Transcendental Meditation can balance the PTSD brain
Do it twice a day to reduce stress
Stress for Success
September 6, 2011


If you suffer from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder due to repetitive childhood trauma and/or from serving in war zones would you be interested in significantly reducing your symptoms through a natural and free practice? Would it be worth developing this technique and practicing it daily?

Transcendental Meditation, T.M., is the technique I’m referring to. It was introduced by Maharishi Mahesh Yogii in 1957. Contrary to what some believe TM isn’t a religion nor based on any religious teaching requiring any particular set of beliefs.

Scores of independent scientific studies have established TM’s value. The Journal of Clinical Psychology in 1989, for example, compared the effectiveness of different relaxation techniques in lowering anxiety. TM was found to make the greatest difference. TM was found to help decrease depression, digestive problems, insomnia, psychosomatic disease, and reliance on smoking (for more information go to www.natural-healing-for-all.com).

It’s applicability to treating PTSD was established by University of CO neurophysiologist Dr. James Austin who documented through the fMRI how T.M. rewires brain circuitry for greater calmness that the trauma wired for anxiety. Also, a pilot study published in the June 2011 issue of Military Medicine found military veterans experienced a 50% reduction in PTSD symptoms after only eight weeks of practicing T.M.

To learn T.M.:
1. Choose a mantra, which is a sound, syllable, word or phrase on which to focus; e.g., “God is love,” “I’m relaxed.”
2. Get comfortable in a quiet place eliminating distractions like kids and telephones. To successfully meditate you must focus. You can lie or sit down.
3. Close your eyes and relax each separate part of your body starting with your feet, working to the top of your head. This becomes easier with practice.
4. Deepen your relaxation by breathing deeper and slower. Consciously inhale slowly and deeply; exhale slowly. Exhale more deeply than you inhale. Count your breaths: inhale to the count of six; hold your breath for four counts; exhale to nine, and hold again for four counts; do over and over. Notice your mind and body relaxing more and more.
5. Focus on your mantra. Repeat it softly for one minute. Each time say it more and more softly. Once you’ve said it as softly as you can, repeat your mantra only in your mind. Don’t force yourself to concentrate on it but feel it relax you. You may become easily distracted at first. If so, deep breathe and refocus on your mantra. Your focus will improve dramatically with practice.
6. Focus on feeling your connection to life itself, while continuing to mentally repeat your mantra for about twenty minutes. When distracting thoughts come to your mind, or if you forget your mantra, calmly allow it to come back and return to focus back on your mantra.

Return your attention to your surroundings naturally after twenty minutes. Always stretch before you get up.

If you suffer from PTSD practice TM twice daily for at least two months to see if it begins to diminish your symptoms. You have nothing to lose but stress.

Jacquelyn Ferguson, M. S., is an international speaker and a Stress and Wellness Coach. Order her book, Let Your Body Win: Stress Management Plain & Simple, at http://www.letyourbodywin.com/bookstore.html. Email her to request she speak to your organization at jferg8@aol.com.