Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney Say to Teach the Kids Meditation!

Last week's concert in NYC, which reunited Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, has once again brought attention to Transcendental Meditation. It's quite historic for the two surviving Beatles to perform together, and the concert brings back images of the Foursome's days in India so many decades ago.

The purpose of the event -- organized by David Lynch's Foundation and the TM Foundation for the US Committee for Stress Free Schools -- aims to give the gift of meditation to as many children as possible.  

As someone who learned TM when I was nine years old, and spent most of my youth in the TM Movement, I have been reading about the event and the goals of the Foundation with interest.  It fascinates me that the legacy of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who faced adulation and controversy in his life, continues to attract such highly influential people from around the world.  Of course, my father was one of Maharishi's inner circle, and I spent hundreds of hours in his presence, so understand the spellbinding nature of what it was like to be around him.  

It comforts me that the legacy of Maharishi will continue to be realized through the wonderful tool that is meditation. Personally, I am not comfortable with a movement around meditation. Rather, I think the practice of meditation itself, whether TM, Primordial Sound Meditation, breathing, yoga, or mindfulness, is the most important.

For me as a child, meditation gave me a sense of who I really was.  The experiential silence of meditation gave me a sense of security, because I had the tool to silence my thoughts and process all the busyness of my life (particularly in my teen age years) in a way where I felt I was in control.  

It helped me feel connected to something bigger, but also physically made me feel more rested, clear and energetic.  With advanced techniques, I felt a sense of power that, again, could only come from experientially knowing myself and my capabilities.  

I was always irregular in my meditation practice, sometimes meditating twice a day, other times going for months without doing it.  I appreciate that my parents gave me the tool of meditation, but then let me practice it when and if I wanted.  Because they meditated, and it made them happier and more relaxed in their own lives, I meditated more regularly.

My daughters both learned meditation from my father when they were about four years old.  They love the idea that they know how to meditate, even if they don't do it all the time.  And now, when we need a Time Out, we actually take a Time In.  Meditation helps them relax and focus, but also gives them a connection to a sense of spirit that I could never explain to them.  

So, I applaud the resurgence of the conversation around meditation and children.  I hope it will be embraced as a tool to help humanity, and not an effort propagated by a movement.  Hopefully, an openness about the variety of tools that can help our children (and ourselves) will be the model moving forward.

Here are some other Intent articles you may find interesting about Meditation:

When is the Right Time to Teach Children Meditation? Deepak Chopra

Benefits of Meditation, Dr. David Simon

A Yoga Demo for Warmer Days, Rebecca Pacheco

Awakening our Children, Mick Quinn

20 Meditation Tips for Beginners, Ray Baskerville

Meditation: Connect with Your Inner Expert, Roger Gabriel

Should I Practice Meditation or Kaballah? Deepak Chopra

A Lifetime of Happiness & Focus Enhancer: Vipassana Meditation, Aaron Ross

Meditation Works Wonders on College Students, Elevated Existence

Treasures of our Past: Inner Child Meditation, Daily Om

Yoga at Ground Zero, Louisiana, David Romanelli

Mallika Chopra blogs regularly at Intent.com

Comments

[River Runner]

It’s great to see Paul and Ringo and the other celebs out supporting the David Lynch Foundation. I attended and can say it was an absolutely spectacular show! This project to teach one million children Transcendental Meditation is a big one, but very important and worthwhile. I have been meditating for years, and I know how powerful the technique is and what positive impact this would have on these kids lives. Best of luck David Lynch and team!

[Cat34]

Transcendental Meditation is really great I have been doing it for a while and I love it.. I have been to schools where the students practice TM and seen they were incredible, I have never seen so many bright young people, they simply shine with light. It’s really something and I think every kid should get a chance to learn TM, and develop that brightness. As for the TM organization, it was founded by Maharishi and it was his desire that it continues his work. I have nothing but gratitude and respect for him and I have no reservation whatsoever about Transcendental Meditation being taught by the movement that he founded.

[PewterPan]

The concert was fantastic (and was recorded for PBS) as this cast of legendary musicians flowed through set after set of inspiring rock and roll with many artists making guest appearances on songs for others. During the many stage set ups David Lynch, Laura Dern, Howard Stern and Jerry Seinfeld added comments and comedy on the positive influence Transcendental Meditation has had in their lives. Background film clips of youngsters in schools around the world who practice TM gave us hope for a new era of peace and happiness. A charming and delightful evening that transcended all my expectations! http://www.tm.org

[jammyman]

Mallika: Thanks for your interesting comment. I have also been doing Transcendental Meditation for years and know first-hand of its enormous benefits, and support its use in schools.

A couple of points about your comment: " I hope it will be embraced as a tool to help humanity, and not an effort propagated by a movement. Hopefully, an openness about the variety of tools that can help our children (and ourselves) will be the model moving forward."

There are several reasons why there is an organization that promotes and teaches the Transcendental Meditation program. Firstly, there is a practical need for a systematic process of teaching. This is not about the promoting an organization or a "movement," it's about maintaining the effectiveness of the practice. This delicate, but effective, practice was lost to society for thousands of years due to ineffective teaching methods, and the purpose of the organization is to ensure that the full benefits of meditation be enjoyed by as many people as possible. The TM organization is promoting a technique that works, and not a "movement".

Secondly, all meditations systems are not the same and do not produce the same results. There are over 600 scientific studies on TM and its beneficial effects. No other form of meditation has received this level of scrutiny. In many meta-analysis comparing several meditation techniques, Transcendental Meditation clearly out-performed the others. It is on the basis of this research that the schools are adopting the TM program.