WEBVTT - A Transformative Calm

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<v Speaker 1>Stay Calm as a production of I Heart Radio. Hi.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Bob Roth, and I've been teaching people to meditate

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<v Speaker 1>for fifty years, helping them to stay calm under pressure,

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<v Speaker 1>reboot and re energize their lives, and basically be a happier,

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<v Speaker 1>healthier version of themselves. And now I want to help

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<v Speaker 1>you do the same. Welcome to Stay Calm, your daily

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<v Speaker 1>dose of calmness. Every weekday morning, I'll share a meditation story,

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<v Speaker 1>offer a simple practical tip about how you or loved

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<v Speaker 1>one can stay a bit calmer in your life, and

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<v Speaker 1>then we'll end each episode together with a moment of gratitude.

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<v Speaker 1>My hope is that I can share what I know

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<v Speaker 1>to anyone who needs it. Ready, sit comfortably, take a

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<v Speaker 1>few deep breaths, and let's begin today's journey. I want

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<v Speaker 1>to tell you about the first time I went into

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<v Speaker 1>San Quentin Prison. I was thirty years old, and I

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<v Speaker 1>did not go there for anything I had done wrong.

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<v Speaker 1>I had been invited to teach meditation to the inmates

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<v Speaker 1>and guards, who both lived a nightmare existence behind the walls.

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<v Speaker 1>To get to San Quentin, first you have to drive

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<v Speaker 1>through two gates, and then you walk through four huge

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<v Speaker 1>bolted locked doors, and at each door to gain entry

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<v Speaker 1>into the courtyard, the inner space of San Quentin Prison,

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<v Speaker 1>I had to sign an agreement that if I was

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<v Speaker 1>taken hostage, they would not negotiate for my life. So

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<v Speaker 1>the guards took us downstairs and into a dingy, dark

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<v Speaker 1>classroom with thirty chairs, and then thirty men came in.

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<v Speaker 1>They all had learned to meditate before, and I was

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<v Speaker 1>just coming in at the time to talk to them

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<v Speaker 1>about their experiences and do a refresher So I sat

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<v Speaker 1>in the front and we meditated. I remember it today

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<v Speaker 1>like it was yesterday, the experience of settling down, of

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<v Speaker 1>such profound rest and relaxation, and my mind just settling

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<v Speaker 1>into this inner quiet. And after I was done meditating,

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<v Speaker 1>after the twenty minutes we're up, we had talked, I reflected,

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<v Speaker 1>and I said, of all my years of meditating, that

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<v Speaker 1>was one of the most profound experiences I've ever had. Afterwards,

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<v Speaker 1>a guard came over to me who had been in

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<v Speaker 1>the room, who was a Baptist minister and also a meditator,

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<v Speaker 1>and he said he'd never had an experience like that

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<v Speaker 1>in the thirty years he'd worked in the California prison. System.

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<v Speaker 1>He said, you had in the room members of three

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<v Speaker 1>deadly violent gangs. He said, you never have any of

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<v Speaker 1>those men sit next to each other, much less close

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<v Speaker 1>their eyes. And you had all thirty of them meditate

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<v Speaker 1>for twenty minutes, and they left talking to each other.

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<v Speaker 1>I reflected on that, and I've reflected on that for years,

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<v Speaker 1>and transcendental meditation, which I practice and teach, gives access

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<v Speaker 1>to a deep, transcendent field within every human being. Doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>matter what religion you are, philosophy, anything, it's just natural.

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<v Speaker 1>And when you have that experience, it's so incredibly peaceful

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<v Speaker 1>and then rejuvenating. I thought those men in San Quentin Prison,

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<v Speaker 1>maximum security prison, in twenty minutes could have that experience

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<v Speaker 1>of just deep peace. What would the world be like

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<v Speaker 1>if more people took time to access that field of

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<v Speaker 1>silence that lies within every one of us. There's a

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<v Speaker 1>whole science now called self transcendence where brain researchers and

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<v Speaker 1>physiologists are looking at the experience of transcendence and it's

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<v Speaker 1>benefit to daily life. There was a study on some

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<v Speaker 1>high school students. They were out in the woods and

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<v Speaker 1>they just spent one minute looking high at some eucalyptus trees,

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<v Speaker 1>and afterwards they reported that they were less self centered

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<v Speaker 1>and they were more generous with each other. Other people

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<v Speaker 1>who had transcendent experiences reported that they were more satisfied

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<v Speaker 1>with their lives, that their life was more meaningful. But

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<v Speaker 1>most important, they had higher levels of oxytocin, which is

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<v Speaker 1>the hormone that promotes bonding between two people. Oxytocin was

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<v Speaker 1>coursing through their veins. My tip for you is make

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<v Speaker 1>moments of transcendence, and that can be between you and

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<v Speaker 1>a loved one, you and your child, you listening to

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<v Speaker 1>music or playing music, you playing a sport, do things

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<v Speaker 1>like spend some time in nature. Calm is not a

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<v Speaker 1>surface reality. Calm starts from deep within and bubbles up.

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<v Speaker 1>Make moments of transcendence, even a few minutes, a priority

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<v Speaker 1>in your life. All right, let's end this time together

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<v Speaker 1>doing something that I think should be a feature of

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<v Speaker 1>our everyday life, and that's appreciation and gratitude. So let's

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<v Speaker 1>take thirty seconds of quiet, thirty seconds to take a break,

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<v Speaker 1>just take a moment. It turns out when we do

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<v Speaker 1>that it's good for our health as well. I'll be

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<v Speaker 1>right back, all right, Thank you, for joining. This is

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<v Speaker 1>Bob Roth. Keep calm. Thanks for listening today. I hope

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<v Speaker 1>you heard something that inspired airs, that uplifts you, and

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<v Speaker 1>that you can incorporate into your own life. Until next time, remember, meditate,

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<v Speaker 1>be kind, and be true to yourself. Hey, all of

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<v Speaker 1>you out there, I'd love to hear from you. You

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<v Speaker 1>can send me your stories, your questions, or anything else

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<v Speaker 1>on your mind. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook,

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<v Speaker 1>or Instagram at meditation Bob. You can also send me

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<v Speaker 1>an email at meditation Bob Roth at gmail dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>I look forward to hearing from you.