Transcendental Meditation – route to health & happiness
As a man thinks so does he become is an old saying which finds reflection in life. A positive mental attitude which is based on the current reality and in full realization of the fact that God Mind is always with us, guiding us, helping us to realize our full potential. The one thing we need to guard against is that this positive frame of reference should not be based on ego trip, as that could lead to turmoil and frustration.
During the process of transcendental meditation we are able to transcend ourselves and connect with the Higher Mind within us and significant benefits emerge. Let’s understand the science behind this process, during transcendental meditation one learns to transcend beyond the quietest impulsive thought, a state of pure silent awareness. When the activity of the mind decreases so does the activity of the body and as this happens a remarkable level of physiological change takes place. The brain becomes highly orderly and coherent in its activity, so called Alpha and Theta waves, which indicate the restfully alert state, appear in the central and rear area of cortex and reach the frontal lobes. Left and right hemispheres of the brain become more coherent. As body reaches a state of deep rest, breathing becomes natural and more shallower and heart beat reduces by as much as 15 per cent. The levels of body’s biochemical systems which are indicators of stress, like blood lactate and cortisol are significantly reduced, while life supporting biochemicals are increased. The muscle system in various parts of the body becomes more relaxed and body’s self repair mechanism becomes active. It is because of this that after transcendental meditation one can experience the feeling of fulfilment, calmness and happiness. This transcending process also serves to thwart negativity and the ill effects of negativity on health and well being of the human body.
Harvard and many other international temples of learning have established this fact backed by research. In an interesting research it was found that just by thinking that the daily work one does is a good form of exercise a group of housekeeping staff of a hotel chain were able to significantly reduce weight, increase job satisfaction and physical strength. This change was brought about by making them aware how the default physical exercise that they engage in the process of doing their daily work of cleaning rooms with vacuum cleaners and other gadgets was a good form of physical exercise and its potential benefits. This minor change in how they viewed their job brought about the benefits, even though they continued to do the same job, albeit with greater engagement.
I would like to extend this further by highlighting what quantum physics has established, that our thoughts establish our reality. Our body is a holographic projection of our consciousness and they are sum total of our beliefs of ourselves. We all must have experienced that when we are in a calming environment which elevates our mood we suddenly feel better and happier. Reflect when you visited a temple, mosque, gurdwara, church or a monastery and experienced a similar feeling last time. There is a greater urge to contribute as we feel elevated. I would cite my personal experience of similar feeling when I am with people who are optimistic and have a positive frame of mind. I am not sharing this to say we all need to visit places of worship but intent is to illustrate the impact of our thoughts and environment.
The transcendent attitude visualization is a great way of finding the light within which exists in each one of us, but there is a need to reach out within and discover this light. This infinite light once discovered would enable us to realize our full potential. In my next article I would focus on the need for integrating this in the formal education system, as my personal experiment with my son, who now practices meditation at 11 years are very interesting. We all owe it to the next generation to pass on this body of knowledge which has existed in our culture over centuries. I would urge you to begin exploring this, if not already done and have faith, you would see the benefits soon.
