Emotional well-being is the ability to experience and express positive emotions, cope with negative emotions, and maintain a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Emotional well-being is essential for our mental health, physical health, and happiness. However, in today’s fast-paced and stressful world, many of us struggle to achieve and sustain emotional well-being. We may feel overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, or dissatisfied with our lives.
Fortunately, there is a simple and effective way to enhance our emotional well-being: Transcendental Meditation ™. TM is a technique of silent mantra meditation that was introduced to the world by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the mid-1950s. Maharishi was a disciple of Guru Dev, a respected sage of the ancient Vedic tradition of India. Maharishi’s goal was to revive the ancient knowledge of TM and make it available to everyone, regardless of their background, culture, or religion.
TM is a simple and natural technique that anyone can learn and enjoy. It does not require any concentration, focus, or effort. It does not involve any beliefs, rituals, or changes in lifestyle. It is simply a way of relaxing the mind to its most silent and peaceful state, which Maharishi called transcendental consciousness.
TM is taught by certified teachers who have received at least six months of full-time training under Maharishi’s guidance. After attending in person or on Zoom a free info session in which the teacher gives an overview of TM and its benefits, the learning process consists of four sessions, each lasting about an hour. In the first session, the teacher gives the student a personal mantra, which is a soothing sound from the Vedic tradition that has no meaning attached to it, but which has the ability to draw the mind inwards. In the following sessions, the teacher instructs the student on how to use the mantra properly and effortlessly and answers any questions or doubts that may arise.
The practice of TM is easy and pleasant. The student sits comfortably with eyes closed and silently repeats the mantra in the mind for 15-20 minutes twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening. During this time, the mind naturally becomes more quiet and relaxed, while the body gains deep rest and rejuvenation. The student experiences a state of pure awareness, which is beyond thoughts, feelings, and sensations. This is the state of transcendental consciousness, which is the source of all creativity, intelligence, and happiness.
How does TM enhance our emotional well-being? Here are 11 techniques that TM can help us achieve balance in our emotions:
- TM reduces stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are common causes of emotional distress and imbalance. They can affect our mood, energy, motivation, relationships, and health. TM helps us reduce stress and anxiety by releasing accumulated tension and restoring balance in our nervous system. TM also increases our resilience and adaptability to challenging situations.
- TM improves our mood. Mood is the general feeling or state of mind that we have at any given moment. It can be influenced by various factors such as hormones, environment, events, thoughts, etc. TM helps us improve our mood by increasing our levels of serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and other neurotransmitters that are responsible for positive emotions. TM also helps us regulate our emotions better by enhancing our prefrontal cortex function.
- TM boosts our happiness. Happiness is the overall evaluation of how satisfied we are with our lives. It can be measured by various indicators such as life satisfaction, positive affect, meaning in life, etc. TM helps us boost our happiness by increasing our self-esteem, optimism, gratitude, altruism, and spirituality. TM also helps us find more joy in everyday activities by expanding our awareness beyond the boundaries of space and time.
- TM enhances our creativity. Creativity is the ability to produce original and valuable ideas or products. It can be applied to various domains such as art, science, business, education, etc. TM helps us enhance our creativity by increasing coherence between different brain regions, activating the right hemisphere, and expanding our awareness beyond the boundaries of space and time. TM also boosts our confidence, motivation, and joy in expressing our unique talents.
- TM develops our consciousness. Consciousness is the essence of who we are and what we can achieve. It can be defined as the subjective experience of awareness or self-awareness. It can also be described as a spectrum of states ranging from lower to higher levels of awareness. TM helps us develop our consciousness by enabling us to access higher states of consciousness that are normally hidden or dormant in most people. These states include cosmic consciousness (the permanent experience of transcendental consciousness along with waking, dreaming, and sleeping states), god consciousness (the refined perception of the subtle aspects of nature), and unity consciousness (the realization of one’s identity with the universal self). These states bring profound insights, blissful feelings, and universal love into our life.
- TM improves our relationships. Relationships are the connections and interactions that we have with other people. They can be of various types such as family, friends, romantic partners, colleagues, etc. TM helps us improve our relationships by increasing our empathy, compassion, trust, and communication skills. TM also helps us resolve conflicts and forgive others more easily.
- TM increases our productivity. Productivity is the measure of how efficiently and effectively we perform our tasks and achieve our goals. It can be influenced by various factors such as motivation, skills, resources, environment, etc. TM helps us increase our productivity by enhancing our focus, memory, learning, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities. TM also helps us manage our time and energy better by reducing procrastination and fatigue.
- TM supports our growth. Growth is the process of improving ourselves and expanding our potential. It can be achieved by various means such as education, training, coaching, mentoring, etc. TM helps us support our growth by increasing our curiosity, openness, flexibility, and adaptability. TM also helps us overcome our fears and challenges by increasing our courage, confidence, and resilience.
- TM fosters our spirituality. Spirituality is the aspect of ourselves that relates to the transcendent or the sacred. It can be expressed in various ways such as religion, philosophy, ethics, values, etc. TM helps us foster our spirituality by connecting us with our inner self and the universal self. TM also helps us cultivate our virtues and values by increasing our wisdom, morality, and compassion.
- TM balances our emotions. Emotions are the feelings that we experience in response to various stimuli or situations. They can be positive or negative, pleasant or unpleasant, mild or intense, etc. TM helps us balance our emotions by increasing our emotional intelligence and awareness. TM also helps us regulate our emotions better by enhancing our prefrontal cortex function.
How to Join the TM Community
If you are interested in joining the TM community, you can contact Transcendental Meditation Mill Hill, https://uk.tm.org/london-mill-hill#enquiries an approved centre that offers TM courses and follow-up support in a friendly and professional environment. Transcendental Meditation Mill Hill is part of the Maharishi Foundation, a national educational charity that administers the teaching of TM in the UK.
Here are some of the benefits of joining the TM community:
- You will receive lifetime follow-up and support. After completing the TM course, you will be able to attend regular group meditations, advanced lectures, weekend retreats, and other events that will enrich your knowledge and enjoyment of TM. You will also be able to contact your teacher anytime for any questions or guidance that you may need.
- You will meet like-minded people. By joining the TM community, you will be able to connect with other people who share your interest and passion for TM. You will be able to exchange your experiences, insights, and tips with them. You will also be able to make new friends and expand your social network.
- You will contribute to a better world. By joining the TM community, you will be part of a global movement that aims to create a more peaceful and harmonious world. You will be able to participate in various projects and initiatives that promote TM as a tool for personal and social transformation.
To join the TM community from Transcendental Meditation Mill Hill, visit their website https://uk.tm.org/london-mill-hill#enquiries or call them at 07960 683 160. You can also email them at michael.pierce@tm.org or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
Transcendental Meditation is a simple and effective technique that can enhance your emotional well-being in various ways. Whether you want to reduce stress, improve your mood, boost your happiness, enhance your creativity, develop your consciousness, improve your relationships, increase your productivity, support your growth, foster your spirituality, or balance your emotions, TM can help you achieve your goals and fulfill your potential. Don’t wait any longer, discover the benefits of TM today!
