Don’t Worry, Be Happy

It is natural for us to worry. It is a sign we deeply care about something or someone. But if we start to worry so much that it paralyzes us or makes us feel bad, then it can become counterproductive. At that point, it can be helpful to have a technique to relax and reduce our stress levels so we can think in a more clear and balanced way again.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is the most practiced (6 million practitioners), most widely researched (600 studies), and, according to the research, the most effective meditation technique in the world to reduce stress and anxiety.

Many celebrities that practice Transcendental Meditation comment that the technique helps them.

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  ‘I have a lot of anxiety. This changes everything. It just calms you down. It really helps.’
  Ellen DeGeneres, Talkshow host

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  ‘I had a lot of people say to me, ‘what do you do to stay calm and collected?’ So I found this lady, she taught me TM, and I love it. I started to see such a difference.’
  Kendall Jenner, model & TV personality

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  ‘It’s helped a lot with my anxiety. Instead of having to turn to prescription [medication], I’ve been able to turn to this.’
  Katy Perry, Singer

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Stress disappears…and lives change.

Life is supposed to be better if we can “be in the moment” and “enjoy the here and now”. However, past stressful experiences can draw our attention away from the present to pain from the past or worries for the future. As long as the underlying stress is there, it is difficult to avoid this negative influence.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is the most practiced (6 million practitioners), most widely researched (600 studies), and, according to the research, the most effective meditation technique in the world to reduce stress. This allows us to gradually leave more and more of our baggage from the past behind so we can enjoy the here and now to the fullest.

Many celebrities that practice Transcendental Meditation comment that the technique helps them.

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  It centers you. Your stress levels are just down and you find yourself interacting in the world much easier and better, in a calmer way, and there is just a peaceful joy that comes over you.
  Jennifer Aniston, actress

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  ‘I’m a great supporter of Transcendental Meditation. I’ve been using it for almost 40 years now. It’s a great tool for stress […] and a great system to use for life in general.’
  Clint Eastwood, actor

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  ‘It calms you down. It helps you find that peaceful place inside yourself so whenever your life is going a bit crazy, it just reminds you to be really centered.’
  Heather Graham, actress

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Rest – a foundation for success

Up to 45% of the population is affected by insomnia in a given year and 10-30% on any given day. And if we don’t get enough rest, our body gets out of balance and this has long term health implications. Some of the main causes of insomnia are stress, anxiety and depression. And not sleeping enough in turn makes stress, anxiety and depression worse. So this creates a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape for many people.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is the most practiced (6 million practitioners), most widely researched (600 studies), and, according to the research, the most relaxing technique in the world. The technique very quickly creates deep rest, which helps the body to get back into a state of balance.

Many celebrities that practice Transcendental Meditation comment that the technique helps to get deep rest and sleep better at night.

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  ‘It’s been fantastic. People that used to have migraines don’t, people are sleeping better, people have better relationships.’
  Oprah offered Transcendental Meditation to everybody working for her

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  ‘It was like a week’s worth of sleep.’
  Liv Tyler, Actress

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  “I had terrible insomnia, and about a year ago I started doing TM. After four days of doing TM I could suddenly sleep.”
  Lo Bosworth Actress/Author

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In this old video, you can see a programme on Canadian National Television where Maharishi explains in more detail what exactly TM is.

The generally accepted wisdom about meditation was that it was a way for the mind to come to inner silence, and that this was achieved by forcing the mind to rest, usually through a form of concentration on a word, a sound, or a visual point, or through visualisation techniques. The mind soon gets bored with this and will want to go somewhere else, but we will tell it: “no, stay here, stay focused”. At some point the mind will grow so tired from all the effort from that concentration, that it will check out. At that point one may (possibly) find deeper experiences, although usually the mind is so tired that the experiences will hardly ever be very clear.

This process requires a lot of effort and discipline, and the general wisdom therefore is that only monks that can afford to spend many hours each day on meditation, could ever hope to get such “higher” experiences. This was how a point was reached where an experience that was described on many occasions throughout time in the most incredible terms, actually turned out to have very little practical use in every day life, as it was so difficult to achieve that experience.

But at a certain time in 1955 someone arrived from the Himalaya’s in India with a wholly different interpretation of meditation. This was a young scientist who, after his studies in Western science, had spent 13 years with one of the most important Vedic teachers of his time, and had learned what meditation should actually be like.

From these studies with his master and from his own experiences, the young student learned that the mind should not be forced to come to inner silence. It is the most pleasant experience available for the spirit, the ability to come “home”, and discover its own infinite power. From its own nature the mind is drawn to a feeling of happiness. Wherever we look for happiness, in a relationship, a bigger house or a better position at work, the ultimate driver for all that we do is to be happy. The mind’s true nature, its home, is a reality of pure happiness, and the mind will therefore automatically want to go there, whenever it gets the chance. To force the mind to go there is counter-productive. The only way to experience this inner reality efficiently, is when this process comes naturally. We merely need to point the mind in the right direction, and can then let it do its thing.

This natural process is what the young scientist structured into a technique that he called “Transcendental Meditation”. To transcend literally means to “surpass”. It’s a process of surpassing the finest level of thought into a state of a total silence. He obtained the technique from his master and it was thanks to his (western) scientific mindset that he was able to analyse and structure it in a manner that allowed it to be taught as a technique that anyone can practice at home. Nevertheless he always insisted for the technique to be taught in the name of his master, and not in his own.

The young student later was awarded the title “Maharishi”, which means “great visionary” in Sanskrit. His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was his full title.

Maharishi’s biggest contribution only came later, once he succeeded in not just structuring the technique, but also in structuring the teachers’ education to enable them to teach the Transcendental Meditation technique correctly. The only reason why this natural technique was lost, was the lack of available teachers who knew how to teach real meditation. History showed that it was difficult to teach the technique perfectly so that the practice was fully natural and effortless, otherwise the technique would have never been lost. The natural experience is very subtle and personal, and requires a careful guidance of a teacher with the requisite experience (and this is why TM cannot be learned from a book). The education to become a Transcendental Meditation teacher requires a full-time course of almost 6 months. Maharishi has taught more than 40.000 TM teachers around the world. This education has proven successful, as evidenced by all the research and the experiences of more than 6 million people that have already learned the technique. The TM technique is easy to learn, pleasant to practice and has an evolutionary influence on all areas of life, because it goes to the source of all life. This is what real meditation should be like, much more than just relaxation. It should be returning to oneself, and discovering one’s true nature.

Over the 50 years Maharishi was focused on this, till he passed away in 2008, he has revived numerous other methods from the Vedic scriptures (one of the oldest traditions in the world) to bring us back in touch with ourselves, and has brought this to the attention of the world, such as Ayurveda.

In 2000 he established a global organisation to make all this knowledge and the technique more available. The Global Country of World peace is a not-for-profit organisation with the objective to better the world. The leader of this organisation, and Maharishi’s successor, is Dr. Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., M.A.A.R., a Medical Doctor trained at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D. in neuroscience) and Harvard University, and a globally recognised Vedic scholar. He did fundamental research around the connection between consciousness and the human physiology and how it all relates to the Vedic knowledge.

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How do I learn Transcendental Meditation?

Anyone can learn Transcendental Meditation. It is easy and enjoyable to practice and gives immediate results.

Transcendental Meditation is taught according to ancient methods that naturally allow the mind to experience the most fulfilling state in its own true nature. There is no need for a long period of practice, because the process is natural and intuitive. This means that anyone can learn TM, regardless of cultural, religious or educational background, and the results are usually noticed immediately. (See what we mean by “immediate results.”) Twenty minutes twice a day is enough to produce the desired effects.

Personal guidance is necessary.

Every person is unique, and therefore the experience of meditation is different for every individual. This is why the personal guidance of a trained Transcendental Meditation teacher is necessary. When meditation is taught in a correct, personalized way, the process develops naturally and effortlessly, and only then can the greatest effects be obtained.

Once you have learned this perfectly natural technique, you can practice it on your own, but whenever any additional guidance is needed, it is available free of charge from any TM center in the world. The need for further guidance differs from person to person, but the important point is that the guidance is always available.

TM Course Phase 1: Learning the technique

Learning Transcendental Meditation happens in 7 steps, spread over 4-5 sessions of about 2 hours over 4-5 consecutive days.

1. Introduction seminar: An overview of the long-term effects of TM practice. All the information you need to decide whether you want to learn the TM technique, including question and answer session. (Free/without obligation 1 1/2 hours).

2. Preparatory lecture: More details about the exact mechanics of the Transcendental Meditation technique in preparation for learning (30 min). Usually the preparatory lecture is given on the same evening as the introduction seminar.

3. Personal interview: Individual meeting with your TM teacher and the opportunity to discuss private questions (10-15 min).

4. Personal instruction: The actual instruction in the Transcendental Meditation technique. (1 1/2 hours)

5-7. Three follow-up sessions: Verification of the correct practice of the TM technique and acquiring more knowledge, based on the growing experiences of meditation (2 hours per session, on 3 consecutive days after personal instuction)

TM Course Phase 2: Follow-up

The follow-up is optional but recommended. Life-long follow-up, whenever necessary, is included in the course fee.

Transcendental Meditation is a do-it-yourself technique, and therefore the follow-up is entirely without obligation. However, the general experience is that the results are better if you are regularly making use of the follow-up program. (see the importance of regular follow-up)

First 6 months: A bi-weekly to monthly follow-up is recommended to verify the correctness of the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique and to gain more knowledge about its effects.

Weekend residence course: We dive deep into the practice of meditation, and will meditate far more than we normally do at home, together with other TM participants and under strict guidance of a trained teacher. This gives deeper knowledge, deeper experience, and greater appreciation of the TM technique. This course is included in the TM course fee, except for accommodation expenses.

Lifelong right to follow-up: TM students can, for the rest of their lives, attend the monthly group meetings or ask any TM teacher in the world to verify the correctness of the practice. This service is free of charge in any one of our TM centers.

TM Course tuition

The personal guidance and follow-up that is required for correct practice of the TM technique has a certain cost, and as long as our health insurance funds are not reimbursing the TM course tuition, this cost has to be paid by TM course participants.

Transcendental Meditation is a highly personalized course and the course tuition will also depend on your personal circumstances. In Hong Kong, the Transcendental Meditation technique is taught by professional teachers of a non-profit organization. Our goal is to make the TM technique available to everyone. However, in order to operate the organization and support the teachers, a standard tuition fee for TM course with life-time program is implemented. And we also give partial scholarship to people who have financial difficulties.  For more information, go to course tuition details.

Opportunities to reduce costs

It is up to the government to make this accessible to everyone, just as they do with all other health care.

The experience of transcending is a completely natural experience and it is everyone’s birth right to have this experience. The Transcendental Meditation teachers have therefore been working for 40 years to make Transcendental Meditation accessible for as many people as possible, often by volunteering their time and teaching the technique far below their own costs. But financial obligations require that we charge a tuition to ensure the TM technique can be taught correctly with a thorough follow-up, so that the correct practice can be ensured.

It should be the responsibility of the government and the health insurance funds to make this technique accessible to everyone. In many countries, this is already the case. You can help us with this. (See how my health insurance can reimburse TM.) Until then, there are some things we can do ourselves to make the TM course accessible for everyone.

1. Sponsorship for lower incomes and for the unemployed.
Anyone who has financial difficulties may apply for a sponsorship, so that it becomes possible for everyone to follow a TM course. (See apply for scholarship.)

2. Ask an invoice (stress-management course) 

If you have your own company, be sure to ask for an invoice for your TM course. If you are employed then why not ask your employer if he will pay for the TM course tuition? After all, he can declare the invoice as an expense, which makes his effective cost far lower. Every progressive employer will be open to methods that can increase the productivity in the company; there is sufficient evidence that TM does exactly this. See TM paid by the employer.

3. Payments in Installments
You can discuss this option with your TM teacher.

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Impressum

Maharishi Foundation Hong Kong Limited

852 – 3908 5999

hongkong@tm.org