How to Meditate

Walking Mediation Instructions

2011-07-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for walking meditation instructions? People think that meditation is always performing in a quiet room where no one can disturb them. They think that they should sit alone in that room and just concentrate and focusing without any physical movement.

If we define meditation then it is a skill or art which helps you in exploring yourself. By the help of meditation process you will discover yourself. It is a method of finding out yourself and many realities of your life. It is an excellent art and you must know how you will perform meditation.

There are different type procedures for performing meditation. Walking meditation is considered one of the old and traditional procedures. It is different from the regular meditation. If you look at different forms of meditation then you know that in most of them there is no physical activity. There are not realy any special walking meditation instructions, you simply need to move and walk. In this type of meditation you make yourself active. As you know that meditation is the process of concentration and focusing so you just need to walk and engage your mind in order to get positive results. Another benefit of walking meditation is that it is physical activity which you perform daily and it helps you in improving your health.

For walking meditation you have no need to find a quiet space - just go out and start your walking meditation. If you are think that you cannot do walking meditation in crowded or noisy place then you are wrong. Just concentrate hard and be focused. Don't allow the people and outer world to disturb you and scatter your mind. When you are walking if you find yourself watching other people walking around you, simply concentrate.

Basically the purpose of walking meditation is to create a balance between your inner world and your outer world at same time. Walking meditation gives you a true sense of awareness. In this meditation you will not only discover yourself but you are also connected with your outside world.

Reduce Stress Through Mediation

2011-07-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

Do you want to Reduce Stress Through Mediation? In today's world, many people live a very hectic lifestyle just to make ends meet. People need to work hard in order for them to live their daily lives in comfort and also in order to feed their family. You have to consider that with today's economy, you too have to work hard in order to provide for your family and for yourself.

However, you may provide all you and your family's daily needs, but you have to consider that being stressed all the time is also bad for your health. Recent studies indicate that stress contributes to high blood pressure and heart diseases. Thanks to the hectic lifestyle that people live today, heart disease is considered to be the number one killer in the United States of America.

This is why you should also know how to free your mind and body from stress in order for you to live a healthy and comfortable life. Many people relieve their stress by relaxing in their favorite chair while watching their favorite TV show. This can help, but it still doesn’t give you enough rest. One of the best ways to reduce stress is through meditation. Through meditation, you will be able to fully relax your mind and body. You have to consider that by watching TV, your brain is still working full time by absorbing all the details in TV. You may be relaxed physically, but mentally, you are not.

So, aside from sleeping, meditation is the next best thing to relax. It enables you to fully relax your mind and body and keep it fresh again without sleeping. Besides, you only sleep once a day and sometimes, because of work some people lack sleep. If you are one of these people, then you have to learn how to meditate. Although meditation has been discovered thousands of years before, you have to consider that modern science and research have found that meditation can indeed relax your mind and body. There is scientific proof that meditation can even be better than sleep.

However, before you start practicing meditation, you have to have the essential tools for it in order for you to experience proper meditation.

Of course, one of the best ways to relax is by sitting. If you combine it with meditation, you can maximize your meditation method. However, a conventional chair just won't do. You have to consider getting a meditation chair in order to provide more comfort and increase your meditation potential to its fullest.

Meditation requires you to be in the right sitting position. If you take meditation classes, you will know about the right sitting position in meditation. Although you may see Buddhist monks sitting and meditation on hard wood, you have to consider that they are experts and don’t need the assistance of meditation chairs. The meditation chair provides additional comfort to your bottom and your back to allow the proper flow of energy throughout your body.

Meditation chairs are well-cushioned to provide comfort and convenience. So, if you are just starting out on meditation, you should consider getting a meditation chair in order for you to practice meditation in comfort.

The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

2011-07-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

Many people know that the Romans are great people who conquered most of the ancient world. They also introduced modern civilization and a lot of useful inventions that modern society is still using today. Of course, Hollywood movies have depicted the Romans as great warriors and they also depicted their emperors as great conquerors who are responsible for leading their great armies to victory against the barbarians.

However, not many people know that Romans are also great philosophers and one of their emperors named Marcus Aurelius has been depicted as a great emperor who brought many victories to the Roman Empire as well as great philosophical writing. Not many people know that Marcus Aurelius was not only a great emperor who led the Great Roman Legions against barbaric Germanic tribes and Gaul tribes and won, he is also a devout stoic philosopher who wrote The Meditations.

This particular Philosophical Book has been recognized as one of the greatest works of art. It is still being revered as a literary monument on government service. This philosophical book has been praised as having exquisite accent and infinite tenderness.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius contains series of personal writings by the author. It mainly contains Marcus Aurelius' ideas on Stoic philosophy.

This particular book was written during his campaigns between the years 170 and 180 in Greece. He wrote this for his on personal improvement and served as guidance to his leadership. Up to this day, his memos survived and are still being revered to as an inspirational book that everyone should read.

Translated by George Long into English in 1862, this particular book has been reprinted many times and it is included in Harvard Classics.

Marcus Aurelius Stoic principle inside this book is said to contain denial of emotion. He stated that this is a skill where a man will remain free from the pleasures and pains of the material world. He also stated in this book that the only way a man can be harmed is to allow his reaction to overcome him.

You have to remember that the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius contains no religious faith. Instead it contains benevolent and logical force that explains that bad occurrences happen in the universe for the good of many.

The plainness of the book is overwhelming to most people who read and understood it. The writings of Marcus Aurelius are very different in style. It is said that the contents was not obscured by consciousness of the presence of listeners. Although people fail to understand the Stoic philosophy inside the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, people who do are moved and inspired.

You have to expect that this is an inspiring book and is considered to be one of the greatest works of philosophy. If you want to read this book, you are in luck. Up to this day, this book is still available for reading and for purchase. In fact, this book is so popular that there are many translated versions of it. You can also download the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius in the internet for free.

Soft Music for Meditation

2011-07-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to relax your mind and body is through sleeping. However, you have to consider that you only sleep once a day and sometimes, you lack sleep because of work. So, the next best thing to sleep is by meditating. You may also want to consider listing to some soft music for meditation.

Meditation has been around for thousands of years. However, recent studies have found that meditation is beneficial to the mind and body. In fact, research was made on sleeping and meditation. The scanners have found that the brain is more relaxed in meditation than in sleeping. There is less activity in the brain when you meditate. This means that you will be able to fully relax your mind and also your body and keep it fresh all day long.

Usually, meditation requires a quiet room to practice meditation on. However, studies have found that soft meditation music can also help in meditating. People who don't normally achieve full meditation in a quiet room were introduced to soft and calm music. The research was a success. It states that music can indeed help in meditation and it is now being introduced in meditation classes all over the United States as a helpful tool in meditation.

Ambient meditation music can be downloaded for free over the internet. You will hear soft and relaxing music that will enable you to meditate properly. Meditation music can also help you to go to sleep as well. Other use for meditation music is for sex. It has been found that certain meditation music enhances the sexual atmosphere and gets both partners in the mood for sex.

As you can see, meditation can be used for different purposes. If you want to relax and meditate, choose a relaxing, quiet environment, play your music and start meditating. You will see that it will increase your chances of relaxing through meditation.

Teaching Children Meditation

2011-07-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Who says that meditation is only for adults? Today, even children can do meditation. Times are changing at a very fast pace. Even children are prone to stress and depression. They are too young to take many medications, and one great alternative is teaching children meditation.

Through a doctor's visit, your child's problem can be identified. Some doctors will readily express that your child is a good candidate for meditation. But since they are still too young to do meditation on their own, you must think about how to teach your child meditation and look for a guided meditation that will suit your child.

Children are easily discouraged of lengthy sessions, and that is why if you are teaching children meditation you will find that almost all of the meditation courses offered for children are only for a day.

If you're child is 8 to 12 years old, it's quite easy to find an organization or institution that offer such courses on meditation. Try to do a search online and see if you can find one near your locality. You can also ask friends and relatives if they know of a certain meditation course offered exclusively for children. Your child is a precious gift from God. So it is very important to aid him or her in their meditation.

There are several meditation techniques that you can choose from, but of all the techniques, it is best to choose the Anapana meditation. Why, you might ask; well, children are easily taught of this particular technique. Anapana meditation is a mental purification process that is achieved by self-observation. Children are very observant, so this is the right time to mentally train your child.

Anapana meditation is just the very first step in Vipassana meditation practice. This involves the observation of your natural respiration, the inhalation and exhalation. This step can help your child in mind concentration. Aside from that, this technique can also calm your child, help your child understand his self better, and how your child's mind works. Your child can develop inner strength to help him in choosing the appropriate and right actions over the wrong ones. Anapana meditation can provide your child with the right tool to face up to anxieties, fears, and childhood pressures.

When teaching your children meditation you can also help in opening a new dimension in their life that will be of great value in the future and may be one that they can use for as long as they live.

Make sure that your child follows all the instructions given on the duration of the course. There are also certain codes of conduct that your child has to follow. Anapana meditation is a very good foundation for your child. What's good about this technique is that it also the entails participation of the family. You must provide proper support for your child so that he/she can learn easily. It would be best to accompany your child through the duration of the course.

How to Incorporate Christian Daily Meditations into Your Life

2011-07-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking of starting some Christian Daily Meditations? When you hear people say meditation, the chances are that you will think of Buddhist monks humming with their hands on their large beads.

However, you have to consider that meditation isn't only done by bald monks in yellow robes in order to reach enlightenment. You have to consider that other religions, such as the Christian religion also practices meditation but in a very different way.

The Christian bible tells Christian followers to think about God's word. You have to consider that what you think about affects the action you take. The mind is a powerful part of your body that can control your mind. So, by thinking about God's words about the great things you have to do in order to benefit other people and help people who can't help themselves, you will be making a good thing on society.

Meditation has a very different meaning in the Christian religion. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to shave your head and wear yellow robes, lie down on the floor or squat in order to meditate, meditation in the Christian religion means to think. In Christian meditation, you have to think about the good words that God has commanded people to do. You have to consider that you shouldn’t break the commandments and you have to do good to your fellow human beings in order to go to heaven and have eternal life.

You should consider that meditation isn't just about thinking about Gods word, but you have to consider that you have to focus on it in order to imprint it in your mind and have a guide to live your life free from sin. Christian meditation is very easy to do and not as complex as you might think. All you need to do is pray with your heart and think of the things God have said. There are three times during a day where you can do Christian meditation in order to guide your everyday life. First is just before you sleep in order to make sure that you think of what God's words were as you go to sleep, upon waking up in order to have a guide to start your day, and some time in your day so that you won't forget about God's word.

You don’t have to lie down in order to do Christian daily meditation. All you need to do is think about God's word wholeheartedly and also accept them as your daily guide in your daily life.

As you can see, you will know what your priorities in life are if you do Christian daily meditations. All you need is a little time to think about what God has said and in order to satisfy your soul's needs. As you live life like this, you will see that you will be happier and be more satisfied on how you live your life.

Meditation Floor Pillows

2011-07-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Meditation is a wholesome activity that must be part of the daily routine not only for Buddhists but for individuals who seek for peace within themselves. Nowadays, meditation is no longer just a matter of religion, but an undertaking. There are different types of meditation techniques that can be applied.

In meditation, the proper posture is one of the significant factors in order to achieve the internal peace that one seeks to have. Keeping the back straight when meditating contributes to the establishment of focus and concentration. And since meditation session take some time, comfort must be worked out too during the process. Meditation floor pillows are a vital means in maintaining proper posture and comfort.

Meditation floor pilloiws are also known as zafu, which literally means sewn seat. The zafu is typically handmade and designed attractively. The meditation cushion is placed under the buttocks while the meditator is cross-legged during the meditation session. Aside from comfort, the meditation cushion also helps to propel the knees downward the floor in order to have stability and balance. The meditation cushion is usually used with the cushioned mat or zabuton.

The meditation floor pillow is traditionally round and with pleated sides. The cover is generally made of thicker fabric that builds its durability. The materials used for the outer skin of the medication cushion are cotton twill and cotton drill. These come in different colors and designs. The circular top of the medication cushion and the bottom are connected by a pleated side. Meditation cushions are hand woven that gives it a stylish finish. There are different materials used as a filling but the most popular are natural kapok, cotton batting or buckwheat hulls. The natural kapok is a fiber extracted from ceiba trees. This is a lightweight material that can also produce warmth to the body. Kapok fibers do not easily compact that makes them suitable for filling. The cotton batting is a form of padding used even in upholstery and quilting. The buckwheat hulls are known for their durability. This type of material can easily conform to the desired shape. They are hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly materials. The buckwheat hulls provide a firm seat surface for the buttocks. All these materials can best sustain the shape of the meditation cushion. The medication cushions are made with concealed openings so that the outer skin can be washed without the filling getting wet. And for added strength, the meditation cushions are double stitched.

The meditation cushions differ in thickness and diameter depending upon personal preferences. On the other hand, the standard measure that most manufacturers use is 40 centimeter in diameter and 20 centimeter in thickness. This configuration is suited for those with average built.

The medication floor pillow helps sustain the whole meditation period. It also helps avoid back pains which can be experienced during long periods of meditation. The meditation cushion conforms with the policy of medication which speaks of being kind and gentle to oneself.

Healing Chakra Meditation

2011-07-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

Your health is one of the most important things that you have to take care of and this is why you may want to consider some healing chakra meditation.

A lot of people are doing everything they can just to get the perfect balance of chemicals in their body in order to obtain perfect health. You also need to consider that a lot of people find it hard to relax and control their emotions. Anger can contribute to poor health and this is the emotion that you should try to avoid at as much as you possibly can. It is important that you should never be angry if you don’t need to be angry in order to balance your spiritual self to promote good health and good healing.

Today, a lot of people are not participating in different kinds of healing chakra meditation in order to achieve balance in their emotions and also in their spirit. You have to consider that meditating can contribute a lot of great benefits for your body. With meditation, you will be able to relax more and you can effectively control your emotions and never be angry if you don’t need to be angry. By not wasting precious energy on being angry, you can put all these negative energies and turn it into positive energies that can be useful in your everyday life. Always remember that nothing uses up a lot of energy more than anger.

So, if you are having problems controlling your emotions, problems in relaxing, or you simply want to experience oneness with yourself, you have to try healing chakra meditation.

Healing Chakra meditations are gaining popularity today because of the health benefits it gives. Not only that you will have better health, but you will also live a happier life with chakra meditation. It is very important that you should do the chakra meditation everyday for at least 30 minutes each day in order to achieve spiritual healing as well as emotional stability.

Learning how to do chakra meditation is easy and everyone can do it. All you need is a quiet room where you won't be disturbed for at least 30 minutes and a little bit of imagination and you're off.

First of all, you have to consider that there are seven major chakras found in your body. These chakras are considered to be a very important part of your body that needs to be balanced in order to promote good health. The seven chakras are Shasrara (crown), Ajna (between brows), Vishudda (throat), Anahata (heart), Manipura (navel), Svadisthana (sacral), and Muladhara (root). You have to know how to open up your seven chakras in order to promote spiritual balance and good physical health.

You should also remember that it will need the right breathing practices in order to successfully do chakra meditation. These are some of the things you have to know about chakra meditation. If you want to do this kind of meditation, you should visit your nearest Yoga instructor and they will teach you the proper way of doing chakra meditation.

Does Mediation Improve your Memory?

2010-11-29T16:39:00.000-08:00

Does Mediation Improve your Memory? One of the main benefits of meditation is that it helps the body to relax. Through concentration and breathing, stress can be released and this allows you to be much more receptive and open. Meditation can be beneficial to memory because if you are relaxed your memory will improve.

If there have been times when you forgot something like a birthday, you will recall the guilt that followed. Most likely you were already in stress. This guilt in turn feed the cycle of forgetfulness by turning into anxiety which made you forget other things and so on.

Using meditation techniques you can open up the mind and allow memory function to improve. You will find your self being able to recall things like phone numbers, dates, and names without having to refer to books can calenderers.

Meditation can be simple enough to perform on a daily basis. Use meditation in combination with a program of developing memory to help you boost your memory. You want to find a place that is quiet. You can use things such as candles or essential oils to get into the mood and help your relax. In fact, some essential oils can be beneficial for the memory.

There are classes offered now in gyms or natural health care facilities all over the country. You can find one with an emphasis on boosting the memory. If you have a regular routine of meditation, it has the added benefit of improving your self esteem. If you know you are on target memory wise, you will feel good about yourself.

If you don’t want to join a class, there are plenty of manuals, books and other equipment that can help you get started. Some of these suggest breathing exercises to go with certain poses. If you mind is calm and relaxed then meditation can certainly help you to improve your memory.

Learning to Meditate

2010-11-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

Learning to meditate is a bit like riding a bike, once you've learned how to do it, it is a process you'll have access to the whole of your life.

But how should you start learning to meditate?

There are lots of meditation tutorials available on the internet, so these can be a good place to get started as long as they're not complicated with lots of jargon. Most are good and take the time out to explain any terms they are using so that beginners can understand them.

When you are initially learning to meditate it is very important to choose a meditation method that's easy to learn.

One of the best is a breathing meditation, a walking meditation or, if you prefer, a "high tech" meditation like Centerpointe where all you need to do is sit down and play a CD.

Once you've decided on your meditation method, you should try it out for at least a week or so to see whether or not it is right for you. If you are doing well, then keep going with it, but if you don't like it, it is best to try another method instead.

As with everything else in life, not everyone gets on with everything. There's nothing long with changing if you don't like a specific method.

Humans are creatures of habit so you should try to meditate at the same time each day. Set aside a specific time of the day when you are most likely to be able to carry out your meditation practice. Perhaps first thing in the morning, or when you come home after a hard day's work

Learning to Meditate takes time, so if it doesn't seem to be working for you initially, give it some time and you should soon start reaping the benefits.

How to Find the Time to Meditate

2010-11-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

We always seem to be in a rush nowadays. So how can you find the time to meditate? There are so many other things competing for our time that we always seem to be in a rush. Food and coffee on the go, speaking on the cell phone while doing other things, typing away at the computer whilst on the phone to a work colleague.

So how on earth can we devote even 15 or 20 minutes a day to simply meditating?

Initially it may seem an uphill struggle. But you find a few minutes every day to brush your teeth and a meditation session is just as essential for your overall health.

Maybe getting up a few minutes earlier would work for you? Or, if you're an evening person, the last few minutes before you go to sleep. A lot of people find this to be one of the best times to meditate as it puts them into a calm, relaxed state. Perfect for a good night's sleep.

If you can't devote the time every day to meditation, then consider becoming a weekend meditator. Oftentimes, Saturdays and Sundays are not quite as hectic as the rest of the week. So you may be able to regularly spend time on a meditation session. You'll still get a benefit from these sessions.

There are also times during the day that you can re-work to make the time to meditate.

If you watch the news, skip it! The news will still happen and if something important crops up, someone will tell you about it. This works well for me - I catch up on the news weekly and have yet to suffer withdrawal symptoms from my previous daily dose of news.

If you have a television recorder, use it to skip the adverts. That will free up 15 minutes or more per hour of television you watch.

Improve Concentration with Meditation

2010-10-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today, there are a lot of things that help in keeping us entertained. In the internet alone, there are a multitude of websites that do such that like video sharing sites, gaming sites and other websites which cater to our interests.

While there is nothing wrong with entertaining ourselves, a problem arises with our constant need for distractions. Because of that, it becomes difficult for us to focus on one thing.

We do not need to take extreme measures to help us focus. There are practices which can do the job for us. It includes the practice of meditation.

People take up meditation for different purposes and improving concentration is one of them. There are several methods by which meditation does its job.

One is through breathing exercises. Even an exercise that is as simple as being aware of the times we inhale and exhale can do wonders to our ability to concentrate.

While it may sound easy, it can be quite difficult especially if one has to deal with distractions such as outside noise.

Another method is by reciting a mantra. A mantra is a phrase or a sound that is recited repeatedly. For Catholics, praying the rosary is a form of a mantra.

The repetition becomes the center of the meditation to which the person’s attention becomes focused.

There are other more methods by which meditation can help improve concentration. However, the two mentioned above are the most basic and could help beginners start out with the practice.

Meditation Breathing Techniques

2010-10-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

Meditation breathing techniques are an integral part of meditation. Proper breathing is required in many practices of meditation and is therefore an important tool to be possessed by people who wish to perform this activity.

The practice of proper meditation breathing techniques help you to relax while doing the exercise. Proper breathing is achieved by inhaling through the nose, letting the diaphragm (not the chest) expand and exhaling through the mouth.

Doing this slows down your heart rate which leads to a more relaxed mood.

Meditation Breathing Techniques also play a significant role in improving your your concentration. This is done by focusing your mind on the act of taking in air and feeling it pass through the nostrils until the air is finally exhaled through the mouth.

While this may sound easy, it can be quite challenging when done for the first time.

There is also a method for increasing your awareness. Just like the concentration technique mentioned above, it involves focusing your attention on your breathing.

But instead of focusing on the act of inhaling and exhaling air, it is the sensation of breathing where you train your thoughts. The feeling of the air passing through the nose, filling the lungs and expanding the diaphragm is the sensation that a person should look for.

It helps you feel how it is to be truly alive.

Hopefully you now understand how important meditation breathing techniques are. It is no wonder, that mediation and breathing are inseparable activities.

Meditation Techniques for Stress

2010-09-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

People encounter stress everyday, some do at work or school, others at home. While they are usually able to cope with stress, sometimes the burden simply becomes too much that people break down because of it. One of the ways to deal with this is to learn meditation techniques for stress.

The Science of Stress

In the General Adaptation Syndrome model designed by Hans Selye, he identifies three stages that people undergo when stressed.

STAGE ONE: During the intial stage, the body goes on a state of alarm at the realization of a threat. In this stage, cortisol is released by the body.

STAGE TWO: The second stage is where the body becomes unable to cope with the strain until its resources are depleted.

STAGE THREE: In the final stage, the body breaks down which include the exhaustion of the immune system. Because of this, the body is unable to fight of sicknesses which then expose the person to
illnesses.

Learning meditation techniques for stress can help you to calm your mind and give you a greater sense of control over things. When you practise regularly, the things that are considered threats (the things which cause stress) become easier to manage.

However, this reduction of stress isn’t the end of the exercise. Since stress can make people prone to illness, reducing stress can help in keeping the person healthy.

If you make meditation part of your daily routine,this can result in improved health and resistance to illnesses, helping to prevent you from becoming stressed in the first place.

So the next time you feel stressed out, try to calm yourself down by practicing meditation. While your problems won’t exactly go away, you at least become mentally prepared to face them.

Meditation History

2010-09-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

The practice of meditation has been around for several millennia. Although there are no recorded texts which would point exactly when this practice started, several ancient civilizations became the cradle of today’s meditation practices. In this post we will take a brief look at Meditation History.

India particularly is hailed as the proponent of meditation as an organized practice. Over centuries, many Hindi scholars have written about meditation, from the ways of doing it to its benefits. Some of the well-known Hindi texts include the Vedas and the Yoga Sutras which was written by Patanjali.

But no one has arguably been more influential in the world of meditation than Siddharta Gautama, otherwise known as Buddha. In 500 BC, he achieved enlightenment through the practice of meditation. His influence spread throughout Asia and eventually the whole world.

While the East has has a very long meditation history, the Western world picked the practice up much later. In fact, it was only in the mid-20th century when meditation became a popular practice among Westerners.

Today, more and more meditation centers and organizations crop up in the West. While meditation used to be intertwined with religious practices, a good number of Western meditation centers are stripped off this spiritual aspect. They usually focus now on the health benefits of this practice especially in the fast-paced world of today.

But regardless of the loss of the spiritual side of meditation, it is still widely-recognized for its benefits to people’s mental well-being. It was and it still remains as one of the central aspects of meditation.

Meditation for Pain Relief

2010-09-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

If you are suffering from pain, you may want to consider meditation for pain relief. Before you do this, it is always advisable to seek medical advice for pain as pain is the body's way of letting you know that there is something wrong.

Anyone who has heard of the expression about the power of mind over matter will easily understand the benefit of meditation for pain relief.

Here are just a few methods in which meditation can help in alleviating pain:

Concentration techniques: ithese can help in easing your suffering by keeping your mind away from the source of the pain. Usually, a pain is even more magnified because you can't help but focus on it. If your attention is focused elsewhere, the pain becomes more manageable.

Mindfulness meditation: This involves being aware of your present condition and accepting it as such. If a person accepts that he/she is currently in pain, dealing with it would be much easier.

Visualization: This can also be considered as a type of self-hypnosis. It is done by creating an image of the pain and imagining it moving away from the body.

As suggested by these methods, they will not actually take the pain away, but they will make dealing with the pain a lot easier.

This is also the reason why methods like those mentioned should be coupled with the proper medical advice. As mentioned above, consulting your doctor is advised before even trying the meditation for pain relief exercises.

Meditation & Fear

2010-09-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Most people have a fear or phobia of certain things, be it of heights or speaking in front of people. While most people overcome their fears, some are crippled by it. This therefore prevents them from doing things that they would otherwise find enjoyable.

Meditation is one way for people trapped by their fears to finally get out of their shell and start living the full life.

A definition of fear is that it is the anxiety caused by a perceived danger. It is the state of mind by which a person foresees something wrong happening either to him/her or the people around him/her.

Meditation helps in overcoming a person’s fear by altering his/her state of mind. There are several ways by which this practice can help people achieve this.

One such way is called mindfulness meditation. By training the person to live in the now, his/her attention is veered away from the future where that person perceives the danger. Besides, it is only a mere perception and such event may or may not actually happen.

Visualization can also help a person cope with fear by making the person imagine what he/she will do in case the perceived danger comes. By being mentally prepared for such an event, the person will be able to deal with the future situation better.

Again, fear is a mere state of mind. Facing it, therefore, needs some alteration in the person’s perception of what may or may not happen. It can be achieved by the practice of meditation.

4 Benefits of Meditating

2010-08-25T04:56:00.000-07:00

The benefits of meditation have been known to humans ever since it was first practiced several millennia ago.

Here are 4 Benefits of Meditating.

1. Reduces Stress

Because meditation helps calm the mind and relax the individual, it helps a lot in reducing stress. This is usually achieved through the breathing exercises that form a part of the practice.

Stress reduction is one of the main reasons why people take up meditation.

2. Helps to Cure or Improve Illnesses

There are already documented cases wherein meditation was shown to have helped in curing an illness. A landmark study is the one done in 1976 by Australian psychiatrist Ainslie Meares which was published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

The study documented how a patient’s cancer regressed after sessions of intensive meditation. Meditation is also known to lower blood pressure levels, which is beneficial to patients who are at risk of hypertension and other heart-related conditions.

3. Improves concentration

One practice in meditation involves focusing on a particular object such as a candlelight, or reciting a mantra. Doing activities like these have been shown to improve a person’s concentration.

4. Acceptance of events

Another aspect of meditation is the ability to take things as they are. This helps a lot in reducing a person’s frustrations over things that he/she cannot control.

People who will surely benefit from this include those who are undergoing anger management.

Christmas Meditation - relieving stress at Xmas

2008-12-13T17:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas can be a very stressful time, especially if you are responsible for buying all the presents, cooking the Christmas dinner, entertaining guests and attending lots of parties.

One way to relieve the stress is to use some Christmas Meditataions.

The following article has some great Christmas Meditation techniques and ways to help you relax over the festive season:

Using Meditation To Relieve Stress

Not long ago, meditation was seen as more of a joke than a useful therapy technique. I remember seeing many comedies where one person would be sitting with their legs crossed "ohm"ing while someone else made fun of them. Over the past few years, however, the benefits of meditation have become more widely accepted. One of the major benefits it offers is relief for stress and anxiety.

Why is meditation so helpful in relieving stress? Well, first of all it helps your mind to focus on something other than the causes of your stress. By focusing on one thing, it helps to release the anxiety.

Meditation also helps to repair the damage caused by stress - both physical and mental. Meditation helps promote certain chemical reactions in your body that help promote peace and relaxation.

These benefits are merely short-term, however. The real benefit to meditation is in its longer-term effects. By practicing it daily, it can help to keep hormone levels in balance, as well as other chemicals that affect stress and anxiety, from day to day - even when you're going about your daily routine.

One of the best things about meditation as a form of therapy is that it doesn't require any particular physical skills. Unlike yoga or other physical methods of relaxation, you do not need to be coordinated or in shape for it to be effective. You can begin with basic techniques and work your way into more advanced methods as you practice.

Here are four tips for getting started:

1. Find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted and sit in a position that is comfortable. There is no "right" position - you merely need to be comfortable and able to relax.

2. Close your eyes and allow your muscles to relax. The best way to do this is to focus on each muscle in your body, starting at your feet and working up.

3. Slow your breathing while repeating your mantra. A mantra can be something like the "ohm" that is the stereotypical example or something else that has meaning for you.

4. If you find your mind is starting to wander, don't get upset by it. Remain relaxed and direct your thoughts back on track. This is something that will improve with practice.

If you do this regularly, you will help your body and mind to be more peaceful and relaxed. You'll see results not only in lower levels of stress, but also physical and mental functions.

About the Author:

Are you dealing with stress or anxiety problems? Get some helpful information about stress relief, anxiety medications and other treatments on the Anxiety Action website. Visit http://www.anxietyaction.com for more tips and advice.

Using these techniques over the Christmas period can help you to relax and feel more calm.

Can Meditation Prevent a Heart Attack?

2008-10-04T08:19:00.001-07:00

Meditation is an easy thing to incorporate into your lifestyle and it has many benefits including a greater sense of well being, a reduction in anxiety and a reduction in stress. All of these things can help to prevent heart disease.

Patients in the many hospitals in the UK, who have suffered a heart attack receive an after care package. Included in the after care package is information on diet, exercise, and stress. The main way they teach you how to manage stress is by including CDs on mediation and relaxation.

The power of meditation has been clinically proven to reduce blood pressure by as much as 10 points. Furthermore it is claimed that Transcendental Meditation is the most effective form of meditation.There are some benefits of meditation that are not easy to quantify but it is clear that there are a lot of benefits including health benefits and spiritual benefits. These include a greater sense of well being, better concentration, a higher level of contentment and improved immunity.It is easy to make meditation a part of your every day lifestyle and all you need is to set aside half an hour a day away from all distractions.

Get started by visiting your local book shop or library and get a few books on meditation. There are also a few good web sites devoted to the topic, The main problem you might encounter is that among the few good sites there are a few sites specifically dedicated to lightening your wallet and furnishing you with little information in return.It is not essential, but it can often help if you choose a mantra as part of your meditation practise. A Mantra is a chant which helps you focus, concentrate and empty the mind.

Sit comfortably, gently close your eyes, take a deep breath in and allow your diapgragm (belly) to expand as you breath in and contract as you breath out. As you do this repeat your Mantra out loud. Continue doing this for a few minutes.

Continue mentally repeating your Mantra and try not to force your concentration on your Mantra. It should come easily and without effort. Soon your mind will become empty. To be really effective you should meditate twice a day, once in the morning before breakfast and in the afternoon before dinner.

Peace be with you - and happy meditation.

Ten Minute Meditation For A Relaxing Energy

2008-09-04T04:05:00.000-07:00

Try this easy yoga and meditation routine to relax your body and energize your mind. Each pose can be done now at your computer. In other words, don't wait to "relax" when you are done working...DO IT NOW!!!!

With this meditation you can really increase your relaxation!!! It is convenient and really does work. It is all about getting your mind and body in "that zone".

Start out in a cross legged or any seated position. Pull you shoulders up, back, and then down. Lift your chest up to the sky, and contract your abs. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Use the back of your throat to create that raspy sound to control the air flow and prevent hyperventilation. When you breathe in through your nose, stick out your tummy. Stick it way out. Just like a baby when he breathes in. Visualize how a baby breathes, it's perfect. Then contract it back in when you breathe out through your mouth as if you are protecting yourself from a punch.

Lifting up through your cage, pull your chin in and open up the back of your neck. Now make a conscious effort to relax your hands, feet, and face muscles. You are going to start concentrating on your breathing. In through your nose, and out through your mouth.

Close your eyes now for three minutes or so now while using this "diaphragmatic breathing technique". After you open your eyes, rub your hands together then place them over your eyes for another two minutes give or take. When you open your eyes again, slightly lean forward...then back.....then to the right......then to the left.....then center yourself.

Close your eyes again for 2 more minutes and think of someone you love. Then dedicate this meditation to them. When you open your eyes for a third time, place your right hand over your forehead, as close to your skin as you can, with out actually touching it. Make small circles around that area.This area represents your "inner voice". Some people call it Gods voice or intuition.

Close your eyes and keep using the diaphramatic breathing technique and visualize a high vibrational energy made out of cool blue light breathing in thru that inner voice space on your forehead. Clearing it and opening it. While you breathe out thru your mouth, visualize any low vibrational energy or negative energy coming out. Open your eyes after 30 seconds.

You are then going to take your left hand over your throat and do the same thing and know that this area represents your self expression and confidence. 30 seconds with your hand over this area.

Ok, now take your right hand and place it over your heart. Know that this area represents peace, love, and harmony. Open this area up. Now close your eyes and do the same thing. Close your eyes for 30 seconds with your hand over this area.

Now take your left hand and place it over your solar plexis (Diaphram) and know that this area represents your confidence and strength. Imagine yourself strong and confident. Remember to continue imagining the high vibrational energy/light breathing in that area. Close your eyes for 30 seconds with your hand over this area.

Now your right hand goes over the area between your belly button and pubic bone. Breath in that high energy, remember out thru your mouth. This area will represent order, organization, and cleansing. Close your eyes for 30 seconds with your hand over this area.

Lastly, put both hands over either knee. This will represent your foundations. Visualize your home, school, social circles, etc.... as strong and supportive. Close your eyes for 30 seconds with your hands over these areas.

Now, close your eyes one more time for several minutes if you like and visualize yourself with the following gifts as if you are looking at a snap shot of yourself: a. intuitive b. self expressive c. in harmony and joy d.strong, very strong and confident e. in order and organized and f. in a supportive and friendly home, community , and universe.

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Gina Cool is the owner of http://www.CoolfitnessYOGA.com . She considers it an honor to help people get fit in mind, body, and spirit. She has been in the fitness industry for over 15 years. She has a BA in kinisiology.

Do I Have To Change My Religion/Philosophy for meditation?

2008-07-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

You need not change your religion, philosophical or ethical beliefs. Or your lifestyle, for that matter. Transcendental Meditation (TM) does not involve any religion, philosophy or any particular lifestyle. It does not prescribe any kind of codes of conduct, ethical or moral guidelines. Nor does it ask you to perform any kind of worship.

TM, in fact, is a simple technique that will enhance your religious well-being, no matter which faith you belong to. Millions of people of all religions, including priests, practice TM. They say they can follow the tenets of their religion better as TM eliminates their stress and fatigue and increases energy and intelligence.

Here's what TM is not:

It's not a religion.TM is a meditation technique. Millions of people of all religions, including priests, practice TM and reap its benefits. It releases stress and purifies the mind, body, and emotions of the person who practices it, thus helping him/her to be more faithful to his/her religion. Meditation itself was a technique religiously followed by the Buddhists and later spread throughout the world as a popular medium to relieve stress and find all the benefits one may want to find and acquire in his life. The results are very encouraging for those who follow and meditation is followed by people of all faiths.

It's not a philosophy. While philosophical thoughts mainly dwell on theories, transcendental meditation is almost a science. We have seen people actively following it in their daily lifestyles and several cases of incredible benefits have been observed.TM is a simple, mechanical technique, like switching on a TV or computer. The technique is scientific too, because it is universally applicable, repeatable, and verifiable by anyone, anywhere.Scientific research on the Transcendental Meditation program proves that the technique works. Positive reports from people who practice the technique show that anyone can learn and enjoy it.

It's not a lifestyle. You don't need to change your lifestyle to start practicing TM. All you have to do is just learn it, practice it, and enjoy the benefits .You can have better memory, clearer and more orderly thinking, greater creativity and ability to focus, use of your whole brain and its full potential, sharper intellect, higher IQ, better grades, more alertness, expanded consciousness. Students following these techniques regularly have found out that they perform better at schools, get better grades and show their true potentials.

The best proof of the Transcendental Meditation program is in learning it yourself. The benefits come naturally and spontaneously.

Why will meditation techniques not work for any one ? With proper guidance and all the best of mind tools, meditation can drmatically change your world.

How to be Natural with Yourself in Meditation

2008-05-28T12:15:00.001-07:00

Meditation happens spontaneously when you have the right conditions and you allow the natural process to unfold. You don't have to force anything. The body, in its wisdom, seizes the opportunity to heal and balance if you give it half a chance. Meditation is that half a chance.
When meditating, you have marked the time out and said to the nervous system, "You are free. I won't make you do anything else right now."

The goal of all training is to be natural with yourself so that meditation does not feel like a technique at all but rather just a way of being with yourself. There is something wonderful and almost miraculous in how meditation works. If you do the simplest technique, in the easiest manner, you tend to enter a state of profound physical relaxation and regeneration.

When you are natural and unaffected with yourself, your experience changes continuously and your senses pulsate. You feel as though the knowledge of how to meditate is your own, that this wisdom comes from inside you.

Qualities of a Meditation Teacher

2008-01-05T10:37:00.001-08:00

Whatever your expectations and preconceptions, you may need to set them aside when you look for a meditation teacher as he or she may appear in a guise you don't anticipate.

You may wish to compare your prospective teacher against the following checklist of characteristics that the best teachers should embody.

Not all teachers will have every one of these ideal characteristics, but the more, the better:

They encourage independent thinking and open inquiry in their students, rather than blind obedience to a particular dogma or ideology
They are mainly concerned with the spiritual development of their students, not with fame, power, influence, or the size of their organization
They practice what they preach, rather than considering themselves exempt from the moral and ethical guidelines that others must follow.
They are humble, ordinary, down-to-earth, not arrogant or inflated. In Zen monasteries, the head monk cleans the toilets.
They are honest, straightforward, and clear without being evasive or defensive. As people gain spiritual maturity, they become increasingly free of psychological baggage
They embody the highest spiritual qualities, such as kindness, patience, equanimity, joy, peace, love, and compassion.

Practising Meditation at Work

2007-12-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

With tight deadlines, performance reviews, and the threat of downsizing, today's highly competitive work environment places extraordinary pressures on employees and managers alike.

Even practitioners of traditionally stable occupations like teaching and medicine are experiencing unprecedented work stress. But whatever your job situation, you can reduce your stress by following these tips for meditating while you work:

Each morning before you leave, you can reinforce your resolve to stay as calm and relaxed as possible. If you can, meditate briefly before you head out the door to set the tone of the day.
Have lunch with people you like or have a quiet lunch alone. You can also take a walk or do some other kind of exercise during your break; a great way to relieve your stress.
Instead of hanging around the coffee machine and adding caffeine to your long list of stressors, use your breaks to meditate quietly in your office or cubicle.
Once every hour or two take a few minutes to stop what you're doing, take a few deep breaths, follow your breathing, and get up and stretch or walk around.

Initiating the Flow of Unconditional Love Through Meditation

2007-10-19T02:05:00.001-07:00

The following steps will allow you to initiate the flow of unconditional love, also known as loving-kindness through meditation. To distinguish this kind of love from conditional love, imagine the love of a good mother for her baby. She gives her love freely and unconditionally, without expecting anything in return except her baby's happiness and well-being.

As with all the meditations, you may want to begin with five or ten minutes of a mindfulness practice like counting or following your breaths in order to deepen and stabilize your concentration. Once you get the knack, though, the cultivation of loving kindness itself can be an excellent way to develop concentration.

1. Begin by closing your eyes, taking a few deep breaths, and relaxing your body a little with each exhalation.

2. Imagine the face of someone who loved you very much as a child and whose love moved you deeply.

3. Remember a time when this person showed his or her love for you and you really took it in.

4. Notice the gratitude and love this memory evokes in your heart. Allow these feelings to well up and fill your heart.

5. Gently extend these feelings to this loved one. You may even experience a circulation of love between the two of you as you give and receive love freely.

6. Allow these loving feelings to overflow and gradually suffuse your whole being. Allow yourself to be filled with love.

Learn to Live with Meditation-Born Awareness.

2007-09-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Learn to live more superconsciousiy. This means to live with meditation-born awareness. Try to make the peace you experience in meditation the basis of your objective experience of life. Do not let the meditative peace slip between your fingers the moment you find the winds of worldly duties again hit you.

Do not let the insistent demands people make of you blow away your calm self-awareness. Never let others define you in their terms. You should live by what you believe and know of yourself, inwardly. Your abiding reality is the peace, love, and joy you have experienced in your own soul.

Meditation will sharpen your concentration and develop your will power. Obstacles of many kinds will simply disappear, and you will be able to accomplish in minutes what in the past might have taken you hours, days, or even weeks to do. By practicing meditation, many had found that by coming to work with a clear mind they could solve problems on which others would have spent days.

For intuition, the natural fruit of meditation has one supreme advantage over the reasoning faculty: It provides inner certainty. The rational mind can never be quite sure of anything. The best it ever does is decide on which, out of a variety of possibilities, seems the best choice. Great discoveries and accomplishments are the consequence, always, of some measure of intuition.

Learn to look at life more with a sense of unity. Do not try to analyze everything. Obviously, there are situations where analysis is necessary, but even then, cling to a deeper consciousness of the interrelationship of all things. Be guided, above all, by inner joy. The more you let yourself be guided superconsciousiy, the more you will feel joy in everything you do. You will reach the point of understanding that, if that quiet, inner joy is missing, anything you contemplate doing were better left undone. And when inner joy is present, it will be your way of knowing for a certainty that what you contemplate is right and good.

Meditation and the Third Eye

2007-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

There is a huge significance in concentrating at the point between the eyebrows. The point between the eyebrows is known as the Christ center. It is here that the meditator, when deeply concentrated, beholds the spiritual eye or third eye, a phenomenon that has been known since ancient times.

Legends thousands of years old describe this third eye as being located right in the center of the forehead. Artists often depict it as a half moon. Modern scholars dismiss the entire concept as fanciful, or as merely symbolic. But then, few scholars know much about meditative practices; the understanding they admire is intellectual.

The spiritual eye is a reflection of the astral light in the medulla oblongata. The Christ center, where it resides, represents the positive pole of the medulla which is the seat of ego-consciousness. When this light is beheld perfectly, it takes the form of a five-pointed star set in a field of deep blue or violet light, and circled by a shining ring of gold. In a state of ecstasy, the consciousness penetrates the spiritual eye and enters the inner realms.

The consciousness of most human beings is centered in the medulla oblongata. Everything they do, think, and perceive, being centered in ego-awareness, originates from this point of awareness. The consciousness of enlightened beings, on the other hand, is centered in the Christ center between the eyebrows. All their actions, thoughts, and perceptions originate from that point.

It is good to deepen your awareness of the medulla, since it is the point through which consciousness and energy must pass in order to reach the Christ center. The goal, however, is to reach the Christ center. To remain blocked in the medulla would be to feed ego-consciousness. In meditation, concentrate at a point midway between the eyebrows. Raise your gaze upward—not crossing the eyes, but focusing them on a point somewhat beyond the forehead at about the distance of your thumb when you hold your arm extended above you. However, don't be too exact in this matter. The important thing is that your attention be focused at the point between the eyebrows.

Finding a Deeper Sense of Purpose through Meditation

2007-08-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

When you practice making the shift from doing and thinking to being (living in the moment) you discover how to align yourself with a deeper current of meaning and belonging. You may get in touch with personal feelings and aspirations that have long remained hidden from your conscious awareness. Or you may connect with a more universal source of purpose and direction; what some people call the higher self or inner guidance.

As your meditation gradually opens you to the subtlety and richness of each fleeting but irreplaceable moment, you may naturally begin to see through the veil of appearances to the sacred reality at the heart of things, and you eventually may come to realize that the very same sacred reality is actually who you are in your own heart of hearts. This deep insight - what the sages and masters call "waking up from the illusion of separation" - cuts through and ultimately eliminates loneliness and alienation and opens you to the beauty of the human condition.

5 Benefits of Meditation

2007-08-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here are 5 benefits that meditation can bring to your life:

1. Increased focus and concentration. As you become adept at staying on task as you follow your breaths or recite your mantra, you can easily transfer this skill to working at your computer or playing ball with friends.

2. Greater endurance and longer attention span. As you gradually increase the length of your meditations from 10 to 15 to 20 minutes or more, you gradually build your power to pay attention longer. As a result, you may find that you don't get so easily burned out or discouraged when you turn your attention to an extended work project or other demanding activity.

2. Being in the moment, free from expectations. Even though you may have a particular goal in mind - for example, winning the race, completing the project, landing the ball in a tiny cup 300 yards away, etc, - the paradox is that you're more likely to succeed if you set aside your expectations and keep your attention focused on the precise movements or tasks you need to execute right now.

3. Enhanced mental and perceptual clarity. One of the fortuitous side effects of keeping your mind on the moment is that your senses become sharper and your mind quicker and more attuned to subtle details which comes in quite handy when you're trying to do something well.

4. Minimal distractions. The more regularly you meditate, the more quickly distractions fade into the background as your mind settles down and becomes one-pointed. Needless to say, you work or play more effectively without a million irrelevant thoughts chattering away inside your head.

5. Being in the moment, free from expectations. Even though you may have a particular goal in mind - for example, winning the race, completing the project, landing the ball in a tiny cup 300 yards away, etc, - the paradox is that you're more likely to succeed if you set aside your expectations and keep your attention focused on the precise movements or tasks you need to execute right now.

The Mind of a Meditation Beginner

2007-07-17T01:49:00.000-07:00

The greatest meditation teachers advise that the best attitude to take toward meditation is an open mind, completely free from all preconceptions and expectations. The goal of meditation is not to accumulate knowledge, learn something new, or achieve some special state of mind, but simply to maintain this fresh, uncluttered perspective.

"If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything," Zen master Shunryu Suzuki writes in his book called Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. "In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind, there are few." As the title of his book suggests, Suzuki teaches that beginner's mind and Zen mind - the awake, clear, unfettered mind of the enlightened Zen master - are essentially the same. Or, as another teacher puts it, "The seeker is the sought; the looker is what he or she is looking for!"

No matter which meditation technique you choose, try to practice it with the innocent, open, "don't know" spirit of beginner's mind. In a sense, beginner's mind is the non-attitude underlying all attitudes, the non-technique at the heart of all successful techniques.

Be Consistent with your Meditation Practise

2007-07-10T05:48:00.000-07:00

Meditation, in some ways, can be compared to sport. If you train for a day and then do nothing for a week, you won't make a lot of progress. You may actually end up hurting yourself because you have not conditioned your body gradually, as most fitness experts recommend.

When you practice meditation, you are developing certain mental and emotional muscles like concentration, mindfulness (ongoing attention to whatever is arising, moment to moment), and receptive awareness. Here too, consistency is the key - you need to keep it up and keep it regular, no matter how you're feeling from day to day. In fact, your feelings provide the fodder for your meditation practice, as you expand your awareness from your breath to include the full range of your experience. There's no special way you need to be - just show up and be yourself!

As one old Chinese Zen master used to say, "Sun-faced Buddha, moon-faced Buddha" - by which he meant, happy or sad, energetic or tired, just sit as the being you happen to be.

Awareness of your Thoughts During Meditation

2007-06-20T03:12:00.000-07:00

Are you aware of your thoughts during meditation? If you are a beginner of meditation, you may sometimes feel overcome with your thoughts when practicing. The important thing is not to become caught up in them. Do not be like a weak swimmer who gets swept away by a strong current. Stand mentally on the bank, and watch the current flow past you. Be calmly observant of the flow, but still mentally detached from it.

Imagine that the bank on which you stand is situated at the the back of your head. There in fact lies the seat of ego consciousness. From that position, watch your thoughts and feelings flowing by you. Realize, as you watch, that not only your thoughts but your very perception of what is important keeps passing.

Nothing in life, neither your inner thoughts nor your outer circumstances, is firmly fixed. If any thought, feeling, or circumstance seems permanent to you, it is only because it has become snagged, temporarily, on a protruding rock of attachment. In a spirit of freedom, allow the current to release it from the rock.

Create Your Own Meditation Mantra

2007-06-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

You may find it helpful to create your own mantra to use while you are meditating. But how to you go about creating a mantra?

First start by singing or humming the vowels in any way that occurs to you, at any volume, speed, or pitch. Feel free to change the order after a while (u-e-a, for example). Change the pronunciation however you like, for each sound has a dozen or so different ways of being said. Your preferences are important and may change with the time of day, according to how tired or energetic you are, and according to whether the sound is external and audible or purely internal and audible only to the mind's ear.

Select two vowel sounds, a-u, e-o, or any combination you prefer in this instant. Say that sound over and over softly, in a kind of chant. Let the sound become quieter over the course of several minutes and simply enjoy the rhythm of the sound, the vibrations in your head and throat, the subtle movements of your tongue, and the flow of the breath. Your eyes can be open or closed, and you can go back and forth between open and closed. At some point in the next several minutes let the softly audible chant become an internal chant. Let this transition happen in its own time, gradually.

When the chant becomes internal, it may change in various ways. Sometimes it continues as before and you are simply listening to the sound mentally. The chant can fluctuate in volume, from being loud and distinct in your inner hearing to being soft and faint. Then it may fade away, leaving you there listening to the silence, or to the absence of sound. Welcome this nothingness, or blank space, or "forgetting," and train yourself not to panic or to think you have failed when your mind goes silent. At some point there will probably be little interludes, little quiet spaces between sounds in which you can feel your body vibrating.

As you listen inwardly to the sound or sounds in a restful way, you may notice relaxed feelings coming over you, alternating with thoughts about what time it is, what you have to do next, and any worries you have. Train yourself to welcome this process, then gently return to the vowels.

Use this simple exercise to cultivate your sense of preference for sound, and in particular to heighten your appreciation of how beautiful the vowels are. Give yourself the freedom to discover what you love about sound, both inner sound and thoughts, and the sounds we use in speech. You may discover that you love the space before speech when you are looking for an appropriate word or sound to express what you are feeling, or possibly the silence after speech, when you have said something. The essence of meditation is to discover, not impose.

Getting To Know Your Breath

2007-05-30T05:36:00.001-07:00

Breathing is a classic focus for meditation, for several reasons. For one thing, breathing is sensuous, rhythmic, and always with us, as long as we are alive. Also, breath is a gift to us from the larger universe; it comes inside our body, into our lungs, into our blood, then into every cell. Breath is an intimate exchange with the entire cosmos in which we live and move and have our being.

In paying close attention to a breath, we perceive all this directly. Our breath is intrinsically full of grace. There are hundreds of ways to pay attention to breath. You can be aware of its rhythm, of how it expands and contracts, of how it weaves from outside of the body to being drawn inside. You can visualize the breath, being aware of the tip of your nose, the quiet sounds of your breathing, the soft feeling in your throat, the pause at the end of the inhalation, and so on. You can focus through your sense of touch, movement, hearing, smell, or vision. You can use breath to withdraw from the world or to engage with it. When you meditate with the breath, allow your eyes to be open or closed, and whatever happens spontaneously you will learn to rest in the presence of breath, and your eyes will tend to close by themselves, but do not force them shut.

If you take this gentle approach, even the simple act of closing the eyes can feel exquisite. Your thoughts will drift off and then return to your focus. This is natural. Just keep coming back to your chosen pleasure. Keep in mind that you can sit anywhere and in any position that you find comfortable. Over time you will develop more and more sensory awareness of what breath is. And as you do so, it will become more and more engaging. Eliminate the phrase "trying to concentrate on my breath" from your vocabulary, and replace it with "I am developing an interest in breath." Use your senses to welcome each inhalation. As you become more aware of your breath, extraordinary realms of sensation begin to open up.

How to find a Meditation Instructor

2007-05-22T05:18:00.000-07:00

If you would like to play tennis but do not know how, what do you do? To start with, you can watch other people play, maybe buy a book or two, and then head out to the court yourself and start practicing. But once you have mastered the basics, you may want to take a class or get some personal instruction to help you refine your stroke or eliminate the mistakes you have picked up along the way.

The same holds true for meditation. Sure you can practice the exercises that you have learned for weeks, months, or even years and reap the benefits without additional instruction. But at a certain point, you may encounter difficulties you do not know how to handle by yourself, or you may start having spiritual experiences that give you glimpses of a greater reality and stimulate your appetite for further exploration. In order to continue to move forward and refine your meditation practice, you need to find yourself a good teacher.

Before choosing the right kind of teacher, you need to know exactly what kind of teacher you want. Most meditation instructors have a particular spiritual affiliation such as yogis or Zen Buddhists or Christian contemplatives, for example. In addition, the instruction they offer includes a particular orientation toward the spiritual journey as well as particular teachings and terminology. It should not be any problem if that is what you are looking for. But if you want your instruction straight, without any spirituality, you may have a more difficult time finding a suitable teacher.

Some yoga teachers offer basic meditation instructions with a minimum of Sanskrit words, and they may even know the territory well enough to help you if you get stuck. Nowadays, more and more adult education programs, community colleges, and local churches are offering generic meditation or stress-reduction classes. However, you may want to look over the instructors’ credentials before you enroll because he or she may be no further along in practice than you are.

You might want to check out the Vipassana tradition of Buddhism, also known as insight meditation. Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of the bestseller “Wherever You Go There You Are”, a long-time teacher of Vipassana, and also the founder of the mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, has developed a program that offers rigorous training to prospective instructors of basic mindfulness practices.

Making Time for Meditation

2007-04-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Meditation resembles sex in a number of ways, and this is one of them: You may prefer it short and quick or long and slow. But whatever your predilections, you would no doubt agree that some sexual contact with your beloved is better than no sex at all.

Well, apply this dictum to meditation, and you'll get the drift. If you can't schedule a half hour, then meditate for a few minutes. It's much better to sit for five or ten minutes every day than for an hour once a week - though you may want to do both. As with all the guidelines in this book, experiment with the different options until you find the one that suits you best.

Digital alarm watches provide an accurate and inexpensive way to time your meditations precisely without watching the clock. Also, you might like to signal the beginning and end of your meditation with the sound of a small bell, as is done in many traditional cultures.

Five minutes: If you're a beginner, a few minutes can seem like an eternity, so start off slow and increase the length of your sittings as your interest and enjoyment dictate. You may find that by the time you settle your body and start to focus on your breath, your time is up. If the session seems too short, you can always sit a little longer next time. As your practice develops, you'll find that even five minutes can be immeasurably refreshing.

Ten to 15 minutes: If you're like most people, you need several minutes at the start of meditation to get settled, a few more to become engaged in the process, and several at the end to reorient - which means that 10 or 15 minutes leaves you a little in the middle to deepen your concentration or expand your awareness. Once you've made it this far, try leveling off at 15 minutes a day for several weeks and watch how your powers of concentration build.

Twenty minutes to an hour: The longer you sit, the more time you'll have between preliminaries and endings to settle into a focused and relaxed state of mind. If you have the motivation and can carve out the time, by all means devote 40 minutes or 1 hour to meditation each day. You'll notice the difference - and you'll understand why most meditation teachers recommend sitting this long at a stretch. Perhaps it's the human attention span - look at the proverbial 50-minute hour of psychotherapy or the optimal length for most TV shows.

But remember: It's better to keep your practice steady and regular than to splurge one day and abstain for the rest of the week.

How to Sit Still For Mediation

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When talking about the practice of sitting still, one of the great meditation teachers, the Zen master Shunryu Suzuki, used to say that the best way to show a snake its true nature is to put it in a hollow stick of bamboo. Take a moment and give this unusual metaphor some thought. What could he have possibly meant by it?

Well, imagine that you're a snake in bamboo. What does it feel like? Every time you try to slither, which is after all what snakes like to do, you bump against the walls of your straight as-an-arrow home. If you pay attention, you start to notice how slippery you actually are.
In the same way, sitting in a certain posture and keeping your body relatively still provides a stick of bamboo that mirrors back to you every impulse and distraction. You get to see how fidgety your body can be - and how hyperactive your mind, which is actually the source of your body's restlessness. "Maybe I should scratch that itch or answer that phone or run that errand." For every plan or intention, there's a corresponding impulse in your muscles and skin. But you'll never notice all this activity unless you sit still.

The funny thing is, you can sit in the same position for hours without noticing it when you're happily engrossed in some favorite activity like watching a movie or surfing the Net or working on a hobby. But try to do something you find boring or unpleasant - especially an activity as strange and unfamiliar as turning your attention back on yourself and following your own breath or paying attention to your own sensations - and suddenly every minute can seem like an hour, every ache can seem like an ailment of life threatening proportions, and every item on your to-do list can take on irresistible urgency.

When you're constantly acting and reacting in response to thoughts and outside stimulation, you don't have a chance to get to know how your mind works. By sitting still like the snake in bamboo, you have a mirror that shows you just how slippery and elusive your mind can be.

Keeping still also gives you a tremendous edge when you're working on developing your concentration. Imagine a heart surgeon or a concert pianist who can't quiet her body while plying her craft. The fewer physical distractions you have, the easier it becomes to follow your breath, practice your mantra — or whatever your meditation happens to be.

The Increasing Popularity of Meditation

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Over the past twenty years or so, meditation has gained an increasing acceptance and practice in the Western world. While still far from being an important part of Western society, the practice of meditation has made significant inroads in the therapeutic and medical community and is winning increasingly broad support in business, educational, and political arenas.

In the United States, meditation has survived its infancy and is well on its way through childhood. The reason for this increasing acceptance is that meditation has proven to be both a practical and effective tool for increasing health as well as happiness. The past twenty years have provided consistent clinical and scientific experience that allows us to draw some strong conclusions about the practice of meditation. In general, we can state with great confidence, based on evidence that the consistent practice of meditation leads to a healthier and more effective human being.

More specifically, those who practice some form of meditation have one or more of the following characteristics: they have lower triglyceride levels; achieve a lower, more stable heart rate; they have lower blood pressure; they have a slower and more stable respiratory rate; they have a more stable galvanic skin response; report fewer psychosomatic symptoms such as headaches, colds, gastric disturbances; take fewer prescription and nonprescription drugs; report lower levels of anxiety and fear; score higher on self-actualization inventories; and have increased capacity for loving relationships.

These are only a few of the many benefits of meditation. In short, when compared to others who do not practice meditation, or to their state before they began to meditate, those who consistently practice meditation are healthier, happier, and more effective human beings.

Clinical experience, scientific research, and the experience of an average person all point to one and the same conclusion: the consistent practice of meditation is probably the most important and effective self-help tool available today for personal health and effectiveness. It is also clear that under the guidance of a competent instructor, meditation can be safely and successfully practiced by almost anyone without any fear of harmful side-effects.

The real question is not whether meditation is helpful, but rather how and why it works. What is it that happens during and as a result of meditation that produces such specific physical and mental benefits and leads to improvement in many aspects of one's life? The key to answering these questions lies in understanding the relationship between meditation and the emotions. The physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes listed above all reflect a more balanced and harmonious emotional state.

The Benefits of Meditation

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You do not have to be an expert or skilled in meditation to enjoy its benefits. You just need to practice regularly without trying to get anywhere or achieve anything in particular. And just like interest in a bank account, the benefits just accrue by themselves. The following are some wonderful rewards one can acquire through meditation:

Being awake at the present time. When you rush breathlessly from one moment to the next while anticipating another problem or yearning for another pleasure, you miss the beauty and closeness of the present, which is constantly unfolding before your eyes. Meditation teaches you to slow down and take each moment as it comes; the sounds of traffic, the smell of roses, the laughter of children, the beauty of the ocean, the coming and going of your breath. In fact, as the meditative traditions remind us, only the present moment exists anyway. The past is just a memory and the future a fantasy, projected on the movie screen of the brain right now.

Being friends with oneself. When you are constantly struggling to live up to expectations, whether your own or someone else's, or racing to reinvent inner self to survive in a competitive environment, you rarely have the opportunity or the motivation to get to know yourself just the way you are. Self-doubt and self-hatred may appear to fuel the fires of self-improvement, but they are painful and they contribute to other negative mind-states like fear, anger, depression, and alienation. They also prevent you from living up to your full potential. When you meditate, you learn to welcome every experience and aspect of your being without any judgment or denial. In the process, you begin to treat yourself as you would a close friend, accepting and loving the whole package, the apparent weaknesses and shortcomings as well as the positive qualities and strengths.

Creating a deep connection with others: As you wake up to the present time and open your heart and mind to your own experience, you naturally extend this quality of awareness and presence to your relationships with family and friends. If you are like most people, you tend to project your own desires and expectations to those who are close to you, which act as a barrier to real communication. But when you start to accept others the way they are, a skill you can develop through the practice of meditation, you open up the channels for a deeper love and intimacy to flow.

Relaxing your body and calming your consciousness. Your mind and body are inseparable, so an agitated mind inevitably produces a stressed out body. As your mind settles, relaxes, and opens during meditation, so does the body. The longer you spend meditating, the more this tranquility and relaxation ripples out to every area of your life, including your health.

Meditation for You

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Lighten up! Perhaps you have noticed that non stop thinking and worrying generate a kind of inner fears feed on one another, problems get magnified exponentially, and the next thing you know, you are feeling overwhelmed and panicked.

Meditation encourages an inner mental spaciousness in which difficulties and concerns no longer seem so threatening. It seems like constructive solutions can naturally arise as well as a certain detachment that allows for greater objectivity, perspective, and humor. That mysterious word enlightenment actually refers to the supreme "lightening up"!

Here are some other benefits you can experience from practicing meditation:

Experiencing focus and flow - When you are so fully involved in an activity that all sense of self-consciousness, separation, and distraction dissolves. For human beings, this total immersion constitutes the ultimate enjoyment and provides the ultimate antidote to alienation of post modern life. There is no doubt you have experienced moments like these; reading, playing a sport, creating a work of art, working in the garden, making love. Athletes refer to this as "the zone." Through meditation, you can discover how to give the same focused attention to and derive the same enjoyment from every activity.
Feeling more centered, grounded, and balanced - To counter the growing insecurity of life in rapidly changing times, meditation offers an inner grounded ness and balance that external situations cannot interfere. When you practice coming home over and over to your body, your breath, your sensations, your feelings, you eventually grow to realize that you are always home, no matter where you go. And when you make friends with yourself, embracing the dark and the light, the weak and the strong, you no longer get thrown off-center by the "slings and arrows" of life.
Enhancing performance at work and play - Researches have shown that basic meditation practice alone can enhance clarity, creativity, self-actualization, and many of the other factors that contribute to superior performance. In addition, specific meditations have been devised to enhance performance in a variety of activities, from sports to schoolwork.
Increasing appreciation, gratitude, and love - As you begin to open to your experience without judgment or hatred, your heart gradually opens as well, to yourself and others. You can practice specific types of meditations for cultivating appreciation, gratitude, and love or you may find, as so many meditators have before you, that these qualities take place naturally when you can gaze at the world with fresh eyes, free from the usual projections and expectations.