No doubt about it, I was a tough case. “Sitting still for 20/20? You have GOT to be kidding me!”  I said to myself when I learned the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique in 1975.

It took four decades, but I finally made it back. Now my TM practice is my highest priority.

I Didn’t Understand How Effortless It Was

I was an anxious college graduate who had a lot of loose voltage in my mind and body, and no way to channel it. Despite 18 years of trying hard to get good grades, I was a “C” student. Undiagnosed ADHD was a major cause. I felt like a failure in school and believed I’d be a failure in life. Depression loomed.

To make matters worse, I was a wired, high-energy type of person. “Smelling the roses” was incomprehensible to me. Fortunately, cardio sports in school helped me relax, but endorphins just don’t last.

My college roommate suggested I try TM. I desperately wanted the peace of mind and calmness of body it promised, so I took the Transcendental Meditation course in my hometown of Abington, Pennsylvania.

But I didn’t understand how effortless the practice was. “Repeating a mantra over and over, sitting on a mat?” Impossible, I thought. This was a skewed misperception of the TM technique, so I didn’t stick with it.

Success on the Outside, Struggling Within

For 40 years, I worked hard to channel all that loose voltage. I became a high-functioning person on the outside, both as a loving mother and a successful entrepreneur. From my spare bedroom, I launched a successful gift product that was endorsed by Oprah, Rachael Ray, Barbara Walters, Kathi Lee, and Hoda.

But on the inside, I remained a wired wreck, struggling with bouts of depression, anxiety, hyper-energy, and insomnia.

Cardio sports in school helped me relax, but endorphins just don’t last.

For decades, I dabbled in the TM Refresher courses, but unfortunately never stuck with it. At age 60, I hit a “life” bottom, and once again visited a TM Center, this time in Concord, Massachusetts. There the skilled TM teacher Rosalind Stowe patiently guided me through the TM Refresher Course.

I loved it and meditated regularly for eight weeks straight. Yay, me! But I left the practice one final time to explore other forms of meditation. Like I said, I was a really tough case.

Today TM Is My Highest Priority

Last year I moved to Florida to begin a new life. Recalling Rosalind’s patient teachings and how great I felt during those eight weeks, I pursued TM one final time. I guess I just needed to hit bottom once more. That was ten months ago.

Today I practice TM twice a day, every day. It is the center of my life and my highest priority.

I even attended a “Knowledge Day,” at my local TM Center in Boca Raton/Delray Beach. This One-Day TM Retreat rejuvenated me deeply. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d enjoy doing additional periods of TM, Yoga asanas, and resting for a day! But it was the most relaxing, beneficial (dare I say, “enjoyable?”) eight hours I’ve ever spent on myself.

I connected with great people and felt relaxed and happy. It was so beneficial, I signed up to learn an Advanced Technique of the TM program this fall.

I could never do this sport without the TM technique.

Discovering I Had the Strength and Focus to Lift Barbells

Upon arriving in Florida, at age 63, I began lifting barbells in a sport called “Olympic Weightlifting.” I’d never heard of the sport before, but I wanted to give it a try.

It’s a very exciting but challenging sport. Weightlifting puts a huge strain on my 115-pound body and central nervous system. It also requires tremendous concentration to safely lift all that heavy steel overhead.

Laura Eiman wins a gold medal at the 2017 Pan American games (0:13)

I could never do this sport without the TM technique. Practicing TM quiets my central nervous system and gives me the focus I need to train. It equips me with a “calm confidence” to compete.

After just ten months of training, I became the Florida state champion, placed fourth in the nation, and won a gold medal at the Pan Am Games in my Masters’ division.

Currently I am training for the 2018 “Worlds” in Spain. On my 65th birthday, I will be lifting on the platform in Barcelona.

I attribute all my wins—and being able to do the daily (sometimes oh-so-boring!) weight-training grind—to my twice-a-day TM practice.

How to Achieve Our Goals, Happiness, and Inner Peace

I am also training to become a top keynote speaker in the United States. My topic is “Master Your Emotions to Win™.”

We all want health and happiness, but I believe we are stuck in a lot of negative thinking about ourselves. By rising out of our personal mental muck and taking positive action steps, we can win at anything we set our minds to.

Today, thanks to TM, when I’m not lifting barbells, I am finally able to smell the roses.

I always talk about the TM technique in my speeches as a powerful action step to achieve our goals, happiness, and inner peace.

I’m on a mission to appear on Dr. Oz, Good Morning America, and the Today show. I want to inspire audiences with my unique message: “If I can lift barbells overhead at age 63, you can do anything you put your mind to!”

Today, thanks to TM, when I’m not lifting barbells, I am finally able to smell the roses.

Laura Eiman, “The Face of Baby Boomer Fitness,” is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and champion weightlifter who lives in West Palm Beach, Florida. She recently received a Maharishi Award for her inspiring work.