TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION, Marion Chalmers
As taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
“Happiness is the goal of everyone. In order to attain it, what we have to do is reach inwards and with the help of Transcendental Meditation let the mind rise to the level of perfect happiness, utter bliss.” Maharishi Mahesh Yogi®
Maharishi founded Transcendental Meditation in 1957. Since then millions of people from all over the world and from all walks of life have learnt this simple, natural, mental technique. People learn for many different reasons. David Lynch, the well-known film director, describes in his book ‘Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness and Creativity’, how when he first heard the expression ‘true happiness lies within’, he felt it was ‘kind of mean’, because he had no way of going within. But then he learned Transcendental Meditation, and discovered that ‘diving within has changed my life, my world’.
Transcendental Meditation (is a mental technique which) is practised for 15 to 20 minutes morning and evening sitting comfortably in a chair. During the practice, we experience more and more refined levels of thought, quieter and quieter levels of the mind. At the quietest level, the awareness becomes unbounded and although the mind is uncluttered by thinking, we are fully awake. This unique state of restful alertness of the mind –Transcendental Consciousness, the simplest form of awareness, which is the full creative potential of the mind - is also accompanied by increasing restfulness in the physiology. The experience of profound physical and mental rest is responsible for the many measurable effects that come in daily life as a result of regular practise.
The unique state of restful alertness experienced during the practice has been verified by measuring the brain-waves. This deep rest allows stress in the body to dissolve and abnormalities to normalise, resulting in substantial benefits to health.
More than 600 research studies conducted at over 250 universities and research institutes worldwide, verify the profound benefits of Transcendental Meditation for all aspects of life:- enhanced creativity, increased energy and efficiency, improved memory, greater emotional stability, better sleep, increased cardiovascular efficiency, decreased blood pressure and decreased anxiety and depression, to name just a few!
The effects of Transcendental Meditation are experienced in activity. Although the practice of meditation is very pleasant, we meditate for the effect it has on our whole lives, our physical, mental and emotional well being throughout the day. Transcendental Meditation is a preparation for activity, allowing us to start the day fresh, rested and alert and to finish the day without accumulating stress and fatigue. The effects of regular practice are cumulative, so as time goes on the benefits continue to increase.
And in Maharishi’s words: ‘It solves problems by introducing harmony and well-being at the most basic level, and not by dealing with problems themselves. That's why it is so effective.
EARTH BUILDING, Matt Muldoon
Earth is gaining popularity as a building material in East Anglia, and it’s easy to see why. Its sustainable credentials are rock-solid; and it creates a happy, healthy living environment which lends itself to stunning architectural forms.
Earth building is nothing new - it’s at least 10,000 years old in fact, and 30% of the world’s population live in earth homes. Here in East Anglia, earth building has traditionally meant clay lump and wattle and daub. These two techniques use clay, sand and straw in varying proportions to create a mix which is formed into blocks and left to dry naturally (clay lump) or applied to a supporting lattice of wood (wattle and daub).
Both of these techniques have served us well for hundreds of years, but in the sustainable building movement it is cob that is gaining most popularity. Cob is just 20% clay and 80% aggregate mixed up with about half a bale of straw per ton. The mixing is hard work, it can be done with the feet (human or animal) for fairly small projects, or with a digger for larger ones. The resulting squidgy mass is simply built up into a wall and left to dry naturally.
So why cob? For a start, in East Anglia, enough clay and aggregate can usually be extracted from the building site (or nearby) to make the structure. This means that a lot of your building materials are free, and their carbon footprint is almost zero (maybe a little diesel to run the digger). A cob build is also inherently low-cost because of its simplicity. Cob has enough load-bearing capacity to easily support at least a two-storey building without any additional framework. And it’s highly durable - the oldest cob buildings in the UK are 700 years old - and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t last centuries more.
Cob also offers a lot of creative freedom. It’s a sculptural material that can be shaped as easily as plasticine into flowing curves, arches, niches, fireplaces, staircases - wherever your imagination leads you. A cob building is invariably a beautiful thing, soft-edged and full of interesting features.
Earth buildings provide a healthy living environment. They are naturally breathable, and must be complimented with breathable plasters and paints. This quality allows them to regulate humidity effectively - moisture is absorbed by the walls when humidity is high and released when it is low, creating a stable environment free of condensation and dampness problems. Earth buildings also have a high degree of thermal mass, meaning they are able to store heat within themselves. So, a cob house will also provide very constant temperatures through the day and night, helping its human occupants feel comfortable.
Finally, for many people, earth building is its own reward. The simple knowledge that the earth walls encircling them came from the ground beneath their feet brings huge satisfaction. It ensures a sympathetic connection between environment, building and occupant.