According to a 2024 study by the American Psychological Association, nearly 50% of American adults report feeling more stressed out than ever. A national campaign, Meditate America, is looking to lower the collective blood pressure through Transcendental Meditation (TM), and in an effort to combat stress in the Pioneer Valley, Meditate Pioneer Valley will partner with the national campaign to educate people on a meditation method for stress mitigation. 

Meditate Pioneer Valley “will highlight the crisis of escalating stress and anxiety among local residents — and showcase the research-proven health benefits of Transcendental Meditation for both adults and children,” according to a press release.

The group, comprised of local officials, educators and business owners, runs until Nov. 12, and information sessions will be held throughout September, October and November, teaching individuals how to use meditation techniques. 

Arianne Pfoutz and her husband Robin Pfoutz are TM instructors at Meditate Pioneer Valley. Arianne Pfoutz says that TM is different from other meditative methods like mindfulness, and it can be used alongside other practices.

“We encourage all people to learn TM even if they're doing other meditation techniques,” Pfoutz said. “It's unique. It produces a state of consciousness called restful alertness, which is different from the brainwave physiologies and the metabolic physiologies of other meditations.” 

Pfoutz explained that TM has been known to have several mental and physical benefits such as lower blood pressure, stress and anxiety reduction, increased focus, and mental clarity.

“This particular meditation, because of the very deep rest, has the most research done for significantly cutting anxiety and reducing stress,” Pfoutz said.

TM originally gained popularity right here in the Pioneer Valley within student circles in the 1970s. Pfoutz said that she started practicing TM in the 1972 after the creator of TM, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, spoke at The Univeristy of Massachusetts Amherst in 1971. This was also around the time when Pfoutz met her husband, and they began practicing together.  

As part of their localized campaign, Meditate Pioneer Valley will be offering reduced rates for classes for certain groups like students or those with financial constraints. The program also hopes to reach people working in high-stress positions who could benefit from learning the TM practice.

“Locally, we're going to be reaching out to those groups like the Firefighters Association, nurses, healthcare workers,” Pfoutz said.

“We can't control the stress on the outside. There's politic[s], there's climate change, there's wars going on, but we can improve our resilience so that the stress doesn't impact us and settle in,” Pfoutz said. “That's when the chronic illnesses start, that's when we become less able to cope... So that's why we want to get the word out now.” 

Meditate America is supported by the David Lynch Foundation’s Institute for Mental Health and Resilience.

Meditate Pioneer Valley will host an informational Zoom session on Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. All are invited to attend through the link https://tinyurl.com/4r46spzw. 

To find a TM practioner, visit https://www.tm.org/ and click the “Find an Instructor” tab.