Transcendental Meditation technique

Deaf Pilot Meditates His Way to Success

2011-01-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

Stephen J. Hopson has been profoundly deaf since birth but he still hears the beat of his own drum. As a result his resume includes stints as a successful and award winning Wall Street stockbroker, inspirational speaker, published author and an instrument rated pilot.

In 1996 he gave up a lucrative Wall Street career to become an inspirational speaker and author. He got his start in public speaking at the Kiwanis, Rotary, Lion's and other service organizations. He’s also won several speech contests as a member of Toastmasters.

As an author he has made contributions to the books: Chicken Soup for the College Soul (July 1999), Heartwarmers (April 2000) and Magical Souvenirs: True Spiritual Adventures from Around the World (March 2002).

Stephen made aviation history in February 2006 when the FAA gave him an instrument rating. His instrument rating requires that he flies with a qualified copilot to handle the radios for him.

In 2010 he graduate from Maharishi University of Management (MUM) with an MA in Maharishi VedicSM Science. While a student at MUM, Stephen became the first deaf practitioner of the TM-Sidhi® program and received an Outstanding Student Award as well as a Development of Consciousness Award.

“The Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs continue to change my life and move me forward,” he said. “I feel my life has made a huge internal, shift where I've been placed on what feels like a jet stream propelling me forward with astonishing speed, the likes of which I've never before experienced.”

His new book, Obstacle Illusions is an account of his life experiences and is scheduled for release in early 2011.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Ed Norton: Philanthropy Goes High Tech

2011-01-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

You’ve seen him in the The Incredible Hulk, The Illusionist, and Rounders but personally, I liked him best as the con man opposite Robert Dinero in bank heist movie, The Score.

Two-time Oscar nominated actor Edward Norton has wowed audiences not only with his acting chops but you can also see him dance and sing in the Woody Allen musical, Everyone Says I Love You.

It seems this guy can do it all and so I wasn’t too surprised to find out Norton is a conservation and social activist too. It seems that as Norton moves up in life, he’s bringing thousands of the world’s less fortunate people right along with him.
His most recent project is called Crowdrise, a self described “social fundraising, online giving and volunteer community”. I particularly like the website’s slogan which says: “If you don’t give back, no one will like you”. Ha! I guess there are all kinds of ways to create motivation!

According to Norton, "We wanted to give people a platform to say, these are the causes I care about, I am volunteering and sponsor me. We wanted it to be something with the substance of activism and engagement but the fun, ease and dynamism of social networking”. The web site is free to join and also gives points and prizes to people for their online participation.

These days a lot of celebrities are using Crowdrise in promotion of their favorite causes. Recently, comedian Russell Brand created a Crowdrise web forum to raise funds for the, non-profit, David Lynch Foundation and their joint efforts to teach the Transcendental Meditation technique to at-risk children in Africa.

Norton is a social and environmental activist not only in the tradition of Paul Newman but his father and grandfather as well. Norton’s dad, who bears the same name as his son, is a well known conservation advocate and Norton’s grandfather was a real estate developer who moved impoverished families into affordable housing through his, non-profit, Enterprise Foundation.

"Technology has allowed for a kind of engagement between people with a public life and the people who are interested in them which is entirely new and potentially very powerful" says Norton.

So whether it’s the Crowdrise web site or the Maharishi Channel, the technologically savvy are using the Internet to help people to communicate, grow and help others, in ways they never imagined.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Making Better Choices

2011-01-10T13:23:00.000-08:00

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Life is a series of choices that when repeated, become automatic habits and routines. Some of these behavioral habits are valuable and life supporting; such as going to bed early, eating nourishing foods and other activities that bring prosperity, health and joy to one’s self and others. But there are also other habits, like alarm clocks, junk food and tobacco which may not be life supporting and which we may find difficult to change.

According to radio talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, “Being stuck is a position few of us like. We want something new but cannot let go of the old - old ideas, beliefs, habits, even thoughts. We are out of contact with our own genius.”

This is certainly the situation for criminals or any individual who consistently makes deeply wrong choices and develops behaviors that bring suffering and misfortune to both themselves and their victims.

So how do criminals and prison inmates change? Do they want to change? And are they capable of better choices? In this insightful, 3 minute video, Tom O’Connor, Research Manager for the Oregon State Department of Corrections describes what he feels are the mechanics of change and self control for prison inmates.

According to Mr. O’Conner, the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program is a valuable tool in “creating an environment of healing” and allowing the inmate’s inner “goodness, to ripple back up” thereby creating new behavior patterns.

In his book the Science of Being and Art of Living, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Meditation technique, describes crime as “a shortcut to satisfy a craving—a shortcut which goes beyond normal and legal means” and that “patterns of anti-social behavior arise from a deep discontent of the mind and unbalanced emotions.”

According to published research, the TM technique can remedy this situation by increasing intelligence, creativity and self esteem over time. Additional research also supports the role of the TM program as an effective tool for criminal rehabilitation. These studies show less prison violence and recidivism as well as reduced use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

According to Mr. O’Connor the TM program can help save the public money, create a more humane prison and a better society. In fact, he says, “the sky’s the limit”!

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.
Transcendental Meditation Blog

Ben There Done That

2010-12-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

Ben Foster is recognized as one of America’s most intelligent, sensitive, and versatile young actors—and he is one of a growing number of performing artists who credits his daily Transcendental Meditation practice with helping him be creative.
From his popular role in the award-winning HBO series Six Feet Under to the gripping drama The Messenger, Ben Foster has shown the kind of creativity and intensity that critics and audiences love.

In his last three films, he’s played a cowboy, an astronaut, and an Iraq war vet, all to critical acclaim. Foster has done well choosing challenging dramatic roles that keep him from being typecast.

At 19, Foster worked with legendary director Barry Levinson, costarring with Academy Award-winner Adrian Brody in the movie Liberty Heights. In the years following this critical success, Foster shifted over to HBO, where many of us enjoyed watching him play the complex and mysterious character Russell Corwin in the HBO Original Series Six Feet Under (2003-2005). He won praise for showy parts in Alpha Dog (2006) and costarred the same year in a Hollywood blockbuster, playing Angel in X-Men: The Last Stand.

But it wasn’t until he appeared in the film 3:10 to Yuma (2007) that he really caught people’s attention and earned some Best Supporting Actor nominations. And like his character Charlie Prince, a saddle-slick sharpshooter, Foster came on screen with his acting guns blazing. In fact many movie reviewers felt Foster out shined the movie’s star, Russell Crowe.

His next major project, the starring role as an Iraq war veteran in the film The Messenger, earned him two acting award nominations. The movie, conceived by acclaimed Israeli director Oren Moverman, was applauded by film critics. Foster made such an impression on his director that Moverman later said, “Whatever I do, it will be with Ben. I have found my actor. I have found the guy I want to work with.’’

Foster was born in Boston but moved with his parents to Fairfield, Iowa, at the age of four, where he attended the Maharishi School and learned the Transcendental Meditation technique. It was at this award-winning school, where all students and teachers practice meditation and yoga and have strictly organic food in their cafeteria, that Foster began his theatrical career by writing, directing, and starring in his own play at the age of twelve. Later he and his family moved to Los Angeles where he began pursuing his passion full-time.

Recent interviews with Foster suggest his meditation continues to be a regular and important part of his daily preparation for acting. It’s like “hitting a reset button. If my call time’s five in the morning,” Foster says, “I gotta get up at four. But what it gives me during the day is just a resource of energy and the ability to hear what I’m actually thinking, rather than spitting back what I’ve been told.”

I’m looking forward to watching this young man’s career continue to grow!

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Meditation and Peak Athletic Performance

2010-11-27T13:50:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO You too can be ‘in the zone’. At least that’s what the authors of the new book: The 7 Secrets of World Class Athletes say. The book describes the mental freedom and powerful, effortless motion that athletes experience with ‘in the zone’.
In fact the book offers a program for athletes to follow in order to reach their highest level of performance. Including drills and concepts that enable athletes to recreate that experience.

Steve Yellin wrote the book with Buddy Biancalana, the starting shortstop for the Kansas City Royals, 1985 Word Series champions. According to Yellin one of the secrets of the zone is to create silence even before the athletic activity begins.

“Without the experience of the Transcendental Meditation® technique, our program never would have developed in its present form,” said Mr. Yellin. “By understanding the subtle nature of the mind, from a very deep and profound level, you can understand how the mind affects the body.”

The authors say they have used these drills with amateur and professional golfers, basketball players, baseball players, and tennis players.

According to John Lyberger, Director of Golf at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, home to the 2011 US Open golf this book “gets you to understand the mind-body connection.” and “unlocks the secrets of how to think in the subconscious, where you can perform at your highest effective level no matter what the sport of choice."

Recent research conducted in Norway by Dr. Fred Travis and Dr. Harald Harung, confirm that peak mental performance is the defining factor for gold medal, Olympic athletes. According to Dr. Travis, members of this elite athletic group score higher on mind-brain development tests when compared to other Olympic athletes who do not consistently place at the top levels during world, international and Olympic competitions.

Dr. Travis, who also recommends the Transcendental Meditation technique, says that elite athletes have a spontaneous and natural ability to suspend the administrative portion of their brain (the pre-frontal cortex) and flow spontaneously in waves of peak performance. This disengagement of the ‘thinking mind’ allows other areas of their brain to lead the body in a complex series of tasks like a conductor leading an award winning orchestra. The result is a near perfect, physical performance devoid of unhelpful analytical thinking.

So check out and check in with the TM technique and get in the peak performance zone!

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Compassion and Health

2010-11-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

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As the medical director at the Oregon State Correctional Institution for 14 years, Michael Puerini knows a thing or two about stressful environments and how they impact our health. He also knows that emotional health is a key ingredient to physical well being.

But how do you increase compassion? According to Dr. Puerini “you can’t teach compassion but there is something about TM that brings compassion out”. He also feels that a “compassionate person is a healthier person”.

According to an article in Psychology Today, compassion is “the ability to understand the emotional state of another person” and “having a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another”.

In his book the Science of Being and Art of Living, Maharishi writes: “It has been found that all kinds of tensions are released and that the hard cruel nature of a man changes to one of tolerance and compassion” with the practice of his meditation technique.

In this three minute video, Dr. Puerini discusses compassion and health as well as his personal practice of the TM technique and its ability to make him calmer and more focused at the same time. In his words: “more put together” and “more present to myself” and others.

In the video, Dr. Puerini also emphasized that we must have the desire to focus on taking good care of our bodies and that the TM program has a “strong potential for benefitting real people”. He feels that its practice could have a positive impact on diseases like hypertension, chronic pain and Crohn’s disease.

According to neurologist Gary P. Kaplan, several studies on both teens (American Journal of Hypertension, 2004) and elderly adults (Hypertension, 1999) have demonstrated that high blood pressure is reduced even after a few months of the Transcendental Meditation technique. The need for antihypertensive medication is also often reduced and sometimes eliminated.

In the end Dr. Puerini feels that the TM program and increased self esteem, self health care and increased compassion could help his patients to stay out of prison and lead more productive lives.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Can Meditation Fix the Prison System?

2010-11-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

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“The system is broken”, says Kevin Roper, who has been incarcerated for twenty one years. “You can’t change the system, but you can change the people inside it” and Kevin feels that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program is the way to do it.

Other prison inmates say that the TM technique should be the first program for rehabilitation offered to new inmates, because “you need to change the brain first” in order to benefit from the counseling and other prison programs.

In his book, the Science of Being and Art of Living, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi writes: “many with potential talent are among those who are shut behind bars because of their misguided behavior”. One of the inmates at the Oregon State Correctional Institution explains it this way: “everybody is a good person inside, we just make bad choices”.

In this inspiring video, you will hear eight inmates explain, in their own words, how the TM technique has eliminated their depression, reduced their anger and the stress’ of prison life. Or as one prisoner said, meditation “frees your mind” and “takes me away from the prison completely”.

The TM program has been used successfully by prisoners and prison guards in countries like the United States, Senegal and the Netherlands Antilles. Prison studies show improved behavior and reduced stress and recidivism. A 2003 study at Walpole prison demonstrated that prisoners participating in the TM program were 33% less like to return to prison.

Studies in the maximum security prisons of Folsom and San Quentin found 35% to 50% less recidivism in the five years after prison release.

I think one of the prison inmates says it best. The TM program is “a tool for never coming back to a place like this”.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Meditation for Prison Inmates

2010-09-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

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Incarceration can be a wake-up call for people who commit crime. It can be a time for introspection and evaluation of one’s life—a time to reflect on the past, present, and future. As a result, prison rehabilitation programs often seek to provide skills in self evaluation and self development in order to help prisoners in their quest for greater self-knowledge.

In this three-minute video, Tom O’Connor, Research Manager for the Oregon State Department of Corrections, discusses his views on inmate introspection, and the positive impact of the Transcendental Meditation program on prisoner rehabilitation.

According to Mr. O’Connor many inmates are looking within and searching for an anchor in their lives. Some look to religion or spirituality, others to humanity or secularism for inspiration and guidance. Mr. O’Connor is excited about the Transcendental Meditation technique as a valuable resource for prisoners in Oregon State Correctional Institutions.

In his work with prisoners who have learned the TM technique Mr. O’Connor says that he’s found that the TM program supports them in their search for higher values and meaning in life, and that this happens regardless of the inmates’ religious or personal beliefs. In his words, it’s a technique to “learn more about yourself and get more in touch with whoever you are.”

In 2003, the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation published a special volume of research called “Transcendental Meditation in Criminal Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention.” It presented a range of research showing the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique can reduce prisoner recidivism while simultaneously developing psychological functioning. The research reviews evidence that crime is linked to stress-induced malfunctioning of in the nervous system.

Web references:
“Transcendental Meditation in Criminal Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention”

Research on Transcendental Meditation at Folsom State Prison in California
This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Dear Prudence: Won’t You Come Out to Play?

2010-08-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

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For most people staying in their room on a Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, residence course doesn’t inspire a song by The Beatles. At least it’s never worked for me.

But for Prudence Farrow Bruns, that’s all it took for John Lennon to pen the famous tune “Dear Prudence”. Prudence is also the daughter of Hollywood actress Maureen O'Sullivan and film director John Farrow as well as the sister of actress Mia Farrow.

The whole thing started in 1967 when Prudence learned the TM technique in Los Angeles and then moved to Boston and opened a yoga institute. Soon thereafter she and her sister attended one of Maharishi’s public lectures. Then, in January 1968, the two sisters hopped aboard a plane, with Maharishi himself, and flew from New York to India. Their final destination was an in-residence training course to be conducted by Maharishi at his ashram in the village of Rishikesh.

The following month The Beatles, Mike Love and others arrived in Rishikesh and also joined the course. The rest, as they say, is history.

Prudence describes it this way: “I would rush straight back to my room after lectures and meals so I could meditate. John, George and Paul would all want to sit around jamming ”. Prudence’s long meditations in her cottage caught the attention of The Beatles and they wrote a song about it and John Lennon sang, ‘won’t you come out to play?’

Prudence’s dedication to meditation paid off and some months later she graduated the course as a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation technique. Meanwhile, the meditations of Paul McCartney and John Lennon sparked a huge wave of creativity. These two members of the Beatles are reported to have written more than 48 songs during their 8 week stay in India, many of which appeared on The Beatles’ ‘White Album’.

But that, my friend, was ‘all those years ago’. Since then, Prudence has taught the TM technique to hundreds of people and become a Sanskrit scholar with a Ph.D. from the University of California in Berkley. Over the decades she has also produced Broadway plays and several Hollywood movies such as Widows Peak.

Currently Prudence resides in Florida with her husband and fellow TM teacher, Albert. She also has three children and four grand-children who constantly ask her to, that’s right, “come out and play”. Well, I guess some things never change.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresInTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Ali Stephens on Modeling and Meditation

2010-08-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

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Millions have seen her but few know her name. This is the ironic reality of the gifted, young fashion model, Ali Stephens who uses the Transcendental Meditation technique as a tool for success. In three short years, Stephens has gone from open call, beginner to exclusive Paris feature; from awkward high school teen to a clothing designer’s dream.

Discovered by an Elite Model Management scout while shopping with her family, the Salt Lake City resident was initially hesitant about a life in the glamor biz. However, after careful thought and consultation with her family, Stephens has braved the catwalk and grabbed the fashion world by the tail.

In just a few years, her innocent beauty and natural acting skills have propelled her to the top of the cover girl scene. To date, Stephens has appeared on the front page of ten of Vogue’s world-wide publications. In 2009 Stephens graced the runway as an ‘exclusive’ for the Calvin Klein Spring show. She then posed in CK Jeans for world-renowned, fashion photographer, Steven Meisel, which confirmed her place as one of the brightest stars in the fashion universe.

At the same time, Stephen’s meteoric rise has not created the comet-like burn out experienced by many other young talents in the entertainment and fashion industries. Instead Stephens has a rather simple and innocent approach to her work. Her sheepish admission that the first time she bought a fashion magazine was when her picture was on the cover, is a prime example. Stephens also chooses her Mormon faith and the peace of the Transcendental Meditation technique over celebrity events and late night parties.

In a recent interview with DLF.TV Stephens explained that her 10 year practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique is a “big part” of her life. She’s also a fan of award winning director, David Lynch and his initiative to bring the Transcendental Meditation technique to at-risk youth who apply to learn the meditation after obtaining their parent’s permission. According to Stephens, its “incredible what he is doing” and she feels the program could really benefit not only students but their parents as well.

In person, Stephens is unassuming, soft spoken, happy and very, very, relaxed. After a few minutes of listening to her talk, it’s obvious that despite her new found fame, she has retained her small town values and finds comfort in a self image that is humble, healthy and balanced. Not quite what you’d expect from an 18 year old whose face appears on a one hundred foot billboard. It seems that her family values and practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique have helped her adjust to the recent and rapid changes in her life.

Stephens is also a strong supporter of environmental issues and although she hails from the land locked, high desert of Salt Lake City, she is passionate about ocean preservation.

Stephens was a cross country runner in High School and its her athletic legs that have carried her to excellence on the fashion runway as well. It’s ironic then, that the same limbs that propel her career are also found silent, in crossed-legged position, while sitting at home or on a Parisian hotel bed, deep in meditation.

So regardless of whether you see Stephens with her eyes open on the runway or closed in meditation, she is always a memorable sight and the next time you find her on the cover of your favorite fashion magazine, you will also remember her face and remember her name. Because it’s all about the girl they call Ali.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

The Green Bus Tango

2010-07-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

By Alexandria Taft
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Have you ever seen a green bus? Maybe. But did it tango too? I doubt it. So stick around and I’ll show you what a green bus doing the tango looks like.

The story begins at my alma mater: Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment. It was a school whose name was too long to write on my lunch box until I decided on the initials: MSAE.

It was also a special school, not just because of its name, but in other ways too. I mean it was accredited and offered grades K–12 just like most other places. But it was unique because it focused on the development of our intelligence, creativity and consciousness (i.e. wakefulness or alertness) while we were learning our reading, writing and arithmetic.

And how did they do that? Well for starters, as students, we began and ended our school day with the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique and some easy, yoga postures instead of jump rope and jumping jacks like at other schools. I mean we had jump rope too, and lots of other sports. But the meditation was a special addition.

I remember it very clearly; pushing my desk up against the wall to make room on the carpeted floor for everyone to roll and stretch. And then sitting down against my backrest in the middle of the room, snuggled in my blanket and gently closing my eyes for about 10 minutes along with the other students. Mmmm!

That was one of my favorite parts of the school day. Meditation gave me such a sweet sinking feeling, sort of like I was diving through soft red velvet. And afterwards I always felt deeply nourished and energized. It was fun!

When I got older, as a result of that experience, I came to the conclusion that human energy was the most valuable resource I had. And I am very grateful for my education at MSAE, where school year after school year, I was conserving and developing my inner human energy, every day.

Now, many years later, MSAE seems to have pretty much the same program. Through the schools unique curriculum the students are spontaneously growing in caring and compassion, not only for each other, but for their environment as well.

That’s why when I heard about The Green Bus Tango I knew it had to be the subject of my blog. What happened is the MSAE students entered a contest to win a hybrid school bus and be "America's Greenest School". And they did so by creating a video called, you guessed it: The Green Bus Tango!

And now finally, you have the chance to enjoy it just as I did. And when you are done, you will understand how it really is possible for a bus to be green and do the tango at the same time. Here it is, the 3 minute video, watch it!

This article was written by Alexandria Taft and edited by Keith DeBoer
http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

East Meets West: Maharishi Vedic Health Care

2010-06-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

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The wisdom of India’s Vedic tradition, as brought to light by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, seems to be spreading in a coordinated manner around the world. Recent meetings with doctors from the United Arab Emrites (UAE), USA and India are an example of this trend.

Robert Schneider, M.D., Dean of the Maharishi College of Perfect Health has just completed a trip to the UAE where he met with Emirati leaders who plan to establish “the most advanced health care facilities in the world--integrating modern and natural approaches to medical care”.

Dr. Schneider also met with medical leaders in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other cities to discuss the applications of Maharishi Ayurveda to modern health care.

He then traveled to India and participated in a traditional medicine workshop hosted by the Ministry of Health wherein participants explored the application of Ayurveda to world health. During his stay in India, Dr. Schneider signed an agreement with the Indian government for substantial funding of research on the anti-aging effects of a traditional Maharishi Ayurveda herbal rasayana.

He also established an agreement with a top Ayurvedic university for the development of the curriculum at the Maharishi College of Perfect Health. Dr. Schneider says that “the plan is to establish these institutions in all countries, starting with the U.S., Indian and the UAE".

The Maharishi College of Perfect Health at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, began last year with a pre-med course and is planning to continue with a master’s degree program in Maharishi Ayurveda for health professionals.

Maharishi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation and its corresponding universities, sums the program up in this way: “We nourish all trends and tendencies of life everywhere. It is this that will allow the whole world to live the best that life has to offer. It is this that will allow us to make obsolete the old understanding that life is a struggle and to end suffering for mankind in this generation.”

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Are All Meditation Techniques the Same?

2010-06-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

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In the 1950’s the adults did it. In the 1960’s it was the college crowd. Now in the new millennium, everybody has tried some type of meditation. So as a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique I am often asked: “Aren’t all meditation techniques basically the same?” Let’s take a look and see.

1. Concentration and Visualization: We’ve all been to a yoga class and been asked to clear our mind of thoughts, let go of our stress or imagine ourselves floating on a cloud. These are attempts to push away stress and tension by focusing on, or visualizing a pleasant thought, a peaceful place or by relaxing a specific body area. But this kind of meditation could also involve looking at a candle or contemplating love, or life or God etc. These are all considered to be in the same category of meditation techniques that require mental focus or concentration.

2. Mindfulness: This involves the dispassionate monitoring of our thoughts and experiences by maintaining an attitude of non-evaluation.

3. Effortless and Automatic: So far, only the Transcendental Meditation technique falls into this category. Why? Because thinking a mantra is only the starting point in the TM technique. It sets up the initial conditions that allow the mind to automatically sink into deep silence. It does not involve any concentration, contemplation or mindfulness of the thought or meditation process.

Can this be verified objectively? Well, let’s find out by examining the brain wave or EEG results
for the various types of meditation.

Category 1 meditation (concentration) requires that we hold our attention on a single thought, a visualization or a series of thoughts. These kinds of meditation produce EEG in the beta-2 (20-30 Hz) and gamma (30-50 Hz) frequency bands.

Category 2 meditation (mindfulness) also requires focus but instead of visualizing, it requires us to focus on our thinking process and asks us to monitor it in a dispassionate and non-evaluative way. This kind of meditation technique is characterized by brain wave activity in the frontal area, theta (5-8 Hz) EEG, and sometimes also the occipital area, generating gamma (30-50 Hz) EEG patterns. (Cahn, Delorme, & Polich, 2010).

Category 3 meditation (TM technique) is an automatic, self-transcending, meditation that is effortless and requires no point of focus, not even focusing on the mantra. That’s right, even though a customized mantra is part of the Transcendental Meditation technique it is merely a starting point or vehicle for the automatic process of transcending or going beyond the thought process itself.

The TM technique is the only meditation technique that produces alpha-1 (7-9 Hz) EEG, brain wave activity that is characteristic of reduced mental activity and physical relaxation occurring simultaneously while remaining alert. This kind of brain wave activity is both coherent and synchronous in the left and right hemispheres and frontal and posterior brain and is not seen in any other type of meditation practice. (Travis, Arenander, & DuBois, 2004; Travis et al., 2010).

It's important to note that EEG coherence is the innocent byproduct of the TM technique not the goal. During the technique we could care less about our EEG or anything else for that matter. There is no concentration or manipulation of the mind or thoughts.

Be a wise and informed participant. There are many meditation techniques available in health spas and yoga centers etc. So do a little research and find the one that’s right for you. Look for one that offers personalized training, follow up classes and is backed by scientific research. Personally and professionally I use the Transcendental Meditation technique, but everyone needs to decide for themselves. Good luck and peace to you!

More Research on TM and other relaxation techniques:
Allen, C.P. Effects of Transcendental Meditation, electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback relaxation, and conventional relaxation on vasoconstriction, muscle tension, and stuttering: A quantitative comparison. Dissertation Abstracts International 40(2): 689B, 1979.
Gaylord, C. et al.

The effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique and progressive muscle relaxation on EEG coherence, stress reactivity, and mental health in black adults. International Journal of Neuroscience 46: 77–86, 1989.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense. Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, is a non-profit, educational organization.

Maharishi Ayurveda and Hay Fever

2010-05-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

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It was just past noon and already I was at the bottom of a box of tissues. Sneezing and a perpetual runny nose were my daily experience for the past two weeks. During my teens I had suffered from hay fever but after a few years of practicing the TM technique it had disappeared. Could it be that 20 years later it was returning? To get some answers I decided to have a Maharishi Ayurveda consultation.

My appointment was with Dr. C, a local physician who also practices the Transcendental Meditation technique and consults with an Indian expert in Maharishi Ayurveda. During the consultation the Indian expert or Vaidya, gently held my wrist and ‘felt’ my pulse. I learned later that this method for assessing a person’s physiology was called Nadi Vigyan, or pulse diagnosis. I found out that to a trained expert, this procedure of Nadi Vigyan provides a means to ‘listen’ to the entire symphony of the body. Through the pulse, the expert gains information about the state of the bodily processes, and the balance of energies in the entire mind-body system.

I learned further that our mind-body system could be evaluated in terms of three basic qualities of intelligence or ‘doshas’, which are involved in all of the physiological processes. Vata dosha, for example is the mode of intelligence governing movement in the body. It is responsible for the activities of breathing, speech, elimination, assimilation, and circulation as well as the activities of the heart and nervous system. Pitta dosha governs all the processes of transformation, such as metabolism, digestion, body temperature, and intelligence. While Kapha dosha is responsible for structure and lubrication and oversees bone production, joint lubrication, and mental stability. I also found out that each of these three doshas has several sub-doshas that act as controlling agents for more specific areas of the physiology.

Pulse diagnosis gives an insight into the current state of balance of the doshas and provides the information needed to both eliminate and prevent disease. This makes the Maharishi Ayurveda unique because it addresses a physiological imbalance at its root cause instead of on the level of the symptoms themselves. This not only provides relief from disease but also lays the ground for the prevention of future illness.
After conferring with the Vaidya, Dr. C. prescribed an individually tailored program for eliminating the imbalances that were causing my sneezing and congestion. He gave me recommendations for a Veda herb program along with a special diet and daily routine.

I met with the Patient Educator and received more in-depth information. I was instructed how to use mild medicinal herbs in the form of well-known spices such as turmeric and ginger. I also received information about the more potent herbal mixtures I was prescribed called Veda herbs.

It was explained that these Veda herbs are used to strengthen the physiology and eliminate imbalances. The Veda herbs through their vibration quality actually communicate with the biological intelligence in specific areas or systems within the body and remind them how to function in a balanced and healthful fashion.

I also learned that all aspects of one’s daily diet are vitally important. Not only what we eat but also how we eat and when we eat. It seems that an improper diet not only causes impurities to build up in the body but imbalances the doshas as well.
The Ayurvedic term for the by-product of improper digestion and metabolism is ama. The accumulation of ama blocks the innumerable minute channels of the body (shrotas), and inhibits the intelligent and smooth functioning of many physiological processes. A specialized diet, like the one I was recommended, plus good eating habits helps not only to rebalance the doshas but to purify the system as well.

Finally I was given a daily routine or dinacharya to help restore and promote purity in the body and mind. This was a routine designed to mobilize and expel waste products from the body and maintain good health. The most important part of this daily routine, I was told, was to maintain a proper balance of rest and activity. In addition to going to bed before 10PM, I was instructed to give myself a daily oil massage (abhyanga) and enjoy a prescribed program of moderate daily exercise.

So feeling inspired and full of exciting new information and knowledge I went home and began taking the Veda herbs and following the diet and daily routine. The results came slowly, but steadily, as day by day my sneezing and runny nose disappeared.

But what most amazed me was that even after my symptoms had faded the benefits continued to increase. I felt stronger, clearer, more energetic and happier with each passing day. I experienced first hand the miracle of Maharishi Ayurveda. Tangible and lasting results that manifest gradually and naturally with no side effects.

It was true what I had heard. This ancient and time tested system to create health and happiness was the door to the infinite possibilities deep within our own inner nature and our body’s own healing intelligence.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

Miracle on Main Street: Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying, Part I

2010-02-10T04:35:00.000-08:00

Lots of people are doing it. In fact, more than 100,000 people around the world are taking time, morning and evening, to practice a meditation technique called Yogic Flying.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO
The first step is the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, a method that allows the mind to settle down and experience its own fundamental source; a natural state of profound physical rest coexisting with silent, inner wakefulness. This experience and its benefits for mental potential and health have been widely documented in hundreds of published, scientific studies.

After learning and practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique for some time, one can also learn a series of advanced meditation techniques called the Transcendental Meditation-Sidhi (TM-Sidhi) program. The TM-Sidhi techniques are an extension of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique and like the TM technique are practiced while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed.

The specialty of the TM-Sidhi techniques is that they develop and refine the mind’s connection with the body and its ability to affect its environment. They cultivate one’s ability to spontaneously think from the silent foundation of thought and creativity, deep within our own mind. First the Transcendental Mediation technique enlivens this silent field in our conscious awareness and then the TM-Sidhi techniques develop the ability to think and act from that silent level.

One of the TM-Sidhi techniques is called Yogic Flying and according to the ancient Vedic texts of India, Yogic Flying has three stages of development: hopping, floating and flying. At the present time no TM-Sidhi-Yogic Flyer has surpassed the hopping stage and none of them can levitate, float or fly through space. But that’s OK, because hopping and levitation are only the outward expression of one’s inner personal development. People practice Yogic Flying, not because of the extraordinary name, but because it is pleasant, it enhances their mind-body coordination and has practical benefits in their everyday life.

For example, research indicates that the TM-Sidhi program and Yogic Flying, enhances creativity, learning ability and psychological well-being. Also, EEG measurements of brain activity, taken during Yogic Flying, indicate a dramatic increase in brain wave coherence—total brain functioning—at the precise moment the yogic flyer’s body lifts up in a hop. But the best part is that yogic flyers report a subjective experience of inner exhilaration and a feeling of freedom from boundaries.

In addition, the TM-Sidhi program and Yogic Flying, enhance one’s ability to fulfill desires easily, without strain or delay, while supporting the progress of everything in their environment.

So don’t be fooled by the fancy name and unrealistic expectations. Join the more than 100,000 people who are already enjoying Yogic Flying’s practical ability to increase happiness and success in daily life.

For more information call 888-Learn TM (888-532-7686)
Click to view a demonstration of Yogic Flying

This TM Blog article by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

Miracle on Main Street: Transcendental Meditation and Yogic Flying, Part II

2010-02-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

demonstration of Yogic Flying">CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO
Whether it's rockets, planes or magic carpets, mankind has always been fascinated with flying. One glance at a hawk’s effortless movement through space and we are green with envy and fat with desire. We have all dreamed of bodily flight and not merely levitation and floating but actual movement through space with just the merest intention.

According to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who brought the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique to the world, the ability for the human body to move at will in the air, is possible. How? By accessing and utilizing the same laws and principles of nature that allow the planets and other galactic bodies to hang, float and move through space.

At present the silent, self-referral techniques of the TM-Sidhi program, including Yogic Flying, allow the body to spontaneously lift up in short hops. And although practitioners of the Yogic Flying technique are not levitating, it is a real possibility.

There are a significant number of historically documented accounts of levitation performed by sages and saints, of many traditions, throughout the centuries. Religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam have all reported incidents of levitation. Numerous accounts of levitation have also come from the Christian tradition.

There have been more than 200 Catholic Saints who have been said to have the ability to levitate. Some of these include: St. Edmund, then Archbishop of Canterbury circa 1242, St. Teresa of Avila in Madrid during 1680, Sister Mary an Arabian Carmelite nun in Bethlehem circa 1700, St. Adolphus Liguori in Foggia during 1777 and Father Suarez at Santa Cruz in Southern Argentina in 1911.

One of the most notable reports of levitation concerned St. Joseph of Copertino, born in 1603 in Apulia Italy. After 22 years of ascetic behavior to achieve a state of religious ecstasy, he reportedly managed to levitate. At one point a prayer-induced state resulted in him being transported through the air and across the altar during a Mass. Pope Urbain VIII was reportedly quite taken aback when St. Joseph of Copertino floated a few feet above the ground in front of him. It is also reported that St. Joseph managed to levitate more than a hundred times before his death in 1663 when he was canonized by the church because of his unique ability.

The Maharishi Effect
Scientific research studies show another extraordinary phenomenon, the group effect of Yogic Flying. Extensive research has documented that large groups of Yogic Flyers (particularly the square root of one percent of the surrounding population) creates a measurable, positive influence in the environment. The larger the group, the wider the sphere of influence, and the more pronounced the effect.

This coherence-creating influence, termed the Maharishi Effect, can lower stress and negativity levels in the near and far environment. Research shows it can reduce crime, sickness, accidents, inflation and unemployment. Even terrorism and war deaths have been reduced by the Maharishi Effect.

So if your magic carpet is in the shop for repairs, take your car to the nearest Transcendental Meditation center or better yet, just call them, at 888-Learn TM (888-532-7686) and find out more about this amazing technology for human development. To view a demonstration of Yogic Flying visit: http://www.yogicflyingclubs.org/yogic_flying.html

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

A Healthy Treat: Transcendental Meditation and Diabetes

2009-11-21T09:28:00.000-08:00

The Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique may be a healthy, sweet treat for those with diabetes according to a recent study. This is because new research indicates that African American women significantly improved their condition of dyslipidemia by practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique.

Dyslipidemia is the most common complication of diabetes, characterized by low HDL (good) cholesterol and high triglyceride levels, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). About twice as many African American women suffer from CVD and diabetes as white women, and psychosocial stress contributes to the risk of diabetes and diabetes complications especially cardiovascular disease.

This 12-month study on the TM technique and diabetes was conducted by the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention, Morehouse School of Medicine and Howard University Hospital and College of Medicine.

The research involved 49 diabetic African American women, aged between 55 and 85 years, who were randomly allocated to a Transcendental Meditation program group or to a health-education group focusing on diet and exercise. The Transcendental Meditation group showed a 29% greater increase in HDL (good) cholesterol and a 20% greater drop in triglycerides than subjects in the diet and exercise group at the end of the trial period.

Carolyn King, Ph.D., lead author of the study, recently presented the research at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia.

King and others feel that combining the Transcendental Meditation technique with changes to diet and exercise may lead to even sweeter benefits for our health and happiness.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

The Perfect Match: Transcendental Meditation and Global Love

2009-11-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

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The search for perfection is often elusive but Father Gabriel Mejia, a Catholic priest from South America, may be on to something. By merging the scientific benefits of the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique with the magic of global love, Father Mejia has created what seems to be a marriage made in heaven.

Father Mejia’s passion is providing assistance and guidance to the at-risk youth of South America. It is from this passion that he has created 52 shelters for homeless children and youthful offenders in his home country. Father Mejia, who is sometimes referred to as the "Saint of Colombia," says that “Love is the most essential medicine for any illness or disorder and that is why we must insist on globalizing love.”

Another important ingredient in Father Mejia’s recipe for success is the availability of the TM technique at his shelters for displaced street children. In October Father Mejia hosted a conference in Argentina with 1,500 participants to share this message. The theme of the conference was the benefits of the Transcendental Meditation program in the rehabilitation of youth offenders and the prevention of crime.

With the help of the David Lynch Foundation, more than 3,600 children have learned the Transcendental Meditation technique in South America. An additional 700 young people have also learned the advanced technique of TM, called TM-Sidhi® program.

Father Mejia’s humanitarian work has been widely recognized. He has received an award from the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities and the Queen of Spain. He has also served as president of the Latin American Federation of Therapeutic Communities and received an honorary doctorate from Maharishi University of Management in Iowa.

We wish Father Mejia well in his efforts to engage the youth of South American in the peace of the TM technique while surrounded by global love.

This blog article by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

American Indians Try Transcendental Meditation

2009-08-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

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What do at-risk youth, diabetes and our native American Indian population have in common? You guessed it (or maybe you didn’t): Transcendental Meditation (TM). Recently hundreds of American Indians have learned the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique at the Winnebago (Nebraska), Pine Ridge (South Dakota), and Passamaquoddy (Maine) reservations. The leaders of these American Indian tribes and others, are gathering for an international conference this Fall, entitled “Building Healthy, Sustainable American Indian Communities.” The conference will showcase Consciousness-Based education, prevention-oriented health care, renewable energy, organic agriculture, and cultural preservation.

Researchers will present the results of several controlled studies on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique for reducing acute stress and behavioral problems among hundreds of at-risk American Indian youth. Findings show the TM® technique promoted higher scores on standardized state tests of mathematics and reading, 25 percent less absenteeism, and 30 percent higher graduation rates among the meditating young people as compared to controls.

John Boncheff, who is co-director of the TM program at the Winnebago reservation says: “The TM technique is not only helping students perform better in school, but it is also helping them to overcome the current epidemic of diabetes and to reconnect with their spiritual heritage. It is helping them to save their lives and their culture.”

Conference hosts and participants include the Indian Health Services (IHS), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), National Indian Education Association (NIEA), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Winnebago Tribal Health Services (WTHS), Winnebago Treaty Hospital–IHS, David Lynch Foundation, and Hocak Elders Council, Inc.

www.tm.org
This TM blog was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

Transcendental Meditation Crosses the Great Wall of China

2009-08-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

The ancient wisdom of Confucius says: “Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without a moon or star.” His words serve as a poetic illustration of China’s traditional emphasis on education and learning. Fast forward to 2009 and we notice this moon is shining its light not only on the streets of Bejing but also on the Vedic tradition of India and the cornfields of Iowa.

Last month, fifty one Chinese students received their degrees from Maharishi University of Management (MUM) at the Overseas Chinese College (OCC) of the Capital University of Economics and Business, in Beijing. At least sixteen of those will complete their MBA degrees at MUM’s main campus in Fairfield, Iowa, USA and several undergraduate students are finishing their BA in Business Administration degrees at MUM Iowa too.

What’s the cause for this international exchange? “Once students from MUM’s China campus are in the Fairfield MUM environment, they all want to continue their MBAs here,” said Dr. Yunxiang Zhu, Director of International Programs and Associate Dean of Asian Development in Iowa. “Our friendly faculty, block system, coherent environment, and twice daily practice of the TM® technique are very attractive to them.”

How does it work? Well, students in China take their first two years of classes with the international faculty of the affiliate college while MUM professors teach in the third and fourth years. However more and more students are choosing to complete their degrees on the MUM campus in Fairfield rather than in China. The MUM curriculum in China is identical to the curriculum in Fairfield including the practice of the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) program but their seems to be something special about the MUM campus in Iowa. There are 70 students currently on the MUM track in China and more than 30 Chinese students are already in Fairfield finishing their degrees.

In pursuing an education that combines the wisdom of ancient India with the practicality of modern science, these Chinese students are actualizing the words of Confucius: “I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.”

This TM blog was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

®Transcendental Meditation and TM are registered trademarks of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, a non-profit educational organization.

The FBI Looks at the Transcendental Meditation Technique

2009-07-30T05:55:00.001-07:00

There was a straw man in the Wizard of Oz who felt his life would be richer and more complete if he “only had a brain”. He wandered down an unknown road with a farm girl and her dog in search of a solution. Could it be that the Transcendental Meditation^® (TM) technique was what Mr. Scarecrow was looking for? Dr. Fred Travis, director of the Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition at Maharishi University of Management may have the answer. At least according to his recent article entitled “Brain Functioning as the Ground for Spiritual Experiences and Ethical Behavior” published in the new edition of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin .

In his article, Dr. Travis explains that every daily experience affects our brain and has a direct impact on its development and capabilities.

You’ve heard the phrase “use it or lose it”. Well this principle applies not only to our muscles but to our brain as well. It seems the synaptic connections between brain cells grow and decay based on what kinds of activities and experiences our brain does or doesn’t undertake. One style of functioning that a healthy brain needs is regular experiences of calm and inner happiness. Its obvious that those who work in law enforcement have very stressful outer experiences in the course of their daily work and are in dire need of a calming inner experiences to balance their outer duties.

Dr. Travis writes that the Transcendental Meditation technique gives the experience of pure, silent awareness which completes the ‘full range of motion’ for the brain which is necessary to give it greater strength and integration. As a result inner calm is more pronounced even in stressful situations, thereby creating a kind of inner shield or bullet proof vest from stress that reduces the effects of a harsh environment.

In Dr. Travis’ academic language: “research has indicated that practice of the TM technique leads to increased frontal brain integration, faster habituation to stressful stimuli, and higher moral reasoning. Spiritual experiences enliven frontal coherence, which builds global circuits to place individual experiences in a larger framework. In this vein, spiritual experiences could provide the inner armor to protect law enforcement officers from the noxious effects of negative experiences and stress.”

The content of the FBI article has been incorporated into the FBI’s Wellness and Vitality in Police Officers program. “The FBI is developing ways to heal the effects of the day-to-day experience of Law Enforcement,” said Dr. Travis, “and we are part of that conversation.”

So it seems the Transcendental Meditation technique may help folks in law enforcement keep their stress levels low and their intelligence levels high.
Now if only the Missing Persons Bureau could locate a certain straw man who was last seen walking down a yellow brick road. Hmmm….

This TM blog was written byy Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

The Mantras of the Transcendental Meditation Technique

2009-05-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

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These days we hear a lot of talk about the mantras used for meditation. Some people say a random word is best, others recommend the universal sound Aum or Om. But what about the mantras used in the Transcendental Meditation technique? Are they generic or special? Secular or religious? Useless or effective? And where do they come from? These are important questions so let’s find an answer for them.

The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique is an effortless mental procedure whereby an individual experiences increasingly quieter levels of thinking, leading to the experience of total silence; the source of thought, at the deepest level the mind. The technique of Transcendental Meditation has many unique features and one of them is the mantra. As part of personal instruction each student receives a suitable thought/sound or mantra for their meditation practice. These mantras are meaningless sounds which serve as the delicate vehicle on which the mind glides through deeper, more silent levels of the thinking process.

For maximum effectiveness students are encouraged to refrain from speaking or writing down their mantra as this has a damaging and dulling effect on this highly delicate and refined meditation tool. Also, there is a limited pool of mantras that each Transcendental Meditation teacher draws upon to select the appropriate sound for each student. So it’s entirely possible that some students could have the same mantra.

The mantra is selected by the Transcendental Meditation teacher based on the suitability and harmonious effect it will create for each student when properly used. Also, the technique of how to use the mantra is just as crucial as the proper selection of the mantra/sound itself.

It’s important to note that the mantras are used for their sound quality only and have no assigned meaning. These two important aspects, suitability and meaninglessness, allow the mind to be lively but undirected at the same time, so it can sink deep within, ‘transcend’ thought and experience its own silent, inner nature. This is the process called ‘transcending’ which takes place during the Transcendental Meditation technique.

To understand this principle more clearly lets examine the word ‘flower’. A word has two aspects: the sound value and the English meaning. When we say or think the word ‘flower’ we automatically consider the word’s meaning, its qualities and context. We might think of the color, the smell, the quantity, the location and so on and these thoughts about the flower engage and hold the mind on the surface, conscious thinking level and do not allow the mind to fathom its inner nature.

Therefore by intention and by design, the mantra used in the Transcendental Meditation technique is a sound that has no meaning attributed to it either by the teacher or their student. At the same time it should be clear, that if a science, religion or cultural group were to assign a meaning to a mantra, in the past or future, it would still have no bearing on the use of that mantra in the instruction or practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.

For centuries “google” has been a delightful, nonsensical sound, uttered by babies. More recently however it has been attributed a meaning; the name of a worldwide, Internet search engine. However this new adult meaning has no bearing on a baby’s use of that same sound. Likewise mantras are sounds that are meaningless both to the Transcendental Meditation teacher and the student even though other people, cultures or religions may or may not have assigned a meaning to them.

To further illustrate this point let’s consider the word “flat”. In the USA this sound has a meaning associated with the shape of an object. In England however, “flat” also refers to an apartment. Therefore, each respective culture utilizes sound and assigns meanings for their own localized purpose. Other languages, cultures and people who also use that same sound or word, are completely indifferent to the meaning assigned to that sound/word by other countries or cultures. The same is true with respect to the Transcendental Meditation technique. It utilizes specific mantras/sounds completely irrespective of their intended meaning in other languages or cultural settings.

The Transcendental Meditation technique and the mantras/sounds it utilizes have their origin in the ancient Vedic tradition which predates all religions and cultures including the Hindu religion. The Vedic tradition is a universal body of complete and timeless knowledge encompassing the total field of natural law, or underlying intelligence, that governs the universe. Because the Vedas and the Vedic tradition are ancient and universal, many of its sounds, names and principals are found in many countries, cultures and religions around the world.

The ancient Vedic tradition of India is the oldest continuous tradition of knowledge on earth. In 2003 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed the Vedic tradition (specifically the recitation of the Vedic hymns) a “masterpiece of intangible heritage to humanity”.

The TM technique and its mantras are derived from this same Vedic tradition. Over thousands of years, the technique of Transcendental Meditation contained in the Vedas had been misinterpreted and therefore lost its effectiveness. It was then revived in the 1950’s, to its original and highly effective form, by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who was the custodian and representative of the Vedic tradition in our generation.

So we conclude therefore, that the mantras used in the Transcendental Meditation technique not only have their roots in a timeless tradition of knowledge but that they are also simple and powerful, ancient and unique, meaningful and meaningless, all at the same time!

®Transcendental Meditation and TM are registered trademarks of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, a non-profit educational organization.

This TM blog was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

References:
http://www.tm.org
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=21274&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Transcendental Meditation: Where Does the Money Go?

2009-05-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

When we hire an event planner and a disc jockey for our daughters sweet sixteen birthday party we don’t usually care about where our hard earned cash ends up. However, when we’re contemplating a course in meditation, we'll somehow it seems a little different. It’s those purchases that are a more abstract that we sometimes question. You know, like health insurance and taxes. So where does the money go after we fork over the cost of a course in the Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique? After all, inquiring minds want to know, right?

Bang For the Buck--First, it’s good to know that the course fee (currently $1500 for adults and $750 for students) includes approximately 10 hours of personal and group instruction and a lifetime of follow up classes, anywhere in the U.S. (including Hawaii). I mean, a college course is expensive too, but there’s no personal instruction and a lifetime opportunity to audit that course at dozens of locations around the country. So Transcendental Meditation offers a package deal that’s something pretty special.

NonProfit--The organization that teaches the Transcendental Meditation technique is called Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation (MVED). It is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational entity. Its mission is to provide the technique of Transcendental Meditation to millions of people so that they may reap the scientifically validated benefits of health, happiness, prosperity and inner peace.

Scholarships--The organization offers financial aid just like other educational institutions. They facilitate, long term, low interest, student loans as well as full and partial scholarships for qualifying students, families etc. As much as 35% of all MVED revenues are used to provide scholarships for Transcendental Meditation courses, for those that could not otherwise afford it. The organization also works closely with a number of charitable foundations that provide full and partial scholarships to students and at-risk youth. Over the past two years more than 50,000 students in schools across the United States, Latin America and Africa have learned the Transcendental Meditation technique through this program.

Salaries--For more than a decade I was an employee of MVED Corporation and worked as a financial manager and regional director. As such, I can verify that the salaries that the organization paid were modest and below the national average for comparable work. As an administrator in a leadership role I received almost the same salary as many entry level employees. I had frequent interactions with senior members of the organization many of whom, worked full time, on a volunteer basis and received no compensation whatsoever.

Maharishi—The founder of the technique, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, worked tirelessly, twelve to fifteen hours per day for more than 50 years. His only focus, day and night, was to create an organization that could provide the benefits of his meditation technique to millions of people around the world. When he first began teaching in the 1950’s he relied only on donations. However, as the organization grew and buildings were needed to establish Transcendental Meditation centers and a permanent organizational structure, standardized course fees came into existence. As for Maharishi himself, he was a monk with no possessions. He never owned a car, a house, a plane or a building at anytime in his life. He lived only for the good of all people and never thought of himself.

So when you pay your course fee for Transcendental Meditation you can rest assured that your hard earned money is going to good use. You are receiving a technique and follow up classes that will provide life long benefits and you will sleep well at night knowing that, through your course fee, others will also have the opportunity to benefit.

®Transcendental Meditation and TM are registered trademarks of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, a non-profit educational organization.

www.TM.org
This TM blog was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

Change Begins Within: Transcendental Meditation and Education

2009-04-20T18:33:00.001-07:00

You could hear a ‘pen’ drop and all the children had their eyes closed. No it wasn’t nap time, it was “quiet time” during my visit to the Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa.

Dr. Ashley Deans has been the Executive Director of this award winning, K-12, educational institution for more than a decade. Recently he traveled the world sharing his story about a school that over the past ten years has garnered one hundred state competition titles and a National Merit Scholar finalist percentage that is ten times the national average.

How is this possible when Maharishi School has an open admission policy and scholarships for students in financial need so that any child of any level may attend? “The secret to success”, says Dr. Deans, “is the Transcendental Meditation® technique, which the students practice for about 15 minutes at the beginning and end of each school day”.

Over the past three years, Dr. Deans has visited over 40 countries including China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Armenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Egypt, and almost every country in the European Union. Most recently, Dr. Deans spoke in Canada, Switzerland and the Balkan states.

“The response to our presentations”, Dr. Deans says, “is completely positive in every respect. It is now common for ministers of education to ask after just ten minutes, ‘How can I learn this?’ ” The Minister of Education in Serbia, for example expressed great interest and the Vice Rector of the University of Novi Sad said he would like to have Transcendental Meditation as part of his university.

In addition educators and students in every country seem really inspired by the goals of the David Lynch Foundation to offer one million at-risk students the opportunity to learn and practice the Transcendental Meditation technique. Recently the David Lynch Foundation sponsored a benefit concert featuring Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr plus a host of other celebrities and musicians to raise funds for his foundation’s ambitious goal.

Paul McCartney had this to say about why young people could benefit from the Transcendental Meditation technique: “I think meditation offers a moment in your day to be at peace with yourself and therefore the universe, which once was thought of as a slightly silly hippie idea, but now it's much more accepted and even fits with some of the most advanced scientific thinking.”

So next time your son or daughter turns off the TV, the CD player and the computer all at once and their bedroom emanates nothing but total silence. Don’t panic, they just might be communing with their own silent, inner universe....... Or quietly sending a text message.

For more information: http://maharishischooliowa.org/ or
http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/ or http://www.tm.org/

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

Transcendental Meditation and TM are registered trademarks of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation, a non-profit educational organization.

How to Learn the Transcendental Meditation Technique

2009-01-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

Sitting in a field of flowers, legs crossed, wrapped in white cloth, the sweet smell of incense wafting through the air. That's what most people think of when they hear the word 'meditation'. But what we see and hear in the media is not always an accurate picture of reality. The Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique is a simple mental procedure that is practiced for twenty minutes twice per day. It has been learned by millions of people and has been the subject of hundreds of research studies. But just what is the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique and how does one learn it? Well here are some of the details.

Environment—While it is certainly enjoyable to practice the Transcendental Meditation technique in a quiet place it is not necessary. Many busy people from all walks of life practice the Transcendental Meditation technique in airports, train stations, lobbies and hotel rooms. Because this technique is an automatic and natural response of the mind and body, the process is easy in any kind of environment whether it is quiet and secluded or noisy and public.

Posture--The Transcendental Meditation technique is practiced sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. One can sit in a chair, on the bed or on the floor. Any location or sitting position is considered to be correct as long as one is comfortable. This technique is never practiced while lying down.

Concentration—In a concentration technique for self development a person might be asked to focus on a candle, to eliminate all thoughts, to visualize something or to focus on a particular thought, part of the body etc. Then, whenever the mind wanders from the candle or the visualization etc. the concentration technique requires that we bring our attention back to the point or topic of focus i.e. candle etc. The Transcendental Meditation technique however, is unique and different in that it does not involve any concentration or focus. Transcendental Meditation technique is a completely effortless technique in which the mind flows naturally and purposefully to the field of creative silence (or Pure Consciousness) at the source of the mind. This happens spontaneously and naturally, with out effort, during the technique.

Breathing—Many meditation techniques focus on the rhythm of the breath. The Transcendental Meditation technique, however, does not focus on the breath or its rhythm. Instead TM utilizes the minds own natural tendency to move towards greater peace and silence within; in the same way that gravity causes a stone to sink through the water in a pond. In this same way, the mind is spontaneously and naturally drawn deep inside during the Transcendental Meditation technique, independent of what may be going on with the breath.

Personalized Instruction--The technique of Transcendental Meditation is easy and effortless. It is also unique and profound. Because each person has different experiences during their Transcendental Meditation course and also learns at a different pace, personal instruction by a certified Transcendental Meditation teacher is vital. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Meditation technique, in his book The Science of Being and Art of Living, explains it like this: “The practice of Transcendental Meditation must always be given by the expert teachers of Transcendental Meditation who have been properly trained to give it and who have been trained to check the experiences. The checking of experiences is a vital point in the practice of Transcendental Meditation. Again, it cannot be done through books”.

I learned the Transcendental Meditation technique from a certified teacher when I was a senior in high school in 1971. Since then it has given me thousands of hours of inner peace and tranquility. It has made me a better person and a more effective human being. I hope that you will also have the opportunity to enjoy it soon!

For more information call 888-LearnTM or visit http://www.TM.org
This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

Paul McCartney‘s Concert for the Transcendental Meditation Program

2009-01-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

Sir Paul McCartney, one of the most famous and successful pop artists of all time performed a benefit concert at Radio City Music Hall on New York City on Saturday, April 4, 2009. This once in a lifetime event provided financial support to the David Lynch Foundation’s international initiative to teach one million at-risk youth the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique—and change the world overnight. Paul appeared with Ringo and a host of other famous musicians and friends including Donovan, Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Paul Horn and Ben Harper.

The famous 60’s songsmith Donovan treated the audience to songs like “Hurdy Gurdy Man” and "Season of the Witch" that were inspired by his practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.

I attended the concert and the cast of legendary musicians flowed through set after set of inspiring rock and roll with many artists making guest appearances on songs for others. During the many stage set ups David Lynch, Laura Dern, Howard Stern and Jerry Seinfeld added comments and comedy on the positive influence Transcendental Meditation has had in their lives. Background film clips of youngsters in schools around the world who practice TM gave us hope for a new era of peace and happiness.

The David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace was founded in July 2005 and its purpose is to provide scholarships for the Transcendental Meditation program and its implementation into schools throughout the United States and around the world. This effort, spear headed by long time TM practitioner, and famous Hollywood director David Lynch, was inspired by the need to support TM’s proven scientific benefit in the areas of creativity, intelligence, academic performance, ADHD, anxiety, depression and substance abuse.

Last February while standing in a long line in San Francisco I, quite by accident, found myself talking with David Lynch. At that time David conveyed to me that every child should have 15 minutes per day to dive within and experience the field of silence—the enormous reservoir of energy and intelligence that nourishes all aspects of our lives. "The Transcendental Meditation technique, he says, "this is the way to save the coming generation."

This TM blog was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

For more info: http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/concert.html, http://www.tmbusiness.org/

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation (a non-profit) and are used under sublicense.

Transcendental Meditation and Other Relaxation Techniques

2009-01-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique is unique for many reasons. But the most important one is that it provides more benefit than other meditation and relaxation techniques. This was the conclusion of a meta-analysis of 597 studies of meditation practices that was published in the American Journal of Health Promotion. This study found that the Transcendental Meditation program was significantly superior to other forms of meditation and relaxation in a wide range of criteria related to mental and physical health.

A second meta-analysis, published in the Journal of Social Behavior Personality, found the effect of the TM technique on self-actualization (growth towards one’s total potential) to be markedly greater than that of other forms of meditation and relaxation.

The TM technique is a unique practice both in its procedure and in the depth and scope of its benefits for the mind and body. Research studies have shown a positive correlation between the technique and a wide variety of benefits.

In the field of physical health alone, research has shown improvement in lung function for patients with asthma, reduction of high blood pressure, younger biological age, decreased insomnia, reduction of high cholesterol, reduced illness and medical expenditures, decreased outpatient visits, decreased cigarette smoking, decreased alcohol use and decreased anxiety, to name a few. Here are a few of the studies:

Allen, C.P. Effects of Transcendental Meditation, electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback relaxation, and conventional relaxation on vasoconstriction, muscle tension, and stuttering: A quantitative comparison. Dissertation Abstracts International 40(2): 689B, 1979.
Gaylord, C. et al.

The effects of the Transcendental Meditation technique and progressive muscle relaxation on EEG coherence, stress reactivity, and mental health in black adults. International Journal of Neuroscience 46: 77–86, 1989.

Wilson, AF., Honsberger, R., Chiu, JT., Novey, HS. "Transcendental Meditation and asthma." Respiration, 1975, 74-80, Hypertension 26: 820–827, 1995, International Journal of Neuroscience 16: 53–58, 1982, Journal of Counseling and Development 64: 212–215, 1985, Journal of Human Stress 5: 24-27, 1979, The American Journal of Managed Care 3: 135–144, 1997, The American Journal of Managed Care 3: 135–144, 1997, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 13–87, 1994, Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 13–87, 1994, Journal of Clinical Psychology 45: 957–974, 1989

For more info:

http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/research/scientific-evidence-that-the-program-works.html, or http://www.doctorsontm.org/

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer http://AdventuresinTranscendentalMeditation.blogspot.com

® Transcendental Meditation, TM and Maharishi are registered or common law trademarks licensed to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation and are used under sublicense.

Transcendental Meditation: Is It Science or Religion?

2009-01-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

There is a rumor on the internet that the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique is a religion. Nothing could be further from the truth. The TM program has been funded by 24 million dollars in federal grants over the past 20 years. These projects have included TM’s research and/or implementation in health facilities, schools, universities, research facilities, probation programs and prison settings around the USA. This would not be possible if the TM program was considered by the government to be religious in any way.
In addition the Transcendental Meditation technique does not conflict with religious beliefs because it has nothing to do with belief. It does not even require that one believe that it will work in order for one to be successful in the practice. There are thousands of priests, nuns, rabbis and Buddhist monks who practice the TM technique and find that it enhances their respective religious beliefs.

At the same time, it is true, that some 30 years ago, there was a federal court case in the state of New Jersey which deemed the Federal Department of Education’s funding of a curriculum in “The Science of Creative Intelligence” to be an unconstitutional entanglement of the government with religion. This was due to the claim that the concept of “Creative Intelligence”, or unified field of consciousness, was somehow a religious concept. (Malnak v. Yogi, 592 F2d 197, 1979).

However, the TM technique itself was never declared by the court to be religious in nature. To emphasize this point Judge Adams stated that his ruling prohibited government funding for the Science of Creative Intelligence and “not a course in TM alone”. In particular Judge Adams felt that TM was non religious because the TM instruction ceremony was “performed only once in the case of each student; it was entirely in Sanskrit with neither the student nor, apparently, the teacher who chanted it, knowing what the foreign words meant.” Malnak v. Yogi, 592 F.2d 197, 203 (3rd Cir., 1979

Furthermore many constitutional scholars believe that this isolated ruling, which judged even the concept of Creative Intelligence to be religious, was in error. For example, Laurence H. Tribe, professor at Harvard Law School and legal advisor to President elect Barack Obama, strenuously objected to the court’s conclusion. It is for this reason that no court, anywhere in the world, has ever come to the same or similar conclusion. Furthermore, since the New Jersey court case of 1979, hundreds of research studies on the TM technique have validated its mechanical, repeatable, secular nature and created widespread public acceptance of its benefits.

Transcendental Meditation is a simple, natural, effortless technique that is practiced for 20 minutes twice a day sitting comfortably at home. Over 500 scientific studies have validated the benefits of the practice which has been taught around the world to millions of people during the past 50 years.

Here’s what Dr. Steele Belok, Clinical Instructor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, has to say about TM: “In my medical practice, I have found that people of all religions enjoy the Transcendental Meditation technique. Indeed, patients tell me that TM practice deepens their spiritual understanding because it refreshes their mind and awakens subtler values of awareness.”

For more information: http://www.doctorsontm.org/, http://www.tmbusiness.org/

Transcendental Meditation and Religious Belief

2009-01-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

"Maharishi has explained that the value of all religious holidays, rituals, and prayers is to help us align our individual intelligence with the Cosmic Intelligence that governs everything in the universe with perfect order," says Dr. Evan Finkelstein, professor of Maharishi Vedic Science at Maharishi University of Management (M.U.M.). Dr. Finkelstein has been reading the scriptures of different religions for 37 years.

As Maharishi wrote in Science of Being and Art of Living, "All the rituals of the various religions are like the body, and the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM)is like the spirit. Both are necessary, they should go hand in hand." (p. 251). In addition, Maharishi, the founder of the TM technique, has explained that for religious people, the experience of the source of thought or 'pure consciousness', will result in a stronger appreciation of their religion and a deeper understanding of their scriptures and the scriptures of all religions. They will begin to experience the Unity that harmonizes all the differences and this will result in peace and fulfillment.

Rabbi Alan Green of Beth Israel Synagogue in Winnipeg, Manito says that "Transcendental Meditation has made me a better rabbi because it has given me an experience and insight into the profound depths of life."

The Transcendental Meditation technique (TM) is an effortless mental procedure whereby an individual experiences increasingly quieter levels of thinking and then the source of thought, deep within the mind. To accomplish this TM utilizes a thought or mantra that has a sound quality but has no meaning attributed to it. To allow the mind to sink to deeper levels of thinking and experience; the silent source of thought within, the TM technique utilizes a harmonious sound or mantra which is selected by each TM teacher based on its suitability for each TM student.

The TM technique comes from the Vedic Tradition. This ancient Vedic tradition has its origin in India and is the oldest continuous tradition of knowledge on earth. In 2003 it was recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of heritage to humanity. It is a universal body of complete and timeless knowledge encompassing the total field of natural law (underlying intelligence) that governs the entire universe.

For this reason there are many names, traditions and principals of the ancient Vedic tradition found in various countries, cultures and religions around the world. The TM technique is derived from the Vedic tradition of ancient India. This technique, over thousands of years, had become distorted and lost its effectiveness. It was then revived in the 1950's, to its original and highly effective form, by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who is the custodian and representative of the Vedic tradition in our generation.

You can find out more about Transcendental Meditation by visiting http://www.doctorsontm.org/ or http://www.tmbusiness.org/, http://www.mum.edu/

Match Point: Transcendental Meditation and Tennis

2009-01-13T13:54:00.000-08:00

"Our athletes play in the ‘zone’ because they live there” says Lawrence Eyre, the award winning coach of the Pioneers tennis team of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment in Fairfield Iowa. Mr. Eyre started the Pioneers team in 1988 and since then has led them to the Final Four in the Iowa team tourney 11 times. In his twenty-one seasons, his players have earned 16 state championships. “Our mottos are train without strain and invest in rest”, says Eyre. He attributes his players’ achievements to their group practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique (TM), which creates a foundation for their dynamic activity and gives them a competitive edge.

In 1999 and 2000, under Mr. Eyre’s guidance, the Maharishi School boys’ team achieved the unprecedented: they captured consecutive “triple crowns” by winning the singles, doubles and team tennis titles at the Iowa I-A state championships. http://www.maharishischooliowa.org/

Research shows that the TM technique improves performance by strengthening the skills of concentration, mind-body co-ordination, reaction time, speed and agility. TM also reduces anxiety and tension in the mind and body making an athlete more controlled and disciplined and therefore more likely to achieve peak performance. In addition many athletes experience the ill effects of sleep deprivation and jet lag when traveling to meets and competitions. The TM technique provides a level of metabolic rest that is deeper than sleep, allowing the athletes body to recover faster from travel and other stresses. An lastly, the TM technique dissolves stress that accumulates from intensive training, competition and injuries and reduces recovery time.

So if you want to make your athletic home ‘in the zone’ we recommend you check out the Transcendental Meditation technique at http://tmbusiness.org/ and http://www.doctorsontm.org/

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a simple mental technique that is practiced sitting comfortably for 20 minutes twice a day. It is unique and different from other types of meditation in that does not involve any concentration and contemplation. For this reason it is easy and enjoyable instead of difficult and tedious like other forms of meditation. It must be learned by a certified TM teacher through a standardized one week course. There is a substantial fee but low interest financing and scholarships are available through the TM movement which is a non-profit, educational organization.

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer
®Transcendental Mediation and TM are registered trademarks of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation.

Maharishi Vedic Architecture: The Universe is Your Living Room, Part II

2008-12-23T14:35:00.000-08:00

NOTE: THIS IS PART II --- to read PART I look just below this article

Now let's get down to the details of how Natural Law is reflected in a building. Vastu Vidya; that aspect of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda that contains the complete knowledge of the design and structure of building in harmony with Natural Law. Such a design promotes positive, evolutionary influences and success in life. To create an ideal Vastu (a building design according to Natural Law) one must consider the many items that determine auspicious and inauspicious influences. Some of these items include: orientation of the building, the placement of rooms, the proportions and Vedic measurements, the slope and shape of the land, exposure to the rising sun, location of nearby bodies of water and the buildings or activities in the nearby environment.

Proper Orientation or Direction-- Orientation is determined by the path of the sun. Each direction has its specific quality and relevance. To orient a building toward a certain direction brings the qualities of that direction to the building and its inhabitants. When one is facing east, the brain physiology functions differently than when one is facing north, south, or west. According to the latest research in neuroscience, brain cells fire according to orientation. The firing patterns of neurons in the thalamus of the brain are altered according to the direction one is facing. This alteration influences every aspect of brain functioning and the entire physiology. This natural tendency of the brain to function with reference to direction is the same law of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda that guides the structuring dynamics of creation and the proper orientation of a home or office. The main entrance of such a building faces due east because this direction has the very desirable influences of enlightenment, affluence and fulfillment. The other three cardinal directions also have their corresponding influences. The west direction for example has the influence of poverty and lack of vitality and creativity. The north direction has the influence of prosperity and happiness and the south direction has the influence of negativity, problems and suffering. Although it is not commonly known, many misfortunes and even diseases arise from lack of proper orientation of homes and buildings. For example, according to Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture a south facing entrance is inauspicious and brings negative influences to the inhabitants of the building.

Proper Placement-- This is also an important principle to consider. Everything in nature has its right place, whether moving or immovable. When the kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom are in their proper places, Natural Law becomes more supportive to the cycle of the daily activities performed there. As the sun moves across the sky, it radiates different qualities of energy that produce specific influences in different parts of the house. In Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture buildings are designed so that these energies correspond to the specific activities performed within the different rooms of a building. In a home for example the dining room is located where the digestion will be most healthy and the study is located where the intellect will be most lively. In this way the cause of stress which otherwise might give rise to some discomfort or disease is eliminated. When a house for a particular individual is being planned, the placement and dimensions of the rooms as well as the length, width and elevation of the building are individually calculated using the ancient mathematical formulas of Vastu Vidya of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. These Vedic formulas take into consideration, among other factors, the relationship of the house owner, with the sun, moon, planets and stars to ensure a perfect resonance between the Cosmic structures and all components of the house. The style of the house, it should be noted, is designed according to the local traditions, and the owner's individual tastes and/or requirements.

Proper Proportion-- The supreme rule for proper proportion is symmetry. Symmetry is perfect orderliness and in a symmetrical system every part is aware of its position in relation to any other part. In this way the wholeness is never lost. Everything in Nature is proportioned according to its function. Just as the human body is precisely proportioned so, too, there is an ideal proportion for every room in a home or office. Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture takes advantage of these Cosmic proportions reflected in the individual proportions of the human physiology and applies them to a building's structure. By incorporating this knowledge into each aspect, a Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architect brings rhythm, harmony and glory to every feature of the building.

I have visited many Maharishi Sthapatya Veda buildings in several states around the USA. Each time I am impressed anew with the silent and settled feeling in these structures. My emotions automatically feel better and thinking becomes happier and more profound. On a few occasions I have spent several days living one of these MSV homes and sleep is deeper and more restful. I hope that soon I too will be living in one full time so I can have the universe in my living room and enjoy increased health, happiness and good fortune it provides.

*Maharishi Vedic Architecture is an ancient science of architecture and building that has been revived by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi the founder of the Transcendental Meditation program. For more information see: http://www.vedicarchitecture.org/ or http://www.tmbusiness.org/

This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer

Maharishi Vedic Architecture:The Universe is Your Living Room--Part I

2008-12-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

Imagine the earth, along with millions of other heavenly bodies, floating like giant balls through black empty space. The entire universe is a complex and ever-expanding structure and yet it is so beautifully organized. What is it that holds this giant wholeness together?

The answer is contained in the knowledge of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. More than a mere science and art of construction, it contains the principles and laws governing the design and structure of the entire universe. Maharishi Sthapatya Veda is one of the forty disciplines of Maharishi's Vedic Science and derives its name from the Sanskrit root sthapan whose meaning is "to establish". The word Veda is translated as "total knowledge of Natural Law". Maharishi Sthapatya Veda therefore, can be defined as the total knowledge of Natural Law that establishes the connection of every structure in the universe with its source; the field of Pure Consciousness where every grain of the Cosmos is perpetually designed and created.

The universal principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda range in influence from the placement of rooms in a home to the organization of our solar system and all the galaxies beyond. Establishing everything in the field of perfection, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda organizes the world in a way that promotes health, prosperity, and evolution for the individual, the society and the environment.
We live in the boundaries of space and time. But the essential nature of life is unbounded and eternal. The knowledge of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda enlivens the boundless within all boundaries, and in all structures. From the structure of the atom to the far reaches of the endless universe, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda creates an alliance between the boundaries of an individual structure and the structure-less universal intelligence at its basis.

Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design is the most ancient and complete system of architecture and planning. Using its principles, buildings are designed according to the solar, lunar and planetary influences on the earth with reference to the north and south poles and the equator thereby connecting individual life with Cosmic Life.

Maharishi Sthapatya Veda architecture emphasizes the importance of direction and orientation whether planning a home, an office building or an entire city. The strongest influence of Natural Law on earth comes from the sun. On its path from east to west the sun generates different qualities of energy. As the sun rises for example, all the cells change their mood and their style of functioning. The whole physiology is intimately connected with everything that goes on in the universe.

By enlivening the laws of nature in the structures of the environment, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design establishes a perfect relationship between the activity of the individual and the sun, and through it the entire universe and all the laws of Nature.

* Maharishi Sthaptya Veda is an ancient science that has been revived in its purity by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation technique. http://www.vedicarchitecture.org/

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a simple mental technique that is practiced sitting comfortably for 20 minutes twice a day. It is unique and different from other types of meditation in that does not involve any concentration and contemplation. For this reason it is easy and enjoyable instead of difficult and tedious like other forms of meditation. It must be learned by a certified TM teacher through a standardized one week course. There is a substantial fee but low interest financing and scholarships are available through the TM movement which is a non-profit, educational organization. http://http://www.tmbusiness.org/
This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer

How I Learned Transcendental Meditation

2008-12-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

It was the year of the Partridge Family, eight cent postage stamps and blue jeans with bell bottoms. That was 1971 and I was an under achieving senior in a middle American High School when I saw a funny looking poster on the way to my American History class. It had a large black and white picture of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on it and a lecture on Transcendental Meditation® (TM) technique was announced for the next day in the school auditorium. I was intrigued and showed up to check it out.

The speaker was a young man in a suit who spoke serenely of the silence deep within us and of the simple mental technique by which we could experience it and enjoy its benefits in our day to day life. I was very impressed with his calm demeanor and he seemed to really embody the principles of which he spoke. Over the next few weeks I mowed lawns and ran errands to earn the money for my TM instruction fee.

I attended the seven step course and boy was it great. I experienced a deep, sweet indescribable silence right on the day I learned. Right away my life began to change. Not because of any information I was given but because of the beautiful experience of deep inner silence that I now experienced twice a day as I practiced my Transcendental Meditation in the privacy of my bedroom.

Suddenly my life became hopeful again and I was full of enthusiasm for it. Immediately my grades improved and I was accepted to college. After a few months I spontaneously quit smoking and became a vegetarian. I entered college, made the Deans List and met a beautiful young girl whose passions were oil painting and Italian food. She also learned TM and we meditated together every chance we got. If we had horses we would have rode off into the sunset together but instead we stayed home, got straight A’s, and went on to get our degrees in grand style.

*Transcendental Meditation is a simple mental technique that is practiced sitting comfortably for 20 minutes twice a day. It is unique and different from other types of meditation in that does not involve any concentration and contemplation. For this reason it is easy and enjoyable instead of difficult and tedious like other forms of meditation. It must be learned by a certified TM teacher through a standardized one week course. There is a substantial fee but low interest financing and scholarships are available through the TM movement which is a non-profit charitable organization.

You can find out more by visiting: Transcendental Meditation or Transcendental Meditation Technique blog.

http://adventuresintranscendentalmeditation.blogspot.com/

http://www.TM.org

®Transcendental Mediation and TM are registered trademarks of Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation.
This TM blog article was written by Dr. Keith DeBoer