* “The biggest difference for me was mindfulness (for someone in chronic pain) brought my attention inside my body whereas transcendental meditation freed me from it. For me, mindfulness was a stepping stone to transcendental meditation.” ~ Kayleigh
“Mindfulness requires much effort on the part of the participant, TM requires little effort and I felt immediate benefits: relaxation, joy and deep healing. TM works! ~ Rifa
“I tried and enjoyed mindfulness as a guinea-pig in a research group – but it never felt like “the answer” to my over-active brain. I am intrinsically rather lazy and it always required effort yet left me slightly disappointed. And had no lasting effect afterwards
After learning TM I actually laughed out loud, after my first practise at home, with the joy of the fact that at last here was something that fully worked for me – and yet was the simplest and easiest of processes. I wanted to tell the whole world!
I describe it to friends as the best way of releasing the build-up of thoughts and tensions and worries, restoring calm and peace in the mind. So instead of ongoing build-up day after day you are constantly returning to a calm starting point and so things never get too much for you. And each time it leaves you feeling refreshed and ready to go. Almost as if you have had a restorative nap of deep sleep.
For me the main difference was in having a mantra and therefore not constantly and consciously struggling to clear the mind and disregard distractions – and consistently “failing”. And in the lack of “rules” about breathing technique or sitting position! You are given freedom in every way rather than having to follow a prescribed pattern
Sometimes you virtually stop breathing for a bit as you relax so much that you almost fall asleep and then the body automatically wakes you by sighing deeply. And that is how it is “meant” to be, rather than a failure.
With TM you are given the absolute freedom to sit where and how you please (just be comfortable) to allow thoughts in and to not worry in the slightest but simply re-start the process when you become aware it has drifted away!
It is 20 minutes of priceless positivity!” ~ Tilly
