Close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold it gently, and slowly exhale – it's time to talk about meditation. It became popular in the 1960s, but most people have difficulty actually practicing it. However, there is a practice that has revolutionized the way people meditate and it's available to everyone.
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Many influential people, from director David Lynch to the members of The Beatles, have turned to Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a source of creativity and peace of mind. The benefits are numerous and backed by science. If you’ve ever tried to meditate before, you may have been distracted by your own thought process. TM helps to increase a state of relaxed awareness and quiet your thoughts in an impactful way.
TM was brought to the western world by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960s. It is not about religion or a belief system, but rather a means to transcend the normal thought process into a deeper consciousness. A person is given a personal mantra to recite by a TM teacher. There is a course that one takes with a certified TM teacher in order to master this process and truly receive the benefits.
Most people practice TM for 20 minutes a day. A large reason why most people respond so well to this process is because it effectively slows your mind in an easy way – you simply repeat your mantra. There have been over 380 peer-reviewed research studies that have backed the benefits of TM, 160 published journals, and many studies done by scientists at leading schools like Harvard Medical School, Yale Medical School, Stanford Medical School, and UCLA Medical School. The benefits range from lowering blood pressure, lowering risk of heart attack or stroke by 48%, and actually lowering anxiety.
Carolyn Rafaelian, Founder, CEO, and Chief Creative Officer of ALEX AND ANI, practices TM on a daily basis. The Meditating Eye Mini Collection (featuring a rotating pendant necklace and dual-sided bangle to open and close the eye as well as a men's cuff) supports the David Lynch Foundation, an organization aiming to reduce the epidemic of trauma and toxic stress among at-risk populations through the implementation of evidence-based Transcendental Meditation technique.
The Meditating Eye reminds you to turn your awareness inwards and feel what you can’t see. It is a reminder to gain fresh perspective, become clear, and take care of your mental health. While the Evil Eye wards off negativity and evil, the Meditating Eye is a potent reminder that all you need is inside of you – all you have to do is look.
Find a TM teacher near you here and transcend beyond thinking. Let us know your experiences by tagging @ALEXANDANI on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.