the David Lynch Foundation’s Operation Warrior Wellness.

Seventy-four military service members with documented PTSD or anxiety were sampled for the research. Within one month of practice, nearly 85 percent of meditating service members decreased or ceased psychotropic medication as compared to only 59 percent of controls. In addition, only 10 percent of meditating service members increased medication dosage, as compared to 40 percent of controls. A similar pattern was recorded in the subsequent months.

“The most pressing concern among military behavior and physical health providers is how best to provide effective quality care to Service Members,” says Dr. Vernon Barnes, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Georgia Regents University and lead author on the study. “These findings from our study suggest decreased psychotropic medication usage and improvements in psychological profile among servicemen and women practicing TM as compared to matched controls. We anticipate that these results will provide valuable insights into the benefits of TM as a viable treatment modality in military treatment facilities.”

The results for this research study were deemed to be “especially newsworthy” by the American Psychosomatic Society. “We hope that you will be pleased by this distinction as only a small fraction of the papers and posters accepted for presentation have been so designated. In our judgment, your work is likely to be of considerable interest to the general public and the scientific community,” said Kristen Salomon, Ph.D., Program Committee Chair, American Psychosomatic Society.

A full manuscript is currently in press with Military Medicine and will be published in late Spring.

“TM provided an anchor in turbulent times”

Mark Heath — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 19:12:11 +0000

“myhotel”entrepreneur, Andy Thrasyvoulou, describes how Transcendental Meditation has helped him.

I first heard about Transcendental Meditation back in the early 1990s. I had recently qualified as an architect, and the whole industry was going through a period of doom and gloom. I was working from morning to midnight in London and still couldn’t get on top of things. I was young, I had the energy, but there weren’t enough hours in the day.

One day I was with the man who mentored me at that time. We got into the back of his car, and he said: “I’m going to close my eyes — don’t disturb me.” When I asked him what he was doing, he pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down a name and telephone number, and said: “Go and see this lady.”

I knew nothing about TM or Maharishi. After the personal instruction, my teacher put me in a rocking chair with a blanket over me, and I disappeared. I knew instantly that it was right for me. It was amazing. I knew from the first day I sat in that chair it was going to save my life.

I had just started a family with young kids and I felt that, left unchecked, my health was going to suffer. I saw an immediate improvement to my breathing, to my heart rate.

TM has turned out to be a really effective managerial tool for me. I realised at one point that it wasn’t about doing more, it was about doing less, but doing it more strategically, more effectively. If I start the day with 10 action points, I usually find that five or six have already been handled in some way while I’ve been meditating. That leaves only a few things requiring my attention.

The “myhotel” concept came from two things. First, the “my” brand means “I’ll do it my way.” When I started, hotels were designed by men for men. It was a cookie-cutter approach, and I didn’t want to do it that way. Research showed that we were moving into a lifestyle decade, and that women were going to contribute more at the executive level. Also, we wanted to meet people at the human level, not just deal with corporate transactions. So “my” also means an individual experience for each guest.

Where we still pioneer is with the distinct local flavour of our hotels. We look at each market we’re in, separately, and tailor products and services to that market. The culture and values are the same, but the expression of those values differs from location to location. That definitely came from TM, specifically Maharishi’s idea of unity in diversity.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger says 1 year (and only 1 year) of Transcendental Meditation changed his life

Mark Heath — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 18:57:20 +0000

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career was skyrocketing to a new level in 1975. He was the greatest bodybuilder in the world and had the beginnings of a film career.

Schwarzenegger had just finished shooting the film “Stay Hungry” and was participating in the documentary “Pumping Iron,” which followed him through his training for Mr. Olympia, which he would win for the sixth straight time. He was also a successful California real-estate investor.

As his international celebrity — and bank account — grew, Schwarzenegger realized that despite his signature extreme self-confidence, he was starting to feel overwhelmed, he tells author Tim Ferriss in the latest episode of Ferriss’ podcast.

“Eventually it felt like I’ve got to do something about it because I have such great opportunities here and everything is happening and everything is going my way, but I’m just clustering [it all]into one big problem rather than separating it out and having calm and peace and being happy,” Schwarzenegger said.

He told Ferriss that during this time he ran into a friend at the beach who told him that he was teaching TM, which prompted Schwarzenegger to reveal he had been struggling with anxiety for the first time in his life.

His friend set him up with an instructor who taught him the proper TM technique, which entails sitting with your eyes closed for 15 to 20 minutes while breathing deeply and repeating a mantra.

“I did 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night, and I would say within 14 days or three weeks, I got to the point where I could really disconnect my mind … and learn how to focus more and calm down,” Schwarzenegger says.

After a year of daily practice, Schwarzenegger’s anxiety had subsided, and he no longer felt as if he needed to keep up his TM habit. But he tells Ferriss that his year of intense daily meditation fundamentally changed the way he approached life.

Today Schwarzenegger prefers to work intensely for 45 to 60 minutes on whichever project he is involved in before playing a game of chess to detach his mind from whatever he had been focusing on. He uses workouts in the same way.

Ultimately, TM taught Schwarzenegger that the root of his anxiety was seeing all of his responsibilities as part of a massive, interconnected task that seemed impossible to overcome.

“Even today, I still benefit from the year of TM because I don’t merge and bring things together and see everything as one big problem,” he says.

For example, now when Schwarzenegger studies a script for a movie, he says, “I don’t let anything else interfere. I just concentrate on that.”

Taken from: http://uk.businessinsider.com/arnold-schwarzenegger-transcendental-meditation-2015-2#ixzz3QtnwUdWG

Liv Tyler: ‘Incredible way of centering myself’

Mark Heath — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 18:53:48 +0000

“I grew up around a lot of people – friends, family – who were meditating. Meditation is an incredible way of centering myself, of calming myself, and really getting perspective on where I am. The best thing about Transcendental Meditation is that it’s such a personal thing. (…) I felt like reaching out and searching for ways to soothe myself and to help myself.

After I did the first week of Transcendental Meditation where I did it twice a day, from that moment on I’ve never been that frazzled or that tired ever again. It was like it sort of restored my body on such a deep level. There was like a week’s worth of sleep. From that moment forward it was like I knew day and way. My whole nervous system reacted differently. I feel much less panicked and anxious and more calm about things. But I also feel deeply centered and rested.”

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Mark Heath — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:33:41 +0000

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Mark Heath — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:33:19 +0000

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About

Mark Heath — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:31:49 +0000

The Maharishi Foundation

A registered UK charity

Under the guidance of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Maharishi Foundation is the only source of courses in Transcendental Meditation in the UK. No other organisation in the UK offers these courses, based on the teaching of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

The Maharishi Foundation was established as an educational charity in 1975.

The aim of the charity is to advance the education of the public by offering courses and services of the highest quality to develop the full mental and creative potential of the individual.

The foundation offers courses in Transcendental Meditation, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, as well as advanced techniques and knowledge programmes. Maharishi Foundation is the only official organisation to offer these courses in the UK.

The Maharishi Foundation widely publicises its services to inform the public about the benefits of Transcendental Meditation and maintains about 60 local centres run by qualified teachers.

Why insist on Maharishi Foundation® Teachers?

Approved Teachers have been certified by Maharishi Vedic Institute®, a professional self-regulating body that maintains the standards of teaching throughout the UK.

Transcendental Meditation has been taught in the UK since 1959 when Maharishi Mahesh Yogi first visited the country. Maharishi Foundation in the UK is affiliated to a worldwide network of non-profit organisations authorised by Maharishi to train and certify teachers.

Maharishi Foundation not only provides courses to learn Transcendental Meditation but also a complete multi-year follow-up programme with a full range of advanced techniques and courses designed by Maharishi for the fullest possible development of consciousness. No other organisation or individual in the UK is authorised to teach Transcendental Meditation, the Advanced Techniques of Transcendental Meditation, and the TM-Sidhi Programme, founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.