I am deeply moved and inspired by what I have seen in my personal and professional life from practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique. As a board-certified holistic health practitioner and coach, I have the privilege of witnessing my clients take the TM course and have huge breakthroughs in their own lives. I am also a top competing athlete, whose greatest achievement was qualifying for and completing the IRONMAN Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii.

Learning the Magic that Was Inside Myself

I first heard about the TM technique 20 years ago from my chiropractor, who encouraged me to take the course. But I was very resistant to meditating, so I never looked into it. I didn’t have the patience or time to sit still for 20 minutes twice a day—at least that was my belief at the time.

Fast-forward 15 years, when one of my clients learned the TM technique and inspired me to start. As his coach, I wanted to be on the same page and speak the same language. I also wanted to know why it was so challenging for me to take the time to sit and meditate. I was very curious, so I learned TM in 2017.

My TM teacher is Patti Hulsebos, and she is my angel! When I first started the TM technique, I had a challenging time meditating regularly and effortlessly. I would contact Patti often and complain. She would just listen, invite me to personal TM Checking appointments, answer all my TM questions, and encourage me to meditate regularly.

It actually became comical that I wouldn’t meditate. Patti would listen to me complain about having anxiety or feeling overwhelmed about something, and she would say, “How about meditating?” And I would laugh and say, “Oh yeah, duh!” I was expecting things to get better without meditating. Sometimes I would laugh after talking with her and think how silly this back-and-forth was when the answer was simply to meditate! I couldn’t yet see that the magic was inside myself, if I would just sit and close my eyes.

Two years later, after going through a tough breakup and finding myself with a broken heart, I finally started meditating regularly. My TM practice was the only thing that took away my anxiety and loneliness.

Over the next year, I started noticing subtle changes as my heart was healing and my business was booming. I knew something inside me was changing.

I started noticing subtle changes as my heart was healing and my business was booming. I knew something inside me was changing.

Added Growth and Support from Advanced Programs

I decided to take advantage of some of the TM Advanced Programs. I attended two one-day TM Retreats in Florida, one in Delray Beach and another in Nokomis, and I signed up for my first TM Advanced Technique in August, 2020.

As a result, I noticed even greater peace in my life, and my business continued to grow.

I was able to handle more clients than I ever imagined possible. People would ask, “How can you handle all of these clients?” It was because I was working smarter, not harder. I was able to expand my team and delegate with less effort.

Then, in September, 2020, I got COVID-19. I was very sick in bed for about two weeks. Being alone during COVID led to a lot of fear and anxiety. During this time, I was in frequent communication with my TM teacher, Patti.

The daily TM Connect Group Meditations with Bob Roth were also very helpful. Every so often I would email Bob just to connect, sometimes sending him silly pictures of my cat, Pumpkin, who likes to get in on the act.

A couple of months later, I had recovered 90 percent from COVID, except that I had lost my sense of taste and smell. I reached out to Mark Toomey, Ph.D., who had been my Ayurvedic consultant when I stayed at The Raj Maharishi AyurVeda Health Center in Fairfield, Iowa. He gave me recommendations from the perspective of Maharishi AyurVeda®, and now I’ve recovered about 65 percent of my sense of taste and smell.

I was working smarter, not harder. I was able to expand my team and delegate with less effort.

Now I Have This Incredible Tool

Over a five-month period, I completed three TM Advanced Technique courses, and I will take my fourth in April, 2021. I have tripled my income and business and bought a new home, and I feel a deep sense of happiness and gratitude for my life.

I  continue to share TM with all my clients, colleagues, friends, and family, and I’m planning to become a Certified TM Teacher.

I never thought in a million years that I would be meditating twice a day plus participating in TM Advanced Programs. I was always too busy, too skeptical, and didn’t see any point in sitting still with “nothing to do.” I am a capital TYPE A personality, and that will probably never change!

The difference is, no matter what happens in my life, I now have this incredible tool to handle anything life throws my way.

I have tripled my income and business and bought a new home, and I feel a deep sense of happiness and gratitude for my life.

Michelle Joy Kramer, C.H.H.C., A.A.D.P., is a Board Certified Health Coach who resides in Naples, Florida, with her cat, Pumpkin. To learn more about her coaching services for clients around the country, visit michellejoykramer.com.