Guided transcendental meditation is a popular and effective form of relaxation and stress relief. It has been shown to reduce pain and anxiety, increase creativity and focus, and can even help treat PTSD.
The technique involves silently repeating a mantra in your mind while sitting quietly for 20 minutes at a time. The mantra may be an English word, a Sanskrit phrase or any sound that helps you focus and concentrate.
Transcendental meditation (TM) is an ancient form of yoga that was developed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960s. The technique has been adapted to suit people of all ages and backgrounds.
It’s more personalized than other forms of meditation.
You must learn TM from a certified teacher, who will teach you how to meditate and give you one-on-one support. TM teachers have five months of in-residence training and must maintain their certification through continuing education.
The TM method does require a lot of space and proper setup to practice properly, so it’s not suitable for everyone. It also requires a certain amount of time, typically 20 minutes, twice per day.
In contrast, mindfulness is a free meditation technique that can be learned from online videos, apps and blog posts. It’s a very popular alternative to the TM method, and research on it is independent by universities and other organisations.
Unlike the other forms of meditation, it doesn’t try to control your thoughts. Instead, it’s focused on driving your reason inward to the source of your thinking, so that concentration, focus and freedom can spontaneously come into your awareness.