Mum "healed" by Transcendental Meditation Parenting magazine, June 2009 Helle Pettersen says Transcendental Meditation has helped her be a better parent to her daughter Josephine, and cope better with stress. Husband Morten agrees. "Becoming a mum is the best thing that ever happened to me," says Helle. "But when my three-and-a-half year old daughter said: 'Mum, you are not happy' I began to think: 'Oh-ooh. This is not good! She has realised there is something wrong.' But now, I am glad to say, she knows I am happy." Helle is a theatre nurse in a cardiac hospital – a very stressful job. And she's studying part-time to become an anaesthetics nurse. With husband Morten and daughter Josephine, Helle lives a very active life, doing sport, going to the gym, swimming, and using weekends to get out and go places. "I am a doing machine!" she says. With being a parent too, life has been demanding. And then there is Helle's mother, who has been chronically ill for many years, and her brother, diagnosed at the age of 30 as having ADHD, who has a criminal history. He was in court when Helle last returned with her family to Denmark. The emotional stress was more than Helle could take. Then, quite by chance, she saw a programme on TV about Transcendental Meditation. She recalls: "After hearing the benefits that people got after starting Transcendental Meditation, I felt 'Wow! That's what I want!'" Certain benefits really struck a chord with Helle: the ability to make decisions more easily, improved focus, and above all, peace of mind. She was in no doubt that she wanted to start as soon as possible. Morten was sympathetic and supportive to the idea. A few weeks later she had completed a course of instruction with Anna, a certified teacher of Transcendental Meditation in London. An effortless mental technique introduced to the world 50 years ago by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Transcendental Meditation is practised for 20 minutes twice daily, sitting quietly with eyes closed. A children's version is taught to under-10s. It is not mind control, philosophy, or prayer: just a simple technique that provides a special quality of deep rest to mind and body. It does not require belief and can even be done successfully in a noisy environment, when necessary. "Those 20 minutes of silence were the quietest I had been for a long, long time. I felt I got in touch with my self, that inner peace, that person I am," Helle says. "That was great. Now, as a parent, I am much more focused, calm, with better resources to give more, and can be more present for my daughter – calm, not stressed." Learning to meditate gave her a break from all the emotional stress that had preoccupied her every waking minute. "I remember the first times I meditated," she reflects, "I couldn't close my eyes without my mother or brother coming to mind. But after a while there was quietness, just silence." One major difference Helle noticed in her relationship with Josephine is that, since learning TM, it has been easier to say "No". In the past, when Josephine tried to get her way – like saying she was hungry straight after dinner to avoid going to bed, or insisting on the way to nursery that she wanted to do something else – rather than have a conflict with her, Helle would give in. "I felt so weak," she recalls. "After learning Transcendental Meditation and getting stronger, and also doing other things to change myself, I feel much more able to set boundaries and to give direction and structure. I just feel more content and complete as a parent." Morten also says he sees benefit when Helle meditates regularly: she doesn't get stressed so much and is more giving and helpful. Helle does miss out her meditation some days, but when she does, she remembers what it feels like to be "all over the place" and thinks: "I need to meditate!" "Through Transcendental Meditation I got myself together," Helle states. "I am a more whole person. I feel healed from all the emotional stress. What I really feel with Transcendental Meditation is: I feel healed." At work, Helle feels she is now very calm and relaxed, with a fresh mind. "All the stress does not get to me. I see how all my colleagues are stressed and think: 'That's how I used to be!' I can enjoy my job now even though it is very stressful." Asked what she would say to anyone who was not sure whether or not to try Transcendental Meditation themselves, Helle says: "Visit the websites and see the testimonials. A good one to start with is www.t-m.org.uk."