Modern Meditation - New Ways To Switch Off

By Lee Heather

There are many, many forms of meditation today and as a practicing meditator myself I have researched and utilized many of the common methods in use. Now I originally started meditating as a stress reduction method, I was working as a nurse at the time and it was becoming obvious that my stress was increasing due to my workload and having to deal with various other departmental issues at that time. I can tell you I was not far off from experiencing burnout and it was a good thing I had the self-awareness to notice this.

Anyway I began to get interested in relaxation methods and noticed that the vast majority of them only really took you to a superficial level of calmness. You had to learn how to tense each muscle in the body and then relax it, the theory being that if you knew how to tense up it would be a kind of biofeedback to let your body know when it was time to relax.

Hey, these traditional methods work fairly well but I wanted something deeper, something I could use at any time to change my state of mind reasonably quickly. Now having a knowledge of anatomy and physiology I began to look at the brains structures and trace the beginnings of stress to the mind, after all doesn't everything start in the mind.

I quickly realized from my reading and study that we have essentially three parts to the brain, the oldest part or reptilian brain, then the limbic system and finally our most recent part, the frontal brain or neocortex to give it its correct name.

It appears that stress begins in the reptilian and limbic areas and then sends signals into the body affecting the adrenal glands which in turn secrete adrenalin and cortisol into the bloodstream which basically means that by then we are stressed in a big way. The structures responsible for all this are the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and a small gland at the rear of the head known as the locus ceruleus.

I found that by utilizing visualization it is possible to calm these structures right down to a point where they literally switch off and your whole body is deeply, deeply relaxed, in fact much more so then with the traditional techniques I mentioned earlier. People who actually watched me do this stated that they had never seen anyone appear so relaxed. I had totally zoned out. So I began teaching this to patients who were obviously stressed at times and they had the same effect once they had acquired the simple skill. Most of them told me they had never ever felt that relaxed in a long, long time. Real relaxation as an adult can be hard to remember cant it.

One of the reasons it is so relaxing is by turning off these stress circuits we enter into a brainwave state of mind known as theta. You may go into this quickly before you go to sleep but by prolonging it with this method you are utterly relaxed without actually going off to sleep.

Lee James Heather is now a therapist specializing in anxiety based problems and teaches clients stress management.

Anxiety Coach Relaxation Technique

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Heather

An Easy Guide To Meditation

By Scott Niekerk

Meditation is similar to progressive relaxation.

We use meditation during our bodywork - Myofascial Release sessions as well as guided CD's afterwards whilst lying on comfortable heat!

Like progressive relaxation, you use this method to focus on yourself. There are many ways to meditate. Some people use it in a religious way, where as some people use it solely for taking time for themselves to focus on the positive.

Meditations Relaxing Effects:

Reduces blood pressure

Helps muscles relax

Reduces anxiety

Helps you to learn to focus, clears your thinking

Reduces irritability

Reduces stress headaches

Slows breathing

Meditation is focusing your thoughts on one thing for a sustained period of time. Doing this on a regular basis helps you to control negative thought processes which can cause stress. It allows your body time to relax, and recuperate from the mental or physical stress the body has endured. Meditation is extremely useful when you have been under long or short term stress, when you have been worrying about problems or you have been physically active.

The idea of meditation is to sooth your thoughts by focusing completely on one thing. Meditation is an active process where the individual seeks to block outside thoughts by concentrating completely on one thing.

Techniques

Sit or lie in a position that you can comfortably sustain for a period of time. Start with ten minutes at a time and then gradually meditate as long as you can maintain your focus.

1) Breathing:

Concentrate on breathing in and out by counting your breaths using the numbers 0 to 9. Visualize images of the numbers changing with each breath.

Breathing as Meditation - In Buddhist and yogic traditions, people claim to have reached an enlightened state by doing nothing more than paying attention to the rising and falling of their breath. What easier way could there be to reach such a state? Especially since breathing - following the ebb and flow of your breath - is an intrinsic part of meditation. By paying attention to your breath, you will rapidly change your state of consciousness, begin to relax, and slowly detach from ordinary awareness. Try to focus on the dimensionless point between your in-breath and out-breath, and glimpse the elements of enlightenment in that space.

2) Focusing on an object:

Look at an object paying attention to detail for the entire meditation period. Examine the contours, colour, texture, temperature and movement of the object. Objects such as candle flames or flowing designs are often used.

3) Focusing on sounds:

Some people focus on sounds. This includes soothing music and sounds of nature.

4) Visualization:

Create a mental picture of a pleasant and relaxing place in your mind. Involve all your senses in the imagery, sight, sounds, smell, touch, temperature and movement.

Keep your attention focused. If external thoughts or distractions wander in allow them to drift out or even visualize attaching the thoughts to objects and then move the objects out of your mind.

This article is original material written by Scott van Niekerk, physical therapist and owner of Wholistic physical Therapy in Brewster, NY. We are a Holistic Treatment center, with physical therapists specialised in Myofascial Release, as taught by John Barnes. Please visit our website http://wholisticphysicaltherapy.com for more information on how we can help you be FREE of pain and stiffness, to have your life back!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Niekerk

Trouble Meditating? Try These Tips

By Jhanna Dawson

Years ago, I remember reading about meditation and how people would have life altering experiences including reaching Nirvana, discovering their purpose on earth, and astral traveling to far off countries and even other planets.

And yet, whenever I tried it, I would barely manage to get myself settled in before thoughts of my day would come to mind. 'Gently let those thoughts go and return to your meditation', I had people tell me. What did that mean?

After many years of attempts, and reading books about Kundalini, Transcedental, and other meditation types, I'm finally comfortable with meditating. I have learned to create the meditation around my needs, not the needs of the teachers, authors, or whomever.

From this, I have discovered several tips that have helped me get from the days of squirming around and finally giving up after five minutes, to someone who meditates regularly, sometimes for five minutes sometimes for as long as my children allow for it.

Many will argue that it's not true meditation if one doesn't follow the traditional styles of meditation, but two things that one needs to remember are, what are you trying to accomplish during meditation, and it's your meditation, so there is no right or wrong way.

Needless to say, when meditating, try to find a quiet place. Someplace that is away from the television, computer, cell phone, etc. Why be near obvious distractions? If possible, close the shades, or blinds, so it's a somewhat dimly lit room. The dimmer the better, in my book.

Even though the idea of one meditating conjures visions of sitting in the lotus position, many people actually meditate while sitting upright in a straight back chair. With feet flat on the floor, one is able to 'ground' themselves or connect with the earth, allowing energy to flow up and down the body.

The rest of the body is relaxed, and sitting erect with the back straight, and against the back of the chair. My personal preference is to be lying down. I'm more comfortable this way, and if I drift off to sleep I can carry that meditation thought and mindset into my subconscious.

Some people prefer music, choosing relaxing and soft tunes to carry them through their meditation. However, I recommend meditating in silence. If you're used to the usual busy buzzing of constant background noise from the radio, television, or other white noise, this may be a hard one to do. Suddenly being in absolute silence can be a bit 'loud' but eventually, you will learn to welcome the silence and appreciate it.

I recommend when meditating that you wear comfortable clothing. If you're at home be comfy and change into sweats, yoga attire or, pajamas (my personal favorite). If you happen to be able to catch a few minutes, meditating at work is achievable but at least take off the tie, or belt or heels. If you're sitting there trying to create a peaceful space in your mind and heart, it's going to be a more difficult if a piece of clothing is pinching or binding you.

Now you're ready for the meat of the matter, meditating! Many people make attempts only to have their 'inner silence' bombarded by persistent chattering of the mind. 'Did I pay the garbage bill? Speaking of garbage, I wonder how so and so is doing? I always liked his sister, Sarah. That is such a beautiful name, reminds me of butterflies...' and so on.

This is where the mantra, which allows for one pointed concentration, becomes handy. It brings focus to only that word or syllable, and helps shut out other thoughts. Granted, thoughts tend to work their way in, but just by returning to the mantra we are able to tone the other thoughts way, way down. It gives our minds something else to focus on instead of everything else.

Along with the focus on the mantra, the vibration itself of the mantra that is chanted allows for deeper meditation by raising the vibration of the body.

If chanting a mantra isn't your style but you still need help with quieting the mind, then try one of my favorite tips. Focus on breathing. Now, when I first started meditating this tip didn't help me at all.

Then I had it explained to me a bit differently in a book by John Selby. He put it this way: focus on air coming into your nose, what does it feel like? Is the air cold when you inhale? Is it warm? If the air feels cold, can you feel the air rushing through the hairs in your nose?

Once you've mastered the focus on just your nose, then also focus on your chest as it rises and falls with each breathe. By focusing only on these two areas, your mind won't have time to fit the other outside thoughts in. And, as always mentioned, if you find your mind starting to wander to other thoughts, don't fret. Just come back to the mantra or re-focus on the breath coming in and out of your nose.

How long you meditate is entirely up to you. If you only have a few minutes, then a few minutes it is. If you have the luxury of an hour, then by all means take the time, relax and dive into the beauty of a nice, long, meditation and see what effects it has on your body and mind.

Finally, as you come out of meditation, feel being in your body. Give each part of your body a smile, and take a moment to stretch, and really feel it.

The bottom line is, everyone can achieve the benefits of meditation. Once we realize that meditation isn't an all or nothing practice, we are able to let down our guard about not doing it perfectly right from the start and every time. Just by taking the time to relax and quiet our minds, we can produce results we never thought possible before.

I hope these tips have given you the encouragement needed to give meditation a go, whether it's for the first time or the 100th time.

Jhanna Dawson
Mia Bella's Diamond Team Leaderhttp://www.creatinglight.net775.530.1097

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jhanna_Dawson

Best Meditation Music

By Alex I. Lee

Music has been used in Meditation since its very beginning. Certain music has healing benefits to those who meditate. There is a lot of truth in this, since music influence one's mood and state of mind. The most common effect of music, in this case relaxing meditation music, is its calming effect. Those who listen will feel relaxed and make meditation more pleasant. Other special meditation and tribal music have cleansing effect. This kind of music usually works on your Chakras. Certain vibration and frequency clean your chakras and mental bodies.

Along with other meditation equipment, such as meditation chairs, meditation music has been selling well. In Meditation forum we could see lots of people sell and discuss which meditation music is the best. Some people would argue that the traditional tribal music, such as Native American or Indian Music is the best, while the others are insisting on the more modern, electronically produced meditation music. The fact of the matter, they are both are right. As long as the music makes them more relaxed and pleasant, listening to such music in meditation is good. However, this habit could lead to dependency. Those who always depend on music to make their meditation more relaxing and pleasant will be too dependent on the music itself. We heard a lot of confession that they could not do a deep meditation without a good meditation music.

Meditation is one way to communicate with the Source, the Beginning of Everything and nothing is supposed to come between you and The Source. Although most of the times you will be assisted by Light Masters, Angels and Arch Angels, especially in the beginning, you can communicate with The Source directly, without any help from anybody or anything. The Divine Love and Lights that comes from the Source is the Best Music of All. When you are blessed with it, you will feel overwhelmed and full of joy - more than any music in the world could hypnotize you .

When you are meditating in Pure Unconditional Love, You could do it anywhere you wish. You could meditate in the park, in your living room, or even while you are working. You don't need to close your eyes to have Divine Love & Lights pouring in through your Crown Chakra. Meditating or communicating with The Source will never be the same again, You could do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This way, you are always connected to The Source, without any limitation.

One has to remember, The Source is limitless. So, why are we limiting ourselves in order to communicate (meditating) with Him? Do not limit yourselves with rituals, music or even sitting position. The best music is meditation is the inner smile from deep within you. You are now set to communicate with Him, anywhere and anytime. Enjoy it.

Alex Lee practices Divine Love & Light Meditation Technique, a very simple meditation, making it easy for Everybody to experience deepest state of meditation in just a matter of seconds.

For more information on Divine Love&Lights Meditation go to Secret Of Meditation

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_I._Lee

A Guided Meditation Script for a Child?

By John M. Allison

While most people don't think of children when they think of meditation, a good guided meditation script can be just what your kid needs in certain situations. Most people think of meditation as some highly experienced spiritual master sitting in the lotus position for hours. While that's not necessarily false, that's far from the whole truth of meditation. Every child loves a story. Giving them guided imagery gives them a story that they can accept and use. Let me tell you my personal experience with this.

When I was little, I had some pretty bad nightmares. When it started really affecting me, my parents wrote up (in large print) a simple guided meditation script for me. Nothing complex, and nothing fancy. Considering that this script was designed to be read by me if a nightmare woke me, they didn't need to worry about putting me in a suggestible state of mind. All they needed to do was focus on imagery. I don't recall the details, but the image of the shining, fiercely protective unicorn banishing the nightmare to a realm of its own terror stays in my mind to this day, decades later. A few uses of this script, and the nightmares stopped bothering me altogether.

When preparing a guided meditation for a child, there are a few things to remember. You want to keep it short, but interesting. You don't need to worry as much about relaxation, as if you can get the kid's fascination, they'll loosen up anyway. Along the same lines, you want to focus on simple, yet powerful images. Use symbols and settings from their favorite stories (I'm sure the authors won't mind) and really make it come alive for them. If you are writing a guided meditation script for the child to read (as my parents did for me) you will want to make it as easy for them to read as possible.

Another important note is not to try to force it down their throat. In order for this or any other form of meditation or guided imagery to be successful, they need to be willing to try it out for themselves. If their heart isn't in it, then let it go and try to find some other way to help them.

If your child likes the simple meditation, you might consider writing an "exploration" guided meditation script, and take them through a more extended meditation session where they can run and play (proverbially speaking) and really get used to the practice. A steady practice of meditation is beneficial to anyone, but a child is a natural. They may come out of the exploration having seen, heard, and experienced lots of things. Encourage them to write it down, or talk it out and write them down together. This is private information for the child's eyes only, but this can actually be a wonderful tool for self-understanding as they grow older.

Kids are people, and they have people's worries. Will that person like me? Am I performing well enough at my "job" (school)? Are Mom and Dad happy with me? Life as a kid is rough. A guided meditation script is far from a cure-all, but used the right way, it can be a wonderful tool to help them through.

If you would like to know more about reading a guided meditation script to yourself, without relying on an audio player or another person, please click the link.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_M._Allison

Meditation - Top 7 Conditions To Get Healed With Mind Power

By Raymond Geok Seng Lee

During the two decades since the relaxation response first appeared, mediation has gone mainstream. Most people who practice it do so to reduce stress, anxiety, anger and other negative emotions. But increasingly, physicians prescribe meditation as part of the treatment for a large and growing number of medical conditions. Here are some of the conditions that mediation can help.

1. Panic Attacks

Sometimes anxiety becomes paralyzing and people feel that they are about to suffer some horrible fate. Panic attacks are often treated with drugs, but studies show that if people who are prone to panic attacks begin focused, meditative breathing the instant they feel the first signs of an episode, they are less likely to have a full-blown panic attack.

2. Pain Management

Anxiety decreases the threshold for pain, and pain causes anxiety. The result is a vicious cycle. Compared with people who feel relaxed, those under stress experience pain more intensely and become even more stressed, which aggravates their pain. Meditation breaks this cycle. Childbirth preparation classes routinely teach pregnant women deep breathing exercises to minimize the pain and anxiety of labor. Few call it breath meditation, but that is what it is. Meditation may not eliminate pain, but it helps people cope more effectively. In a recent study at the Mind/Body Medical Institute, after people with chronic pain learned the relaxation response, their pain-related physician visits decreased 36 percent.

3. High Blood Pressure

Transcendental meditation (TM) reliably reduced blood pressure in meditators. In a study, the relaxation response was taught to 36 people with moderately elevated blood pressure. After several weeks of practice, their average blood pressure declined significantly, reducing their risk of stroke and heart attack.

4. Cancer

Cancer is very scary. Meditation and other approaches to deep relaxation help center people so they can figure out how they would like to handle the illness and proceed with life.

5. Respiratory Crises

Asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) all restrict breathing and raise fears of suffocation, which in turn makes breathing even more difficult. Studies show that when people with these respiratory conditions learn breath meditation, they have fewer respiratory crises.

6. Depression

Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and isolation are hallmarks of depression - the nation's most prevalent mental health problem. Meditation increases self-confidence and feelings of connection to others. Studies have shown mood elevation in depressed people who regularly elicit the relaxation response.

7. Infertility

Couples dealing with infertility may become depressed, anxious and angry. To help them cope, relaxation response was taught to one group of infertile couples at the Mind/Body Institute. Compared with a similar group of infertile couples who did not learn deep relaxation, the meditators experienced less distress - and were more likely to get pregnant.

Raymond Lee Geok Seng is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is a writer specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He has spent countless of time and efforts conducting research and share his insightful and powerful secrets to benefit men and women all over the world. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raymond_Geok_Seng_Lee