Benefits Of Meditation

By Edwin Mah

Many people have heard of meditation, but most may not be aware of the real benefits of what it can do. Many think of meditation as simply closing your eyes and doing some chanting. Many also think that meditation is closely related to religion. The most commonly known benefit of meditation is stress reduction. While this may be true, there are also many other benefits that most are not aware of. This article summarizes some other benefits that meditation can bring:

Relief Stress and Anxiety

The most known benefit of meditation of course, is that it is used to relieve stress and anxiety, and this is the reason why most people meditate in the first place.

Reduction of Blood Pressure

Studies have shown that regular meditation can lower your blood pressure. The reason for this is because the practice of meditation opens up the blood vessels, thus lowering the blood pressure.

Reduction of Cholesterol Level

Meditation can also reduce blood cholesterol levels, minimizing chances of heart disease. Meditation could be the answer to a healthy heart!

Reduction of Respiratory Problems

Have breathing problems? Try meditating! As part of meditation, you control and focus on your breathing. You may not realize, but your controlled breathing reduces airway resistance and increases air flow into the lungs. This makes for easier breathing and is beneficial for patients with asthmatic problems.

Reduce Heart Rate and Metabolic Rate

Meditation lowers your heart rate, and also lowers the metabolic rate, bringing you into a state of calmness.

Coping with Depression

Meditation can bring you into a more positive state of mind, making you feel happy and rejuvenated. Because of this, meditation is often used as an effective tool to cope with depression.

An Increased Emotional Stability

Meditation brings about emotional stability, enabling us to better control our emotions and feelings.

An Increase in Productivity

Meditation also helps to increase memory and alertness, giving us more clarity of thought to make better judgments and decisions. It makes us more alert and awake at work, thus increasing productivity in what we do.

Enjoy meditating!

Experience the benefits of meditation for yourself. Visit Meditation Heaven to download a free guided meditation session and enjoy instant stress relief.

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

Meditating On A Regular Basis

By Ted Hanulak

Meditation. Everyone knows that it is good for you. Lowers blood pressure, fights stress, helps one to be centered and more peaceful. There are 1000's of books out there on meditation. Books on how to meditate, the benefits of meditating, martial arts and meditation, Zen, etc.... Books are how many of us first learned of "sitting" in the first place. You can only read so much. Eventually you have to do it, and you have to do it on a regular basis.

Here are a few ideas that can help you keep that commitment to "sit" everyday. The first and perhaps most important tool is a good "zafu". The zafu is a round meditation cushion, usually filled with kapok or buckwheat hull. Kapok provides a firm zafu and buckwheat hull provides a softer zafu. It is a personal choice. Choose whichever helps you sit longer. A soft zafu may feel good at first but it may cause problems as your mediation period continues.

Another important tool is the actual place you sit. Take a small area in your house and make it your "meditation place". This will remind you to meditate every time you walk by the area. If you sit with a group a couple of times a week, burn the same incense and play the same music that the group uses. This will create the illusion that you are with the group.

Try and sit the same time every day. This way you won't forget to sit. Early morning or late at night is best because it is usually more quite at those times. Less distractions. Sit for shorter periods at first, 10 minutes or so. Quality is more important than quantity. Also, if you know your facing 45 minutes of meditation, you probably won't do it.

You must make meditation as natural as eating and going to the bathroom. You do those things everyday, now it is time to also meditate everyday.

Ted Hanulak is the head instructor / Sensei of the Japanese martial art of Senso-Ryu Aikijutsu. He teaches Aikijutsu and Zen meditation out of the Aikijutsu Academy of Indianapolis http://www.aiki-jutsu.com

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

Dreams For Our Well Being Meditation

By Tolga Savas

Dear kindred soul, as you know we humans have a rich history, and dreams play an important role in our journey, it has always been the case, earliest recorded dream dates back to 1760 B.C. to ancient babylonian times contained in "epic of Gilgamesh, and mentions Ishtar and Izdubar, in this recorded dream, the king summons his seers and commands them to interpret a concerning dream. Similarly famous story in the Old Testament the Book of Daniel (2: 2-3) which mentions the King Nebuchadnezzar: "commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams.

So they came and stood before the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream and my spirit was troubled to know the dream." In the end it was Daniel, who, enlightened by the a vision sent to him by God, interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream, first explaining " the secret which the hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days." Daniel (2:27-28). As you can see many cultures have always taken dreams very seriously.

But what are dreams? why do we dream? the answer to that question is up to the individual, as we are in a dream state we fall in to utmost relaxation of our being, similar state can be achieved in meditation, this also might raise the question; can we dream without sleeping? well I don't really know the answer to that, all I know is we sometimes daydream,

We can all learn to analyze our dream, buy spending quite a long time to understanding the meanings and decoding it, we can have a dream diary to write them down, while it's still fresh in our mind. There is a lot of people who take dreams very seriously, and I am one of those people, and in the search engines if you just search "dreams" you will get millions of search results. Dreams are personal to us, we usually share them with family and friends. Also there are many dream analyzers online and all are eager to re dream your dream with you.

I personally believe, when we try to analyze a dream we must try to accomplish this by taking the whole dream and everything seen, heard and felt as one. example if we saw ocean in a dream, the meaning for it, is interwoven with every other detail of that particular dream, this is very important to truly get the one real meaning.

And every dream must be translated as good and pure.

Meditation

You heard about it, you might have practiced it, you may have made it part of your daily life, it has been scientifically proven that meditation works for your well being, we are all out there trying our best to be healthy by eating well, counting calories, exercising and so on which is highly beneficiary for you, how about the the health of our soul. Our inner self our mental state. How many people do you know who looks after that department very well, we tend to say there is no time or I will look into it some other time. Please remember dear friend tomorrow is not promised to me or you, so what we do today that counts. meditation is one of the best things you can do now, to improve your well being and it doesn't cost you a dime.

Tolga Savas

International Psychic Clairvoyant offering psychic medium readings, psychic readings, dream analysis, real psychic advice, dream translations, psychic chat online, astrology forecasts, Kumalak the Mirror of Destiny, See the Future that is Now

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

Meditation Can Be Your Key To Getting A Great Night's Sleep

By Keira Adams

Practicing meditation can be a great tool in the battle to achieve a more restful night's sleep. You CAN achieve a deeper and more refreshing sleep that will leave you ready to tackle your new day. Meditation is often very helpful for those who have trouble falling to sleep in the first place. It's a way for them to deeply relax their muscles and also their minds, thus allowing sleep to come more quickly to them.

A lot of people, for a variety of reasons, may try taking numerous different pills. However, you should know that with sleeping pills, you run the risk of interrupted sleep and daytime drowsiness. If you decide to use meditation instead of medication, it takes practice to learn the techniques that work for your body in particular, so be patient.

You can meditate in many different ways, such as using music, or not using music, lighting candles, or trying a more intense technique of yoga meditation by sitting quietly and letting your mind wander. Meditation will help to reduce your stress and anxiety, so that you get a better night's sleep.

There are several tips to help you reach better results with your meditation. You could try utilizing techniques such as a mantra, which is a positive phrase repeated aloud or in your mind, listening to relaxing CDs, or focusing on deep breathing exercises. When negative thoughts creep into your head and interrupt your meditation, try sweeping them away, making room for positive thoughts.

When you have a peaceful place with no distractions you will be able to easily meditate. Use the following tips to help you concentrate.

1. Find a quiet place where you're not likely to be disturbed. This place might be somewhere in your house, or a lakeside park bench. Remove the television, phone and other things that might cause a disturbance.

2. Get comfortable. Find a sitting position that is comfortable for you, using pillows or cushions if required. Remove your footwear, and do not wear anything that restricts you.

3. Try to relax. With your eyes closed, set your mind free to go where it wants. Think of a peaceful lake or a meadow while you meditate.

4. Take a deep breath. Inhale deeply and rhythmically, while concentrating on the air being drawn in and exiting your body with each breath. Stress relief and increasing your oxygen levels can be achieved by these deep breathing techniques.

In order to get a good night's sleep, try practicing meditation for 10 to 15 minutes before you go to bed. This should help improve your sleep patterns, and leave you feeling nice and refreshed for the day ahead.

Keira Adams writes about women's wellness and stress management. If you want to know more about the calming practice of meditation, visit Meditation-Info at http://www.meditation-info.com

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

Meditation Tools And Techniques For A Compassionate Mind

By Laurie Desjardins

Empathy and compassion are two emotions that make us human. It's the ability to identify with another person, to place ourselves in another's shoes, which allow us to have a greater connection with our fellow man.

Unfortunately, with the stress and general busy-ness of life, it becomes harder for us to place ourselves in the lives of others, as we're too busy worried about our own lives and our own families. Though it is easy for us to empathize with those close to us, it's a lot harder to summon compassion for people we've never met.

However, it's possible to learn compassion and empathy through meditation techniques.

Here's the story

A recent study published in the journal PLoS One showed that 16 Buddhist monks had been able to train their brains to be kinder and more compassionate, thanks to years of practiced compassion meditation.

The monks and a volunteer control group underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging brain scans during meditation sessions. During the sessions, the participants were given emotional cues - a baby crying or a woman in distress, for example - and asked to meditate or to refrain from meditating.

The scans showed that the brain circuits that detect emotion and feelings were significantly changed in the monks, where the volunteers showed little change, if any. The deeper the meditation, the stronger the response from the monks.

What this means for you

No, you don't have thousands of hours right now to spend training yourself in compassionate meditation techniques. However, those monks didn't start with thousands of hours under their belts. They had to start one day at a time.

By starting now, you can start making your brain kinder and more compassionate, taking it a day at a time.

Meditation has other, more noted health benefits as well. Studies have shown that it can reduce chronic stress and high blood pressure, and improve clarity and attention. With the high positive impact this can have on your life, it's important to make daily meditation a priority.

Meditation tools and tips

When life gets so busy, it's easy to put off meditation. You don't have time. You don't have space. You just can't fit it in.

However, meditation is one of those rare things that you actually can do just about anywhere. Whether you're at work or at home, if there's a place you can go for just a few moments of quiet, even if it's the bathroom, then you can meditate.

Images provide a very powerful meditation technique for some people. Imagine that the light in the room is sunlight shining on a beach. Turn on the water in the bathroom and imagine that you're sitting by a babbling creek. If it helps, bring in scents like pine or lavender to help you meditate.

Meditation tools are an excellent addition to your meditation repertoire, especially if you're just getting started. It can help immensely to have a physical tool on which to focus your energy. One particularly effective meditation tool is the Zen Stick, a smooth, wooden stick that you toss and catch with your eyes closed. It takes some coordination, but the repetitive motion combined with the physical meditation tool makes it a very quick and successful meditation.

Meditate one day at a time

In the modern world, we are constantly bombarded with a sense of "now now now" and "me me me." We are so worried about the future - what to have for dinner, when to do our taxes, how to finish those projects at work - that we forget to take time to enjoy the present and help our fellows.

Meditation techniques take away that unending rush and bring your focus to the here and now. Take it one day at a time, and you'll be more at peace with yourself, and be on your way to being a more compassionate, empathic person.

About the Author: Reduce your stress, better your health, and establish a feeling of peace and tranquility in your everyday life. Visit SleepingTiger.org today to choose the Zen Stick meditation tool that's right for you.

Laurie Desjardins is a meditation expert and creator of the Zen Stick relaxation tool. If you want to truly align your mind, body and spirit, consider adding the Zen Stick to your relaxation repertoire. For more information about meditation techniques and Zen Sticks, visit http://www.sleepingtiger.org.

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