ACHIEVING LIFE GOALS THROUGH TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

IWhat seemed like a tough, serious and a no-nonsense exterior, cracked the moment T.C. Perumal - Centre Coordinator, Maharishi Transcendental Meditation Centre, began speaking about Transcendental Meditation (TM); obviously his favourite subject in the world. He wouldn't settle down to any structure and, what started off as a formal interview, ended in an informal chat.

Simple, down-to-earth and candid T C Perumal has been practising and teaching TM for the last 25 years, ever since he was initiated by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Hrishikesh in 1974. This Postgraduate in History and Education, faced numerous opposition from friends, relatives and teachers at that time. But he continued undeterred on his chosen path.

According to him, TM is a simple tool to attain all your life goals, be it wealth, fame or peace of mind. It is universal, in that it can be practised by anyone over the age of 10, regardless of religion, caste, creed, time or place. "All it requires is 20 minutes of your time in the morning and in the evening. A person practising TM not only develops positive thinking, but also brings harmony to his immediate surroundings. It does not require any great concentration or deep thinking, unlike other forms of meditation. All you need to do is think the mantra when and if it comes, and if thoughts come, let them. Do not curb your thoughts, as they are a form of stress release. Let things happen naturally, do not try to concentrate".

Most of the diseases man has are psychosomatic. TM gives the body rest, normalises blood pressure, reduces incidence of heart disease and gives better sleep.

When asked about the misconceptions related to TM, he said "People are scared that they will leave the material world once they start practicing TM. On the contrary people become much more attached to their family and become more effective at their workplaces as they become more focussed. They develop positive thinking and are able to empathise with their fellow human beings. Given half a chance, we will all like to be good individuals. But we have various physical and mental limitations, complexes, worries, too much work and too little time, which prevents us from being positive. Once you practise TM, you start living in the here and now. You do not allow your past to haunt your present. You focus only on the task in hand. TM makes you balanced and allows you to accept others and the circumstances, the way they are. It allows you to rise above the circumstances and find solutions to the problem at hand. As they say, 'A calm and collected mind is a fountainhead of activity'."

The advanced TM Siddhi programme is a means to stabilise meditation learnt at the basic level. 'Siddhi' means perfection. The Siddhi programme includes meditation, pranayama and yoga. It is a dynamic and practical way to tone the mind and the body.

TM is recommended by the medical fraternity, Dr. Ramamurthy (leading Neuro-surgeon) and Dr. Rangabashyam (leading Cardiologist) are among the advocates of TM. Also, some of the leading business houses in Chennai like the TVS group and L&T-ECC group have recommended TM for their employees.

NEPC NATURE CARE

Whether it is asthma, amoebiasis, insomnia or lumbar and cervical spondylosis, nature cure at the NEPC Institute of Naturopathy and Yoga can work wonders.

Established in 1983, the institute, run by the NEPC trust on a non-profit basis, is situated on the new Mahabalipuram Road, Muttukadu, 31 kms from Chennai.

No drugs and surgery to cure any ailments. Treatment is based on the principle that internal insanitation is the cause of any disease. Unhygienic activities actually weaken the body and result in defective elimination. The waste that ought to be eliminated through normal channels (kidney, lung and skin) are not cleared fully and the body becomes internally unclean. The aim of the institute has been to provide health education programmes and cure through drugless methods.

In hydrotherapy the patients undergo water treatment covering hip, spinal, steam bath and footbaths. Similarly, in chromotherapy and heliotherapy the treatment is through various colours and sunlight. The other modes of treatment are acupressure therapy, diet therapy, electro therapy, magneto therapy and yoga therapy.

Spread over 2.5 acres of land, the centre has seven well-furnished cottages, with telephone, intercom, and television facility. A walking track of 1 km is maintained for the inmates' morning walk. There is a prayer cum yoga hall and a gymnasium. Treatment section for men and women are separate. The kitchen for inmates serves pure vegetarian food. The institute maintains a library, with books on nature care and yoga. Newspapers, magazines and other reading material are also kept.A health news bulletin is provided free to patients who undertake treatment at the institute.

The centre treats nearly 300 to 500 patients everyday. People who have already undergone the inmate programme are advised to follow-up through the outpatient department. Free treatment is provided in over 17 villages in and around Muttukadu. Free yoga camps are conducted once a year and these are also held in various schools during the summer.

Address: NEPC Institute of Naturopathy and Yoga, Muttukadu, New Mahabalipuram Road.
Phone: 04114-45308/309.

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