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HEALTH AND ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION
By Susan Baniak
W WEEKLY
More than once, Mickey Settle's students at Lafayette High School wanted to know what she was smoking. Even today, it's not hard to see why.
The retired English teacher's ebullient conversational manner and positive attitude would be difficult for the average person to match without pharmaceutical assistance, but Settle has found her own drug-free path to personal peace and satisfaction - 35 years of practicing transcendental meditation along with her husband, Howard.
Today, Settle spends much of her time as the unofficial lady of Lexington's Maharishi Peace Palace, a mansion-like estate that serves as an educational center for the techniques of transcendental meditation, or "TM," at the heart of Coldstream Research Park. Built in 2003, the building was the first of its kind in the nation, but others have since followed in Bethesda, Md., and Houston, Texas. With a striking off-white interior, an open central atrium, and a healthy dose of natural light, the palace stands as the modern-day sanctuary for a movement that some may have thought died out in the '70s.
Not so, said Jeffry Murphy, who serves as co-director of the Palace along with his wife, Mary. Four years after its dedication, the Palace is still plugging away at its mission to teach Central Kentuckians the techniques first introduced in the late 1950s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with possible plans to expand its offerings in the near future.
"Everybody thought back in the '70s that it was going to be here today and gone tomorrow," Settle said. "What ended up happening is more research was done on the benefits of transcendental meditation, and many other groups and organizations picked up on that and expanded upon it."
Over the years, some studies have suggested an association between the practice of transcendental meditation and health benefits ranging from the reduction of high blood pressure to reduced insomnia and improved memory and IQ. Those who practice the technique, which calls for twice-daily 20-minute meditations, report an improved ability to deal with the everyday stresses of life.
For Howard Settle, who funded the building of Lexington's $4 million palace of peace, the structure has become a comfortable place to conduct business. The second floor of the building houses his oil and gas exploration company, RAAM Global Energy Inc., formerly Century Exploration Company, for which he serves as president and CEO. In addition to an exceptionally serene workplace, RAAM also offers training in transcendental meditation as a benefit to its employees.
The building itself was created as a prime example of Vedic architecture, a practice based on a series of principles drawn from the same basic tenets as TM. It is built to be "in tune with the intelligence of nature," said architect Sue Weller, who designed the structure along with her husband, Rick. The palace's design stresses the efficient use of natural light and open space, alignment with the cardinal compass directions, and natural, non-toxic building materials.
At a time when many businesses are turning to less traditional tactics for controlling skyrocketing health care costs and increasing worker productivity, Settle believes his more harmonious workplace has contributed to fewer allergies and colds in his office, and some employees have reported a reduction in their "winter blues" as well.
"I know people have walked into the building and they feel it," said Patty Greer, the company's receptionist, who has worked in the building since it opened and started practicing TM herself two years ago. "I don't feel anything different, but it's a very, very nice place to work." Greer also credits her workplace-endorsed practice of TM with making her feel more organized, less stressed and more patient with people.
Those who may doubt that transcendental meditation has a place in business might want to ruminate on the fact that the profitability of Settle's oil and gas exploration business has increased five-fold in the four years since relocating to the Peace Palace, he reported.
Settle attributes his company's growth to more than just his serene surroundings, but having a healthy work environment for his employees certainly doesn't hurt, he said.
"It's simply a part of the overall efficiency that we have achieved, and I would say that it certainly has played a role," Settle said.
According to the Murphys, both of whom have taught TM for more than 30 years, the meditation technique is about more than stress management, but contrary to what some might think, it is not a religion or a form of intense concentration.
"It's just a technique that allows the mind to settle down very naturally," Mary Murphy said. "It's a profound level of relaxation for both mind and body."
For those who want to learn, the Peace Palace offers a seven-step program in the basics of transcendental meditation over less than a week. The course carries a hefty one-time tuition cost of $2,500, which includes personal guidance and training from a certified instructor, a once-a-month follow-up program recommended for the first year and additional consultation opportunities as needed for life.
The center also offers 16-hour short courses on health and education topics, including yoga, self-diagnosis based on one's heart pulse, and diet, digestion and nutrition, all taught according to age-old Indian Vedic principles, at a cost of $600 each.
"It's an investment in yourself," Jeffry Murphy said.
Those interested in learning more before they make that investment can attend the palace's introductory lectures, offered twice a week to the public for free. The Peace Palace also offers a tuition assistance program, Jeffrey Murphy said.
The ultimate goal, according to Mary Murphy, is to spread the peace beyond the palace walls and into the local community.
"We'd like to see enough individuals in Lexington practicing transcendental meditation to create an effect of peace and harmony that would lower the crime rate and the accident rate, and improve the quality of life for everyone," Mary Murphy said. According to the Murphys, that kind of change could be realized if 1 percent of Lexington's population, less than 3,000 people, practice TM regularly, or if the square root of 1 percent, roughly 60 people, practice TM's more advanced methods together in one place twice a day.
The influence won't be the result of "hocus-pocus" or meditating on peace, she said. It is more like creating ripples by dropping a pebble into a pond.
"We're dropping the pebble," Jeffry Murphy added, "into the pond of human consciousness through the meditation."
The Maharishi Peace Palace of Lexington is located at 1537 Bull Lea Road. For more information, call (859) 269.3803, or visit www.LexingtonPeacePalace.org.W
Susan Baniak is the features editor for Business Lexington, a sister paper to W Weekly at Smiley Pete Publishing. For more information on the Maharishi Peace Palace of Lexington, please read the March 9 issue of Business Lexington.
By Susan Baniak
W WEEKLY
More than once, Mickey Settle's students at Lafayette High School wanted to know what she was smoking. Even today, it's not hard to see why.
The retired English teacher's ebullient conversational manner and positive attitude would be difficult for the average person to match without pharmaceutical assistance, but Settle has found her own drug-free path to personal peace and satisfaction - 35 years of practicing transcendental meditation along with her husband, Howard.
Today, Settle spends much of her time as the unofficial lady of Lexington's Maharishi Peace Palace, a mansion-like estate that serves as an educational center for the techniques of transcendental meditation, or "TM," at the heart of Coldstream Research Park. Built in 2003, the building was the first of its kind in the nation, but others have since followed in Bethesda, Md., and Houston, Texas. With a striking off-white interior, an open central atrium, and a healthy dose of natural light, the palace stands as the modern-day sanctuary for a movement that some may have thought died out in the '70s.
Not so, said Jeffry Murphy, who serves as co-director of the Palace along with his wife, Mary. Four years after its dedication, the Palace is still plugging away at its mission to teach Central Kentuckians the techniques first introduced in the late 1950s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with possible plans to expand its offerings in the near future.
"Everybody thought back in the '70s that it was going to be here today and gone tomorrow," Settle said. "What ended up happening is more research was done on the benefits of transcendental meditation, and many other groups and organizations picked up on that and expanded upon it."
Over the years, some studies have suggested an association between the practice of transcendental meditation and health benefits ranging from the reduction of high blood pressure to reduced insomnia and improved memory and IQ. Those who practice the technique, which calls for twice-daily 20-minute meditations, report an improved ability to deal with the everyday stresses of life.
For Howard Settle, who funded the building of Lexington's $4 million palace of peace, the structure has become a comfortable place to conduct business. The second floor of the building houses his oil and gas exploration company, RAAM Global Energy Inc., formerly Century Exploration Company, for which he serves as president and CEO. In addition to an exceptionally serene workplace, RAAM also offers training in transcendental meditation as a benefit to its employees.
The building itself was created as a prime example of Vedic architecture, a practice based on a series of principles drawn from the same basic tenets as TM. It is built to be "in tune with the intelligence of nature," said architect Sue Weller, who designed the structure along with her husband, Rick. The palace's design stresses the efficient use of natural light and open space, alignment with the cardinal compass directions, and natural, non-toxic building materials.
At a time when many businesses are turning to less traditional tactics for controlling skyrocketing health care costs and increasing worker productivity, Settle believes his more harmonious workplace has contributed to fewer allergies and colds in his office, and some employees have reported a reduction in their "winter blues" as well.
"I know people have walked into the building and they feel it," said Patty Greer, the company's receptionist, who has worked in the building since it opened and started practicing TM herself two years ago. "I don't feel anything different, but it's a very, very nice place to work." Greer also credits her workplace-endorsed practice of TM with making her feel more organized, less stressed and more patient with people.
Those who may doubt that transcendental meditation has a place in business might want to ruminate on the fact that the profitability of Settle's oil and gas exploration business has increased five-fold in the four years since relocating to the Peace Palace, he reported.
Settle attributes his company's growth to more than just his serene surroundings, but having a healthy work environment for his employees certainly doesn't hurt, he said.
"It's simply a part of the overall efficiency that we have achieved, and I would say that it certainly has played a role," Settle said.
According to the Murphys, both of whom have taught TM for more than 30 years, the meditation technique is about more than stress management, but contrary to what some might think, it is not a religion or a form of intense concentration.
"It's just a technique that allows the mind to settle down very naturally," Mary Murphy said. "It's a profound level of relaxation for both mind and body."
For those who want to learn, the Peace Palace offers a seven-step program in the basics of transcendental meditation over less than a week. The course carries a hefty one-time tuition cost of $2,500, which includes personal guidance and training from a certified instructor, a once-a-month follow-up program recommended for the first year and additional consultation opportunities as needed for life.
The center also offers 16-hour short courses on health and education topics, including yoga, self-diagnosis based on one's heart pulse, and diet, digestion and nutrition, all taught according to age-old Indian Vedic principles, at a cost of $600 each.
"It's an investment in yourself," Jeffry Murphy said.
Those interested in learning more before they make that investment can attend the palace's introductory lectures, offered twice a week to the public for free. The Peace Palace also offers a tuition assistance program, Jeffrey Murphy said.
The ultimate goal, according to Mary Murphy, is to spread the peace beyond the palace walls and into the local community.
"We'd like to see enough individuals in Lexington practicing transcendental meditation to create an effect of peace and harmony that would lower the crime rate and the accident rate, and improve the quality of life for everyone," Mary Murphy said. According to the Murphys, that kind of change could be realized if 1 percent of Lexington's population, less than 3,000 people, practice TM regularly, or if the square root of 1 percent, roughly 60 people, practice TM's more advanced methods together in one place twice a day.
The influence won't be the result of "hocus-pocus" or meditating on peace, she said. It is more like creating ripples by dropping a pebble into a pond.
"We're dropping the pebble," Jeffry Murphy added, "into the pond of human consciousness through the meditation."
The Maharishi Peace Palace of Lexington is located at 1537 Bull Lea Road. For more information, call (859) 269.3803, or visit www.LexingtonPeacePalace.org.W
Susan Baniak is the features editor for Business Lexington, a sister paper to W Weekly at Smiley Pete Publishing. For more information on the Maharishi Peace Palace of Lexington, please read the March 9 issue of Business Lexington.