I took a 4 day course to learn TM, Meditation in Sweden when I was about 23 years old.
It was me and one of my best friends at the time.
The Instructor, held the course over 4 evenings in his home, just about one hour drive north of Helsingborg in south Sweden.
It was 6 of us out there, not including the Instructor and the price for the course was 2500 Swedish Krona, or 260 something Euro.
Looking back at it now, I can, without a doubt say that it was the best spent money ever.
After telling us about the background and effects of TM, Meditation we were individually given a mantra by our Instructor.
My mantra is a word, that I still, to this day do not know what, or if, it even have any meaning.
I have never told it to anyone and I doubt that I ever will.
I remember our Instructor saying that your mantra is something you keep to yourself, and that's that.
Why that is, is another story, or if it actually makes any difference or not.
Over the 13 years that I have, on and off, used TM I have experienced different things and feelings from it.
Or it has had different effect on me over the years, depending on how much I have been using my meditation.
You are supposed to use TM, twice a day, between 15 to 20 minutes each time.
I have meditated once a day, twice a day, once a week, 5 times a month and even some periods, more then twice a day.
And I have also had long periods of time when I have not used my meditation at all.
The best effect and result I have had from my meditation is when I have used it twice a day, as it should be done.
However, I must confess sometimes I have meditated for a bit longer, even up to 45 minutes or so, simply because the feeling have been so good.
For example, a couple of years ago I had not used TM for a while and decided that it was time to start again and stick with it.
And I almost did.
That time I did stick with it for about 6 months and I didn't miss a single day of meditation and the effect it had on me then was amazing.
For the first 2 months or so I did not feel much difference, but when going into the 3rd month I started feeling very calm, for example if I encountered a stressful situation, my mind reacted by going into what was then the most natural state of mind for me.
It slowed down, calmness took over, just like in meditation.
I remember feeling that for the first time when I was in a situation with a long line of people and a bit of chaos around me.
It was a great feeling to suddenly, naturally feel my state of mind retreat into calmness.
I was not even trying.
Over the next couple of months I felt better then I had ever felt before.
Not only did my memory increase, my overall clarity and decision making ability and behavior improved.
A long time ago when I first move to the US, there used to be a recruitment commercial for the US Army running on TV.
The slogan was, be all that you can be! That is the best way for me to describe what TM did for me back then, what it can probably do for you, and what is slowly does for me, as I stick with it, little by little, day by day.
Is it, an Apple a day, keeps the Doctor away? I would like to say, TM every day and you will keep the Doctor away, and I am willing to bet you that you can keep him away longer then with just the Apple.
So what does TM do for you really? It will most likely increase your creativity, it did mine, in several ways.
It will most likely help your memory, it did for me.
It will, most likely help you sleep better, it really helps me sleep better now.
It will most likely increase your sense of well-being as well as improve your self-esteem and lots of other things you will find out along the way.
TM is a simple technique, performed with eyes closed, sitting down, even if I like to do it lying down.
The choice is yours, if you don't fall asleep when lying down, then its fine.
You sit down, close your eyes and just calm down for about a minute or two and then slowly start thinking your mantra.
Other thoughts will enter your mind over and over again, and that it just fine and a part of the process.
Simply pick up your mantra again, start thinking about it again, over and over.
Don't push, or force it.
When your 20, or so minutes are up, let go of your mantra and try to relax your mind, thinking of nothing for a couple of minutes then open your eyes and you are done.
It is as simple as that.
I remember my Instructor, when I took the course, telling me, just do your TM every day, twice a day.
If you do that, everything else in life, will most likely take care of itself.
I believe he was right!