Reasons Why Transcendental Meditation Could Get You Started on the Right Foot in 2018

Paige Tucker | 30th December 2017

2018 provides everyone with a great opportunity to start on the right foot. Negative experiences you had in 2017 can be remedied or washed away through the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM). It’s a technique believed to open access to the deepest parts of the mind and body. Practitioners repeat a silent mantra for 20 minutes while sitting down, and it’s usually done twice a day.

TM is practiced by many famous celebrities and CEOs, and all of them have claimed that it changed their lives. It can change yours too!

Here is what happens when you regularly practice Transcendental Meditation:

1. You are less stressed.

The ultimate benefit of TM is that it lowers stress levels. As everyone is aware, chronic stress can be damaging to physical and mental health. TM changes the body’s response to stress by telling it to slow down. With regular practice, it teaches you to stay calm and relaxed.

Indian-American business executive Ramani Ayer testifies to the benefits of TM, saying that the technique allowed him to cope with the strains of life as well as maintain a steady mind. He has been practicing it for more than 35 years.

2. You are less anxious.

Anxiety is often related to deep-rooted stress factors that are normally out of reach in normal therapy sessions. With regular practice, Transcendental meditation allows you to transcend to your deepest inner source and activate your mind and body’s healing capabilities.

Actress Heather Graham, who publicly admitted that she can be high-strung, shared how Transcendental meditation helps with her anxiety. Graham explained on the NBC program Today that TM calms her down, letting her go to a peaceful place inside herself. She got into the practice through director David Lynch, who launched a foundation focused on teaching TM to children. The two have worked together on the show Twin Peaks.

The practice allows Graham to stay on top of her hectic schedule. At present, the actress is taking on bigger duties with Half Magic, a film she wrote and directed. Graham has also recently collaborated with Foxy Bingo for their 2017 marketing campaigns. She went on record to state that in such a fast-paced and competitive environment, TM keeps her centered.

3. Your work efficiency improves.

There is a reason why Oprah Winfrey paid out of her pocket for all her employees to learn TM. Whenever a person encounters a stressful situation, the body triggers a flight response. The brain stops functioning properly because all the energy is directed at the source of stress. In order to be productive, the mind needs to relax and let the rational part take over. The bottom line is that a stressed out brain can’t think properly. The Transcendental meditation technique helps in lowering the intensity of a person’s stress reactions, keeping him/her calm under pressure.

4. Your brain function and memory are enhanced.

Transcendental meditation is proven to produce high-power alpha waves which are beneficial for brain functioning and cognitive development. In relation to efficiency, the technique makes your brain more orderly, focused, and alert. In case you’re having trouble staying focused, you can take 20 minutes off to meditate.

A lot of children who practice TM claim that they earn better grades in school. This is because the technique helps them concentrate.

5. You lose weight.

Stress can often cause a person to binge-eat. When you’re life is getting out of control, you naturally turn to food for temporary comfort. Nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author Kimberly Snyder explained that it’s the fat component of food that keeps people heavy and grounded, giving them the false sense of stability when dealing with stress. TM can help you manage such circumstances by providing release and healing that you cannot get from food. Naturally, it leads to a lower possibility of stress eating.

6. You reduce health risks.

Although TM is a mental technique, it’s known to reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Studies have proven that individuals with Coronary Heart Disease had significantly lower blood pressure after practicing TM for four months.

On top of that, the practice combats insulin resistance, which is vital for preventing diabetes, and helps stabilize the functions of the autonomic nervous system.

7. Your relationships are strengthened.

What does TM have to do with your relationships with people? Well, the practice is known to bring about positive emotions. People who do TM often have higher appreciation for others than those who don’t. Rachel Katz, a certified TM teacher at the David Lynch Foundation, said, “TM helps us to gain patience, be a better listener, and see more value in others and our relationships.”

8. You become more creative.

Given that TM allows you to tap the depths of your heart and mind, accessing creative intelligence tends to become easier.

Renowned pop singer Katy Perry admits that TM helps with her creativity.Perry told W Magazine that it’s one of her methods to come up with the best ideas.

9. You sleep better.

If you’re suffering from sleep problems, make it your goal to improve them this 2018. We have previously discussed tips on improving sleeping, citing meditation as one of them. Meditation frees the mind from distracting thoughts that hinder good rest.

Mexicans, who are known to meditate before bedtime, are prime examples of this effect. They get an average amount of 7 hours and 3 minutes of sleep on work days.

10. You feel younger.

Nothing can reverse the aging process, but TM can definitely help slow it down. It does this by helping your body function on a level that’s several years younger than your chronological age. Published research has found that people who were 50 years of age and had been doing TM for 5 years had a physiology that was 12 years younger.

Manchester x TM

Are you interested in learning the technique yet? You can take courses at the Elan Training and Development Center in Hale Village, or at the Manchester TM Centre on 6 Mount Street. TM is also taught at the Maharishi Free School located in West Lancashire.