Celebrities talk on how Transcendental Meditation relieves stress and anxiety

February 4, 2018

While the lives of the rich and famous might sometimes seem like all unicorns and candy, they too suffer from stress and anxiety.

So how do they claw their way out from the embrace of the mental monsters?

Here are quotes from well-known folks whose secret weapon against feeling antsy is  Transcendental Meditation:

“With meditation, my anxiety levels dropped considerably. It seems to me that the mind is fuel to the fire of fear. The mind can make us worry about things beyond their measure. And the great thing about meditation is that twice a day, the monkey mind just calms down.”

Hugh Jackman, actor, singer, producer

“I really enjoy powering down for 20 minutes because it’s like shutting off light switches in my brain. I should make more time for it, but meditating even a couple times a week makes a big difference in my stress and happiness levels.”

Kristen Bell, actress

“It’s just a way of focusing your energies. That you are not constantly at the beck and call of any regrets you might have about what happened in the past or unnecessary fears and anxiety you might have about what might be going on in the future that takes you out of the moment.”

Tom Bergeron, TV show host

“And, you know, with the continual responsibility of having 127 people on the road, and always being the point person for everything, my subconscious is going even when I’m sleeping. I’m dreaming about whatever I’m creating next, or relationships, or blah, blah, blah.

So I’m never really off. And meditation is actually the one time I get to really reset.”

Katy Perry, singer, songwriter

“In that meditative space I’m relieve of the constant thinking, the constant fear, the anxiety of being alive and not feeling like I’m good enough, the ongoing terror of death that lurks like a specter…”

Russell Brand, comedian, actor, author, activist

“I come from a line of neurotic Jewish women who need Transcendental Meditation more than anyone. I have to tell you, it’s pretty charming to see a very well-dressed, anxious Jewish woman take a moment at her country club to say she needs to meditate.

Lena Dunham, American filmmaker and actress

 “A lot of people don’t understand that voice in your head that is consistently going, or thinking. There is a way to take a break from that, and just kind of be in the moment. That is what that whole meditation is about. It’s just brilliant… It’s good to take a break from everything and just center yourself.”

Miguel, R&B artist and rapper

“Before I meditate, I’m like a broken glass. As soon as I meditate it’s whole again. All the pieces come back in, and I can see clearly, think clearly, and be grounded and energized.”

Cameron Diaz, actress, producer, author

“Stress is what ages people. Not sleeping, worrying about things that never happen, not eating right, not taking care of your body. I have just settled in with the “be here now” attitude in the last few years. Just meditate and grow some tomatoes. That’s what I do.”

John Stamos, actor, producer, musician

“I had been so busy and every moment there were all these increments of things I had to do, and I had no energy. This just totally changed the game for me.”

Amy Schumer, comedian, writer, producer

“With the Seinfeld, I was doing a TV series in which I was the star of the show, the executive producer of the show, the head writer, in charge of casting and editing, for 24 episodes on network television—not cable—for nine years! And I’m just a normal guy. And that was not a normal situation to be in… So I meditated every day. And that’s how I survived the nine years.”

Jerry Seinfeld, comedian, producer, director

“I don’t do it as much as I should, but that’s honestly such a brain saver to do twice a day leading up to the show because it just sort of centers you and helps you block out all the noise.”

Marta Hunt, model, Victoria’s Secret angel

 “It’s like taking your vitamins so you don’t get sick instead of getting sick and then having to take some medicine to make the sickness go away. Meditation erases the stress before it can take hold. It gives me the perspective to not take angry comments by strangers personally.”

Barry Zito, baseball player

“Transcendental Meditation helps you slow down. If you can slow down long enough to think clearly, you can start to not only manage that panic, but understand that what you’re so terrified of isn’t really that terrifying.”

Elizabeth Vargas, journalist, news anchor, author

“You’ll snap out of situations in which previously you might have stressed yourself out.”

James McCartney, singer and song-writer

 “There’s a reason that all these [studies] come out that say, ‘What do the most successful CEOs and highest-paid moguls have in common? I think that life is stressful and it helps you cope with stress better than anything else I’ve tried.”

Eric Andre, actor, comedian, and television host

“It’s not one thing you can put a finger on. It’s like a kick start for your day, it just centers you and your stress levels are just down, you find yourself interacting in the world easier and better, in a calmer way. There’s a peaceful joy that comes over you. I don’t know how or why, it’s no rhyme or reason.”

Jennifer Aniston, actress, producer, businesswoman

“The busy life we lead today generates a lot of stress. We are overloaded with information and overcommitted to so many tasks in our homes, jobs, causes … I think meditation is a wonderful tool to deal with stress.”

Gisele Bündchen, model

“I have struggled with anxiety and depression in different manifestations for most of my life. I’ve been on and off medication from the time I was about 12 years old. My Transcendental Meditation practice has a great effect on me and my emotional wellbeing. When I skip practice, my world starts to crumble internally. My brain feels foggy, I’m irritable and I physically feel stress energy bubbling around my body.”

Wes Carr, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

“I used to panic about everything – family, friends… I’d think, ‘Is that person okay? Can I fix this?’For the past year and a half it’s [Transcendental Meditation] really chilled me out, which is why I’m so strict with myself. If I miss one session, I don’t sleep nearly as well.”

Daisy Lowe, model

“I originally started it to help me with anxiety & insomnia. It’s already made my life waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better & even with my stage fright. Which I used to think there was no cure for…”

Sky Ferreira, singer

“Since I started meditating, my stress and anxiety have totally gotten under control. I have terrible insomnia, and about a year ago I started doing TM. After four days of doing TM I could suddenly sleep. It was crazy. You don’t need the Ambien!”

Lo Bosworth, TV star, author, entrepreneur

“I’ve had an immediate decrease on the level of anxiety, my stress levels… I notice, mostly when I don’t actually do TM, that I actually see a rise in these things.”

Kellee Maize, American singer, song-writer and entrepreneur.

“One of my biggest discoveries has been Transcendental Meditation. When I first started this practice I remember thinking ‘Oh… this is what sanity must feel like.’”

Mama Kin, singer, song-writer

“It turns out my skin problems were all stress related! I also don’t suffer anxiety the way I used to, which I can directly attribute to incorporating the Transcendental Meditation practice into my life.”

Gabrielle Bernstein, New York Times best-selling author

“It is also a great stress reliever and a useful tool for artists to expand consciousness and stay focused on what makes each and every one of us unique.”

Kid Moxie, singer, song-writer