MY EXPERIENCE WITH TM MEDITATION

This week I encouraged you to join me for 30 Day Yoga Challenge, and as an option offered you to discover and try TM meditation.

I have done extensive studies on the effects on meditation, specifically TM and how it impacts your life in a positive way. It is truly incredible and has completely changed how I perceive life. I value everything and have become so appreciative of all the small things life has to offer - self gratitude, love and acceptance.

I want you to experience this, too and feel amazing all the time, experience less stress and have more clarity and a fulfilled life of purpose and appreciation for what you have achieved without constantly wanting more. Mediation brings these qualities out in you and gives you enormous happiness and joy. The beauty of TM is you can do it in any place, anytime, effortlessly and in your own way.

Today I want to share with you my personal experience with TM meditation and its benefits.

HOW I FOUND TM MEDITATION

I went through a difficult time 4 years ago into starting my first business. I took a lot on board not knowing what was involved in running and working full time in a new business. The nights were long, weekends were gone, every moment of my time was taken up. Looking back, I wouldn't change it for the world. The business was thriving but I wasn't. There was something missing from my life that was creating a deep level of sadness and I didn't know what it was, and I couldn't explain it because everything on the outside was working. I was getting huge support from family and friends. I absolutely love what I do, I see it as a vocation not a job as helping people is what I do best.

I was rummaging through Facebook, scrolling away one morning, and I came across a video with Hugh Jackman. I love Hugh Jackman so clicked in to see what it was. He was talking about a type of Meditation he practices called TM, and as soon as he started talking about his experience of the joy it brought to his life, it resonated with me straight away. This was something I needed to investigate.

MY EXPERIENCE: HUGE SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

I did some research and found a centre that practiced TM in Rathmines. There was an opening night a few days later where you are invited to attend an introductory meeting into TM. Mary explained the scientific background, how and who invented TM meditation, and what it can bring to your life. I signed up to it that evening and began the journey.

I don't want to go into too much detail as to what exactly is involved as it is such a personal experience, and one that shouldn't be taken away from you upon ever deciding on trialing it out. What I can say is that it was a huge spiritual awakening that will stay with me forever.

I remember leaving the centre after my first experience of meditating, and not noticing traffic, or people rushing up and down the canal, but the sound and the movement of the trees, and the breeze hitting my face and the smell of flowers. It hit home to me that what I was missing from my life, was the real connection to nature and my sense of being present. The feeling of significance in this stunning world where I found myself lost - as corny as it sounds - I found myself again. The tears steamed down my face.

I felt more connected with people, strangers smiled at me, I smiled back. More people approached me asking for directions. I was giving off this incredible positive vibe that was drawing people into my life, and not away. I was in an abundant state of happiness, I couldn't stop smiling.

I returned to the TM centre for 3 weeks about twice a week where I would engage in guided meditation. Every Saturday we would meditate in a group followed by tea and getting to know everyone in the group. I found it every interesting listening to all the journeys people were on, why they got involved and what it has done for them.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING TM MEDITATION?

It is best and advised to sit up when meditating (not to lie down) as you need to be in a conscious state. You can play meditating, relaxing music for a while to wind down but then it is advised you turn everything off and stay in silence. With TM you guide yourself calmly into the meditation and think of a self-healing word that resonates with you, and keep to that same word and repeat it over and over again, e.g., 'healing' or 'calm' - a word that's easy to remember.

I was recommended to practice TM twice a day - 20minutes in the morning and 20minutes in the evening, before dinner. 20min (less time does not have the same effect) of meditation is scientifically proven to reduce the stress related hormones, to help you manage anxiety levels, and reduce stress if you feel overwhelmed or too busy in your head.

Cortisol, also known as a stress hormone, helps your body to deal with stressful situations, however, when cortisol levels are too high in your body, it can cause problems. 20min of TM meditation is the amount of time needed for endorphins - hormones produced by the body to relieve stress and pain - to be released to scavenge any stress that has built up in the body so you can actually feel stress lift, and your whole body and mind can relax.

If you have never meditated before I would prefer if you contact me so I can guide you though the process. It is so personal to each individual.

To find out more about TM mediation, please click here!

THE IMPACT OF TM MEDITATION ON MY LIFE

What I love most about TM is the impact it continues to have on my life day to day. It allows me to deal with stressful situations better, both in my business and personal life. I don't get panicked, freaked out or loose it when times get tough. I'm more adaptable to change and have more patience. I'm more productive and 100% feel it has related to the success of my business to date because I'm making better decisions. It is single handedly the best discovery I have ever made.

It gives me clarity and a clearer view of where I want to go. A lot of these changes are difficult to make when you don't open the pathway to a clearer view and meditation helps you to do that in such a selfless, peaceful way. It's like being stuck in the dark, and then you suddenly turn on the light and everything becomes clearer. Your purpose in life becomes clearer.

I recommend a documentary I watched a few months back called 'Minimalism'. It's a fantastic concept of emptying out your life of what you don't need. We live in this hungry, materialistic world of having things and accumulate so much we don't use, need or that has any meaning. Therefor I follow this mindset now: I live a very minimal life and it feels amazing, no clutter which frees up my mind, and I have more to spend on what's important. Spending time and prioritizing people.

In a motivational post I once read that whether the wallet you buy costs €130 or €30 - it still holds money. If it's a €5,000 or €50,000 car - it gets you to where you need to go. Building experiences and memories with people is what you remember when time gets tough, not materialistic things.

On that note, I will leave you with 2 quotes that has always stuck with me:

'Having a million euro, and being unhappy is being poor.' - Tony Robbins
'Use things, not people.' - from the documentary 'Minimalism'

Have a fabulous day!
Erica

NUTRITION