A Step-by-Step Guide to Performing Transcendental Meditation 

Tap your mind’s inner potential to self-heal from past negative experiences. Achieve the natural state of an individual’s mind i.e peace, calmness, and tranquility. Learn all about transcendence, how to perform meditation the right way, and the principles of effective meditation. There are various forms of meditation, but are you really practicing it correctly to benefit you? Meditating correctly can lower the risk of heart disease, improve your relationships, treat ADHD and anxiety. Transcendental Meditation is a unique meditation technique devised by an Indian guru to alleviate the daily life suffering and emotional problems of the masses. In this article, you will learn the correct way of meditation to attain relief from stress and anxiety. Also, some of the popular mantras for transcendental meditation that have been designed as well as used by the most renowned meditation gurus of the century.

 Introduction to Transcendental Meditation 

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a mantra-based silent meditation technique for relieving stress and anxiety as well as gaining calmness of mind. It was created by the Indian spiritual guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s and is now popular worldwide as the most simple yet efficient technique for relaxation and self-development. Transcendental meditation is derived from the ancient yogic meditation practice of the Hindu religion but most of the associated programs are based on Maharishi Yogi’s interpretations of the Vedic traditions.

Transcendental Meditation is very simple to practice. Owing to its simplicity, transcendental meditation is being practiced by millions of individuals across the globe. The technique is quite natural and effortless. It is practiced for twenty minutes, twice a day, sitting with the eyes closed. It also involves the use of a silent sound called a mantra. A mantra can be a Vedic word or a sound that is repeated silently as chanting to focus one’s concentration. The ultimate objective in this type of meditation is to achieve perfect stillness of the mind by transcending the ordinary human thinking process.

Transcendental Meditation is non-religious in practice. This means that there is no cult to follow and also no philosophical, religious, or spiritual beliefs to believe in. This technique is taught by certified instructors through a standard seven-step course of instruction. 

Some studies have shown that regular practice of TM can help reduce chronic pain, anxiety, stress, and high blood pressure. However, meditation is not a treatment for a psychiatric condition.

What is Transcendental Meditation?

Unlike the other forms of meditation that aim to control the mind, transcendental meditation focuses on driving the mind inwards to the source of thought. At the core of the mind, there is already-existing natural calm. This state of peace is attained by going beyond thoughts at the surface level. Our mind has the power of self-healing when it is settled into silence and stillness being detached from the senses. Meditation transcendental is the process of freeing the mind from the clutter of thoughts that are accumulated as a result of mental work in day-to-day life. In TM, a mantra, generally the utterance of the Vedic word ‘Om’, acts as a point of focus of the majority of our thinking. This shift of focus detaches the mind from thoughts that arise from contact with the senses. Thus, transcending the sensory perceptions leads to settling the mind spontaneously to its natural blissfulness. 

Difference between Transcendental Meditation and Meditation

 Transcendental meditation is fundamentally different from all other forms of meditation. Most of the Vedic meditation techniques as well as others like Zen, Qi gong, etc. strive to gain control over the mind and train it by concentration or a particular way of thinking. But, meditation transcendental is absolutely effortless and involves no concentration. In fact, visualizations, control, or mindfulness are seen as manipulations that can be counter-productive. Happiness is the natural tendency of the mind. Forceful thinking drifts it away from settling into its natural state of tranquility. 

Regular meditation is the practice of focused attention that involves monitoring of thoughts and requires effort for training awareness. On the other hand, transcendental meditation is an effortless process of letting go of thoughts. 

The most significant difference between these two forms of meditation techniques is that only a certified teacher can instruct Transcendental Meditation through a step-by-step standard instruction course.

 Benefits of Transcendental Meditation 

According to an American Heart Association statement issued in the year 2013, Transcendental Meditation is effective in treating hypertension. Though experts agree that TM should not be used as an alternate treatment for mental health conditions, some studies provide evidence for the positive effects of this meditation technique viz: 

Stress Relief: TM provides deep mental relaxation and inner rest. The mind is self-healed from past traumatic experiences. Stress is the outcome of an imbalance of our thought patterns. Daily thinking and mental work generate a clutter of thoughts that crowd our subconscious mind. Regular practice of Transcendental Meditation rests the mind inwards and it no longer overreacts to the outer sensory perceptions. In research conducted on a group of people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, it was found that meditation transcendental is helpful for clearing our subconscious mind of negative thought patterns. 

Regulates Blood Pressure: Scientific studies from the American Heart Association recommend that Transcendental Meditation may be included in clinical practice for treating hypertension. Sitting quietly with the eyes closed is found to be highly effective in lowering blood pressure levels. In a TM practice, our emotions are put to rest which in turn regulates the rate of heartbeat and blood flow. Hypertension and high BP are directly linked to stress and anxiety. TM provides relief from both these emotional problems. Studies have shown that TM has reduced the mortality rate of people with hypertension by 30%. 

Improving Relationships: Transcendental Meditation practice is known to improve relationships by generating a deeper understanding of others. When the mind is free of the clutter of thoughts and there are no emotional turbulences, a person starts to develop a higher understanding of things and situations. Our experiences no longer cloud our intellect and our decisions are guided by wisdom and neutrality. This makes us non-judgemental of others and we begin to be forgiving of others and ourselves too. Toxicity in relationships dangerously leads to stress-related mental health problems. Regular TM practice can help us avoid this. 

ADHD treatment: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions. ADHD can cause high degrees of anxiety and sometimes may even trigger panic attacks. Transcendental Meditation can provide relief from ADHD by improving brain coherence and balancing the nervous system activation. TM improves the overall functioning of the brain by improving the ability to focus. As a result, a person gains an improved organizational ability and can devote proper attention to every minute detail.

Lowering the Risk of Heart Problems: Heart Diseases do not happen overnight. Daily life stress, anxiety, blood pressure levels, etc. gradually build up to developing a cardiovascular condition. A heart attack is the result of too much emotional weight we carry into our hearts. Transcendental Meditation practice lightens up the emotional burden by letting the mind rest into freedom and its natural state of blissfulness.

 According to the American Heart Association, patients who meditate regularly are less likely to suffer a stroke or a heart attack. Also, TM is said to be beneficial for people with conditions like metabolic syndrome.

How To Use Mantras in Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation is a mantra-based meditation. A mantra is a sound that acts as the point of focus for meditation. A mantra can be any sound that is repeated silently while in meditation. Generally, the Vedic sound of ‘Om’ is used as a chanting mantra in most Indian meditation techniques. 

In Meditation Transcendental, a certified TM teacher chooses the mantra for the practitioner. The mantra word varies from person to person according to gender or age. 

In TM, a mantra does not necessarily need to have a meaning. According to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a mantra is just a means to shift our focus inwards. In a Transcendental Meditation process, a mantra is to be repeated in mind over and over again while the practitioner sits in a comfortable position for about 15 to 20 minutes with the eyes closed. This is done twice per day. 

Popular Transcendental Meditation Mantras

A Transcendental Meditation mantra is chosen only by an instructor for the practitioner and varies from person to person. In TM, a mantra can be any sound that has no meaning. However, one can choose to pick a mantra for oneself since TM is completely safe to practice at home on your own. The sound of a flowing river, birds chirping, or soothing music can be set as a silent background sound for relaxation meditation at home. 

Some popular TM mantras used by gurus in the 1960s were: 

“Ing”, “Aing”, “Shiring”,” Shiam” for males and “Im”,”Aim”,”Shirim”,”Shiama” for females.

 Over the years, these mantras have evolved into numerous ones like: 

“Eng”,”Em”,”Enga”,”Ema”,”Aenga”,”Ang”, etc.

 Popular mantras used today are: 

“Eng”,”Em”,”Enga”,”Hirim”,”Kiring”,”Shiring”,”Shiring”,”Aima”,”Aenga”,”Sham”,”Shama”,”Kirin”

 These mantras also vary according to the gender and age of the practitioner.

 

Step by Step Guide To Transcendental Meditation

TM is a simple step-by-step instruction course guided by a certified teacher. Its simplicity and effortlessness is the reason for its worldwide popularity. The transcendental meditation practice involves eight steps that are easy to follow for practitioners of any age or gender. Here are the steps: 

Step 1: Sit comfortably in a chair with feet on the ground and hands in the lap. Legs and arms should remain uncrossed.

Step 2: Close the eyes. Take a few deep breaths to relax the body. 

Step 3: Open the eyes. Eyes should remain closed during the whole 20-minute process.

Step 4: Repeat a mantra in your mind. 

Step 5: If a thought distracts you, return to the chanting mantra in your mind. 

Step 6: After 20 minutes, you may begin to ease yourself back to the world. 

Step 7: Open your eyes.

Step 8: Sit for a few more minutes relaxed. 

Online Audio and Video Meditation Session

Transcendental Meditation practice guide can be accessed online. There are platforms that offer online audio as well as video meditation sessions. One such is the UWC app and website (www.UnitedWeCare.com). They provide guided meditation sessions as well as techniques that are easy to learn and are helpful with health conditions like insomnia, etc. Transcendental meditation experts at the UWC app have designed techniques that help a TM practitioner achieve a state of emotional calm and inner peace. You may experience their a guided TM meditation tour at: (www.unitedwecare.in)