I don’t treat transcendental meditation like a sacred religion. I rarely follow the teachings of the dead Indian guru named Maharishi who envisioned a capitalistic meditators’ utopia after sitting for years in his cave of deprivation in India. However, I believe the ‘technique’ is good. The technique is to have a mantra that sounds soothing, let’s say, the mantra is “om.” You focus on the sound of “om” repeatedly. When you have a thought, focus back on “om” for twenty minutes and let go of the thought. Repeat. And continue repeating. I’ve been doing Transcendental Meditation since I was given a scholarship after an event by David Lynch at the Hammer Museum in 2013. The event was hosted by Russell Brand and it promoted David Lynch’s coffee at the time. My friend was working at the Hammer Museum and got me a ticket to see this screening. So I got to go for free and mingle with Russell Brand, this long-haired guy in a suit who talks a lot. But mostly I remembered I got a free bag of David Lynch coffee that they were giving out.

I used a French Press at the time but I was drinking Newman’s Own Coffee exclusively, so I decided to sell the David Lynch coffee on eBay. A woman from Santa Barbara named Jennifer on eBay who goes by jenniferinsb bought it. Since I didn’t know the American ounce system, and I gave her what was 1/3 of a pound of coffee (damn you David Lynch for not listing measurements on your coffee) instead of a full pound of coffee, as advertised, she left me ‘neutral eBay feedback’. But $9.99 was apparently worth David Lynch’s one-third of a pound of coffee and was never asked for a refund.

After three training sessions, I went into a tiny office in Glendale and meditated to the scent of burning sandalwood incense. Then I was given my two-syllable mantra, which I am forbidden to say, but sounds like the first name of a professional basketball player. And finally, I was officially a transcendental meditator.

The "Technique" - Did 'They' Trademark It?

I'm honestly not sure.

Transcendental meditation is a practice that uses and breathes with a mantra. The mantra is an image, idea, or sound that someone can use to focus. My teacher gave me a mantra that is a sound. The meditator practices twice a day every day. I practiced it at the center in Los Feliz every Sunday until the beginning of 2020.

I wanted to look for research on transcendental meditation, but the rules of writing about it, which I originally wrote for a Spanish class, included using only my memory of what the meditation is about. So I didn’t research it at all. Fortunately, my memory is not so vague. The technique begins with me meditating in a quiet place like the park. There is a very quiet natural space in the forest surrounded by many large trees in Griffith Park near my studio and the transcendental meditation center.

Transcendental Meditation Center in Los Feliz is Called "Chillhurst"

The TM Center on Hillhurst is called “Chillhurst” because the pizza delivery guy who would deliver pizzas to us after the meditation would come to a room of meditators with closed eyes. “Chillhurst” is a space that offered group classes and group meditation. This place had group classes every Sunday. I have more energy after practicing and fewer problems with sleep. While the practice of breathing can improve physical health, visiting meditation centers can add to the practice.

Group Meditation Is the Best Meditation

I believe that meditation is the best method to improve mental and physical health. The goal to achieve good mental health and physical health begins from within. It improves our life and mental and physical health. It’s powerful to do it together.

So anyone can do transcendental meditation as it is easy to do and is readily available in Los Angeles. There are three or four transcendental meditation centers in Los Angeles because this type of meditation is popular here. Beginners of meditation should meditate in a quieter environment. Intermediate or advanced meditators can meditate anywhere and make their minds calm.

I recommend trying to meditate with a group because it is a powerful experience. Teachers believe that large group meditations create world peace and help mental health and physical health. If it was a huge group, I usually practiced in a park near Elysian Park with hundreds of other people. A drone transmits the activity through all the meditation centers of the world at the same time because sometimes there are days of world meditation.

I saw the birth and death (and rebirth) of "Chillhurst"

Many years later, I saw the birth and death of the Sunday transcendental meditation group in Los Feliz. They had many meditators come and go at the TM Center Los Feliz. I saw them come and go! There are basically three categories of meditators I encountered: one were the “true believers”, the ones who were absolutely obsessed with transcendental meditation. Many of them sat in the front row and would watch all of the Maharishi videos after eating Tomato Pie pizza before they disappeared. I am unsure if they burned out or went to India or moved to TM headquarters in Fairfield, Iowa but I never saw them again. I recall one of the teachers saying that they couldn’t do the 20-minute meditation anymore because they were “on a different wavelength” with their meditation and doing a different type of meditation than that which we regular folk were doing.

The second type I think was the social burnouts, which consisted of people who were lonely and used the community that Transcendental Meditation Los Feliz had brought. They would bring food and go to all of the events to mingle with the other people. They were there to socialize and it seems once the meditator cliques that formed disappeared, they would too. There was one woman who used to always bring salads for everyone and sit in the front row. I thought to myself that one day she is not going to feel appreciated and her friends will disappear and so will she. And disappear she did!

The third, my group, were people who had lives. We were not looking to be teachers or gurus or ‘be’ transcendental meditators everywhere we go, or know everyone’s name, or know anyone’s name. I came and went between 2013 and 2019 whenever I wanted. I had no hope to see anyone. Actually, I didn’t know anyone and nobody knew me, more or less.

It reopened the group meditations in 2022. The teachers are new, the meditators are new but some are from the older group. I know nobody from this group, but the experience of the group, and it’s good to share that experience anonymously.

I was asked to review TM® on Yelp...

LAfter receiving my mantra, my mantra giver, Jesse, asked me to review the transcendental meditation group on Yelp. So, I did. I wrote a review on the Yelp page in 2013.

Transcendental Meditation

Meditation Centers
1655 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Things about me:

I am a humanist/atheist – more into spirituality as a phenomenon than a practice.
I used to get headaches.
I sometimes had insomnia.

I am proud to say that I love transcendental meditation. Back in April, I was invited to a small audience screening on the documentary David Lynch had made on his speeches on transcendental meditation (TM) at the Hammer and afterwards, a panel discussion with David Lynch and Russel Brand. A lot of what I learned reinforced stuff I already knew about meditation: relaxation, health benefits and extra energy. What I did not know about transcendental meditation was the actual ‘technique’ – as they call it. So I was skeptical but inspired enough to seek out more information about the program. And I did.

Since then, I have gotten my ‘mantra’ and have been practicing TM for about six months. I got to visit their new Los Feliz location last night and am impressed with the rooms and the structure of it; it is bigger than their former Glendale Galleria location but it might even be a bit too small for the crowds that are turning up to meditate!

The great thing about this program is how supportive it is. The follow-ups are as great, if not better than the actual course. The program is very supportive and is not just about getting your money, learning the technique and off you go. The teachers keep in contact with you via email, insist you come back to check up on your progress 10 days after, a month after, etc. I learned something new after every follow-up session. I learned the stages that my mind goes into as I meditate, which was helpful to know after I did it for a little while and can better understand what they were talking about.

I took a course on meditation years ago and meditated at numerous places including at a smelly yoga commune and the Zen Center in San Francisco. It was worthwhile but I would get lazy and was never able to hold onto the practice for too long. With transcendental meditation, I am still in disbelief that I actually can hold onto it. It’s easier to do than any other form of meditation I’ve come across. The program pays a lot of reverence to the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who was not religious. There are a lot of DVD videos shown on his speeches. So I didn’t expect or invite a religious epiphany and am grateful that what I gained wasn’t really a gain. It was a loss.

Results:

I don’t get headaches or migraines anymore.
I don’t have insomnia, like at all, and actually fall asleep easily now.

I am also less stressed out. Just these few things that I benefited from made it worth it. I do enjoy the community and ritual aspects of the meditation, but as a ‘technique’, which sounds like such an overly pragmatic label, the ‘technique’ worked! I was not expecting to lose my headaches or fall asleep easier either. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to lose the bad things in their life.

Useful: 19  Funny:Cool: 3

11/4/2013

TL;DR

Many years later, besides sleeping better, I can feel present in my body thanks to transcendental meditation.

I often meditate in the gym steam room. Transcendental meditation helps me be present in moments where I wanted to do other things like the urge to cruise in a place like a steam room. This is really not limited to transcendental meditation but going into the meditation after about a minute of concentration. In other words, if I count to 60 then focus on the mantra, I can stop fixating on my urges and be present.

I get very neurotic and that’s probably because of the ideal and expectation of being constantly ready for sex as depicted in pornography. So most of the time I fantasize too much and get stressed out by it. So transcendental meditation helps me focus on myself and not outwardly towards the steam room.

And anyway, I follow this shallow self-help tidbit from some YouTube video a while back: people who too focused outwardly are less attractive.