I first found out about Vedic meditation from a fellow ME sufferer last spring. I had been meditating for a few years following an MBSR course and using guided mindfulness CDs and apps. I had never heard of Vedic meditation so I went along to an intro talk and I knew immediately that this technique had the potential to really help me in ways other techniques hadn’t. Different kinds of meditation affect the brain in different ways and therefor affect the body in different ways too. I have carried around a debilitating form of anxiety (PTSD) my entire life, so I knew it would take something quite special to help me. Although Vedic meditation is very easy to learn and even easier to slot into your daily life (it’s short, easy and you can do it almost anywhere), it did take me a few months of practice before I started to allow myself to let go into it. My nervous system was completely shot before I started, but it is now receiving a daily dose of deliciously healing endorphins that are helping my mind, body and soul recover. A few months after starting off on the Vedic journey, I went on a Rounding retreat, which gave me far more than I ever thought possible. Amongst the many benefits of the retreat, I learnt a special breathing technique. Before going on the retreat I had been unable to even contemplate going to sleep without being dosed up to the eyeballs on sleeping pills, I had been hooked for years. Since the retreat, I have not taken ANY sleeping pills at all and I feel absolutely amazing for it! I now do this simple breathing exercise every night and then sink into a deep calm and restful sleep. Amazing. I am on a truly beautiful and empowering healing journey. One of the ingredients that was missing for so long was knowing how to really listen to my body and how to be kind to it. THIS is what Vedic meditation has taught me and that my friends… is the cherry on top of the cake!