The Canadian Women’s Wellness Initiative []—the women’s wing of the Transcendental Meditation organization in Canada—has partnered with the Central Saanich Police Service [CSPS] near Victoria, British Columbia to offer Transcendental Meditation to their officers and staff. Given how stressful law enforcement can be, this comes as welcome news, for police officers and the general public.
Victoria TM Teacher Helen Foster-Grimmett
Helen Foster-Grimmett, a longtime certified TM Teacher and Director for Women at the Victoria, British Columbia TM Center, read a CBC News report on a 2015 study that found more than 30 per cent of Vancouver police officers have PTSD.
The study, conducted by Kwantlen Polytechnic University psychologist Lisa Kitt for the Vancouver Police Union, surveyed officers in the Vancouver Police Department. Of the 1,100 officers who were emailed questionnaires, 765 replied, a participation rate of more than 70 per cent, which is considered extraordinarily high for a social sciences study. The report found that approximately 32 per cent of the respondents were in the diagnostic range of PTSD.
The results show that police departments must address the mental health issues confronting officers. “They’re suffering,” Kitt said in an interview. “They’re suffering and they want people to know.”
Kitt explained that the post traumatic stress experienced by officers is the result of years of stressful job-related calls, witnessing distressing deaths and repeated violence.
Moved by the article, Helen decided to reach out to the Central Saanich Police Service with a solution. When she mentioned the 30% statistic in her presentation to the Central Saanich officers, some indicated that it may be higher, since officers may not want to report signs of PTSD due to concerns they may be overlooked for promotion.
Central Saanich Police Service and Area Police Officers Learn and Benefit from Transcendental Meditation
CSPS Police Chief Les Sylven
When Helen Foster-Grimmett approached CSPS Police Chief Les Sylven to ask him about including their wellness program for his officers and staff, he agreed, based on his own personal experiences with the meditation technique. “I feel very fortunate to have found TM early in my policing career. I believe daily TM practice has helped me deal with the long-term physical and emotional demands that come with serving the community through police work.”
Chief Sylven said that his TM practice helped him stay calm, present, and focused during many high-risk and complex situations. With regular TM practice, he believes that other police officers would experience similar benefits, including decreasing the wear and tear caused by years of shift work and sudden adrenaline surges, which may lead to serious illnesses.
Constable Kathleen Thomson
Kathleen Thomson, Constable [retired], who was with the Saanich Police Department for over a decade, also took the wellness training with the CSPS officers. After being instructed in TM, Thomson said she found that each sitting of meditation was like having a restorative vacation.
“Afterwards I have sustained, fresh energy. I feel far more settled, and little things that used to bother me, don’t as much anymore.” She says she feels more present, and more easily able to listen to and engage with others without her mind wandering. “Each sitting of meditation leaves me feeling both incredibly relaxed and energized at the same time. I wish I’d discovered TM years ago.”
Reviewing the ongoing project, Police Chief Sylven said, “Recently, we have been very fortunate to have some of our staff trained in TM. This training has included not only our police officers, but also our valuable civilian employees who support them. They are often the first to interact with the public when they need help.”
Less Reactive, More Responsive
Although it has only been a few months since the program was introduced, some of Chief Sylven’s people are already noticing subtle differences, including feeling less reactive and more responsive. At the end of the day they often sit to meditate together.
“This is particularly rewarding for me,” says Sylven, “as I know how important it is that we go home to our loved ones and families feeling calm, present, and at our best for them.” To better support officer wellness Police Chief Sylven feels it would be ideal to have a meditation room in every police department in Canada.
Along with the Central Saanich Police Service officers, several officers from other policing departments also took part in the training.
Helen Foster-Grimmett has been invited to join Chief Sylven in speaking about this wellness program for police officers at the Central Saanich Police Service during an upcoming conference that will be attended by 11 British Columbia municipal Mayors, 11 Police Chiefs, and 11 Police Boards.
Watch this David Lynch Foundation video of what one veteran police officer and his family in the US went through and how TM helped them: Protecting Those Who Protect Us: PTS Relief for Officers of the Law.
Researched TM Benefits Specifically Relevant for Police Officers
• greater resilience
• greater ability to focus and have broader comprehension at the same time [field independence studies; formerly thought to not improve beyond early adulthood]
• faster reaction time
• decrease in PTSD
• decrease in general stress
• better decision-making [fewer “knee-jerk” reactions] and higher moral reasoning
• reduced insomnia, anxiety, depression
• reduced alcohol or substance abuse
• reduction in high blood pressure
• reduction in sick days
• increased brain coherence
• restfully alert mind
• increased energy, less fatigue
• decreased cortisol [stress hormone]
For more information about the Transcendental Meditation program for police officers at the Central Saanich Police Service and on-going outreach programs, contact Helen Foster-Grimmett at Helenbythesea@shaw.ca.
To find out more about the Canadian Women’s Wellness Initiative, phone 1-888-821-3016, email infocanada@tm-women.ca, or visit www.tm-women.ca.
For information about the Transcendental Meditation program in the US, visit www.tm.org, www.tm-women.org, www.davidlynchfoundation.org.
Related News
A month later, Nov 29, 2017, Helen Foster-Grimmett had her article, Canadian Women’s Wellness Initiative: Protecting our Policewomen, published in Transcendental Meditation for Women.
Extinguishing Stress in Women Firefighters, by Deboragh Varnel. Deboragh is a
Transcendental Meditation in Military and Medical Education
• Norwich University, oldest private U.S. military college, benefits from Transcendental Meditation
Victoria City Police Union (VCPU) True Blue Podcast
Update: (March 2021) Helen’s husband and TM teacher Garry Foster appeared with Police Chief Les Sylven on Victoria City Police Union, VCPU’s True Blue Podcast. Garry said that Police Chief Les Sylvan’s contribution about halfway through added a lot to the discussion. Constable Todd Mason organized it and invited Garry, and S/Sgt Matt Waterman was a very supportive host. This is great exposure for TM. Les has retired from the police force and is pursuing a PhD at the University of Victoria exploring leadership in the RCMP. Enjoy this (55:40) podcast posted on their website: Transcendental Meditation – Garry Foster & Les Sylven. Also posted on their Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and Spotify.
Update: (May 25, 2023) Helen Foster-Grimmett submitted an article on bringing TM to members of the Canadian military: VAC awarded CWWI grants to teach TM to military veterans with PTS. Now DND awards a grant to teach TM to survivors of Military Sexual Trauma.
The Uncarved Blog 