For Hugh Jackman, a person who seemingly has it all (winner of a Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy, and a Tony; host of the Academy Awards; happily married...), Transcendental Meditation has been a ''life-changer.'' Since learning the TM technique in 2012, Hugh has come to rely on the reduced stress, improved clarity and focus, and self-possession afforded by his meditation to further excel in life.
''Transcendental Meditation gives you what you need, when you need it. It's literally changed my life. Some of the clearest ideas or epiphanies I've had in life happened during or after meditating. Everything becomes clear and the truth starts coming out,'' Hugh told David Lynch Foundation Executive Director Bob Roth on Bob's monthly SiriusXM interview series, 'Success Without Stress'.
As a professional entertainer, Hugh strives to develop greater authenticity in his acting. He finds that TM has allowed him to make better, more authentic decisions on the set.
''One thing about my job is there is a high level of stress that's easy to buy into. It doesn't matter how long you're doing it. For each new role, there's some element about it that's risky, frightening, and potentially very stressful. With Transcendental Meditation, the decisions you make are more authentic. You're better able to listen to other people—and as an actor, it's all you've got. It's helped me immeasurably in every way. I'm a completely different person now that I am meditating.''
Before TM, Hugh found stress difficult to deal with. ''I would internalize it. After I was done with something that was making me nervous, my wife would say: 'Oh, good, I got my husband back.' It was that feeling that you were not fully there, because part of your brain was focused on worrying. For me, the best way to handle that was with meditation. That is why I meditated before I hosted the Oscars, why I meditate before I go onstage, why I meditate in the morning and during lunch when I'm on a film set,'' Hugh said.
''Some of the clearest ideas or epiphanies I've had in life happened during or after meditating.''—Hugh Jackman
Developing a stronger connection to his ''inner self'' through TM has also allowed Hugh to more easily handle the attention of the crowds.
''Every day during meditation, I'm reconnecting with my true self. I parlay that into any situation: When I step out of a car onto a red carpet and there's 3,000 people cheering, then deep down, I'm actually connecting with their calm inner-self. Meditation makes me see what's true and real. It's not an inborn talent, it's a technique that anyone can learn.''
For Hugh, the fact that TM requires no adherence to any type of faith is a big draw.
''Anyone can do it. You can be an atheist who meditates, a Christian who meditates, a Muslim who meditates. It's like saying, 'Is walking a religious thing?' No. It's available to anyone, and the quality of your life is changed forever.''
