The Transcendental Meditation Program for Single Mothers in Vancouver, BC
Offering Support for Low Income Single Mother’s Through the
YWCA
Single-parent families accounted for 28.2 percent of all Canadian households in 2021. For the first time, it is the most common type of household in Canada, surpassing even couples with children (26.5 percent). Today, over one-fifth of Canadian children are being raised by a single parent.
The Canadian Women for Wellness Initiative—a registered charity serving women whose lives or jobs are at risk due to high stress levels—recognizes that single mothers often face very stressful situations that impact the entire family. Many issues cause women to feel overwhelmed and exhausted.
In February of 2019, the CWWI began a partnership with the YWCA Single Mother’s Support Services in Vancouver BC to teach the Transcendental Meditation technique to single mothers.
As a certified TM teacher in Vancouver, I organized and raised the funds for the WYCA Single Mother’s TM program, taught the TM courses, and administered the pre- and post-tests for perceived stress. The YWCA provided the space for teaching as well as daycare for the children while their mothers were in class.
The single mothers who have participated in the program have benefited greatly. TM has decreased the impact of stress in their lives, allowing them to maintain greater balance in relationships, feel happier, more settled and grounded within themselves, and less reactive in stressful situations. They commented on how much more present they were with their children and less overwhelmed by the circumstances of their lives.
A few testimonials from participating mothers:
“I would recommend the TM training to any woman who’s encountered any type of trauma in her life. I’ve done hundreds of hours of therapy, read countless books, and done dozens of seminars trying to heal from my past, and TM has been the most positively impactful thing I’ve ever done.” — Rebecca
“I’m grateful to the YWCA for offering single mothers the opportunity to learn TM. I’m grateful also to the sponsors of the TM program for giving me the tool I need to get my life back, and I hope this is a program that continues to be offered to single moms on an ongoing basis.” — Nicole
“I have seen positive changes since practicing TM. I feel more emotional flexibility, patience, and clearer thinking. I am less reactive.” — Sarah
“I have found TM to be a valuable, lifelong tool. I’ve experienced many benefits for overall wellness, including reduced anxiety, being more grounded, and increased inner peace. I find I have more presence and patience with my child. I would definitely recommend TM to other single moms.” — Stephanie
Pre and Post Test Results
In the pre-and post-test results in 2019, the single mothers were administered the Sheldon Cohen Perceived Stress scale before learning Transcendental Meditation and after three months of practice. Results indicated that the practice of the TM program had a 29% effect in reducing perceived stress. Baseline perceived stress, prior to training in TM, showed a mean of 26.27 (SD=4.17) with a post-test mean of 18.64 (SD=3.98); p=.001). The effect size was large (ES=1.86). These results are consistent with previous research on the TM technique, indicating reduced stress and improved mental health.
With these excellent results, indicated both subjectively and objectively, the CWWI and the Single Mother’s Support Services at the YWCA in Vancouver are happy to announce that their collaboration for the benefit of single mothers and their families will continue to be offered in 2025.
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About the Author
Deboragh Varnel is on the National Management Board of the Canadian Women’s Wellness Initiative and Director of the Vancouver TM for Women Centre
