Transcendental Meditation Becomes a Way of Life for Norwood Art Teacher Margot Kager-September 19, 1975

For art teacher, housewife, and mother Margot Kager of 23 Harrow Road, transcendental meditation (TM) has become far more than a passing trend—it is a guiding philosophy and a way of life.

A Journey Into Transcendental Meditation

Two years after first exploring TM, Mrs. Kager spent her summer in Arosa, Switzerland, studying the science of creative intelligence at the international center headed by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Her intensive training qualified her as an associate teacher of the theoretical system behind TM.

Originally from England, Mrs. Kager emigrated to Canada before settling in Norwood with her husband, Jerry Kager, an electronics engineer. She received her initial instruction at the Wellesley Area World Plan Center in Wellesley Hills and is associated with the local TM Center, formerly located at 105 Village Road East in Windsor Gardens.

The practice has permeated the Kager household:

• Daughter Donna: A 16-year-old Norwood High School junior who is an enthusiastic meditator planning to attend Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa.
• Daughter Sabrina: An 18-year-old college student in Vermont who practices daily meditation.
• Husband Jerry: Supportive and interested, though less directly involved.

Spreading the Practice Locally and Expanding Centers

Mrs. Kager is eager to share the benefits of TM. On September 26, she will deliver her first public lecture at the United Church at 7:30 p.m., featuring videotapes by Dr. Harold Bloomfield, author of Transcendental Meditation – Discovering Inner Energy and Overcoming Stress. Her advocacy has already reached Foxboro High School, where several faculty members practice TM and her principal, Eugene Newman, is a daily meditator.

Due to surging local interest, David Jacobs of the Norwood TM center announced that the organization—which has served 250 area residents since opening in February—will relocate to larger quarters at 2 Taft St. in Walpole in October.

Defining TM and Scientific Evidence

Describing TM as a “simple, natural, effortless technique whereby the mind settles down to the quieter levels,” Mrs. Kager explains that practitioners meditate twice daily for 20 minutes—once in the morning before breakfast and again in the afternoon. She emphasizes that TM is entirely non-sectarian, noting that training sessions in Switzerland included priests, rabbis, and agnostics, and that the practice involves no dietary restrictions or required dress codes.

Advocates frequently highlight scientific research supporting TM’s physiological benefits. Studies indicate that during meditation, the metabolic rate drops by 16 percent in minutes (compared to a 12-percent drop over many hours of sleep), providing deeper rest while keeping the mind alert. Additional physiological changes observed by scientists include a slower pulse, reduced heart rate, lowered blood pressure, and decreased lactate levels in the blood.

The structured learning course involves introductory and preparatory lectures, a personal interview, personal instruction, and three consecutive two-hour follow-up sessions. The course fee ranges from $55 to $125 in Norwood, providing a lifetime enrollment through nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organizations. Unabashedly idealistic, Mrs. Kager hopes to eventually return to Switzerland to complete advanced training and looks forward to the day when TM is integrated into public school curricula.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger