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

Friday, August 6, 2010

Mastering the Tutor Saliba Meditation Technique

Mastering the Tutor Saliba meditation technique takes practice and repetition. Once a person has learned how to use it effectively, they will likely live a stress-free lifestyle. There are many rituals and guidelines involved in the meditation method which has been passed down from generation to generation on Tutor Saliba Island. The elders of this tiny community in the Indian Ocean have overseen its incorporation in daily life for centuries. The tranquility of the islanders is legendary.

Where to Learn
Learning to meditate the Tutor Saliba way requires a person to either visit the island or learn from someone who has gone elsewhere to teach. Group classes are available on a regular schedule at the island's resort. They are taught by elders in a closed environment where spectators are not allowed, but participants are welcomed. Resort guests feeling stressed out or those reported for aggressive behavior are encouraged to attend.

Private instruction of the Tutor Saliba meditation method is also available both on and off the island. Those who have learned and mastered it are given a special dispensation from the island elders to pass on the technique to others. As the island's popularity has grown, so have the number of people teaching this meditating technique. While considered expensive in comparison to other types of soul-strengthening seminars, these classes are harder to find and harder to learn.

Frequency
Most users of the Tutor Saliba meditation method do it every day, several times a day. There are different rituals used at different times of day and for different occasions. For people who prefer a daily routine, the morning ritual becomes an important part of it. The nighttime ritual is less common, but equally effective. Group and family meditation sessions should be scheduled weekly. Couples in successful relationships where both use the technique practice Tutor Saliba at regular intervals and whenever a potential conflict arises. When only one of them uses it, it is a personal choice as to how often one meditates.

Effects
Those using the Tutor Saliba meditation method are well-known for their ability to resolve stressful situations and bring peace to parties at odds with each other. Not only is it successful in conflict resolution, but also in the prevention of personality conflicts and aggressive disagreements. Masters of this meditating technique allow it to permeate their everyday lives. Users are easily recognizable as happy, joyful and carefree in their personal and professional roles.

Author writes about a variety of topics. If you would like to learn more about Tutor saliba, visit http://www.tutorsalibalearning.com/.

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Music For Meditation and Healing - A Free Service

Which New Age Music for Meditation and Healing do YOU Need?

Sound is the Oldest Form of Healing

Sound is the oldest form of healing and of that it is the sound of the mothers voice that is the most important. In the 80's Sony conducted research that showed sounds played to babies while in the womb influenced their behaviour. It has been proven that like animals human babies can detect their mother's voice from other females and there is evidence that they can do this in the womb too. Other research has shown that babies can remember and recognise sounds from the womb a year after birth.

The Colour of Music

Each colour has a corresponding musical keynote which in turn resonates with the respective chakra.

Keynote Chakra

C# - Base, D - Sacral, E - Solar-Plexus, F# - Heart, G - Throat, A - Brow, B - Crown.

Sympathetic resonance is the projection of sound vibrations that cause another object to vibrate as it has the same frequency, singers breaking glasses in one example as is metal vibrating to heavy bass sounds. We can experience a sympathetic resonance in our bodies in areas that have a similar vibrational frequency. Playing music of the corresponding colour can have the same effect as the colour itself as it resonates with the respective chakra frequency.

What Meditation Music for Healing Do You Need?

Many music websites advertise they offer free music for meditation, but the New Age Blog offers a free consultation as only help and advice from a qualified colour therapist can help you decide which frequencies you need to balance your chakras and repair any damage to your aura for music meditation and healing.

Featured new age music artists openly embrace New Age beliefs so they provide a unique service to those looking to use new age music for healing, so if you need advice as to which music would be best suited to the stresses of your life to help you maintain a sense of well being and balance you can contact them and they will advise a personal selection of music.

They have a wide selection of music CD's that can be used in conjunction with Reiki, meditation, magick, angel healing, colour therapy, aromatherapy, spiritual healing, and for uplifting inspiration.

A Free Music for Meditation and Healing Service

Visit the New Age Music for more details, visitors are under no obligation and no purchase is necessary.

� Trevor Mayes is a qualified colour therapist and proprietor of the New Age Blog which includes new age music and Colour-Counselling-Therapy-Healing which specialises in online diagnostic colour therapy and healing gemstones which is particularly suitable for stress relates issues.

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Thursday, August 5, 2010

Changing Our Lives With Guided Meditation

We can learn to access the power of our minds just by using the guided imagery meditation. We will discover how we can change our self image that will create positive changes in our lives. it is always helpful to communicate with our subconscious mind that the guided meditational techniques will give us.

All we need to have is a quiet place that is free from any distractions. That way, we can be free with our mind and we can focus only with our subconscious. It will just take about 10 minutes. Try turning off your phone and closing the door for a while to avoid any sudden noise and distractions.

You can choose either to sit up or lie down, however you feel comfortable. Close your eyes as you take deep breaths for about five minutes. Continue to inhale and exhale. Mentally say the word "relax" as you breathe out. After breathing deeply for five times, go back to your normal breathing pace.

For this technique, try to visualize a lemon while you are in a relaxed state. Visualize in your mind that you are inside of a grocery store and you see a lemon in the produced aisle. In your mind, visualize that you are picking up a lemon. It is now in your hand. Imagine that you smell it. Then you are cutting the lemon in half using a sharp knife. In your mind, you see the juice runs down the blade of the knife. Again, pretend that you are squeezing the lemon in your mouth. You can taste the bitterness and sourness of the lemon.

Did you notice what happened to your mouth? It salivated. This means that you have activated your body with your subconscious mind. After you have done with that step, you can now try to start imagining yourself with the changes you desire. It can be anything that you want.

See yourself in a store again. Visualize that laptop you are wanting. You can see its good features. Imagine yourself holding that laptop. Then see yourself reaching onto your wallet with lots of cash. You are then going to the cashier and actually paying for the laptop.

Continue imagining that until you went home, and started using it. You can now feel the excitement in your outside body as if you're actually in that imagination.

It is all a very good practice for you to do. Repeat the process every morning after you wake up. You will feel a sudden change and transformation. Within 21 days, continue with the process and you will eventually come up to that state where in your imaginations will actually come to life.

Changing our lives with a guided meditation helps us focus more. It will give us the feeling of being guided outside of reality and bringing our souls to where we want to be.

Related Articles
Guided Meditation
Beliefs of Buddhism

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Blood Pressure and Meditation

It is unfortunate in some ways that for many people, meditation smacks of Eastern mysticism for which some form of special spiritual path as to be learned, absorbed and followed.

However, over the course of the twentieth century meditation has, in a sense, been westernised. Teachers and researchers have extracted and separated the mystic from the practical.

True, for many, even in the West, meditation is part of a journey, and given the amount of literature available on the subject, one could be forgiven for feeling a little put off by some of the more mystical properties and terms alluded to.

However, much research has been done in the West which confirms some of the positive benefits meditators have claimed as true for thousands of years.

One of the main benefits concerns blood pressure.

It is certainly true that meditation calms the body and mind and reduces stress. There have been many scientific studies that prove this is fact.

"The Lancet", the famous British medical journal, published a report concerning a group of twenty patients who were suffering from hypertension.

These hypertension patients were taught a number of holistic techniques, including yoga, breath meditation, meditation concentration and muscle relaxation.

After 12 months their systolic blood pressure had fallen by an average of more than twenty points.

Another study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine", involved fourteen patients who suffered from hypertension. They were taught a very simple meditation technique that consisted of counting their breaths for a certain time daily, for a period of six months. At the end of the period it was found that their average systolic blood pressure had gone down by an average of fifteen points.

This certainly does not mean that patients should stop taking medication. However, it does show that meditation can be an effective addition to medication, with no side effects whatsoever.

After a busy day, James likes to unwind by restoring used air compressors. Visit is latest website where you will find information and deals on used air compressors.

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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Starting Meditation - Overcoming Sleepiness

You may find a number of obstacles when you start meditating. Indeed, these same obstacles do not just apply to the beginner - many people experienced in meditation also experience these difficulties from time to time, although with practice they find that they occur less often.

One of the biggest problems when one starts meditating, is that of staying awake.

The first thing to say here is that you should not feel bad or punish yourself in any way. It is perfectly natural, particularly in this modern age and all the pressure that comes with it, that as one relaxes one is drawn into sleep!

The fact is that the point of meditation is to be more aware. Have you ever driven along a stretch of road and have no memory of doing so? This is because we often do things on "auto pilot", in other words we pay little attention to the world around us.

The thing to do when you are meditating and finding it hard to keep awake is to actually explore the feeling of sleep as you meditate. Take a look at it.

If you feel that you are sleepy because you are genuinely tired, perhaps you had a late night the night before for example, then the best thing to do is to stop your meditation session and actually go and have a sleep!

However, you may need to look more closely. Explore the feeling of sleepiness. Do you feel tired in any particular part of your body? What is going on in your mind?

Often times, it's a thought, usually about something we have experienced, stress at work for example, which leads to negative emotions. Negative emotions usually appear in the form of fear, resentment or sadness, which makes us want to turn away from them, often in the form of sleep.

The key here, as with most things, is persistence. After all, meditation is about freeing your mind by not paying attention to the thoughts that come into your head. This releases the "feel good" hormones, endorphins and the mind becomes clearer and focused.

So stay with it. Benefits accrue over time. If you need to sleep, sleep. If it is simply that your mind is being distracted, refocus. You may have to refocus many times, but with practice this becomes much easier, and the initial effort that has to be made has huge benefits in the longer term.

James likes to relax with friends at the end of the working day, and frequently has people over for an evening meal. See his latest website about 70 round tablecloth where you will find useful information and amazing deals on 70 round tablecloth.

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Meditation - Simple Meditation Technique

Have you noticed in today's world how many distractions there are? From bill boards and television advertising, to shops playing loud music and restaurants with plasma televisions, it seems everything is geared for us not to stop and quietly contemplate our lives. The world around us seems to do everything it can to keep ourselves from ourselves.

Add to this the stresses of the postmodern era - the problems of violence, greed, economic depression, disease etc., all shown graphically through the media - the reality of losing one's job or the stress of wondering when your turn will come, and you have a recipe that take a huge emotional toll on our lives.

Loneliness, depression, addiction, stress and alienation can be just some of the consequences. So who, or what do you turn to?

It is a fact of life, that to achieve anything one has to take action. The bills have to be paid and the family fed. These are the external things.

However, you have to take care of the internal self as well. Call it your spirit, your soul, the essence of who you are, whatever; what you may wish to call it is up to you. The fact is there's a very effective antidote to the world's ills listed above, and it's meditation.

As we respond to the world around us, combined with what we were taught as children, we more and more seem to be programmed to expect stress, worry and sadness.

Meditation offers a way of reversing this into hope, peace and well being.

Simply set aside 10-15 minutes a day to meditate.

1. Sit with your back straight somewhere quiet where you will not be disturbed. It is important to be comfortable.

2. Relax your body as much as possible, close your eyes and breathe deeply for 7-10 breaths.

3. Take a word or phrase. It can be something spiritual, but this is not necessary. However, it should be something that has special meaning for you, "world peace" for example. If you cannot think of a word or phrase, no matter, simply concentrate on your breathing.

4. Breath only through the nose and repeat the phrase to yourself softly. Do not say it out loud. If you are using your breathing instead of a word or phrase, concentrate on that. If you find your mind wanders, simply refocus.

5. Do this for 5 minutes, (longer if you wish).

The most important thing about meditation is that you stick at it. It is not really something you can "dip" into from time to time. To really experience the benefits, try and make it routine.

James enjoys entertaining and cooking for friends at home after a busy day at work. Visit his new website about 70 round tablecloth where you will find great deal and tips on a 70 round tablecloth.

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How to Choose the Right Meditation CDs

With�the number of Meditation CD's on the market today,�choosing the right ones can be confusing.�You'll see Meditation CD's for reducing stress, improving your memory, increasing performance, improving your health, and many more. These are all�benefits�you gain�by meditating, whether using CD's or traditional methods. What Meditation CD's offer�is an alternative way to practice meditation and still� reap the benefits. They often simplify�the process and in �some cases dramatically increase the effectiveness of your meditation sessions. Although there may be many types of Meditation CD's they all can be categorized into three main categories:

1. Guided
2. Guided Imagery
3. Sound Technology

We'll discuss each group and what they can offer you. The first one we'll discuss is:

1. Guided Meditation CD's- these are great for anyone just starting out, these usually have some type of soothing sounds, or music and a person guiding you into a meditative state. These are going to focus on the fundamentals of meditation, your posture, breathing, mantras, and focusing your mind. These would be a great fit for anyone who's looking for a more traditional experience.

2. Guided Imagery-the difference between guided and guided imagery is you're going to be guided into a meditative state using imagery. These focus on the imagery, so these are�better suited for people who have some meditation experience. The added benefit to Imagery CD's is once you get good creating these images you could put yourself into a meditative state when you want. This is a great way to clear the mind and release some stress during a busy day.

3. Sound Technology- these CD's are embedded with Binaural Beat Technology and are extremely powerful! This technology can take a person off the street and put them into a deep meditative state that most advanced meditators will never experience. This technology has been�around for more than 30 years and is highly effective. No experience necessary, put on some headphones and push play. These are�for results orientated people that�want all� the benefits of meditation without having to learn how to meditate.

So whether you're just starting out, advanced, or somewhere in between, Meditation CD's have something to offer. So choose the right one for you and start experiencing all the benefits of meditating with Meditation CD's today!

The benefits of meditation was once only reserved for the dedicated practitioners of meditation. With the advancement of binaural beat technology this is no longer true. Anyone wanting to enjoy these benefits can, and its never been easier. So come visit us and learn about the many ways this technology can improve the quality of your life! http://www.meditation-with-cds.com

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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

What Are Meditation and Yoga Benefits?

In recent years, the practices of meditation and yoga have become increasingly popular. Regardless of how many people recommend it, however, there are some who do not believe that there are actual health benefits to these activities. The truth is that there are many meditation and yoga benefits that help with improving both a person's physical and their mental well being.

Meditation is particularly effective for someone who wants to feel better mentally. Many people think negatively about most situations, but they do not think that they can control their thoughts. Yoga teaches people to take control of their thoughts and stop being victims of their own negative thinking. Through meditation, people can learn how to curb their negative thoughts or temporarily shut off their brains completely.

Every day, people are presented with situations that are not such a big deal, but the little annoyances really get under their skin. Meditation can help them learn how to detach themselves from these aggravating situations. Someone who practices meditation does not ignore the long line at the grocery store or the person talking loudly on their cell phone in the waiting room. They simply learn how to put it into perspective and be less bothered by it.

There are many physical benefits to yoga, besides losing weight and staying in shape. Yoga gently stretches out the muscles and joints, therefore ensuring that optimum blood supply make its way to the entire body. In addition, it gently massages organs in the body that would otherwise never be stimulated. This is excellent for detoxifications which can help delay aging and improve energy levels.

Yoga has also been proven to help prevent or control serious health conditions. For example, it lowers blood pressure, which helps prevent hypertension, heart disease and stroke. In addition to the benefits for the heart, yoga can lower cholesterol, which helps prevent many other health problems, and boots the function in the immune system.

Some people still believe that meditation and yoga benefits are new age ideas that have no real physical or mental health value. Research on these practices, however, shows that these people are completely wrong. Meditation can help calm the mind and significantly reduce everyday stress triggers, while yoga can help detoxify the body and prevent serious health conditions. Someone who often feels stressed or would like to feel generally healthier should explore these options to start feeling their best at all times.

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Monday, August 2, 2010

3 Reasons to Use a Self-Healing Meditation

Do you want to take control of your health? Join the club! Many people are actively changing their lifestyles for the better, to boost their health and reduce their dependence on the medical establishment, and for many, self-healing meditation plays an important role in this process. Here we'll take a look at some of the reasons why meditating for better health is a great thing to do.

Firstly, it makes sense because the mind and body are inextricably connected, and your mental state exerts a huge influence over your physical health. Sure, most people depend on drugs and surgery to deal with illness; after all, this approach has the backing of science, and is what just about everybody does. But the fact remains that while such interventions can useful or even essential in some cases, true healing comes from within, and we're all much more powerful than conventional medicine would have us believe. The existence of people who have overcome serious illnesses by using visualisation and similar mind-body techniques is testament to that.

Secondly, it costs nothing to meditate, except some of your time, and possibly a meditation recording if you choose to use one. It's certainly much cheaper to meditate then it is to pay for conventional treatment. Now while you should always follow your doctor's advice, and continue with any necessary medications or other treatment plans for your condition, there's usually no reason why you can't add meditation as part of your healing regime as well. If nothing else, it'll help you feel more relaxed and less stressed, which can in itself have a positive knock-on effect on your general well-being.

Thirdly, a self-healing meditation can be used to great effect by those who are currently healthy, as a preventative measure. Do this and you may be less likely to become ill, because meditation provides an effective way to deal with stress, which underlies many modern illnesses. In addition, you'll gain a great sense of self-empowerment by taking more responsibility for your own health and well-being - which is something that far more people need to do in this era where we're actively encouraged hand over our power to the medical establishment and the big-business pharmaceutical industry.

While there are many health-related meditations available, the most powerful include brainwave entrainment recordings which take your brain down into a delta brainwave state. Delta waves are very low-frequency brain waves which are predominantly produced when we're in deep sleep, and delta wave production is associated with enhanced bodily healing and regeneration. This is partly why getting plenty of sleep of the right type is so important to your health.

Using a suitable brainwave recording can help you to spend more time in the delta state even while you're still awake, thus giving your body an extra chance to boost its healing processes.

You can learn more about the power of such self-healing meditation recordings at my site, and if you should decide to use one for yourself, I recommend checking out the 'Health' recordings from The Unexplainable Store. This is a great site with a reputation for producing top quality products (I've tried and liked them myself), and there are free downloads available as well. For more information just go to http://www.brain-sync.com

Loren Mann is an experienced 'explorer of consciousness' who enjoys writing about self-development topics and sharing helpful, high quality resources, and may receive compensation as a result of making these recommendations.

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4 Easy Relaxation Methods For Deeper Meditation

The key to successful meditation is physical and mental relaxation. How many times have you sat down to meditate, and then got up at the end of your session feeling as if it was a waste of time? Many have this experience, and it's usually because for whatever reason, they've found it difficult to relax properly.

Let's take a look at some simple tips for relaxing your body and mind, so you can get the most from your meditation sessions.

1. A good way to relax your body is to systematically tense and release all of your muscles. Start with your toes, and then tense and relax the muscles in your feet, your calves, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, arms and shoulders and head. You don't have to spend long time on this, but a few minutes spent doing it at the beginning of each session will pay off.

2. Another effective physical relaxation method is to visualise a feeling of warmth and heaviness in your body. Imagine that your flesh is turned into a warm metal, and is becoming progressively heavier and warmer. Start with your limbs, progressing to your torso and head, feeling the heavy, warm sensations flooding over your whole body.

3. The way in which you breathe can also affect your levels of relaxation, and deep, slow breathing is an excellent way to relax naturally. As you begin to meditate, make the effort to breathe fully from your abdomen, drawing in and releasing the breath slowly and smoothly.

4. A fourth method which can help you to relax both physically and mentally, is to listen to a meditation recording. While there's a huge variety available to choose from, the best meditation tracks include brainwave entrainment technologies such as binaural beats.

Such a recording helps to relax your brain by stimulating the production of lower frequency brainwaves than those that are associated with normal waking consciousness. This happens thanks to a phenomenon called the 'frequency following response', where your brain matches its own brainwave output to the frequencies of the sounds on the recording.

Such a recording is useful for new and experienced meditators alike, but is especially valuable for those who normally find it difficult to relax and focus their minds. Use binaural beats, and you're sure to experience the benefits of meditation and deep relaxation more quickly than you would with traditional methods, which can often take months or even years to learn.

If you want to find out what binaural beats or other brainwave entrainment methods can do for you, I highly recommend checking out the 'Meditation' recordings from The Unexplainable Store. These are of great quality and are fully guaranteed, and there are free downloads available too. For more information go to http://www.brain-sync.com

Loren Mann is an experienced 'explorer of consciousness' who enjoys writing about self-development topics and sharing helpful, high quality resources, and may receive compensation as a result of making these recommendations.

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Living and Aging With Meditation

These days, without wishing to sound morbid, living seems to get harder and harder. Over the past 20 years or so, and partly due to incredible advances in the ease of communication, the world seems to be full of famine, disease, environmental breakdown and war. One could be forgiven for thinking that the end is nigh!

As one starts to personalise this state of affairs, one finds oneself out of a job, or simply wondering when their time will come, losing their home and possessions due to the economic crash, or spending much mental time and energy on wondering how to keep afloat.

Things that have been held as absolute truths have been questioned and then dismantled, and when this happens, when all yardsticks by which we measure ourselves have been discredited, we no longer feel we know what is right or correct, and do not know where to go to get the answers we need.

We are encouraged to be positive and reject negativity, to conform to whatever the rules happen to be and accept "spin" as part of everyday life.

All this causes stress and worry, communities fragment as people have to travel to find work, people feel marginalised and lonely, depression, stress and finally stress related diseases begin to take their toll.

Meditation helps to find that inner peace or sense of self. Like all things, it has to be practised regularly, but with practice it becomes easier and as one's experience of meditation increases, finding time to meditate becomes much easier, as we all find the time to do something we enjoy.

In fact, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that people who had practiced meditation had improved cognitive and behavioural abilities, and lived longer than people who do not meditate.

The study used 73 residents of retirement homes who were over 81 years old. They were randomly split into 4 groups - those who had no treatment, those who underwent training in meditation, a third group who were given mindfulness training in active distinction making and a fourth group who underwent relaxation training.

After 3 years all of the meditation group members were still alive compared to 87.5% for the mindfulness training group and lower rates for the other two groups. In addition, when tested for attributes such as associative learning, cognitive skills, mental health, aging and behavioural flexibility, the meditation group did much better than the other three groups.

The study therefore suggests that if you meditate you will live longer, have better mental capacity and be less prone to mental disease and depression.

James loves to entertain friends and family at the end of the working day. See his website about 70 round tablecloth where you will find amazing tips and deals on 70 round tablecloth.

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Benefits of Meditation - Happiness

For many people, meditation represents some sort of spiritual experience, or that to meditate you are engaging in some sort of dark art.

It's true, there is a tradition of ancient texts and beliefs that have been passed down the generations which do indeed involve a spiritual path, but during the course of the twentieth century, teachers and researchers in the West have separated meditation from its spiritual origins, to a practical method of assisting with many twenty first century ills, for example, happiness.

Mystics, monks and yogis living simple lives have claimed for thousands of years that meditation makes you happier. This is endorsed by the many thousands of people who practice meditation in the West, and was recently proved in 2003.

MRI technology and brain mapping was used by researchers who found that meditation does, in fact make the practitioner happy. This is because the left prefrontal cortex of the brain was activated with regular meditation. The left prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain associated with positive emotions. The results of the research where published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

In addition, a biotech company took a group of their employees and trained them in meditation over an eight week period, after which it was found that the group had greatly increased left pre frontal activity than a control group who had not had the training - four months after the training was completed, suggested that the effects of meditation are long term.

It was also found that by measuring the amount of antibodies produced in response to an injection of the flu virus. It was found that the greater the activation of the left prefrontal (in other words, the happier they felt), the greater the response from the immune system to the flu injection. So, meditation helps both with your sense of happiness, and also strengthens the immune system.

James also enjoys entertaining and cooking for friends. See his latest website about round table cloths where you'll find great deals on round table cloths.

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Meditation and Cholesterol

It has been proved that high levels of cholesterol can be caused by diet. No surprise there, but did you know high cholesterol levels can also be caused by stress? In today's world it seems everywhere we go we are constantly subject to noise, be it audible - cars, music blaring in shops, machinery at work etc., or subliminal in the form of what we see around us, advertising and TV for example.

It seems today's world is full of distractions competing for our attention, often at the expense of quality family time, or importantly, time simply with ourselves. Add the changing nature of the workplace, the uncertainty of continued employment, those in work having to work harder to stand still, and it's not surprising that today's modern living is responsible for more stress related illnesses than ever before.

There has been a great deal of research conducted on the subject of stress, and it has been found that chronic stress actually increases cholesterol levels. The Journal of Human Stress published a study that proved raised stress levels also raises cholesterol. The study involved 23 individuals suffering from hypercholesterolemia, (very high cholesterol), being divided into two groups, one of 12 and the other of 11.

The group of 12 learnt and practised meditation for 13 months, the group of 11 did not. At the end of the 13 months results were compared and it was found that the group who had not practised meditation had a 5 point reduction in their cholesterol level, whilst those who had been using meditation found that their cholesterol levels had dropped from an average of 254 to 225 - nearly 30 points.

A second study in which 40 female medical students practiced yoga and meditation found their cholesterol levels dropped by an average of 31 points. So what can we conclude here? Well, one of the main benefits of meditation is calm and inner peace - emotional states rarely approached in today's living.

Practiced regularly, and regularly is the operative word here, like anything worth doing it must be done consistently, meditation will relax and calm you. The result of this as you continue to practice is that more and more you can retain this inner peace as you go about your day, thus reducing your overall stress levels.

Meditation should not be used as a substitute for medication, but given that it is safe and free, meditation is a very worthwhile addition to your daily routine.

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Meditation and Empathy

We seem to live in a world that is often dominated by bad news. The media is full of stories of pestilence, crime, war and economic collapse. We are encouraged to conform to the latest celebrity musings and made to feel that we have to look and act in a certain way.

In Britain and elsewhere a blame culture sometimes seems to predominate as we seek to escape responsibility for our actions, and look for scapegoats to justify our own shortcomings, and at the same time no one seems to want to take any notice when we have a problem, in particular large companies whose employees are more interested (understandably) in keeping their jobs than offering any real help or concern.

Wouldn't life be better if everyone could just take a little more time and trouble just to at least listen to whatever others have to say or may think? Wouldn't a more empathetic society be a better society?

Charity, as they say, begins at home. If we want change in society, then we have to engage in society and change ourselves before we can hope to influence others. If we can learn to think of ourselves a little less and others a little bit more, think of the change that could come about!

Well, real change in ourselves is possible.

Psychologist Carl Rogers defined empathy as "both the capacity to sense what the client is feeling and the ability to communicate this sensitivity at a level tuned to the client's emotional state".

Using this definition, a study was published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology that investigated the relationship between meditation and the level of empathy in counsellors.

The study consisted of three groups of students. The first group of 16 were taught meditation, the second group of 12 were volunteers to learn meditation, but were not actually taught it, and the third group of 11 where totally opposed to learning meditation. All groups were checked before the study and again four weeks afterwards.

The study showed that those who had actually learnt meditation were significantly better at empathising than the other 2 groups, who showed no sign of increased empathy at all.

The conclusion of the study was that those who were the least empathetic before the study but the most open to experience, were those who improved the most.

So, if you would like to see a world where people empathise more with others, meditation can certainly help.

James enjoys cooking for friends and family, and is proud of his new kitchen. Visit his latest website about wall mounted kitchen faucets where you will find tips and great deals on wall mounted kitchen faucets.

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Saturday, July 31, 2010

MP3 Meditation - Useful Or Not?

Through the centuries meditation has used gongs, chimes, bells, chanting, music and rhythm as aids during meditation. Om is the underlying hum of the universe. (Interesting thought, isn't it?) MP3 meditation is a twenty first century adaptation of these principles. Sound has always been a crucial element of meditation healing and the various meditation techniques. The idea of MP3s is to assist in guided meditation. To settle the incessant, inner chatter that we all have and allow us to seek the outer, within.

My problem with meditation is quieting my mind. I sit in a darkened room, sometimes with a candle for company, and think about not thinking. Although I have meditated on and off for years, I must admit that often meditation can be a chore. My mind wanders to what I am having for dinner. Have I fed the dog. What do I have to do at work tomorrow. Occasionally, I will realize that I have been elsewhere for a time. But not very often.

MP3 meditation downloads use Binaural, Monaural and Isochronic tones to induce a deep meditative state. In a later article I will discuss the differences between these tones. For now, if you are interested, I suggest you Google them. They are a repetitive tone, somewhat like the soft whoomp! of a ceiling fan, which pulses in the background to a soundtrack of music, water and wind. The effect is both soothing and hypnotic.

What I notice is that one of two things happens while I listen to the download. Either, before I know it, the download has finished and I realize that my mind has been somewhere else for the previous 30 minutes. Or, the sounds seem to go on for hours and I return to them occasionally and think, "Still going."

From successful personal experience, I can say that the MP3 meditation downloads are a very useful aide to both beginners meditation and for the more experienced.

Martjn P Kerrigan is the author of two books. The Adventures of Princess Lau, the funniest and wisest book you will ever read. And Uluru Dreaming. The most frightening book you will ever read. He is a student of wing chun kung fu for twenty one years so far and continues to improve. One day he may be very good. His interests are esoteric, spiritual, Star Trek, Buffy and Angel. For samples of mp3 meditation downloads go to: http://mp3meditationstore.com.

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Finding the Right Meditation Techniques For Beginners

Meditation refers to a process in which an individual trains his mind for realizing some kind of benefit. Meditation is very good for the overall health of people. However, meditation cannot be done by a person perfectly until and unless he knows the right way to begin it. If you really wish to start meditation and know about various meditation techniques for beginners then you should read on.

Hemisync Gateway experience

A large number of people love to read Robert Monroe's books as they are quite fascinating. "Gateway experience" which is a home cassette series, has helped a lot of people to get more aware. It has changed the lives of many people who wish to meditate. You can expect to get your brain trained with the help of hemi sync gateway series. It will help you in understanding what meditation really feels like.

Meditate after Yoga

Power yoga DVDs can easily be purchased by people these days. You would be able to know about the corpse pose after watching such a DVD. The sequence of relaxation might be of shorter duration. Such sequences are good for those people who have just started meditation. Once you get accustomed to the corpse pose, you would start getting a lot of satisfaction from it.

People should attend some yoga sessions or try doing it at home. It is a fact that yoga Postures helps in preparing the body for meditation.

Ignoring the disturbances

While meditating, if some kind of noise breaks your concentration then you do not need to give up. You should deal with it and try to get back to the meditative state in a short period of time. You do not need to think that once your meditation breaks, you will have to start from the start.

Focus on getting comfortable

It is not a new thing to know that meditation poses are largely over rated. You do not need to pay more attention to difficult hand positions (referred as Mudras). Beginners need not worry about the position of their hands while they meditate. Instead, they should stay centered to meditation while maintaining comfortable poses.

The cost associated with meditation

It is true that meditation does not always cost a large amount of money. Over the internet, there are numerous websites which help people to learn meditation easily at a very less cost. Meditation is meant for training the mind so that it can over look various problems and change all the negative energies in to positive.

What beginners need to accept?

People who wish to start meditation need to understand that it would surely take time for them to learn. No one can learn meditation and reap its benefits in a very short period of time. Patience plays a very important role for all those people who are new to the world of meditation. For beginners, there are several eBooks which offer the best meditation techniques for beginners.

Click Here: Meditation Class At Home Videos To learn more secret techniques and tricks on how to do meditation.

Bob Marsh travelled the world and used meditation techniques to become more efficient, creative, focused, and have more energy and drive throughout the day! He writes extensively on meditation issues.

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Meditation and Skin Disease

In today's world, many people are having to cope with huge amounts of stress. Whether it be financial, bought on by the world economic slowdown, emotional - the result of relationship breakdown for example, or having to work longer and longer hours at work and at the same time worry about whether they will be the next to be "downsized", the threat of stress related illness is very real.

Indeed much research has been carried out which seems to confirm a strong correlation between stress and serious illness, cancer and high cholesterol for example have been cited as being contracted as a result of high levels of stress.

Another illness that has been shown to be exacerbated by stress is psoriasis. This condition therefore offers an excellent opportunity to prove that meditation can have a positive effect on this disease.

The journal, Psychosomatic Medicine, published a study in 1998 that had been conducted by the famous bestselling author who founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre. The goal was to find out to what degree mindfulness meditation could help cure the disease.

37 individuals suffering with psoriasis who were due to have some light medical treatment administered were randomly divided into 2 groups. The first group were to have the light medical treatment only, whilst the second group would still have the treatment, but combined with mindfulness meditation based stress reduction between treatments.

The results were impressive. Not only did the group who had the mindfulness meditation in addition to their medical treatment respond better to the medical treatment, their psoriasis cleared up more quickly, by a factor of 4, than those who had had the medical treatment alone!

James enjoys playing guitar for relaxation. Visit his new website about Martin Backpacker Guitar where you will find information and deals on the Martin Backpacker guitar.

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Friday, July 30, 2010

Does Meditation Improve Your General Health?

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Over the course of the 20th century, teachers and researchers have taken a good deal of the mystic aspect of this practice and separated it from the actual practice itself, to help those in the West receive its benefits without the need to involve them in the spiritual aspect.

Of course, many in the West who practice meditation do involve themselves with the spiritual side, and this is something that many become interested in as their journey goes forward, but the fact is, anyone can enjoy the benefits of meditation, and there are many.

But how can you find out if those who meditate are generally healthier and suffer less disease than those who do not?

An experiment was designed at Maharishi International University in Iowa which studied those who practiced meditation and those who did not, to see which group spent less time in hospital, or visiting their doctor.

The study, later published in the Psychosomatic Medicine journal, used a group of 200 meditation practitioners and 600,000 non-practitioners and studied how those in both groups used their medical insurance over a 5 year period.

The two groups were broadly similar in terms of benefits and coinsurance payments, and the proportion of men and women in the two groups.

It was found that in all the categories that the insurance covered them for, those who practised meditation were less likely to use their medical insurance. In fact, in all age groups, the meditation group had nearly 50% less inpatient and outpatient days than the non-meditation group.

OK, it's fair to assume that those who practised meditation were more likely to live a healthier lifestyle, not to smoke and eat healthy food for example, but even given this factor, the difference between the two groups is still such that the medical benefit to overall health shows that meditation is good for you. It is a simple fact that cases of mental disorder, infections and cancer, hospitalisation was far less than the norm in the meditation group.

For relaxation, James likes to play guitar. See his latest website about the Martin Backpacker guitar where you will find amazing deals and tips on the Martin Backpacker guitar.

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Guided Meditation For Gratitude, Expectancy and Faith

Guided Meditation can help bring you what you desire.
Guided Meditation can help you work less and earn more.
Guided Meditation can help you enjoy your life and work more.

Doesn't that sound great?

Well, there are a couple important questions that naturally come up.

Who does the Guiding?
Ultimately, it is YOU.

But sometimes, as we are starting out with this new practice, it is helpful to "borrow" another person's ideas, or thoughts or energy to get us going.

A good guided meditation should bring you something: More Energy - Personal, Emotional and/or Spiritual Energy. Maybe more peace or ease. Whatever it is that you want, you should be able to find a guided meditation or you can create one for yourself.

Sometimes it is also helpful to read along as you are learning a new meditation. I like to provide .pdf files along with the .mp3s of audio meditations I create.

But if you are building something new in your life or business, Guided Meditation may be just what you need to create a solid, energetic foundation.

Here are some guidelines and benefits you might look for especially if you are in business or an entrepreneur looking to build your energy and build your business. Enjoy!

Good guided meditations can help you break through the Mental Blocks that stop most people before they even get started making BIG CHANGES in their lives and further help you:

* Discover what all ancient spiritual traditions knew about the Power of the Mind

* Learn how to harness the Power of Your Mind

* Move past the Built-In Resistance of the Mind

* Use what shows up in your world to reveal the content of your limiting beliefs

* Re-Train your Mind to Focus on what you enjoy and what you desire

You can also uncover the Emotional Patterns that SAP YOUR ENERGY and learn how to live from what LIGHTS YOU UP!:

* Discover the Keys to Happiness and Fulfillment

* Learn how to Create Your Day with the emotional quality that you want to enjoy

* Add the Power of your Emotions to the power of your mind & knowledge

* See how you mastered to "Expect and See" what is in your life, and shift your relationship to "Expectancy"

You can also ReConnect with your Spiritual Center - Learn to Balance Heart and Mind:

* How simple practices of Gratitude can open you up to receive more

* Develop Compassion for yourself by "seeing" your mind at work

* Create practices to connect your heart and mind

* Learn a powerful technique to Build and Focus your Faith

* See how to unplug and disconnect from old reactions and habits that no longer serve you

* Learn how a simple change in perspective can eliminate all the emotional poison you create in your life

Learn the 5 Simple Steps to Design and Create Your Own Prosperity:

* Learn how to boost and magnify Your Daily Energy - your greatest resource

* Connect your heart and your business - get clear about Your Business Impact you want to create for clients and the world

* Attract Ideal Clients through simple to follow practices - and then learn to attract Ideal Partners who bring you your Ideal Clients

* Build simple yet powerful Business Systems that provide consistent quality and results and let you work less

* Discover the 4 Step Method to bring any Transformation you want

Here is a great resource for you to build your personal energy and then be able to deploy that increased energy in your business or in your projects:

http://www.earthandlight.com/guided-meditation/

Kevin F. Murray is an author, Mentor Coach and Toltec guide in the lineage of don Miguel Ruiz. He is President of Sebago Energy Conservation Corp. and EarthLight Consulting, LLC. Kevin is a lifetime entrepreneur and has practiced sacred traditions for over 25 years. He is a husband and father living in Connecticut.

visit earthandlight dot com
home of Energize Your Business
"tools for prosperous lives"

Free Ebook download "Energize Your Business with the Law of Attraction - 5 Simple Steps to Design and Create Your Own Prosperity"
http://www.earthandlight.com/free-ebook/

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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Beginner Breathing Techniques in Meditation

Your breath is your link to health and vitality. Learning to breath correctly forms the cornerstone of all yoga and meditation techniques. Known as pranayama, (control of the breath) breathing techniques can be used in a variety of ways in meditation.

Meditation is an ancient practice that brings about inner peace, balance and clarity. Originally, the domain of spiritual seekers and monks, meditation has become popular in mainstream culture, workplaces and even in schools. When you meditate, you strive to achieve a state of inner calm and balance. This helps you to focus, be more productive and agile in your thoughts.

As a beginner you may feel overwhelmed by all the advise and guidelines surrounding meditation and even wonder what breathing has to do with meditation. Pranayama and meditation form part of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, which offer you philosophical, spiritual and practical understandings on your path to enlightenment.

Meditation is the process whereby you are able to still and quieten your mind. During meditation you travel inwards and with practice, you are able to fully experience a deep sense of calm, clarity and conscious connection with all humanity. Meditation has been liken to observing the sea on a calm and clear day. You sit and see beyond the horizon and grasp a glimpse of your true potential.

There are various meditation techniques available to beginners, ranging from using your breath to focus your mind through to walking active meditations.

Three Beginner Breathing Techniques In Meditation

Your breath forms the link between your mind and your body. Have you noticed that when you are sad or unhappy you gulp and sigh or when you are angry and frustrated you tend to take sharp intakes air?

To help you learn how to use your breathe to calm and steady your mind, practice the three following beginner breathing meditations. Once your thoughts are steady, it is easier for to make decisions, think clearly and even priorities commitments.

1.Observe Your Breath. Sit in a comfortably position. Make sure your back is straight and body relaxed. You can sit on a chair or on the floor in a comfortable cross-legged position/meditation cushion. Take a steady breath in through your nose and slowly exhale through your nose. Gradually, turn your attention to your breath and just observe the way you are breathing. Don't change or force anything. Just sit still and focus on the movement of your breath - from your belly to your ribs and upper chest.

Anytime you notice your attention wandering away from observing your breath, simply acknowledge your thoughts and gently bring your awareness back to the breath. Stay still and continue in this practice for 2-5 minutes.

2. Counting Each Breath. Sit as before in a comfortable position. Become aware of your breath. Breathe in slowly through your nose and count "one". Slowly breathe out and count "two". Breathe in and count "three", breathe out and count "four".... Continue counting your breaths up to number 10. When you reach number 10, go back to number one. Repeat for 2-10 minutes. If your mind wanders during the practice and you lose concentration, just return your attention to the breath and begin counting from number one.

3. Cleansing Breath Meditation. This meditation helps you to release negative feelings and frustration and replace them with a more positive and uplifting energy. Sit upright in a comfortable position,hands resting on your lap. Tune into your breath and spend a few moments gently breathing in and out through your nose. On the next inhalation breathe in the word "love" and as you breathe out "love"....continue with breathing in and out the phrase "love" for 5-15 minutes. Slowly open your eyes and remain still and be aware of the sensations and energy flowing through your body.

As a beginner in meditation, practicing these three breathing exercises give you a solid foundation into using your breathe to calm,clear and balance your mind.

Ready to discover more yoga tips to help you rest and take care of yourself? Then I invite you to claim your Free Special Report "Energize Your Day - Top Ten Yoga Exercises To Jump-Start Your Day" when you visit http://www.yogainspires.co.uk

Peace and Blessings, Ntathu Allen, Yoga Teacher

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