The Power of Transcendental Meditation in the Workplace

Restoring energy and calming the mind are two incredibly important things in pressurised industries like construction. And that’s exactly what Transcendental Meditation (known as TM) can offer, as staff from our environmental services company Kingscote Haulage found out earlier this year.

Aiden Kelly, Kingscote Haulage’s General Manager, became interested in TM around eight years ago. “I was struggling with internal chatter in my brain. My mind wouldn’t settle, I was making rash decisions and getting depressed,” he says.

That led to an exploration of different forms of meditation from YouTube through to chanting meditation at a local Buddhist Monastery. But, Kelly adds, “they didn’t click.” That’s when he found TM: a practice that is accessible for anyone and everyone.

An Accessible Practice

Typically practised for 20 minutes twice a day, TM doesn’t require concentration or controlling the mind – two things that people often find difficult. Instead, it simply requires sitting comfortably and repeating a mantra in your head.

Popularised by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – a disciple of Hindu monk Swami Brahmananda Saraswati – TM was introduced globally in the late 1950s. People of all cultures and religions now use it to help reduce stress and anxiety, particularly when it comes to the workplace, and boost overall wellbeing.

“Immediately afterwards, you feel relaxed and refreshed. A little later, you have more energy to tackle whatever you have to do,” says Michael Pierce, a teacher of TM since 1980, who originally taught Kelly and introduced the practice to other Kingscote Haulage staff.

‍

“Immediately afterwards, you feel relaxed and refreshed. A little later, you have more energy to tackle whatever you have to do."

Michael Pierce, Transcendental Meditation Teacher

Achieving Bliss

Kelly always wanted to bring TM into the business: “We are all aware of the strain on people’s mental health in this pressured industry and we are in a period now where this is more exacerbated. Anything that can help people along the road to a more peaceful mind and a more pleasant living experience is something that should be embraced.”

While it took Kelly a while to settle into TM, he says he “soon found the peace which was promised” and much more. “I found myself much more empathetic and compassionate. It also allows a bigger gap between thought and action,” he notes. Eight years after his initial lessons, he now tries not to leave the house without meditating every morning.

The first step to learning TM is to attend an introductory talk followed by a course. At Kingscote Haulage, the course was organised towards the end of the working day. Pierce explains that it involved an individual instruction session off-site, then around six hour-long follow-up sessions on-site. This helped ensure everyone was practising TM correctly and gave them a chance to ask any questions along the way.

“I think it benefitted them all,” Kelly says. “I feel good in myself for passing the chance on and at the very least giving them all an insight into how to achieve a little bit of bliss.”

“I feel good in myself for passing the chance on and at the very least giving them all an insight into how to achieve a little bit of bliss.”

Aiden Kelly, Kingscote Haulage General Manager

‍

It seems staff would agree. After the course, they said they were able to improve their decision-making and handling of stressful situations, approaching things with a clearer and calmer mind. A sense of relaxation was also gained.

If you’re interested in learning more about Transcendental Meditation and booking a course, you can find out more here.