Good Neighbor Podcast: Orange County

Transcendental Meditation: Your Brain's Secret Weapon

• Rachel Fyffe & David Lines

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Ready to discover a completely different approach to meditation? One that doesn't require you to empty your mind, focus intensely, or struggle against your thoughts?

David Lines, instructor with the Maharishi Foundation, joins us to demystify Transcendental Meditation (TM)—a practice he describes as "effortless and extremely effective." Unlike conventional meditation techniques that demand concentration and control, TM works through natural processes that allow both mind and body to achieve profound states of rest and renewal.

The science behind TM is compelling. With approximately 400 published studies validating its effects, TM stands as the only meditation practice specifically endorsed by the American Heart Association for blood pressure reduction. But the benefits extend far beyond cardiovascular health. Practitioners report improved sleep, enhanced clarity of thought, increased patience, reduced anxiety, and greater productivity—often within just days of learning the technique.

What makes TM particularly accessible is its simplicity. The technique can be learned by anyone, requires minimal time commitment, and produces noticeable results quickly. This accessibility has attracted practitioners from diverse backgrounds, including celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, and Oprah Winfrey, who value its benefits for creativity, decision-making, and stress management.

Could this ancient practice be the antidote to our modern stress epidemic? As David explains, when we dissolve personal stress through TM, we not only improve our individual wellbeing but potentially contribute to greater social harmony by becoming less reactive to differences and disagreements. Ready to experience these benefits yourself? Visit tm.org or search "Transcendental Meditation Orange County" to connect with local resources and learn this transformative practice.

Speaker 1:

host, rachel Fyfe. Welcome to the Good Neighbor podcast. Now, if you're looking for a meditation practice to dissolve stress in your nervous system and improve your brain function, well, this resource may be much closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, david Limes, with Transcendental Meditation. David, how's it going?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, hi, rachel, it's doing great thanks. Thanks for inviting me onto your show.

Speaker 1:

Well, we're happy to have you now and we're also excited to learn, to learn about your organization and tell us about the company.

Speaker 2:

So Transcendental Meditation is taught through a non-profit called Mauritius Foundation. It's a nationwide organization and we teach Transcendental Meditation, as the name implies. And Transcendental Meditation is a very interesting practice. It can be learned by anyone, it's effortless and it's natural, and yet it produces very profound effects. So during TM what happens is your mind and your body achieve a profound state of relaxation. As I said, this happens without effort. So this is kind of in contrast, but in many I think almost everybody out there has been trying some kind of meditation and relaxation and you get told to calm your mind, empty your mind, stop yourself from thinking, focus. Tm is nothing like them. It is completely effortless and completely natural and yet it brings about this very profound state, as I say, because of the restful alertness.

Speaker 2:

But there are two very interesting implications from that. The first thing is that brain functioning becomes more ordinary. That leads to a lot of cognitive problems, problems on clarity of mind, creativity, intelligence, all kinds of things like that. Memory includes all kinds of aspects of cognitive function. The second thing is because mind and body are connected.

Speaker 2:

During TM the body centers down to experience a very profound state of rest, which is actually much of the time deeper even than you can see, and that leads to very important health benefits. It's very interesting that just recently the American Heart Association and the American Cardiology Association they published a cheat sheet of things to do to help maintain and reduce your blood pressure and they included meditation. But the only meditation that they included was Transcendental Meditation, because it's the only one that has decent quality evidence that it can significantly reduce high blood pressure. And the reason for that is because this very profound state of physiological arrest and ultimately more of the spinal function of the nervous system that brings about these changes. And it's interesting because TM is not, we're not trying to reduce our bone pressure. That's just one aspect of the changes that come about or the benefits that come about from this profound physiological event that is amazing.

Speaker 1:

How did you get into this business?

Speaker 2:

well, I learned transgenicization when I graduated from university, so that was a very long time ago. And, uh, I had many friends who were doing back then. But it was tm was very popular with young people because what are now called influencers, but that they were doing it and the word was out. You know, I had many friends who've learned it and always said it's a good thing. And then, as I said, I just graduated from university so I was just thinking, hey, I've got to figure out my life if I do something here. You know it wasn't a terribly good place. So I thought I'll learn from some meditation and it's great, I liked it right away.

Speaker 2:

So that's one of the things about TM, which is which motivates you to continue doing it's nice to do. You feel better when you're doing it. You feel better afterwards and so people find they feel more relaxed, they feel more positive, they're more optimistic, they feel more stressed. Their energy, their motivation, improves A wide range of benefits. So I felt all of that. So then I kind of went to law school and then I got very interested in TM because I realized that it's not just a relaxation technique.

Speaker 2:

It's actually very profound. It's a practice to develop our consciousness, to develop that what makes us up as an individual, our consciousness, our awareness. That's so fundamental to our life. And TM develops consciousness in a systematic yet effortless way. So then I decided to train as a TM teacher, and then, you know, as always, I took it.

Speaker 1:

And here you are Now tell me what was that there's a center also in North County.

Speaker 2:

My wife and I we teach together. We have a website, tmorg, surprise, surprise, tmorg. You can go there and you can find the location here. It's very nicely set up, so all the information is very good. We do info sessions every week On Thursday evening. I do Zoom info sessions. You can go on and find out all about it, but you can also go to the website.

Speaker 1:

Well, good, you know, we're definitely going to highlight that again at the end, but I wanted to find out what are maybe some misconceptions in your industry, or myths.

Speaker 2:

Well, I think that's a great question. I think that there's two levels to that. One is that people think that I can't do it, I can't meditate because I can't make my mind still. Now, tm doesn't require you to make your mind still. What happens when you do this technique is your mind does become larger and wider, so the technique enables you to do that, and that's one thing. And then you know I think way back then you know, then it comes from india. I think we're past all of that. You know way back when I learned people are into that. But now I don't think that's the reason.

Speaker 2:

I think the other thing is that people try meditation and then they kind of give up or they cannot do it. One thing about tm which is very important is there's a very solid body of evidence, there's something. There's something like 400 published studies on this and they've been done all over the world in independent research institutes and universities and they actually document and verify that these benefits are real. See again, it's not that we're sitting down in the UTM trying to become a better person or trying to be mindful or something. All of the benefits come about as a result of these physiological changes brain function, metabolism, and so the the benefits are real, they're very solid, because it's not like we imagine trying to feel better, just all those things come about as a result?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, we know that marketing is definitely the heart of every business. So how are you guys reaching your audience or attracting people to this practice?

Speaker 2:

That's a great question Because, you know, when I was teaching, I was involved in marketing in the UK. Back then there were things called newspapers. Well, the world has changed and so we do, like everybody else. We use social media. We are on the Zonon All the ways that you know people use it. And one of the other things with TM which is nice is that some very well-known, very well-respected celebrity types in TM so like Jerry.

Speaker 2:

Seinfeld, hugh Jackman, and they're very open and speak widely. For example, oprah learned a few years ago and she had all of her employees level of the PR and celebrity part. And it's not just Hollywood, also in the financial world. Anyone who's learned great value the co-founder of the Skull, of the World's largest book he learns. He learned first. He says it's the simple thing that's good for you Clarity of mind, you know good decisions. I guess the point you do it, it kind of enriches your life, you add it to your daily routine. It's the whole person. It's the whole person.

Speaker 1:

Have you ever thought of doing a podcast, or has there ever been? You know thoughts of doing a podcast, or has there ever been you know thoughts of doing a podcast regarding this transcendental meditation in the practice?

Speaker 2:

yeah, absolutely. Um, when we're invited we don't have our own podcast channel, but we've done. You know we can invite. But it's interesting now because when people come and learn they ask well what's going on with you? They say well, I was on this podcast or I heard this person talking about you. There's so many out there. The world of media has become so diversified, but I'll tell you a nice one too. What's his name? This is terrible.

Speaker 2:

Is it Bill Withers? Is it Bill Withers? He's the founder of the 12-step program. Okay, a lot of people in America have been through the 12-step. He practiced and recommended Transcendental Meditation.

Speaker 1:

Well, outside of work and meditation, what do you like to do for fun?

Speaker 2:

You know my main fun I love to swim. I go down to the ocean. This guide. There are some lovely beaches down here Swimming the ocean.

Speaker 1:

Lovely Now, david, please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about Transcendental Meditation.

Speaker 2:

Effortless and very effective, extremely effective. The world. Most people, within the first few days of learning to hear, notice some significant improvement in some aspects of their life, whether it's better sleep, more patience, not being so worried about things, having more fun Getting through the to-do list. That's another thing we would be saying. Get more stuff done, more focus and muscle strength, because your brain is functioning to move. So effortless, natural, effective, easily learned. It's not a long course. We provide follow-up after that. We support you in the practice. You can come back and watch as you need to, because you're learning something new.

Speaker 2:

So you're learning a technique and that technique allows you to gain this deep, you know experience that you say that's going to work. So we give you tune ups wonderful.

Speaker 1:

Well, how can I know? You mentioned your website earlier, but I'd like to close with a.

Speaker 2:

You know how our listeners can learn more about transcendental meditation well, I think if you google transplantationent Meditation Orange County, then you'll get us directly. If you go to the TMorg website, then it gives you a map or you can put in your zip code or there's a map and you can choose the location that matters to you. So I do those things, probably the best way to do it Wonderful.

Speaker 1:

Well, David, I really appreciate you being on the show and we wish you and the business and organization really the very best moving forward, Can I you?

Speaker 2:

know I'm not complaining at all, reggie Say business. We are non-profit and the foundation Marshall Foundation was to improve the quality of life in society by helping individuals make better life by making it. You know stress is the byword of time. You know there's this huge explosion of stress in society and you know that's these all kinds of issues and social problems. So if we can dissolve that stress then people start to come together more easily. They don't get triggered so much by others opinions. The world is made up of all kinds of different opinions, but the world carries on. So the moment we need something to kind of calm down the stress. Tm is so effective. We talk a lot of first responders like police, firefighters, people like that. Their life is very stressful. But a lot of veterans, yes, but beyond that we live in a stressful world and so TM enables us to dissolve the stress, dissolve the stress that we feel.

Speaker 1:

Well, that is a wonderful closing kind of thought for us all to keep in mind. So thank you again for being on the show, thank, you, Rachel.

Speaker 2:

It's been a great pleasure and hopefully we'll speak to you again another time. I hope so. Thanks a lot.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnporangecountycom. Thank you.