Alumni Spotlight: Owen Blake

What is Maharishi School alumni Owen Blake up to?

Owen Blake

When catching up with Maharishi School alumni I often find them in very diverse career paths, from designing life saving technology , to creating a new venture capital start-up company, our alumni are doing great things.

One of those who are on the entrepreneurial scene is Maharishi School alumni Owen Blake. I had the chance to interview him and find how the fascinating world of esports and transcendental meditation merge.

Owen can you tell us a little bit about your background growing up in Iowa and  attending Maharishi School? Where did you go to college after high school and what led you to the work that you are currently doing now? 

I was born in Fairfield, and I mostly grew up here. I home schooled until 8th grade, then I came to Maharishi School, graduating in 2008. After high school I decided to attend MIU in the Media and Communications department, focusing on recording music and composing for movies. I briefly transferred to St. Ambrose University to pursue my basketball and piano dreams, but ultimately it wasn’t for me so I came back to MIU, graduating in 2012. 

Video games have always been a hobby of mine. I enjoy the competition, the challenge and strategy, and the social element of playing with friends and family. Video games were also an important way for me to stay in touch with my Dad as he didn’t always live nearby. I’ve followed the emergence of the esports industry and watched as it’s continued to exponentially grow in size and influence. I see

Misfits competing on stage in the European League of Legends Championship League

a very bright future for esports as more and more generations are looking to esports and video game culture for entertainment, recreation, and competition. In the US, esports have recently exploded all over Universities with some offering esport scholarships and many creating esport “arenas” or venues for students to compete and have fun together playing video games.

Another interest of mine is giving back to others the gift I’ve received from Maharishi’s knowledge and technologies. I feel so much personal growth and benefits from studying Maharishi Vedic Science and practicing the Transcendental Meditation and the TM-Sidhi Program, and I enjoy sharing that knowledge. Most importantly, I feel like the knowledge and experiences have helped me become a better person and perform at a higher level which is how it connects to performance, sports, and esports. 

Misfits taking a bow after winning a match

I realized I could combine two of my interests in life, esports and Maharishi Vedic Science, to bring something very valuable on many levels to esport athletes and through them to current and future generations. After completing my Masters in Maharishi Vedic Science from MIU and teaching at the Maharishi School for a year I decided to pursue my PhD in MVS from MIU and investigate if the TM technique could be a useful tool for esport athletes. 

In 2020 I went to Berlin to teach TM and collect data for my research. I was later offered to return as the Performance Coach for Misfits Gaming’s League of Legends team. This position would put me in charge of everything “outside” of the game from diet and exercise to team togetherness and mental and emotional coaching. This position allowed me to continue collecting data while also expanding my role with the team.

I decided to team up with Ruben Yepes Sanchez, a former professional football (soccer) player from Spain who has developed a Consciousness-Based Sports Methodology based entirely on Maharishi Vedic Science. Ruben and I attended our TM-Teacher Training Course together in 2013 and even at that time discussed working together to bring TM and Maharishi’s knowledge to sports and esports. We teamed up on this project to test the application of the Consciousness-Based Sports Methodology for esports and gauge the effectiveness in this new industry. Our season was a major success as we finished one game behind 1st place and nearly qualified for the World’s Championship tournament.

How would you describe your business for people who have never heard of esports before?

Misfits Coaching Staff

Esports are video games that are played professionally. All esports are video games, but not all video games are esports. Some video games are more enjoyable to watch and are more skill-based which leads them to more often be considered esports. Esports can be watched online or in-person and can draw massive audiences, even exceeding traditional sporting events.

There are many different esports that each draw a variety of public interest. The video game that my team plays is called League of Legends and it is generally considered the biggest esport in the world. Last year in the global finals the viewership peaked at almost 4 million concurrent viewers. 

Ruben and I’s business applies the knowledge and techniques of Maharishi’s Vedic Science to help esport teams and players reach their peak performance in a stress free way. We help align a team or an individual with their highest purpose, connecting them with the Laws of Nature so their actions are effortless and maximally effective. We will be expanding our offerings in the next season and are looking for investors to help us bring this Consciousness-Based Methodology to more esports and traditional sport teams.

What drives your passion for the work you are doing in the area of Esports?

Misfits players practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique

I think there are a lot of interests and personal qualities that combine to create my passion for what I’m doing. I’m very passionate about human development, I love working with younger people, I’m very competitive and love to be involved with sports. I enjoy esports and think they will continue to grow and develop, and I really feel fulfilled applying Maharishi’s knowledge into a new and exciting industry. This project feels like my contribution to the world and my way of giving back for all the personal blessings I’ve received in my life

How do you feel your education at Maharishi School has informed the work you’re doing today?

Maharishi School is the only school in the world which could have prepared me for what I’m doing today. Maharishi School taught me, through knowledge and experience, the power of consciousness for human development and performance. Through my unique education at the Maharishi School I was able to understand foundational principles of life and apply them to an exciting industry, in the process creating a dream job and opening up the possibility of forever changing the esport industry.

I will be forever grateful for the knowledge taught here at the Maharishi School and continue to use it for my own development and the development of my clients.

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