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Daily Journal, Kankakee, IL Sunday, February23, 1997
By Tracy Ahrens, Journal writer Cara Gordon Potter and Ab Potter of Kankakee knewthe effects of transcdendental meditation on their lives and decided tooffer it to their employees at Gordon Electric in Kankakee. Now 7 employeesare trained to do TM and the atmosphere in the company has changed. "There is a lot more laughter here now,"Cara said. "Two people who never got along really well, are gettingalong incredibly well now." "It makes you feel calm and peaceful, yetready to tear the world apart," Ab said. Cara's mother took TM classes in Homewood underthe instruction of Jeff Tepper. Cara asked Tepper to come down to this areaand teach TM to their employees and others in the community who were interested.Tepper accepted, and Gordon Electric employees took advantage of the classes. The introductory class is free, then students payto attend four classes that last 2 hours each day. From that point, studentsare self-sufficient and can do TM independently. Transcendental Meditation can be done at home,at work, on a train, in a plane, as long as you aren't interrupted withpeople calling your name and talking to you. Cara can meditate in her officeat work with the door open slightly. Ab prefers to meditate at home in theevenings and he walks 5 miles each morning. "Most of the employees are doing this (TM)at home," Cara said. TM participants at Gordon Electric include twoclerical workers, three managers and two sales persons. At work, "Theyhave a much more positive mental outlook and can roll with punches moreeasily. Conflicts in the workplace no longer exist. "I've noticed that problems are handled ina focused manner. They cut-to-the-quick and come up with creative resolutions." Ab and Cara started TM about 20 years ago and weredoing it before they met and were married 18 years ago. TM was popular whilethey were in college. Members of the music group, the Beatles did TM andthe craze caught on across the country. Ab and Cara remember that TM wasoffered on the campus of Syracuse University. Cara and Ab benefited from TM greatly in relationto their jobs. Cara was a consultant in a health care firm and Ab was presidentof an electronics manufacturing company. Both of them needed TM to helprelieve stress. "At first I thought that it (TM) was baloney,"Ab said. He remembers a heavier emphasis, years ago, on the Maharishi, theoriginal teacher of TM. The Maharishi was shown meditating, surrounded byflowers and wafting incense. Soon, Ab learned that TM can "work ona skeptic." Today, TM is taught and explained in a more scientificway. Ab can connect with the scientific reasons why TM works. "At first the benefit I noticed in my lifewas a relief of stress, a calmness," Cara said. "After a coupleof months, there was more clarity in my mind." If either Ab or Cara do not meditate just one day,they have noticed that their bodies become more tense and they feel morelazy. Once a person learns the art of TM, they can goto classes later and brush-up on the technique. Cara and Ab have gone onTM retreats on weekends where they meditate 8-10 times a day. Ab first offered TM for the 450 people in his electronicsmanufacturing company in New York. About 50 people took advantage of theclasses and soon the craze took off through the entire company. "Therewasn't a lot of screaming after that," Ab said. If it would work there, it would work at GordonElectric, the Potters believed. And so far, it has. TM is not only a relaxationtechnique for physical fitness, it is a relaxation technique for every aspectof life. Reprinted with permission of the DailyJournal, Kankakee, IL. Scientific chart and summary of research study on the Transcendental Meditation program and increased business productivity. Scientific chart and summary of research study on the Transcendental Meditation program and stress and anxiety. Scientific chart and summary of research study on the Transcendental Meditation program and hypertension (high blood pressure). Watch a video about the Transcendental Meditation program online! |
