anonyff - I've had similar experiences with both TM and mindfulness of breathing, as you described. With TM - a subtle straining because the mantra just disappears and remains unavailable for most of the meditation. Just letting go completely is OK but isn't "meditation" as before (although occasionally a faint mantra makes an appearance and usually this is a nice meditation). More often though there is a subtle searching for the mantra or subtle effort to re-introduce it, both of which often result in headaches. Tried countless checks but these never shifted the problem. Recently tried mindfulness of breathing using a TM approach, with the breath as a wordless mantra. It seemed easier to accept experience as it happens because the breath is always THERE at least. Moreover awareness can also become vaguer, less hard-edged just like with the mantra - and sometimes very "refined" and delicate too, along with finer breathing. After meditation I get a soothing and alert feeling in my head - no headaches. I'm tempted to switch to mindfulness. Interested to hear of other people's experiences with it... What is surprising though is that Buddhists see this kind of mindfulness merely as a preliminary to insight meditation (re choiceless awareness)and don't seem to value it that much.
--- In [email protected], "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "anonyff" <anonyff@> wrote: > > > > As a former very long time TM person I would like to inject an > > experience I've had with a very, very easy technique I have found > very > > nice and seems to mimic my experience with TM which, for years, did > > not seem easy to me. (Yes, I know Lawson will ask, at this point, > if I > > had my meditation checked, yes repeatedly). > > > > After having read a bunch of Thich Nhat Han and a book or two by Jon > > Kabat-Zinn and read and asked others about mindfulness techniques, I > > recently sat down and just allowed my awareness to very easily and > > simply be with my breathing-the in breath and the out breath, no > > effort at changing my pattern of breathing, just having my awareness > > on the breath as the focus (the simple, natural effortless focus) > > instead of the mantra. The attention wanders, as in TM, then easily > > come back to the breath. I found it much easier than TM, and the > > experience seemed about the same to me, over the 40 minutes I did > > this, my head would gradually fall forward as in TM, I would become > > aware of it, lift it back up, go back to being with the breath, etc. > > > > > > Attention to breathing using the same technique as TM uses is > certainly a valid technique of meditation. Effortless attention to > any mental (or physical) object of perception is a valid form of > meditation according to MMY. Of course, why is it easier for you to > do this with breathing than with the TM mantra? My own belief, valid > or not, is that you're not being drawn inward as fast or as far with > attention to breathing as with the mantra so you're not experiencing > the more profound levels of unstressing/normalization that you > apparently are with the standard TM mantra-based technique. It seems > easier because its less uncomfortable. There are strategies for > handing discomfort during TM, BTW. > > > > > > > --- In [email protected], "bdadvaitin" <bdadvaitin@> > wrote: > > > > > > Could someone tell me what they would consider a meditation > technique > > > for transcending that's similar to the TM technique. Any opinion > > > on Deepak Chopra's "Primordial Sound Technique." I also came > across > > > Sri Sri RAvi Shankar's website. Didn't know he was once > associated > > > with MMY then went his own way and started Sudarshan Kriya. > Anyone > > > care to comment on this technique. My questions stem from the > fact > > > that the cost of TM has skyrocketed beyond the reach of mainstream > > > America. Here I am a long time TM practioner and I am appalled at > > > what has occured. Have the days of Merv Griffin initiations dried > > > up? > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
