Meditation

Meditation

"But you'll find that if you begin to practice meditation even 5 to 10 minutes a day, a lot of that hecticness begins to settle. The body uses oxygen more efficiency, the blood pressure drops & at the end of the day, you have a more calm & still mind," says Marchesiello.

She explains that people who practice meditation are more likely to take a step back during the day. "Practicing formally, maybe just a few minutes in the morning, sets us up for a more successful day. When you start feeling overwhelmed & tense, just centering yourself with a deep breath is a form of meditation."

So in other words, if you can breathe, you can meditate. Here are a few pointers:

Know that meditation is work. As a beginner, your mind is going to wander. "The first 30 seconds or so, you're doing well but then you start going thru your to-do list. When that happens, gently bring your mind back to the breath - your anchor," says Marchesiello, who admits that even her mind strays.

Do it anywhere. You can meditate on a train, on a plane, on a bus. You don't have to don a leotard & assume the classic lotus position. Just sit in a comfortable position, with your eyes closed (if possible) & notice the sensation of the air as it comes in thru your nose & goes out again.

Make up a mantra. As you breathe in, mentally repeat the word "relax" & as you exhale, hear the words "let go." Marchesiello explains that doing so immediately sends a message throughout the body. "You'll notice a release of tension in the belly, the jaw & the forehead."

Start slowly. Marchesiello recommends that even the most eager beginner only set aside 5 to 10 minutes a day for the first few weeks. "That way you can build on your success. If you say that you're going meditate for 20 to 30 minutes, that's usually too much. Once you do it for a few minutes & enjoy it, you'll notice that you're calmer & you're more apt to increase the time."

Hit snooze on yourself. In the morning don’t leap out of bed. Take a few moments to feel the mattress beneath you, stretch & with your eyes closed, practice feeling your breath.

Five Pointed Star Meditation - By Jane Ma`ati Smith

Meditation works to enable your ability to alter your consciousness, enabling you to interact with your inner most world, and utilizing your will to transform from the inside out. By getting into an altered state, usually an alpha brainwave state, you can begin using your own unconscious thoughts, emotions, dreams, hopes, and even fears to transform your life on evey level. You will connect with your inner guidance, awakening your psychic abilities and connecting with your own ability to heal. As a hypnotist who produces meditative and self hypnosis audio programs for public and private clients, I can certainly tell you that attaining an alpha state works wonders!

The following is a very simple and easy to do meditation, good for releasing stress and tension. Find a quiet place and time, where you can have at least fifteen minutes of peace and quiet. Lie down, with your arms and legs gently spread apart- comfortably, and not too wide. Make sure your hands are facing palms up.

Feel yourself sinking into the floor, just melting and glowing, feeling very heavy. Locate the chakras in your hands and feet- your hand chakras are in the center of your palms, and your feet chakras are in the center of the arch of your feet. Open these chakras up, and feel energy flowing through them, and up your arms and legs. Let the energy flow up to your heart chakra- combine the energy from your arms and legs in your heart center. From the heart center, let the energy flow freely upwards, through the center of your head, and out the crown charkra. Let this energy fountain out through your crown, flowing out into your aura. Feel your aura glowing big and bright, like a star.

Keep glowing until you feel your energy field is whole and complete. Gently relax the flow of energy, until you feel solid, and back to the 'real world'. Your mind should now be free of clutter, and your body should feel energized!

Learn to Control Your Brainwaves Thru Meditation - By Sharon B. Gilbert, Ph.D.

Control your brainwaves and you control your state of mind. By raising or slowing our brainwaves, we can altar how we think, feel and act. Meditation is the process of slowing our waking beta brainwaves to the slower states of alpha and theta. By learning to control these states, we can improve our health and well-being.

Brainwaves are the electrical movements in the brain. The frequency of these brainwaves can be measured using an electroencephalograph (EEG). Electrodes placed on the scalp measure the frequency of these brainwaves. From highest to lowest frequency, these brainwaves are called beta, alpha, theta and delta.

Beta is the waking, thinking state. During beta, brainwaves range from 14 to 40 cycles per second. In beta, an individual thinks and listens, can solve analytical problems, make decisions, and intake and process information. This is our normal state of mind when working, going to school and shopping. During beta our minds are the most alert.

Alpha is a slower state more indicative of relaxing and reflecting. During alpha, brainwaves range from 9 to 14 cycles per second. In the alpha state, an individual is fully aware of his/her surroundings but in a much more relaxed state of mind than beta. Meditation is often practiced in the alpha state.

Theta is an even slower state perfect for daydreaming and intuitive thinking. During theta, brainwaves range from 5 to 8 cycles per second. It is the state between wakefulness and sleep. In this state of mind, memories, thoughts and facts that eluded a person in a wakeful state can be recalled. It is often in this state that answers to problems seem to appear. Deep meditation and prayer are practiced in the theta state.

Delta is the slowest of the four states where sleep occurs. During delta, brainwaves range from 1.5 to 4 cycles per second. At the slowest delta level, sleep is deep and dreamless.

During our waking and sleeping hours, the brain moves through all four of these stages. At any given level, there is a range in brainwaves that effect how deeply we have entered that state. By knowing how these states function, we can knowingly enter a particular state and control how our thoughts are processed.

Jose Silva wrote in his book The Silva Mind Control Method, “When you are wide awake, doing and achieving in the workaday world, you are in Beta or ‘outer consciousness’. When you are daydreaming, or just going to sleep but not quite there yet, or just awakening but not yet awake, you are in Alpha. When you are asleep you are in Alpha, Theta, or Delta, not just Delta alone, as many believe. With Mind Control training you can enter the Alpha level at will and still remain fully alert”.

Meditation allows our minds to move through these states leading us to a healthy lifestyle. When we control our brainwaves, we control how we think, feel, reason and react. Relaxation, creativity and self-awareness flow naturally. As we mediate, our physical health improves as we move closer and closer to a healthy lifestyle. Consciously controlling our brainwaves is a step towards healthy living.

The Essence of Meditation - By Hieu Doan

Meditation is the practice of realization.

In the beginning it seems that we are developing concentration, objectivity, visualization and certain perceptions - whatever the focus of our meditation is. With practice we come to understand that these states have always been there. There has always been a concentrated mind, an objective mind, a mind capable of perceiving the spiritual dimensions. What we are actually doing is removing the illusions of the mind that prevent us from seeing. It is a transformation of belief that exists in body and mind.

This is why it is called realization. We see what is, with “real-eyes.”

What is actually being developed in meditation is awareness and focus. This is all.

Enlightened states, divinity, bliss, emptiness, no-mind, surrender, God force, universal force, chakra energies - these are inter-dimensional states. They already exist. Awareness and concentration allow us to find the places where they exist and to move our consciousness into them.

The most basic tools of meditation are focus and observation, but since the focused mind and the fully aware mind already exist what are we really developing?

We are developing the ability to move through illusions.

Through practice we can experience a supremely focused mind regardless of the fact that another part of our mind seems weary and unfocused. We can experience an infinitely aware mind even though another part of our mind seems overwhelmed and lacks clarity.

This is the beginning of experiencing an infinite mind. It is a mind which can be very normal, very human and down to earth, while at the same time able to move into universal awareness, great strength and courage, and a deep sense of power. It is a mind that can move through illusion which can move between these states.

The most effective way to understand this for ourselves is to experience it. Work with this exercise:

Observe the feeling of your body.

Be aware of the breath.

Be aware of sound.

Be aware of sensation and thought.

Simply observe all that passes through your senses like watching a movie.

If there is agitation - let it be. If there is thought let it be. If there is sound and emotion - let it be.

Place your hand over your navel area.

Feel for a consciousness which is pure focus and deep, calm strength.

Listen for a consciousness which has mastered inner power - that is unshakable.

Feel it and know it.

It exists here and now - allow yourself to find it.

See and feel it blossoming in you with full strength like a sun.

Feel, see and hear your body infusing with this energy.

Feel it nourishing and energizing you.

As with all meditation practices - do not be concerned with whether or not it is or is not working. Simply keep your mind in this area. Allow your consciousness room to play as it discovers the energy here. In play we learn to discover and explore. In exploration and discovery we understand what works for us and what does not.

The energy at your navel area is called by many names one of which is chakra or “energy wheel” but the name is not as important as the meaning - and the meaning is found by self-observation. Whatever we may know intellectually about chakras is nothing compared to what the chakra will communicate to us itself.

In the beginning the chakra may seem weak or non-existent. This is not the case - it is simply that our minds have only learnt to tune in to the most subtle frequencies of the chakra. With practice it seems like the energy of chakra is increasing - like we are developing it. What is actually happening is that they body and the mind are learning to perceive more of it. It already exists in it’s full power - when we allow our minds to perceive then we experience this. For all intents and purposes perception is like stretching - regular practice brings results. There is no such thing as a quick fix to realization - there are layers upon layers upon layers. As the mind learns to move through each layer the skills and understanding developed here help it to learn how to move through the next layer and so on. We can stand at the bottom of the mountain and peruse the best way to get to the top, but until our hands and feet touch footholds and feel what works we will not truly know how the mountain works.

Meditation is about realization. Whether we choose to use this to connect to universal consciousness, to energize the body, focus the mind, bring love into our hearts and knowledge into our souls is up to us as individuals. The principles underlying all these goals however are the same.

It’s about realization.

Beneath the clay exists the masterpiece - the sculptor merely removes the filter so that the naked eye can perceive it.

Hieu Doan

Why Meditate - By Vishal P. Rao

The side effects of meditation are positive and countless. Studies have demonstrated that those who meditate on a regular basis have reduced illness, stress, and need for rest.

But one of the most compelling reasons to meditate is that the process of meditation itself is sublime. Meditation is not dependent upon the result, but the act of meditation itself is a blissful one, transporting one to a state of contentment and tranquil awareness during the training of meditation itself, not just at the end of training. Actually, because the means equals the end, the training has no beginning and never ends.

All of us in modern times experience a constant onslaught of stress. We are bombarded by uninvited energies in the form of such things as television, noise pollution, arguments, and angry or envious people. In order to counteract this enormously overwhelming force of negativity and distress, we need a superior power, gathered within ourselves; and meditation connects us to this internal reservoir of cleansing, enlightening energy.

In former times, nature surrounded people in their daily routines and rituals of existence. There were no artificial sound vibrations from telephones or machinery; there were no stresses and diseases resulting from urban industrial complexities. There was the sound of water, the hum of the wind, the beauty of the stars in the sky, and the scent of the earth. There were natural tempos in every aspect of life, as people planted seeds, nurtured them into foodstuffs, and as they observed the cycles of nature they felt a connection to them. Nowadays we can live our entire lifespan without ever contacting nature in a direct way. We live in artificially controlled climates, we gather food from fast food restaurants or from stores where it is packaged in a factory; we invite a total divorce of ourselves from our natural origins and our organic, original pace of life.

Meditation allows us an easy, convenient, portable method to enter into those lost natural rhythms and aesthetics, by closing out the world around us, letting go of our bodies, and clearing the mind of all the artificial stress it gathers knowingly or unknowingly during the course of lives.

Meditation costs nothing, it has no harmful side affects, and it won’t add calories or cholesterol to your body. Nor is it addictive in the sense of drugs and alcohol. But it does provide practitioners with an elevated sense of well-being, often compared to a natural “high” more powerful than those induced by drugs, and this component of meditation is one that can be fully embraced for positive, healthy benefits.

The human body is a complex creation, and in the brain the body naturally produces drugs that are hundreds of times more powerful than pharmaceutical narcotics. As one meditates, the body secretes mysterious hormones and chemicals that actually provide an incredible rush of energy and happiness, and this is only one of the amazing side effects of meditation practice.

Meditation is different things to different people. Some use it in place of, or in addition to, psychotherapy. Others find it most valuable as a tool to enhance sports or work performance, and to increase the memory and other mental functions. Some people rely upon it to help them deal with grief or the aftermath of trauma or tragedy, and to regain a contentment and appreciation for life’s beauties. And there are those who use meditation as a creative tool to inspire them in the arts. Meditation gives us stronger and more sustainable vigor, sexual energy, and calm, as it provides a restfulness that is comparable to deep, exceptionally restful sleep.

There are countless reasons to meditate, and one way to make the world a better and more peaceful and harmonious place, is for all of us to dedicate some time out of our stressful lives to pause and drink from the mental oasis of meditation practice.

Meditation to Relieve Stress: The Connection between Mind & Body - By Anna Dorbyk

Benefits Of Meditation For Our Wellness - By Greg Culver

There's no question that the modern western lifestyle is becoming increasingly responsible for many life threatening diseases including stroke & heart attack. Longer working hours combined with fast food, lack of exercise & dysfunctional households are all common characteristics of our western lifestyle.

Mental & physical health costs are going thru the roof & it seems that we're powerless to do anything about these damning statistics. Or are we? What role can meditation play in this scenario?

What is it & can meditation be the saviour of Corporate America? Meditation, an exercise recommended for everyone, but especially those of us with hectic, stressful lifestyles, is defined as an engagement in contemplation, especially of a spiritual or devotional nature.

Meditation has been shown to relieve stress & promote overall good health, by simply reflecting upon our day & finding happiness within ourselves. This & other mind exercises help us to keep our mind fit & functioning at top performance levels.

But up until the last 20 years, meditation was something the western world new little about.

Is it necessary for our health? Or have we just come up with a new fad, to fill up the empty hours of our day?

Our mind has varying levels of operation, known as brainwaves. As we pass thru the different stages of our day, we enter various stages of brain wave activity. The brain uses this tool as one way to allow us time to rest our busy mind & cope with all the pieces of information we’ve received, a way to kind of “mind file” for the day.

Modern alternative medicine & holistic healers believe in the power of the energy that flows thru our bodies; this energy radiates from our mind as well. It's believed to be the chief form of transportation for our body’s nervous system to carry out communication.

Breathing techniques, music, aromas & candle therapy are all ways we utilize the opportunities to reflect on our day, allow our mind to rest & replenish itself for further use. But are these methods keeping us mentally fit?

Yes, it does help to keep us mentally fit. The great benefit in meditation, however, is the mind’s ability to transform itself into a vehicle for higher awareness.

Meditation is a way for us to become aware of the fact that there is more to our being than just our physical activity. We have so much more potential locked away in our mind, resources that we never tap into until we have the chance to quiet the mind, quiet our surroundings & open the door to the possibilities we don’t examine on a day to day basis.

In our meditative state, thoughts that never have the opportunity to be heard during the bustle of the day are afforded the opportunity to come forward & be heard. Every step that we take is a step in some direction for our life.

The opportunity to set our own destiny, develop our manifestation of what we believe our life should be, is the opportunity meditation provides. Every action we’ve ever taken started as a thought. The thought was then brought into reality by our action on that thought.

So are we able to produce new thoughts & new possibilities, in this time of quiet reflection?

Meditation doesn't have to be formal in the true sense of the word. We don’t need to sit in the lotus position & chant! It can be anything that enables us to have time to reflect on our inner thoughts.

For example, it may mean a walk in a park for some, or a yoga class for another. It can be finding a quiet place in the garden for an hour or laying on your bed & relaxing in total silence. If it promotes reflection of your inner most thoughts & results in de-stressing your body, then it can be termed “meditation”.