Much better than "mindfulness"

The word 'mindfulness,' coined by Jon Kabat Zinn has become so ubiquitous as to be lampooned "McMindfulness". The buzzword refers to any practice aimed at "Being Here Now" (Ram Dass 1971).

Mindfulness exercises merely put the mind to work trying to watch itself.
But the desired outcome of serenity requires something more dynamic than 
tedious thought-monitoring: it requires transcending thought altogether. Which we can't  will ourselves to do: we need a specific technique. 

Trying to focus on observing our breath or our thoughts  may calm us down by a degree or two, but can't take us deep into our mind's innermost, silent depths. What's required is an actual, specific technique for transcendence. 

The profoundly effective method I learned as a teenager is precisely that. Rooted in ancient Vedic philosophy, it utilizes a simple word (mantra), repeated silently between and alongside thoughts. The mantra's value lies in its inner perceived sound, not in any semantic meaning. It fosters a resonance within the mind and body, leading gently to a state of exquisite inner stillness.

The experience is always variable: There can be moments of perfect stillness, or what seem to be constant streams of thought. Yet we still feel "deep," even with many thoughts going on. One feels distinctly "at home" in mind and body.  

It's been mystifying all these years, to witness the proliferation of complicated approaches to meditation. I guess it's our left-brain tendency to make simple things difficult. It doesn't have to be that way! Isn't that good news?