What is Transcendental Meditation?

Transcendental Meditation, or for short TM, is a simple, gentle way to give your mind and body a real break from things that tend to cloud our lives. It is different from other meditation techniques because it requires no effort at all! You sit comfortably with your eyes closed for about twenty minutes and quietly use a personal sound, called a mantra.

Let’s be clear, you are not forcing your mind to be quiet, trying to think positive, or even think at all, really. TM lets the mind naturally settle down on its own, underneath all the noise and stress, to a quieter level inside that we often tend to take for granted. Whatever thoughts come, we attend to them as a natural process.

Where does TM come from?

TM comes from the Vedic tradition of India, an ancient knowledge that understands Consciousness underlies everything in our reality. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi brought TM into a simple, modern format so people from all walks of life, beliefs, and cultures could use it every day right alongside the things that are most important to us.

What does TM Feels Like?

People often describe TM as feeling deeply restful, like the mind is finally getting to exhale. Thoughts still come and go and that’s normal! But believe it or not there’s also a sense of softness, appreciation for life, and inner peace that grows over time.

Outside of meditation, many people notice changes like:

• Feeling less stressed and overwhelmed

• Having a little more patience and space before reacting

• Feeling more like themselves, even on busy or challenging days

I remember my first experience as if it were just yesterday. That was when the weight of the world began to dissolve, and the way I saw the world with my physical eyes has never been the same since.

What has TM done for you?

For me, TM is the anchor for my life and I have been practicing twice daily since 2022. When I take time to meditate, afterwards I become steadier inside and can express more love, compassion, empathy, and can connect better with others on the outside. It helps me to continue to show up with more kindness and clarity whether I’m with my loved ones, volunteering, studying, engaging the outside world, or just doing my thing (whatever that is lol!).

When I talk about inner and outer or quantum level peace, TM is a big part of what I mean, which inspired me to connect with you so we can bring our community of Baton Rouge together! It is the way I keep returning to that quiet place within, so that my actions in the world can come from more peace, not just mere effort.

TM is not only based on tradition or personal stories. It is one of the most researched meditation techniques in the world, with hundreds of peer-reviewed studies. It shows that the inner experiences people report with TM also manifest in measurable ways in the mind, body, and quality of life. Here are some I find very interesting for you to take a look at!

Other research includes:

Cited:

Orme-Johnson, D. W. (2025) Recent Research on the TM technique Thru March 2022.pptx. Maharishi International University. https://miuonline.instructure.com/courses/4077/assignments/93467?module_item_id=367691