Barbara Willis Sweete is a founding partner in Rhombus Media Inc., a Toronto-based film and television production company specializing in programs related to music. Rhombus Media has won countless awards including 3 International Emmies, the Golden Rose of Montreux, the Golden Prague, dozens of Gemini Awards and many Genie Awards. They also have received 3 Grammy nominations and an Oscar nomination.

In early 1991, Rhombus made a one-hour television special called Canadian Brass Home Movies. The Canadian Brass is one of the world’s most respected chamber music ensembles. It was through the experience of making this film that I met Eugene Watts, a founding member of the Canadian Brass, and a teacher of the Transcendental Meditation program. Gene and I quickly became friends. I was drawn to his presence—his openness, his creativity, and his calm efficiency. I realized very quickly that these qualities had a lot to do with the fact that Gene had been practicing and teaching the TM technique for more than 20 years.

Gene offered to teach me. I instantly took to meditation and felt its effects at every level of my life. Almost immediately, my work seemed to get easier, I became more confident, had more energy, and could focus more easily.
I
started the TM-Sidhi program in 1994. In December of that year I learned Yogic Flying, and it changed my life forever. People have noticed that I seem calm and composed, even though the pressures of my work continue to increase, and that I am looking younger and younger. In fact, members of my family, as they see how I have grown though meditation—one by one on their own initiative (but with my encouragement, of course)—have been learning to meditate. It began with my sister, then two of my nieces, and now my mother!

I set up a meditation and ‘flying’ room in my house, play Maharishi Gandharva Veda music, and use the aroma oils. The house has now become an inspiring place for me to do my creative work. In fact, I write most of my proposals and scripts at home, away from the chaotic activity of the Rhombus office.

In the past few years—especially since I have been meditating—my company has burgeoned in a way that I could only have dreamed possible. We now make films all over the world with such classical artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Kiri Te Kanawa, Seji Ozawa, Dudley Moore, and Teresa Stratas.
Two years ago we made a feature film entitled Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould which was seen in theaters throughout the United States and Europe. Our two most recent features will be opening at the Toronto International Film Festival, and one of them, entitled The Red Violin, has been invited for opening night at the Venice Film Festival.

We recently completed another film with Gene Watts entitled The Canadian Brass: A Christmas Experiment, which won the top prize in the music category at The Golden Rose of Montreax in Switzerland this last spring.

The more hectic my schedule gets, the more important meditating becomes to me. Ironically, the time spent each day in meditation saves me time overall because of the clarity of thought, the efficiency and the openness that come automatically. I am so grateful for that day that Gene taught me to meditate, and for his years of friendship.

Contribute Your Story to a New Book! Enlightenment magazine is planning to publish a collection of stories on how Meditators learned the Transcendental Meditation technique, and the benefits they’ve experienced in their lives.

To make the book complete, we’d like stories from people of all ages and backgrounds. We hope that you’ll write your story in 1,000 to 3,000 words, and send it to Enlightenment magazine: PO Box 26, Hillsboro, NH 03244 or email to editor@enlightenment-magazine.org.