Transcendental Meditation and Peace

Coping
#21

I have been doing mindfulness meditation while focusing on the breath almost every night for around 50 minutes. It helps with anxiety, mood, and falling asleep at night somewhat, but has done next to nothing for staying asleep.

I figured that was the gist of TM. I am going to see if TM may help me stay asleep at night. Perhaps paying to see a guru and being assigned special mantras based on individual context may have a more powerful effect because of a higher placebo response.

Are there any actual articles that suggest any form of meditation has an impact on neurosteroids levels? I would love to see that.

#22

There are several articles that cite research that has shown all sorts of brain improvements from TM. It shouldnt be to hard to find. I made a little bit of a break through yesterdayā€¦ I started meditating in the afternoon and I thought I set a timer for 20 minutes on insight timer. The timer never went off and it was almost like I woke from a napā€¦ lost track of time completely, had weird dreams (not asleep but like in a trance) and ended up stopping to find I was at almost 40 minutes. It was like time flew by. I felt rested and recharged. I think practicing this everyday could have a very big effect on coping, getting some rest for the brain, recoverying brain issues, etcā€¦ I dont know for sure but I really think something good is happening from practicing TM.

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#23

I was watching a video yesterday of a monk who said we can meditate everywhere. Basically creating a calm mind outside of our personal meditation time. This is how they practice in the monasteries.

#24

Do you use the delta brain healing music on insight timer or just the ordinary music? Occasionally I use delta only for short periods, Iā€™ve not had any negative affects so far. Thanks

#25

I attended an in person guided meditation that was 20 minutes long at a local meditation center. Half way through, the girl who spoke the meditation said, ā€œimagine your mind as a blue sky and thoughts as clouds that pass by.ā€

I swear, when I stepped outside and looked at the sky, I felt the most at peace Iā€™ve felt in years. Truly felt like I was in heaven.

We need this peace more than anyone. Gives our minds a rest.

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#26

I experienced similar peace after leaving a yoga studio, it felt amazing. Sensory deprivation tanks can take you to that level of peace in one session, they are a short cut.

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#27

I did a float tank session a few years ago for an hour. Going to do a two hour session soon. Youā€™re right, the feeling after was pure bliss.

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#28

I think it needs to be done for 3-5 sessions before the real benefits show, but its the pure bliss like you say.

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#29

my 2 cents. Transcendental is not as helpful as concentration or breath meditation.

ive been doing meditation for a decade. forget about the apps, forget about the floating tanks

read that multiple times, and practice for an hour a day. ive never seen people make life changing progress unless they committed like that. meditation is a workout session for your mind

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#30

Could you give us noobs a one or two sentence description of the differences between the three you mention?

#31

transcendental-- repeating mantras and focusing on mantra repetition. its said to be good for beginners, but i donā€™t consider that, itā€™s good for relaxation at most.

vipassana or breath/concentration meditation is the training of your mind to be in the present moment. you focus your attention on your breath for as long as you can. build up your ability to keep focus for 10 breaths straight-- in and out, and increase. when thoughts come to your mind (which they will), you observe them, and then shift your focus back to the breath. itā€™s observation without judgement (thoughts). itā€™s living in the present moment, in the truest definition.

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#32

Here is a written account of someone who did a 10 day vipassana course with the hope that it would treat their pain, anxiety and insomnia. Ok Iā€™ll spoil the ending. Insomnia/anxiety wasnā€™t permanently cured but it showed the participant how to manage their mind better and obsess less about their pain.

Meditation apparently lowers cortisol, had anyone here noticed a difference? I have low cortisol so tend to split my meditation over 2 sessions so am/pm. However I feel that I might benefit more from one hour as it takes me a while at the start of each session to find calm. Itā€™s like doing two warm ups before you exercise.

@lakehouse thank you for sharing and make us aware of this form of meditation.

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#33

I am finding that meditation (mindfulness + breath concentration) does not help at all for staying asleep. I have been meditating daily for around 50 min for a month and a half now. It actually keeps me up at night at times.

#34

Are you sure you are doing the right type of the meditation? Something must be wrong with your technique. Please check out the TM method. But everyone is different anyway. I hope this condition will change for you.

#35

Iā€™ve been following the method as taught in The Mind Illuminated, which is a combination of mindful awareness of the body combined with a concentration on the breath. It hasnā€™t worked at all for sleep maintenance. I couldnā€™t find any instructions for TM. I just repeat a mantra in my head for 20-40 minutes at a time but I donā€™t think itā€™s that simple. What instructions are you following?

#36

I find it difficult to do because thoughts always bouncing in my head while trying to concentrate on the mantra
Maybe thereā€™s a technique idk about