Meditation On the Rise in America

Meditation is becoming more popular in America, according to the Daily Iowan.

2007 Census Bureau Survey statistics indicate that about 10 percent of the population over 18 practices some form of meditation, and increase from 8 percent in 2002.

Highlighted in the article are students, who benefit from the relaxing effects of transcendental meditation to help them study.

“I felt like I almost had an advantage over other people because I wasn’t panicking over the test,” said Yosra Elkhalifa, a freshman at the University of Iowa. “I’ve been able to focus better, which is crucial, because I’m taking 17 credit hours.”

Susan Taylor, founder of the National Meditation Specialist Certification Board in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, has seen her practice grow from a class of five in 1996 to a group of 200 certified instructors. The program requires 100 hours of intensive training and meditating.

“Each year, more and more people use meditation for health and healing,” Taylor said.

She also stressed that hers is a secular practice. “I’m not preaching Buddhism or Hinduism.”

Linda Rainforth teaches meditation at a public library in Iowa City, where people aged 6 to 96 join her to learn how to meditate. While she said she wasn’t completely sure why more and more people are becoming interested in meditation, she sees a lot of excitement about its possibilities.

“There is so much stress in the world, and I think that’s just another reason that transcendental meditation has made such a great leap back,” she said.

Source: Third Age