Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a meditation technique developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi which is practiced by millions of people around the world. An entire movement called the TM Movement was created around this meditation technique by Maharishi when he travelled around the world between 1958 – 1965. Many famous celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, David Lynch and Ellen Degeneres are practitioners of this effortless style of meditation. They all have been deeply inspired by Maharishi.
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TM is a simple technique to calm and settle down the mind. One becomes a witness to all the fluctuations of the mind, creating a serene and joyful inner state. TM involves the use of a mantra, creating a restful yet aware state of the mind. By repeating the mantra mentally, one gets into corresponding finer states of being calming the chatter of the mind, and the consciousness becomes refined. Thus one “transcends” the mind and the normal realm of experience, diving into the infinite source.
According to the Maharishi, there are seven levels of consciousness – Waking, Dreaming, Deep sleep, Transcendental consciousness, Cosmic consciousness, God consciousness and Unity consciousness. The last four stages are accessible when one regularly practices TM. One experiences growing inner bliss as one becomes trained in accessing these higher states of consciousness.
“With meditation, my anxiety levels dropped considerably. It seems to me that the mind is fuel to the fire of fear. The mind can make us worry about things beyond their measure. And the great thing about meditation is that twice a day, the monkey mind just calms down.” – Hugh Jackman, Actor
The practice of TM has many benefits for the body such as maintaining proper blood pressure, boosting immunity and having a deep and restful sleep. It helps in reducing anxiety and stress levels. TM is also good for emotional wellbeing and having healthy relationships. It is recommended to practice this technique two times a day for 20 minutes to get the best results. One should learn from a certified TM teacher in one of the many courses that are offered around the world for a fee.
This article is part of a series on Meditation.
Read more about Connecting with your ‘inner sky’ and Harmonising your life and emotions by practicing meditation.