Mindfulness

Awareness of the stress put upon individuals in the workplace and in general has been brought to the surface over the past few years. This anxiety only heightened with the spread of the Covid-19 Pandemic. No matter the cause, this awareness is long overdue, and in many cases, the damage is irrevocable. This is evident in the number of people who have opted to resign and search for something more fulfilling.

One way to address this harmful effect stress and anxiety have on people is through the practice of mindfulness and meditation.

Mindfulness was “introduced” several years ago as a way to address anxiety and dissatisfaction with work-life balance as well as overall happiness. Corporations began having mindfulness sessions at work to address some of the dysfunctional behavior demonstrated in the workplace.

Job performance seemed to be at an all-time low, and employees felt undervalued. This dissatisfaction with career affected home life as well. Overall, that tension showed in output and performance.

Mental health had finally become a topic that was discussed in the open. Dealing with this level of stress and anxiety was essential to the survival of individuals and corporations. The challenge was to ensure the term mindfulness did not get overused and made irrelevant.

As crucial as addressing mental health concerns would be, the demand to continue performing well and meeting those metrics placed on everyone did not diminish. It was up to the individual to determine the best approach to achieve mindfulness and bring that positivity back into their lives.

So, what is mindfulness? Merriam-Webster defines mindfulness as “the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.” Overall, it brings a sense of balance and inward peace. Something we all strive to achieve.

Mindfulness, Meditation, Consciousness

Ultimately, achieving mindfulness will result in a deeper level of consciousness resulting in inner peace. The next step in reaching deeper consciousness is the practice of meditation. This is the direction corporations were leading their employees, introducing them to simple meditation instruction, and finding an app that would help with reducing the stress they were feeling in life and work.

Merriam-Webster defines meditation as: “ a discourse intended to express its author’s reflections or to guide others in contemplation.”

There are well over 2500 apps that focus on meditation. Yoga and meditation app development is a significant revenue source. If it helps bring peace to those who use the apps, the result is well worth it.

I am a firm believer in meditation and have been a practicing student of Transcendental Meditation (TM) for over 45 years. Although there are many other forms of meditation available, TM picked me! I will explain some of my reasons for learning and practicing TM a bit further down.

Why TM, and where did it come from?

Meditation, as a practice, has been around in some form or another for centuries and is typically associated with religion. TM is different in that it is not tied to any religion but is simply a method of finding a deeper consciousness, peace, and ultimately, total knowledge.

Maharishi’s fifty-three-year quest to bring peace and prosperity to every individual in every part of the world began in 1955 with the focus on meditation. Maharishi began to take his message on the road, initially in India and then, in 1958 he went international.

Unfortunately, meditation was considered unusual, only practiced in far-away countries by recluses and mystics. People who meditated or practiced Yoga in the West were considered strange or eccentric. While the system of meditation that Maharishi taught doesn’t involve a change in one’s belief system, it was viewed with skepticism in American society. Even with numerous scientific studies touting the benefits of TM, it was not widely accepted.

However, in 1967, TM received a boost when the Beatles first met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi during his teaching tour of the UK. Maharishi’s teachings were compelling enough for the Beatles to travel to India to study the practice of TM. There was plenty of hype around that event, and the press had a field day. However, the Beatles took it seriously and continued their practice of TM throughout their lives. Paul and Ringo still meditate daily. Paul continues to be vocal about the benefits of TM.

Many other celebrities are practicing TM regularly. One of those celebrities, David Lynch, established a Foundation to ensure any child who wanted to learn TM would have that opportunity. Lynch also pushed for TM to be offered to soldiers in an effort to address PTSD, and to the incarcerated to address violent crimes. His commitment to TM is widely known.

A list of famous people who practice TM can be found here.

Total Knowledge

Maharishi traveled the world teaching millions of people the TM technique. It was during a conference with leading scientists that Maharishi announced the creation of the Maharishi International University (MIU). Originally located in Santa Barbara, CA, the student population overwhelmed the small campus. With the help of private donors, MIU moved to a vacated university site in Fairfield, Iowa.

According to the official MIU website, the university is fully accredited and “known for its commitment to Consciousness-Based℠ education to unfold the vast creative potentials that often go unused in life, and to sustainability for life in harmony with natural law.”

The university continued to expand and transform, but is still dedicated to fulfilling the seven goals that Maharishi expressed more than three decades ago:

1. To develop the full potential of the individual
2. To realize the highest ideal of education
3. To improve governmental achievements
4. To solve the age-old problem of crime and all behavior that brings unhappiness to our world family
5. To bring fulfillment to the economic aspirations of individuals and society
6. To maximize the intelligent use of the environment
7. To achieve the spiritual goals of humanity in this generation

Learn more about MIU here.

First-Hand Experience

With all the studies that validate the benefits of TM, my personal experience was validation enough for me to continue my TM practice all these years.

Suffering from Cluster Headaches that began when I turned 18, I had visited a number of doctors with no help other than prescribing a myriad of drugs to dull the senses. Basically, because it was not a common affliction, many physicians had no clue what I was describing.

The TM teachers had visited the university and I attended one of the introductory sessions. The benefits sounded amazing and, if it would help me deal with the pain of the headaches, then I was all in. Working for a newspaper I did some digging and found so many positive attributes along with validated studies, I would give it a chance.

After three overdoses from the prescribed drugs, I took the next step in learning TM.

Every TM student attended two group meetings and then a one-on-one session where you were given your personalized mantra. Never to say it out loud and never to share. The mantra is a sound and nothing that can be spelled or researched.

My first meditation after receiving my mantra was an amazing experience. I am not sure I had ever felt that kind of peace. All my meditations bring some clarity to my life.

Although the act of meditating did not rid me of my cluster headaches, it helped me survive the pain. I am confident that if my cluster headaches were an issue for me today, there would be a Vedic herb mix that would address that affliction. My cluster headaches ended when I turned 50.

Meditation is a tool to help us deal with the stress and anxiety of life. TM takes that to a much deeper level.

The Science of Being and Art of Living

If you wish to learn more about TM, there are several books available and multiple websites, but one of the books that will give you greater insight is “The Science of Being and Art of Living.” Details are below.

Published by Maharishi in 1963, “The Science of Being and Art of Living” is the summation of both the practical wisdom of integrated life advance by the Vedic Rishis of ancient India and the growth of scientific thinking in the present-day western world.

“It presents a philosophy of life in fulfillment and brings forth a practice suitable for all men everywhere in the world to glorify all aspects of their day-to-day life. It deals with the fundamentals of all problems of life and suggests one sure cure to eradicate all sufferings.”

“This book presents a practical thesis of integrated life which has long been the abstract goal of the various sciences, religions, and metaphysical thought groups. This thesis will enable all men to harmonise their inner spiritual content with the glories of the outer material life and find their God within themselves.”[1]

In this course, Dr. Morris shows how, in the Science of Being and Art of Living, Maharishi presents the Science of Being as the systematic investigation into the ultimate reality of the universe. Like other sciences, it begins its investigation from the gross, obvious level of life, then delving more deeply into the subtle levels of the experience of Nature, ultimately transcending the subtle regions, and reaching the transcendental field of eternal Being.

The Science of Being, applied to our lives through the technique of Transcendental Meditation, provides us with the Art of Living — thinking, speaking, acting, and behaving well established at the level of pure Being. Experiencing pure Being twice daily through Transcendental Meditation, any individual in any nation can rise to enjoy higher states of consciousness, in which human life becomes filled with peace and joy, is vibrant with the infinite creative intelligence of being, and enjoys the support of the almighty power of Nature, the infinite organising power of Natural Law.

[1]From Maharishi’s Introduction.