Jerry Seinfeld talks Transcendental Meditation at David Lynch Foundation Gala

Summary

In his speech, Jerry Seinfeld discusses his 40+ year relationship with Transcendental Meditation (TM). He credits TM with helping him manage the intense pressure of producing his hit TV series, allowing him to take a vital midday break to meditate. At 60, busy with stand-up, family obligations and an internet show, Seinfeld assumed he should throttle back. However, adding the recommended second daily TM session gave him an unexpected boost in energy and stamina. He now proselytizes TM as an essential tool for thriving in life's daily stresses. Seinfeld argues that being a person is hard; TM offers a way to regularly recharge so you can live at your highest potential.

Takeaways

• 😀 Jerry has been practicing TM for over 40 years and credits it with helping him deal with the pressures of his hit TV show
• 😮 He now realizes he wasn't doing TM properly by skipping the recommended morning meditation
• 😃 Since adding the morning TM back to his routine, he has much more energy and focus at age 60
• 🧘‍♂️ Jerry is obsessed with telling everyone about TM now, believing it helps people function better
• 😆 He uses humor and analogies to explain how TM makes you feel more energized and clear-headed
• 🔋 Jerry compares TM to recharging your cell phone so you have juice to take on anything
• 😴 He argues TM gives you deep rest unlike poor sleep which leaves you still fighting stress
• ⏰ Jerry believes you can get more done in less time when you take a TM break to rest your mind
• 😥 He sympathizes that modern life is inherently difficult and tiring even without extra challenges
• 💡 Overall, Jerry passionately advocates for TM as a way to relieve stress and gain mental clarity

Q & A

How long has Jerry Seinfeld been practicing TM?

Jerry Seinfeld has been practicing TM for about 41 years, since he first learned it in college around 1972.

What does Jerry say TM helped him accomplish during his time working on Seinfeld the TV show?

Jerry says that the 20 minutes of TM he did every day enabled him to handle the intense pressure and workload of starring in, executive producing, writing, casting and editing the show for 9 years.

Why does Jerry say he originally stopped doing the morning TM session?

Jerry says he stopped doing the morning TM session early on because he didn't understand the concept of getting out of bed and then resting.

How did adding back the morning TM session impact Jerry recently?

Jerry says adding back the morning TM at age 60, along with his busy work and family schedule, has enabled him to function at an energy level he didn't think was possible for someone his age.

What analogy does Jerry make between TM and charging a cell phone?

Jerry analogizes TM to having a cell phone charger - it enables you to keep using your phone at full power all the time.

How does Jerry describe the feeling TM provides compared to a good night's sleep?

Jerry says TM makes you feel every day like you had one of those rare great nights of sleep where you wake up feeling how you should feel all the time.

What Richard Pryor quote does Jerry share about the difficulty of life?

Jerry references Richard Pryor saying "you know it's hard just being a person forget about having to deal with racial hostility just being a person is hard".

Why does Jerry say it's dumb not to practice TM?

Jerry says not practicing TM is dumb because it provides energy, focus and ability to handle life's challenges more easily.

What visual indications does Jerry say show who in the audience practices TM?

Jerry says he can tell by people's facial expressions who in the audience already practices TM and who doesn't.

How does Jerry counter the objection that there's no time for TM with lack of sleep already?

Jerry argues that even if you sacrifice a bit of sleep, 4.5 hours of sleep and 20 mins of TM will make you feel better than just 5 hours of disjointed sleep.