Meditation
Meditation: A Path To Inner Peace
Throughout history, meditation has been an integral part of many cultures. Records indicate that meditation was practiced in ancient Greece and India more than 5,000 years ago. In the Buddhist religion, meditation is an important part of their spiritual practice. Different forms of meditation are practiced in China and Japan, and Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have traditions similar to meditation. The word meditation comes from the Latin meditari which means: exercise, turn something over in one's mind, think, consider. It is defined as consciously directing your attention to alter your state of mind.
Meditation is one of the proven alternative therapies that in recent years have been classified under mind-body medicine therapies. It is continuing to gain popularity, as more and more health experts believe that there is more to the connection between mind and body than modern medicine can explain. According to researchers, meditation has been shown to aid the immune system and improve brain activity. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, to improve exercise performance, to help people with asthma to breathe easier, to relieve insomnia, and generally relax everyday stresses of life. Many hospitals now offer meditation classes for their patients because of the health benefits. All promote physiological health and well-being.
Traditionally, meditation has been used for spiritual growth, but more recently has become a valuable tool for managing stress and finding a place of peace, relaxation, and tranquility in a demanding fast-paced world. Benefits resulting from meditation include: physical and emotional healing; easing stress, fear, and grief; improved breathing; developing intuition; deep relaxation; exploring higher realities; finding inner guidance; unlocking creativity; manifesting change; emotional cleansing and balancing; and deepening concentration and insight.
Meditation elicits many descriptive terms: stillness, silence, tranquility, peace, quiet, and calm. All counter stress and tension. Lama Surya Das in his book Awakening The Buddha Within says, Meditation is not just something to do; it's a method of being and seeing an unconditional way of living moment by moment. In other words, learning to live in this moment because this moment is all we have. Henry Winkler is quoted as saying; A human being's first responsibility is to shake hands with herself. Meditation is an opportunity to shake hands with ourselves in a safe, simple way and to balance our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Meditation To Improve Health
According to Buddhism, a person can reach Nirvana or the highest state of enlightenment through continuous meditation and by participating in the Buddha’s daily service, among other things. Over time, many people have benefited from the practice of meditation.
Meditation, as practiced by Buddhist monks and practitioners, has become a spiritual tool and health enhancer. More than just the chants and meditative posture, meditation is about proper breathing and concentration of one’s thoughts. As a health and spiritual practice, meditation came into prominence centuries ago.
How do we know if we are already in a state of meditation or just wasting away time with our eyes closed? Meditation is a state of mind that leads to inner peace, self-fulfillment, self- improvement, and the development of a positive outlook in life. There are two types of meditation; the concentrative and the mindfulness type. Concentrative is focused on the person’s concentration, sitting quietly and calmly with good breathing patterns. It is said that one's mind is somewhat connected to one’s breath of air. Continuous rhythm of inhales and exhales of the breath will make the person feel more calm and relaxed, focusing on the steady flow of air in and out of their bodies. This will result in the mind being more aware and tranquil at the same time.
Mindfulness, on the other hand, involves attention and awareness on passing waves of sensations, images, feelings, thoughts, sounds, smell, anything that your body can interact with. This in turn will give the person a more non-reactive mind state, much like looking at a television, without any feeling or thoughts that can bother you.
Meditation and relaxation often go hand in hand. In scientific studies, it has been proven that there are health benefits in regularly practicing meditation. By being in a relaxed state of mind, the person is also regarded as being in an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes good healing. Since people are constantly moving, being in a state of relaxation and stillness can enhance our overall well-being. Knowing all this, one can see the connection of both scientific and spiritual factors that are brought together by meditation.
Indeed, this activity shows a unique philosophy that can really help. In practicing meditation, a person can see their innermost self at its fullest. This can help a person dealing with external difficulties to see past all the challenges and become more humble and calm in dealing with situations. This relaxed state of meditating can also help take away simple headaches, stress, or even mild anxiety. There are no known ways that meditation can be harmful, so why not give it a try?
Meditation And The Mind
Meditation is an art that has been around since the dawn of humankind. This is not a statement to be brushed over. After all, many things about humankind have changed over time, but the profound art of meditation is something we have clung on to dearly. This is because there is no substitute for meditation. Nothing else, single handedly, bestows the many wonderful blessings that meditation brings. In fact, nothing else even comes close. Hopefully, this article will inspire you to also learn and practice this timeless art.
The mind of one who meditates is like the easy, leisurely flow of the Ganges River, as compared to the ordinary mind, which is like Niagara Falls. In other words, your mind is at peace, deeply silent and so you are at peace. Meditation opens up the channels of communication between all levels of your being. What this means is that you have access now to the guidance that is coming directly from your Divine Self. This link gives rise to the flow of intuition and wisdom.
Meditation strips away the layers of false identity that mask your True Self from shining through. Once you eliminate these false egos and stop catering to their nonsense you can reside in your True Nature. This brings forth joy and happiness as it allows you to be at ease with life, existence and yourself.
All serious meditators know how much their brain function has been enhanced by meditation.
Now, empirical studies every day are indicating this link. Meditation will undoubtedly increase your awareness. This will give you insight into who you really are and what you really love in life. That is the secret of mastering the art of living and discovering your true talents, gifts and purpose. That which you love, you do for its own sake without the need for reward or accolades. Once this is discovered, life can be lived with passion, zeal and independence.
The one ultimate purpose of meditation is enlightenment. To help you discover the true nature of reality. To make you realize that your True Self is Divine and One with the Universe. Take your time and practice meditation today so that you can start feeling better soon. This is going to be a life changing experience for you. If you make the most out of it you will start being a more positive person, and feel more complete. Good luck and enjoy your meditation practices each day.
The Basics Of Meditation In 4 Steps
Meditation is one of the techniques often used for stress management. A person who is riddled with problems often finds it hard to focus, which often leads to more problems. Meditation techniques help a person achieve a calm state of mind without having to resort to drugs or relaxation tools and implements. Every step to meditation is done in the mind.
Remember that meditation is not a one shot deal. It is almost impossible to attain a calm state of mind in just a matter of minutes, especially if it’s your first time. It is essential that you keep on practicing meditation until you have conditioned your mind to instantaneously achieve that calm state just by thinking about it. Here are some steps for a beginner to start with meditation as their Stress Management strategy.
1. Find A Quiet Corner To Start Your Meditation. Distraction is a hindrance to those who are still starting out with meditation. When you close your eyes, your sense of hearing will be twice as good, so almost any noise in your surroundings will make it hard for you to concentrate. For beginners, it is important to start out in a quiet place in your home where noise is non-existent. Close your windows and lock your door. If possible, you can tell everyone in your home to minimize their noise so that you won’t get distracted.
2. Ready Your Position. It is advisable for beginners to avoid lying down when practicing meditation. The aim here is not to sleep, and it is likely that you will fall asleep if your mind reaches a relaxed state. To stop this from happening, you can start your meditation in a lotus position or you can find a chair you can sit on. Make sure that your back is straight and your hands are relaxed on the armrest or on your lap.
3. Begin Your Meditation With Proper Breathing. A good way to start meditation is to do the proper breathing exercise. You inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This way, you can come up with a rhythm that you can easily focus on. Also, the amount of oxygen in your body will help to keep you relaxed. Keep practicing your breathing until you can do it easily without having to think about it.
4. Focus On Your Mind. While you are concentrating on your breathing, you will achieve a state wherein your mind will start throwing images at you. These are mostly random- events of the day, future plans, problems and worries, fears and so on. It will be hard to ignore these thoughts and you are not supposed to ignore them. The gist here is to acknowledge these thoughts when they enter your mind and then release them. This might sound hard but here is a simple example to understand the concept. You know that you have furniture at home- you can see it clearly with your eyes, but you are not really concentrating on it. Focusing on the furniture will usually make you think of its color, its material, how it looks in that part of your home, and more. You need to be able to look at these random thoughts in a detached state, seeing them clearly in your head but not focusing your attention on it. There will come a time that these random thoughts will stop and you will notice that you are already in a blank space in your mind. This is the state you want to achieve during meditation. This is the place where you can think about your problems and focus on it till you can find a solution for it. With this, you have successfully mastered the basics of meditation for your stress management program.
Obtaining A Spiritual Awakening And Oneness Through Meditation
Aside from the calming effect that meditation can bring, it is often said to be a path to awaken the spirit and start the journey towards spiritual awakening. Meditation has different schools. Each school has its own thoughts about meditation. There are also different techniques. There are meditative techniques which focus on a field or a background perception, while there are others which focus on a specific object.
Meditation is used to calm the mind and relax the body. Tension, stress and anxiety can be relieved by performing simple techniques. Aside from the inner peace that meditation brings, it can also improve the body's general health. It is also a great way of improving your concentration. There are studies showing the relationship between meditation and the performances of athletes and other professionals.
Health benefits of meditation include better circulation, deeper levels of relaxation, increase in exercise tolerance among heart patients, regularizing blood pressure, reduction of anxiety attacks and muscle tension, relieving arthritis pain and among many other things.
With meditation, you get to listen to the inner self and separate from the pressures of daily life. Understanding the inner self leads to understanding of the higher self. This increases our knowledge and understanding of how the higher self unites with the universe. In meditation, you get the chance to tap in and see your life and problems from a different perspective. Getting in touch with the inner self will provide guidance towards happiness and fulfilment.
There are religions which advocate the use of meditation to reach enlightenment. As mentioned, there are different schools of thoughts and focus that each religion adapts. But the method or the technique used is not as important as the underlying concept behind meditation. Meditation is about listening to the inner self and controlling your attention and focusing. There are so many distractions that it is very hard for some to focus their attention on what is important and keep their attention on fixed objects. When focused on a fixed object or field, oneness could be experienced and could take a person to a completely different state. This oneness is not easy to achieve though. There are some who would need to meditate for years to achieve it.
When oneness is achieved, the person will experience bliss. Bliss is referred to as a natural state of the soul which cannot be experienced easily in daily life. During this meditative state, the mind expands its consciousness and understanding of nature and the universe. Destructive thinking and behaviour brought about by the materialistic and fast-paced world can be let go and released. A deeper understanding and knowledge will be felt and the body will be in one with the universe. This, is what they say, can link us to the Supreme Being. Attaining this oneness could be compared to a spiritual awakening, where the body and the mind can fully understand what cannot be seen or touched in the material world.
Quick Meditation Tips For People On The Move
Meditation is an ancient ritual that is perfect for individuals seeking a bit of peace, quiet, and inner reflection in their daily lives. However, many individuals erroneously believe they do not have the appropriate time to devote to meditation. This practice does not require a special room and hours upon hours of inner reflection to be done properly and receive the most results. In fact, meditation can be done in any quiet corner, including your living room, office, hotel room, or even on an airplane. In order to achieve the proper meditation in some of these places, you may need to practice certain techniques or bring along special devices that will block noise and ensure quiet for your designated meditation time.
Consider joining a meditation group so that you can effectively learn the methods of meditation before you attempt to meditate in unusual surroundings. The techniques and methods you learn through an experienced meditation instructor will help you accomplish your own personal goals of meditation and inner exploration.
Meditation does not have to be incredibly time consuming. Make it a point to dedicate a few minutes each day to your meditation goals and spend some time reflecting inward. Mornings are excellent times to begin meditation, since you are at your most at ease during this time and your home is probably the quietest. Consider waking up before the rest of your household to snag a few much needed minutes alone in order to successfully complete your meditation process. This is critical for people with children who find it hard to meditate amidst the noises and demands of family life.
When you are on the go, do not leave your meditation practices at home! Consider snapping up a pair of noise canceling headphones to block out noise as you travel or commute. This will allow you the greatest sense of peace and quiet so that you can continue with your meditation techniques. Bring along a special meditation soundtrack of familiar tunes which you can also use to block out unnecessary background noise.
Meditation can be an excellent way to unwind after a long day of traveling, so consider taking time to practice your techniques once you reach your destination. For individuals who are constantly calling hotel rooms home, it can be quite easy to miss your personal meditation space. For this reason, carry a small token or a few items with you on your travels to remind you of home. Consider bringing a favorite blanket, pillow, or mat to aid you in your meditation practices. Use scents to transport you to a more serene world. Aromatherapy has been used in conjunction with meditation for thousands of years. For individuals on the go, consider bringing along travel candles or a vial of essential oil that you can leave open to pervade the atmosphere.
3 Easy Steps to Making Your Own Meditation Room
Meditation rooms are not always rooms per se, oftentimes, they are just secluded nooks in someone's home where one can go to to think, relax and meditate. Having a private meditation room, however, is not something that has to be exclusive to yoga practitioners. You too can have your very own meditation room which you can use as a place just to sit back and get away from the fast-paced and stressful daily life that most of us live. Your meditation room can be your own hideaway, where you can breathe freely and gather your thoughts together. Here are three simple steps to help you create your own sacred space.
1. Choose a Spot for Your Meditation Room: Quietness and isolation are the primary qualities that a meditation room must have. No matter how small your home is, it is possible to have a meditation room where you can have a bit of peaceful respite. Just find a place to set it up that is a little out of the way in your home. You can situate your meditation room in your own bedroom if you want. In fact, any corner that can be made secluded will do. All you need to do, if your meditation room is not a separate room in itself, is to partition it creatively so you would not be bothered if you are inside your nook.
2. Furnish the Meditation Room: A meditation room does not require much in terms of furnishings. The most essential piece of furniture is a comfortable chair that is wide enough for you to curl your legs in. And even with that, a chair is not that necessary. If space is a problem, a cushion can serve in its place instead. A bluetooth speaker or some other device to play music may be necessary. It helps a lot to meditate while listening to soft, instrumental music, or perhaps to record natural sounds like the singing of birds or the sound of the waves or falling rain.
How your meditation room is lighted may affect how well you focus and concentrate in clearing your mind here. The lighting you ought to install in your meditation room is something soft and subtle. Stay away from the harshly glowing fluorescent bulbs when you light your meditation room.
You do not have to decorate the walls. If you are going to paint the walls a neutral color will work best. You do not need anything that can distract you from your meditation. To set and enhance the mood, however, you can put up shelves where you can place some scented candles or a vase of flowers or perhaps some crystals. A potted plant can help set the mood, too. These are all the decorations you can consider when setting up your meditation room.
3. Maintain the Meditation Room: Your meditation room is ideally the one place in your house, if not in the whole world, where you can get away to relax and to clear your mind of anything that is bothering you. The one thing that will defeat this purpose is if you leave clutter in your meditation room.No matter how busy you may be with your daily life, always find the time to keep your meditation room clean and free from clutter. Cleaning your meditation room may be seen as a form of meditation in itself. After all, the reason you have a meditation room is to keep your mind clear and unburdened.
Why Meditation Can Help Reduce Stress
People encounter stress everyday, some do at work or school, others at home. While people are usually able to cope with stress, sometimes the burden simply becomes too much that people break down because of it.
The Science of Stress
In the General Adaptation Syndrome model designed by Hans Selye, there are three stages that people undergo when stressed. During the first stage, the body goes on a state of alarm at the realization of a threat. In this stage, cortisol is released by the body. The second stage is where the body becomes unable to cope with the strain until its resources are depleted. Finally, the body breaks down, which includes the exhaustion of the immune system. Because of this, the body is unable to fight off sicknesses which then expose the person to illnesses.
How Meditation Helps Reduce Stress
Meditation is one method which can help reduce the stress levels of a person. By calming the mind and giving the person a sense of control over things, the things that are considered threats (the things which cause stress) become easier to manage. But the reduction of stress isn't the end of the exercise. Since stress can make people prone to illnesses, reducing stress can help in keeping the person healthy. The practice of meditation, therefore, can result in improved health and resistance to illnesses.
So the next time you feel stressed out, try to calm yourself down by practicing meditation. While your problems won't exactly go away, you at least become mentally prepared to face them.
Step By Step Guides To Different Forms Of Meditation
Meditation takes many forms in today's society. All have one thing in common. They use concentration techniques to still the mind and stop thought. Various practices exist such as chanting (Mantra), focusing on energy centres in the body (Chakra Meditation), breathing, mindfulness (Mahamudra), loving kindness, formal sitting (Vipassana), expressive practices (Siddha Yoga), and walking to name some of the styles. Try each style and see what works for you or you may want to alternate between the techniques from time to time. For the purposes of this article, I will discuss Mahamudra and walking meditation.
Practical Steps To Begin Meditating
1. Find a place where there are few external distractions. A place where you feel emotionally comfortable, safe, removed from pressure and stress is the optimal location.
2. Wear clothing that is loose and sit or lie in a comfortable position.
3. Plan to meditate in an area that is warm and comfortable. You might want to have a blanket or light covering as some people experience a feeling of coldness when they aren't moving around for a period of time.
4. Candles can be used to focus attention on the task at hand. If you use them, remember to be cautious and extinguish them before leaving the room.
5. Relaxation is a key component of meditation. Take a few moments to bring about a state of relaxation by taking a deep breath through your nose, expanding your lungs and diaphragm. Hold the breath for a few seconds and slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this several times until you feel relaxed.
6. Calm, soothing music can be helpful for inducing a state of tranquillity and relaxation
7. If you are hungry, have a little something to eat, as it is not necessary to meditate on a completely empty stomach.
8. Put your expectations aside and don't worry about doing it right.
Meditation
Mahamudra is the form of meditation that is a way of going about one's daily activities in a state of mindfulness. It is meditation integrated into all aspects of our lives. This following exercise is one you can do anywhere to create a feeling of inner peace. It is particularly helpful for those times you are stuck in traffic, waiting in line at the grocery store or bank, at the office when days are hectic, or when you are picking up the kids from school or extra-curricular activities. What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it, wrote Hugh Mulligan. Meditation helps us remember to stop and smell the roses.
Begin by taking a deep breath. Breathe deeply and as you do expand your lungs and your diaphragm. Hold the breath for a few seconds and slowly exhale through the mouth. Focus on your breath and clear your mind. Do this several times until you feel the slowing of your breath and a deep sense of peace fill your body. Consciously feel the peace permeate your body. Drop your shoulders and connect through the top of your head to Universal Energy. Repeat. If you wish, send peace to those around you by connecting to their hearts with light and love.
Walking Meditation
A walking meditation is simply an exercise in awareness. There are four components:
1. Become aware of your breathing
2. Notice your surroundings
3. Be attentive to your body's movement
4. Take some time to reflect on your experience when you return home.
To practice walking brings awareness to walking wherever you find yourself. Take notice of your breathing. Are you taking short, shallow breaths without even knowing it? If so, take several deep breaths and center yourself in your body and in the present moment. Appreciate the wonderful body you have and the blessing of being able to walk.
Notice your surroundings. What season is it? Take a few minutes to listen to the noises around you. Feel the wind, sun, fog, rain or snow on your face. Look at the people, animals, birds, sky, trees, and buildings around you. Breathe in and out and realise that you are an integral part of the environment.
Pay attention to your body. Are you holding tension in your shoulders, neck, solar plexus, lower back, or legs? Breath into any areas where you are feeling tension and let it drain into the Earth. Next, pay attention to your posture. Are you standing straight and tall or slouching? Walk in a way that is comfortable for you with your body loose and uplifted. Walk with dignity and confidence, one foot in front of the other and pay attention to the experience of movement.
You can walk mindfully anywhere, along a sidewalk, walking your dog, in the mall, along the hallways at work. You simply remind yourself to be in this moment, taking each step as it comes. Some people find it helpful to repeat a mantra (mantras are sacred words repeated in order to bring focus to your mind). You can also use a variation on the walking mantra by counting your breaths. Walk more slowly than you usually do and count how many steps it takes for your intake of breath and how many steps for your exhale. In this type of meditation, your attention is focused on both your steps and your breathing bringing together a wonderful balance of peacefulness and awareness.
Take some time to reflect on your experience when you return home. Five or ten minutes brings closure to your walk and provides an opportunity to make the transition from this place of peace to ordinary day-to-day activities.