meditation

It is not difficult to learn transcendental meditation. If you are looking to escape from the whirlwind of ringing cell phones
traffic snarls and screaming kids
transcendental meditation can provide a peaceful getaway from the craziness of everyday life.

In 1958
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi formally introduced his transcendental meditation technique. Since then
he has written several books
lectured and toured extensively all over the world and trained over 40
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teachers. Transcendental meditation is now practiced in the workplace
at home and in medical settings. In addition
doctors and health professionals are increasingly prescribing transcendental meditation as means of combating anxiety disorders and stress.

You may be wondering what is transcendental meditation and what makes it different from other forms of meditation? One of the most exciting elements of the transcendental meditation technique is that it so simple and easy to practice. With the right focus and dedication
you can learn transcendental meditation in a matter of moments.

Basically
during the meditation session
your body enters a deep and peaceful state of relaxation
while maintaining alertness and clarity. First
the person chooses a word or image to focus on
perhaps a religious or cultural symbol that has special meaning. As the person replays this word or image over and over
the body descends into a deeper and deeper state of restfulness. The session can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour and should take place in a calm and relaxed setting
with minimal noise and distractions.

No other meditation technique has been so extensively studied and researched. During transcendental meditation
the brain falls into a theta brain wave pattern (akin to sleep and deep relaxation)
which then carries over to the state of wakefulness. Physical benefits include increased mental comprehension
focus
retention and creativity. Another interesting benefit is the actual reversal of the aging process. In a study conducted by the International Journal of Neuroscience
the biological age of practitioners of transcendental meditation was
on average
twelve years younger than their chronological age. Transcendental meditation also has positive effects on age and stress related conditions such as insomnia
high blood pressure
decreased visual acuity
hearing loss and depressed cerebral blood flow.

It is interesting to note that adherents from all religions choose to learn transcendental meditation. Although it has roots in Hinduism
the transcendental meditation technique can be applied to any cultural context. In fact
those who learn transcendental meditation are encouraged to adapt symbols that have meaning and depth for the individual. For example
a rabbi may choose to focus on a symbol or image rooted in Judaism to enhance the effectiveness of the session. In contrast
an agnostic may choose an image from nature such as a beautiful meadow or sunset to achieve relaxation. The beauty of transcendental meditation is its flexibility.
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