How an ‘effortless’ meditation technique can transform your life
A growing number of people in the Far North are seeking the path to inner peace through an ancient meditation technique that’s growing in popularity. WHERE TO TRY IT OUT
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A CHANCE meeting while travelling in the USA almost a decade ago was enough to catapult Cairns woman Treya Yew Ling Tan deep into the world of Transcendental Meditation.
“I met a teacher … who suggested the Transcendental Meditation technique and informed me that the founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is considered one of the greatest meditation teachers to have ever lived,” Ms Tan says.
“At that time of my life, I had tried and practised many other meditation techniques and was still searching for the ‘right’ practice.
“So, I went and learnt Transcendental Meditation and experienced what I had been looking for.”
Ms Tan began learning the ancient meditation technique in 2013 and was soon on the path to becoming a teacher and sharing her experience with others.
“I have been dedicated to the practice, learning and teaching ever since,” Ms Tan, who teaches the practice at her Freshwater studio, says.
She says anyone who has been considering starting a meditation practice would find the Transcendental Meditation technique “easy and effortless” to learn and a useful tool to help manage and alleviate the stresses of daily life.
“Stress is not a requirement for happiness and success. (But) we are living in an epidemic of stress,” she says.
“Transcendental Meditation is a practical tool that can help to alleviate the rising stress, tensions, and anxieties in the world.”
Ms Tan quotes guru Maharishi, saying “the purpose of life is the expansion of happiness”.
“I love this quote by Maharishi because it is a reminder that our purpose in life is to be happy,” she says.
“Eternal happiness and peace is found deep within the inner self of everyone and accessible through the practice of Transcendental Meditation.
“You don’t have to go anywhere to experience it. Just close the eyes and meditate.
“With regular practice, happiness, freedom, possibilities, success and fulfilment grows more and more.”
The practice involves the use of an individual mantra, which is given to students by their teacher when they first embark on their meditation journey.
The mantra must be kept private.
“Over the years, I have experienced increasing levels of fulfilment, happiness, peace and strength and continue to experience benefits in mind and body during meditation and outside of meditation,” Ms Tan says.
“I want to share this gift with as many people as possible.
“I want to share this knowledge with everyone so they can experience and realise that everything they are looking for in life is already within.”
Student Brianne Torison, who lives in EdgeHill, says she turned to meditation to help combat grief and stress during a particularly hard time in her life.
“Three years ago I was at my lowest point in life,” Ms Torison says.
“I was grief stricken with the sudden deaths of my father, aunt and uncle.
“In the space of a year there were 10 people close to me who died.
“I lost my job and my friendships. I was angry and volatile. Life was crumbling. I couldn’t see a way out of the sadness.”
Ms Torison said she started meditation when she was “in the depths of this despair” and it had been a life-changing experience for her.
“Since then everything has unfolded in such a natural, beautiful and evolutionary way,” she says.
“I regained my confidence to make decisions and my reactions to everyday life are easy and effortless. I am a better mum, wife, daughter and friend after finding peace through TM.”
The ancient practice which has been passed on by teachers for more than 6000 years has been increasing in popularity in the Far North in recent times.
Initial learning involves a series of visits with a certified teacher and a commitment to use the meditation technique for two short sessions each day – once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Ms Tan said the start of a new year was often the time people decided to commit to a regular meditation practice.
“If your new year’s resolution is to be less stressed, improve your health, fulfil your goals, increase your happiness or improve your relationships then Transcendental Meditation will help you reach your goals happier, quicker and easier,” she says.
“(Meditation) is a super habit that will bring benefits to all areas of your life.”
Ms Tan said she enjoyed helping students discover the benefits of incorporating daily meditation into their lives.
“The benefits start right from day one and always within the first few days of learning TM, people report benefits including improved sleep, feeling more calm and happier, less stress and anxiety, increased mental clarity and focus, more energy.
“(It is) a tool for life, and as long as you keep on practising, you will continue to enjoy cumulative benefits day by day,” she says.
One of the reasons the Transcendental Meditation technique has gained a widespread and dedicated following of meditators around the world is because of how simple it is to learn, Ms Tan says.
“It is a natural technique that does not require any effort to try to ‘clear the mind’ of thoughts or trying to stop the monkey mind,” she says.
“In TM, there is no monitoring of thoughts, no concentrating, no effort whatsoever … (the technique) uses the natural tendency of the mind to move towards greater fields of happiness.”
As part of the practice, students are taught that the human mind has different levels – surface levels which are more active, and deeper levels which are calmer and more expansive.
“The deepest level of the mind, by nature is most satisfying,” Ms Tan says.
“During TM we allow the mind to effortlessly settle down within itself – enabling us to access the deep reservoir of peace, clarity, and energy that lies deep within us all.
“Many meditation techniques keep the mind on the active surface thinking levels so the mind never has the opportunity to settle down and have a break from the constant mental activity of the day … TM is a technique for transcending which means to ‘go beyond’.
“The body gains a profound state of deep rest and relaxation that goes along with heightened mental alertness.
“Transcendental Meditation is not an acquired skill that you get ‘better’ at after years of practice. You master it in a few hours, over a few days and then it’s yours to practice for the rest of your life. Studies show that experience of deeper states of rest and levels of the mind bring the most benefits for the mind and body.
“Comparatively to other meditation techniques, TM has better results in reducing stress and anxiety, psychological effects including emotions, intellectual performance and health outcomes including lowering blood pressure, heart disease risk and more.”
The best way to learn the practice correctly is to engage a qualified teacher, she says.
“There is value in learning from a meditation teacher (and) based on your experience – rather than off the internet, or a book, or app,” she says.
“People spend time trying to work it out for themselves but there is such a value in learning from a teacher in a structured course. It saves so much time and money.
“It is key to educate people about the value of learning how to meditate properly from a qualified and experienced teacher.
“If we want to learn the piano we go to someone who is experienced at the piano, if we want to learn to meditate, we go to someone experienced and qualified to teach meditation.
“All TM teachers are highly trained.”
While a Transcendental Meditation course is not free, the cost for each student is structured around their personal income, in order to make the technique accessible for more people.
“The course fee is often a barrier for people without understanding the value of the course and that they are paying for a service, high quality teaching and supreme knowledge,” Ms Tan says.
“Hundreds of people have learned Transcendental Meditation in Cairns and Far North Queensland in the past few years.
“The course fees for learning Transcendental Meditation are based on income and include quality training with personal one-on-one instruction, a lifetime of benefits, unlimited access to the TM community app, group meditations, refreshers and personal appointments as often as you like all over the world, anywhere there is a TM centre.
“We offer a complimentary lifetime follow up program to support everyone who learns which includes group meditations, personal follow-up sessions, advanced lectures, knowledge courses, advanced techniques, retreats and residence courses.”
For more information about Transcendental Meditation, contact Ms Tan on 0431 314 663 (for Far North Queensland residents) or visit www.tm.org.
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Originally published as How an ‘effortless’ meditation technique can transform your life
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