TRANSCENDENTAL

Transcendental Meditation Days to Learn Results in a Lifetime of Benefits

Karim Nahabet first learned Transcendental Meditation as an 8-year-old, when his parents took him to a TM introductory talk in Boston. “I remember an older gentleman talking about transcending, and something to do with the development of mind and body,” Nahabet says. “For me, that meant better grades and being a better athlete in school. I distinctly remember one word he used: enlightenment. I didn’t know what it was, but it sounded good. So I agreed to learn.”

Learning TM was easy, he says—more of automatic process than an acquired skill. He continued to practice, at first because he enjoyed TM, and later because he realized that it gave him the clarity to achieve his goals, like becoming an engineer and finding “Ms. Right.”

He was an international engineering consultant, and now he and his wife, Eva, teach TM through the Pensacola TM Center, part of an international nonprofit by Jean Pate

TM Versus Mindfulness Meditation With the growing popularity of meditation as a tool for mind-body-spirit wellness, it’s important to distinguish between TM and mindfulness meditation.

In a blog post on Quora.com, longtime TM practitioner Jim Karpen explains that TM activates alpha (“relaxation”) brain waves while mindfulness meditation activates theta (“ready to process”) brain waves. “The goal of mindfulness meditation is to have one's thoughts be on the present moment, whereas with Transcendental Meditation, the process involves transcending [going beyond] thought itself and experiencing a state of ‘pure awareness,’ in which one is aware but without an object of thought,” he writes.

practicing mindfulness intentionally.”

Nahabet says TM has helped him develop pure awareness and refined perception, while mindfulness is a way to choose how to use his mind—like choosing to be present or aware of thoughts and feelings. “Practicing TM gives me more power to naturally be happy, creative and the best version of myself, consistently; mindfulness techniques are ways to use my mind,” he says. “TM supports all my activity in daily life. Because TM is the most powerful mental technique to give deep rest to the body and release deeprooted stress automatically, I am naturally more mindful. In TM, I really don’t do much—I don’t try to transcend. It happens automatically. That’s different from practicing mindfulness intentionally."

In a sense, mindfulness is a natural side effect of TM, he says. “Because TM reduces stress and expands awareness, I’m more mindful and present to my inner self and the relationship to my environment, so I make better decisions without thinking about it.”

He’s also found that regularly practicing TM gives him “a consistent sense of deep connection to everything, on the heart and spirit level. That’s why I keep practicing. The benefits are really cumulative. I feel the connection growing more each day.”

Learn in Four Days Writer

Malcolm Gladwell famously theorized that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. TM upends that theory.

“It does not take any time at all to get ‘good’ at it, because it’s natural,” Nahabet says. “So right away I was ‘good at it’—like everyone else who learns TM from a certified instructor.”

The technique can be learned in four 90-minute sessions over four consecutive days, he says. After that, a typical practice might be 20 to 25 minutes, twice a day.

Anyone interested in learning TM through the Pensacola TM Center should attend one of its weekly introductory talks and then schedule the training, Nahabet says.

“The first session is a one-on-one instruction session, where you learn to transcend using the technique. The second, third and fourth sessions, you come back and join others who have just learned, for additional training, which includes TM practice and invaluable knowledge. After the four-day training, you’ll have all the tools to continue meditating successfully on your own,” he says.

Those who complete TM training also have lifetime access to TM Centers worldwide. TM Centers host group meditations and meditator activities such as seasonal celebrations, retreat opportunities and the chance to learn advanced TM techniques.

For more information, call or text 575- 430-0214, email Pensacola@tm.org or visit tm.org/pensacola.

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