Benefits of Vedic Meditation

I started my working career with a large international company and very quickly witnessed different approaches to work. One that stands out and made a big impression was that shown by very ambitious colleagues.

Many companies then, and perhaps more so today, cultivated an environment which allowed them to go to great lengths to ensure their ascent up the corporate mountain went as planned. This involved a certain amount of pushing and shoving and unpleasant behaviour, which came at some considerable personal cost in the form of long hours, skewed work-life balance, broken personal relationships and huge amounts of stress and strain. On many occasions I witnessed them standing triumphantly atop the mountain, mentally, and sometime times physically bruised, glowing in their accomplishment. Shortly afterwards they looked around and discovered they were standing on top of the wrong mountain.

Often we get our head down, funnelling all our mental and physical energy to make the desired outcome manifest, ignoring what could help us, and often coming at great cost. If we learnt to stand back and get a better perspective we might find the process is easier and more fun.

In the UK the culturally acceptable way of dealing with these taxing issues is usually done on a Friday night in the pub, when most people are looking forward to forgetting, or obliterating, the past week. This process is inevitably unsustainable. Stress reducing activities like this and others (such as over/under eating and exercise), always come with unwanted and damaging side effects and are hard to find.

All of us are looking to make our lives easier - better sleep, improved relationships, less stress and anxiety, a sensible work/life balance and a greater sense of fulfilment.

There are many reasons why people want to learn to meditate. Some are overt and others subtle but in all cases when there is a willingness to let the technique of Vedic Meditation guide them the desired result comes about effortlessly.

Many people make the understandable error of thinking that by learning this technique they will putting something into themselves, when the reverse is the case.

You already have the solution but it is obscured for a variety of reasons often to do with the past, other people's opinions, money, self belief and relationships.

Vedic Mediation removes long held fatigue and the spider-web of stress and anxiety which we often get caught up in. Tiredness and fuzzy thinking, caused by stress, compromises and impacts on everything we think, say and do.

The particular needs of the meditator are addressed by Vedic Mediation which gets to the source of the concerns or issues by providing a twenty minute moment of very deep rest in our least excited state. This profound rest, which research shows can be 2 - 5 times deeper than the deepest point of sleep, allows the mind and body to re-set. When the distorting lens of stress is wiped clean we begin to see things more clearly. There is no drama - it's all very gentle and incremental.

I firmly believe that energy is key to experiencing the best of our lives and the source of that energy comes from profound rest in both our meditation and when we are sleeping better because of reduced stress.

Meditation gives us dynamic rest for dynamic action.

When the mind is unclouded by stress our ability to understand, retain and recall information increases so that soon those nearest to us will remark on our improved memory.

Our greater feeling of calm and relaxation enhances and maintains our focus, and sharpens our thinking and awareness. We can find creative solutions to any challenge.

Research shows that meditation activates the prefrontal cortex which controls important cognitive skills such as emotional expression, problem solving, memory, language, judgement and sexual behaviour, allowing you to think more clearly and make better decisions, even under pressure, and an increase in productivity follows.

We all experience three state of consciousness - sleeping, dreaming and waking. When practising Vedic Meditation we have access to a fourth state of consciousness where we go to the source of thought, and then move beyond thought to reach a point of utter tranquility, equilibrium and connection. This experience of pure unadulterated bliss is something the mind and body likes and wants more of on regular basis.

 This profound sense of fulfilment reveals to us that it cannot be found in the relative world. It resides in us. It does not come from acquisitions or experiences. The thrill from the experience or purchase of that limited edition trainer, entry to that exclusive restaurant or flight upgrade is short lived. Soon afterwards there is a sense of wanting to repeat this short-lived experience, of always wanting more, or constantly look for satisfaction - but it's always elusive. 

When we put in place a regular twice-daily practice of Vedic Meditation the compound effect is quickly seen as we build a foundation of calm and connection which is not only available to us in our meditation but also when we open our eyes and get out into the world.

After five decades of using this technique I can testify to the effectiveness of this easily learnt and simply practiced technique which has helped me navigate all the twists and turns of life, from demanding corporate life, raising a family, being made redundant, starting my own company and getting divorced. Many people experience these moments and there was nothing extraordinary about them - but I as able to deal with them from a position of calm and connection, allowing me to deal with them effectively and move on.

The incremental and subtle shifts in perspective and acuity allow us to get the best out of every moment, of allowing that frequent feeling of fulfilment to reveal what is really going on and to enjoy whatever comes our way calmly and with a smile.