Transcendental Meditation Benefits Your Health In Different Ways

"Our motto is 'Train without strain,' " says coach Eyre.”We invest in rest to create success." "Our athletes play in the 'zone' because they live there." Lawrence Eyre is the award winning coach of the Pioneers tennis team of Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment in Fairfield Iowa. Mr. Eyre started the Pioneers team in 1988 and since then has led them to the Final Four in the Iowa team tourney 11 times. In his twenty-one seasons, his players have earned 16 state championships. Mr. Eyre attributes his players' achievements to their group practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique (TM), which creates a foundation for their dynamic activity and gives them a competitive edge. In 1999 and 2000, under Mr. Eyre's guidance, the Maharishi School boys' team achieved the unprecedented: they captured consecutive "triple crowns" by winning the singles, doubles and team tennis titles at the Iowa I-A state championships.

rnWell you might be wondering: how does a mental technique help an athlete? Well the TM technique improves performance by strengthening the skills of concentration, mind-body co-ordination, reaction time, speed and agility. TM also reduces anxiety and tension in the mind and body making an athlete more controlled and disciplined and therefore more likely to achieve their goals.

Athletes may experience the effects of sleep deprivation and jet lag when traveling to meets and competitions. The TM technique provides a level of metabolic rest that is deeper than sleep, allowing the body to recover faster from travel and other stresses. The TM technique also dissolves stress that accumulates from intensive training, competition and injuries and reduces recovery time.

Transcendental Meditation is a simple mental technique that is practiced sitting comfortably for 20 minutes twice a day. It is unique and different from other types of meditation in that does not involve any concentration and contemplation. For this reason it is easy and enjoyable instead of difficult and tedious like many other forms of meditation. It must be learned from a certified TM teacher through a standardized one week course. There is a substantial fee for the course but low interest financing and scholarships are available through the TM movement which is a non-profit charitable organization. Hundreds of scientific studies validate the benefits of the technique and it's easy to learn.