Laughter and Song!

Laughter and Song!

HollywoodOn Productions: Janet Donovan & Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Brendan Kownacki

“It’s an effortless technique that brings your tension level down. So obviously, it would be great for veterans and that’s why I’m here to support it,” comedian Jerry Seinfeld told Hollywood on the Potomac at the annual gala for the David Lynch Foundation, a “Night of Laughter and Song.”  It was not your usual evening at The Kennedy Center. The issue at hand was to support the programs of the Lynch Foundation which promotes healing traumatic stress and raising performance in at-risk populations, mainly through the practice of transcendental meditation.

The actors and musicians on hand all described their own journeys with TM, stress management and finding ways to relax in life. It was an interesting mix of beautiful songs from Kesha and Ben Folds, to raunchy comedy from Margaret Cho and societal commentary from Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno that would make anyone sentimental about comedy TV from the 90s. It was an evening for a good cause that had people roaring in the aisles….and then going home to meditate.

Comedian Margaret Cho

Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, was honored with the “Lifetime of Service to the Public Good Award.” Candy Crowley, award-winning journalist, was honored with the “Lifetime of Service to the Public Good Award.” Dr. George H. Rutherford, II, 52-year public school educator and principal of the Ideal Academy Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., was honored with the “Lifetime of Service to America’s Youth Award.” Rona and Jeffrey Abramson were honored with the “Lifetime of Creating Peace Award.” Ms. Abramson is a global leader bringing Transcendental Meditation to at-risk girls worldwide and Mr. Abramson is Partner in the Tower Companies, a family-owned real estate development company in Rockville.

Hugh Jackman with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness

“Everybody benefits from meditation. It’s not a religious thing, it’s a technique. It’s available to every single person. You don’t need to be talented at it. It is literally the simplest thing on the planet available to everybody. Those people who are really struggling and really see no way out of it, it is life changing,” Hugh Jackman who meditates with his family told us.

Since 2005, the David Lynch Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has helped to bring the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique to more than 500,000 children and adults around the world. They focus their efforts on underserved inner-city students; veterans with PTSD and their families; and women and children who are survivors of violence and abuse. In addition, DLF funds independent research to assess the effects of the program on academic performance, ADHD and other learning disorders, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and diabetes.

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