David Lynch Foundation Canada

About the Transcendental Meditation Technique

What Is Transcendental Meditation?

It is a simple, natural, effortless technique practiced 20 minutes twice a day while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. It’s not a religion, philosophy or lifestyle.

What Happens When You Meditate?

Transcendental Meditation allows the active thinking mind to settle inward to experience a naturally calm, peaceful level of awareness. During TM, the body enjoys a profoundly rejuvenating rest, while the brain functions with significantly greater coherence.

How Does Transcendental Meditation Differ from Other Meditation Techniques?

Brain research has identified three basic approaches to meditation:

• Focused attention (concentrating on a thought or object)
• Open monitoring (observing breath, thoughts, or the environment)
• Automatic self-transcending (spontaneously experiencing quieter levels of thought — a unique state of restful alertness)

The Transcendental Meditation technique involves no focused attention nor open monitoring. It is a process of automatic self-transcending, allowing the practitioner to experience a field of calm deep within.

How Do You Learn Transcendental Meditation?

TM is taught in a personal course of instruction by a specially-trained, certified teacher. For more information, visit www.ca.tm.org.