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/

Simple Meditation Techniques Anyone Can Use

By: Louis Bonaventura

Meditation refers to a state where your body and mind are consciously relaxed and focused. Practitioners of this art report increased awareness, focus, and concentration, as well as a more positive outlook on life.

Meditation is most commonly associated with monks, mystics and other spiritual disciplines. However, you don't have to be a monk or mystic to enjoy its benefits.

You don't even have to be in a special place to practice it. You could try it in your own living room!

Although there are many different approaches to meditation, the fundamental principles remain the same. The most important among these principles is that of removing obstructive, negative, and wandering thoughts and fantasies, and calming the mind with a deep sense of focus. This clears the mind of debris and prepares it for a higher quality of activity.

The negative thoughts you have - those of noisy neighbors, bossy officemates, that parking ticket you got, and unwanted spam - are all contributing to the "polluting" of the mind. Shutting them out allows for the "cleansing" of the mind so that it may focus on deeper, more meaningful thoughts.

Some practitioners even shut out all sensory input - no sight, no sound, and nothing to touch. They try to detach themselves from all of the commotion around them.

Once you achieve this, you may now focus on deep, profound thought, if this is your goal. It may seem deafening at first, since we are all too accustomed to constantly hearing and seeing things, but as you continue this exercise you will find your awareness of everything around you increasing dramatically.

If you find the meditating positions you see on television threatening; you know ... the ones with impossibly arched backs, and painful-looking contortions ... you don't need to worry.

The principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration. This may be while sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, or even walking.

If a position allows you to relax and focus, then use that position as a starting point. While sitting or standing, the back should be straight, but not tense or tight. In other positions, the only no-no is slouching and falling asleep.

Loose, comfortable clothes help a lot in the process since tight fitting clothes have a tendency to choke you up and make you feel tense and restrained. The idea is to let go, not to restrain yourself!

The place you perform meditation should have a soothing atmosphere. It may be in your living room, bedroom, or any place where you feel comfortable.

You will probably want to use an exercise mat if you plan to take on the more challenging positions (if you feel more focused doing so, and if the contortionist in you is screaming for release). You will want to have the area arranged so that it is soothing to your senses.

Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you will need to search for and find a quiet, isolated area far from the ringing of the phone or the humming of the washing machine.

Pleasing scents also help in that regard, so using on aromatic candles isn't such a bad idea either. They aren't very good for your health due to the chemicals they emit into your breathing space, but they are relaxing.

Some people use incense in place of candles, again, not very good for your health but relaxing just the same.

The monks you see on television making those monotonous sounds are actually performing their mantra. This, in simple terms, is a short creed, a simple sound which, for these practitioners, holds a mystic value.

You do not need to perform these things; however, it's worthy to note that focusing on repeated actions such as breathing, or humming help the practitioner enter a higher state of consciousness.

The principle here is focus. You could also try focusing on a certain object or thought, or even, while keeping your eyes open, focus on a single sight.

One sample routine would be to, while in a meditative state, silently name every part of your body and focus your thoughts on that part.

While doing this you should be aware of any tension on any part of your body. Mentally visualize releasing this tension. It works wonders.

All in all, meditation is a relatively risk-free practice and its benefits are well worth the effort, or non-effort; remember we're meditating in order to help us relax.

Studies have shown that meditation does bring about beneficial physiologic effects to the body. And there has been a growing consensus in the medical community to further study the effects of these practices. So in the near future, who knows, that mystical, esoteric thing we call meditation might become a science itself!

Article Source: http://physicalfitnessarticles.net

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