Transcendental meditation TM – Maharishi Mahesh

How to Choose a Mantra for Transcendental Meditation
Transcendental meditation, also referred as TM, is a form of meditation in which people meditate silently thinking of a mantra or a sound. These mantras do more than just to help our minds focus.

It also helps our mind and body to settle in a quiet state and relax. This is why before doing transcendental meditation, it is import to learn about the right mantra and how to choose a mantra for transcendental meditation.

Transcendental Meditation: A Closer Look
Transcendental meditation is an ancient Indian tradition that is derived from Yoga and recently getting popular in the West as well, especially in the United States.

David Lynch even initiated a foundation in 2005 which is dedicated to such practice. Also, many high profile celebrities including Oprah and Jim Carrey practice transcendental meditation.

The Benefits
Transcendental meditation is a psychological exercise that helps our mind and body to move to and relax in a silent state. It helps people get more energetic, refreshed, and focused when they come out of this state.

According to modern research, it offers multiple physical health benefits along with psychological well-being. It helps with asthma, slows the progression of cardiovascular diseases, improves cognitive functions, and lowers blood pressure.

In terms of psychological benefits, it helps us focus more on our goals, relieves stress, keeps us calm, helps improve creativity, develops problem-solving skills, and refreshes our mind. However, all of those are possible only if you are using the right mantras in your mind.

The Mantras
Transcendental meditation was developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, along with the mantras that you need to use. The mantras are the key to the meditation. Without the use of mantra, there is no transcendental meditation. These are commonly one- or two-word mantras, very rarely any more words that we read in our mind with a rhythm.

The word mantra is derived from the two Sanskrit words, man and tra. “Man” means mind and “tra” means instrument. This means that it is an instrument of thought that helps us achieve the state of quiet and silent mind without any thoughts. In simple words, a complete mindless state.

How to Choose a Mantra for Transcendental Meditation
When choosing a mantra, you have to keep two basics in mind.

The Sound: The sound of the mantra must be meaningless because its purpose is to settle your mind into silence and complete relaxation. If the sound has a meaning, it will provide information to your mind to work on and will divert your mind’s focus. So, whatever the sound you are choosing, make sure it does not make any sense for your mind. It should be without any meaning.
The Vibration: The vibration of the sound must have resonance with the actual source, which is the primordial hum, also known as Om. The vibration must fade slowly in the same direction as primordial hum. This helps our mind to settle with the mantra as our mind moves towards complete silence gradually.

The Uniqueness of Transcendental Meditation Mantras

Choosing the Mantra

Even though mantras are commonly used in almost all types of meditations and some types of yoga, it is mandatory and unique in transcendental meditation. In other forms of meditations, you can choose mantra on your own, based on the one that helps you relax more.

On the other hand, in transcendental meditation, only a certified teacher can teach you a mantra. If you try to choose it on your own, it will not work. Similarly, mantras in other forms of meditations often have some meaning attached to them, but mantras used in transcendental meditation do not have any meaning.

Number of Words
In addition, mantras for other meditation types and yoga are often more than two words, but mantras for transcendental meditation are most commonly no more than two words.

Similarly, mantras are often the focal point of mediation in which your mind focuses only on the mantra. In TM, the mantra is not a focal point. It is meaningless, so you just use it as an instrument to settle to the quieter mental state.

Transcendental meditation and its mantras are different than other forms of meditation. While other forms of meditations allow you to customize meditation methods and mantras according to your own unique needs and comfort, transcendental meditation follows a more rigid set of instructions to follow.

Learning Process
You cannot learn transcendental meditation on your own, as you need to go to one of the transcendental meditation schools or universities or hire a certified teacher.

The course is often expensive, which is why you cannot choose a TM mantra on your own. Only a certified teacher from one of the TM schools and universities can teach you the TM mantras, and they often charge money.

As transcendental meditation is a more complex form of meditation in which you have to slowly settle your mind and body to a state of nothing, no thoughts, no stress, just emptiness using the mantra, it needs practice. This is why you need a teacher, who tells you how to practice and which mantra to use.

The teacher tells you which mantra to use. The focus of TM and the mantra is to not to do something new but to use the natural tendency of our mind to settle down to silent and relaxed state.

Conclusion
The concept of how to choose a mantra for transcendental meditation is that you don’t choose a mantra for it. Your certified transcendental meditation teacher selects and teaches the mantra to you. It is not up to you since it will not work without proper guidance.

Transcendental meditation is different than other types of meditation, so are the mantras used, and how they are used. You need to depend on a certified teacher to learn about the mantra, and to practice it with your teacher.

Transcendental meditation mantras are not the focal point, but only a form of assistance to help you achieve the ultimate goal, which is to achieve a mental state of emptiness.

Many people mix transcendental meditation with other forms of meditation and often choose their own words as a mantra that sounds good or picks up mantras for different meditations to use with the transcendental meditation.

Unfortunately, this is not how it works with transcendental meditation. Until and unless the mantra is taught to you by a certified teacher, it will not work.

@ How To Do Transcendental Meditation + Mantras Free – Step-by-Step
Transcendental Meditation (TM) – Here is the full technique including mantras explained step-by-step for free.
how to do transcendental meditation

Here we go:

Switch off phones etc, and make sure you will be undisturbed for twenty five minutes or so. You will need a timer of some sort or have a watch or a clock nearby.

Sit quietly with eyes closed, feet on the floor. Hands can sit on your lap, just make sure you are comfortable.
The mantra is…“Shiring” – this is more of a “sound” than a word. Often it is two syllables, “Shi” and “Ring”. Allow the mantra to gently come gently into your mind.

Repeat the mantra in your mind without force or effort. Allow it to circle in your mind at any frequency that it wants to.
If you notice that you have drifted off in thought, then gently bring your attention back to repeating the mantra.

If any difficult thoughts or feelings arise, simply let them go without any force or judgment and come back to the mantra in your mind.
Continue like this for twenty minutes. Check on your watch or clock or wait until your timer tells you that twenty minutes have passed.
When twenty minutes have passed stop repeating the mantra in your mind, and sit quietly without repeating the mantra for two more minutes before coming back into the world by opening your eyes

Your meditation session should feel pleasurable, relaxing and charming. If not then you are probably trying too hard. Just relax and let go.

TM is usually practiced for twenty minutes twice a day, but practicing it once a day or irregularly is also very beneficial.

This is a very effective meditation technique for mental health, physical health, relaxation, self-love, awareness and growth.

You don’t need to understand every little detail of Transcendental meditation in order to benefit from it, just the same way drivers don’t have to understand how vehicle engines work in order to drive them.

What you should, however, keep in mind is the fact that the organization is a commercial venture and therefore it would not be appropriate to reveal every minutiae of the technique. In my experience, if you feel the need to learn the true art of the technique, it would be a good idea to find yourself a teacher in an official TM Center, it is great fun.

On the other hand, if you want to learn meditation without breaking the bank, you can opt for non-directed meditation through Yoga classes and instructors. In case you’re just planning to sample things out and understand what meditation feels like, then it would be ideal to enrol for a 10-day long Goenka style retreat.
Worth noting is that the meditation world is also dictated by the concept of free markets and therefore demand and supply affect the pricing of lessons and tuition.

maharishi mahesh yogi tm bookIn case you would like to learn about It and how it works, then I would recommend getting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s book titled “Science of Being and Art of Living”. This book is a handy guide to identifying the true meaning of life and the kind of options you can explore to enrich your mind. Although some parts of his book are pretty repetitive, it still offers a fair representation of the science and philosophy and you can benefit a lot from it. That said, please note that this book will certainly not tell you everything that can be written about it.

So, where can one get more details on the actual technique? Well, actually, the technique itself is quite simple. Below is another description of the steps you need to take in order to practice it.

Step 1: Make sure you’re seated comfortably
Step 2: Close your eyes gently
Step 3: Select a mantra word to use (a meaningless word or sound which it’s tutors can help customize for you) and keep repeating it in your mind while in this state.
There’s a lot of controversy behind mantras. However, the general consensus is that a mantra can be customized for each person. Of course, there are those who have challenged this claim as well.

Some folks reckon that there was just one mantra when it began. The effect of using particular mantras as opposed to others has never been fully studied. So, the question remains; what if one decides to look around and pick a random sound or word to use as a mantra? How would that affect the outcome of their meditation? Would it work better than a customized mantra or not?

The closest the world ever came to finding an answer to this question was in the documentary “David Learns to Fly.” The documentary was prominent in causing a lot of debate and attention on its’ release on the topic of the technique. In it, a person called David picks a random German word and through various lab, EEG experiments proved that the random German word has a better effect than the official It mantras.

In general, It mantras are picked from either Beeja mantras of seed mantras. You can find out more about these by listening keenly to Lalita Sahasranama (sacred text from a Hindu female goddess).

What I learned is that most simple and realistic meditation techniques tend to use generic mantras – no customization. Generally speaking, there are three things that happen to your mind (or should happen) when a mantra is repeated severally.

1. You begin with your mind full of thoughts

2. The mantra takes over the background although the thoughts remain in the foreground

3. Eventually, the thoughts are completely erased and the mantra takes over and continues to dominate

In situation #3, your brain is expected to have surpassed its usual limits and ultimately transformed the quality and state of your thought process.

The great seer Maharishi Mahesh Yogi referred to this state as the field of utmost power that manifests reality.

For Maharishi, It was the only meditation technique capable of helping transform one’s being.

From a neurological perspective, It is designed to produce alpha and theta brain wave activity at a reliable level in the brain. In the recent past, people like Fred Travis, John Hagelin, and David Lynch have all made notable demonstrations using EEG patterns indicating how It works.

Looking closely at the technique, one might be astonished at how efficiently and effectively it alters the brain wave patterns. However, note that even while practicing Transcendental meditation, you’re still in a state of thought, only that the brain state is akin to when you’re daydreaming.

How TM Mantras Work?
A few essential factors are surrounding the use of mantras. First, mantras have various vibrational characteristics. That’s why each tm student uses its own unique mantra. “Love” and “Jealousy,” both words are exceptionally strong feelings, and both of them create a specific vibrational sound.
You can actually try and repeat these two words to yourself a few times, and feel the difference that they create. That’s why it’s essential that you use a specific mantra and produce the energy you desire.
Next important factor is the focus. Our minds are frequently cluttered with random stuff. By having a word that we can focus on our attention we can free ourselves from this “internal scuffle”.

Meditation Mantras for Beginners – Selecting The Right Mantra For You
I prepared a list of 51 mantras that you can use with Mantra Meditation practice. This table includes a variety of mantras that you can pick from according to your gender and age.
Keep in mind that when you’re selecting a tm mantra, you should choose one that is easy to follow and use. The mantra must be easy to repeat, and it should resonate with you. When you use it, you must feel the sensations you desire.

According to my experience as a TM student and teacher; you as a student, are given the particular mantra by your guru at the time of your initiation. Once you elevate to more advanced technique, you receive more parts to your mantra. When this happens, you get initiated again and receive another mantra to add to the mantra you first accepted.

So what happens if your guru gives you a mantra which is according to the list below the incorrect one?

You should always listen to your guru. Your guru (hopefully) knows you, your spiritual path, and growth.

Within the “guru” circles, it is often stated that Guru is more important than God. This is because the Holy tradition says that the Guru is above everything (even God), and all the deities are beneath him. I don’t agree with that. The guru is the deity, physically standing in front of you. In my opinion, God is the ultimate Guru. The mortal being is the manifestation of God, not the other way around.

Understanding the exact meaning of the advanced technique mantras makes it apparent that the TM mantras are not trivial sounds. They have apparent and precise meanings.

Transcendental Meditation Mantra List
Here’s a huge meditation tm mantras list:

X Most famous mantra Aum
(Mantras Used By Gurus in 1961)
1 Mantra for male students Ram
2 Mantra for female students Shiram
(Mantras Used By Gurus in 1969)
3 Mantra for male students (0 – 15 years old) Ing
4 Mantra for male students (15 – 30 years old) Aing
5 Mantra for male students (30 – 45 years old) Shring
6 Mantra for male students (46+ years old) Shiam
7 Mantra for female students (0 – 15 years old) Im
8 Mantra for female students (15 – 30 years old) Aim
9 Mantra for female students (30 – 45 years old) Shrim
10 Mantra for female students (46+ years old) Shiama
(Mantras Used By Gurus in 1972)
11 Mantra for students (10 – 11 years old) Ing
12 Mantra for students (12 – 13 years old) Im
13 Mantra for students (14 – 15 years old) Inga
14 Mantra for students (16 – 17 years old) Ima
15 Mantra for students (18 – 19 years old) Aying
16 Mantra for students (20 – 21 years old) Ayim
learn transcendental meditationWhy Can’t I get What I Desire In My Life?
I want to share with you a powerful secret for manifesting ALL you desire (not just some of what you want).

This insight will help you go way beyond trying to manifest fragments of desires (such as more abundance). When you really ‘get’ this profound ah-ha, you’ll know how to rapidly manifest ALL that you truly desire…

First, let’s start with THE question that causes so much confusion.

Why does ‘the Secret’ and manifesting what you want, seem so hit and miss? Sometimes it seems to work, sometimes not.

BUT WHY? What’s the secret of transcendental meditation mantras?
And why is it that superstars (like Oprah for example) are able to attract avalanches of wealth and success so easily – while most people battle for years just to keep their heads above water? How can they learn transcendental meditation practice and get all of it’s benefits and you can’t?

What makes these “stars” so special?

The answer is so simple that most people NEVER see it.

Stars like Oprah are manifesting from the Core of who they are – what we call their Core Energy.

In other words, ALL their energy is lined up and working together. They are not trying to manifest fragments of desires or things they are not sure if they really want or not. They are manifesting what they TRULY desire as a UNIFIED whole.

And that’s what makes them so darn powerful.

That’s why they attract masses of abundance (in every sense of the word) like a magnet… Because they are COMPLETELY allowing the energy that creates worlds to flow through them as a unified whole. Makes sense?

Now here’s the best news…

YOU too can learn how to align with your Core Energy and manifest all that you truly desire from that place. How do you do this?

Mind-Body Training practices that integrate your primal Body, Heart and Mind energies, while at the same time developing inner skills of mindfulness and inner presence, are obviously essential. You can find out more about these here:

Another secret is to learn to connect to your joy, your passion and your excitement in your life.

Transcendental Meditation How ToTranscendental Meditation How To Start Today?
That’s exactly what I want to share with you today.

Trust me on this: When you know how to connect to your passion, you not only enjoy a lot more wealth, success, love, abundance and fun, but you also see your entire life taking on a more vibrant color, richness, and value.

It’s not just your bank account that is full — you also feel more fulfilled inside. The sense of struggle and having to push is gone. Everything seems so much more worthwhile. You’re excited to share what you’re doing with those you love and with the world! You feel like you’re a vital part of Life, contributing something special as only you can.

So, if you don’t currently feel that sense of burning joy and excitement in your life, what can you do about it?

The first step is to learn to read your signs. As you go about your life, notice what sparks your interest and curiosity. Let me give you an example…

Now I don’t watch much TV, but I discovered I like watching a bit of reality TV, because I find all sorts of people engaged in doing interesting things that they love – things that I would have never thought of, or never thought possible.

(There are the folks on “Tanked” that make these crazy aquariums out of old cars, refrigerators, gumball machines, and phone booths. There are the guys who make a stunning variety of duck call devices. There’s the big-food lover that gets filmed eating the most humongous dishes restaurants can serve up. The list goes on and on.)

The point is that the various passions and paths are unique.

But what excites and interests YOU?

If money was no object and you could do anything you wanted all day, what might that be? What is important or fascinating to you?

What would you like to share with others?

If you’ve lost your feel for that, here’s a simple thing you can do to get it back:

Buy yourself a little notebook – the kind you can stick in your pocket, pack, or purse – with a pen. Make it a habit for the next week to notice whatever catches your eye, anything that interests you – no matter how stupid or insignificant it may be. You can give your little book a title such as “What interests me.”

Then, start getting in the habit of noticing what attracts your attention–especially if it is something that you would normally tell yourself to ignore. If it interests you, write it down, along with something that you like about it.

If you don’t like writing, you can draw. If you don’t like drawing, you can use the voice recording feature on your phone. Find your own way to make a note of what calls out to you.

Play around a bit and have fun.

Treat this like a game.

In whatever way works for you, start to notice what sparks your interest and what you like about it. It could be a book title that jumps off the shelf at you, a phrase you overhear, a strange person who walks by, something an animal is doing, how the sky looks, a feeling in your body, a memory or inspiration that comes out of nowhere.

Pay attention to what interests and excites you. Suddenly life seems more fun and filled with adventure the more you do.

After a while, see if you notice recurring themes. Or, maybe you’ll remember how you used to love something, but have since forgotten about it.

Whatever happens, I think you’ll find yourself more clued into your Core Energy and what makes you feel alive. Those signs of life, interest, and fascination are the clues to your deeper passion and purpose and the energy that creates worlds.