Transcendental meditation is a meditating technique that aims to avoid all distractions around you and to focus on your mind, body, and soul. This type of technique promotes a state of relaxed awareness. This technique originated from an ancient Vedic tradition by Maharishi Mahesh, a late yogi that brought this method to the U.S. in the 1960s.
While meditating, you sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and silently repeat a mantra or different mantras. A mantra is a sound or a word from the Vedic tradition that allows you to focus on what you are saying or what you are listening to. This helps build your concentration and allows you to flow to be as relaxed as possible.
What Does “Transcended” Mean?
When you are in full meditation focus, the ordinary thinking process is “transcended”, which is replaced by a state of consciousness and, in this state, you are able to achieve stillness, stability, calmness, and an absence of mental boundaries. Achieving this will bring full awareness to what is affecting your mental health. Further, studies have shown that doing this meditation technique can reduce chronic pain, depression, anxieties, cholesterol, blood pressure, and other physical and mental illnesses.
Benefits include –
- Better focus
- Self-love
- Self-esteem
- Reduced stress
- Reduced anxiety
- Improved social skills
- Helps fight addiction
How is Transcendental Meditation Different?
The main differences between this technique and other forms of meditating is the mantra you repeat during your meditation. This method is used to visualize yourself in your best form and believe it. You will not be able achieve its benefits if you do not truly believe that you are changing your life for the better. You must feel a deep connection from within you and believe each word you are using in the mantra. Once you have achieved the right state of mind, this form of meditation will be part of your lifestyle. However, without daily practice, you may not be able to achieve this form of self-relaxation.
How to Do Transcendental Meditation
- Start by finding a comfortable position to sit in, either a chair, bed, or floor. Leave your legs and arms uncrossed to feel maximum relaxation.
- Close your eyes and take deep breaths until you feel calm.
- Open your eyes when you are ready, and then close them again. For 20 minutes, your eyes should be closed.
- Find a mantra you connect with and repeat it several times until you begin to believe it within you. Typically, mantras are a Sanskrit sound taught by a Yogi.
- When your mind starts racing, take a few deep breaths and calm your thoughts while repeating the mantras again.
- After the 20 minutes are up, start moving your hands and legs slowly to ease yourself back into reality.
- Open your eyes and drink water.
- Sit still for a few minutes until you feel ready to get up.
7 Chakra Mantras –
- Root Chakra – “I am”
- Sacral Chakra – “I feel”
- Solar Plexus Chakra – “I do”
- Heart chakra – “I love”
- Throat Chakra – “I speak “
- Third Eye chakra – “I see”
- Crown Chakra – “I understand”