Transcendental Meditation It’s easy to learn and has proven health benefits, so take a deep breath … hum ‘ohm’ … and float away to nirvana! Healthy magazine September 2007 Each meditation technique has its own virtues, but in terms of scientific research, transcendental meditation (TM) is a forerunner. 'TM is the most natural form of meditation you can do,' says Charles Cunningham, scientific spokesman for the Maharishi Foundation in Great Britain. 'Firstly, it's effortless. There's no concentration or contemplation involved as with other kinds of meditation, and you don't have to control your mind should it wander. Instead, you allow the mind to settle down completely to a natural state where your brain is restful, yet alert and functioning in a fully integrated way. This is achieved by using a silent personalised sound known as a mantra.' The emotional and physical benefits of TM have been studied in depth, and include lowered stress, reduced blood pressure, better creativity and even longer life. It's hard to trace the precise roots of meditation, but records suggest it has been around for at least 5,000 years. TM has been passed down through the Vedic (or knowledge) tradition of India, which is also where yoga originated. In the late 1950s Maharishi Mahesh Yogi -the man known as The Beatles’ spiritual guru - spread TM worldwide and there are now TM centres all over. 'Maharishi, now in his 90s, is still the chief executive of TM and is the most energetic and intelligent man I've ever met,' says Cunningham. GOOD VIBRATIONS 'Mantras - words that are repeated to oneself - have been selected for their positive and soothing vibratory qualities on the body and mind over thousands of years,' Cunningham continues. ... 'The mantras' vibratory qualities help the brain slip back into a more natural, less stressed and more integrated style of functioning.' In particular, the mantra is believed to activate the frontal lobes in the brain, which 'integrate everything you think, see, hear and do', he adds. 'Poorly functioning frontal lobes are associated with many forms of maladaptive behaviour, including stress and ADHD. When the lobes are "back online" during TM, the brain is able to function in a completely integrated way again. You're more in tune with yourself, and all your thoughts and behaviours are automatically healthier. They become less reactive and more proactive. So you no longer want to smoke, because your body is stress-free and doesn't need it, you think twice about mindless overeating, and you feel good about yourself regardless of circumstance.' Physically, TM is thought to help restore the body's systems of self-regulation. 'When your brain is stressed, all the regulatory systems of the body struggle,' says Cunningham, 'For instance, too much cortisol and adrenaline is produced in your body, speeding up metabolism and ageing your cells, When your brain is fully functioning, as it is with regular TM practice, your body's systems begin to work better. The level of cortisol drops dramatically and the health of your body improves.' TM involves sitting upright and closing your eyes for 20 minutes, twice daily, as you think of your mantra to help you reach that natural TM state. There are no special positions to adopt, no special equipment is necessary and, because it's silent, you can even do it in public. There's no set time in which you have to reach the transcendental state of mind, either. As Cunningham puts it: 'It can vary from person to person and time to time.' The only 'requirement' is to keep it effortless. 'If, for example, you were to focus on the mantra, it would block the health effects,' says Cunningham. However, to master TM correctly (as well as certain other' types at meditation), teachers say you need to attend a course. 'A TM course gives you a personal mantra to use, helps ensure the meditation is effortless and explains the theory, so you don't have to guess whether or not you're doing it correctly,' says Cunningham. A typical TM course lasts for 90 minutes on four consecutive days, then involves follow-up meetings after 10 days and each month for six months. There are hundreds of research papers on TM, and new ones are being published regularly in independent scientific publications. One study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience last year showed that the frontal lobes become more active during TM. But the most repeated finding in terms of health is the reduction of blood pressure. Other benefits found in studies include a decrease of the stress hormone cortisol, pain relief, a lower risk of heart disease, reduced dependence on cigarettes and alcohol, healthier ageing, better productivity at work and improved memory. 'US research has shown that when a group of people meditate, it benefits the whole community in areas such as the economy and crime rate,' says Cunningham. 'If one person is happy, it rubs off on other people.' It's also theorised that if 8,000 people gather to practise TM together, it can help achieve nothing less than world peace. A project of this nature is under way in the centre of India. A bit ambitious, perhaps, but with the positive research on TM so far, you never know! _____ Feature box: Sarah-Jane Quick runs her own business. Age: 46. "It's been a life-changing experience" Sarah-Jane says, 'When I started the TM course in 2002, I was leading a very stressful life. I worked long hours and suffered from insomnia, IBS, high blood pressure, awful PMT, asthma and depression. When I saw how TM had helped my mother - she radiated calm after a course - I decided to try it. 'It was incredibly simple to learn and hugely relaxing. I took to it straight away and was immediately able to shut out daily strains. A month after regular meditation sessions, I'd given up my 30-a-day smoking habit, without any withdrawal symptoms. Five months later, my blood pressure had decreased significantly without any medicine or extra exercise. I was also sleeping better, had fewer asthma attacks and found my IBS had eased. 'I no longer have PMT-related mood swings and panic attacks, or suffer from depression. Learning TM has been life changing. I'm able to make more informed decisions about my health, because I know what bliss feels like. I practise 20 minutes of TM twice a day and will continue for the rest of my life. I also do 10 minutes of yoga stretching and breathing beforehand. I try not to miss a TM session, but I'm no saint! I'm simply living better.' _____ © Healthy 2003