Transcendental Meditation

 “The mind always moves in the direction of greater happiness.”

Are you wondering why this book on design is about to reference meditation another time? When I started this book, I decided to cover what can help you succeed as a designer. Some of these areas might seem a bit off or not directly design related, but these are necessary for me to write about because they helped me in my career and can help you, too. 

We, IT practitioners amongst other office workers, deal with stress. People of the modern age have to handle so many stressful situations that it’s wise to build up your support system to rely on if stress seems too much or unbearable. “We can not determine how much stress we must deal with daily. What we can determine is how we deal with the amount of stress we face,” a doctor told me once.

Daily meditation is beneficial. The simplest method that I found to practice meditation is Transcendental Meditation (TM). The word “transcendental” can seem scary if you know little about this technique. You have already started to think about a skinny guru-like yogi whispering Sanskrit mantras and being in a hallucinatory state. If this was the first thing that came into your mind, you can’t be further from the truth. 

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of meditation that was developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1950s and is a natural and effortless technique that involves the use of a mantra, which is a specific sound or word with no meaning, to help the practitioner settle their mind and enter a state of deep relaxation and inner peace. This practice can give you the most profound rest possible and can free anyone from deeply rooted stress. I must highlight that TM is an effortless technique because some other concentrated, focus-centered meditation techniques require constant effort from practitioners. This effort is why most people stop doing them after a time. The effort of concentration and “closing out ideas” is what doesn’t let you practice these techniques successfully in the long term most of the time.  

Getting to the root source of thoughts is the key to the TM technique. You don’t bother about upcoming thoughts. They don’t matter. TM moves towards a deep state of mind that is the root of pure consciousness using a unique mantra-based meditation technique. The meaning of “transcending” is to “pass through.” There isn’t any “trans state” anywhere within the flow. Twenty minutes of meditation twice daily is an easy, effortless, and fun practice that gets you to pure consciousness and in a state that is as relaxing for the body and the mind as hours of sleep.

Practicing this technique can help you improve your sleep, blood pressure, and all stress-related issues by providing a more full and enjoyable life. Increased feelings of calm and relaxation, bolstered creativity, decreased stress, and physical and immune-system-related benefits are also expected benefits of TM. Research suggests that TM may be beneficial for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related conditions because they help with improved attention and focus. You step out of the circle of stress for twenty minutes two times a day to reconnect after that and live a much more productive and stress-free life. 

Practitioners say the long-term effects differ from those you experience while meditating. However, these effects are enjoyable and liberating, but fundamental changes come after the practices in your everyday life. 

Why is it so hard to get quiet and listen inside nowadays? 

Modern life is filled with distractions and constant stimulation, from electronic devices to social media, making it difficult for people to find the mental space to meditate. Most people never stop thinking, always do something and think about something, a perfect state for our ego to control all of our behavior. No wonder it is so scary to sit down, even just for ten minutes, close your eyes, try to listen inside, and do nothing. Our ego, which controls our life, can be terrified when something like this happens. Meditation is a personal tragedy for the overgrown ego and a treasure for the self. Our ego provides us with continuous self-talk. Then, when we meditate, our consciousness gets quieter. The inner stability and inner silence lost can be gained back with this daily meditation technique. 

Certified practitioners can teach you the technique itself. The TM  course includes a one-hour lecture and one hour of formal one-to-one training with your teacher. Practitioners believe that anyone can practice this type of meditation and that beginners and experts experience the same benefits. You don’t need to be a believer in any sort of religion. Famous practitioners, including actors and businesspeople, with almost no spiritual beliefs practice TM successfully and are vocal about its benefits and positive effects on their lives. So, if you deal with stress-related issues or want to live more meaningfully and creatively, I recommend you research and learn this meditation technique.