Ellen DeGeneres on Transcendental Meditation (December 2011)

Ellen DeGeneres opened the show at the David Lynch Foundation's 3rd annual Change Begins Within Gala.

Video transcription:

I've been doing TM for about a year now... I learned about it, Russell Simmons was on my show, and through Russell, he told me about it, and than Russell Brand. It was a month, we had  Russells on, all Russells all month long. It was great, we were trying to give Oprah a run for her money. We had Nipsey Russell, we had Russell Crowe, and then a Jack Russell Terrier, so we were out of Russells. [Laughing]

Anyway, I learned how to meditate. I've tried to meditate before, the beathing and all the other stuff when I did Yoga. I was always opening my eyes, it was like a minute later, and I was: “how am I going to do this ? This is just impossible”, focussing on the breathing...

So when I learned about TM, which I'd heard about it, and I'd heard so many people, I was very impressed by the people that I learned that they did TM. And I was like 'well they're interesting people, there must be something to it' and I thought 'I'll try this, even though I'm not good at meditating'.

There's something about TM - it is the only time I have that stillness, it's the only way I've ever been able to sit long enough. I open my eyes and I'm sad that it's twenty minutes later
There's something about TM - it is the only time I have that stillness, it's the only way I've ever been able to sit long enough. I open my eyes and I'm sad that it's twenty minutes later. I actually love, and I never had that feeling before... Late at night alone at an ATM machine, but that was not safe. [Laughing]

But it does, It gives me this peaceful, peaceful feeling, and I just love it so much and I talk about it as much as I can on my show without sounding like I'm preaching about it...

But I'm here really to... I can't say enough good things about it... And David Lynch, of course, is a genius in many ways, and what a wonderful man to start this foundation to help people... And you'll learn about that tonight.

I can't say enough good things about it
All the benefits that you can achieve from just sitting still and going within, it just really is a beautiful experience. - Ellen DeGeneres