Meditation is Sexy

By Ben Turshen. 

The act of practicing Vedic Meditation is not very sexy at all. Even if you're very good looking to begin with, to the outside observer, it looks like you're just sitting there comfortably with your eyes closed for 20 minutes. It would be quite a boring thing to watch for that long no matter how aesthetically pleasing you are to the eye.   

But the effects of this meditation practice will make you better company--whether you're single or in a committed relationship. Why? Think about what kinds of people you like being around. If you're walking around stressed out, nervous and anxious, constantly worrying, depressed and miserable, exhausted because you don't sleep well, impatient, losing your temper, getting sick often, and complaining about it all then who wants to spend time with you voluntarily. 

Vedic Meditation allows you to feel, perform and relate at your very best. Calm and relaxed, rested and energized, attentive and present, kind and generous, patient and healthy. When you practice this meditation technique you become a better partner. That's pretty sexy. 

The Power of Leverage

By Ben Turshen.

When we were kids in school we learned about pulleys and levers in our science and math classes. With amazement, we found that by utilizing these tools we could move heavy objects with significantly less effort. 

These natural laws apply to Vedic Meditation as well--to the technique itself and its effects. By doing less, we accomplish more. By doing least, we accomplish most. 

Vedic Meditation is easy and effortless. For thousands of years in India, this form of meditation was referred to in Sanskrit as "Nishkam Karma Yoga", which translates to yoga or union attained by action hardly taken. The technique does not involve any focus or concentration, nor does it involve paying attention to, or monitoring, thoughts or activity, as is the case in some other types of mediation, such as mindfullness. With Vedic Meditation, our mind de-excites and body rests deeply (much deeper than the rest experienced in sleep), unwinding decades of accumulated stress and fatigue.

We start sleeping better and feeling rested, we get sick less, we become more focused and productive at work, our relationships improve as notice ourselves being more patient and attentive. 

Vedic Meditation gives you leverage. When we practice this technique, we find that we can move the "heavy objects" in our lives with less effort. 

Spreading Peace

By Ben Turshen. 

It's been a long time since I first learned Vedic Meditation. Since then, this meditation practice has absolutely impacted the way I think, act, behave and interact with the world. But I certainly don't think, act, behave or interact in any which way whatsoever because I'm a "meditator" or even a "meditation teacher". 

One of the things I like the most about Vedic Meditation is there no mandated moral or ethical codes or belief systems, religion or lifestyle changes that are prescribed. You don't join an organization or receive a special name. But expect some changes to come about on their own. 

When you practice Vedic Meditation (a simple mental technique), your mind settles down to its least excited state beyond thought and your body experiences deep rest (exponentially deeper than the deepest rest that can be obtained in a night's sleep) without any focus or concentration or effort. It's easy and enjoyable. Having had that experience in meditation, you then enter the world rested and energized, calm and relaxed, with greater clarity, feeling peaceful and equanimous. Operating in that state influences the way we think, act, behave and interact with the world. You don't need to set an intention or visualize yourself in a particular situation or try to act compassionately or feel grateful. It all happens spontaneously. 

The world needs more meditators, now more than ever before. 

Being Present

By Ben Turshen. 

Growing up, my coaches would shout at me, "get your head in the game". My school teachers would constantly remind me to "listen, pay attention". I was not alone in receiving these instructions. 

We often find ourselves reviewing the past or trying to predict the future, speculating, and mostly worrying. Why is it that we have a such a hard time being in the present moment? How come our mind and body become so easily disconnected? Stress is the main culprit. 

Stress is caused by any overload of experience, even a pleasurable one. When this happens, the mind and body store every minute detail of this experience, what it looked like, sounded like, tasted like, smelled like, felt like. It's as if we downloaded a program that's running continuously in the background, putting us one on high alert 24/7. This draws our mind away from where we are. 

There are many types of meditation where the goal is to try to be present by attending to thoughts or focusing on breathing or concentrating on some other activity. But trying to be present and being present are quite different experiences. When you're trying to be present, you're not actually being present. 

Vedic Meditation is different. The technique involves no focus or concentration, the mind is not forced in any direction. With Vedic Meditation, the mind settles effortlessly and spontaneously, which means there is no trying at all. While practicing Vedic Meditation, the mind de-excites automatically and the body achieves levels of rest exponentially deeper than the deepest rest that can be achieved in a night's sleep. This is the exact opposite physiological state as when we are overloaded by stress. By revisiting this state regularly in our Vedic Meditation practice, we delete the old programing. The result is that outside of meditation, we find ourselves present and aware in the moment, without trying. And this is where want to be. 

Finding the Time

By Ben Turshen. 

When it comes to Vedic Meditation, the meditation technique itself is easy and enjoyable. The mind and body settle down automatically and spontaneously without any effort, focus, or concentration. 

The hard work for most people is finding the time to meditate. Vedic Meditation is a daily practice and the general strategy is to meditate for 20 minutes in the morning and another 20 minutes in the afternoon/evening. For new meditators, this is may be challenging. It was for me.

As a meditation teacher, my role is to teach you how to be a self sufficient meditator. I get you to a place where you can practice this technique correctly and regularly. I work with each student to determine the best way to integrate the practice into their busy lives. Like the gym, you actually have to show up to receive the benefits, but ask anyone who's been practicing consistently and they'll tell you it feels like they've been doing it for years even if they only learned a few weeks ago.

You Don't Have to be a Monk to Meditate

By Ben Turshen. 

My views on meditation have changed. This may surprise you, but I used to think meditation was strange. Something for people that were not like me at all. When I thought of meditation, I imagined monks dressed in robes sitting perfectly still in silence for hours in mountaintop temples or yogis sitting in full lotus position chanting mantras.

I had no desire to become a monk and had never taken a yoga class, but I was envious. The idea that I could quiet my mind, shut down the daily barrage of fear, worry, anger, sadness, frustration that swirled in my head was very appealing. But it seemed like an impossible dream for someone like me. Along with anxiety, depression and insomnia, I struggled with what doctors diagnosed as Attention Deficit Disorder. I thought that my mind was too busy to meditate. 

Fortunately, I was mistaken. While many types of meditation are monastic by nature (i.e., designed for monks), Vedic Meditation is a "householder" meditation technique, designed for people fully integrated in life, with families, jobs and busy minds--people like me (and you). Vedic Meditation settles the mind and body effortlessly and automatically without any need to focus or concentrate.

Although Vedic Meditation was born in ancient India over 5,000 years ago, it's application in modern life cannot be overstated. Accumulated stress leads to disease, pre-mature aging and low-grade performance and behavior. A plague of modern times. Vedic Meditation efficiently and systematically removes accumulated stress, improving all aspects of our lives, our physical health, our mental health and our relationships. 

So if you're not a monk, that's OK, Vedic Meditation is the perfect practice for you. 

You Deserve the Best

By Ben Turshen. 

Dear Friends, 

I'm writing to you having recently returned from two weeks in Rishikesh, India, a incredibly beautiful holy city known as the birthplace of yoga. While there, I meditated in abandoned ashrams, explored ancient temples, swam in the Ganges River, met new friends and received supreme knowledge from my teacher. During my trip, I was reminded of these words that come from Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (who is also commonly referred to as Guru Dev), the great master from whom we have Vedic Meditation:

You deserve the best.
Never feel unworthy or
not justified in having the best.
I tell you this is your heritage;
but you have to accept it,
you have to expect it. 
You have to claim it.
To do so is not demanding too much.

The impact of this message is clear, but how do we get there? How do we have the experience the best in life? The technique of Vedic Meditation is simple, easy and enjoyable to practice. It removes stress from the body and brings you to a place of peace and clarity, where you can truly enjoy the best that life has to offer. 

Wishing you the very BEST. 

With Gratitude, 

Ben 

Starting Your New Year with a Clean Slate?

By Ben Turshen. 

Hello Friends, 

I want to help you start 2015 with a clean slate, but the unfortunate truth is that on January 1st, you don't get a clean slate. Your slate is a day more marred and scarred than it was on December 31st. 

Everyday we are being programed by experience. Our past leaves its legacy and that cannot be erased by a change of the calendar date. Despite our intellect telling us that there might be a better way of thinking and acting, our default mode of operating is based on all our yesterdays. It is the equivalent of trying to create a beautiful mural on a wall covered by decades of graffiti and filth.

The new paint does not stick, at least not in the way we intend. If we want to make a change, we need to do some cleaning first. That's what Vedic Meditation does, it clears away the decades of accumulated stress, deletes outdated programing, scrapes off the old paint. It gives us a clean slate, a fresh canvas. From there, we can build and create and evolve into our best selves. 

So if you plan to quit smoking, join a gym or start a new diet, or otherwise try to get your act together, learn Vedic Meditation first. It will give you the foundation for successful positive change. 

Wishing you the best in 2015. 

With Love and Gratitude, 

Ben 

Practicing Gratitude

By Ben Turshen. 

Practicing gratitude is a very simple thing. It doesn't require any special knowledge or ability. That doesn't make it insignificant--quite to the contrary, if the expression is genuine, it is very powerful. It establishes equilibrium.

Gratitude doesn't require a special day, but during the holidays, we're reminded to give thanks for all the good we have in our lives. 

The technique of Vedic Meditation completely transformed me. I would never imagine my life without it. There is nothing I can think of that would even come close to replacing what this simple meditation practice has given me--happiness, fulfillment, peace, presence, poise, improved relationships, better sleep, better health, more creativity and increased productivity. That's where the list begins... 

This year, I want to say THANK YOU to my teachers who have bestowed the great gift of their knowledge. THANK YOU to my students who have given me the unique honor and privilege of allowing me to serve them. THANK YOU to my family and friends for their unwavering love and support. 

Happier Everyday

By Ben Turshen. 

We all have some sense of how we want our lives to look. We might know where we would like to live or even what we want to do to earn a living.  We have a picture of how we would like to spend our time and the people we would like to spend that time with.

Regardless of what our lives look like on paper, we all desire the same thing. We want to be happy. This is the human condition. Our minds are designed to move us in the direction of greater happiness. We're always on the lookout for more satisfaction, more fulfillment, more happiness.

Vedic Meditation employs this inherent nature of mind and delivers us to a place where the mind is supremely content--a state of absolute fulfillment. Vedic Meditation is easy and enjoyable to practice and we become happier every time we do it. When we're happy, when we're fulfilled, that's when our lives really take off.