What’s Transcendental Meditation? And Why Hollywood Stars Love It?

The ancient practice of meditation has been shown to have significant benefits in modern-day life. From helping to reduce symptoms of anxiety, to improve your performance at the office, the betterment that meditation can provide to our lives seems endless. Here at GR8NESS, we’ve provided you with the tools to determine the best type of meditation for your personality. But now, it’s time to dive a little bit deeper and explore transcendental meditation.

What is Transcendental Meditation (TM)?

Transcendental meditation is a type of silent mantra meditation that is meant to be practiced twice a day for twenty minutes at a time. Like other forms of meditation, it’s credited with alleviating stress and promoting relaxation and self-development.

The goal of transcendental meditation is to reach a level of consciousness that is below the surface level of our minds. While other forms of meditation, such as mindfulness meditation, focus on brain training, transcendental meditation focuses more on bypassing this brain manipulation to reach our innermost selves.

Acknowledging Your Thoughts

The concept of transcendental meditation allows you to recognize your thoughts, but then allow them to pass. Compare this to watching cars drive down a busy road. You watch each car pass, acknowledging that it’s there, but you allow it to keep right on driving out of sight.

Taking this approach to settling your mind creates a less strenuous type of meditation for those who have difficulty reaching that quiet place inside their heads.

As we allow our thoughts to come and go, our minds naturally slow down, allowing an eventual sense of deep peace. The ultimate goal is to transcend our thoughts by allowing them to pass us by without consuming our minds.

The Use of Mantras in Transcendental Meditation

Many find the use of silent mantras to be the most useful element of transcendental meditation. Silent mantras are focused on improving self-image, confidence levels, and emotional well-being. During transcendental meditation, mantras can include repeating statements such as “I am worth it,” or “Today I will be the best version of myself.”

If you find your mind wandering too far away from the mantra process, bring your focus back to the phrase and allow yourself to resettle.

Hollywood Stars Who Love Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental meditation gained mass popularity in the 1960s, as Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi spread the practice around the world. He is credited for teaching the technique to millions of people and gained a considerable following. Many celebrities have delved into the practice, swearing by its ability to lead the process of self-development.

Advocates of transcendental meditation have included Paul McCartney, Clint Eastwood, Mick Jagger, Sheryl Crow, Jane Fonda, Jerry Seinfeld, Mary Tyler Moore, Kurt Vonnegut, and many more.

Famous talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is also a massive believer in the practice. She has given talks regarding TM, where she explains how she struggled with other forms of meditation for years before trying a new approach.

“It is the only time I have that stillness,” DeGeneres said regarding transcendental meditation. “It’s the only way I’ve ever been able to sit long enough that I open my eyes, and I’m sad that it’s twenty minutes later.”

You can watch Ellen’s full talk on transcendental meditation here.

A Note From GR8NESS

Transcendental meditation is one of just many different types of meditation. What works for one person may not work for another. We encourage all of our readers to seek out self-care and relaxation techniques that are effective for them individually.