Dana was aware of some of the signs of the dangerously high stress levels among teens:
Like a growing number of her meditating peers, Dana feels that the TM technique can help make a huge difference in teens lives.
From a recent interview with Dana:
“I had been dealing with typical teenage stuff—the usual anxieties and depressions that so many teens are trying to deal with. I also grew up with a learning disability that created its own intense stress. By creating this documentary I wanted to bring awareness to the negative things that teens are experiencing, and show how effective TM can be in helping people overcome stress and become more natural.
“There are a million things going through people’s heads. I wanted to help them look through the superficial things that so many young people get caught-up in thinking about and doing—things that are blocking them from being themselves and from expressing their real feelings.
“Teens are turning to drugs and meaningless sex, excessive online games and videos, and chatting and other things trying to find something—trying to find something that’s satisfying their thirst for being happy.
“Instead of running away from or avoiding the problems and hassles you have by taking drugs or fooling around in other ways, TM helps brings a sense of inner freedom, of being ‘high’ in a completely natural way. It gives you a lift in your spirits—a freedom from the stress you are feeling and the sense of burden you are feeling, while at the same time giving you the clarity of thought and the creativity to deal with people and situations in productive ways.
“TM is important because it helps bring you back to earth. TM helps you enjoy being with yourself. It not only feels good when you meditate, but it also makes you feel good after you meditate—it helps you feel more comfortable in your own skin.
“During TM you settle down and experience the quiet, peaceful, contented part of your inner self, and when you come out—back to your activity, some of that peacefulness and contentedness remains. This is an experience we all need to have.”
According to Washington, DC neuropsychologist, Dr. William Stixrud, “Research has found that at puberty, girls are twice as likely as boys to experience anxiety disorders and depression. They’re also much more likely to develop an eating disorder or to engage in self-injury. Because we know that teenage girls are sculpting their adult brain by how they use it in their teen years, it’s especially important that they take advantage of tools like TM to help reduce their level of stress and anxiety.”
