These days we are constantly bombarded with social media and advertising messages on our portable devices. Life has become a lot more complicated than in the past. This short poem by Wu-Men reminds us to take time to notice the simple pleasures that each season brings. And with a peaceful mind we can enjoy our best life.
I first discovered this text as one of a four-book compilation by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki in Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings, published by Tuttle in 1957. I had bought a paperback copy of the 1961 Doubleday Anchor Book from a Montreal used book store in 1967 and carried it around with me.
That summer, I had an awakening experience, and those contradictory koans I read somehow made sense. I had become a seeker and learned Transcendental Meditation (TM) on September 30, 1967, three weeks after Maharishi had visited Expo 67 to speak at the Youth Pavilion. This was during Canada’s Centennial Year and what was considered to be one of the most successful World’s Fairs of the 20th century.
When the school year started, I set up a SIMS club—a chapter of the Students International Meditation Society—then arranged for and publicized a TM Introductory Lecture on the Loyola College campus. Other new meditators had done the same at McGill University, and Sir George Williams University, which, with Loyola, would later become Concordia University.
Many hundreds of students learned TM that school year in Montreal, and some of us would go on to become TM teachers. The same situation occurred in cities across Canada and the United States. It was an exciting time, especially when the Beatles had learned TM and went to Rishikesh, India to study with Maharishi. “Dear Prudence” Farrow Bruns was on that course, along with Beach Boy Mike Love and Donovan. From June 10-14, 1968, I joined other meditators to study with Maharishi at Lake Louise.
I never imagined that posting a little poem by Zen master Wu-men would awaken memories of reading Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, and learning to meditate all those years ago. TM continues to help me live a better life.
Also enjoy reading the fine poetry of Ryōkan, another Zen master.
Stephen Mitchell later translated and read Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (The Book of The Way). I first enjoyed reading The Way of Life According to Laotzu translated by Witter Bynner. George Harrison was inspired to write “The Inner Light” based on Chapter 47 of this ancient text. It was first released March 15, 1968 by the Beatles as a B-side to “Lady Madonna”.
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
This blog post is thanks to Ellen Metropole for telling me that Markus K, a busker I follow on YouTube, attended the 10,000 course in Hyderabad, India! I didn’t know he was a TM-er. He wrote a song about the course while he was there and premiered it when he went to Morocco. It’s a catchy tune and tells the story of why everyone from so many countries attended. He performed the song on Feb 21, 2024 in Casablanca at his first Moroccan busking session.
Enjoy ‘Consciousness is All there Is’ written by Markus Koehorst, aka, Markus K, during an international Peace Project in Hyderabad, India called Ten Thousand For World Peace.
In his notes, Markus mentioned a great article about the Peace Project in Hyderabad, India published in Pressenza India: Ten thousand people meditating for world peace. I posted more articles listed below.
He also mentions 10 000 For World Peace – Transcendental Meditation, a beautiful video with images from the course, to the music of ‘Across the Universe’ by John Lennon. Unfortunately, the video was later taken down.
John Lennon wrote the song in England before the Beatles left for India. He had had a disagreement with Cynthia and couldn’t sleep. So he went downstairs and wrote down the words as they came to him. Of all the songs he had ever written he said Across The Universe was his best. It wrote itself. I remember reading somewhere that John had sung it to Maharishi in India, especially the chorus, “nothing’s gonna change my world.” Maharishi had suggested that he sing, “meditation’s gonna change my world,” but he didn’t change it. The Beatles Bible describes a complete history of Across The Universe in two parts 1 & 2.
David Lynch gave his own take on John’s expression in the song, “Nothing’s gonna change my world.” He explained that “nothing” as “no-thing”, i.e., the transcendent, which Maharishi was discussing, would change his world. John must’ve loved the double entendre, and contradictory meaning of that word in the repeating expression of his song. David mentioned that as part of his message to a DLF event via Zoom. He concluded his call with his short prayer for peace. You can listen to it here.
Born in Holland, Markus K spent 30 years in England based in Liverpool, UK and now travels the world playing on the street and connecting with people. Main instruments: guitar, vocal, percussion. Looper Master. Mostly originals; some drastic reworks of classics. Main influences: blues and anything with real soul, warts and all. Passionate about inner peace and conscious living. We Are All In This Together. In this video, Markus K – blues fusionist (presentation) Dec 31, 2017, Markus talks about his music, his busking and his travels.
On December 7, 2024, I came across a new and very cool variation of Markus K’s song, when, on May 24, 2024, he posted MAGIC on the street in HAMBURG – Consciousness Is All There Is. He wrote: “This is why I love to jam with Dominic Dobernowsky. He always brings magic to the mix, like that opening theme of his from where the whole thing evolves. Magic happens on the street!” Enjoy this new version. He also posted it a year later On This Day 24 May 2024 on TikTok.
Friends emailed me to see the premiere episode of Season 3’s NCIS: Hawai’i. NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is a popular TV series. I was able to stream it on Paramount+ and now watch new episodes each week. Here’s how they describe the show.
NCIS is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it’s a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.
James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He starred for many years as federal agent Sam Hanna in NCIS: Los Angeles and was recently transferred to NCIS: Hawai’i. He brought everyone up to date via Instagram and TikTok on how Season 2 ended, with Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) in bad shape.
After passing her medical and psych evaluations, Jane Tennant is surprised to see Sam Hanna conducting her final interview to clear her return to work. In the middle of this premiere Season 3 Episode 1, Run and Gun (Feb 12, 2024), Tennant and Hanna have a heart-to-heart talk one evening at a private shooting range (23:15).
Both have been deeply traumatized due to violent situations on the job. Tennant may have been medically cleared to return to work after healing from severe injuries, but she is in denial about her psychological and emotional state.
Hanna has been there and is trying to get through to her about it. Tennant finally asks Hanna what he did “to get out of the hole.” See his answer and how she responds to it in this 2-minute segment—Whatever Gets You Through The Night!—available on cbs.org and The NCISverse.
LL Cool J was involved in the creation of the Def Jam Recordings label. His collaboration with Rick Rubin laid the foundation for one of the most influential hip-hop record labels.
A TM practitioner since he was a teenager, legendary music producer Rick Rubin received the Lifetime of Harmony Award (Feb 27, 2014) from the David Lynch Foundation through its new performance arts events division, DLF Live. See more details in this Feb 25, 2014 billboard article.
Which leads me to think that maybe LL Cool J has also been doing TM, is familiar with its researched beneficial effects, the good work of the David Lynch Foundation, and might have had something to do with including Transcendental Meditation into the script. Whatever the reason, it was an unexpected surprise, and turned out to be an appropriate plug for TM!
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
Some of the Trinidadian participants of the 10,000 for World Peace Assembly (standing) and their facilitators. Photo courtesy Shelley Hosein. –
Concerned by the state of the world, eight Trinidadians joined over 10,000 people in India to try to bring about a decrease in the level of conflict around the world.
From December 29, 2023-January 13, over 10,000 people gathered at Kanha Shanti Vanam outside of Hyderabad, India for the 10,000 for World Peace Assembly, organised by the Global Union of Scientists for Peace (GUSP).
The aim was to demonstrate what the followers of the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi called “the proven consciousness-based approach to creating world peace.”
The idea is, that if the square root of one per cent of the population, about 9,000 people, practised Transcendental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi programmes twice a day consistently, it would create “the field effect of consciousness” throughout the world.
The Global Union of Scientists for Peace website called it the Brain-Based Approach to Peace. It said there had been over 50 demonstrations and 28 scientific studies over the years which proved the approach would prevent social violence, terrorism, and war.
It said, “This research has been carefully scrutinised by independent scholars and accepted for publication in leading peer-reviewed academic journals. In every case, this approach produced marked reductions of crime, social violence, terrorism, and war, and increased peace and positivity in society.”
Certified TM teachers Shelley Hosein and Anthony Grell were two of the people representing TT at the assembly in India.
Vedic pandits specially trained in chants and recitations were part of the 10,000 for World Peace Assembly in India. Photo courtesy Shelley Hosein. –
Hosein said previously, when the Maharishi was alive when there were “disturbances” in countries, he would send or arrange for groups to do meditation and the advanced TM-Sidhi programme in or near those countries.
“Of course, the individuals always feel the deeper peace and happiness but, it had the effect of reducing crime, reducing hospital admissions and a few other negative trends, and when things settled a bit people would leave.”
Grell added that such mass meditations were done in 1983 in Israel during the Lebanon war and in Washington, DC in 1993.
According to the Global Union of Scientists for Peace, over a two-year period during the Lebanon war, there were seven sessions in Israel; Utopia, US; Lebanon; Yugoslavia; Fairfield, US; Netherlands and Washington, DC, US.
It said during those periods war-related fatalities and injuries decreased by 71 per cent and 68 per cent respectively, the level of conflict dropped by 48 per cent and co-operation among antagonists increased by 66 per cent.
In the 1993 Washington experiment, measured by FBI Uniform Crime Statistics, it said soon after the study started, violent crime began to decrease, up to 23.3 per cent. And the rate stayed at those lower levels until the end of the experiment.
Hosein said, “Based on that and the state of the world, I think that is what really motivated Dr Tony Nader (chairman of the GUSP, physician and neuroscientist) to say, ‘We have a technology. It’s been scientifically proven over many years, why not let’s do a gathering so that more people will become interested and realise there is something that can be done for the individual and the world?’”
The other aim was to motivate people to establish a permanent group of meditators there for the benefit of the world.
She said India was a natural choice as it is the land of the Veda, meditation was prevalent there and a large enough space to host so many people.
Early morning mist settling over and between the tents set up for participants of the 10,000 for World Peace Assembly at Kanha Shanti Vanam, India. Photo courtesy Anthony Grell. –
Over 100 countries were represented at the event, including students who learned Yogic Flying in colleges throughout India.
Grell said he wanted to be part of the memorable event, meditating and being around people who wanted the same things for the world. He said he knew the value of TM – increased productivity, increased spiritual connection, improved emotional regulation, mental clarity, stress reduction, relaxation, perspective, increased problem-solving ability and more – and, in a group, the effect was magnified.
Hosein described the group meditating experience as profound and expressed gratitude for being there as she would have never had that opportunity in TT. She said having people from all over the world, of different races, speaking different languages, from different religions, all unified in their purpose, felt like family and like something very valuable.
Some participants of the 10,000 for World Peace Assembly during a brief meditation session at a meeting. Photo courtesy Anthony Grell. –
She recalled that their every need was taken care of and they did not have to worry about anything. There were tents for sleeping, meals, sim cards and minor health care were provided, and translation services for 30 languages. There were also book and clothes shops, a grocery, a laundry and other amenities. They were even provided with chairs, foam mats and cushions with backrests for meditating.
Every day for two weeks they would wake up, shower, meditate, have breakfast, attend inspirational or motivational talks and workshops by representatives of different spiritual organisations, have lunch, attend more talks or socialise, meditate, have dinner and then go to bed.
For meditation sessions, men were in the central area with the women in several wings or halls off the main area in smaller groups. People could walk around the central area while the women had more privacy.
She said even after decades of practising TM, she gained a deeper experience of self and more experience with inner silence.
There were live demonstrations where EEG (electroencephalogram), which measured electrical activity in the brain, leads were attached to meditators and everyone saw the changes in their brain signals shift from erratic to calm before meditating to deep meditation.
“It enhanced my strong belief that it is possible to change the world, there is a way and it doesn’t have to be with more guns. More of that type of thing that does not help and it even depletes the society. We lose so many people in war. How could that be the answer?”
“People have to start thinking outside the box, and recognise that each individual has the ability to change themselves and then have that effect on the rest of the room.”
TM teacher Anthony Grell (R) and fellow meditator Lamayani Ole Darvni from the Maasai tribe in Kenya, Africa. Photo courtesy Anthony Grell. –
Grell agreed saying people project their energy and the type of energy depends on how they are feeling. In such a large group, the benefits of TM – increased clarity of mind, harmony, tolerance and patience as well as feelings of happiness and peace – were amplified and sent outward.
“If you can actually prevent or remove enmity, take away that energy, it means the people will not want to go to war, sending young people to war to die, and they will not want to destroy.”
He said when people were living in a constant state of stress, anger and fear, they radiate that into their environment thereby affecting others. Also, under chronic stress, people react before they think or do not think clearly, increasing negative behaviours like road rage, school violence and domestic violence.
According to the US National Library of Medicine, stress could cause an imbalance of neural circuitry instrumental in promoting cognition, decision-making, anxiety and mood that affect behaviours and behavioural states.
Grell said if a person wanted peace, they had to go to where peace resided, in that inner aspect or consciousness. He noted that the bible said the kingdom of heaven is within you and, many other religions had similar sentiments. TM was a technique that allowed people to experience that inner aspect, leading to spiritual development.
He compared the multiplying effect of group meditation to a population getting vaccinated. If a certain percentage of the population was vaccinated against a disease it would protect those who did not or could not get vaccinated.
In the cause of gaining peace through meditation, at least the square root of one per cent of the population, which would be around 300 people in the case of TT, needed to practise TM consistently as stress came constantly from different avenues.
Hosein said they all knew the effect would not happen overnight and scientists were already gathering the data and doing research on the effect of the 10,000 for World Peace Assembly.
There has been a wave of publicity before, during, and after the largest group of 11,000 TM meditators from 139 countries who gathered at Kanha Shanti Vanam near Hyderabad for 14 days to help create world peace. Here is a sample of some of that news coverage starting with The Week, which came out in their print issue on Sunday, February 4, 2024.
IN EARLY 2005, security checkpoints at the Abu Ghraib prison complex in Iraq―notorious for torture and abuse of its inmates―were overrun by armed militants. The surprise attack met with strong resistance from US coalition forces guarding the site. Several American soldiers suffered injuries, and many militants lost their lives. Brian Rees, a doctor with the US military, remembers rushing out to treat civilian casualties. Whenever he got a chance, he said, he would retreat to a corner and meditate.
I felt I could use TM to reset. It kept me resilient on the ground. It is important to maintain a healthy rhythm.
—Brian Rees, us army veteran
Rees has learned to find peace among chaos. He meditates twice a day―20 minutes each in the morning and in the evening. Transcendental Meditation (TM) has been a source of strength for him while serving in Iraq and in Afghanistan. It helped him beat long periods of boredom and to cope with the shocking sights of blood and gore. “I felt I could use TM to reset. It kept me resilient on the ground. It is important to maintain a healthy rhythm or things can go very wrong,” said the veteran about the benefits of meditation in a war zone.
Rees has introduced hundreds of US veterans to TM in the last 10 years, helping them return to normalcy after stressful missions. He still remembers a veteran telling him just two minutes after attending a session that TM was going to save his life. “The veterans have a lot of questions on why this is happening. But they have no answers,” said Rees. “TM will really help them see hope and remove negative aspects.”
Nearly 4,000 TM practitioners from outside India like Rees and 6,000 Indians took part in a residential meditation programme organised by the Global Union of Scientists for Peace (GUSP), a group that works to carry forward the legacy of the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was held for two weeks from December 29 at the Kanha Shanti Vanam ashram near Hyderabad. The programme was intended to trigger a world peace field based on a theory propagated by the Maharishi.
Tony Nader, chairman of GUSP, explained the idea behind getting 10,000 people at one place. “The research is based on findings of 50 years that when one per cent of the total population practises Transcendental Meditation in any city, there is a reduction in crime, conflict, hospital admission and road accidents. One per cent of the world population today would be 81 million and it is a big number to bring together for meditation. The Maharishi produced a new technique, which is based on Patanjali yoga sutras, where it was found that the square root of one per cent of the population is enough to achieve the desired effect. It means that instead of 81 million, its square root―9,000―could be used. The number 10,000 was selected to have the safety factor on top of the needed number.”
Nader, who leads TM-related organisations in more than 100 countries, hails from conflict-ridden Lebanon and credits meditation for helping him survive the horrors of the civil war in the 1970s. The 14-day programme saw participants practise basic TM, yoga sutras and flying sutras. Frederick Travis, director of the Centre for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition, Maharishi University of Management, Iowa, used a special device fitted with 19 sensors on a participant to study the impact of group meditation on the brain. He recorded a high coherence in the brain as a result of meditation practised by thousands in the vicinity.
Alex Kutai, a theatre actor-turned PR professional from Israel, said meditation was an antidote to war. Kutai, an active TM teacher, was drawn to the movement after the 1973 Yom Kippur war. “After every war, the interest in TM becomes high. Thousands learned TM after the Yom Kippur war. I thought it could support my well-being,” he said.
Kutai said many people were suffering from trauma, depression and pain because of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. “When people along the Gaza Strip had to be evacuated, we taught them meditation so that they could cope with the loss. We are also teaching TM for free to those who are suffering from the loss of lives of close ones,” he said. Kutai lives in Hararit, a village near the Lebanon border which was created by a community of TM members in the 1980s. Though he has not taught TM to Palestinians, Kutai said he was willing to teach friendly Arabs who reside around his village.
Another participant in the programme was Vadym Bykovets, a Ukrainian who nurses war wounds even though he is not physically involved in the war with Russia. The 49-year-old lives in Lithuania and works in the private sector. He counts his friends and acquaintances among those who died or were seriously wounded. He encourages fellow Ukrainians to practise meditation. “I feel that they are emotionally wounded and stressed. Without meditation, they would feel terrible. They are even scared of loud sounds.” How does meditation help him? “War is a painful topic. Regardless of what information I get from back home, I meditate,” he said. “It cleans my mind and soul, and I do not feel involved in that situation.” The reason Bykovets came all the way to Hyderabad is to support the belief that meditation is the right medium to achieve global peace.
Correction: Maharishi University of Management is Maharishi International University.
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Visit Dr Tony Nader’s Instagram @drtonynader for inspiring photos, excerpts from articles, and video clips from the course and more.
They wrote: Dive into the fascinating world of Dr. Tony Nader, a Lebanese neuroscientist, researcher, and leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement. Discover his inspiring journey from the turmoil of the Middle East’s civil war to becoming a renowned figure in neuroscience. Join RJ Archana as she explores Nader’s insights on the current global conflicts, the roots of youth anger, and the importance of grassroots change. Learn about Nader’s transition from his initial days to his current stature, and gain profound insights into his work, including the founding of the International Journal of Mathematics and Consciousness. Don’t miss this thought-provoking episode on Viral City!
This first video (6:05) features Dr. Tony Nader at Maharishi International University (MIU) in Fairfield, Iowa talking about the need for TM in today’s stressful world. The video opens with students meditating with Dr. Nader. Using EEG, Dr. Fred Travis demonstrates the increase in brainwave coherence of a subject as she starts meditating. Students also discuss the practical benefits from their TM practice.
The second video (7:50) takes place in Medellín, Columbia at one of Father Gabriel Mejia’s shelters for rehabilitating homeless children with addiction problems. One of them went on to become a TM teacher and returned to teach the students how to meditate. They were inspired by the positive transformation and growth in his life.
The third video (5:02) was filmed in a Rhode Island hospital where medical staff were still dealing with the stressful repercussions from the Covid-19 pandemic. TM provided welcome relief from the traumatic loss of life and continues to be taught there. Dr. Nader mentions the David Lynch Foundation’s Heal the Healers Now campaign. They provided the funding for TM instruction, which helped thousands of healthcare professionals during the pandemic. Many continue to meditate regularly.
Embedded below are the videos with their short descriptions posted on the GWI site. Each title and chapter also take you to the BBC StoryWorks pages with the same videos plus 3 slides selected from each per chapter: Nature, Self, Community.
1. TM: Listening to your inner rhythm: Dr Tony Nader has been researching the mind and meditation since he was a medical student. Discover his methods for finding peace in a busy and ever-changing world.
2. TM: A healing journey: For Breiner, meditation had a transformational effect on his life, a lesson which he is now passing on to younger generations.
3. TM: The calm in the storm. Finding a peaceful moment to recalibrate. Ongoing strains on health clinicians from the Covid-19 pandemic are still apparent in hospitals. These medical doctors are finding strength in the moments of peace that Transcendental Meditation can provide.
Frontline nurses who learned the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique during the COVID-19 pandemic showed rapid and significant improvements in flourishing, PTSD, anxiety, and burnout over 3 months compared to controls, according to a study published today in the Journal of Nursing Administration.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of Transcendental Meditation on nurses’ multidimensional well-being, conceptualized as the presence of flourishing and the absence of PTSD, anxiety, and burnout.
A total of 104 nurses in three Florida hospitals participated. Validated tools included the Secure Flourishing Index (SFI), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Nurses also completed a Demographic Survey and a Meditation Frequency Questionnaire.
Clinical nurses who were randomized to the Transcendental Meditation group took the instruction with certified TM teachers, which included follow-up meetings over a 3-month period. Adherence to the study protocol was notably strong considering the disruption caused by the pandemic. The control group continued with “life as usual” and were offered the TM course at the conclusion of the study.
Study Results
(Click image to see details or on hyperlinked words below to view each chart on EurekAlert!)
Based on the statistical analysis there was a 62% decrease in anxiety in the TM group from baseline to 1 month compared to 3% in the controls, and a 54% decrease in the TM group after 3 months compared to 17% in the controls.
PTSD decreased 53% from baseline to 1 month in the TM group compared to 9% in the control group, and 57% in the TM group over 3 months compared to a 17% decrease in the controls.
Burnout (due to emotional exhaustion) decreased by 27% from baseline to 1 month in the TM group compared to no change in the controls, and 24% in the TM group over the 3-month study period compared to no change in controls.
In the TM group, flourishing improved by 15% from baseline to 1 month compared to a decrease of 1% in the control group and increased 16% in the TM group compared to a 3% increase in controls from baseline to 3 months.
Authors’ Conclusion
According to lead author Jennifer Bonamer, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, NPD-BC, Nursing Professional Development Specialist at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System: “It has never been more crucial that we support the health of our nurses and other clinical staff. This study is important because it demonstrated that TM was substantially helpful, even during COVID, in reducing PTSD, anxiety and burnoutexperienced by nurses.Furthermore, it helped to improve nurses’ experience of thriving (flourishing) beyond just surviving, even in the midst of today’s challenging healthcare environment.”
The authors conclude this study demonstrates the effectiveness of nurses’ practice of the TM technique to improve flourishing and reduce PTSD, anxiety, and burnout. TM provides nurses with a simple, effective, and evidence-based strategy for enhancing well-being, with the goal of retaining clinical nurses in practice.
About the Transcendental Meditation Technique
Transcendental Meditation is a simple, natural technique practiced 20 minutes twice each day while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. It is easily learned, and is not a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle. It does not involve concentration, control of the mind, contemplation, or monitoring of thoughts or breathing. The practice allows the active thinking mind to settle down to a state of inner calm. For more information visit https://tm-nurses.org.
February 4, 2024:TM Talks host Mario Orsatti interviewed Amy Ruff about this study, an earlier one, and her work of bringing TM to the nursing profession, for which they earn continuing education credit. See Happier Nurses Result in Healthier Patients – Enjoy TM News where you can watch their informative conversation (53:12), which includes video excerpts of health professionals discussing how TM helped them deal with the demands of their profession, especially during the COVID crisis.
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
As the world watches on in helplessness the unnerving bloodletting and destruction in Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’s carnage in Israel, there is someone who genuinely believes that world can fundamentally alter its ways to achieve peace and harmony using Transcendental Meditation techniques. That someone is Dr. Tony Nader, an eminent neuroscientist, successor to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a Transcendental Meditation pioneer who is also a medical doctor trained at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the runup to an upcoming two-week event titled ‘10,000 for World Peace’ in Hyderabad, India from December 29, Dr. Nader is urging the world to at least attempt to change its violent ways. He spoke to Mayank Chhaya Reports about the event as well as broader themes.
A new TM study and two related articles on Transcendental Meditation came out in the third week of October 2023. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN) published a study showing TM reduced burnout and enhanced well-being in nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on the OJIN TM study, and KFF Health News Morning Briefing highlighted both the AJC article and OJIN study. Separately, Vogue Magazine published a very good article on TM, which also ran in the UK.
First, congratulations to Bob Roth, Kelly Malloy, and DLF on this great TM article in Vogue magazine, Transcendental Meditation Is a Superpower—And It’s as Easy as Two Syllables (and 20 Minutes)! (10/20) I liked the introduction where Corey Seymour describes how he had tried everything, was finally open to learning TM, and shared his surprise at how easy it was. A friend of Corey had learned TM from DLF CEO Bob Roth and she told him about it. Kelly Malloy taught him and Bob said that Corey “was the right guy at the right time…very smart and pure-hearted.” In his article, Corey makes understanding and appreciating TM very accessible. Impressed, I tweeted the article. The following day British Vogue (10/21) also ran the same article.
KFF Health News, a respected national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues, publishes daily summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Here is what appeared at the top of their Wed Oct 18, 2023 Morning Briefing, which I also tweeted. Their second paragraph is about the AJC TM article.
A story in Vox highlights how resistant doctors are to receiving mental health care or medication. Also: Iowa plans to remove mental health questions from medical license paperwork. Separately, a recent study shows that transcendental meditation can help combat nurse burnout.
According to a recent study published in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, transcendental meditation is effective at reducing burnout and enhancing the overall well-being of nurses. The study is a response to increasing levels of burnout within the healthcare industry, largely exacerbated by the pandemic. According to another recent study, by market research and consulting company PRC, 15.6% of U.S. nurses surveyed reported feeling burnout. (Boyce, 10/17)
The fact that KFF highlighted and positioned the AJC report showing TM as a solution to burnout for nurses juxtaposing it with problems doctors are having with burnout speaks volumes for TM!
As far as I know, the AJC and KFF news reports on this latest important TM study happened naturally without any official publicity efforts!
Nurse Amy Ruff, RN BSN, National Director of Transcendental Meditation for Nurses, told me that Tom and Linda were two of the TM Teachers from the Ann Arbor TM Center who were involved in teaching TM to the nurses in this study through the David Lynch Foundation’s Heal the Healers Now campaign. I asked Tom for some comments about the study and he wrote back with these experiences from the side of the teachers and two of the nurses.
TM Teachers: It was a great experience sharing this knowledge with healthcare workers during the height of Covid and hearing of the benefit they were having. Witnessing the work load and cultural expectations demanded of these workers in a profession of giving, would turn anyone into an advocate for the improvement of healthcare worker conditions. They all expressed gratitude for the benefits of their regular TM practice and opportunity to learn TM through the DLF HtHN initiative. Here are emails from two of the nurse involved in the study.
First Nurse: Dear Margaret, Kelcey and Tom,
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the U of M TM RN research study. It was a great honor to be selected and participation has greatly impacted my life and the lives of people around me. These past few months have been very challenging and TM helped me remain balanced, gain clarity and keep a positive attitude. I find myself being able to let go of frustrations more easily, not engage in disruptive situations such as road rage and be able to relax more easily following difficult shifts at work. I have improved relations with the people around me and have been able to improve communication skills in difficult situations. Daily TM practice has been very beneficial to my well-being and positively affected my work as a nurse on a demanding unit.
My long term goal and hope is to get more training and bring what I have learned to my patients.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to extend a sincere thank you to you and behind the scenes team members.
Sincerely,
Gerti Schrattenthaler
Second Nurse: Good day,
I completed the survey, sorry for the delay in my responses. Our email system just changed so I no longer had access through my phone to check email. I wanted to let you know how beneficial the TM practice has been for me. It has allowed me to fully relax and recharge. It has helped me cope during the last couple of months which have been extremely stressful with the increase in COVID patients. The practice has been extremely helpful for my mental and emotional well-being. I am so grateful for this opportunity. I hope you get the opportunity to expand the study and allow other healthcare workers to benefit from this wonderful practice. I will continue the TM practice as part of my daily routine.
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
“The Laughing Heart” by Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) seems to be another of his “death poems,” as his wife Linda referred to them in a January 21, 2011 interview. It was probably written toward the end of his life (73) when he was diagnosed with leukemia and had started Transcendental Meditation (TM).
Linda Bukowski described what TM had done for her husband. “It allowed him to open up a space within himself to say these words about himself dying. These later poems, death poems, are so acute and so awake and aware and I think that had a lot to do with how meditation allowed him to be creative in his later months and write these poems, that I still cannot read.”
The poem, cited on bukowski.net, was written and first published in Prairie Schooner circa 1993, the year before he died. He had learned Transcendental Meditation prior to that and was enjoying practicing it regularly.
Even filmmaker David Lynch, toward the end of a Dec 31, 2006 New York Times article, was quoted as saying that Bukowski liked meditating. “I heard Charles Bukowski started meditation late in his life,” Mr. Lynch said, referring to the poet laureate of Skid Row, who died in 1994. “He was an angry, angry guy, but he apparently loved meditation.”
I later added that information to an earlier post about another death poem, “a song with no end,” in Charles Bukowski sang the life victorious. He carried that same upbeat message in this poem.
The Laughing HeartBy Charles Bukowski
your life is your life
don't let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can't beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
Footnote: Thanks to Rhonda Thompson Gilpatrick‘s comment on September 19, 2009 pointing out an error in the fifth line of this Bukowski poem that Best American Poetry had posted. The correction was made and works better now.
Love this poem, but you’ve got one of the lines wrong (every site I look at does, though). I have the original printing of this. The line “there is a light somewhere,” should be “there is light somewhere.”
This is an important distinction between a specific light somewhere and light that is universally available somewhere—most likely within first, then without as well.
During Transcendental Meditation, breathing slows down, momentarily suspends; metabolic rate lowers twice as much as in deep sleep; deeply-rooted stresses and strains are released, dissolved, and repaired, respectively; bodily functions normalize; reaction time improves, a host of factors improve indicating a reversal of the aging process. Longtime TM meditators have a biological age of 12-15 years younger than their chronological age—one way “you can beat death in life, sometimes. and the more often you learn to do it, the more light there will be.”
— Written and compiled (citing sources) by Ken Chawkin for The Uncarved Blog.
July 5, 2024: I came across a fascinating interview with Charles Bukowski’s wife posted by Read Me A Poem: Bukowski Born Into This INTERVIEWS LINDA LEE BUKOWSKI. Linda mentions when her husband Hank had learned Transcendental Meditation and had practiced it regularly twice a day during the last six months of his life. The whole interview is brilliant. The TM part starts at 6:54. I was happy to hear her speak about his appreciation for TM, but also surprised to hear her describe what she felt when she saw him meditating. It is quite profound and very moving. When he was diagnosed with leukemia, he had stopped writing. TM made a deep impact on his life. He was able to write again. And he wrote the most profound poetry of his life.
The Uncarved Blog 