Transcendental Meditation, also referred to as TM, is the name given to a special technique of meditation started by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1958. Transcendental meditation, which does not involve contemplation or concentration, is done twice a day for twenty minutes each while sitting with your eyes closed. This form of meditation has been very successful in many ways both emotionally and physically. Other added bonuses of transcendental meditation are that it doesn't require any new or special skills or a change in your current lifestyle.

Transcendental Meditation is one of the most effective techniques of meditation around for the purpose of eliminating stress, relaxing, promoting good health, obtaining inner fulfillment and happiness and increasing intelligence and creativity. People of all ages, cultures, religions and backgrounds have taken part in the transcendental meditation method, which has been tried by over six million people. Since the 1970s, Maharishi has opened different learning centers for the purpose of teaching transcendental meditation.

The Transcendental Meditation method is not something that you can learn instantly your first time at a clinic or meditation facility. There is usually an interview, an instruction session and lectures to assure that the patient fully understands what they will be learning and doing. It's important that the patient or practitioner fully understand the entire technique. There are seven states of consciousness involved in the techniques and each of them is an advancement of your mental state until you reach total fulfillment. The stages of waking, dreaming and deep dreamless sleep are the first three consciousness states. The fourth state, transcendental consciousness, takes place when the practitioner is practicing the entire technique. Eventually the patient will go through the transcendental consciousness in their everyday lives. When they have realized and acknowledged this, they are in state five, known as cosmic consciousness. The states six and seven are the final stages and are God Consciousness and Unity Consciousness.

While much of this may seem like it's a religious form of therapy, it's actually one of the most widely and successfully used to bring total inner peach and happiness in your life. Only when you are completely happy and fulfilled emotionally can you begin to heal any physical problems, which is what makes transcendental meditation so important. There have been millions of dollars spent on research to learn more about the positive effects transcendental meditation has on different physical problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease and cognitive functions. Positive affects have been proven in patients with insomnia, reducing high cholesterol, decreased alcohol and tobacco use and reduced medical expenses and patient visits.