I have been meditating for about two and a half years with NSR. I must say that it resulted in remarkable changes. The quality of my practice has varied widely though. I have returned to the forum to discuss that several times and I have been given good advice (thank you David and Gavin and Fabrizo).
I understand know that it is important to check the meditation from time to time although in the absence of a person to do this with I think it means listening the cd again.
It has ignited in me what I now know to be a spiritual journey. Repeated practice does yield results. The benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise are magnified substantially when accompanied by regular meditation. I confess that I am not particularly disciplined in those areas.
I often feel though that I am missing something and the experience of transcending is not regular nor is it consistent. For that reason I am tempted to seek out a local TM trainer to discuss it - I think that this might not be well received.
Certainly the technique is effective at combating stress (and when present anxiety). I would certainly be interested in improving the quality of my meditation. I have seen some videos on you tube that discuss advanced techniques and the quality of concentrating - gently bringing the mind back to the mantra. That has been helpful. The concept of listening to the mantra was also very helpful and I would suggest that that might be discussed in the manual. Going back to the CD looses its appeal after a while and, no disrespect, the forum is a limited medium for interaction. So I would be interested in some other forum to interact and discuss and improve practice and the journey.