{"id":2145,"date":"2018-02-08T10:09:11","date_gmt":"2018-02-08T10:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/?page_id=2145"},"modified":"2018-08-13T21:25:37","modified_gmt":"2018-08-13T21:25:37","slug":"what-is-transcendental-meditation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/meditation-for-better-sleep\/what-is-transcendental-meditation\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Transcendental Meditation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not all of us can live with the same comforts as A-list celebrities, but if their interviews are to be believed, we can relax like them. Stars like Katy Perry, Oprah, and Jerry Seinfeld have been vocal about their transformative experiences with transcendental meditation. You’ve probably heard it on a talk show somewhere: transcendental meditation “cures the common stress<\/a>,” makes people “1000% better<\/a>,” and helps people “make sense<\/a>” of their lives.<\/p>\n

Here at Good Night’s Rest, we believe meditation can help improve your sleep<\/a>—whether by putting you in the right mindset<\/a> or easing the troubles that keep you awake.<\/a> We’ve discussed a few<\/a> meditation<\/a> methods<\/a> before<\/a>, but none seem to equal the glitz (and the endorsement count!) of transcendental meditation. So what is <\/em>this technique, how does it work, and what sets it apart?<\/p>\n

What Do We Mean by Transcendental Meditation?<\/h2>\n

Despite its outsized reputation, the workings of transcendental meditation itself are simple and unintimidating. The core of any transcendental meditation practice is a straightforward routine. You meditate for 15-20 minutes, once in the morning and once in the evening. Each session involves sitting with eyes closed and anchoring your full attention on your designated mantra, which is unique to you. (Devoted practitioners keep theirs secret from everyone else.)<\/p>\n

That’s right, it’s not just “Om” all the time. A mantra, in this case, is a meaningless one- or two-syllable sound that you repeat silently as you meditate. If you’re scratching your head at the idea of contemplating meaningless syllables regularly, rest assured that’s by design: by using insignificant sounds, you avoid the associations that would naturally arise from using a real word.<\/p>\n

The repetition is intentional, too. It’s meant to help you “transcend” your mind and body—hence the method’s name. As your session unfolds, your mantra “dissolves” with each repetition, until it delivers you to a profound, felt silence. At that point, you’ve ideally reached a state of “pure consciousness,” where you’re connected to the so-called “Unified Field” weaving through all of creation.<\/p>\n

Where Did Transcendental Meditation Come From?<\/h2>\n

While many transcendental meditation organizations trace the practice’s roots back to ancient Vedic and yogic traditions, credit for the founding of transcendental meditation as we know it today goes to a man named Mahesh Prasad Varma. An Indian physicist, Varma went on to study under a revered Swami or Hindu spiritual leader. While there, Varma developed the notion of the Unified Field, as well as the techniques that would form transcendental meditation.<\/p>\n

Mahesh Varma eventually came to be known as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, or the “giggling guru.” In the 1950s, he famously embarked on world tours to teach more people about transcendental meditation. Some of his most famous disciples include Ravi Shankar and the Beatles, who even stayed in the Maharishi’s ashram to study his meditation methods in 1968. They would be the first in a long line of celebrity adherents whose star power helped propel the massive growth of the transcendental meditation movement in the US and Europe.<\/p>\n

Today, there are numerous organizations advocating transcendental meditation all over the world. Many of these target different sectors like women, students, and corporate teams. Continuing transcendental meditation’s celebrity-powered growth, one of the most well-known is the David Lynch Foundation<\/a>, named after its renowned Hollywood-director founder. Other organizations, including the ones founded, headed, or inaugurated by the Maharishi, include:<\/p>\n