Cultural News: Top Stories

Meditating moms
by Harbour Fraser Hodder

Enjoy TM News Translate This Article
30 May 2017

Busy moms share tips for balancing their TM practice with work/family life

Whether they started Transcendental Meditation a few weeks or four years ago, whether they have a new baby girl or teen-aged boys in the house, . . . two mothers look to their Transcendental Meditation^® (TM) practice as both a respite and a source of renewal in their very full lives.

Andrea Jayavelu: I Had to Get Creative!

''I am a mom of a 7-month-old baby, and I just started my TM journey. As a working mom, I have had to get creative!'' writes Andrea Jayavelu, a business analyst. She and her husband Jay Jayavelu, an IT consultant, live with their daughter Kamala in Falls Church, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. Both 34, they've been practicing the TM technique for almost 3 weeks.

''First of all, I am lucky that my husband and I did our TM course together. We work as a team to ensure both of us complete our two daily meditation sessions,'' she says.

Andrea and Jay had been interested in meditation ''for a long time, but didn't know how to start. After some research, the TM technique seemed to be the best fit'' for them and their family.

''We started TM because we wanted to begin filtering out some of the unnecessary 'noise' in our lives,'' she says. ''We also wanted to slow down and focus on what was really important to us. Modern lives are full of stressors, distractions, and negativity. TM is a great way to manage 'knee-jerk reactions' and instead channel that energy into increasing focus, creativity, and peace!''

But that's not always easy with a beautiful new baby and full-time careers. So Andrea has gotten creative.

Andrea's TM Tips for New Moms

''On weekdays, I try to complete at least one meditation session during work hours. I try to do both at work when I can,'' says Andrea. . . .

When she's on the go, Andrea extols her car as a great place to meditate. ''When I'm at a client site, or I have a packed schedule, I try to arrive early and do a session in my car. Most of the time, I do the other session at home,' she says.

Their trusty car is also Andrea's secret weapon when she and Jay are outside the house or traveling. ''When I'm running errands without the baby, or when our family goes to visit friends, or when we stay at a hotel, take long road trips, etc., I try to utilize the car as much as possible,'' she explains.

On weekends, Andrea has to be even more creative: ''Flexibility is the key. I try to meditate when the baby is napping. Or if it's just 'one of those days,' my husband will take the helm while I slip away. . . .''

''As a new mom and someone new to TM practice, I think it's great you're asking moms to weigh in,'' Andrea concludes. 'I'm looking forward to hearing what other moms have to say!''

SOURCE: Excerpts from Enjoy TM News

Global Good News will be featuring the second working mom in this article, Lina Trujillo—as well as future ''Meditating Moms'' stories from the series in Enjoy TM News.

Copyright © 2017 Maharishi Foundation USA

Translation software is not perfect; however if you would like to try it, you can translate this page using:

(Google)
(Altavista babelfish)