Meet Linda.
Whether you are thinking of learning Transcendental Meditation, are a new meditator or have been doing TM for decades, questions about meditation come up. How does TM differ from other forms of meditation? What effect does it have on the body and mind? How will I fit it into my day? What are the origins of meditation?
Wherever you are in your journey, Linda and her team of experts are here to answer your questions about the Transcendental Meditation technique—whatever they may be.
Submit your question to Linda at infocanada@tm-women.org. Put Ask Linda in the subject line. Not all questions will be published but all will be answered. It’s also fun to read other people’s questions and answers.
It can be frustrating to fall off your self-care routine, but starting TM again is easy. If you still remember your personal instruction, you can start again today, first thing in the morning before breakfast, or this afternoon before dinner. For these first sessions after a long break, it’s probably a good idea to secure a private and quiet place. Sit in a comfortable chair and close your eyes. After that, take it as it comes. Remember—it’s an effortless and natural technique. If you’re not sure you remember how to meditate properly, no worries. You can schedule a free checking session at your local TM Centre. In a private session, a trained teacher will take you through the correct procedure of Transcendental Meditation and soon you’ll be transcending on your own. Most people find these personal checkingsto be a valuable way to brush up on the fine points of their practice, so I’d highly recommend scheduling one even if you remember how to meditate. You also could inquire about a TM refresher course at your TM Centre. Usually this takes place on a weekend and is a complete review of the three sessions that you attended after your initial instruction. This is also free of charge—a benefit for all TM practitionersto refresh, recharge and renew your practice. Once you’re comfortable with the procedure of meditation again, you’ll want to pencil in the time to do it on a regular basis. Remember that you can meditate on the subway, in the library, or on a park bench—anywhere where you can sit in a comfortable place and close your eyes. Stay motivated by taking note of the personal rewards—the renewed energy at the end of the day, the way you cruise through meetings that used to cause you stress. And give yourself shout-out for taking the time for the in ultimate Self-care.
read moreHow can I fit TM into my schedule when I leave the house at 7:00 in the morning for work and don’t return until 7:15 at night? I am a thirty-seven-year-old woman who works at a downtown bank in Toronto. I drop off my daughters in daycare at 7:00 am and rush to grab the TTC [the public bus service in Toronto]. I get to my desk by 8:30 and usually finish work by 6 pm. My husband picks up the kids, but I don’t get home until 7:15 pm to cook dinner, bathe the girls and do some last minute emails before bed. How can I possibly find time to practispracticee TM twice a day? That is a daunting schedule for sure. And I know many working moms are facing an equally impossible daily routine. Thankfully, one great feature of TM is that it’s completely portable—you can meditate wherever you are, whether on a bus, a subway, in your office or in a downtown park. For instance, if your morning and evening bus rides are at least 20 minutes long, that gives you a perfect time to sit down, close your eyes, and experience peace within. It doesn’t have to be quiet outside—once you start the inner transcending process of TM it happens automatically, and noise is not a problem. In any case there are creative ways to make it work, and you could meet with your TM teacher to brainstorm how to fit TM into your particular schedule. If you arrive early to your office, for instance, you could lock the door, pull the shades and close your eyes for 20 minutes of inner calm to get the best possible start to your day. Or if there’s a chapel nearby, you could slip in there during a break or before lunch. One woman I know actually found a quiet, clean closet to meditate in during breaks on the job! And Jerry Seinfeld famously practised TM on his lunch hour during the years he was writing, directing and acting in his hit TV show, Seinfeld. It also may help to think about the situation differently—most women who practise the TM technique confide that it actually adds time to their days, because they are thinking more clearly and managing their time more efficiently. Gizelle Bundchen, who juggles her roles as super model, mother of two and wife of NFL star Tom Brady, has practised TM since her 20s and says, “Meditation provides me space to re-balance and re-focus when things are at their busiest.”
read moreI learned TM many years ago, but I never practiced after the course was over. A few friends have recently shared their beautiful experiences and I would like to relearn. How do I do that? I do not want to go back to my original teacher, as I didn’t enjoy the session. Also, do you ever do retreats? First of all, I’m sorry that your initial instruction in TM did not satisfy you. The good news is that you can contact your local TM Centre and get up to speed again without extra cost. And certainly, you can request a different teacher this time. There are several options for getting back on track. Since you’ve already been instructed, the first step is to schedule a meditation check-up. This is conducted in a personal session with a TM teacher, who will guide you step-by-step in the effortless procedure of Transcendental Meditation. This is not an intellectual process—the point of the checking is to have the direct experience of transcending, which many people describe as “peaceful,” “calm,” or “like taking a bath in bliss.” Once your meditation practise is in place, you’ll probably want to enroll in a refresher course, which basically means reviewingthe three group sessions that you attended after your initial instruction. You’ll hear presentations by qualified TMteachers on the subtle mechanics and goals of meditation—and you can ask personal questions based on your continued practise at home. You’ll also be able to join ingroup meditation as part of the refresher course. I’m glad you also asked about TM retreats. These are usually conducted in a quiet resort area and are a chance to let go of email, texts and obligations for a weekend of rejuvenatingrestand new knowledge. Many people find that TM retreats are a pivotal point in their growth to higher states of human development. There is nothing quite as life-changingas a weekend of deep, extendedmeditationin the company of friends.
read moreI have a problem with weight gain. Will sitting to meditate twice a day make me put on the pounds? This is a really good question, since many women struggle with unwanted weight gain. Let’s start off by clarifying that Transcendental Meditation—even though it involves sitting—has been shown in over 600 peer-reviewed studies to be beneficial to health. As just one example, three months of TM practise results in significantly lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and other cardiovascular risk factors, as shown in research conducted by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). It turns out that stress is directly correlated with weight gain—and TM has been shown to significantly reduce stress in a multitude of studies. According Dr. Pam Peeke, NIH researcher on food addiction and author of The Hunger Fix, when our brains are overloaded with stress, the prefrontal cortex shuts down. TM does the opposite—it strengthens the prefrontal cortex to be resilient against stress. TM also boosts the happiness hormone serotonin and gives a huge energy boost. All of that adds up to the ability to say “no” to junk food and “yes” to exercise and healthy meals. After all, it’s when we’re tired and stressed that we tend to reach for the chocolate and collapse on the couch instead of rocking it at the gym. Dr. Peeke wrote, “I found that TM practise had a profound influence on the ability to maintain vigilance and calm. It also helped people do the one thing that is so difficult in [food] addiction—to adapt to life’s stresses without resorting to self-destruction. TM helps them stay on track by augmenting the pre-frontal cortex.” In other words, practising the Transcendental Meditation technique twice a day provides the mental, physical and emotional balance we need to stay healthy and maintain a normal weight despite the demands of our busy lives. Watch Dr. Pam Peeke Talk About Stress Reduction through Transcendental Meditation
read moreThe short answer is no. You can meditate in a dress with nylon stockings and high heels on, and it will work just fine. The longer answer is if you have a choice, it’s nice to feel comfortable. Many women enjoy meditating in yoga clothes or sweatpants at home. But no need to get hung up on what you’re wearing. If you’re at the office and your only chance to meditate before meeting your date at the theatre, that little black business dress that doubles for a night out won’t stop you from transcending. You sit down, start your meditation, and your mind automatically settles down while your breath slows and your heartbeat normalizes. It’s an automatic transcending experience. All the stress of the day leaves you like a giant sigh. That’s what Transcendental Meditation is all about—and it all happens on the inside, regardless of what you’re wearing.
read moreIt might seem like the last thing your energetic daughter could do is sit to meditate for ten minutes twice a day, yet TM has been found to help kids just like your daughter. In one school for ADHD children in Washington, D.C., the parents, teachers and children were skeptical that TM could help. Yet when the children were taught the Transcendental Meditation technique, they found out they could not only sit still with their eyes closed twice a day, but practicing TM made them feel calmer and more focused in class. When the kids were asked, “How do you feel after meditating?” here’s what they said: “I feel much less stressed, and I feel more relaxed.” “I feel more organized. I can do my homework better. My parents don’t need to help me.” “Before I started meditating, if I was walking in the hallway and if another middle school kid bumped into me, I’d turn around and hit him. Now that I’ve been meditating for three months, if somebody bumps into me, I stop and think, “Should I hit him or not?” Previous research has found that TM helps reduce stress and anxiety, and thus improves focus, attention and behavior. More recent studies show that TM has a similar effect on ADHD children 11-14 years old. “In a sense,” lead researcher Dr. Fred Travis said, “the repeated experience of the Transcendental Meditation technique trains the brain to function in a style opposite to that of ADHD.” From these studies, it looks like starting TM could be a big game-changer for your daughter. It would be great if you learned TM at the same time and could practice it together—a truly bonding experience for any family. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmdVrBngvs4
read moreLife is busy—and even the thought of fitting in a daily meditation practice can be daunting. The beauty of the TM technique is that you can practise it anywhere you can sit down, close your eyes and transcend the chatter of your mind. It doesn’t have to be quiet (although that is nice). You don’t have to travel to a specific place across town to practice like you do for yoga classes. In fact, you could do your TM while you’re traveling to yoga class! I’ve meditated on trains, planes and subways, on park benches, doctor’s offices and on the beach. Some people can lock their office door and meditate undisturbed for 20 minutes at work. I know a consultant who would find a quiet closet between meetings to catch up on her TM. She’d come out rested and fresh just when everyone else was fading. Needless to say, she was good at clinching a deal. Of course, you can’t meditate while driving. And meditating in the sauna—relaxing as it sounds—could be dangerous if you nodded off. Also, there are metabolic changes taking place in your body while you meditate, as shown by research studies, so probably better not to mix them with the metabolic changes taking place while your body sweats it out in the sauna. Before or after the sauna is a great time to practise TM.
read moreThis is an important question as the Transcendental Meditation technique does involve the use of a mantra. One definition is a sound, or frequency, that has beneficial effects on the mind and body. We all know that some sounds are not so healing, such as heavy metal music, which has been shown in research to actually make plants wilt. Maybe you’ve heard of a mantra or even tried one. What is the difference between repeating a random mantra and the TM technique? First of all, your TM teacher has been trained to choose the right mantra for you—the specific sound that will resonate with your specific mind and body. Second, when you learn TM from a certified teacher, you will not only receive your mantra, but you will be taught exactly how to use it to settle your mind and experience the silent depths within. This private, one-on-one instruction in the subtleties of meditation is at the heart of the TM technique. Unlike other meditation types, Transcendental Meditation is not about concentrating on or repeating a mantra. Rather, you are taught to use the mantra as a vehicle to go beyond thought and experience the hidden reservoir of peace, intelligence and bliss that resides within us all.
read moreHow can I fit TM into my schedule when I leave the house at 7:00 in the morning for work and don’t return until 7:15 at night? I am a thirty-seven-year-old woman who works at a downtown bank in Toronto. I drop off my daughters in daycare at 7:00 am and rush to grab the TTC [the public bus service in Toronto]. I get to my desk by 8:30 and usually finish work by 6 pm. My husband picks up the kids, but I don’t get home until 7:15 pm to cook dinner, bathe the girls and do some last minute emails before bed. How can I possibly find time to practispracticee TM twice a day? That is a daunting schedule for sure. And I know many working moms are facing an equally impossible daily routine. Thankfully, one great feature of TM is that it’s completely portable—you can meditate wherever you are, whether on a bus, a subway, in your office or in a downtown park. For instance, if your morning and evening bus rides are at least 20 minutes long, that gives you a perfect time to sit down, close your eyes, and experience peace within. It doesn’t have to be quiet outside—once you start the inner transcending process of TM it happens automatically, and noise is not a problem. In any case there are creative ways to make it work, and you could meet with your TM teacher to brainstorm how to fit TM into your particular schedule. If you arrive early to your office, for instance, you could lock the door, pull the shades and close your eyes for 20 minutes of inner calm to get the best possible start to your day. Or if there’s a chapel nearby, you could slip in there during a break or before lunch. One woman I know actually found a quiet, clean closet to meditate in during breaks on the job! And Jerry Seinfeld famously practised TM on his lunch hour during the years he was writing, directing and acting in his hit TV show, Seinfeld. It also may help to think about the situation differently—most women who practise the TM technique confide that it actually adds time to their days, because they are thinking more clearly and managing their time more efficiently. Gizelle Bundchen, who juggles her roles as super model, mother of two and wife of NFL star Tom Brady, has practised TM since her 20s and says, “Meditation provides me space to re-balance and re-focus when things are at their busiest.”
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“Transcendental Meditation has opened up a new world of good health and well-being for me. I am so much more in control of my life and realise that there is something I can do to reduce my stress levels and feel more relaxed. It is such a blessing—I am grateful to have found it.”
—Aisling Drury-Byrne, Musician
“The experience of TM is deeper than any level of relaxation you’ve ever experienced. And yet, your mind is awake inside and you’re not asleep.”
—Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation
“Transcendental Meditation gives you what you need, when you need it. It’s literally changed my life. Some of the clearest ideas or epiphanies I’ve had in life happened during or after meditating. Everything becomes clear and the truth starts coming out.”
—Hugh Jackman
“I believe that intuition is a gift of all human beings and meditation is something that could really facilitate that strengthening of intuition. I believe that if everyone were to meditate — and I strongly believe that everyone should — that the world would be a better place. . .”
—Krista Kim, artist and founder of Techism