
Most of us have heard of
Transcendental Meditation. Maybe you vaguely remember some phase
The Beatles went through, or have caught wind of the David Lynch Foundation's funding of TM programs in schools. Perhaps you follow
Deepak Chopra, who expounds regularly on the myriad
health benefits, or have simply heard there's a meditation practice that charges $2500 to learn one word. All true. But I'd like you to hear just a little more.
While I can't vouch for the copy-righted Transcendental Meditation (TM) program since, well, I can't afford it, I can vouch for the technique. It's also known as Vedic meditation, and increasingly, it's everywhere.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi mainstreamed Vedic meditation under the name Transcendental Meditation in 1955, roughly 5,000 years after the practice's actual origin. Drawn from the Veda, an ancient Indian body of knowledge predating Hinduism and responsible for yoga and ayurvedic medicine, Vedic meditation was and remains a "house-holder's" meditation. You don't need to recluse yourself from society or forfeit the material world to practice. The training program takes all of a handful of hours over a couple days, after which you're on your own, sitting comfortably with your assigned mantra, eyes closed, for 20 minutes, twice daily. Simple, right? Portable, and easily integrated into the busy American life.
So if your curiosity is piqued but the $2,500 TM price-tag proves too large a hurdle, consider a free introductory talk with any number of independent Vedic teachers. Same practice, but on a more manageable sliding scale, and once you've completed the course, you can repeat it as often as you like with any Vedic teacher, at no additional charge. After all, a meditation designed to be accessible for the masses, should be financially accessible as well.
By Marisa
For further info go to:
Light On Meditation
Green Tree Meditation
What is Vedic Astrology?
Double Act: Mike Myers & Deepak Chopra On Comedy & Spirituality
The Path To Enlightenment Is Filled With Books: Reading Suggestions From Deepak Chopra
Famed Beatles Guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Has Left His Body
Rock Gods and Their Gurus
Meditation Rx: Three Doctors' Perspectives
Daily Zen And The Art Of Cyber-Meditation
Breathe Together Now