Having taught many forms of yoga and many techniques of meditation, I have some that I prefer and find to be more useful or profound in their healing effect than others. I especially love heart and light based techniques, which are techniques that teach you how to experience other aspects of reality while strengthening your ability to cope with stress and be more effective in everyday life. Some cannot be written or learned from a book, but are actually “caught” when experienced with an advanced teacher. Here are a few that you can read about.
Effective Prayer: A Light Meditation
This meditation teaches you how to have to a real experience of the Light within you. Even though you may not experience the Light spontaneously at first, you can use your imagination to open the door to this new experience. Just imagine what the Light would look like if you could see it, and imagine how the Light would feel if you could feel it. Imagination creates the space for a real experience. Use these steps twice a day, allowing at least two minutes per step, and you will get results within two weeks. I have posted the prayer along with a story about how I applied it to my life. (click here for story and meditation)
I have posted the prayer along with my story on how I applied it to my life, called Effective Prayer Story. Jim Gore, the originator of the prayer, gave a talk on The Seven Steps of Effective Prayer many years ago, and I included that as well.
Physiological Benefits
Deep Healing Rest
Transcendental Meditation technique produces a physiological state of restful alertness. During the technique the physiology becomes deeply rested, as indicated by significant reductions in respiration, minute ventilation, tidal volume, and blood lactate, and significant increases in basal skin resistance (an index of relaxation).
Transcendental Consciousness, a Unique State of Restful Alertness
While the body is deeply rested, the mind is alert instead of asleep, as indicated by an increased abundance of alpha waves in the EEG. These findings led researcher Dr. Keith Wallace to conclude that restful alertness is a fourth major state of consciousness, termed Transcendental Consciousness, that is physiologically distinct from ordinary waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.
A More Relaxed, Flexible Physiology Outside of Meditation
The regular experience of alternating 15 to 20 minutes of the Transcendental Meditation technique twice a day with regular daily activity trains the mind to become more relaxed outside of meditation, as well as more flexible and dynamic. Baseline levels of respiration rate, heart rate, plasma lactate, and skin resistance are all lower. The autonomic nervous system, which regulates vital internal processes, becomes more stable, integrated, and adaptable, as indicated by its increased ability to recover rapidly from the effects of stress.
Increased Orderliness of Brain Functioning
Brain functioning becomes more orderly, as indicated by the growth of physiological correlates of creativity and intelligence, such as shorter latencies of cognitive evoked potentials, faster paired H-reflexes, increased EEG coherence, shorter inspection time, and faster choice reaction time.
Decreased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Improved General Health
Medical researchers have found a reduction of important cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure and serum cholesterol. Large health insurance studies have found that people practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs, in all age groups combined, display a 50 percent reduction in both inpatient and outpatient medical care utilization compared to controls. Hospitalization is 87 percent lower for heart disease and 55 percent lower for cancer. And what is most remarkable, meditators over 40 years old have approximately 70 percent fewer medical problems than others in their age group.
Decreased Biological Age and Increased Life Expectancy
Other research has found that meditating individuals in their mid-50s have a biological age twelve years younger than their chronological age, and that people beginning the practice, even at 80 years of age, live longer and are healthier and happier than controls of the same age.
Psychological Benefits
Self-Realization
Transcendental Consciousness is the experience of one’s higher Self, and through regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation program, the Self becomes a stable internal frame of reference, providing an unshakable anchor to life even during dynamic activity. Research shows that this is the best means of reducing anxiety, depression, and anger. Meditators become better able to see another person’s perspective, yet they cannot easily be swayed by social pressure to do something that they judge to be wrong. They tend to perceive the world more positively and holistically.
Increased Comprehension, Focus, Creativity and Intelligence
Creativity increases, as measured by tests of both verbal and pictorial fluency, flexibility, and originality. Perception becomes more accurate and less driven by preconceptions and misconceptions. Basic memory processes improve. School children significantly improve in their basic skills in mathematics, reading, language, and study skills within a semester. Adults have found significant increased IQ scores.
Improved Moral Reasoning and Emotional Maturity
People who regularly practice the Transcendental Meditation technique reach higher levels of moral reasoning, autonomy, and integration. They are more self-sufficient, more spontaneous, more productive, better able of meet challenges, and more capable of warm interpersonal relationships.
Sociological Benefits
Decreased Use of Drugs and Alcohol
A quantitative review of 198 studies found that the Transcendental Meditation program is the most effective means of preventing and treating drug and alcohol abuse. A study of high school and college drug users in a rehabilitation center found an 89 percent reduction in drug usage, and even transient, chronic (“skid row”) alcoholics were found achieve a 65 percent abstinence rate.
Decreased Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome
A study of war veterans with post-traumatic adjustment problems found that the Transcendental Meditation technique produced significant decreases in emotional numbness, alcohol consumption, family problems, insomnia, unemployment, and overall post-traumatic stress disorder.
Benefits for Businesses
Decreased physical complaints, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, decreased smoking, decreased insomnia, decreased digestive problems, and a decreased tendency towards neurosis and psychosomatic problems.
