Stories of meditation: Practitioners share and review their first-hand experiences
The talented and beautiful Joanne Jimenez participated in a meditation challenge and lived to tell about it. All you moms and dads out there are sure to be inspired!
“Before I learned to meditate I thought it was some sort of time-consuming, hippie-ritual-rain-dance. On the contrary, I think the reason I have been successful at integrating meditation into my daily life is that it is so simple. …“ — read further
Brian B Baker is a dad, meditator, and husband. He went through a bad depression which led him to discover Transcendental Meditation and wants to help others get over the delusions they have in their lives. — 
“The most curious thing about TM is discovering things about myself I’ve believed since I was a child. Things I was told by parents, teachers, and school guidance counselors have turned out to be false. A few weeks after beginning to meditate, I had a revelation about my life and the limits I’d been taught. I saw in those early weeks of TM my future self and where I wanted my life to go.” — read further
A student of Interior Design at the College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Jennifer Bueso has an incredible depth of vision and understanding. A must-read for everyone trying to crack the meaning of meditation! —
“In reality, my internal self has been creating my life experience all along. Through the practice of meditation, I have learned to stop and listen. Listen to what my body and mind were asking for and, more importantly, not allow the troubles in my head to steal too much of my time.” — read further
Todd Kurpil is a licensed massage therapist. Although he has extensive training in several modalities, Todd believes effective healing is not about applying techniques so much as listening to the body through one’s hands and intuition. After recently learning to meditate, he has found that it’s of great help against daily stress. —
“Think of stress in the body like a knot in a string. The knot shortens the string, or constricts it, and takes away its natural, expansive state.“ — read further
Rachel is a professional opera singer. In her review, she describes the effects meditation practice can have on close relationships. —
“It’s funny if we are both able to meditate at the same time, according to our schedules, we always both want to do this. Coming out of meditation and opening your eyes to each other for the first time always fills me with love for my partner.“ — read further
Working in digital film restoration (Framestore CFC, London; Deluxe, Venice; Technicolor, Hollywood and New York), Paola Varvaro tells about the immediate impact of her first meditation session. —
“At the end of my first meditation I felt much lighter; I felt the benefit immediately and I love my mantra and I like the fact that I promise not to tell anyone… it feels special. In the deep silence, I found my peace, a softer me, and the anger and despair melted away. I drive back to Santa Monica and even the terrible LA traffic seems to soften, the street opens up in front of me… I’m not hallucinating on the contrary I’m totally present and alert!” — read further
Stories of meditation:
SEASONED PRACTITIONERS
Susie Pearl is a happiness and well-being activist and the founder of one of the world’s leading celebrity PR agencies. She was Head of PR at MTV Europe and worked with many of the world’s most successful celebrities and businesses, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Victoria Beckham. She has advised top brands including Microsoft, Adidas, and Sony on how to work better, happier and smarter. —
“I was in the midst of a tough personal time – one of the hardest times in my life – when I first got introduced to meditation by a close friend. I had a successful West End PR agency, a young baby, a beautiful house, and was at the top of my game. Then suddenly things changed…” — read further
Ever found yourself missing a session? Finding it a stretch to keep up regular meditation practice in those days of over-brimming to-do lists and constant busyness? Heard the small voice whisper: ‘The heck with it! Why is the regularity of practice such a holy cow, after all?’ — Well, this feedback here is for you, then. Founder of the non-profit Tuning the Student Mind, Chelsea Richer shares an important tip: Meditation is like a puppy… — read further
Can meditation change the whole trajectory of your life? Lenora Boyle, a life coach from the US, certainly believes so. —
“I signed up to learn Transcendental Meditation one day in 1973. That moment of fate changed the trajectory of my life. I’m not sure what other path I would have followed, but I became more clear, more centered, intuitive, and happy. My decisions became based on following my heart.” — read the full review
Inspiring Oprah to meditate, Valerie Gangas is a young woman who has seen her whole life change from the very first time she sat down to meditate. On this amazing path, she has had many realizations and insights. Here is one of them: everyone you meet in life reflects something of yourself. —
“The last thing I wanted to face was the dissatisfaction, the sadness, the helplessness reflected back at me. Oh my! How the people I met along the way revealed the worst parts of them — ahem, I mean — me. Finally, as I began to open my eyes to the gifts I needed to embrace, my soul’s beautiful, true colors emerged.” — read the full story
Kristine Carlson is a writer & bestselling author (Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff; An Hour to Live, An Hour to Love). A mentor for women and girls navigating that exceptionally urgent & poignant time known as “middle age.” A motivational speaker who knows what it means to be plunged into traumatic grief and sorrow. —
“Until my TM practice, I was sleeping and walking around with a slow hum of twisted trauma all balled up in a knot of fear right in my power center—waking me up in the middle of the night and affecting my daytime thinking—leaving me with a feeling of vulnerability. Now, it is undoing itself, slowly but surely, letting go of fear, anxiety, and feelings of not being safe, and replacing them with a deeper resolve of rested calm.” — read the full story
Tips and encouragement from meditation teachers
Mike Sampey from England recalls his journey into meditation. Now himself a meditation teacher, he starts his story by describing the initial anxiety and fear of the unknown. —
“Experiencing deep silence in meditation is easy.” These were the first words I ever heard a Transcendental Meditation teacher say. “Easy for you maybe, my mind is so busy!” I thought. “And it’s effortless,” she continued. I looked at the teacher. “Effortless?” I thought. It can’t be!“ — read the full review
Bob Cowart is a certified TM teacher since 1976. He is also a pianist, bassist, and concert promoter. For a wider audience, Bob is best known, though, as a best-selling writer of books about computing, having authored 47 titles. Here he shares vital tips on how to stay on track with daily meditation practice. —
“Since we are programmed in the West to believe that learning a new skill requires effort and concentration and that if we don’t succeed, we should “…try, try again,” we are almost guaranteed to run into self-defeating thoughts about meditation. Sadly, I have met many frustrated would-be meditators along my path…“ — read further
After years of combat operations with US Special Forces, William T. Hathaway made a U-turn by shaking off ‘the warrior indoctrination’ and becoming a peace activist and meditation teacher. In this essay, he looks into the deeper reaches of consciousness. —
“In transcendental consciousness, the mind is without thoughts. It reaches the source of thought, where it becomes pure Being — alert and aware but without an object of awareness, consciousness experiencing itself. This state is so blissful, so all-encompassing, so divine, that we think, How wonderful! And as soon as we have that thought, we’re no longer there.“ — read further
Prudence Farrow Bruns was among the first in the West to become initiated into Transcendental Meditation, starting to practice in 1966 at the age of 17. Two years later, she went to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh. In this video interview, Prudence shares her experiences of a true spiritual journey. —
“The rewards are infinite. … When you transcend, when you meditate, it allows the heart and the mind to balance. When they’re balanced is when you are really healthy. You are happy – you’re happy mentally and happy emotionally, and happy spiritually.” — read further
In love with each other, with the world, and with the practice of Transcendental Meditation, Ewan Gilmour (originally from Scotland) and Cristina Ballesteros (from Spain) are two wonderful teachers with a lot to give. —
“At one point in my life, I was noticing that I was not that full anymore. Everything looked bigger and I was becoming smaller. I was becoming tired of my job in Internet marketing.
Transcendental Meditation changed things completely. I went to work full of energy, happy, and in a good mood. My relationship with my team improved, and I gave them more responsibilities.
When you are stressed, you want to do everything yourself, thinking that you can do it better –and you end up exhausting yourself. Everything started working better. Campaigns were more successful; my boss was happier. This was all because I did not go to work tired. I had energy and focus.” — read further
Different paths, the same mountain
First, there is feedback from people who are new to meditation and who share their thoughts, emotions, and insights after their first sessions of meditation.
Second, seasoned meditation practitioners – who have already meditated daily for years – add their personal perspectives. It is often a long-term view that evaluates the impact of meditation on a life’s total trajectory.
Finally, meditation teachers assess their experience and give valuable tips for sustaining effortless training.
Each story here is unique, and reveals true insights!
