Bharati Sharma, President, Mahila Dhyan Vidya Peeth is the Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Advanced Technique Teacher. She has attended and organized conferences related to TM in several countries of world. During a tete a tete with ‘Stree’ she talks about TM, its benefits to the people in general and society at large and how people can adopt this in their daily routine. Here are the excerpts of the interview:

Stree: What is ‘Transcendental Meditation’?
Bharati Sharma: The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique comes from a timeless tradition of knowledgethe Vedic tradition of ancient Indiathat has withstood the test of time as an advanced science and technology of consciousness, handed down by Vedic teachers from generation to generation for thousands of years. Restored to its original effectiveness, the Transcendental Meditation technique was introduced to the world in 1957 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Stree: How can one practice TM?
Bharati Sharma: The TM technique is a simple, natural, effortless process practiced 15-20 minutes twice daily while sitting comfortably with eyes closed. It is unique among techniques of meditation, distinguished by its effortlessness, naturalness and profound effectiveness.
The TM technique allows your mind to settle inward, beyond thought, to experience the silent reservoir of energy, creativity and intelligence found within everyonea natural state of restful alertness. Daily practice of the TM technique unfolds the mind’s inner potential and awakens the brain’s latent resources, directly enriching all aspects of life
Stree: What is the TM technique and how is it useful?
Bharati Sharma: The TM technique is not a religion or philosophy and involves no change in lifestyle. It is easy to learn and enjoyable to practice, requiring no effort, concentration or special skills. Anyone can learn iteven children. The unique state of restful alertness produced during TM practice dissolves stress and fatigue, promoting balanced functioning of mind and body and more harmonious behavior.
Scientific research on the Transcendental Meditation program has shown that the daily experience of this state of restful alertness leads to increased creativity, improved learning ability, higher IQ, better moral reasoning, more efficient brain functioning and a wide array of health benefitsranging from normalized blood pressure, reduced need for doctor visits, to a younger biological age. More than 600 scientific research studies confirming the benefits of the TM technique for mind, body, behavior, and society have been conducted in 34 countries and at 200 independent research institutions and universities, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale and UCLA Medical School. Over 300 of these studies have been published in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Stree: What prompted you to take up TM?
Bharati Sharma: As a teacher, I always wondered why students find it difficult to grasp and represent their subjects, why teaching learning process in educational institutions and in life is not enjoyable, easy and comfortable? Why life is a struggle and not a bliss? Why all possibilities are not accessible to all human beings, why beauty of life is lost in limits? While searching I found knowledge and practical technique of TM that revealed answers to these questions in a simple way. During the course of learning TM, I also got training and technique of TM to be offered to ladies, students and families to enable them to improve their quality of life.
Stree: Have you taken any special training for this?
Bharati Sharma: I have enjoyed taking, organizing and teaching several courses offered by Mahila Vidyapeeth (MDVP), which is a registered, nonprofit ladies organization active since 1976. Various courses like six days basic TM course, six months residential teachers’ training course in TM and Vedic science, month long, Science of Creative Intelligence, 7 weeks of TM-Siddhi course are few to mention that I enjoyed. A special 10 months long residential- higher state of consciousness course was most profound and fulfilling one. Several other courses were also taken up by me and have given me added joy.
I am fortunate to be able to spend teaching and learning 40 years in this ladies branch, MDVP, of Transcendental Meditation movement.
Stree: How do you think this can be beneficial for people and society at large?
Bharati Sharma: Research has shown that groups of individuals practicing TM-TM Sidhi including Yogic Flying- create coherence in collective consciousness, and generate a unifying and integrating effect in the life of society. This results in a decrease of negative trends throughout societysuch as crime, accidents, and sickness and an increase in positive social, economic, and political trends. Scientific studies on this phenomenon have demonstrated that a group of at least 7,000 individuals practicing Yogic Flying can produce this coherence-creating effect on a global scale, reducing violent and negative trends worldwide.
Research studies have repeatedly confirmed the Maharishi Effect on a global scale. For example, during assemblies of ten days to three weeks in which the number of individuals practicing the TM-Sidhi Program of Yogic Flying approached or exceeded the square root of one per cent of the world’s populationabout 7,000 peopleglobal social trends improved immediately, including improved international relations as measured by reduced international conflict and reduced incidence of terrorism.
The TM-Sidhi program trains the individual to operate from the least excited state of consciousness, to think from the level of the unified field of all the laws of nature. By learning to function from this self-referral state of pure consciousness, the mind gains increasing support of nature for the fulfillment of desires. With the TM-Sidhi program, thought and action spontaneously become more in accord with the evolutionary power of Natural Law. This results in greater skill in action – the ability to fulfill one’s desires naturally while effortlessly promoting the evolution of everyone and everything.
One aspect of the TM-Sidhi program is called Yogic Flying. During the first stage of Yogic flying, the body lifts up and moves forward in short hops. Subjectively one experience exhilaration, lightness and bliss. Scientific studies show that during this practice, at the moment the body lifts up, coherence is maximum in brain wave activity. This means that brain functioning is optimum and creates the perfect condition for the frictionless flow of awareness towards the fulfillment of its desire. When Yogic flying is practiced in groups, this influence of coherence spreads throughout the environment, reducing negative tendencies and promoting positive and harmonious trends in the whole society.
Stree: What is your message to the readers regarding TM?
Bharati Sharma: My earnest, heartfelt appeal to district collectors, company CEO’s, education administrators etc is to establish, coherence creating groups in each district, society, company, educational institution. To achieve this select 4 to 8 qualified ladies to be trained as TM teachers under MDVP’s supervision. We need to create group/s of 1000+ ladies practicing TM at one place preferably or in their own homes practicing TM twice daily at fixed time to create coherence and satva in collective consciousness of groups and society. These trained teachers will teach TM to groups under care of leaders and MDVP will supervise/help in maintaining purity of teaching to be effective. This program is called “Sehestra Shirsha Matrmandal Program” to bring positive trends in society. Women can contribute in creating world peace. One can write to us at layakari@yahoo.co.uk
Stree: How can one learn TM?
Bharati Sharma: The Transcendental Meditation technique is taught through a seven-step course of instruction by a trained TM teacher. The course is followed by weekly, and then monthly, checking sessions (averaging 2030 minutes) to ensure correct practice of the technique.
Stree: Is there any age specific for taking up this course?
Bharati Sharma: Anyone 10 years of age or older can learn the TM practice. (There’s a special technique for children under 10.)