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Steps to learn Transcendental Meditation
Asheville TM Center
| | "Between the chaos and stress of a hurricane and an election, to be able to quell and calm anxiety has been an incredible gift. Even though it has only been a few short days of study and practice, I already see positive change in my day-to-day. The sense of grounded calm is a blessing. I appreciate this gift of TM more than words can express.” —R.B. | | |
Step 1: Introductory Talk
Learn about:
• What is TM?
• How it's different from all other forms of meditation
• How it works
• Scientific research showing deeper relaxation and broader benefits than any other known practice.
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View at your convenience:
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Step 2:
Preparatory Talk
Wednesdays at 12 noon or 7:30 pm.
Zoom meeting with a certified TM teacher. Open to anyone interested in learning more about the TM technique.
Learn:
• What it means to transcend
• Why TM is completely natural and effortless
• Where TM comes from
• How it's learned
• What happens during personal instruction
• Q & A
Click here at 12 noon or 7:30 PM Wednesday to join the Zoom meeting.
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Step 3:
The TM Course
The TM course consists of four 90-minute sessions, one each day over four consecutive days.
The first session is personal, private instruction in person at the Asheville TM Center, followed every day for the next three days by:
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1. A 90-minute in-person class, or
2. A 90-minute virtual lesson each day (viewable at your convenience) and a 30-minute Zoom class with your teacher.
| | You're welcome at any time to schedule your course, but you'll need to do steps 1 and 2 before instruction. | | | "I find myself looking forward to the quiet moments I set aside to meditate each day. TM has not only helped ease my mind but has also improved my health—I’ve noticed a significant decrease in tension headaches, something I’ve struggled with for years.” —K.K. | | After you've learned TM... | |
TM App: Everyone who learns TM has free access to the TM App, a wonderful resource to support your practice and notify you of TM-related events locally and nationally—such as daily, nationwide virtual group meditations with Bob Roth.
Follow-up: There’s free ongoing follow-up, support, refresher classes, and advanced guidance for the rest of your life—virtual and also in person at any TM center in the country or around the world.
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Community and Group Meditations: Everyone who has learned the TM technique is welcome to join our weekly Knowledge Meetings and Group Meditations. As scientific research shows, when you're practicing this technique, you're meditating not only for yourself, you're benefiting everyone around you, and studies show that these extended effects are stronger when people meditate together in a group.
TM Course fees
The sliding scale TM course fee allows our non-profit foundation to be sustainable, helping us make the TM technique available to underserved, at-risk populations who cannot afford to pay (half the course fee goes to help someone in need learn through scholarships).
| | Scholarships or financial assistance may be available for those in need. Apply here> | |
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Apart from water, food, shelter, and other basics, another form of disaster relief is vital: relief from the residual stress, anxiety, and trauma.
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To this end, during those crucial months after Hurricane Helene, the Asheville TM Center offered Transcendental Meditation training at no cost to people in our area impacted by the disaster (including Upstate SC and East Tennessee).
The course fee was automatically waived for everyone who registered between October 20 and December 20, 2024.
Over 600 people signed up to learn the TM technique during this time. This offering was possible due to private donations from the WNC meditating community (and the volunteer efforts of our certified TM instructors).
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Relief From Within continues
Financial assistance is still available on a case-by-case basis.
| | | | | If you need financial help for TM training, click here to apply for financial aid and join our wait list. | | | "TM helped with beneficial changes from day one. I sleep better…my insomnia is gone. My blood pressure is now in a better range... The deep rest and healing that TM provides has changed my life. I've never missed a meditation since learning. I feel hopeful now about humanity's potential for deep healing and growth through this meditation technique.” —L.A. | | "Since Hurricane Helene I’d been in a state of freeze— afraid to move forward or look back. The emotional fatigue even months later was overwhelming. The generous people of the Asheville TM center offered support and solace. I had tried many different styles of meditation in the past with little results. As soon as I began my TM practice, I noticed a sense of calm in my being. Days later I was craving less caffeine and sleeping deeper. Experiencing moments of peace has motivated me to keep moving forward. The simplicity of the practice has given me both structure and freedom to allow my heart the space to heal.” —M.B. | | |
What is Transcendental Meditation?
It is a simple, natural, effortless technique practiced 20 minutes twice a day while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. It’s not a religion, philosophy or lifestyle.
What happens when you meditate?
Transcendental Meditation allows the active thinking mind to settle inward to experience a naturally calm, peaceful level of awareness. During TM, the body enjoys a profoundly rejuvenating stae of rest, while the brain functions with greater coherence.
How does Transcendental Meditation differ from other meditation techniques?
Brain research has identified three basic approaches to meditation:
- Focused attention (concentrating on a thought or object)
- Open monitoring (observing breath, thoughts, or the environment)
- Automatic self-transcending (spontaneously experiencing quieter levels of thought — a unique state of restful alertness)
The Transcendental Meditation technique involves no focused attention or open monitoring. It is a process of automatic self-transcending, allowing the practitioner to experience a field of calm deep within.
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Where did TM come from?
The Transcendental Meditation program was introduced to the world in 1957 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an Indian scholar and teacher.
But Maharishi did not take credit for the technique; he credited his teacher, Brahmananda Saraswati, as the source of the practice.
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Known affectionately as Guru Dev, Brahmananda Saraswati held the position of Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, in the Himalayas, the highest seat of learning and scholarship in India's ancient Vedic tradition—the timeless tradition of knowledge that gave us not only Transcendental Meditation but also yoga and the health science known as Ayurveda.
Rediscovery of a lost knowledge
For centuries, throughout India and around the world, meditation was generally construed to be difficult—an attempt at disciplining the mind or controlling one's focus. Guru Dev re-established effortlessness as key to successful meditation. He taught that the ability to experience the authentic meditative state (samadhi) is not only natural to every human being, but the process is easy, simple, and life transforming.
When properly understood and properly practiced, meditation allows the mind to spontaneously settle inward to its deepest, most natural state of calm and clarity. This deep settling cannot occur through any amount of effort or control. It can only happen naturally and effortlessly.
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The TM technique is based on this great discovery: given the right conditions, the human mind will spontaneously and automatically settle down to the revitalizing state of restful alertness or pure consciousness.
"Instead of trying to control the mind," says Maharishi. "We satisfy the mind."
In possession of a timeless knowledge and practice through which people everywhere—regardless of beliefs or cultural heritage—could unfold the full inner dignity of life, Maharishi left the Himalayas to bring this meditation practice and its message of peace to all corners of the globe. He developed a systematic teaching process so that anyone, even children, can learn to meditate effectively. Maharishi's systematized method of teaching (in which all certified TM teachers are trained) is why the TM technique produces consistent, reliable results, allowing scientists around the world to validate TM's benefits through repeatable scientific studies.
To learn more, attend a TM preparatory Zoom meeting (Wednesdays 12 noon or 7:30 pm)
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Once you've learned the TM technique, you can take advantage of the lifetime of follow-up and continuing guidance available to every meditator at no charge. Apart from personal "tune ups" of meditation, we offer weekly knowledge meetings in the warm and peaceful atmosphere of the TM Center, where you can join us every Sunday for inspiration and group meditation.
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Questions?
Email or call 828-254-4350.
🙏🏼 Wishing you all the best,
The Team at Asheville TM Center
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© 2023 Maharishi Foundation USA, a non-profit educational organization. All rights reserved.
Transcendental Meditation®, TM®, Consciousness-Based, and Maharishi AyurVeda are protected trademarks and are used in the U.S. under license or with permission.
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