I have practiced Transcendental Meditation since 1967. People often comment that I don't look old enough to be the mother of my 27 year old son, yet I was already 32 when he was born. TM has wonderful benefits, as these studies on heart disease show. However, people should realize that the benefits of TM have been shown by well documented research to be specific to the TM technique and that other meditations or prayer or yoga, while beneficial, do not have the same pronounced health benefits in so many areas. I have always felt that my TM practice gives me an excellent basis for more effective prayer as my mind is clearer and more coherent as a result of meditating (TM) regularly. And I have more energy for exercise (including yoga). Because I have been so satisfied with my TM practice no other meditation technique has attracted me. If ever I was at some workshop that involved a guided meditation exercise, I would just feel it was more superficial and a waste of time compared to the inner depth and bliss that I am used to experiencing during my daily TM practice. I encourage your readers to seek out a qualified teacher of the Transcendental Mediation Program, rather than trying to meditate on their own without instruction from a trained TM teacher. The results will just not be as profound.