By Ceylan Kumbarji

Do you use Twitter? Are you always scrolling through your Instagram feed? Do you find that your mind is full of countless different thoughts and you can’t slow them down? The answer is probably yes. We’re surrounded by apps and faced with a constant stream of news. Basically, we don’t know how to switch off. With high profile celebrities, like Zayn Malik and Oprah vouching for Transcendental Meditation, and Emma Watson and Gwyneth Paltrow insisting that mindfulness has changed their lives, these two forms of stress relief have helped bring meditation to the forefront of our lives.

 

We don’t need to sit with our legs crossed chanting, “Ommm” like we’ve probably seen on TV. It’s actually a whole lot simpler than that according to David Hughes who says: “It’s now a practical tool for people living normal, busy lives. You can do it on a train, on a tube, on a bus. It’s very user friendly.” So, Transcendental Meditation (also known as TM) started in the 20th century and was created by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. 

 

There has been a ton of research by the National Institute of Health to find out more about the benefits. A recent study found that people who regularly practise TM have decreased depression, anxiety and insomnia, and a reduction in stress and pain. Oh and a 10 year study of elderly heart patients found that the TM technique reduced heart attacks, strokes and death by 48 per cent. Dr Frederick Travis, the Director at the Centre for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition says: “During meditation you are in a perfectly peaceful state in which the mind is very awake, but still in a state of awareness.” 

 

Interested? Us too! Well the actual process of learning TM is actually very easy according to TM instructor Lesley Moss who has been teaching the practice for 40 years. Unlike mindfulness, you can’t learn it with an app or a book. Lesley explains: “TM is only available from fully trained teachers and that’s important because although it’s very easy to do, it’s also very powerful.” Your teacher will perform an introductory ceremony with you where you’re given your personal mantra (a secret word with no meaning) before you’re allowed to practise on your own. This is followed by four meetings where your instructor will make sure you’re meditating properly. Then you begin! You sit in silence for 20 minutes, once in the morning and once in the evening, just repeating your mantra in your head. It’s normal to have thoughts, as long as you keep going back to your mantra.

 

The main difference between TM and mindfulness is that TM requires no effort or concentration, whereas mindfulness is about focusing and observing. Lesley says: “It’s great for people to try meditation in whatever way is accessible. But lots of people come to TM saying they’ve tried apps and books and didn’t get the results they wanted.” Charles Cunningham from the Official Transcendental Meditation website for the UK, agrees that TM is becoming more accessible: “There’s a steady flow of people learning TM. It continues to grow steadily.”

 

 

 

 

 

Now on to mindfulness! It’s a 2,600 year old practice and comes from the Buddha. More recently, it’s made meditation easier to access, and Ken Chawkin, a TM practitioner says: “Mindfulness or the various interpretations of it, are a more recent phenomenon.” So, what are the benefits? Well, not only does it help by providing greater insight and clarity, it also allows users to concentrate and be less distracted. With mindfulness, you sit still for 10 minutes a day and focus on your breathing. By concentrating on each breath, you observe your thoughts and then let them go, bringing the attention back to the breath. Danny Penman, bestselling author of Mindfulness: Finding Peace In A Frantic World, explains how it helped him personally. After a paragliding accident left him stranded in severe pain for 30 minutes, he used mindfulness and explained how it helped him through his recovery. Penman explains: “Research shows that it’s at least as good as drugs or counselling for the treatment of depression and some studies show it’s actually the most effective tool, so it’s extremely powerful.”

 

It also reduces negative thinking patterns and now it’s been turned into a type of therapy: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). There’s been overwhelming evidence for anxiety and stress relief and Danny explains: “Mindfulness is brilliant for enhancing creativity and is extremely good for chronic pain. Evidence shows that even people who have just learnt to meditate can have their sensation of chronic pain reduced by 90 per cent.” The Mental Health Foundation found that just 26 per cent of British adults practise meditation but 86 per cent of people agree they would “be much happier and healthier if they knew how to slow down and live in the moment”. Half of the people surveyed said they would be interested in attending free meditation classes to help them deal with stress.

 

Andrea Featherstone, founder of the mindfulness blog Project Self, used to practise TM and now teaches mindfulness, so she has seen firsthand the benefits of both. She explains: “Mindfulness completely transformed my life. My personal belief is that people’s minds malfunction as they try to keep up with technology, particularly iPhones and tab surfing.” Andrea believes that our minds get, “erratic and scattered which means that we’re constantly worrying about what’s coming (anxiety) and dwelling on the past (depression)”. 

 

Anna Samad tried the mindfulness apps, Headspace and Buddhify for three months thinking it would help her sleep better and feel more relaxed because her husband, Amil had been practising for a few years. He says: “It becomes part of your lifestyle really quickly and taking 20 minutes out of my day to feel positive about myself is a good use of my time.” But Anna quickly realised it wasn’t for her: “I actually found it exhausting. Although it sounds really simple, it was quite draining observing my breathing, my posture, my thoughts. I definitely prefer TM because I find it easier having someone to guide me through it.”

 

So, we have two very different types of meditation. TM focuses on a mantra, and mindfulness focuses on breathing. TM needs to be taught by a certified teacher, whereas mindfulness is all about self help. But let’s look at the common ground; both promote inner peace, creativity and less stress, and both typically show their benefits after a few months. Both are different so you need to pick one and stick to it. Think of it like picking a partner. It needs to suit you, fit in with your lifestyle and make you feel like the best version of yourself. 

 

They both have some amazing benefits and ultimately the same goal: to make us feel better equipped to cope and manage in our hectic lives. There’s no ‘right’ type of meditation to go for. Both of them are a lovely luxurious treat, and it’s just about finding which one works for you. Jen Springall from mental health charity, Young Minds thinks that having “apps available on the go has contributed to the popularity hugely!” Think about it this way: when do you usually find time to yourself? Maybe the gym? Or binge-watching your favourite TV show? Imagine spending some time meditating, sorting out your thoughts and shutting yourself off from all of the chaos of your day. No emails or phone calls, bliss!