Showing posts with label Benefits of Meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benefits of Meditation. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The Awesome Benefits of Meditation

By Zula Ron

Meditation is making a strong comeback in today's world. Stressed out business people and all sorts of different groups have found this old technique for its many benefits.

Meditation will help restore your energy, rejuvenating your body and leave you feeling calm and ready to face the rest of the day.

There have also been claims that meditation is a good way to cut down on the sleep you need. Meditation is different then sleep. Its a different kind of deeper relaxation. During meditation, the mind is able to rest more intensively and concentrated, than it is with sleep. Meditation will help calm the mind, relax the body and refocus the energy you already have. Although meditation cannot replace sleep, it can help to reduce the amount we need.

The benefits of meditation are boundless, but some include: higher energy levels, better concentration throughout your daily tasks and work times, and reduced stress levels. Meditation is one of the best stress reducers and is even used in hospitals for that purpose. Through your meditations, you may even gain new insights on your life and the people around you. Meditation is also often used for religious or spiritual purposes, so feel free to add that to your meditation routines, you'll still get the same energy boosting results and may gain more personal or spiritual insight.

For whatever purpose you use it for, meditation is one of the best known methods for restoring energy without sleep. Now, add this to the sleep routine talked about in the Energy through Sleep section and you'll optimize not only your energy levels, but the time you spend refilling those levels.

For more information on meditation and other ways to boost your energy and live healthy go to http://www.voernix.com/

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

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Meditation and Non-Thought

By Bruce R. King

The first time I was asked to meditate was about 20 years ago by my psychologist. He told me to recite a mantra "she-rem". The objective being that if I was repeating a mantra over and over my brain wouldn't be worrying about other things that might stress me out. I tried this technique off and on through the years without many results, or at least the results I wanted. I would lay in bed at night and repeat the mantra "she-rem, she-rem" over and over again until I fell asleep or I got distracted by other thoughts. I eventually dropped this practice and didn't hear about the benefits of meditation for another 10 years.

The next time I heard about meditation was in context of helping cancer patients. I was told that the cancer patients that had been meditating did better than the ones who did not. Since I didn't have cancer I didn't really see the benefit for me. Perhaps I could have better health if I meditated, but my health was and is pretty good so I didn't really have a good reason to meditate, I thought.

Then I found an organization called Higher Balance Institute (HBI). They encouraged meditation in a different way for a different reason. They taught me a unique and powerful way to meditate that would help lead me to what is known as non-thought. It was later explained to me that it is not really no thought so much as thinking in a different way with a different consciousness. I put two and two together and realized that non-thought through meditation was a way of accessing my higher consciousness. If I could access my higher consciousness then I could possibly have peace and enlightenment.

This is what I found. Using the unique and powerful meditation technique along with many other practices I learned from HBI I am beginning to understand the difference between my organic brain thoughts and "thoughts" from my higher or multidimensional consciousness.

There are some other benefits to meditation that I should also mention besides non-thought. You can actually store an invisible energy known as prana when you meditate. This energy can be used to help you do supernatural things, like manifesting desires, etc. Since I have been using the meditation and other practices I have been able to manifest much more quickly and easily.

Oh yeah, another side benefit of quieting the brain through meditation is you can hear God/Universe/Force a lot better.

That may be the best benefit to meditation and the reason why I find myself at much more peace now. The closer we get to God/Universe/Force the less concerned I am with the worries of this dimension, and the more able I am to build a soul for myself.

Building a soul, gaining access to your multidimensional consciousness, being able to do supernatural things sounds appealing doesn't it? How do you know that I am not just pulling your leg about all this though? I mean, there is a lot of baloney on the internet. I would say the best way to find out if something works or not is to try it out for yourself. That's what I did. I took a chance and instead of watching a 30 minute TV show at night I sat down and meditated.

Bruce King writes on metaphysical topics and teaches a workshop on How To Bend Reality. For more information go to http://www.HowToBendReality.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_R._King

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Benefits and Techniques of Meditation

By Ramakrishna Thinnavelli

Healthy mind lives in a healthy body, it is perfectly truth because your happiness depends on your mind and it depends on your body. Without physical health you can't be completely happy, and without mental happiness you can't be completely healthy. So you need both of them, how to improve mental and physical health? Only solution is meditation.

Actually which take place in the mind, and sometimes these are equally as important as the physical benefits. Psychological benefits of meditation include improved creativity, learning ability, and memory.

As you focus on meditation stress relief, you will introduce more oxygen into your blood because of the improved breathing you will use during your meditation session and you will find suddenly get more energy.

Important Benefits of Meditation:

1. Meditation gives the meaning of life
2. Reduced your breath rate gradually
3. Through meditation your mind and body will be free
4. Your blood pressure will be control
5. Increased metabolic activity
6. Reduced your heart rate
7. Reduction in high frequency range heart rhythm variability
8. Decreased agglutination of red blood cells
9. Increased forced your vital capacity
10. Reduction in stress hormone production
11. to Focus on Self-Healing
12. to Help Control Internal and External Pain

Meditation success is mainly depend on specific place and environment, you must keep your surrounding with peaceful environment; time is also very important in meditation practice, everyday you must perform10-15 minutes breathing exercises to relax your body and mind. This time can relax you and can give you piece of mind for the whole day.
easy techniques for meditation

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

Friday, June 20, 2008

Is There A Real Substitute For Meditation?

By Laura D Adams

I've come to understand the amazing benefits of meditation.

I've seen TV news specials about schools that have incorporated meditation into their curriculum, causing student's grades and test scores to sky-rocket. I've also read about major corporations that believe in meditation. They feel it's so important for good performance that they hire meditation consultants to teach their workers and even pay employees for time just to meditate.

I've asked my mentors what has really helped them move to the level of success they enjoy today. And you guessed it, meditation was their answer. Phil Helmuth, one of the world's best poker players even attributes his success to the practice of meditation!

Because I know its value, I want to be able to practice meditation successfully too. I have tried for years, but to this day I am still NOT able to meditate.

I spent some time trying to troubleshoot my meditation problem. Does it go back to my formative years? Did I spend too much time playing video games as a kid?

I'm not sure of the cause, but the reality is that my mind is just too active to meditate. You see, my brain works like CNN. I have one reporter delivering the news and an additional ticker tape of information flowing across the bottom of the screen.

But despite my meditation failures, I am very fortunate to have been able to achieve incredible results in my life using an alternate technique.

This technique was actually a tremendous gift that I received from a close friend of mine. This is a friend who also had limited success meditating. He introduced me to an effective technology called brain wave entrainment.

Brain wave entrainment allows one to manipulate the brain state with very little practice and a rapid learning curve. It's generally accomplished with audio soundtracks. The audio has been modified to manipulate the brain into the desired state. So if you can listen to audio, you can change your state of mind. And if you are hearing impaired this effect can also be created with specially designed strobe effects.

So why am I telling you about changing the brain state in an article on meditation? Because whether you realize it or not, the holy grail of meditation is the theta brain wave state!

When you are barely conscious (just before sleep or right after waking, for example) your brain waves are in the theta state. This is the middle ground between the conscious and the subconscious world, and also the goal of meditation.

When you get into the theta state, but can remain conscious, you have the ability to access and influence your subconscious mind. This is extremely important because the subconscious mind is much more powerful than the conscious mind.

So, getting yourself into the theta brain wave state on a regular basis in order to influence your subconscious mind is the secret to manifesting change and positive results in your life.

In fact, before we were able to measure brainwave patterns in the human brain with machines, people were using entrainment to induce a theta state. The chanting of monks, the drumbeats of Native Americans, and the hypnotic state created by a campfire are all examples of brain wave entrainment.

To learn more about brain wave entrainment and how it can help with all aspects of your life visit GetTheDream.com.

How would you like to manifest your ideal life by tapping the power of YOUR subconscious mind? Revolutionary videos from Get The Dream combine an electronic Vision Board with Brainwave Entrainment technology. Put the Law of Attraction to work in your life with only 20 minutes per day! A FREE Sleep product is now available for instant download at http://www.GetTheDream.com

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

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

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

Sunday, May 25, 2008

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

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Enjoy Meditation to Remain Fit

By Tom Chuong

What is meditation? It is a process of thought and concentration, which reduces stress, worries and obesity. People, who are conscious about their weight, do meditation to the fat of their body. Meditation is safe, healthy and affordable. Meditation is a component of yoga from past 50000 years.

Meditation increases the energy level present in the human body. There are many people who meditate in the morning to reduce their anxieties, stress and like to remain strong and fit. It is both complex and simple. Meditation is about looking at an object and then describing about it.
Some of the steps one should follow while meditating:

• Kneel or sit comfortably.

• The hands to be kept loose and opened with the palms, one on the top of other and the thumb touching lightly.

• The head should be upright, eyes must be closed or open and if they are opened, they should be focused either on your hands or a spot.

• While meditating, a person should breathe in a relaxed and natural way. The beginner meditators should count the number of times they exhale. This is to be repeated again and again.

• This process needs to be continued for at least 15 minutes.

Here are some benefits of meditation:

• It reduces stress.

• Cures diseases like diabetics, blood pressure, obesity and hypertension.

• The quality of sleep gets improved.

• Improves concentration, chronological aging, visual acuity heightens immunity level and increases alertness.

Meditation bestows fruitful results if followed in an appropriate way and an encouraging force. Always begin meditation with reason- Plan a reason in your life for doing meditation such as reducing weight, anxieties or diseases. Explore the benefits of meditation by doing a research on mediation techniques.

• Begin it with dedication- if you serious want to get rid of your problems in life, start meditating with concentration, respect and seriousness. You will experience the results immediately in your life.

• Meditation should be done with an objective or a goal in life. If an objective is set behind mediation, it will lead to the steps of success.

Tom Chuong works as an Health Consultant for Clay Media Group, LLC. Currently, he's writing health articles on topics related to Hoodia Diet Pills, Hoodia, and Herbal Remedies. If you need an experienced SEO expert to work on your commercial website, please contact him.

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

Meditation As A Means Of Relaxation And Spiritual Exploration

By William Gabie

"I find meditation a great way to relax and spiritually explore my inner self". If I'd said that to anyone about two months ago I would have felt really embarrassed. I guess spiritual exploration has a way of changing things.

Meditation gives us an understanding of the universe and its power. The power and energy that we have, and how to channel it towards great benefits. Lately I signed up for a meditation course which I have found extremely beneficial for the health of my body, spirit and mind.

The lessons are free, so if anyones interested you should certainly check it out. I've left a link at the bottom of the page where you can sign up.

Meditation has helped me personally overcome much confusion and anxiety I once had. I feel renewed and refreshed. Its almost as if my old self disintegrated and made way for the new me. The true me.

This experience and the experiences following it have opened my eyes to the possibilities of the universe.

I have discovered so much. So much about the universe, so much about human nature and most importantly so much about myself.

Its a sad thought to think many of our kind live their whole lives without discovering their inner self; their true self. We need to come together and understand one another. We need to find ourselves buried deep below the surface. We need to realize that all problems and issues can be addressed. We need to understand the cosmos (everything).

To many this may sound like a daunting task, but whats the best way to eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

I suggest you put time aside each day to explore your mind. Explore your thoughts.

I also recommend the free course im taking as a means of getting over the basics. You'll need to sign up to receive information that will build your knowledge of your true self, and lead you to a better life.

To be honest guys it is more than just free lessons, its a community. So if you're not interested, or your likely to leave the messages in your inbox un-opened then I suggest you don't sign up. After all it's a very important group to a lot of people and we like to keep the members active.
Join our meditation group.

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

Sunday, April 20, 2008

13 Valuable Health Benefits Meditation Offers You

By Douglas Robert

Meditation is a valuable tool that offers numerous health benefits to anyone who uses it. It is a gift we've all been given.

But only a small percentage of people use meditation on a regular basis. Following are some of the benefits meditation offers you.

Meditation...

1. Is completely natural.

2. Requires no outside assistance.

3. Is 100% side-effect free.

4. Helps you gain a clearer perspective by allowing you to temporarily suspend the myriad of competing thoughts occupying your mind.

5. Provides you with a deep sense of peace. This leads to an enhanced feeling of well-being.

6. Helps you to relax and unwind by freeing your mind of all mental activity and easing your body of the muscle tension that often accompanies stress.

7. Improves your overall health and well-being.

8. Helps to relieve stress. Stress is a huge factor in the 21st century. Everyone is impacted by it and usually not in a good way. Meditation is a readily available way to alleviate the daily stress that takes its toll physically and emotionally.

9. Lowers your heart and respiratory rates. It has a calming effect on the body.

10. Is restful and replenishing. According to world-class expert, Wayne Dyer, a few moments of deep meditation can be the equivalent of a few hours of sleep. It's that powerful... and that profound.

11. Helps you cope. With a clear mind, you are better able to deal with the rigors, pressures and obligations of today's fast-paced society. It gives you a timeout from a hectic schedule.

12. Done regularly meditation can lead to fewer headaches or faster relief without the use of those over-the-counter pain relief medications most of us in the Western world have unfortunately come to rely on.

13. Meditation enables you to tap into universal energy. Connecting on this level gives you the power to attain whatever you want.

Why not make meditation part of your life?

Meditation is something that can serve you well for as long as you're on the planet. It's one of your best defenses against the devastating effects of a stressful life. I urge you to give it a try every day for one week. If you're willing to do that, I'm willing to bet that your life will never be the same again.

Have you discovered the magic of meditation? Click the link below and you'll find many quick and easy tips and techniques to change your life with meditation. Visit: http://www.meditationfx.com

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

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

6 Good Reasons Why You Should Learn To Meditate

By Douglas Robert

Meditation offers many helpful benefits to those who allow themselves the opportunity to indulge. In this brief article, we will touch on some of the more commonly experienced advantages meditation offers.

1. Meditation is good for you. It reduces stress and enables you to gain mental clarity. Meditating is rejuvenating to your spirit and relaxing to your mind and body. It's an exercise in replenishment.

2. Meditation is truly a magical gift and it's something that anyone can do. You don't need any special training or extensive study. Just a few basic steps and away you go.

3. You can enhance your meditative experience by learning more. For example, you can learn different techniques and approaches and the more you practice them, the more powerful and profound your meditations will become. Practice makes improvement, so you will be able to relax to a deeper level will be able to get to that level sooner, and you'll be able to meditate in a variety of environments.

4. Basic meditation is a simple process that can transform your life in just 15 minutes a day. You can literally change your life in 15 minutes of daily exercise.

5. The whole process of meditation helps to free your mind of the mental chatter. That's the beauty of it. No matter how stressed out you are, meditation enables you to lift off the layers that are weighing you down. Meditation allows you to see with clarity. When you can get beyond the clutter in your mind, you reach a level where you can contemplate with absolute clarity as issues that burden you simply fade away.

6. It frees your mind and spirit while establishing a connection to the universal power. Meditation is a divine experience. It's this connection to your higher power that cannot be described by mere words. It's something that needs to be experienced. Allow yourself the gift of meditation and you will feel as one with this tremendous life force. It's an empowering exercise.

When you meditate you feel connected to life in all its forms. You're allowing the energy to flow in a positive way and this connection will make you feel appreciative of all nature and its magnificent creations. Things that are nagging you simply fade away you emerge from your meditation feeling stronger, lighter, and more positive - and that's a good thing.

Have you discovered the magic of meditation? Click the link below and you'll find many quick and easy tips and techniques to change your life with meditation. Visit: http://www.meditationfx.com

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

Sunday, March 16, 2008

The Importance of Meditation for Procrastination

By Jason Hobbs

It would be a better option to consider meditation for procrastination, especially for those people, who suffer from procrastination largely because their mind is replete with stress. It is estimated that meditation offers a best solution for stress, since it helps in decreasing the levels of tension from the mind. Hence, it is mostly used in the far eastern regions of the world with much success through all these years. Apart from its use for religious purposes, meditation has also benefited those workers, who procrastinate and even for those people who prepare for their exams. The main reason for a person procrastinating is the fact that they mainly involve a confused mind, which is largely unable to deal with the situation that is at hand. For such people, the best way is to embark on meditation for procrastination. This is largely because, the process of meditation helps in cleansing the mind. This, in turn, helps them in thinking rationally and clearly and without the undue influence of outside forces.

More on Meditation:

It is also estimated that the process of meditation for procrastination helps in the improvement in the levels of concentration. This is mainly because, majority of the people suffering from this disorder are those who face problems with the concentration of tasks at hand and are emotionally unstable. Meditation for procrastination helps in reducing the negative emotions and also, improves the self esteem of a person.

The other reason that needs to be considered for undertaking meditation for procrastination is the fact that, it helps in improvement of metabolism and gives a general promotion of well being, which allows students to concentrate better. In addition, it also proves beneficial to the adults as they feel better to work for an entire stretch in a day.

Miscellaneous benefits of Meditation:

It is up to the individual to understand, as to what it actually takes for meditation in addition to the purpose for which a person meditates. A person needs to be clear about his expectations out of the meditation exercises also. Once a clear idea is acquired, a person would be in a position to prepare a good meditation schedule such that it does not get missed anytime ever.

Overall, the moment a person undergoes deep meditation for procrastination, he would have a good peace of mind and would be in a better position of communicating with others. This would ensure that a person stops procrastinating once and for all and, becomes an achiever who would be in a position to complete whichever tasks are required to be performed. Apart from banishing procrastination, meditation has numerous benefits. The quicker a person meditates, the better it is for him.

If you would like to learn more about Procrastination and receive a FREE Newsletter on the subject visit the authors site http://www.procrastinationadvice.com

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

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Meditation - What's in it for You?

By E. Raymond Rock

What can we expect to gain from meditation? Nothing, in the beginning, except for a somewhat annoying practice that always seems to get in the way of our doing something more important! If we are half-way serious about our practice, however, we will persevere, and eventually get to a point where we can stand back from the many thoughts that trouble our mind.

At first, our thoughts will overwhelm us. Regardless of how hard we try to concentrate on our meditation object, we will end up lost in thinking. After awhile, however, we kind of catch on and find a way to interrupt the constant stream of thought with a bigger thought; which is keeping our attention on our meditation object; for example, our breathing. In the texts, this is called "Applied Thought." In other words, we keep applying our mind, over and over, like a hammer striking a bell, to the thought of our meditation object - we keep coming back to our meditation object.

We will lose our attention to our meditation object time and again, hundreds, thousands of times, but if we are warriors, and not satisfied to allow thoughts to control us, we will come back again and again to our meditation object and never give up. This coming back time and again is called "Applying our Thought."

In life, this teaches us to focus and to persevere.

As we become proficient in doing this, something happens; we find ourselves remaining on our meditation object longer and longer. When we can remain on it steadily, with no intervening, stray thoughts to interrupt our concentration, we have reached a little milestone, called "Sustained Thought." The analogy is that here the hammer no longer has to strike the bell continuously; the bell continues ringing on its own. This is a big step in the right direction. Rather than a mind that wanders aimlessly from one thought to another, we have now controlled the mind to think only one thought, such as our breathing.

In life, this enables us to to concentrate on issues until they are solved.

We are, however, still plagued by stray thoughts at this stage and will find ourselves alternating between Applied Thought and Sustained Thought until we are able to remain in sustained thought more confidently. Then, other sensations arise, such as happiness (which result from the relief from constant, uncontrolled thought, which is the bases of our stress), and we will also experience pleasurable body sensations.

In life, this builds ease, regardless of our goals.

The next big step is when Applied Thought and Sustained Thought disappear. No longer do we have to apply our mind to a meditation object, or sustain our attention there. Automatically, the mind remains absorbed in the meditation object, such as our breathing, with no effort whatsoever. This is when the happiness, resulting from concentration, is accompanied by confidence and one-pointedness of mind, which is concentration.

In life, we now develop authentic insight where problems no longer require detailed, intellectual analysis. We can feel what is right and wrong. Also, the desire for happiness, which has caused us so many problems in the past, is now not so strong. We have the capacity of equanimity, which means we can be satisfied without constant sense stimulation and this in turn infuses us with constant feelings of joy.

During the third phase, we begin to lose our infatuation with happiness, but still find bodily pleasure arising, even though our mind is becoming more attracted to bare equanimity and mindfulness.

In life, we are now really developing wisdom beyond merely worldly concerns.

The fourth stage involves a complete decoupling of both pleasant and the unpleasant feelings, both pleasure and pain, both joy and grief, as we dwell in bare equanimity now, with a purity of mindfulness.

In life, we are now immune to all negative emotions and their devastating effects. We feel equally about all things.

As we go deeper into meditation, we may eventually notice that there is nothing but space behind and around our meditation object. When this happens, we will lose interest in our meditation object, which will be replaced by the idea of infinite space.

In life, we now develop an overview. We can step back from physical existence, see it for what it truly is, and this brings up great compassion and a desire to help our fellow human beings.

Infinite space, in time, will succumb to the realization that there is nothing. When this happens, our object of concentration will automatically become infinite nothingness. Then, as we realize internally that our perception of infinite nothingness depends on consciousness, we will immediately lose interest in nothingness, with the interest switching to infinite consciousness as the object of our concentration.

In life, although we continue with our efforts and our responsibilities, we are no longer attached to the results of those efforts.

Eventually the realization will come that all of this is dependent upon perception, and when we see this, we will lose interest in perception, and dwell in neither perception nor non-perception.

In life, our love now becomes unconditional for all beings.

And finally, when we see through this perception and non-perception, we give up perception and feeling totally.

In life, it is all now seen as merely dancing of the goddesses.

This is the culmination of concentration practice, after which we begin working on the advanced phases of meditation, which are investigation and insight. These advanced phases will eventually take us to full enlightenment, where the self no longer exists.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-nine years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

Article Source: http://www.amazines.com/Spiritual/article_detail.cfm/432070?articleid=432070

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Meditation - The Role of Meditation

By Ricky Hussey

Meditation is a way of contacting the inner energy that powers the natural processes of healing and self-realization. Many cultures preserve some form of ritualistic technique - in one or two cultures dating from thousands of years ago - that promotes change from the normal levels of perception and that may result in feelings of well-being. This is probably why meditation in one form or another is central to the practice of so many of the world's religions.

The word meditation comes from the Latin meditatio, which originally indicated every type of physical or intellectual exercise, then later evolved into the more specific meaning "contemplation."

Eastern spiritual teachings, including meditation, have been adapted and increasingly practiced in Western culture.

The use of Meditation for healing is not new. Meditative techniques are the product of diverse cultures and peoples around the world. It has been rooted in the traditions of the world's great religions. In fact, practically all religious groups practice meditation in one form or another. The value of Meditation to alleviate suffering and promote healing has been known and practiced for thousands of years.

Whereas some traditions are strictly mystical, directed toward a unity with all creation and an infusion with sublime joy, others may be described as more pragmatic, striving instead toward what is simply a state of "being" that includes no aspect of movement or sensation. For some people, especially in the Christian faith, prayer is a form of meditation. What is always involved is time out from the world around and a stilling of the mind.

Although it is possible to learn meditation techniques from a book, it is much better to have a teacher. Failing this, a tape can be helpful. It is usual to start by adopting a comfortable posture in a quiet location and closing your eyes. At first it may be difficult to steer the attention gently away from your racing thoughts without forcing the mind to behave in a set way. The vocal repetition of sounds (a mantra), or a visual object of devotional significance to which the attention may be recalled when necessary, is helpful to some people.

It has been found that meditating effects change heart rate and respiration, helping to reduce stress. As the thoughts slow and the level of tension in the body drops accordingly, feelings of calm, detachment, peace, and sometime joy begin to fill the mind and spread through the body. Meditation promotes a state of deep relaxation, but also mental alertness and openness. An equilibrium between activity in the rational left side of the brain and the creative right side of the brain is established and there is an overall increase in the brain's range of operation. Benefits reported include decreased anxiety, feelings of anger and aggression, depression, nervousness, and physical tension increased awareness and concentration, mental clarity and resilience, creative intuitive powers, emotional stability and control, and also overall health and well-being.

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Monday, January 7, 2008

Meditation Online

By Editor 123

In this fast changing world, the importance of meditation cannot be denied. Every now and then, people are looking for internal peace and happiness in their lives to deal with their constant problems. Therefore, meditation has become a real craze in the world where time is running out from hands. Meditation is defined as a specialized technique, or practice that usually makes a person to focus on an object, perhaps a candle, a sound or your breath. So, that for a time being, you can forget about your daily life work pressure and can feel your inner self.

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is of great importance for a person for dealing with the increasing busyness and work pressures. With proper meditation a person can attain just peace and lots of happiness related with this. As you meditate the number of random thoughts developing in your mind diminishes, as well as your attachment to these thoughts, and your identification with them. This whole process of meditation helps you to keep your mind in rest and give a chance to your body to synchronize with your activities related with brains easily an People suffering from heavy stress can seek big relief into the technique of meditation. It is known as the great stress buster for stress management. Taking stress is not good for the body and you cannot perform perfectly until and unless you get rid of your stress problem. It means your mind is the key to remove stress from your life. Meditation provides experience, relaxation, increased awareness, mental focus, clarity and a sense of peace if practiced regularly. So, learn tricks and tips to get more happiness and peace with proper meditation procedure and process.d effectively. Moreover, the technique of meditation allows your mind activity to settle down and results in you becoming more peaceful, calm and focused.

About the author: Visit Modern Meditation, for further information on meditation online, meditation community, meditation workshops, meditation news, meditation exercises etc please visit at www.modernmeditation.net

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How to Meditate

By Juliet Cohen

Meditation is the art of silencing the mind. When the mind is silent, concentration is increased and we experience inner peace in the midst of worldly turmoil. We can learn how to transform our mind from negative to positive, from disturbed to peaceful, from unhappy to happy. Overcoming negative minds and cultivating constructive thoughts is the purpose of the transforming meditations found in the Buddhist tradition. Meditating a few minutes each day is a proven stress reducer, and it can improve your view of life as well. Various types of meditation that are recognized include transcendental meditation, prayer, Zen meditation, Taoist meditation, mindfulness meditation, and Buddhist meditation. Meditation is a practice that brings about not only physical benefits, but psychological benefits as well.

Some methods of meditation may require the body being absolutely still or to be moved with controlled deliberation, while other types allow for free movement of the body. It isn’t difficult to meditate, but it most certainly requires a few elements that are required to maintain an atmosphere that is conducive to meditation. To get the most from meditation you need to do it every day. This requires a place and time where you will not be disturbed. Sit with a straight back. Don’t try to meditate lying down because you are likely to fall asleep. Meditation brings relaxation and peace but at the same time this is a dynamic peace. Meditation is quite different than the relaxation of sleep. Don’t eat before meditating. After a heavy meal your body will be lethargic with digestion.

Observe your breath. Don't try to change the way you are breathing, just let your attention rest on the flow of your breath. The goal is to allow the "chattering" in your mind to gradually fade away. Relax every muscle in your body. Don't rush this, as it takes time to fully relax, and relax bit by bit, starting at your toes, and working up to your head. Take a meditation retreat of at least a few days. Some of these are silent, others are not. Once you experience the feel of actually meditating, you will better know how and if it applies to your life. Some of the benefits of meditation such as concentration. Knowledge of self is also benefits of meditation. Creates a state of deep relaxation and general feeling of wellbeing is benefits of meditation.

Benefits of meditation Tips

1. It decreases respiratory rate.

2. Reduces Pre- menstrual Syndrome.

3. It is also reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress.

4. It is increased learning ability, moral reasoning and memory.

5. Meditation is decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches.

6. Regular practitioners of MTH have increased sizes of chakras and auras making the energy body stronger and more dynamic.

About the author: Juliet Cohen writes articles for fitness tips and weight loss tips. She also writes articles on home remedies.

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Monday, December 31, 2007

Meditation Makes You Stress-Free

By Douglas M. Burns

In today's world the need for mental peace and a stress-free life is great. Most of us are experiencing a feeling of disconnectedness with our inner self, a feeling of mental restlessness and anxiety that is depriving us of a day's sleep, and peace of mind. In today's world the need for mental peace and a stress-free life is great. Most of us are experiencing a feeling of disconnectedness with our inner self, a feeling of mental restlessness and anxiety that is depriving us of a day's sleep, and peace of mind.

Meditation, an important aspect of Buddhism differs from other kinds of practices like yoga, quest for supernatural or any other form of physical exercise. Buddhist meditation is based on the Eight Fold path enumerated by Buddha himself. It believes that desire is the root cause for suffering and that the source for human suffering rests in their minds alone. It is this psychological aspect that dominates the Buddhist meditation practices rather than mere physical ceremonies.

To meditate in a Buddhist way one need not undergo any initiation or be religious in their beliefs and attitude. In fact, meditation has got nothing to do with religion, community or faith. It is a psychological exercise considered by many as of spiritual nature.

Ability to meditate is not some special skill out of human reach. Every human being looking for peace in his life should practice meditation and see for himself how it will relieve him of the mental stress and suffering.

Wondering what would one achieve by meditating! Meditation is a kind of cognitive journey an individual undertakes to attain the so called goals of Buddhism - gaining the ability to concentrate, liberating one's own mind, attaining 'Nirvana' or salvation and thus terminating the mental suffering.

Nirvana is that state of mind which can be attained only after much self -exploration and rigorous meditation. An individual should rid himself of negative feelings like anger, greed, lust, hatred etc to attain spiritual enlightenment. His mind should rise above the frivolous nitty-gritty of life. This doesn't mean that one should stop leading a normal life and seclude himself from the rest of the world meditating in some quite corner of the world. It's just that one should be able to dedicate some time from his busy schedule to meditate.

An individual should practice non-attachment and liberate himself psychologically from his emotions, passions and addictions. One should realize the ephemerality of human existence and it's mental suffering. Self- exploration of one's mind will create awareness about all those hidden and repressed causes that have been lying dormant in your subconscious. Such awareness will help you in steering your mind towards the right path, the path to Nirvana. Focusing your attention on a single subject or object for long will enhance your power to concentrate; to avoid mental distractions.

Some general tips about how to meditate are as follows: * Individuals can meditate either in a Lotus posture; squatting on the ground or in any other posture they are comfortable with.

* Try to avoid sitting amidst distracting elements like noisy TV or music players.

* Focus your attention on some distant object or a wall or some geometric shape.

* Concentrate on your breathing alone. Once your mind achieves proper concentration, slow down your breathing.

The oft-quoted excuse given by people to avoid meditating is that they don't have time. Though this does hold good to our busy lives and mundane routines to a great extent. The best part about meditation is that there are no special rules regarding at what time one should meditate or for how long. Create a plan that suits you the most.

Meditation is all about your quest for peace. It is you who should make a sincere effort to practice meditation and be persistent in learning. So, are you ready to meditate?

Buddhist Meditation and Depth Psychology, by Douglas M. Burns

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Saturday, December 22, 2007

Meditation - The Antidote for Tension and Worries

By Remez Sasson

Meditation has always been recognized as the antidote and remedy for tension, worry and fear. It is not a magical medicine, and results do not show overnight, but they are assured if you commit yourself to meditate each day.

We are living in a world full of tensions and worries. Work, relationships, financial conditions, health, dangers and fears provide enough fuel for tension and worries. They prevent inner peace, produce toxics in the body, injure the health and disturb life. They weaken both mind and body, and bring all kinds of problems.

The mind and the body need something to relax and calm them down, and this is one of the roles of meditation. Its effects last not only during the actual period devoted to it, but throughout the whole day, but for that to happen it has to be practiced earnestly and correctly for some time.

You might find it is difficult to start to meditate, because you do not have the motivation to do so, and you feel the need for proof of the benefits of meditation before you begin. The best proof you can gather is through your personal, direct experience. It is good to read about other people's experiences, but it is much better to gain first hand experience.

If you approach meditation with interest and love you will develop the patience and persistence necessary for success. Soon the twenty minutes will extend to thirty minutes and even longer. As in every other area, here too, when you start to see results your ambition and desire to succeed would grow.

There are many meditation techniques, and you may follow any one that attracts you, and with which you feel comfortable. Do not force yourself to do something that you do not like to do. This produces tension, which you are trying to avoid.

After practicing for some time you will see how your inner peace level grows, and situations that previously caused you worry and tension lose their power to affect you. You will find that physical, emotional and mental tensions gradually start to diminish, and the door to peace of mind opens for you.

The process of meditating gradually takes your mind, thoughts and senses away from your immediate environment. The flow of stimulus from the environment and mind diminishes gradually, and both mind and body relax. This affects the metabolism of the body, cleanses it from toxics, and provides renewed energy and peace of mind.

Meditation is the antidote for tensions, fears and worries that most people go through. Its accumulated effects make it easier to stay calm under difficult situations, and thus get over them or steer away from them. It gives you not only peace of mind, but it also increases your inner strength, will power and self discipline. It is an important tool for a happier and more relaxed life for everyone, no matter where he lives and what he does.

Meditation is a great tool not only for the seeker after spiritual awakening and enlightenment, but for the ordinary person who wishes to live a calm and peaceful life and to preserve his sanity. It bestows the ability to be free from tension and unnecessary thinking, and opens the door to happiness and peace of mind. In its higher levels it opens the door to spiritual awakening.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Meditation Explained

By Winsome Coutts

Why Meditate?

Scientists and doctors study meditation and recommend it. Meditation is now proven to be more than just a ‘warm and fuzzy’ feeling. It works. So there are many reasons why people begin to meditate. Some learn meditation to become more relaxed, for improvement in health, to reduce stress, for clearer thinking, to become more creative, to sleep better and to improve mental strength. There are physical, emotional and spiritual Benefits of Meditation. It’s safe, it’s simple and it’s free.

People who are not familiar with meditation may consider it to be prayer or worship, but this is far from the truth. Meditation can be described as concentrated awareness, so as you overcome distractions and focus your mind on something you are becoming aware; you are meditating when you maintain a continued state of awareness. There are a wide range of disciplines taught for bringing your attention on to some object or thought or awareness. In fact what happens in the process is that meditation moves your brainwaves into an alpha state. This is a relaxed state with a level of consciousness where you are still aware. In the alpha state learning and healing are promoted.

Brainwaves Brainwaves are electrical activity emanating from the brain. There are four categories of brainwaves as shown below: Beta (alert/working): 15 to 40 hertz, Alpha (relaxed/reflecting): 9 to 14 hertz, Theta (drowsy): 5 to 8 hertz, Delta (sleep/dreaming): 3 to 4 hertz, Delta (deep dreamless sleep): 1.5 to 3 hertz *Hertz = cycles per second.

In the alpha state your brainwaves run between 9 to 14 cycles per second or hertz, compared with your normal waking state beta: of 15 to 40 hertz. Deeper states of relaxation move through theta, delta to the deepest delta, which is a highly creative state of relaxation.

In fact you are meditating when you focus on birds singing, to the exclusion of all other thoughts, or staring into the fire, just focusing on that, or concentrating on your breath coming in and out, thinking of nothing else.
Traditionally Eastern cultures have practiced meditation for centuries as part of their spiritual teachings, and until recently, say the last 30 or 40 years, Westerners viewed meditation with a bit of suspicion. Now, the benefits are so well documented and experienced by so many that it has become common practice for many doctors and health practitioners to recommend meditation as part of their healing plan.

There are two basic techniques of meditating and the different practices fall in to either of these two categories, with some variations possible. In mindfulness meditation the meditator sits in a comfortable position and focuses his attention and awareness on an object or activity; such as a candle, breathing, a visualization or a mantra, keeping an open focus and awareness of the present moment as he does so. This method allows for free flowing and observing of his thoughts while using the focus as an ‘anchor’ he constantly brings his mind back to the focus, when he starts to wander off in to different thoughts.

With concentration meditation which is used by most spiritual and religious traditions, the meditator keeps his attention on a particular object like repetition of a prayer or a mantra to minimize distractions, and continually brings his mind back to the chosen object. Lawrence LeShan defined meditation in ‘How to Meditate’ as “doing one thing at a time with your whole being”.

In some traditions both mindful and concentration meditation are combined.
It is possible to practice meditation even while walking or doing simple repetitive tasks. It is in moments when your mind is clear that you get that ‘realization’, ‘inspiration’ or ‘BFO’ (blinding flash of the obvious). “AHA” you say, as something miraculously pops in to your head.

Learn How to Meditate You can attend sessions somewhere in your city, usually free, to learn how to meditate. There are many books and tapes to help you, most of them excellent aids. It is easy and simple to learn. There are many tools to help you move into a meditative state. The one I absolutely love is the Holosync audio tapes from Centrepointe (centerpointe.com) (I don’t lightly recommend products, but this advanced Neuro technology is light years ahead of anything else I have tried and read about. I use it daily).

When you practice meditation regularly you begin to liberate the energy in your mind and the quality of your consciousness will expand. You will become more relaxed and happy, experiencing a sense of control of your life. You tend to approach life in a much more peaceful manner, not stressing in ways you might have done previously. This is not just a generalized statement, but is now being proven by empirical research.

I maintain wholeheartedly that meditation is truly beneficial. Do try it.

Winsome Coutts is co-owner of Global Secrets International and writes stories and articles for personal development, The Law of Attraction and The Secret Movie. Visit her website for heaps of info, free downloads & self-help tools. http://www.the-secret-dvd.net/