The History and Benefits of Transcendental Meditation

A relatively new type of practice, transcendental meditation teaches individuals how to avoid distracting thoughts and enter into a state of calm and abiding awareness. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who derived the practice from the deep study of the Indian Vedas and the traditions that surround them, brought the practice to the United States in the 1960s. Since his passing, several other teachers have arisen to provide instruction in the practice in areas around the country. The teachers generally supply their students with a mantra, a sound from the Vedic tradition that has no meaning. Practitioners silently repeat the mantra while seated in a comfortable position with their eyes closed. Individuals direct their attention to the mantra during the practice.

Transcendental meditation has been linked to a reduction in chronic pain, anxiety, cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Several studies have demonstrated these connections, although scientific debate persists. Devoted practitioners achieve a state of stillness and stability that is free from normal mental boundaries. This peacefulness often has a direct effect on an individual’s quality of life.

Dr. David F. O’Connell Encourages Medical Meditation with New Book

Dr. David F. O’Connell, a distinguished licensed psychologist, will soon release his new book, Prescribing Health: Transcendental Meditation in Contemporary Medical Care. In the book, Dr. O’Connell encourages physicians in a wide range of fields to recommend meditation as part of their patients’ treatment plans. He explores the health benefits of regular meditation practice for a number of serious and chronic physical and psychological health problems.

The motivation for writing this book came from a supposition that most people still do not believe that real health benefits, including the more effective management or treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, hypertension, and various addictions, can be derived from regular meditation. Dr. O’Connell has already published two books about the role of meditation in the treatment of addictions.

The book specifically addresses transcendental meditation, a form developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s. During the following decade, Dr. O’Connell encountered transcendental meditation, which has since had a major impact on his life. In this form of meditation, individuals focus on a mantra to invoke refined states of awareness.

How Mindfulness Meditation Can Help American Students

Based in Emeryville, California, Mindful Schools has trained more than 2,000 teachers from 48 states on implementing mindfulness practices into their daily classroom routines. The teachers often report that mindfulness helps with focus and attention. Additionally, meditation provides children with tools to relax themselves when they experience overwhelming emotions or are exposed to a great deal of pressure. In modern American schools, children deal with the stress of tests and standardized exams, which can create a high-pressure environment. Mindfulness allows more children to flourish in these environments.

In recent history, schools across the nation have begun to focus more on social and emotional education, especially as issues such as bullying have made major headlines. An increasing number of teachers are discovering mindfulness meditation as one of the best means for tackling this new sort of education.

Mindfulness in American schools also helps adults to deal with the stress of teaching. Teachers cannot instruct their students on mindfulness meditation unless they themselves have a developed practice. Such a practice could ultimately make them better teachers as they handle pressure and frustration more constructively.

The Origins of Vipassana Meditation Practice

The oldest form of Buddhist meditation, Vipassana derives from the Satipatthana Sutta, an ancient text that is traditionally attributed to Shakyamuni. Through Vipassana, practitioners cultivate mindfulness, an abiding awareness of the present. Students spend years practicing this form of meditation, during which time they generally examine various aspects of their existence, such as their hardwired reactions and emotional sensitivities. Ideally, practitioners become more receptive to the basic experiences of life and begin to pay attention to their thoughts and feelings without becoming lost in them.

Mindfulness leads to a greater understanding of the self. Individuals project an ego image. Through mindfulness, they begin to realize who they really are beneath that projected image.

At its heart, Vipassana meditation teaches individuals how to fully pay attention without any divided attention. While this may sound simple, it is far from easy. In reality, people pay very little attention to daily experiences. Instead, they devote their attention to reminiscing about the past or planning for the future. Without focused energy, people rarely pay complete attention to the present.

Why a Number of Executives Are Turning to Meditation

Billionaires like Paul Tudor Jones, Ray Dalio, and Daniel Loeb start their days by sitting on a meditation cushion. In fact, a number of the most successful executives on Wall Street and beyond have embraced meditation. Ray Dalio, who has practiced meditation for more than 40 years, attributes much of his success to the discipline. Just as exercise trains his body, he explains, meditation trains his mind and prepares him to make the best business decisions possible.

Bloomberg reports that meditation classes at Goldman Sachs have waiting lists with hundreds of names. Today, many budding business professionals see meditation as a competitive edge that is integral to their future success.

Much of meditation’s popularity derives from recent studies published on how meditation actually affects the brain and body. A study from the International College in Thailand released this year showed that people who meditate better cope with job-related stress and experience lower rates of burnout. Similarly, a study from the University of Amsterdam connected meditation practice to improved creative performance and greater attention to detail.

The Growing Role of Mindfulness Meditation in Sports Medicine

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In recent years, mindfulness meditation and its role in physical fitness has become a hot topic among sports medicine experts. Living in the present remains a critical aspect of an athlete’s focus and peak performance. Since meditation develops this skill, an increasing number of athletes are discovering the benefits of this practice.

A study recently appeared in Psychological Science that demonstrated the efficacy of 15 minutes of focused breathing and meditation in helping athletes make better choices while performing.

Beyond the sports field, meditation may even help individuals exercise more effectively. Athletes and non-athletes alike often avoid exercise because they feel that it is boring. By learning how to focus on the present, exercisers gain the ability to overcome boredom and pay closer attention to their bodies as they exercise.

Jessica Matthews, a fitness consultant to the American Council on Exercise, has explained how exercise may reduce stress, but finding time to work out can actually increase stress. Meditation helps people focus on the present and increase productivity. Instead of wasting time planning for the future or remembering the past, individuals can concentrate on the task at hand and more effectively manage time. As a result, meditation may help individuals exercise more regularly and effectively.

Get the Most Out of Your Half Moon Pose

A challenging pose, “ardha chandrasana,” or half moon, tests balance, strength, and patience. If you are just starting to incorporate this pose into your practice, consider this advice:

Think of the process as an “unfurling.” Enter the pose by first grounding in the forward foot and gently kicking the back foot up as you lean forward. If your right foot is forward, place your right finger tips on the ground or on a block and bring your left hand to your left hip. Once you have your balance here, slowly begin the unfurling process by opening the left hip and side body to the left. If you’re still stable here, raise the left hand toward the sky, balance again, and then lift the gaze.

Be kind to yourself. Even some yogis who have been practicing half moon for years can’t tilt right into half moon with their arm raised and their eyes looking skyward. As you move through the “unfurling” process, be patient with yourself, especially if your balance is not on par with an earlier practice; instead, simply accept where you are and soak up the strengthening and clarifying benefits of this pose.

Channel your energy. No matter where you are in your half moon practice, you can appreciate the beautiful feeling of suspension that this pose provides. Visualize drawing energy up through the roots of your grounded foot and fingers. Eventually, as you’re able to lift the hand and the gaze, you can send that energy skyward, allowing your body to serve as an energy rod.