Transcendental meditation, aka TM for short, is a mild and effective form of meditation. Transcendental meditation reduces anxiety levels, assists people to manage stress and depression,and helps in lowering blood pressure while inducing its related benefits.

What Is Transcendental Meditation?

Transcendental meditation is a kind of meditation that involves focusing on a single mantra. Unlike mindfulness meditation that requires focus on the present situation; TM is focussed on a single mantra that varies from person to person. This is the mantra that one has to listen to based on their personal characteristics. In fact, some of the practitioners say that it is “alarming” to hear the wrong mantra. The mantra has to be repeated slowly.

How Does Transcendental Meditation Work?

Transcendental meditation is suggested to practice between 15 and 20 minutes twice a day. To start with this meditation or any meditation for that matter, you need to settle into a comfortable position to breathe in and breathe out through the diaphragm in a relaxed way. This way you will let go of your thoughts for the rest of the day. Most of the meditation practices preach this and Transcendental meditation has an upper hand to this.

Once you get settled, the mantra phase will start. Usually, it is a single word or some buzz, like the near-cliche of “Ohm,” where focusing on the sensations will help you produce the sound. It is the most basic practice that is subtle and simple to follow. It is said that any sound that one repeats in the form of meditation will buzz in the whole body stimulating every nerve and cell.

The specialty of ‘Ohm’ is that it activates every cell in the body and helps in blood circulation. When pronounced in the way it should be, the vibrations occur in your lower abdomen initially. This will then traverse its way to the upper body. Resultantly, the blood gushes to the lower body after having reached its peak.

1. Relieves Stress

Overcoming stress is THE important Transcendental Meditation benefit. After all, meditation is the parent in relieving stress. We all know that stress is the main reason for problems that occur in the body and the mind. All the dysfunctions roots to stress, anxiety, and depression.

Scientists conducted research with students, with victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and with employees to find out that TM provides invigorated relaxation and ample rest for the body and mind. Its main effects in stress relief are:

• balancing the hormonal levels
• keeping the adrenaline intact
• balancing the nervous system activation
• increasing brain coherence
• helping the racing mind to hold horses together

As a result, the body and mind will get in tandem so it can stop reacting to any situations that has an adrenaline rush.

2. Higher work efficiency

Regular practitioners – say 3 months – of Transcendental Meditation meditators will improve notably on crucial measures of life like:

• leadership abilities
• effectiveness
• higher self-esteem
• professional relationships
• job satisfaction
• personal and professional balance
• physiological stability that involves mental task
• overall general health

3. Remarkable school performance

Transcendental meditation widely influences the kids, mid-age, and teenagers at a notable level.  The benefits include:

• increased intelligence, intellectual and cognitive performance
• Compelling positive impact on academic and test results
• lessened negative school behavior
• reduced stress, anxiety, and depression – school related

4. Healthy blood pressure

Transcendetal Meditation helps in maintaining the blood pressure and pumps just the correct amount of blood to the entire body. This comes with a clause – ‘with regular practice only’.

Trials have shown that it leads to lower blood pressure in people with

• stress and at rest
• hypertension
• heart disease
• Age group: old and young

5. Reduced risk of heart disease

Lowering of blood pressure is often the main targets in heart disease – treatment and prevention, regular practicing ofTM will have a significant positive effect.

Researchers have proven that Transcendental Meditation benefits people with multiple cardiovascular conditions like

• left ventricular hypertrophy
• atherosclerosis
• congestive heart failure
• myocardial ischemia
• metabolic syndrome

6. Quitting alcohol/smoking

TM meditation does not demand or asks of one to quit smoking. But with regular practice, you will find the person doing that out of his or her will.

The smoker’s effect appears to be cumulative – they reduce stress through meditation and this will curb their desire for nicotine. This will be a positive effect to sync the mind and body, keep calm and positive, thus avoiding other distractions.

The same goes with the alcohol effect too.