June 10, 2018: Listen to this fabulous Rich Roll 372 Podcast: Strength in Stillness: Bob Roth On The Power of Transcendental Meditation & Bringing Calm To The Center of Life’s Storm. Also scroll down to see Rich’s comprehensive SHOW NOTES.
Bob Roth, TM Teacher and CEO of the David Lynch Foundation
The David Lynch Foundation CEO on the benefits of a regular practice
With Transcendental Meditation, through the use of a mantra—which is a word or a sound that has no meaning—you’re trained to effortlessly dive within and access deeper, quieter, more subtle levels of the mind beneath the waves, beneath the thoughts. And when we do that, there’s a completely different style of the way the brain functions. During TM, there’s what’s called alpha 1 brain waves and that’s the state of deep inner reflection and calm. During mindfulness, it’s called theta brain waves and that is sort of a dream onset.
Why were you excited to collaborate on a mindfulness-based meditation with Equinox to benefit Move for Minds?
I’m always happy to call attention to anything that’s scientifically proven to work. It’s like Vitamin A is different than Vitamin C is different than Vitamin D. And so mindfulness can be a good coping tool for someone and TM is completely different—you use them for different purposes.
You can have multiple tools in your toolbox.
That’s exactly right.
And when you say it’s scientifically proven to work—there’s research that shows how meditation can benefit brain health, right?
Yes. Stress and anxiety either cause or exacerbate 80 percent—if not more—of all illnesses and disorders. There’s a lot of talk these days that stress and anxiety may be an actual causal factor in Alzheimer’s or accelerating the symptoms. High levels of cortisol fuel anxiety, compromise the immune system, and actually undermine memory, the hippocampus. When you get a good night’s sleep, cortisol levels drop about 10 percent. In 20 minutes of TM, cortisol levels drop 30 to 40 percent and remain low afterwards. So this is why we encourage people to meditate at any time during their life. We’re also encouraging research so we can document quite clearly the impact of TM on pre-onset Alzheimer’s and for the symptoms of that.
Any time in life because what researchers are discovering now is Alzheimer’s begins as early as 30 years old.
Even what happens at 30 has been building up probably since you were a kid. It’s like high blood pressure, which doesn’t just come on suddenly. That’s been building for decades.
And you think this is the same thing?
I think any of these things that manifest later in life have been building since the 30s, if not earlier.
So, start meditating in your teens if you can. I know The David Lynch Foundation teaches in schools.
That’s right. It’s an effective preventive modality with enormous side benefits: increased energy, increased happiness, reduced anxiety, increased focus, all those things.
Speaking of energy, can meditation help your athletic performance?
Oh yeah. I teach professional and Olympic athletes and a lot of them will tell you, at the peak levels, it’s not a physical game, it’s a mental game. I teach an Olympian who is in the best imaginable physical shape and they can’t sleep at night and they’re anxious. For health, it’s not just attending to the neck down. And so you could look at TM as an effortless exercise to bring the whole brain into peak performance. And then you’ve got more energy because we deplete so much of our energy in anxiety and worry and insomnia. I like to say, if you’re really on a healthy regime, you exercise, you eat properly, you transcend.
Your book, Strength in Stillness, came out a few months ago. What were the three most surprising things you learned while writing it?
Number one, new research documenting the holistic or global impact that TM has on healthy brain functioning. The second thing I was very surprised or inspired by was to see that, whether you’re the CEO of a huge company or a single mom with two kids, when you look into the eyes of both of them you can see anxiety. Worry is universal. Anxiety is universal. Insomnia is universal. That was shocking to me. And the third was, I’ve been teaching TM for 45 years. It was a wonderful experience for me to just basically have it all flow out. I took the time to write the essential pieces of information that a person would like to know about meditation in general and about my area of expertise, Transcendental Meditation. I didn’t want to try and convince anybody of anything. I just wanted to give them the information and let them be able to make an informed choice for themselves.
The David Lynch Foundation hosted a recent Festival of Disruption. What was the inspiration behind that?
Life itself is perpetual change. We’re changing spouses, we’re changing relationships, we’re changing jobs. There’s so much political upheaval, disruption in the world. And through meditation, we can have the clarity, the energy, really the resilience to make life less of a nightmare and more of a festival. Because it’s happening anyway and we can either be destroyed by it or we can become a master of our life. We can become in control of our life. And we can even enjoy our lives. So the Festival of Disruption means let’s celebrate the creative people who are, in the spite of everything that’s going on in the world today, managing to be creative and inspiring and innovative and forward-looking.
Meditation can help you to do that.
It gives us the resilience, the creativity, the energy, the power to do just that. To enable us. Otherwise, we get overwhelmed by stress, we get overwhelmed by anxiety, and then we start self-medicating. And then life becomes a hell.
What do you think about the evolution of meditation and how it’s now the cool thing to do?
It was really cool and trendy when the Beatles were doing it back in 1968 and 1969 when I started meditating, a billion years ago. And then it sort of disappeared. It’s come back in the last few years and I think there are three reasons why it’s on the one hand trendy, but, on the other hand, being taken very seriously by educators, by medical doctors, by researchers. Number one, we live in an epidemic of stress, and that’s killing us. Number two, modern medicine has no magic pill to cure or prevent this epidemic. We mask it with alcohol and tobacco and drugs and coffee. We mask it or we manage it with sleeping pills or anti-anxiety medication. But stress is like a tumor. Even though on the surface we’re masking it, it’s still metastasizing. So that’s the second reason, to be free. And number three, there’s been so much research on meditation in general that it’s given a legitimacy to the whole field.
What’s ahead in the next three years, I think, is that there’s going to be a clearing out because a lot of it is just junk. A lot of it is trendy stuff to make a buck. But, as the problems of stress become greater, society is going to look more carefully, like we would with medicine, at what’s really working.
Bob Roth and Katy Perry present TM’s benefits for children at Unite to Cure during the Fourth International Vatican Conference
Enjoy this video published by The Cura Foundation at their Unite to Cure event during the Fourth International Vatican Conference on Saturday, April 28, 2018: Impacting Children’s Health Through Meditation Globally. This presentation was delivered by Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, and Katy Perry, well-known American singer and songwriter.
Bob explained how easy it is to practice Transcendental Meditation (TM) and showed a 4-minute video about the David Lynch Foundation’s Quiet Time program offered in schools around the world that showed how effective it is in reducing stress in students, and improving their health and academic outcomes. He then introduced a special guest—Katy Perry.
Katy shared how TM has helped to naturally ease her anxiety. She also expressed her concern for young people who are glued to their phones for hours at a time posting on their social media platforms to be liked. She said they don’t even know how to just be themselves.
Katy also admitted to being connected to her phone, always ‘on call’. “I want to disconnect to connect back with myself.” And she does this with TM, which for her, “has been such an incredible tool.” It provides her with a more powerful rest than napping. She says it’s “key to finding your authentic self, finding that stillness, recharging,” which gives her the added mental, physical, and immune strength “to take on this big technological world.” After meditation, she adds, “it brings some of the best, most creative ideas to me.”
I enjoyed the banter between them. Watch this fun and informative video.
Newsweek covered the event and wrote an informative report: Katy Perry Says She Treats Her Anxiety with Meditation, Not Prescription Drugs. As did The Fix: Katy Perry Talks Treating Anxiety With Meditation.
Related news: TM teacher and DLF CEO Bob Roth talks with Ellen and Dr. Oz about Strength In Stillness and Bob Roth promotes Strength In Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation on Today Extra, Australia’s popular TV morning show and @GMA’s @RobinRoberts & @GStephanopoulos interview @meditationbob on his new book #StrengthInStillness: The Power of #TranscendentalMeditation.
Bob Roth, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation and longtime Transcendental Meditation teacher, was on Ellen’s show Monday, April 2, 2018. Bob had taught Ellen and her partner Portia to meditate around 7 years ago. Ellen said it’s changed her life. They discussed the benefits of adding TM to your daily routine, and Bob’s book, Strength In Stillness. Bob added the introduction on his Instagram.
Then on Thursday, April 19th, Bob appeared on Dr. Oz’s show. Bob had also taught TM to Dr. Oz years ago. Together they discussed the misconceptions of meditation, some of the scientific benefits of the practice, and Bob’s bestselling book, Strength In Stillness. Watch these excerpts from the show and website by clicking on their titles below.
Busting the Biggest Meditation Myths
What do celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Seinfeld have in common? They all meditate! Meditation expert and author Bob Roth joins Dr. Oz to discuss the benefits of meditation and explain why he turned to meditation himself.
The Different Types of Meditation
Meditation expert and author Bob Roth explains who can benefit from meditation and some of Dr. Oz’s guests reveal how meditation has helped them.
Oz Talk: The Impact of Transcendental Meditation
Celebrities like David Lynch and Oprah have praised the powers of Transcendental Meditation but what is it exactly? Meditation expert and author Bob Roth explains what it is, how it differs from guided meditation, and its potential benefits.
The Dr. Oz Podcast: HowStuffWorks (May 29, 2018)
After the TV interview, Mehmet and Lisa Oz taped a friendly conversation with Bob for the premier of The Dr. Oz Podcast. Mehmet called Bob one of the most skilled and sought after meditation teachers in the world, a good friend, and a mensch! Listen to 24 minutes of fun and information: Episode 2, How to Conquer Anxiety with Meditation. I loved it!
Watch these other interviews from Bob’s book tour
Bob Roth promotes Strength In Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation on Today Extra, Australia’s popular TV morning show and @GMA’s @RobinRoberts & @GStephanopoulos interview @meditationbob on his new book #StrengthInStillness: The Power of #TranscendentalMeditation.
Bob Roth @meditationbob continues to promote Strength In Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation. His new book is currently Number 1 in All Books on Amazon in Australia!
Here is an interview on Australia’s popular television morning show, Today Extra. Team Coach Nine bill Bob as Hollywood’s meditation master, and Guru to the Stars. Watch this dynamic 5-minute interview: The meditation technique Oprah and Seinfeld swear by. Bob also appeared on ABC’s Breakfast News Show.
For decades, Bob Roth has taught meditation to some of Hollywood’s biggest names: his client list includes the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Seinfeld, Michael J. Fox and Ellen Degeneres. (Perhaps you’ve heard of them.)
Roth focuses on Transcendental Meditation, an approach he describes as “the simplest meditation technique” to access the inner reserves of calm he says are already inside everyone.
“I use the analogy of an ocean,” he said on Today Extra, in Australia to promote his new book Strength in Stillness. “Choppy waves on the surface, [but] the depths of the ocean are silent.”
Roth says Transcendental Meditation is backed by scientific evidence and is a tool to treat anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and even Parkinson’s disease — actor Michael J. Fox is among his high-profile clients.
Oprah is one of the technique’s most outspoken converts, describing it as “the most ‘human-friendly’ meditation” and loving it so much that she had Roth teach it to more than 400 employees at her production company.
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Also see Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos interview Bob Roth and other news coverage listed there.
What do you do to unwind after a long, hard day at work? Some of us like to veg out on the couch, drink a glass of wine, or — in the case of some of the world’s top business leaders — practice meditation. Specifically, Transcendental Meditation.
Transcendental Meditation is a technique that involves closing your eyes, 20 minutes twice a day, so that you can “experience a field of calm deep within.”
Bob Roth, a teacher of the technique and author of the book “Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation,” joined us to discuss its popularity in the finance industry and some of the health benefits that you can receive from it.
David Brancaccio: So the guy who founded the biggest hedge fund in the world, Ray Dalio at Bridgewater Associates, does Transcendental Meditation. He’s proud of it. He is not alone here in the financial services capital of the world?
Bob Roth: No, and actually, Ray’s been doing it for almost 50 years, and he says it gives him energy, it gives him focus, it gives him clarity, it gives him creativity. It wakes up the creative centers in the brain. And he also says it allows him to be like a ninja — great term — where everything is coming at him very fast. But inside, it’s coming at him slow motion, and he can really discern, he can really make the correct decisions. It’s really important to him. As a matter of fact, he’s made it available to 700 of his employees at Bridgewater.
Brancaccio: And he’s not alone on Wall Street?
Roth: No, hedge funds, banks, financial services, institutions, as well as media companies and everyone else. Anywhere stress is a problem and the need to be focused and creative and innovative and a good problem solver — why not? It’s a simple tool and it’s accessible to anyone.
Brancaccio: So not just the finance and private equity crowd, I see you were doing something with Jerry Seinfeld — the comedian — the other day?
Roth: Again, we live in an epidemic of stress, we live in an epidemic where things are going faster and faster and faster. It requires creativity. Again, focus. Clarity of mind. And stress can overcome that. Stress can cloud thinking. And Jerry Seinfeld is a comedian — has to be on his toes and is alert every moment of the day. So he’s also been meditating for over 40 years, and he says it’s hard enough to get to the top. And people in business will know that it’s much tougher to stay at the top, so he says his 20-minute practice twice a day of TM is a game changer for him.
Brancaccio: Bob, the book emphasizes that the approach here isn’t hard. How can it not be difficult? All you have to do to make me think of something is to tell me not to think of something.
Roth: There are types of meditation that we hear about. You have to clear your mind of thoughts. You have to believe in stuff. You have to focus and concentrate. Fortunately, that’s not Transcendental Meditation. I like to use the example of an ocean. Waves on the surface, turbulent waves on the surface, the depth of the ocean naturally silent. Our mind is the same, and we’d all like to have some inner calm or inner equilibrium. But where do you find it? Well, there’s the level of the mind deep within; it is already calm. That’s the hypothesis. And in Transcendental Meditation you learn a technique. You get what’s called a mantra, which is a word or a sound from a teacher. Nothing mystical here, just a tool. And then you learn how to use it to access that calm, that settledness, that equilibrium. The results are immediate. The research shows — and there is a lot of published research to show this —they’re long term, they’re cumulative.
Brancaccio: Published research — you mean scientific, peer-reviewed?
Roth: Peer reviewed in the American Medical Association Journal, American Heart Association Journal. For example, the National Institutes of Health have given tens of millions of dollars to show that Transcendental Meditation is as effective, if not more effective, for reducing high blood pressure and other ailment sides of heart disease than even anti -hypertensive medication — with no side effects.
Brancaccio: I know,but you must run into people who are suspicious of this. I remember in the book, when you first started out, you didn’t even want to tell your family members what you were up to outside.
Roth: That was back in 1969. Yeah, times, have changed and I think times have changed with the regard meditation has. No. 1, the problem with stress is greater than it’s ever been before. And we also know from medical science it’s more damaging than we ever thought. Second, we go to the medicine chest. “Oh, I’m stressed. What am I going to take?” “Well, fine, you can take Ambien if you can’t sleep, and your child can’t study so you give him Ritalin. All these medications, they have side effects. Or else we self-medicate. Alcohol. Too much coffee. The problem of stress is getting worse. We know we’re on a trajectory that’s not getting better. And why not take a few minutes out of the day and just access that calm, that equilibrium that lies within.
I’ll tell you one quick story. So a Wall Street guy came into the office sent by his meditating wife, I’m sure, and he came with his 14-year-old kid. And the guy said, “I really want to learn, it’s done great stuff for my wife. I’m under a lot of pressure. I’m not sleeping well, but 20 minutes twice a day — who’s got the time? I don’t got the time.” And I think the son was set up by the wife, because the son said, “Dad, there’s 1,440 minutes in a day. You don’t have 40 minutes for self care?” When he said self care, I knew it was the wife. “You don’t have 40 minutes to take care of yourself?”
So this is done first thing in the morning. You get up 20 minutes earlier, it’s better than sleep. It’s a deeper rest than sleep. And you do it sometime at the end of the day to get rid of stress and you sleep better at night and you enjoy your family more during the day.
Brancaccio: Let me just ask one last quick business model question. If you pay to learn how to do Transcendental Meditation, are you signing up like a gym membership and you’re stuck for life?
Roth: Transcendental Meditation is actually taught through the Center for Leadership Performance and/or TM.org. It’s a nonprofit organization. You do pay an initial course fee, like you would to do any educational program, and then that’s it for life. And part of the course fee when you pay to learn goes to teach veterans to learn for free. So you’re really contributing to people who really need the meditation and may not have access to it.
Follow Bob Roth, CEO of @LynchFoundation, Teacher of @TMmeditation, Author of Strength in Stillness, #ChangeBeginsWithin, @meditationbob.
Watch Robin Roberts and George Stephanopolous interview Bob Roth on Good Morning America about his new book Strength In Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation. Includes links to other interviews.
Watch Maria Shriver interview Bob Roth on her show Architects of Change.
Listen to the “10% Happier with Dan Harris” interview with “Bob Roth, Meditation Teacher to the Stars,” Episode #122. Also on iTunes; Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/1pHJh5a; Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2tOEMcB; Google Play Music: http://bit.ly/2mPRAiW.
Celebrity meditation guru shares simple guide to meditating live on GMA
Bob Roth sat down with Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos to discuss the benefits of Transcendental Meditation on Good Morning America Live in Times Square. His new book, Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation, came out today, Feb 6, 2018.
Along with many A-list celebrities who have learned TM from Bob Roth—Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, Ellen Degeneres, Hugh Jackman, Russell Brand, Katy Perry, Michael J. Fox, Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, Stella McCartney, and many more—Robin and George are also students of his.
Bob says, “We’re talking in Transcendental Meditation a medical tool that can just give anyone access whether they believe in it or not. You can be a 100% skeptical. And anyone can learn it—how to allow the active thinking mind to just access calm. And when that happens, your body, according to research, gains a profound state of rest.”
Bob Roth describes how TM works to George Stephanopolous & Robin Roberts
Bob explains, “In Transcendental Meditation we just effortlessly access these deeper, quieter, calmer levels that are already there. And it happens effortlessly because the nature of the mind is to be drawn to something more satisfying, and inside, most satisfying.”
Robin adds the notion of having no expectations, then brings up the issue of time, the amount of time needed to meditate for 20 minutes twice a day. Bobby then relates a true, funny story about that.
George says, “I think it creates time. If you do 40 minutes a day, you go through the rest of the 22, 23 hours, feeling more calm, more focused, more connected to everyone around you, and that’s invaluable.”
Robin says, “It calms you and energizes you at the same time. It’s the oddest thing.” George, who was very skeptical when he learned, reiterates, “Exactly!”
I really appreciate how Bob keeps coming back to TM basics in this interview when he describes the nature of our minds at the surface and at the depth. “Transcendental Meditation is a very natural technique that gives effortless access to the stillness that lies within.”
There will be a book launch at Joe’s Pub at The Public in New York City tonight: Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, and More To Celebrate The Release of Bob Roth’s STRENGTH IN STILLNESS: THE POWER OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION. The event will be webcast live Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 7:15 pm EST / 6:15pm CST / 4:15 pm PST on Events at TM.org and Facebook.
They actually started 15 minutes later, so fast forward to watch it below. Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness open the evening, then invite Bob Roth up to the stage. Bobby later invites Jerry Seinfeld to join him on stage around 40 minutes in.
Jerry is on for 15 minutes. In the first 7 minutes he shares where he first learned TM as a college student and says it gave him “the greatest rest that there is in the world.” Joking about how busy and tiring it is to live and work in New York City, he tells everyone they need to learn how to recharge naturally. Jerry loves life and says, “TM is the greatest tool for work.”
In the next half of the discussion Jerry talks about his work for the David Lynch Foundation. Bob starts to tell the story of how they asked Jerry to perform for a fundraiser. Jerry takes over and tells it like it was in his own hilarious way, when he found out he was going to be on the same stage that night with Beatles Paul and Ringo who were headlining the first Change Begins Within benefit concert at Radio City Music Hall. He also takes questions from the audience. Definitely one of the highlights of the evening!
Proceeds from today’s event and sales of the book will go towards teaching women and children who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to meditate through the Manhattan Family Justice Center.
Visit the book’s website www.stillnessbook.com and scroll down to see Events & Tour Dates for book signings at locations around the country, some with other celebrities joining Bob Roth. Below that you will also find featured print and online news and stories, as well as a video library with event, television, radio, and podcast appearances.
More News Coverage on Bob Roth and his Book Launch
On Wed, Feb 7, Bob was interviewed by Rosanna Scotto and Lori Stokes on Good Day NY FOX 5 | WNYW. Rosanna posted a photo on Instagram of the 3 of them. The next book event followed that evening at the 92Y On Demand. It was moderated by Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress and writer Mary-Louise Parker. Watch their wonderful conversation here.
More news coverage continues to come out. Feb 10, 2018, The Guardian published this excellent article: Top US meditation teacher brings his message to stressed-out Britons. Guru Bob Roth, who numbers Katy Perry and Hugh Jackman among his fans, is to set up a TM project in London schools.
Bob Roth @Alexander Berg
Bob Roth is the most experienced and sought-after meditation teacher in America. Over the past forty-five years, Bob has taught Transcendental Meditation to thousands of people, from billionaire CEOs to combat-scarred veterans, to at-risk students in violence-filled schools, to leading figures in government, business, medicine, media, the arts, and more. In addition to serving as the CEO of the David Lynch Foundation he also directs the Center for Leadership Performance.
In Strength in Stillness, Roth breaks down the science behind meditation in a new, accessible way. He highlights the three distinct types of meditation—focused attention, open monitoring, and self-transcending—and showcases the evidence that the third, Transcendental Meditation, is the most effective and efficient way to reduce stress, access inner power, and build resilience. Free of gimmicks, mystical verbiage, and over-inflated research studies, the book is a simple and straightforward guide to calming mind, body, and spirit.
Watch this excellent book promo containing excerpts from various presentations, interviews, and famous meditators talking about what TM does for them, and others in need, posted on Bob Roth’s @meditationbob Twitter feed and on Amazon: How Transcendental Meditation Helps Relieve Stress and Drive Success.
I just love this funny video clip of Russell Brand and Bob Roth promoting the British and American cover versions of Strength In Stillness. Bob says it’s available in 9 different languages. Watch what Russell has to say about it all.
• Watch a replay of Bob Roth and David Lynch talk about Transcendental Meditation and the work of the David Lynch Foundation. The evening, hosted by Writers Bloc Presents, took place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb 12, 2018.
• Watch Maria Shriver interview Bob Roth on her show Architects of Change.
• Listen to Bob Roth on Marketplace with David Brancaccio.
• Listen to 10% Happier with Dan Harris interview “Bob Roth, Meditation Teacher to the Stars,” Episode #122. Also on iTunes. Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/1pHJh5a Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2tOEMcB Google Play Music: http://bit.ly/2mPRAiW.
• Town Hall Seattle Feb 15, 2018: Bob Roth and David Lynch Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation.
• Enjoy TM News: Strength in Stillness: Bob Roth Talks about His New Book, the Rise of Meditation in Our Culture, and the Future of TM. Q&A with the longtime TM teacher and DLF CEO.
• Bob spoke at The Free Library of Philadelphia on Feb 20, 2018. Watch the 51:35 replay on Livestream.
• This ET clip, published Feb 22nd, is going viral: Why Celebs Are Obsessed With Transcendental Meditation | Entertainment Tonight. Here’s why so many stars are using this silent practice to really unplug.
• Bob Roth in conversation with Daisy Lowe on Facebook, UK, Feb 27, 2018. Fast-forward about five and a half minutes to start the interview.
• The Bookseller: Tyler, Lowe and McCartney turn out for Roth’s book launch, published February 27, 2018 by Heloise Wood.
• Liz Connor of TV3Exposé in Ireland asks: Could Transcendental Meditation be the key to beating Britain’s stress epidemic?
• Consciousness and Creativity with David Lynch and Bob Roth at Arts Centre Melbourne, Australia, March 10, 2018, on Facebook.
• Consciousness and Creativity with David Lynch and Bob Roth at Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia, March 10, 2018, on Facebook.
• Hollywood’s guru on how to meditate like Oprah, March 14, 2018, stuff: well&good.
• Ellen Welcomes Transcendental Meditation Expert Bob Roth, April 2, 2018.
• Red Dirt Report: BOOK REVIEW: “Strength in Stillness” by Bob Roth, April 17, 2018.
Related: Watch an earlier lively interview with Bob Roth on BUILD. Find more articles and interviews with Bob Roth on TM and DLF on The Uncarved Blog.
Bob Roth Discusses The David Lynch Foundation on BUILD 10.27.17
David Lynch Foundation CEO Bob Roth talks TM with BUILD host Charles Thorp
David Lynch Foundation (DLF) CEO Bob Roth joined BUILD Series NYC host Charles Thorp to talk about the work of the global charitable organization. DLF addresses the epidemic of trauma and toxic stress among at-risk populations. It hosted “Change Begins Within: Healing the Hidden Wounds of War,” a benefit dinner and conversation, which featured meditating actors Tom Hanks and Mary Louise-Parker. The proceeds benefited David Lynch Foundation programs, including the Center for Excellence in Military Health, a division of the David Lynch Foundation helping veterans and those in the armed services dealing with post-traumatic stress (PTS). Watch this engaging interview here: https://goo.gl/zpKLwa.
Bob Roth, DLF CEO. (Photo Alexander Berg)
Bob Roth is the most experienced and sought-after meditation teacher in America. Over the past forty-five years, Bob has taught Transcendental Meditation to thousands of people, from billionaire CEOs to combat-scarred veterans, to at-risk students in violence-filled schools, to leading figures in government, business, medicine, media, the arts, and more. In addition to serving as the CEO of the David Lynch Foundation he also directs the Center for Leadership Performance.
Bob Roth’s new book, Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation, comes out Feb 6, 2018. All of the author’s proceeds will go toward helping combat veterans suffering from PTSD. Available for pre-order: http://bit.ly/2AHUUnn.
In Strength in Stillness, Roth breaks down the science behind meditation in a new, accessible way. He highlights the three distinct types of meditation—focused attention, open monitoring, and self-transcending—and showcases the evidence that the third, Transcendental Meditation, is the most effective and efficient way to reduce stress, access inner power, and build resilience. Free of gimmicks, mystical verbiage, and over-inflated research studies, Strength in Stillness is a simple and straightforward guide to calming mind, body, and spirit. Read more here: www.stillnessbook.com.
Watch this excellent book promo video, containing excerpts from various presentations, interviews, and famous meditators talking about what TM does for them, and others in need, on Bob Roth’s (@meditationbob) Twitter feed.
Jan 10, 2018: Bob Roth explained his book on his Facebook page live.
Here are 3 videos of well-known celebrities Russell Brand, Cameron Diaz, and Katy Perry praising the Transcendental Meditation technique. Veterans Paul Downs and Dusty Baxley join Katy Perry and Bob Roth to discuss how TM saved their lives from the destructive effects of PTSD. Also included is a 4th video—Paul’s powerful testimonial before the U.S. House of Representatives for the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on the benefits of Transcendental Meditation healing his post-traumatic stress.
Russell Brand on Transcendental Meditation
Last month, comedian, actor, and best-selling author Russell Brand, along with David Lynch Foundation CEO Bob Roth, were invited to Talks at Google: Russell Brand & Bob Roth: “Meditation, Comedy, New Fatherhood, Recovery, and Life.”
Brand has been practicing Transcendental Meditation for nearly 10 years. He says the technique has been instrumental in fostering creativity, appreciating fatherhood, and maintaining his recovery from addiction. Roth, a 45-year TM teacher, taught Russell to meditate and the two remain close friends.
Bob and Russell discussed the benefits of practicing Transcendental Meditation, how TM has personally helped Russell, and what the David Lynch Foundation is doing to bring meditation to people suffering from stress and trauma. Russell is funny and eloquent throughout, and concludes with a powerful explanation of how change comes about in society, through the power of ideas, and not from the top down, but from the grassroots up. Listen, learn, and enjoy!
Cameron Diaz on Transcendental Meditation
Below is a video with Cameron Diaz on OWN’s Oprah Online. Published last July, Diaz shares what TM means to her and how it brings wholeness to her life, especially after a long hot day on a film set. I haven’t seen Oprah’s interview with her, but the text mentions that day. Cameron had told DLF CEO Bob Roth about it over two years earlier during an interview at an event sponsored by Urban Zen. Funds were being raised to support the Foundation’s efforts to bring relief to veterans and their families suffering from the effects of PTSD with scholarships for TM courses.
Bob Roth: “Tell us about the time when you were filming and it was hot and you couldn’t remember..”
Cameron Diaz: “I was doing a film and we had been filming in Boston and we came to LA for a week. We went from the Fall, nice and cozy, to LA which was about 90 degrees in the valley at the zoo, parking lot, under a tent, in a car, under lights, with the windows up, no air conditioning. It was about 1000 degrees in the car, and I had a monologue and I couldn’t remember my lines. I knew I knew them; I couldn’t access them.”
“So I said, I need 25 minutes, I just need 25 minutes. I ran back to my trailer and I re-booted and did my 20 minute meditation. I came back in and nailed it! Done. Thank you very much. And we were out of there in like 20 minutes.”
I enjoyed her description of what she loves about TM in that interview. And the metaphor she intelligently uses to describe the power of TM in this video from the OWN show, Cameron Diaz: This is Why Meditation is So Powerful, is creative and brilliant!
This month TMhome.com put up a great post on Cameron Diaz and TM.
Katy Perry on Transcendental Meditation
A week later TMhome posted Katy Perry speaks with veterans about the healing effects of TM on her Witness World Wide video marathon. Katy also spoke earlier with Bob Roth about TM, which starts at 6:45. Roth arrives with MTV and E! News host Zuri Hall who wanted to ask Katy and Bob about TM. Katy tells Zuri that she learned TM from Bobby during her wedding to Russell Brand, which took place in India. The marriage didn’t last, but she continued to meditate. Katy told her she gets her best ideas after meditation.
Katy tries to live her life from love, not fear. TM has done this for her. This idea is more profoundly explained by veterans Paul Downs and Dusty Baxley who later join Katy and Bob after Zuri leaves. Dusty is the executive director of the Boulder Crest Retreat and a TM teacher. He taught Paul to meditate. They actually all meditate together for 20 minutes, which you can see in this clip taken from the 72-hour live-streaming launch for Katy’s new album.
Marine Veteran Paul Downs on Transcendental Meditation
Marine Veteran Paul Downs also testified before the U.S. House of Representatives for the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on the benefits of Transcendental Meditation healing his post-traumatic stress. This video is borrowed from the David Lynch Foundation Facebook page.
For more information on Transcendental Meditation and the David Lynch Foundation, visit www.tm.org and www.davidlynchfoundation.org.
David Lynch receives honorary doctorate of World Peace from outgoing president Bevan Morris (right) and incoming president John Hagelin (left) Maharishi University of Management ©2016
During their 2016 commencement ceremony on June 18th, 2016, Maharishi University of Management was proud to feature world-renowned filmmaker David Lynch, who was presented with a Doctor of World Peace honoris causa degree. Instead of a traditional graduation speech, Mr. Lynch held a spontaneous Q and A session with students about life-oriented topics that commencement speakers traditionally address. Here is that lively interactive commencement address. (19:37).
Here is a transcript of the David Lynch 2016 MUM Commencement Q&A. See The 5 Best Quotes from David Lynch’s Commencement Q&A.
Selected Excerpts
Behind David Lynch’s Success | Consciousness-Based Education | What Makes a Meaningful Life | Graduates’ Roles for World Peace | What Makes a Good Leader | Falling in Love with an Idea | Following Your Intuition | Filmmaker’s Secret.
News Coverage
Motto* (Words to live by): David Lynch to Grads: Intuition ‘Is the Number One Tool for Human Beings’ Watch the ‘Twin Peaks’ director give his advice to 2016 Maharishi University grads | La Voce di New York: David Lynch: trascendere per migliorare il mondo. Here is a translation of The Voice of New York’s David Lynch: transcend to improve the world | The Fairfield Ledger’s Andy Hallman reports: @DAVID_LYNCH addresses @MaharishiU graduates | The Hawk Eye’s Bob Saar: Filmmaker David Lynch gives MUM commencement address in Fairfield | KTVO’s Stephen Sealey reported on Maharishi University’s special graduation ceremony | Filmmaker David Lynch to Give Commencement Address at Maharishi University of Management | Des Moines Register: David Lynch promises ‘strange’ commencement address in Iowa | Open Culture: David Lynch Gives Unconventional Advice to Graduates in an Unusual Commencement Address
*Advice worth sharing from the world’s most influential people and the editors of TIME
About MUM
Maharishi University of Management (MUM) in Fairfield, IA is a private university featuring Consciousness-Based℠ Education. The accredited traditional curriculum offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in the arts, sciences, humanities, and business, but also integrates self-development programs. Innovative aspects include the Transcendental Meditation® program, one course at a time, and organic vegetarian meals. Visitors Weekends are held throughout the year. For more information, call the Admissions Office at 800-369-6480 or visit http://www.mum.edu.
MUM Social Media Accounts
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Related News
Market Wired: Professor John Hagelin Named President of Maharishi University of Management | The Gazette: New president named for Maharishi University of Management. John Hagelin takes office Sept. 12 | Ottumwa Courier: Hagelin is incoming president of MUM | Inside Higher Ed: New Presidents or Provosts
