FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.) What does the mantra mean?

The mantra is meaningless. Its value is in experiencing it as a subtle sound vibration, not as a word with a meaning. It’s best to not assign meaning or write it down, or thinking about how it might be spelled, or even speak it out loud after receiving it in the lesson. Keep it to yourself. Don’t Facebook about it or bring it up in conversations. Don’t play the word association game with it. For best results, just reserve its use exclusively for your meditations.

 

2.) Can I lie down and meditate or sit in a recliner?

You should meditate while sitting comfortably. However, if you begin falling asleep, you can lie down in the meditation. But always start off sitting with your back supported and your head free to move about. Sometimes you’ll feel sleepy before you meditate, and during the meditation you’ll feel awake, and vice versa.

 

3.) Should I regulate my breath?

No. Breathing normally and naturally is best.

 

4.) How many meditations should I do a day?

The goal is to meditate twice a day, once in the morning, ideally before breakfast, and once in the evening, ideally before dinner. So, make sure you’re only doing two meditations a day.

5.) Can I use visual aids to help me think my mantra?

It’s best to just let the mantra come and go naturally. If you are experiencing visuals that are linked to your mantra naturally, then that’s fine. Otherwise, no need to force it.

 

6.) Is it okay to jot things down while meditating?

You can if you want, but it’s best not to. The point of meditation is to rest the body. Writing in the middle of meditation excites the mind and body. If it’s truly important, you’ll remember it.

7.) Is it bad to fall asleep during meditation?

Never. Falling asleep means your body is catching up on much needed rest. Most people are massively sleep deprived and meditation is a balancing agent. So, when you begin meditating, it’s normal to fall asleep a lot, and in doing so, the body begins paying off its sleep debt.

 

8.) If I get distracted, should I start over?

No need to start over. Distractions are a part of the journey. Whenever you get distracted, just treat it like you treat your thoughts be easy. and if the distraction lasts for five minutes, just add 5 minutes on to your finish time and pick up wherever you left off.

9.) If I keep over-meditating, should I use an alarm?

Over meditating will happen naturally from time to time. You don’t need an alarm unless you have something important to do immediately after the meditation. Then, yes, you may use an alarm, but make sure it’s a subtle alarm (don’t worry you’ll hear it) and set it for 25 minutes to give yourself a chance to come out naturally.

 

10.) Can we meditate for longer if we want?

It’s best to stop the meditation process at 20 minutes if you are aware that the time is up. However, you may continue resting with your eyes closed for as long as you want. And if you accidentally over-meditate, it’s fine.

11.) Should I set an intention for releasing stress?

It’s not necessary to set intentions beforehand. We want to just surrender to the body’s intelligence as much as possible. Whatever needs to be released in that session will be released.

 

12.) What are these weird sensations I'm feeling?

That’s what stress release feels like. It’s a good thing. Less stress for you to carry around.

 

13.) Is it okay to play music during meditation?

It’s not recommended but it’s optional

14.)  If my body is distracting me during meditation, itching for instance, is it best to ignore this? As a newer practitioner, I suggest scratching the itch. After a while, itches won’t distract you as much

 

15.) Why do you not recommend meditating for more than 20 minutes? It’s not as sustainable for a non-monk to meditate regularly for more than 20 minutes daily. And your goal in the beginning is efficiency and consistency.

 

16.) In a crowded house, where is the best place to meditate? Wherever you can find privacy: closets, your car, the bathroom, your bed, etc.

 

17.) How do I know if I’m using my mantra correctly? It’s tough because there are different applications for mantras based on your technique and experience level. But this is also where working with a teacher can be helpful. My entire practice accelerated in ways I couldn’t have imagined after I started working with my meditation teacher. 

 

18.) If my body is distracting me during meditation, itching for instance, is it best to ignore this? As a newer practitioner, I suggest scratching the itch. After a while, itches won’t distract you as much

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19,) What if I'm not good at controlling my mind? No problem at all. Unlike other forms of meditation, the Mantra Meditation technique involves no concentration, no control of the mind, no contemplation, no monitoring of thoughts. It is completely effortless.

 

20.)  What is the origin of the TM/MM technique? Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whose life's work was to revive and demystify the timeless knowledge of meditation and verify its effectiveness through the lens of modern science, began teaching Transcendental Meditation in the 1950s. After refining and systematizing the teaching of TM, Maharishi began a movement to make the technique available worldwide. He oversaw the training of thousands of teachers and established a non-profit foundation to preserve the authenticity of the TM technique for generations to come.

 

21,) What is the difference between Mantra Meditation and mindfulness Meditation?

the difference in mindfulness meditation you monitor your thoughts, feelings, breathing, and bodily sensations, without judging them. This keeps your mind engaged on the active level of thinking, as do many other forms of meditation. What we don’t often realize is that, beneath the active surface, the mind already has a deep level of calm, like the settled depth of the ocean beneath the waves. The Mantra Meditation or Transcendental Meditation technique facilitates transcending – effortlessly opening our awareness to this deeper, peaceful level of the mind.

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22.) What happens during Mantra Meditation?  Over time, Consciousness develops and we enjoy greater success and happiness in life. Mantra Meditation practitioners report inner peace, more creativity, better health, better relationships. The Mantra Meditation technique allows your mind to naturally transcend, or easily settle inward, to quieter and quieter levels of thought, until you experience the most silent and peaceful level of your own awareness.

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23,) What if I'm skeptical? The TM technique's effectiveness is the same whether you believe it will work or are completely skeptical. That's because it automatically and effortlessly allows your active thinking mind to settle down to a state of deep inner calm.

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24.) What does the Mantra Meditation technique actually do? The Mantra Meditation technique provides profoundly deep rest to both mind and body. This rest dissolves stress in the nervous system and improves how the brain functions. After just a few minutes of Mantra Meditation practice, people typically feel more refreshed, clear-minded and ready for action.

 

25,) What is the biggest benefit of meditation, if you could choose just one? i would say if we think about it over the long-term, the biggest benefit of meditation is that you become more of you. In other words, you become a better version of you. You become the most authentic version of you. Everything else you read about. you use more brain power. you get a higher quality of rest or a more relaxed nervous system. All that leads to you being the best version of yourself. Because the thing that's essentially stopping you from accessing your full potential or your most authentic self is stress. And meditation is like kryptonite to stress when practiced consistently.

 

I always make that disclaimer, because you can't just meditate once a week or once a month and kind of be all over the map and expect it to have the same kind of effect. So, if you're listening to this and you're thinking to yourself, “Well, I meditate.” but you only really meditate a few times a week and you're not experiencing your most authentic self, that's probably why. You must be more consistent, and you have to do it over a longer stretch of time.

 

So, if you do that, then you're going to get the same results that everybody else who does it gets, which is you find yourself becoming more honest. You find yourself being more truthful when expressing yourself, you find yourself taking bolder action, meaning you take leaps of faith. You're not scared to leave the status quo and try something new where there's a degree of unknown or uncertainty related to trying that new thing. And you have less FOMO, fear of missing out. And you also have less fear of other people's opinions.

 

And so, all of those together is what creates the most authentic version of yourself, and that's what your experience with daily meditation.

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26,) How ancient is meditation? Short answer: No one knows for sure, but definitely over 5,000 years old. Longer answer: The oldest documented evidence of people engaging in seated, eyes-closed practices come from ancient Indian sculptures and cave art dating back to 5,000 to 7,000 years ago. The reason it's hard to pinpoint the exact year when meditation was created is because writing hadn't yet been developed back then. In fact, meditation predates all recorded human history, which began around 6,000 years ago.  That's why they say meditation is at least 6,000 years old—but nobody knows for sure how long it was around before then.  

 

27,) How ancient is meditation? Short answer: No one knows for sure, but definitely over 5,000 years old.
Longer answer: The oldest documented evidence of people engaging in seated, eyes-closed practices come from ancient Indian sculptures and cave art dating back to 5,000 to 7,000 years ago.

The reason it's hard to pinpoint the exact year when meditation was created is because writing hadn't yet been developed back then. In fact, meditation predates all recorded human history, which began around 6,000 years ago.

That's why they say meditation is at least 6,000 years old—but nobody knows for sure how long it was around before then.

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28,) Does meditation conflict with Christianity? Like yoga, meditation is an inherently se cular practice. The associated rituals and altars are often symbolic of one’s teachers or lineage, not Gods that are to be worshipped. Mantras are used to settle the mind or shift awareness, not to praise deities. Bringing your hands together in a namaste position is a gesture of oneness, not prayer. And as a little-known fact, the word “meditation” comes from the term “meditacio,” which was coined by a Roman Catholic monk in the twelfth century to describe the practice of sitting quietly in contemplation. Eventually, meditacio became simply known as “meditation. “ 

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29,) What are the main types of meditation?  

Longer answer: Most beginners/novices view meditation as a homogenous activity, but there are many different categories of practices. Here are four of the most common and popular styles within each:

1. Guided meditation: Any technique where you receive verbal prompts during the meditation. If you use apps, you’re most likely doing guided meditation.

2. Focused attention: Techniques where the practitioner keeps their attention focused on a point of awareness, such as the breath, a loving thought, or a sensation. Popular styles include Vipassana, Loving-Kindness Meditation, and Zen Meditation traditions.

3. Open monitoring: Techniques that encourage the practitioner to remain present to all sensations and feelings of the moment. Popular approaches include Mindfulness, ZaZen, and Qigong traditions.

4.  Automatic self-transcending: Techniques where the practitioner uses a specific sound to transcend (go beyond) all surface activity. Popular styles: Primordial sound, Mantra, Mantra Meditation and Transcendental Meditation ™ traditions

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30,) How does meditation reduce blood pressure?     Short answer: It increases rest, which helps to dilate your blood vessels.

Longer answer: A study at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 2008 showed that meditation was effective in lowering blood pressure by triggering a deep state of relaxation, which results in the formation of nitric oxide. The nitric oxide dilates your blood vessels, which then reduces blood pressure. The study showed that 64% of patients who tried a meditation-based relaxation program for three months saw a significant drop in blood pressure levels and could reduce their medication.

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31,) What’s the meaning of namaste?  There is no English word that can summarize this beautiful, complex definition of namaste. 

It is an ancient Sanskrit phrase, pronounced “NAH-muh-stay,” and it means “I bow to you.” The word is spoken with hands together at the heart chakra, closed eyes, with a brief bow.

Today you’ll often hear it said by the instructor at the end of a yoga class or meditation as we do here regularly.\ as you know

Though it has only taken root in the American dictionary since the mid-20th century,

it is actually a traditional Indian greeting that can be found in writings and sculpture dating back thousands of years.

When you perform this salutation, it is a message of peace and thankfulness, indicating “the divine in me recognizes the divine in you.” It sums up the idea that we are all walking along this spiritual journey together.

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32,) What is the etymology of the word “meditation”? According to Wikipedia, the English word meditation is derived from the Old French term meditacioun, which was taken from the Latin root word meditatio, which means "to think, contemplate, devise, or ponder". And the term meditatio was first used by a 12th century monk Guigo II to describe a step-wise process of contemplation.

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33,) Should someone meditate if they are sick?  So, you want to look at meditation kind of in the same category as you look at sleep, right? So now let's replace the question. Should someone sleep if they're sick?

Obviously, sleep would be beneficial for recovery and healing, right? So, meditation, what it's doing is it's supplying the body with additional rest, just like sleep supplies the body with rest. And rest is good for restoration, rehabilitation, recovery, etc. So, it's always a good idea to meditate if you're not feeling great.

 

34,) What should I do if I feel sleepy during meditation?  During Mantra Meditation the body takes what it needs During the deep rest experienced with the Mantra Meditation technique, the physiology takes what it needs to get rid of stress.

If you have a build-up of fatigue, you might even fall asleep during meditation, which is fine. This is a sign that your body is releasing fatigue. When we fall asleep during meditation, we simply sit up and finish meditating when we wake up. |Do you frequently feel sleepy during meditation? If so, you may need more sleep than you’re getting. Try to arrange your schedule so that you’re getting more rest at night.

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35,) Is the MANTRA MEDITATION technique right for me?

MANTRA MEDITATION is a simple, natural technique that anyone can learn. Whether you have never meditated before, or struggled with other forms of meditation, the MANTRA MEDITATION technique will work for you. The MANTRA MEDITATION technique can be learned by people from all walks of life, no matter your age, background, beliefs, or occupation.

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36.) How does yoga relate to Mantra Meditation?

The Sanskrit word yoga means unity and refers to the fundamental unity at the basis of diversity.

• Different approaches to yoga include postures (hatha yoga), action (karma yoga), devotion (bhakti) Yoga) and knowledge (Gyana yoga)

• The full state of yoga is experienced when the mind transcends surface values.

• Transcendental Meditation or MM is the supreme yoga (Raja Yoga) because it brings us to Transcendental Consciousness (Samadhi), the unified state of awareness.

• TM is the purest technique of Raja Yoga and is the most effective, natural, and effortless.

• The ultimate purpose of Yoga is to raise one’s awareness of the state of Unity Consciousness.

• Unity Consciousness is a state where one is fully established in one’s true, unbounded universal self and sees that same self in everything and everyone.

Established in this state of Yoga, our actions become more effective, our desires are fulfilled, we enjoy what happens in life, and we achieve the goal of all approaches to Yoga.

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Tips and ideas to consider

 

 

1.)    If you're strapped for time, and you can only squeeze in one 10 or 15 meditation a day, at which time will you get the biggest bang for your buck? There’s evidence that the most advantageous time to meditate is (drumroll please...) first thing in the morning. Here's what the science says:

2.)  to enhance the regions of the brain that are responsible for having positive emotions and experiences. So, no matter which side of the bed you wake up on, meditation will help to balance out to your mood.

3.)    Meditation is a natural upper. The endorphins produced in your morning sit will boost your energy levels steadily throughout your day while simultaneously reducing stress hormones like cortisol, and this may even result in less caffeine consumption.

4.)   You can set the tone for your day. The way you start your day will often set the tone for how responsive and adaptable you will be during your day. And even though the meditation itself may feel a bit scattered, it allows you to be more deliberate and mindful in your daily activity.

 

5.) What are the best times of day to meditate? The most important thing is to meditate twice a day. The best times to meditate are once in the morning and once in the afternoon or evening. For most people, i recommend that you meditate soon after waking up—before the never-ending onslaught of emails, texts, phone calls, and daily responsibilities begins.

 

Having said that, a friend, a full-time mom, and part-time professional photographer says: “My mom duties start from the second I wake up: making breakfast, preparing lunchboxes, getting everyone dressed and armed with their schoolwork and off to the buses. Suddenly, the house is quiet. I put the phone in airplane mode, slip into my favorite chair, and dive within.”

 

In other words, find the best times for you and your schedule.

 

A few reminders: It’s best to meditate before rather than after a full meal, such as breakfast or dinner. If you’re hungry, it’s fine to have a light snack before meditating. It’s also better to meditate before rather than after you have caffeinated beverages.

 

And if a vigorous workout is part of your morning or afternoon routine, it’s better to meditate before rather than right after you work out, or to allow time for your body and metabolism to cool down.

 

Again, the most important thing is to meditate twice a day. The best times to meditate are once in the morning and once in the afternoon or evening.

                                                            Shorter affirmations work best. For example,

“I am content in this moment.

My heart will guide me.

My treasures lie within.

The possibilities are endless”