Fighting the Tide or wearing a weighted vest — any quality resistance-training can strengthen you.
Fighting the Tide, that’s what I did in the 1980s in Springfield, Illinois.
By setting TM Precedent #3. Namely, the first federally-funded program in America for learning the Transcendental Meditation Program (TM).
Here’s a teaching tale of interest to you if you care about:
- Spiritual Awakening
- Entrepreneurship
- Running a Startup
- Self Improvement
- And/or Life Lessons
Fighting the Tide WHERE?
Maybe you know this already. How the state capital of Illinois is not beachfront property. Exactly how landlocked was Springfield?
When I lived there in the early 1980’s, you’d arrive off one highway. (And one highway only.) Until you saw THE LANDMARK, nothing would catch your eye. Except for quite a few cornfields. Eventually you’d drive by THE LANDMARK:
Garish yet effective! Picture the side of a barn painted with the motto: “Start your day with pork.”
Yes indeed, that’s how one entered a this proud, and very Midwestern, state capital.
So What Kind of Tide Would I Be Fighting in Springfield?
At first, I noticed no tide whatsoever. At first, I fell in love with Springfield, Illinois.
Of course, I was also in love with David Ramsay. Fair enough, since he was my husband #2. Due to his new job on the Republican House Staff for the state government, we moved to the Land of Lincoln.
And as a lifelong Democrat, I adored the idea of living in Lincoln Land. Never before had I lived in the Midwest. Besides being besotted with David, I relished my new name: Laura Ramsay. Especially because of the unusual spelling, like Mrs. Ramsay in “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf. (Although I might have learned something useful… had I pondered the quality of the husband in that novel.)
Besides adoring my husband, who was an environmental planner, I felt that the super-friendly people of Springfield warmed my heart. When you passed them on the street, they’d actually look you straight in the eye. And then smile! OMG, what a pleasant surprise that was for this native New Yorker.
Thus, for my first few months I had zero experience of fighting any tide whatsoever. But soon I was…
Gamely I Opened Springfield’s First TM Center
Despite my high hopes, no oceanic tide of people began fighting to gain entry to our Extremely Important TM Center. Admittedly, it merely looked like a pretty modest apartment.
However, word got out. While David did his day job, I did my best to promote my regular TM Introductory Lectures.
Over the months, I did manage to initiate several people. Plus, I met the other local teachers, notably Initiator Gil Timm and his wife Trili, truly stand-up people. Also among my Springfield friends, my favorite was Hilma Hawkins — a magnificent social worker, devout Catholic, and altogether a person of great honor.
Yes indeedy, the word was getting out. Springfield now had an official center for teaching Transcendental Meditation.
Uh-oh!
Fighting the Tide After Word Got Out
Was it just my imagination how folks on the street stopped acting so friendly? So many Fundamentalist churches thrived in Springfield. Although I had no beef with them, the same couldn’t be said about how many of those strong Christians felt about me.
Definitely, what happened with my chiropractor wasn’t my imagination. During every single appointment, Mr. Chiropractor took it upon himself to save my soul. He’d ask questions like, “How do you know you won’t go to Hell for doing TM?” And “How do you know that you’re not being tricked by Satan?”
Meanwhile, I’d try to sincerely answer each question. In retrospect, we were like two cult members, trying to convert each other.
Doing the Work, I Wouldn’t Let Anything Stop Me
So what if Springfield folk stopped smiling at me? Nonetheless, I kept doing my level best to spread TM. When Maharishi began promoting “TM in Prisons,” I sent out press releases, dutifully trying to establish a First American Program for Teaching TM in Prisons.
Although that was not to be, I did have a lengthy phone call with one person who seemed interested.
Only later did it dawn on me that he was a reporter for National Public Radio. Later Don, a friend who worked with my husband for the Illinois State Government, called up to congratulate me. “You were on ‘All Things Considered,’ he said with admiration.
At the time, I had no idea there was even such a thing as “All Things Considered.” (Sadly, there’s no trace of my interview on the Internet. Who used the Internet in 1981?)
Interview or no interview, I kept pushing against the tide of what was popular in that very Midwestern city. Although that tide wasn’t visibly elevating the technique taught by my beloved guru, Maharishi.
Finally It Happened. A Second Big National Precedent for TM
Realistically, it should have felt like a miracle. You know, given the not-in-the-TM-direction of society’s tide.
Yet somehow David and I negotiated a federally funded Program to teach TM for staff at a government agency. First in America! Thank you, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. (EPA)
For reasons that will become clear, I’ll just refer to our EPA contact as “Executive Joe.” He set up a package deal that included:
- Full TM instruction for a set of EPA employees
- Himself included!
- And a weekend “Residence Course” to be taught by David and me.
David and I were thrilled. More than ever, I was so glad that I knew how to teach TM. Otherwise, how great were my worldly accomplishments? Not so impressive. For instance, I couldn’t ride horses like Gil and Trili. Nor could I do much else that would help me fit in, Midwest-wise.
At least, I had some skill at writing. And cooking. (While in Springfield, I wrote a cookbook published by Contemporary Books and presented on Page 1 of the catalog for the Better Homes & Gardens Book Club.)
David and I were thrilled. More than ever, I was so glad that I knew how to teach TM. Otherwise, how great were my worldly accomplishments? Not so impressive. For instance, I couldn’t ride horses like Gil and Trili. Nor could I do much else that would help me fit in, Midwest-wise.
Otherwise, at the time I was otherworldly far more than worldly. Mostly my human specialty was hope.
Specifically my hope was that this would set a powerful precedent for TM. Akin to the first accredited course in the Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI), about a decade earlier. That influential precedent at a public high school Dade, Florida led to similar courses in 4 high schools in New Jersey. Plus, similar SCI Courses in Louisville, Ky., Eastchester N.Y., and San Lorenzo, Calif.
Or my second precedent, the only syndicated column in the history of TM in America.
Clobbered by the Tide
In case you’ve ever wondered… giving people TM for free? That didn’t necessarily lead to ideal outcomes.
Even I, the huge idealist, couldn’t help but notice how all the course participants behaved during our instructional meetings. Learning TM, and then during our meetings at the Residence Course, how to put it politely? Our students merely went through the motions. Unlike most of my initiates, who paid their own fees, these new TMers didn’t seem exactly interested.
As for that Residence Course, it may have been given by somebody feeling a sacred thrill. Plus her husband, who may or may not have felt thrilled. (Difficult to tell, since David was such a well-adjusted Midwesterner. Unlike me, raised as a nice Jewish girl in New York.)
What was all too clear? Regarding all of our students during that weekend workshop: Consistently they were either ultra-cool… or else not very interested.
And while David and I drove home that Sunday night, he told me:
“Saturday night, I had a feeling that something was wrong. Following a hunch I went down to the hotel bar. There were our Residence Course Participants, social-drinking and laughing their heads off.”
Life Lessons, Please
At this point, maybe you’re curious. What’s the inspiring part of this story?
Congrats! Because you’ve come to the right blogger, somebody who insists on personal growth.
Otherwise this story could have seemed like a dismal failure. Just like all my years in Springfield. (Including my marriage to Husband #2, incidentally. By 1982 this ended in a divorce.)
Only consider this:
- Intrepid teaching, even when fighting a social tide of disinterest? That strengthened me. Even like how some athletes exercise by walking against resistance.
- Later those teaching muscles would help me after I left TM. And somehow, bit by bit, I became the founder of something quite different: Energy Spirituality™.
- Publishing my first book — the one that I wrote in my spare time? That led to a pretty long list of books that I’ve written and published since.
I Would Do It All Again
Because one thing hasn’t changed since that time in Springfield. Although my beliefs and occupation have changed, guess what? I’ve always stood for the truth as best I understood it.
No matter what, I’ve lived in integrity. Whether others liked my pioneering ways or not.
Regarding that habit of working really hard? Now I’m 72 years old, still going strong, with no plans for retirement. Helping people is still my jam. And guess what? I never wait for them to come to me. Instead I do my part every day… joyfully.
Another story to brighten my day. Thank you, Rose.
You’re so welcome, KAREN. Seems to me, my life has been awfully easy when compared to what some of you (KAREN included) have gone through.
As many of you Blog-Buddies know, I’m not — remotely — a fan of “being positive.”
But man oh man, am I ever a fan of finding Life Lessons wherever I can, and collecting “teaching tales.”
Three sentences in, and I finally realized where the Energy Spirituality trademarks came from.
When I first encountered Energy Spirituality, I was surprised to learn about the many trademarks. Aside from a Reiki Level I course, I had no background information on anything New Age.
That Level I course definitely did not share any trademarks. I just assumed trademarks were reserved for science, and spirituality/religion was outside of that.
I thought the Energy Spirituality trademarks were nice to have, but not required. At least for me.
But I see now that getting TM into a high school curriculum and teaching TM as a federally-funded program taught you how to legitimize it in the eyes of the secular public. You had your hope, but you also took notice of the tide.
Securing trademarks backs up Energy Spirituality with credentials, which can help you reach more people.
It’s pretty amazing to see how everything came together to help you found Energy Spirituality.
Very amazing, HOLLY. Thanks for all these comments.
I’ll admit to being very curious about this post and the similar ones that preceded it.
Like anyone who’s studied with you for a long time, I couldn’t help but notice how unusual these articles are.
Considering that this is, as you sometimes say, your “personal blog,” it’s so rare for you to talk about yourself in a way that’s really personal.
For instance, I enjoy the many articles you’ve written with lessons from your garden.
Even though I don’t have a garden, I read them and enjoy them every time.
Truth be told, they’re not really personal. Really they’re about what you call teaching tales, or life lessons that happen to you as a person; meaning, a person who happens to be a spiritual teacher.
That’s why I’m curious about these much more personal articles. The tone reminds me of your memoir, “Bigger than All the Night Sky.”
This unusual kind of writing from you is unusually personal and, to me, unusually moving. If my question isn’t too personal, why did you decide to publish these articles?
ETHAN, what an interesting question, one worth pondering. How about this? I’ll get back to you — and other Blog-Buddies — on this tomorrow.
First of all, this is a note for HOLLY and everyone else with an interest in trademarks.
I shared my reaction to the ideas you expressed above, HOLLY, over at my blog post on trademarks. See Comments #9-17. I really appreciate your bringing up this topic, HOLLY.
Now, ETHAN, on to your question. What I’m about to say will make more sense if you happen to read the blog post about the New Strong Online Workshops.
Recently released, imho this is the biggest breakthrough in Energy Spirituality since I published the first book for empaths in English. (Speaking of precedents!)
Although I have no way of knowing for sure, ETHAN, it seems to me that this is another big moment in the history of Energy Spirituality. Whether others recognize my various precedents or not, they all add a little something to Collective Consciousness.
As well as having a positive effect on the people helped.
Quite often, ETHAN and other Blog-Buddies, you’ll read my lamentations over what is POPULAR in Collective Consciousness.
That impacts everyday life, and our own subconscious go-to’s for understanding life’s challenges.
Differently important is what is NEW in Collective Consciousness. Scholars study that through the history of ideas.
Hobbyists like me love related books, like “The Timetables of History.”
Of course I don’t know how important my various precedents will wind up being, but if I don’t acknowledge them, who will?
So that’s why I’ve published those — I’ll agree — uncharacteristically personal articles on this TM Precedent #3, my TM Precedent #2, and my TM Precedent #1.
And yes, I showed the personal side, ETHAN. Since people seldom discuss the price they pay to create something new.
Yet always, for every good thing we do in life — whether others know about it or not — we pay the price.
Insisting on finding a teaching tale, that definitely jives with experience as your client, Rose.
In fact, as an Energy Spirituality Practitioner, I think it’s integral to the system itself.
Energy Spirituality helps clients improve their human lives and empowers them handle difficult situations more effectively.
It asserts that human life, aka living at Earth School, is a great teacher. But this personal growth and spiritual awakening don’t happen automatically.
Rather, growth happens best if we’re diligent students, seeking to learn and grow from challenges, rather than bury our heads in the sand with denial or fake positivity.
God don’t make no junk, and life isn’t some random set of circumstances that just happen to us. (Unless we choose to believe that.)
Instead we can learn and grow and get better, everyday; even when facing less than ideal situations.
Beautifully put, LEO. From my perspective, I’d add this.
One of many problems I encountered while teaching TM was this. All the emphasis was on doing something with consciousness. According to Maharishi’s model of HOW TM worked…
And this is a model he (and his teachers like me, back in the day) would present to each new TM meditators…
Presenting this model as early as Day 3, starting with Initiation Day. (Or, as we Transcendental Meditation initiators called it, “The Second Day of Checking”), here’s the very Twitter version:
TM helps you to grow because it removes “stress” from your system.
Back in the day, the concept of “Stress” was just beginning to make an imprint on Collective Consciousness. Maharishi often referred to the work of Dr. Hans Selye, who coined the term.
Selye was also invited to speak at least once at one of Maharishi’s courses.
Speaking of the history of ideas, LEO WATTS, from Maharishi’s teachings through the New Age Years (i.e., What I call the years from 1980 until the Shift into the Age of Awakening, on 12/21/12), this idea really took off.
What Maharishi called “stress,” New Agers called “bad energy,” etc. Innumerable systems arose to remove it, such as Reiki, Eden Energy Medicine, Janet Mentgen’s Healing Touch, Pranic Healing, Vortex Healing etc.
Systems of mind-body-spirit healing that I recommend as valid today…
They all include way more knowledge and specificity. Such as how acupuncturists speak the language of chi flowing through the body’s meridians. Not just vague references to “energy blockages.”
However, Maharishi set in motion the idea of “stress” being the villain — strongly influencing pop culture with his basic premise: Move out the bad energy thingie (whatever you called it) and you would have a far better life.
In fact, as an Enlightenment teacher, what did Maharishi say allowed a person to move into (Traditional) Enlightenment?
To summarize Maharishi’s teaching: “Meditate long enough to move out all your stress. Then you’d be in Enlightenment.”
By contrast, as I co-created Energy Spirituality over the years, many things have been markedly different. And that’s where me, the human member of the co-creation team, had strong desire to do things very differently from Maharishi.
To name just a few salient differences between Maharishi’s approach and mine. And yes, I suppose that, since we’re on the theme of pioneering and innovations, I could refer to the following as Energy Spirituality Innovations:
Energy Spirituality Innovation #1. Discernment regarding different kinds of STUFF
In contrast to New Age Energy Healing, as well as TM, Energy Spirituality includes highly specific knowledge of different types of STUFF. Each has its unique: Way of getting into somebody’s aura, problems that type of STUFF causes, and method(s) for permanently removing it.
Energy Spirituality Innovation #2. STUFF blocks emotional growth and spiritual awakening
By contrast, TM considered stress as a spiritual blockage, something that limited consciousness. And caused human problems. While New Age Energy Healing took the view that you would perfect yourself in mind-body-spirit, fixing everything by moving out bad energy.
Energy Spirituality Innovation #3. PUT-IN
Other systems assumed that it was enough to remove the stress, or bad energy. While Energy Spirituality skills for every energy healing centerpiece always… ALWAYS… include specific, targeted energetic PUT-IN. This helps to make the healing permanent. And it also helps the client with emotional and spiritual growth. Very personal growth!
Energy Spirituality Innovation #4. Humanly integrating emotional growth and spiritual awakening
Ooops, gotta go. Back after facilitating sessions…
Hey, I’m back, LEO WATTS and everyone. For 15 minutes, at least. :-)
So I’d like to clarify one more point. As you brilliantly wrote in Comment #24, LEO, what is the emphasis in Energy Spirituality sessions? Taking responsibility. Using our power. Saying and doing things, in order to get more of what we desire.
What makes this distinction so important? Well, I’ve known hundreds of TM teachers. And I’ve known loads of psychics and New Age Energy Healers.
None of them had, as part of their path, taking human responsibility for their lives.
Just the opposite. They were taught to consult energy. To fix energy. To trust that if they only did the right thing with consciousness or energy or removal of “stress,” everything would work out.
Back in the Age of Faith, when all these systems became popular, that kind of trust and surrender might have worked. Certainly, it looked beautiful. It felt great.
Now, though, we’re living in the Age of Awakening. Different things work for us now.
Especially important, seems to me, is learning about The New Strong. Developing that, and then pursuing our personal goals in life, meaningful goals.
Thank you for sharing this story, Rose. Incredible perseverance in spite of disinterest!
If you had taught TM to a different government group, namely the Illinois Department of Revenue, I would have been your student, and I would have been interested! I was on contract there at the same time you were there. :)
Sometimes the world seems delightfully small, SANDRA. How sweet that you were there too, in the Land of Lincoln!
Probably having you in that pilot program would have been life-changing for both of us, though for different reasons. :-)
The details you’ve shared here puts many things into perspective, Rose.
Insisting on living with integrity does have its own challenges. But also bringing truth to the world, where most people are not receptive to, takes it to a whole different level.
It’s not for the faint of heart! It takes a deeper strength and courage to continue AND manage to do it joyfully.
Thank you for sharing these teaching tales about your beginnings, Rose. I sure enjoy reading them.
Awe, MICHAEL T.!
“I’ve always stood for the truth, as best I understood it.” Well put Rose.
VALERIE, thank you so much. You know, I believe that those of us who stand for the truth (as best we understand it) have the loveliest kind of fellowship.
Unstructured and without acknowledgment. Because what interests us is so simple, automatic really.
Invigorating, Rose! I love :
“Life Lessons, Please!”
CHARLENE GRANT, you understand.