Meditation Nation

Could transcendental meditation be the key to a calmer, happier world?

What if there was a treatment that could improve your health, happiness and general wellbeing – and only took 20 minutes twice a day? You may assume this is a new miracle medication or ‘magic bullet’. However, it is in fact transcendental meditation (TM), a method practised by 6 million people across the world. While this type of meditation has been around for thousands of years, interest in it has gathered momentum recently because of its incredible health-promoting effects and because schools are starting to incorporate it into their curriculum. So what’s all the fuss about?
TM was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India over 50 years ago. ‘He wanted to create a form of meditation based on a clear understanding of the nature of the mind and its relation to the body,’ says Colin Beckley, a TM teacher with The Meditation Trust. ‘It allows the mind to be still so the body can rest, heal and become more alert.’ The term often used in relation to TM is ‘restful alertness’. The idea is your mind transcends (hence ‘transcendental’) beyond thought to experience the source of all thought, known as ‘transcendental consciousness’ and with it, your innermost Self.
The technique is derived from Vedic tradition, an ancient Indian belief that predates many ‘modern’ religions such as Hinduism and Christianity. Maharishi travelled the world spreading the message and picking up thousands of followers, the most famous of which were the Beatles, who actually travelled to India in the 1960s to learn the technique. Other celebrity followers have included the film director David Lynch and the Sixties pop star Donovan. Lynch has proclaimed, ‘When I started meditating I had a real anger in me, and I would take it out on my first wife. Two weeks after I started meditating, this anger lifted.’

Meditation for all
TM can be practised by anyone, from children to the elderly, and is surprisingly simple to learn. It is necessary to go on a course to learn the initial technique from a qualified TM teacher – but once this is mastered, you can continue to practise TM as and when you want to.
Courses take four sessions on three to four consecutive days, one of which will involve one-to-one instruction from your TM teacher. They will assign you a mantra, which is a word you think of during your TM sessions. ‘Your mantra is a primordial sound that has deep resonance and allows your mind to be still and transcend consciousness,’ says Beckley. The follow-up days are designed to ensure you have all the knowledge you need to meditate at home. Once home, you’re encouraged to do TM for a maximum of 20 minutes, twice a day, preferably sitting down with your eyes closed. However, you don’t need to be alone – you can do it on the bus or train to work. Teachers claim the effect you get from 20 minutes of TM twice a day is as powerful as hours of other types of meditation, and is all you need to have fully restorative effect.
‘The beauty of TM is that you don’t need to spend years mastering it,’ says David Hughes, a TM teacher with The Maharishi Foundation. ‘It’s possible to have the same experiences after a year of TM as someone who’s been doing it for 20 years.’
Children can learn TM from the age of five. It’s a different technique to adult TM – it still uses a mantra, but children can do it with their eyes open while getting ready for school. From the age of 10, children meditate sitting with their eyes closed. The ease at which TM is picked up by children means it’s now being used in schools.

How is TM useful?
The health benefits of meditation have been well documented since the 1970s. ‘A study from Stanford University, USA, looked at the effect that TM could have on general anxiety, and found it was twice as effective as other methods used to treat it,’ says Hughes. More recently, it was discovered that in a group of heart disease patients, those who practised TM had a 47 per cent reduction in deaths, heart attacks and strokes, according to US research from the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Maharishi University in Iowa. What’s more, studies show it can reduce high blood pressure and insulin resistance, and lower breathing and heart rate, while improving concentration and alertness.
‘TM is unlike other types of meditation, which involve contemplation, visualisation or concentration,’ says Hughes. ‘It is effortless and designed to go beyond, or transcend, the thinking process into a deep state of restful alertness.’
TM practitioners are adamant about its ability to promote happiness. ‘TM allows you to find the inner peace that is central to our nature,’ says Beckley. ‘We spend so much time trying to find happiness through actions and possessions – a new car or iPod – we’ve forgotten true happiness comes from within. TM helps you unlock it.’

Meditation and education
Schools around the world are now using meditation, including TM, in their classes.
‘TM can have a very dramatic effect on children,’ says Derek Cassells, headteacher at the Maharishi School in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. ‘Students follow a normal curriculum, but start and end the day with a 10-minute TM session. As a result they are calmer, happier, and more receptive to learning. You often see improved creativity, confidence and acceptance of others.’
The school has three times the national average for A and A* grades at GCSE, but Cassells is quick to point out that it’s not just about results. In fact, it’s this obsession with exam grades that causes unnecessary stress for many young people. ‘Schools should provide a balance of education and personal development. Students shouldn’t just cope, they should thrive – TM can help them do this.’
The Maharishi School is an independent school, but there are now at least half a dozen state schools in the UK which have started using TM, and many more using variations on meditation to help keep children calm and happy. ‘It’s easy to introduce TM into schools, as there is no conflict with any curriculum and it’s so quick,’ says Cassells.
TM is a growing movement and its supporters hope that, with time, everyone can bring it into their lives. ‘If you look at life as being like a tree, TM are its roots,’ says Beckley. ‘If the tree keeps growing branches, but doesn’t put down roots, it will topple over. TM helps you put down roots, so the rest of your life can grow and be stable.’

‘TM worked for us!

Three people reveal their experiences of TM:

• Tracey Meaning, philosophy teacher: ‘Since I began practising TM I’ve noticed the effect I have on young people, it’s as if my calmness is infectious. I’ve found the learning process is much more organic because the atmosphere is so naturally peaceful. Misbehaviour is greeted with complete calm and resolved. I work in a recognised challenging school where students bring a multitude of personal issues with them every day, so TM helps diffuse any tense situations.’
• Ben, 26, ex-student, Maharishi School: ‘My time at the Maharishi School helped frame my appreciation of life and showed me where to look for happiness.’
• Phoebe, 28, ex-student, Maharishi School: ‘The Maharishi School helped me to conquer my shyness and become the confident person I am today.’

For more information about TM: The Maharishi Foundation: Call 0169 51213 or visit www.t-m.org.uk

For more information about the Meditation trust: Call 01843 841010 or visit www.meditationtrust.org

Click here to find out how writer Hannah Fox got on when she learned TM.