Forty one years ago I'd reached a level of independence after leaving my parents home and city of birth to begin my second year at university. The degrees of freedom were almost boundless and despite the responsibility of studying for my Zoology major there was plenty of opportunity to satisfy my boundless youthful curiosity.

This included my first foray into meditation and began with an introductory Transcendental Meditation course that lasted several months. During particularly stressful times, despite years without any meditation, I found that returning to my TM practice, even for brief periods, helped restore some balance.

Despite this periodic relief I never fully understood how or why it might be good for me.