TRANCCENDENTAL MEDITATION (TM)

[Anxiety1954]

Ihave been suffering with anxiety for a very long time. I have finally decided to go on some medication which are helping me a little. I heard about Transcendental Meditation (TM). Did anyone tried and what experiance did you have. You need to pay to be trained and take lessons and it is not cheap. Any comments before i sign up for this TM?

[MelissaC13]

Hello: I did try this form of meditation. I paid someone that is trained in it and did one session. After I left the session I had a severe panic attack and for a couple of days afterward I felt like I had to protect my boundaries. I felt kind of out of control. However, with that said I believe it does work. I was just so anxiously driven that it scared me when I transcended. For now I do a free mindfulness program that UCLA has on their mindfulness site. It is in their medical department. And mindfulness meditation has rocketed me into a new freedom. Please let me know if you ever wanna talk about it.

[Anxiety1954 in reply to MelissaC13]

Thank you so much for your honest reply. I did not found much information on line about TM except on their website this is why i would like to know from unbiased people what was their experience. I definitely want to know about the free mindfullness program you are doing. Can you please tell me the website and some guidline about the program. I am presently doing some guided meditation which i get from YOUTUBE which is helping a little but i am surching for something that STICKS for a long time.

Thanks

[MelissaC13 in reply to Anxiety1954]

Sure! This is the website. hamarc.ucla.edu/mindful-medit...

These are all pre-recorded and have different time lengths. Every morning I do the 19 minute one unless I am in a hurry. When I started out I did do the 19 minute one in the morning and at night. Now, if I am in a real hurry I will follow the 12 minute one. When you look through the website you do have options to be formally trained in the meditation for like 165$ each level. I have never bought it. Also, they have free weekly podcasts. I hope to buy the online classes when I have the spare money.

When I was having a very difficult time with the death of my mom, I started this program. I was in what my family doctor called a panic crisis (heart rate over 100 bpm sitting down and whenever I had to do the littlest of responsibility it would really jump up.) A little time later I was diagnosed with Complex-PTSD. Meditation has been my saving grace. It counter acts the emotional cortex in our brain. It also relaxes me enough that I can go through some life trauma without flipping out or having body sensations. (Side note: my sister and I went to the grocery store last week. We did the BP/heart rate machine. My BP 117/78 and heart rate was 65. Mind you that I am closing on a house with my husband today!) Meditation works! And good diet definitely helps too! (

The importatnt thing about meditating is to keep doing it. Sometimes I will get to feeling good and stop. Or I will start thinking I am to "relaxed." Thankfully I dont go into full relapse mode before I get back on the wagon. Lol! Or I might ease up on the time I spend on it. Meditation goes against my anxiety driven nature, which I need! Ha! Thank God for meditation and ironically, my relationship with a higher power has gotten stronger as well.

Once you start working on this, please let me know. I would love to read about the transition!

Regards,

Melissa

[Anxiety1954 in reply to MelissaC13]

I can't thank you enough for you valuable information. I am glad that you have found a vehicle that works very good for you. I can understand your stress with your mom death and the anxieties caused by the event especially to very sensetive and emotional individuals like you and me. Anxiety is our enemy in stressful situations and we need to find a natural way to keep it under control.

In my case i have both parents alive and i am the only son married and i take care of both of them. My mother is 87 and very sick and i spend most of my time to make trips to doctors and hospitals. My father thank God he is 85 and doing well.

This daily stress adds to my everyday stressors that at time it gets the best of me. Presently taking some meds to control some of my anxiety but my goal is to eventually get off. For now i am reading many self help books and doing guided meditation from YOUTUBE.

I will definitely try you suggested meditations from the website you have indicated and i will keep you posted of my experience. Let me know if you find any other natural way to keep this BEAST of ANXIETY under control.

Thanks

Michael

[maaslider in reply to MelissaC13]

Thanks for sharing your situation and struggles and explanations of your experiences. I think you’re helping more people than Anxiety1954! Mindfulness is a great suggestion and much more realistic I think than TM. TM sounds good but I’m not sure how many people truly understand this therapy to help others or how long it takes to practice it effectively.

[Anxiety1954 in reply to maaslider]

I agree. There is not enough information out there on TM that is coming from regular practitioners. I have done some research and all i can find is advertisements about TM. I am practicing the Mindfulness meditation suggested by MelissaC13 and i found it very soothing and relaxing. I will continue with this meditation for now until i find something better.

[Anxiety1954 in reply to MelissaC13]

Melissa, i just wanted to let you know that i am practicing the Guided meditations from the link you have sent me. I am e joying the 19 min meditation and also the shorter ones. Her voice is very calming and convinving that makes me feel very relaxed and in a better mood. I am also listening to their weekly mindful awareness podcasts which are very interesting given by different people. It is all free and very informational. This is the link.marc.ucla.edu/meditation-at....

Again thanks for guiding me to this website.

Regards

Anxiety1954

[MelissaC13 in reply to Anxiety1954]

I am so glad! I just did my 19 minutes a short time ago. It is AMAZING how much my anxiety and depression are relieved... I just have to keep practicing! Lol. I just started her last podcast on dealing with difficult emotions but I wasn't able to finish. (Our little one was running around the house.) I am very happy that this is beneficial. It will take a little bit longer to feel more at ease but the practice is so worth it! Thank you again for keeping me updated. Have you noticed a difference in your anxiety levels?

[Anxiety1954 in reply to MelissaC13]

I also have grandkids that are running around and i usually do my meditation early in the morning and late at night, Yes my anxiety level is much better and the more i continue with meditations the better i feel oveall. I also have read my self help books which help me in putting everything in perspective in relation to my Anxieties, daily stressors and how to cope with stressors that causes the mind to bring anxiety and also body symptoms. Some of the books i read them on my phone or tablet using the app HOOPLA. The app is free and the books are e-books which i get through the library on line with my library card.Everything is free and you can read them at any time you are confortable at your own pace. I also listen to many guided meditations on You Tube from the HONEST GUYS and from JASON STEPHENSON. They have many and their voices are very calming and soothing. Hope any of this information Helps.

Regards

Anxiety1954

[MelissaC13 in reply to Anxiety1954]

O have listened to The Honest Guy and Stephenson. I appreciate all the information and hope we will stay in contact!!

[Anxiety1954 in reply to MelissaC13]

Melissa it has been a while that i did not post any information about my anxiety and stress coping progress. I am still practicing the free meditations from UCLA on their mindfulness site. I have also listened to their free podcasts. Overall i am doing good in keeping my anxiety under control. I have been reading a self help book called THE FEAR CURE by Lissa Rankin, MD. As you may know that FEAR is an underlying emotion to many anxieties. It is an interesting book and very helpful for me. She has few meditations in the book that she instructs you to download from another one of her site.The meditations are very relaxing and addressing emotions initiated by fake fear. I learned about her from a website hayhouse.com which is the publisher of her book.

Hayhouse is also another site where there are many speakers that use natural methods to deal with anxiety, stress and panic attacks.

On another note i don't know if you got a chance to listen to a TM Livestream -Transcendental Meditation with teacher Bob Roth on September 30. He answered many questions asked by the viewers. I know that you had a bad experience when you tried it but in case you are interested the link is: WWW.TM.ORG/LIVESTREAM.

Hope this note finds you well and that you are in control of your anxiety.

Regards