Meditation for Health

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2009-03-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

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Stress Meditation

2008-02-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

by: Steve Gillman

Too much stress? You need a simple stress meditation. Of course, learning to meditate might intimidate you, and it's tough to find the time for daily meditation. A solution to both problems is a meditation you can learn right now, that will take a minute to do each day.

An Easy Stress Meditation

When you breath through your mouth, it expands your chest. Breath through your nose and you'll notice how your abdomen extends. Nose-breathing causes the diaphram to pull air to the bottom of your lungs. This delivers a good dose of oxygen into your bloodstream and brain, and it also tends to relax you. Breathing through your nose is healthier, and it's the basis of this one-minute meditation.

Here's how you do it. Close your eyes, sigh, and let the tension go out of your muscles. It may help to tense up your muscles first, then release that tension. Then let go of your thoughts, as much as possible, and take four or five slow, deep breaths through your nose, paying attention to your breathing.

Can Meditation Be This Easy?

The short answer is yes. No, you're not likely to get you into a deep meditative state with this simple stess meditation. However, you will get benefits, including a clearer mind and a reduction in stress.

It helps to develop a "trigger" for your meditation. For example, do your four breaths when you get into the car, or right after lunch each day. These triggers are places or times that remind you, so your meditation becomes a habit.

You can say this isn't "real" meditation, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the relaxation you'll get from this technique. If you want, you can always pursue deeper meditation later. Meanwhile, remember that not everything has to be difficult to be of value. Why not try this easy one-minute stress meditation?

About The Author

Steve Gillman writes on many topics, including brainpower, weight loss, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. Learn more, and get FREE e-courses at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com.

Let it Go...Meditation for Cutting Energy Cords

2008-02-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

by: Tamara Hawk

Do you often find yourself feeling drained or lacking in energy? Is there someone that you just can't seem to get over or stop thinking about no matter how much you try to let them go? Or how about those folks at work who just seem to drain the life out of you?

Did you know that you have invisible cords of energy going from you to other people and from them to you? Unless you use meditation to sever them, you have energy cords attached to you that you do not need. You cannot get rid of something if you are not even aware that it exists.

The cords can be from a number of different sources - from all kinds of past relationships; family, lovers, friends, co-workers.

Often these cords keep us 'attached' to unhealthy emotions and energy from our past, to people we thought we had let go, or they follow us home from the daily grind. Until we consciously let them go, we are unable to free ourselves and move forward to our full potential.

If you would like to release these energy cords, then practicing the following meditation will help you. You can either read it and get an idea how it works and then do it on your own, or you can tape record the following and play it back to walk yourself through the meditation. You can try doing this exercise as you lie in bed and drift off to sleep at night.

The most important thing to remember when starting a meditation is to be comfortable. Loosen tight clothes, ensure that you are sitting or lying back comfortably and that there are no outside influences to interrupt you.

Breathe very deeply. After a few breaths, imagine that you are breathing out any negativity, breathe out anything that is old and does not serve you any more. As you breathe in, imagine that you are breathing in fresh, new and clean enlightening energy, into your body.

Then work on feeling each part of your body, from your toes to your head. Imagine each part of your body working as it is meant to and being healthy and sound. Become very aware of your body and yourself, relaxing......

Now imagine all the cords of energy going from you to others and back again. Surround yourself with the universal white light, know that you are protected. Now, it is time for you to cut the cords that you no longer need. When cutting the cords, you can imagine cutting them with scissors or a knife. Alternatively, you can ask for help from the Archangel Michael. Imagine him cutting the cords with his mighty sword. Imagine all those, unnecessary cords surrounding your body, your legs, your back, your arms, being severed. If you ask for help, be sure to give him thanks for the assistance you receive.

While cutting the cords, cut them with love. Anger will not help you here. Realize that each and every one of us is just a soul on this earth, here to live and learn and do the best we can. The people that we need to let go of are here for their own reasons, and we are here for ours. In this exercise, we are simply just letting go of their energies, we are not judging them.

Work on this for as long as you feel you need to. If you have gone deep in the meditation and you are lying in bed you may even fall asleep, this is okay.

You may need to do this meditation every night for two weeks, two months or even longer......the point is to release any and all energies that you do not need. Release with love.

Often when we release someone's energy they actually feel it. They may not know what it is they are feeling, they just feel a lack of something (your energy). Sometimes they will even call you or send an e-mail to see how you are doing. This is fine, just don't get drawn back into the negative exchange of energy. Do not try to use this meditation in the hopes that someone will call you, it doesn't work that way. All that will do is keep their energy attached to you. If you try to use the meditation in that way then you are not truly letting go of the energy.

Remember, let go - with love.

About The Author

Tamara Hawk is a psychic living in British Columbia, Canada. Psychic since birth, she helps people to enhance their own personal growth and assists them to realize their life path. Visit www.tamarahawk.com, for more information on her psychic readings.

Guided Meditation for Empowered Consciousness

2008-02-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

by: Jeanie Marshall

My definition of "meditation" is a somewhat broad one. I consider it's an opportunity for each of us to realize our higher consciousness (or to realize our oneness with our higher consciousness) and to let go of resistance.

Benefits and Techniques of Meditation

There are many benefits to meditation, which I see as side effects or extras, rather than the primary purpose of meditation. However, many individuals are inspired to meditate because of the benefits or perceived benefits, such as improved health, greater calmness, less sleep at night. Regular meditators are generally more attentive, aware, and calm.

Given my broad definition, you can perhaps understand that I recognize the existence of hundreds of techniques and advocate a variety. Some are more supportive than others; some are more conducive to continuing a long term practice than others; some are easier to learn than others. A technique is a means to assist you in reaching the deeper purpose of meditating.

Guided Meditation: One Approach

One of the techniques I use with people is the "guided" meditation. A guided meditation is one in which a voice is used to guide the process. The voice can be your own or someone else's. Some folks feel more relaxed or more clear as a result of guidance and support of another's voice.

A soothing voice is more conducive to a meditative state than a harsh one. Simplicity is more helpful than complex words or complicated ideas. A slow pace, rather than a fast cadence, tends to foster greater depth. A regular practice is helpful for going deeper.

Enhancing Your Guided Meditations

Here are suggestions for the most effective guided meditations or guided visualizations, whether you wish to lead others verbally, or you wish to benefit the most from being guided by someone else, or you wish to guide yourself.

Align with the Divine. When we are in touch with our higher consciousness, words flow through us. Or perhaps they do not flow through us, in which case, silence is a perfect condition.

Establish Intention. A guided meditation that begins with a stated intention will find perfect rhythm and sound and depth, regardless of the spoken words. The best statements of intention are simple and broad, like "to relax" or "to align with the divine" or "to be more aware."

Be Present. New meditators are often concerned with "getting the words right." However, a satisfying guided meditation is deeper than words. Showing up fully will do more for lifting consciousness than a well-edited script.

Breathe. Breathe and instruct others to breathe to enhance grounding and relaxation. Some meditation teachers have rules about breathing. I keep in simple: breathe in and breathe out. And notice.

Be Conscious of Energy. You may see energy or feel it or sense it or know what is happening energetically. If you feel confusion, invite clarity to be present. If you sense resistance, give your attention to safety or ease or comfort or relaxation.

Honor Both Uniqueness and Universality. If you guide others into a meditative state, remember that individuals are unique beings with their own set of beliefs which are not to be undermined, but honored. The deeper we move into a meditative state, the more universal are the experiences, with space for each of us to have our own unique expression.

Let go of Expectations of End Results. Sometimes we get fixated on how we think things "should be" and miss living right now. A guided inner experience can provide power to open to new possibilities, if we just show up for the experience.

Feel and Express Gratitude. It's a joy to do inner work, which usually prompts us to greater and greater gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful consciousness from which to live and to express outwardly.

Live in the Consciousness of Loving Kindness. Sometimes when we are carrying on our daily lives, we forget the calmness of a meditation. It's important to train ourselves to live this calmness and joy.

Practice, Practice, Practice. It's important to practice until meditation is part of your life style. If one approach feels good one day and another another day, then you are trusting your own inner guidance if you shift from one technique to another.

About The Author

Jeanie Marshall, Empowerment Consultant and Coach with Marshall House, produces Guided Meditations on CD albums and MP3 downloads and writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment.

http://www.jmvoice.com

About Meditation - how to meditate to reduce stress and improve mental abilities

2008-02-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

by: Knut Holt

Here you find a general definition of meditation, and an easy meditation technique is explained.

Meditation is a group of mental training techniques .You can use meditation to improve mental health and capacities, and also to help improve the physical health. Some of these techniques are very simple, so you can learn them from a book or an article; others require guidance by a qualified meditation teacher.

WHAT IS MEDITATION

Most techniques called meditation include these components:

1. You sit or lie in a relaxed position.

2. You breathe regularly. You breathe in deep enough to get enough oxygen. When you breathe out, you relax your muscles so that your lungs are well emptied, but without straining.

3. You stop thinking about everyday problems and matters.

4. You concentrate your thoughts upon some sound, some word you repeat, some image, some abstract concept or some feeling. Your whole attention should be pointed at the object you have chosen to concentrate upon.

5. If some foreign thoughts creep in, you just stop this foreign thought, and go back to the object of meditation.

The different meditation techniques differ according to the degree of concentration, and how foreign thoughts are handled. By some techniques, the objective is to concentrate so intensely that no foreign thoughts occur at all.

In other techniques, the concentration is more relaxed so that foreign thoughts easily pop up. When these foreign thoughts are discovered, one stops these and goes back to the pure meditation in a relaxed manner. Thoughts coming up, will often be about things you have forgotten or suppressed, and allow you to rediscover hidden memory material. This rediscovery will have a psychotherapeutic effect.

THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION

Meditation has the following effects:

1. Meditation will give you rest and recreation.

2. You learn to relax.

3. You learn to concentrate better on problem solving.

4. Meditation often has a good effect upon the blood pressure.

5. Meditation has beneficial effects upon inner body processes, like circulation, respiration and digestion.

6. Regular meditation will have a psychotherapeutically effect.

7. Regular meditation will facilitate the immune system.

8. Meditation is usually pleasant.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPNOSIS AND MEDITATION

Hypnosis may have some of the same relaxing and psychotherapeutic effects as meditation. However, when you meditate you are in control yourself; by hypnosis you let some other person or some mechanical device control you. Also hypnosis will not have a training effect upon the ability to concentrate.

A SIMPLE FORM OF MEDITATION

Here is a simple form of meditation. By this meditation technique, you should concentrate in an easy manner. This will allow foreign thoughts to pop up. These are handled one by one as they appear. You proceed as follows:

1. Sit in a good chair in a comfortable position.

2. Relax all your muscles as well as you can.

3. Stop thinking about anything, or at least try not to think about anything.

4. Breath out, relaxing all the muscles in your breathing apparatus.

5. Repeat the following in 10 - 20 minutes:

-- Breath in so deep that you feel you get enough oxygen.

-- Breath out, relaxing your chest and diaphragm completely.

-- Every time you breathe out, think the word "one" or another simple word inside yourself. You should think the word in a prolonged manner, and so that you hear it inside you, but you should try to avoid using your mouth or voice.

6. If foreign thoughts come in, just stop these thoughts in a relaxed manner, and keep on concentrating upon the breathing and the word you repeat.

As you proceed through this meditation, you should feel steadily more relaxed in your mind and body, feel that you breathe steadily more effectively, and that the blood circulation throughout your body gets more efficient. You may also feel an increasing mental pleasure throughout the meditation.

THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION UPON DISEASES

As any kind of training, meditation may be exaggerated so that you get tired and worn out. Therefore you should not meditate so long or so concentrated that you feel tired or mentally emptied.

Meditation may sometimes give problems for people suffering from mental diseases, epilepsy, serious heart problems or neurological diseases. On the other hand, meditation may be of help in the treatment of these and other conditions.

People suffering from such conditions should check out what effects the different kinds of meditation have on their own kind of health problems, before beginning to practise meditation, and be cautious if they choose to begin to meditate. It may be wise to learn meditation from an experienced teacher, psychologist or health worker that use meditation as a treatment module for the actual disease.

About The Author

Knut Holt is an IT consultant and marketer focusing on health items. -----TO FIND natural help against aging symptoms, acne, skin problems, hypothyroidism, hemorrhoids, heart problems, joint pain, over-weight and much more, PLEASE VISIT:---- http://www.abicana.com

----Free to reprint with the author's name and link.

k-holt2@online.no

Meditation and You

2008-02-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

by: David Snape

I've just finished my meditation practice for the day in a nearby park. The weather and temperature were near perfect for an October evening.

My body now feels relaxed from head to toe. I was practicing the Falun Dafa exercises that so many have gained similar and greater benefits from.

As I sit here with this totally relaxed and awesome feeling, I notice how busy people are. It seems that everyone is in a hurry, tied up with duties, chores or the pursuit of their choice.

At this particular moment I'm feeling rather free from all of those concerns. I'm just here,in the moment, happy and content. There is no worry for me at this time.

Of course, I don't always get to feel this way. My life gets busy too. However, whenever I do feel this way it is usually just after I have finished practicing the Falun Dafa exercises.

Sometimes, my body feels light, almost as if I could float right up into the air. Apparently my experience in this is not so unique as others have described similar experiences.

I can only hope that everyone will get to feel this way at least one time in their life. There is really nothing like it. This feeling can really change your outlook on life.

If only the world wasn't so busy, so involved, so absorbed. I just know it could be much more than it is, much better than it is now. Perhaps in the future, conditions will be better, more refined and more enjoyable for everyone.

For now, I'll need to settle for this great feeling and the near perfect temperatures of this mid -Ocober evening. And in this moment I wish everyone the brightest possible future.

About The Author

Dave Snape writes for To Be Informed: http://tobeinformed.com.

How To Practice Meditation

2008-02-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

by: Sharon Hopkins

Meditation is the most important practice for calming the mind. A calm mind can lead to a healthy, happy and successful life. It can cure diseases and speed up healing processes. We describe the simple technique below called prana-dharana. Prana in Sanskrit stands for the air that we breathe. It is the most basic act of life which starts from birth and goes on till death. But generally, we are not aware of the breath till our attention is drawn close to it. Dharana means its awareness. Prana-dharana means applying the mind to the flow of air when we breathe. The method is as described below:

Sit in a posture suitable for meditation. The common postures are Siddhasana, Padmasana and Swastikasana. But if you cannot do this, just sit cross-legged. Your back should be straight and eyes closed. Your knees should be placed well on the ground. Do not stoop your shoulders back. The whole body should be relaxed and the whole frame steady without exerting any pull or pressure on the thighs, feet, knees, spine or neck. There should be no stretch on tension along the abdominal wall. Let the abdominal wall sway gently back and forth very smoothly and effortlessly with each respiration. Facial muscles should be relaxed and mouth closed with a small gap between the two jaws such that the upper and lower teeth do not exert pressure on each other. Your tongue should touch the palate with tip touching the back of the upper front teeth. Ensure that the lips, tongue or the lower jaws do not move. Your eyeballs and eyelids should be steady and the muscles of the forehead relaxed.

Your entire posture should be comfortable, steady and relaxed. You should not feel strain on any part of the body. Now start developing the awareness of breathing. The flow of air should be uniform, slow and smooth. Do not make any effort or exercise any control. Never hold breath. Do not utter any word or see any image. This will calm your mind and help you achieve peace.

About The Author

Sharon Hopkins is the webmaster of Yogawiz (www.yogawiz.com) that provides loads of information on Yoga Basics,Different Yoga Asanas, Poses, Meditation and much more. Meditation is an important tool to calm the mind and achieve peace.

Meditation to Relieve Stress

2008-02-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

by: Anna Dorbyk

The Connection between Mind and Body

The ancient practice of meditation has long been known as a way to heal the mind and body. In times of mental or physical stress, human beings have turned to the powers of meditation to quiet the mind and repair the body. There is a strong connection between the mind and the body, and when one is in pain, the other suffers also. Meditation can help establish a balance. Research has shown that meditation can have a beneficial impact on the health of an individual, and these positive effects are not limited to the body. When practiced regularly, it can greatly contribute to the health and well-being of not only the body but also the mind.

In today’s fast-paced world, the use of meditation to relieve stress is common. In fact, as the practice of meditation gains in popularity, an increasing number of people from the jet-setting executive to the weary housewife are incorporating the exercise into their lives. In addition to using meditation to relieve stress, people practice it to combat the many concerns affecting the mind, and there is solid physiological evidence to support its success in doing so. With the regular exercise of meditation, you may experience some of the following positive effects: a decrease in anxiety, depression, irritability and moodiness, an increase in happiness and emotional stability, feelings of rejuvenation and vitality, and greater creativity. Many people have also reported a significant improvement in their ability to learn new things and retain information. You may find that with continued practice, meditation greatly improves your mental state and contributes to a profound sense of spirituality. The spiritual person often sees the world in a uniquely positive way and is well-equipped to handle life’s challenges.

Though meditation is commonly known for its positive relation to a person’s mind and spirituality, the practice can also have beneficial physical effects. Most likely, the first effect you will notice after repeated practice of meditation is an improvement in your flexibility which keeps your body responsive and functioning. There are other equally significant changes to your physical self that you might notice such as the following: improved air flow to the lungs making it easier to breath, a decreased level in blood pressure, lowered levels of cortisol and lactate (two chemicals associated with stress), a lower heart rate, reduction of free radicals which can cause tissue damage, and a drop in cholesterol. The regular practice of meditation can also slow down the aging process - especially noticeable in the elderly who often report major changes in their vitality.

Stress relief is not the only benefit you will experience with consistent practice of meditation. Meditation also has a profound effect on the mind and body by creating a balance that better prepares you to handle challenging situations. Meditation is easily exercised and requires little preparation or knowledge. To benefit your overall physical and mental health, take some time out for meditation and feel the power of a strong mind/body connection.

About The Author

Anna Dorbyk is a writer for Tune Yourself DVD (www.tuneyourself.com) a site about meditation benefits and techniques.

Use Meditation As A Form Of Stress Relief

2008-02-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

by: Steve Hill

Do you feel that you are constantly under stress? Are you looking into ways of how you can reduce your stress levels? If you have answered yes to both of these questions, you are not alone. The world is seemingly becoming faster, more demanding and more pressurised. In this article I write about how meditation can help you to relax and become a happier person.

Stress affects people in different ways. I personally feel very tired and lethargic during these periods and start to worry about things, like a future event. This can easily lead me into a period of depression, which in the past I have found it very difficult to come out of.

Other people suffer from panic attack attacks, become very shaky and nervous, feel sick in the stomach, become sad and can begin to think in a very negative way.

Most of the conditions I have described above are actually a mental and not so much of a physical problem. This is why I believe meditation to be an excellent form of stress relief or stress management.

Meditation helps us to control our emotions, to think in a more relaxed and positive way and certainly helps us to think more clearly.

Positive effects of meditation:

It reduces your heart rate

It relaxes your breathing and can even make it slower

It can lower blood pressure

It can increase your self-esteem by making you think in a more positive way

Helps you to think in a more logical and clear way

Helps you to reduce stress

Types of meditation:

Walking meditation

Mandala meditation

Yoga meditation

Sitting meditation

Prayer meditation

Visualisation meditation

I personally prefer the sitting meditation. I try to make time around three of four times a day when I will sit down to meditate. Originally I had a lack of belief about what I was doing and about if it would work. I found it difficult at this stage to get myself into the zone. With practice and realising that I needed this to work for me, I managed to get enough concentration and focus to see the full benefits.

A lot of the people in my circle of friends think that I am a bit mad. They can not believe that I actually just sit there and think. Meditation has had such a positive effect on my life and continues to do so, therefore my friends can mock as much as they like. I actually believe that some of them should try it themselves but they always laugh at the suggestion.

This is something I now do on a daily basis and it works. Give it a go with belief and I am sure it will benefit you to.

Steve Hill

About The Author

Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

http://www.stammering-stuttering.co.uk

http://blog.alglas.com/blog

http://ringtoneshelp.contentdeskblogs.com/blog

info@stammering-stuttering.co.uk

The Benefits of Sports and Meditation

2008-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

by: John Kortex

So your looking at a big at bat or a long field goal and the team is depending on you. If you hit the ball and get on base, your team will win. If you miss the kick, your team will lose. Do you think taking a few seconds before the game and meditating will do anything for you? Some people may laugh at you when you do this. Those people would be wrong because it’s no different than concentrating. Matter of fact the two tend to cross over and you do not even know it.

People meditate for several reasons. Mostly people meditate for inner strength and to gain some kind of peace with whatever they are trying to focus on. Sports are no different in this respect. If you take time to focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses you will find yourself succeeding more often than not.

Meditating is a good method to get rid of all your bad habits, including slumps. I am not saying you will bat 1.000 in your church’s softball league, but I am saying it will make you more confident and self assured.

You will find yourself returning to meditate time and again because chances are you will never find the perfect game we all strive for. That is ok because you will find out so many other things about yourself. Most of the time you will find your eating and sleeping habits become more rounded which in turn will prepare you for whatever sport you so desire, and when you are prepared you will excel.

About The Author

John Kortex is co-owner of http://www.sd-guide.com - SD-Guide.com - Personal finance guide

Introduction to Meditation

2008-02-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

by: Brodi Saatpha

Meditation has been practiced throughout the world for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It is generally accepted that the practice originated within the Eastern religions, more particularly within Vedic Hinduism. The chief aim of meditation is to allow the individual to discover a place of inner peace and quiescence. It is a form of personal and spiritual development that acts to free one's mind from the trappings of the physical plain of existence.

In many cases, the act of meditation is an effort to reacquaint oneself with the higher powers. The motivation behind the act of meditation differs from person to person, but it would appear that meditation is performed in a way similar to prayer in western religions. The notion of becoming closer to one's God plays a significant role in most forms of meditation.

In modern times, there has been a significant change in the way individual's approach meditation. Meditation has always been intimately connected to the principles of religion and spirituality. In the west, one gets the sense that practitioners of meditation have little connection to the major organized religions. Meditation, in a sense, has supplanted religion as a way to stay connected with the higher powers.

While meditation has become extremely popular outside of the hierarchy of the church and faith, it is generally accepted that it still exists within the realm of spirituality and ethics. One common thread between modern practitioners of meditation would appear to be the notion of living an ethical lifestyle. In essence, this refers to the ability of the individual to exemplify their internal, spiritual insights in their external, material life.

Meditation has shown to have incredible benefits for committed practitioners. Many people have reported improved concentration, self-discipline, and awareness as a consequence their meditative practices. It has also been known to induce a sense of calm, inner peace and harmony. From a health and fitness perspective, meditation has the ability to relieve stress, and to assist with proper cardiovascular and respiratory function.

Meditation may not be for everyone. But for those individuals that are motivated to make some positive changes in their lives, Meditation may be the key to unlocking the potential within. Do not be eager to dismiss the claims made above. Do some research, and talk to your friends and family. There is a good chance that somebody you know has benefited from meditative practice. It could help you, too.

About The Author

Brodi Saatpha has been practicing Yoga for a number of years. When she is not striving to transcend reality, she writes for yoga-insight.com – an enlightening and refreshing website with information about yoga chants ( http://www.yoga-insight.com/history/yoga-chants.aspx ), tantric yoga ( http://www.yoga-insight.com/yoga-studios/yoga-classes/tantric-yoga.aspx ), teacher training (http://www.yoga-insight.com/teacher-training/us-yoga-teacher-training.aspx ) and more.

The Art of Meditation

2008-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

by: Scott A. Sutton

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 in 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. And you don’t even have to be in a special place to practice it. You could even 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 said to contribute to the ‘polluting’ of the mind, and 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 sights, no sounds, and nothing to touch – and try to detach themselves from the commotion around them. You may now focus on a 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 yourself becoming more aware of everything around you.

If you find the meditating positions you see on television threatening – those with impossibly arched backs, and painful-looking contortions – you need not worry. The principle here is to be in a comfortable position conducive to concentration. This may be while sitting cross-legged, standing, lying down, and even walking.

If the position allows you to relax and focus, then that would be a good 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.

The place you perform meditation should have a soothing atmosphere. It may be in your living room, or bedroom, or any place that you feel comfortable in. You might want 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 may want to have the place arranged so that it is soothing to your senses.

Silence helps most people relax and meditate, so you may want 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 stocking up on aromatic candles isn’t such a bad idea either.

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 such; however, it would pay to note that focusing on repeated actions such as breathing, and 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 focusing your consciousness 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.

In all, meditation it is a relatively risk-free practice and its benefits are well worth the effort (or non-effort – remember we’re relaxing).

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 such. So in the near future, who knows, that mystical, esoteric thing we call meditation might become a science itself!

About The Author

Scott Sutton is a savvy and successful internet marketer working with the #1 most visited personal development website in the world. Learn more at: www.receivesuccess.com/new

Meditation Courses

2008-02-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

by: Kok Swee Onn

If you are a beginner in meditation and you aren’t sure you are doing all you can accomplish, or you feel like there may be something distracting you, you will want to check your area to see if anyone offers meditation courses. By taking a course, you will have an experienced guide that can give you advice and track your progress. It’s possible that you will also be in a group that is learning the practice of meditation together. This is a good place to make friends and meet people you already have something in common with.

Where should you look to find meditation courses? If you live in a metropolitan area, you may be lucky enough to have a store nearby that sells specialty items that aid in meditation. These stores will likely have a pegboard for groups that meet to meditate together. There you will find any courses or information on instructors that are local to your area. If you don’t have a store that fits this description, try a health food store. Many people who practice meditation also try to live an all natural lifestyle, and they would frequently visit your local health food store as well.

If you don’t live in a high population center, you can still try an internet search for meditation courses. There may be someone who travels through your area on a regular basis and they stop to teach a group in your area. Or there may be a group already established in your hometown and you only have to call to join to them. Wherever you live, there are options available to you if you spend a little time looking for them.

You may also be able to find meditation courses on DVD or CD. These would include a group instructor giving you verbal directions while you are meditating to guide you to your fullest potential. The best courses would have a selection of lengths available, so that if you don’t have a full hour to devote to your meditation that day, you would be able to choose a shorter time, such as thirty minutes or even fifteen minutes.

About The Author

Kok Swee Onn

This content is provided by Swee Onn. For more information please visit www.sweeonn.com and www.supermodelfashions.com

Meditation Can Also Make Your Heart Happy

2008-02-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

by: Ng Peng Hock

Meditation is good for your heart. This is the message recently (in the year of 2006) conveyed by the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study reported that transcendental meditation (TM), a relaxation technique, reduced the risk factors of coronary heart disease in a 4-month clinical trial. Significantly reduced insulin resistance and lower blood pressure were found for patients who meditated. These patients also had more stable functioning of the autonomic nervous system that controls heart and other involuntary muscles.

There is closed relationship between stress, meditation, and heart health. It is evident that severe emotional and physical stress raises adrenalin levels or sympathetic drive, which in turn can lead to higher blood pressure or in worst case, may even transiently impair the ability of the heart to contract well. Stress can also cause the body to become less responsive to insulin, which is a hormone that controls the amount of sugar in the body. If you are already pre-diabetic or have metabolic syndrome, risk factors for heart disease, this condition will worsen. Meditation or any activity that can reduce stress levels is useful to improve blood pressure or metabolic syndrome.

What affect your brain is connected to what your heart functions. Emotional distress affects part of the brain function, which affects the sympathetic drive and so, the heart. The happier your brain is, the better your heart functions.

What is meditation? This is simply the practice of closing your eyes and focusing on your breathing as you go into a state of deep rest. It is a technique that can benefit not only your mind but also your body. It can actually reduce your risk of collapsing from heart problems by modulating your body's response to stress. In short, meditation is a practice that involves calming your mind and body.

TM is an effortless technique practiced for about 15 to 20 minutes twice daily. It allows a person to attain deep rest for the body and mind. A suitable time to meditate is when the person is not feeling tired, hungry, or irritated. He or she should feel comfortable and be in a positive frame of mind.

Drugs cannot effectively reduce stress levels and should not be considered as the primary approach. A happy, spiritual or emotional heart is basically good medicine. This is an advice from a friend of mine who is also a consultant cardiologist. So, perhaps you may wish to consider meditation as one of the alternatives to help you reduce your stress level.

About The Author

Ng Peng Hock

Feel free to use this article on your website or ezine as long as the following information about author/website is included.

Heart Disease Prevention - 8 Simple Ways You Can Do Immediately, Goto: http://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com

Walking Meditation Is Meditation In Action

2008-02-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

by: Sarah Thomas

It isn’t always necessary to sit in silence with crossed legs in order to meditate or benefit from the meditation. Walking meditation is an excellent example of this. Walking meditation requires the use of focus much in the same way as other types of meditation. The difference is that the focus is placed upon the walking experience.

With walking meditation therefore, we are mindful of the experience of walking; the movement of our legs, the movement of our arms. We focus upon the rhythmic motions of walking. Walking meditation also differs from traditional meditation in that we are aware of and participating in our surroundings. Whereas with the usual types of meditation, one withdraws into silence and closes the eyes. Obviously we can’t do that with walking meditation because we need the eyes open to see where we are going and to watch for dangers and obstacles. So while we are focusing on the rhythm of our walking movement, we are also aware of the sights, sounds, and sensations around us.

It is actually easier for many people to focus and meditate in this environment, and therefore are more successful with walking meditation than with the more traditional sitting forms of meditation. It is easier to be aware of and focus upon your body while it is in motion; the experience can be powerful and a source of deep enjoyment.

A few different types of walking meditation have evolved; however walking outdoors is the most common. To give walking meditation a try, find an open space like a park or empty parking lot where you can walk safely for about 20 minutes without the worry of encountering traffic or crossing busy streets.

How to do walking meditation

Once you have selected the ideal location for your walking meditation, follow the guidelines below:

Begin by Standing

Begin to focus upon your body with the simple act of standing. Notice how your body feels and be aware of the constant little adjustments your body makes in order to maintain balance. Feel the weight of your body pressing through your feet and onto the earth.

Walk and Focus

Once you have placed your full awareness onto your body, begin the walk. Walk with your usual stride and pace, not too hurriedly. There is no need to try and change the way you walk, all you need to do is be aware of your body walking. Keep your focus upon your body and feel it moving. Be aware of your feet as one raises and then the other. Become aware of all the tiny little sensations in your body from the feeling of your feet inside of the shoes, to your knee as it bends to lift your leg. Stay relaxed, relax your eyes and just let the scenery flow past you. Your goal is to be relaxed and bring your focus onto your body.

Become Aware of Feelings

Once you are fully aware of your body, switch your focus onto the feelings or sensations that pass through your body; not necessarily emotional problems, but rather the overall tone of your feeling of the moment. Are you happy? Bored? In a hurry? Pass no judgment on the feeling and don’t analyze it. Your goal is to just become aware of it and then move your awareness on.

Balance the Inner and Outer

Alternate your awareness between the inner, your feelings, and the outer, your body. Play with the awareness, and focus upon them in equal balance. When you are able to do this, your mind reaches a state of stillness and clarity. Your mind becomes calm. Your goal is to balance your awareness of the inner with the outer.

End by Standing

After you have completed the above steps and brought your awareness into a balance of the inner and outer, bring your body to a natural stop and once again experience yourself standing. Bring your awareness to the feelings in your body as you stand in place. When you are ready, bring the walking meditation to a close.

Selecting the appropriate location for your walking meditation will be an important consideration as you can imagine. It is not necessary to find a place of solitude, but you do need to find a location where you will be safe if your full awareness is not upon the environment around you.

About The Author

Sarah Thomas is an established freelance writer. You can find more of her writings at http://www.meditationteam.com and http://www.anxietysos.com.

Meditation An Overall View

2008-02-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

by: Jason Story

So you think that meditation is a more effective way of going to sleep than counting sheep? Well for some, that may be true. However, for those who practice meditation with a strong conviction, the benefits of meditation are far greater than being able to sleep fast. Basically, meditation has been designed to help people free their mind from lifes constant conflicts. It promises to give people a deeper sense of relaxation and a higher control of themselves. The benefits of meditation even includes understanding ones self as it is viewed to be a process that will lead people to self-awareness.

Samyama is a deep meditation practice that takes advantage of resident inner stillness (silence). The practice of Samyama develops in us that sense of seeing stillness in action and action in stillness. In this state, our desires become expressions of our inner silence and find fulfillment in ways we could not have expected.

Meditation is merely conscious relaxation. It is a process which involves the mind to achieve a state of serenity or bliss. This may sound like someone being sedated. Actually it does. Meditation is a deeper form of concentration. If we are to give a concrete way to illustrate it, lets use water as the example. If you start pouring water from the pitcher to a glass, the first few drops would be considered concentration, however a steady flow is obtained after that which is likened to meditation. The unsteady first drops and the small splash they make are considered the distractions in concentration. A deeper state, which is the steady flow in the example, characterizes meditation. Thus, it clearly frees the mind from any clutter and distractions.

Some health experts have found out that people who have been diagnosed to be suffering from too much stress and extreme anxiety need not be treated with drugs. The benefits of meditation were once again proven in the study of these people. They found out that engaging in meditation is a good panic attack prevention.

So how do you go about meditation? It is simpler than people thought it to be. You only find a quiet spot, sit comfortably, relax your emotions and concentrate on an object to meditate on. It is important to just think of a single object and concentrate on it. Some distractions like other objects will come into focus. Drive your mind away from those. They will only break your concentration. You can still hear the sound around you, but when youre deep in thought about your object of meditation, even those will not disturb you.

Some meditations provide around thirty minutes of relaxing music to calm the mind and body. A guides voice can sometimes be heard over the beat of the music t cue you on what to think of and how to stay more deeply focused. These meditations can be practiced alone or with a group. Using CDs or cassettes commercially available will also give you the same features.

Deep meditation practices give us insight into both the fundamental nature of our being. It allows us to experience emotions and thoughts with great clarity and balance. The mind is freed from conditioned patterns of self-centeredness, negativity and confusion, and the heart is opened to deeper wisdom and compassion. We begin to recognize and know each moment as practice for growth toward wholeness and harmony. We discover a place in ourselves which is already whole and always in harmony, and we learn to live from a clearer center and reach into the inner part of us that results to completeness and happiness.

About The Author

Jason Story is an avid Pilate’s devotee and uses Winsor Pilates and meditation day after day. Jason likewise likes publishing editorials about Pilates.

Visit his sites at: http://windsorpilatesguide.blogspot.com/

How To Manage Stress Through Meditation

2008-02-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

by: Jason Rickard

Stress is often referred to as the curse of modern era. Meditation is one of the proven methods for stress management. Meditation is a natural healing therapy, famous for its multifarious effects on a person. The routine practice of meditation therapy in the daily life has been seen to remove most of the ill effects of stress. The reasons of stress include busy schedules, change in working patterns and revisal of the relationship concepts. However stress management techniques are given much importance because of the serious impact of stress in the physiological, psychological and social aspect of the person. The relevance of meditation in stress management is mainly due its capability to provide alleviation to the effects of the stress.

Meditation is primarily a concentration technique, in which you focus to provide relaxation to mind. The relaxation of the mind is the basic necessity of stress management. Meditation is not a new technique; it prevails from ancient times as the method to bring tranquility to the mind. The increased acceptance of meditation in stress management is mainly because of the scientific evidence that support its effectiveness in that area. Experiments have shown that meditation will shift the brain waves from the right frontal cortex to left front cortex, which helps to change the mind from a tensed condition to a calmer state. With this practice, the body can switch the brain waves to resting alpha state or relaxing theta state and the stress inducing endocrine secretions such as cortisol and adrenal hormones can also be suppressed. The secretion of endorphins is also substantiated, which is a natural stress and pain reliever.

You can manage your stress through meditation effectively by including it in your daily routine. There are many different types of meditation techniques such as mindfulness meditation, concentrative meditation and transcendental meditation. Meditation practice is simple irrespective of the technique and requires only 15-20 minutes daily. It will be an effortless procedure and does not require any other probes to perform the meditation. To begin your meditation, simply sit or lie down and concentrate on a particular object or your breath.

Meditation is actually referred to as a fourth state of consciousness and regular attainment of the state will reflect in your outlook about the life positively. Not only your mind, but the body is also well maintained by the meditation. Meditation will reduce the psychological symptoms of stress such as depression, anxiety and panic attacks. This will provide behavioral and social changes, which will make you more creative and boost the talents to increase productivity.

The regular practice of meditation will help to manage stress as well as to avoid stress inducing situations. The natural enhancement of talents and mental capability will help for better planning, time utilization and proper management of the situation.

About The Author

Jason Rickard is the owner of http://www.yourfavouriteshop.com - Offering a variety of White Noise CDs to help block noise and relieve the symptoms of tinnitus, hypertension, colic and more - Visit http://www.hapahapa.com for more articles.

Meditation Works

2008-02-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

by: Kadence Buchanan

Every year, we are witness to ever-increasing numbers of Americans who die from strokes, heart attacks and other stress-related ailments.

This tells us several things. For one, it tells us that our everyday lives are filled with all kinds of pressures that take their toll on our physical well-being. For another thing, it tells us that we have not yet learned to deal with stress properly or to take measures that can bring down the daily stress levels of our lives.

There's no doubt about it - living in the modern world can be a stressful thing. We worry about traffic and pollution. We encounter stressful situations everywhere, from our homes to our offices and through a dozen or so other irritants caused by people we meet in the course of daily life. We work longer hours, consume less healthy food and hardly undergo any exercise. Some of us even smoke heavily, drink heavily and indulge in illegal drugs. Others have to bear with dysfunctional friends or families.

In addition, mental and physical health costs are skyrocketing. Only a precious few can afford regular physical or psychiatric counseling or assistance. We know we need relief but sometimes it just costs too much. What other alternatives are there?

It's about time we tried meditation.

Meditation is ideal for everyone, especially for those with hectic and stressful lifestyles. Meditation is defined as an engagement in contemplation, especially that which is spiritual, religious or devotional in nature. It teaches us to reflect upon our day and to find happiness within ourselves. Through meditation, we can keep our mind fit, relieve stress and promote overall good health.

The mind operates through brainwaves whose activity is altered as we go through different tasks and emotions. According to modern alternative medicine, these brain waves produce energy, which is the main medium through which our central nervous system communicates with our bodies.

As we pass through the different stages of our day, we enter various stages of brain wave activity. Our brainwaves alert us when we need to rest our busy minds and our tired bodies. Meditation can lay our brainwaves to rest. Breathing techniques, music, various aromas and scents as well as candle therapy are different ways to enhance meditation and ease the mind.

Constant meditation can help us shed the physical and mental stresses of our day and put us in a relaxed state of bliss and contentment. It's a worthwhile activity whose benefits we should not doubt or take for granted.

About The Author

Kadence Buchanan writes articles for http://ifitnesscentral.com/ - In addition, Kadence also writes articles for http://ecookingcentral.com/ and http://thenursingcenter.com/

Meditation Technique: The Basics Of Good Meditation Practice

2008-02-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

by: Ross O. Storey

Meditation is a conscious mental state where our body and mind are purposefully focused and relaxed. Expert meditators swear that doing it regularly, using the right meditation technique, leads to a higher state of consciousness. They say meditation gives you better focus,sharper concentration, and increased awareness, plus a healthier positive outlook.

You don’t have to be mystic, or a 'guru' to enjoy the acclaimed benefits of meditation and you can literally meditate anywhere, but preferably where you don't have to concentrate on driving a car or machinery.

Meditation has many different disciplines and approaches, but the basic fundamentals remain common to all. The ultimate focus is getting rid of negative, wandering, and obstructive thoughts by disciplining the mind to become accustomed to a higher plane of activity. Meditation seeks to get rid of the the 'flak' and 'junk' that fills your mind, replacing it with more meaningful ideas and thoughts.

Reigning in the mind through meditation, seeks to tune your thoughts to a better purpose; to clean it of rubbish and self-defeating thinking.

One school of meditation requires the removal of all outside sensory stimulation so that exterioir noises and sights are phased out.

Other meditators deliberately focus their mind on some meaningful and important thought. This is not easy because we are all very accustomed to sensory overload in our daily lives. The paradox is that by settling the mind and training it through meditation, practitioners become much more aware of what's going on around them.

Traditionally, we are familiar with mystics contorting themselves into all sorts of weird positions when they meditate, but rather than jumping in to try yoga meditation, those starting out should simply find a comfortable position to calm the body and the mind. You could lie down, sit cross legged, or even be walking as you meditate; anything that induces an atmosphere where you can both relax and concentrate.

Ensure that your back is straight and that your muscles are not tense or uncomfortable. But, don't become so relaxed that you fall asleep, because this is a different mind state.

You should dress in very loose, comfortable, baggy clothing that does not constrict you in any way. Many expert meditators barely cover themselves at all; maybe just with a loin cloth.

The environment for your meditation should also be peaceful, pleasant, soothing and relaxing. It could be your favourite room in the house, or in your garden, or even in a warm bath.

Should you be a bit more advanced in your meditation journey, you could consider using an exercise mat. Some people even have a favourite meditation chair. Try some of the challenging positions you might have learned from your yoga or even Pilates class. But, don't be too hard on yourself. Practice easy positions first and build your meditation approach as you become more confident.

Some people prefer a silent atmosphere when meditating; others like some appropriate relaxing meditation music or recorded natural sounds, like whales singing, birds quitely chirping or water flowing. There are even good recorded guided medition CDs you can use to enhace your practice.

You might also like to have some pleasant incense burning, or even some nice smelling candles, to add to your peaceful meditation environment.

You will need to get instruction about this, but one school of meditation involves chanting, or humming what sounds like a monotonous noise. This is actually a mantra which has a mystic value to the person using it. Meditation chanting is a more advanced technique.

Breathing is an important part of meditation. Yoga teaches us to breath in through our nose to the count of five, then out through our mouth, to the countr of 10. You can use this tecnique to become calm in stressful situations.

The whole purpose of all these techniques; breathing, chanting, relaxing; is to focus and discipline the mind. Another meditation technique is to singularly focus on a particular object or idea.

A good meditation technique is to calm your mind and then to quietly, without speaking, only thinking it, name each part of your body, progressively focussing your consciousness on them in succession. You'll find it works very well to mentally visualise each body part as becoming completely relaxed, and without any tension. Some people visualise the tension flowing out of them like a soft flowing stream.

IF you are interested in taking up meditation, it's definitely worth getting some lessons from the experts. Researchers have discovered that meditation has a beneficial impact on the mind and body, but it takes practice.

Even medical doctors are coming around to the view that a healthy mind leads to a healthy body. Meditation, or disciplined relaxation of the mind, has spin-off benefits to the body's biochemical processes and organ health.

After all, practitioners have been advocating meditation for many thousands of years and, in today's frenetic world, deliberate and regular 'calming of the mind', through meditation, should be a daily practice for better mental and physical health.

About The Author

Ross Storey, CEO of StoreyWorks International – http://www.aokhypnosis.com - is an experienced public relations consultant, communications strategist, publisher, editor and writer with a career-long fascination with psychology, meditation and hypnosis. Please feel free to re-publish this article so long as you include this resource box.

Aging in Guided Meditation for Self Development

2008-02-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

by: Laurie Raphael

Did you know that you could reduce aging by meditating regularly and developing new skills? If you didn’t know, then learn more about aging in guided mediation for self-development, since you can help your body and mind create new cells to replace dying cells to live happier and longer.

We can all use a boost in our self-development skills once in awhile to help keep us happy and healthy. We have many options, including mediation. Guided meditation works well with candles, since it is a great way to lift your spirits. Lifting your spirits only leads to happiness and a healthier living.

No matter how well we feel about ourselves and how successful we are there is always room for self-development. As we age your thoughts, begin to try taking over and telling you that you are too old for this and that you can’t do it because you are too old to succeed at certain things.

It doesn’t matter what age you are; success can be around the corner if you are thinking positive. You can learn to think positive by practicing guided meditation for self-development progress. Push away the negative thoughts and turn them around to be positive by meditating.

Guided meditation is a way to relieve stress before it has a chance to ruin your life. Take control by meditating with candles to develop a new and happier life as you age. Become healthier by preventing pain and diseases such as heart disease or high cholesterol, prevent depression and many others things that are caused by stress.

When you mediate, you become more energetic. As you age, you begin to feel that you can’t do things like before or make changes to relieve stress or exercise.

There are times that thinking negative will make you begin to think lazy thoughts that will take over and all you want to do is sleep or lay around. Your energy is zero to one.

Learning guided meditation is a skill that takes practice to improve and maintain your self-development skills. Learning to stay in control will help you feel so much better.

Meditation skills require a few basic changes. You will need to learn to take a few minutes for you. Start out and set at least three days a week to as much as everyday if possible ranging from 20 to 30 minutes each to meditate. Taking time out just for you will begin the process of relaxation to better health.

How to find help guides to mediate effectively:

Go to the library, nearest bookstore, or even search the Internet to find information on how to get started with meditation. You will find many articles and books to read along with CDs to listen to, that will help you learn and practice this new skill and reach your new goal of becoming healthier.

On the Internet, you can download programs to help you relax with meditation to boost your self-development skills. Download programs or buy the CD to begin your practice in guided meditation.

When practicing meditation skills for self-development you want to be able to go off where it is quiet and you can be alone. Get away from the stressful things by going off to listen, meditate and use your imagination to practice and boost yourself up.

Your choice of quiet place could be in the spare room, bathtub, a grassy spot in the woods, or even in your bedroom. Let everyone know that you want this time alone to relax and prepare for the upcoming adventures of tomorrow.

Start today by using any CD you may have that helps you to relax. The sooner you get started meditating for self-development skills the sooner you will be healthier and happier with yourself and your future. Slow your aging processes through meditation for self-development.

About The Author

Laurie Raphael
Visit my Alternative Medicine website featuring Feng Shui Life, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Yoga, Meditation and much more:
http://www.AlternativeMedicineBasics.com/meditationreport

Sign up for my Newsletter at: altmedbasics@getresponse.com

Increase Creativity and Redce Stess Using Alpha Meditation

2008-02-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

by: Richard Weber

In order to understand how alpha meditation can help improve your creativity, it is important to start by understanding what binaural beats and brainwave entrainment are.

Brainwave entrainment is the use of some external stimulus, usually different sounds that a person will hear with stereo headphones, to induce a certain level of brain wave activity. When a person's brainwave activity is artificially altered by these means, it will subtly shift their awareness and perception.

Using binaural beats is a common and effective method of brainwave entrainment. In order for the binaural beats to be effective, a person must be using stereo headphones so that they can hear a different sound in each ear.

Most of the time, the binaural beats will be embedded underneath the layers of tracks on a song, usually soothing ambient music or soundscapes, so that the person listening can focus on the music and not on the frequencies they are hearing. If you either find or create effective binaural beat audios to listen to in stereo heaphones, the frequencies should blend perfectly into the background, and you should not be able to consciously notice them unless you really try to isolate them.

Binaural beats are the most effective this way, when they are loud enough to still have an effect on your brainwave activity but quiet enough that you do not notice them. Depending on the difference between the two frequencies you decide to use, you can entrain any desired brainwave state and state of mind.

The ideal brainwave frequency for alpha meditation is about 9-10hz, so if we wanted to create a set of binaural beats that could be used to artificially induce this specific frequency, we could play 110hz in the left ear and 120hz in the right ear.

To any person who is hearing these different frequencies in each ear, their brain will act like a tuning fork and it will lock on to the difference between the two frequencies, which in this case would be 10hz.

'Alpha' is the name that we use for the range of brainwave frequencies from around 8hz-13hz. We go through the alpha brainwave state many times during a 24-hour period, and it is usually we are in a light sleep and are dreaming. You can also reach this state by listening to soothing soundscapes or chill-out music, preferably music with alpha binaural beat already embedded in the layers, and simply lying down and resting. When a person reaches this alpha state while they are still conscious, their imagination will be highly active and they can see very vivid imagery, like an intense dream.

After practicing this daily for a short while, even just a week or two, a person's intuitive creativity will naturally be higher and coming up with new ideas will seem easier.

Remaining in the intuitive alpha state for extended periods is the key to increasing your creativity, because this frequency stimulates the right-side creative portion of the human brain. After doing daily alpha meditation and staying in the alpha state for 30 minutes or more per day, your creative visualization capabilities will markedly increase, and it is this creative visualization that can help you achieve any outcome you desire.

If you are interested in pursuing alpha meditation, you can do a number of things. While it does not require music with alpha binaural beats, this is highly recommended because your brain will automatically lock on to the alpha frequency.

You can go to your local music store and look for CDs on 'alpha mediation' or 'alpha relaxation,' or you can also look online at places like iTunes. Or if you would like to have full control over your alpha meditation experience, you can embed any song of your choosing with binaural beats using special audio software.

Creating your own binaural beat audios will give you full control over your meditation experience, and you can experiment with different frequencies around the 7-10 hz area to see which ones give you the biggest boost in intuition and creativity.

About The Author

Richard Weber

What if you could program your mind to be more confident, charismatic and successful with doing any conscious work? I am lazy and I do it all the time with fabulous results. Learn how at http://www.HumanMindPower.com

Meditation Explained

2008-02-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

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.

About The Author

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/

Daily Meditation - Spiritual Support for Today's World

2008-02-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

by: Mashubi Rochell

In days of old, spiritual life was separate from "regular life". People went to church or temple once a week, and then got on with the rest of their lives. Daily meditation was something that only nuns, priests, rabbis or monks did.

In today's world, our understanding of spiritual life is changing. More and more we are understanding that all of life is sacred, and at the same time, there seems to be less and less time available for us to slow down and connect with our innermost spiritual center.

With the advent of global communication, there are now many options available to us for spiritual and religious expression. At the same time, modern life has become more challenging, more demanding and faster paced. Staying positive and focused on God's love can be difficult, especially when we are faced negative energy that we see manifesting in world events. Many people face depression or even despair because they find it difficult to connect with their inner experience of God's love during these difficult times.

A regular spiritual practice of daily meditation can be of great help in today's world, to help bring an awareness of spiritual values into all aspects of your daily life. Daily meditation can allow you to create peace within yourself, which then radiates outwards to others. Daily meditation can be a simple as taking five or ten minutes daily with your favorite spiritual support, or can involve a more rigorous program of study, practice and meditation.

The importance of daily meditation is in the consistency with which it is done. It is helpful to schedule a specific time of day, or to do your meditation several times a day. Some people find it helpful to create an altar or other sacred space in the home, which provides an outer reminder of the sacred, and also creates a vibration of peace and harmony. If you can keep this sacred space clean, free from clutter, and away from other activities, and you will find that your altar becomes a spiritual haven that you can go to find peace, light and comfort in the midst of a busy day.

You do not need to only have one altar in your home. You can make an altar in each room, at your desk, and even in your car. A daily reminder of sacred reality goes a long way to supporting your daily meditation practice.

Daily meditation can provide comfort, upliftment, and spiritual support, even during difficult times. You will find yourself attracted to meditation practices that are most resonant with your own soul's unique divine blueprint. A daily meditation practice can be tailored to your own unique needs and spiritual longing. Daily inspiration and meditation be found through sacred religious texts as well as newer spiritual writings.

We are all of God, and created by God, and we each have a unique purpose and aspect of God that we embody in the world. The abundance of sacred teachings at this time on the Earth is a reminder that God speaks in many ways so that each heart and each soul can feel and be reminded of God's love in their own unique way. Daily meditation can help you to connect with your own divine essence, and to bring your gifts into the world for the betterment of all of humanity.

About The Author

Mashubi Rochell is a spiritual counselor and the founder of WorldBlessings.net, an online spiritual support community for people of all faiths which offers free daily meditation and spiritual guidance resources at http://www.worldblessings.com/daily-reading-and-meditation.html