Apr 1, 2023

April 2023

Dear Friend,

We are pleased to send you our April mini magazine to enjoy and share with friends. This issue focuses on the impact of the Transcendental Meditation technique on women’s careers.

  • Last month’s blog posts by women for women
  • New study shows TM reduces burnout in frontline health providers
  • A TM course for Vero Beach preschool teachers 
  • How the TM practice supports women in 10 career paths
  • Q&A: how does TM affect on-ramping after a job leave
  • What women say: intuition and creativity in interior design

In case you missed them, below are links to the articles published on our blog in March. Feel free to share them. To see previous posts on diverse topics, please visit and search our archives on tm-women.org/blog/

Finding the Sacred in the TM Experience

During the 1970’s, Amedeo Giorgi developed an innovative qualitative research method known as descriptive phenomenological research. Referred to as the Giorgi method, this approach aims to reveal the meaning of persons’ lived experiences by identifying essential themes expressed in their language. This kind of analysis offers a new depth to understanding human behavior and experiences.

Read MOre

What Happens in the Brain During Transcendental Meditation

An interview with nurse Meka Schurr on Alcoholism, Depression and ADHD by Amy Ruff.

AMY: Thank you for speaking with us today. I know that, as a nurse, you are very busy and we appreciate your taking the time to answer a few important questions.

You’ve mentioned that you have suffered from symptoms of ADHD, alcohol over-consumption, and depression in the past. I’d like to start with a few minutes to discuss alcoholism.

Read MOre

New Research Shows TM Reduces Burnout in our Nation’s COVID 19 Heroes

The COVID 19 pandemic greatly increased burnout in frontline healthcare providers. Research published last month evaluated the impact of the TM technique on symptoms of stress, burnout and wellness with the participation of 65 healthcare providers in three South Florida hospitals.

Just two weeks after learning the TM technique, symptoms of somatization, depression, and anxiety were already reduced by 45%. At three months, in the TM group, the improvement in symptoms showed a mean reduction of 62% in anxiety, 58% in somatization, 50% in depression, 44% in insomnia, 40% in emotional exhaustion, 42% in depersonalization, and 18% improvement of well-being.

The study’s authors concluded:

Overall, this study confirmed the previously reported benefits of practice of Transcendental Meditation and demonstrated its positive psychological impact on healthcare workers in a high-stress setting. The study was conducted from Fall of 2020 through the summer of 2021, encompassing the peak surge of COVID-19 in the South Florida region. This calamitous set of events created a unique opportunity to analyze the benefits of TM in a healthcare worker population facing uniquely elevated levels of distress. The effects seen in the treatment group were not only overwhelmingly positive but were observed in as quickly as two weeks, suggesting that TM be considered as a rapid intervention for HCP burnout. Given the persistent nature of the pandemic and its lasting effects on healthcare, the results of this study definitively warrant further exploration.

Published: March 3, 2023   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265046

TM Course for Vero Beach Preschool Teachers

Nancy and Sue Dudley are sisters and certified TM teachers. Recently they had the joy of instructing a group of preschool teachers who came from several different schools around Vero Beach, Florida. The program was funded by the Indian River Community Foundation, which recognized that schoolteachers had to deal with an extra amount of stress during Covid. The teachers were grateful to be able to have a way to nourish themselves and thereby give the most to their students. Here are some of the participants’ words of gratitude to the foundation:

“I have found the TM technique to be easy to learn, and I have already seen the benefits to my life. I have seen a decrease in my levels of stress and greater clarity of mind.”

SH

“Thank you so much for giving the experience of Transcendental Meditation….It has helped me get through my day and helps me relax. I will now be a much better teacher for my students.” 

BE

“It has made a wonderful impact in how I go about releasing the stress of everyday life. You don’t know the difference TM makes until you try it and…a lot of teachers are able to relax and unwind at their times of meditating.  My hope is that you will keep funding TM so more people can reap the benefits of this wonderful technique.”

MB

“After practicing TM for these past few days, I feel like a weight has been lifted slowly each time. Practicing TM 20 minutes two times a day really helps me balance my day. In the morning, I practice shortly after waking up, before I begin to get ready for work to help me clear my mind for my wonderful students. Then I practice in my driveway while sitting in my car before going in to begin my second job as a wife and mother. TM is slowly changing my life and how I will view things going forward. Thank you again for this wonderful, amazing and grateful experience.”

NP

Our Ten Featured Initiatives: TM for Fulfillment on the Job

Every career has its highs and lows. From burnout in nurses to depression in social workers to PTSD in veterans, scientific research and anecdotal evidence illustrate that adding TM to the daily routine in these women-dominated professions promotes success and fulfillment.

Announcing our new TM for Nurses website! Nurses are the backbone and heart of professional healthcare. This website explains how the Transcendental Meditation program protects and heals these caregivers. Tell nurses to visit www.tm-nurses.org

We also have informative pages dedicated to the following professionals:

What is Career “On-ramping” and How Does it Get Easier with TM?

More than 3 million women left the workforce in the last few years, but many employers are encouraging those who had to take a leave from work to come back.

It can be daunting to resume your career after a leave. Because it is sometimes necessary or preferable to take a hiatus from your job—for reasons such as maternity leave, caring for a family member, or for further education—you may lose your place on the ladder or, worse, lose your edge. After a long hiatus from the workforce, women may have to face the consequences of the gap of time in their résumés.

Almost half of Fortune 1000 senior executives reported in a study conducted for Pepperdine University that women on-ramping need two to four years to recoup losses in salary and position. And 13% doubted that women who off-ramp will ever fully catch up. 

Not sure of the best way to merge back into the job with focus and grace, we may second guess our strategy—even worrying about our first-day-back wardrobe choice! Those who practice the TM technique find that reentry is smoother. The reduction of stress and anxiety that result from TM leaves us calm and collected, with self-confidence replacing self-doubt. Increased coherence in brain functioning enhances the focus, creativity, and conceptual thinking that are needed to merge at full speed. 

The twice-daily practice of TM is easy to fit into your schedule when you find that your actions are becoming more efficient and that less time is wasted. It fulfills the goal of the business maxim: work smarter, not harder.

Stephanie Wingate is much sought-after for her work in interior design in Sarasota, Florida. Her focus is non-toxic, eco-friendly, healthy interiors. With her educational background, knowledge of the market, and great taste, her company, Wingate Design Group, has a reputation for surpassing her clients’ expectations and vision.

“TM has helped me maintain a very clear mind, which is vital for working with clients, making creative decisions and being able to manage many details simultaneously.

“Perhaps the most precious benefit of my practice has been the development of intuition and insight. Creating beautiful and functional spaces for people involves being able to assess clients’ needs, concerns, and desires quickly. TM has facilitated a level of personal growth that allows all this to happen seamlessly and in a joyful way!”

Editor’s note: We’d love to hear your comments on the benefits you’ve received from the TM practice. And, with your permission, we’ll publish them here for other women to enjoy. Send your comment to info@tm-women.org