meditation is easy

COURSE OF SADHANA

2010-01-14T04:03:00.000-08:00

COURSE OF SADHANA
1. BRAHMA MUHURTA Get up at 4 a.m. Answer calls of nature. Clean your teeth and wash your mouth. Take bath where possible. Arrange to sit for Dhyana as quickly as possible, for Brahma Muhurta is extremely favourable for meditation on God.

2. ASANA Practise to sit in one Asana only, preferably Padmasana or any convenient pose in which you will be able to sit for long hours without physical strain. Sit erect with body, head and neck in a straight line. Sit for at least one hour from 5 to 6 a.m. at a stretch without any physical movement.

3. PRAYER Offer mental prostrations to Acharyas, your own Guru and Ishta Devata. Pray that all beings be happy, peaceful and blissful. Recite a few prayer Slokas that will produce sublime thoughts. Pray for knowledge and devotion only.

4. JAPA Do Japa of Ishta Mantra mentally from 5 to 10 Malas (of 108 beads) daily.

5. DHYANA Before going to actual meditation, practise simple Pranayama for two minutes. Feel the indwelling presence of the Lord and his form in you. Think of the attributes of the Lord, such as purity, love, perfection, all-pervading intelligence, bliss-absolute, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience of Him in and around you. Meditate now on the form of Ishta Devata. When the mind runs away from the object of meditation, repeat Ishta Mantra. This will steady the mind. Have another sitting for meditation at night. Do not neglect meditation as it is most important. Regularity in the practice of meditation is divinising of oneself for God-realisation.

6. SVADHYAYA Read one chapter or ten verses of the Bhagavad Gita with meaning and any holy text which will increase your psychic and spiritual culture, daily.

7. PHYSICAL EXERCISE Practise Asanas, Surya Namaskara or any useful exercise for physical movement of the body in any form best suited to you. 70 YOGA IN DAILY LIFE

8. FOOD Take light simple food. Have a balanced diet. Fast on Ekadasi days or take milk and fruits or root only. Offer to God every food you take.

9. SEVA Do some selfless service for one hour daily or for one or more hours on Sundays and holidays.

10. ENERGY Practise abstinence from speech and also be free from worldly thoughts for two hours daily and four to eight hours on Sundays and holidays. Observe celibacy according to your age and circumstances. Restrict the indulgence to once a month. Decrease it gradually to once a year. Finally take a vow of abstinence for whole life.

11. SLEEP Go to bed early or not later than 10 p.m. A rest for more than six hours is not necessary.

12. SPIRITUAL DIARY Maintain a regular diary from the day you begin Sadhana. Stick to your daily routine at any cost, never say tomorrow, for that tomorrow never comes. In your practice of Sadhana in seclusion, the spiritual diary maintained, takes the place of an absentee Guru, for, it reminds you to be regular in your daily habits and spiritual practices.

From Yoga In Daily Life

Flower Meditation

2008-11-18T03:31:00.000-08:00

(Buddhist value: Fresh and beautiful flowers of today will become withered and ugly tomorrow. This reminds us of the Buddha's teaching that all things are impermanent.) Imagine that you are a beautiful flower. What kind of flower are you? See the colour of your petals. Appreciate that you are now a beautiful flower. Someone comes along and buys you from the flower shop. She puts you into a vase filled with water. You are gently sucking up the water and blooming more beautifully than before. You are fresh and sending off a sweet fragrance. The lady puts you on the table and offers you to the Buddha. You stand beautifully in the vase, bringing joy and happiness to people's hearts when they see you. One day has passed. Slowly, the colour of your petals becomes dull. You are no longer sending off a sweet fragrance. Your petals become withered and discoloured. You are ugly and faded. Although you are a withered flower, you are still happy in your heart. You know that you have an important role to play. Your role is to remind people of the Buddha’s teaching that all things are impermanent. All things are constantly going through change. Everyone’s body too, like your petals, will wither and pass away. Everyone should keep impermanence in mind and live in the
present.
From - Guided Meditation for Primary Students

Meditations for Children - Part 2

2008-11-14T02:43:00.000-08:00

Concentration of the Mind This step is focusing the mind at one point. i. Visualise a point on your upper lip and concentrate at that point. Draw all the energy and attention into that point while staying very relaxed. Let any stray thoughts or memories pass through, always gently drawing the attention back to the point. 4. Expansion of the Mind Once the children’s bodies, emotions and minds are quiet, they are ready for the fourth step: true meditation – turning inside for their own answers and wisdom. Guide the children to expand their imagination and awareness through guided imagery. By using guided imagery, the children will learn to see themselves on a movie screen in their minds as a caring, loving, patient etc. person. This will aid them to perform better as a human being as their thoughts are slowly being transformed into wholesome and positive ones. 8 5. Productive activity i. Slowly bring your attention back to your body. Feel all your body parts. Slowly wriggle your fingers and toes. Rotate your head. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes. It is now time for the fifth step: grounding the newfound energy, wisdom, insights and heightened awareness into some useful and productive activity. Direct the children to channel this newly focused energy and creativity into dance, art, story writing, music, sharing, class discussions, creative communication, awareness games or academic work. The tone of voice to use Please remember that when you are speaking, you will do so in a very slow, relaxed voice, pausing to let the scene sink in, so that the child, whose eyes are closed and who is focusing inward, can easily visualise and feel the scene. The way you use your voice is very important. You will find it best to drop your voice by a few tones, speaking more and more slowly, with a soothing quality.

From - Guided Meditation for Primary Students

Meditations for Children - Part 1

2008-11-14T02:37:00.000-08:00

Extracted from Moonbeam – the book of (Extracted from Moonbeam – a book of meditations for children by Maureen Garth) 5 How to do it? The meditations for children include five steps: 1. Relaxing the body 2. Deep breathing 3. Concentration of the mind 4. Expansion of the mind 5. Productive activity 1. Relaxing the Body Some stretching or yoga exercises will be recommended. After the yoga exercises, have the children tense and relax each body part, starting with the toes and ending with the top of the head. Or you can do the waterfall relaxation meditation with the children. 2. Deep Breathing i. Gather the children to sit cross legged on the cushions, left palm over the right palm 6 ii. Keep the back straight and also relaxed as that will allow a natural flow of energy up and down the spine iii. Have the children close their eyes iv. Practise deep breathing for a few moments a. Breathe in to a count of three, hold the breath and breathe out to a count of three; b. As you breathe, you breathe in fresh energy, love, joy and peace. They are entering and spreading throughout your body; c. As you breathe out, imagine any negative feelings — sadness, boredom, anger or tiredness — coming out through your nose and leaving your body and disappearing. 7 by Maureen Garth) 5 How to do it? The meditations for children include five steps: 1. Relaxing the body 2. Deep breathing 3. Concentration of the mind 4. Expansion of the mind 5. Productive activity 1. Relaxing the Body Some stretching or yoga exercises will be recommended. After the yoga exercises, have the children tense and relax each body part, starting with the toes and ending with the top of the head. Or you can do the waterfall relaxation meditation with the children. 2. Deep Breathing i. Gather the children to sit cross legged on the cushions, left palm over the right palm 6 ii. Keep the back straight and also relaxed as that will allow a natural flow of energy up and down the spine iii. Have the children close their eyes iv. Practise deep breathing for a few moments a. Breathe in to a count of three, hold the breath and breathe out to a count of three; b. As you breathe, you breathe in fresh energy, love, joy and peace. They are entering and spreading throughout your body; c. As you breathe out, imagine any negative feelings — sadness, boredom, anger or tiredness — coming out through your nose and leaving your body and disappearing.

From - Guided Meditation for Primary Students

Just observe whatever the mind can be aware of - Part 2

2008-11-10T03:31:00.000-08:00

In the evening when it feels like the practice is not so good, don’t try harder in order to ‘fix’ it or something. Fix your attitude and meditation will happen by itself.Meditation is paying attention and not the result of it.e mind in the background (watching mind) is the important thing not the object.Never do anything in a hurry.If you feel groggy! (unsteady, shaky) take some mindful deep breaths.An American professor arrived today and introduced us all to the latest American term: “Obsessive Compulsive”!When the mind gets calm, samadhi arises. the mind should use these qualities for attentiveness, otherwise sleepiness will come in.When restlessness arises, turn it into your object of observation. It does not matter for how long. Awareness is what matters. Later on when you see the cause of it all it will stop by itself. Don’t try to stop it.Keep looking and asking: How does the mind feel?e simplest thing in daily activities is to know if you are aware or not. at’s all. e important thing is that you are aware all the time.e state of the mind is what is important not the actions, movements etc. See the thought process but not the content. Just process, just feeling.You don’t identify, you don’t analyse, you don’t reject what you are experiencing. You don’t identify with anything at all. Not even good thoughts.inking creatively all the time can become a problem.If you like you can stay with one object that’s fine. Get into it, below surface level and observe it. But you don’t have to. You can switch to another object or other objects.When you feel hunger, coldness, don’t judge and name these sensations, just observe them and they will go away.If you know that there is awareness, it means that you are mindful already.
from - Contemplation of the Mind

Just observe whatever the mind can be aware of - Part 1

2008-11-10T03:28:00.001-08:00

Just observe whatever the mind can be aware of, at the moment. See how it goes to objects, how it feels, be aware of it. When it gets stronger it will be aware of many objects.You can stay with one object but don’t force awareness to stay with one thing and start struggling with it.Don’t think that you have to stay with one object for the sake of developing samadhi. at is not good practice. Just be aware of what is happening in the present moment.When something fruitful happens in meditation the mind feels like its done its job and starts getting slack. Watch out for that mind. Get to know it.You can’t help losing your mindfulness. Your effort is to start again and again.Kilesa are always waiting there for a chance to creep in.What can you be aware of when you are walking? Your whole body? When you find that you are not comfortable look at how you feel about it in the mind.When mental feeling occurs make it your priority. ere is always a certain way the mind feels about things. Look at that mental feeling be aware of it. e same applies to daily activities practice too.In order for the mind to be observed constantly, it has to be balanced, relaxed, settled. Check all the time the state of your mind. Relax and watch, relax and watch, and the practice balances up. So balance the mind, be mindful, happy and keep going on.Never think or ask about the momentum to come.Just meditate.Peacefully.Continuously check attitude and relax.
from - Contemplation of the Mind

YAMA AND NIYAMA - Part 2

2008-11-05T00:45:00.000-08:00

A similar difficulty with wives has caused some masters to recommend celibacy. In all these questions common sense must be the guide. No fixed rule can be laid down. The "non-receiving of gifts," for instance, is rather important for a Hindu, who would be thoroughly upset for weeks if any one gave him a coconut: but the average European takes things as they come by the time that he has been put into long trousers. The only difficult question is that of continence, which is complicated by many considerations, such as that of energy; but everybody's mind is hopelessly muddled on this subject, which some people confuse with erotology, and others with sociology. There will be no clear thinking on this matter until it is understood as being solely a branch of athletics. We may then dismiss Yama and Niyama with this advice: let the student decide for himself what form of life, what moral code, will least tend to excite his mind; but once he has formulated it, let him stick to it, avoiding opportunism; and let him be very careful to take no credit for what he does or refrains from doing -- it is a purely practical code, of no value in itself. The cleanliness which assists the surgeon in his work would prevent the engineer from doing his at all. (Ethical questions are adequately dealt with in "Then Tao" in "Konx Om Pax," and should be there studied. Also see Liber XXX of the A. A. Also in Liber CCXX, the "Book of the Law," it is said: "DO WHAT THOU WILT shall be the whole of the Law." Remember that for the purpose of this treatise the whole object of Yama and Niyama is to live so that no emotion or passion disturbs the mind.)
from - THE WAY OF ATTAINMENT OF GENIUS

YAMA AND NIYAMA - Part 1

2008-10-29T04:32:00.000-07:00

THE Hindus have place these two attainments in the forefront of their programme. They are the "moral qualities" and "good works" which are supposed to predispose to mental calm. "Yama" consists of non-killing, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, and non-receiving of any gift. In the Buddhist system, "Sila", "Virtue," is similarly enjoined. The qualities are, for the layman, these five: Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not lie. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt drink no intoxicating drink. For the monk many others are added. The commandments of Moses are familiar to all; they are rather similar; and so are those given by Christ in the "Sermon on the Mount." Some of these are only the "virtues" of a slave, invented by his master to keep him in order. The real point of the Hindu "Yama" is that breaking any of these would tend to excite the mind. Subsequent theologians have tried to improve upon the teachings of the Masters, have given a sort of mystical importance to these virtues; they have insisted upon them for their own sake, and turned them into puritanism and formalism. Thus "non-killing," which originally meant "do not excite yourself by stalking tigers," has been interpreted to mean that it is a crime to drink water that has not been strained, lest you should kill the animalcula. But this constant worry, this fear of killing anything by mischance is, on the whole, worse than a hand-to-hand conflict with a griesly bear. If the barking of a dog disturbs your meditation, it is simplest to shoot the dog, and think no more about it.
from - THE WAY OF ATTAINMENT OF GENIUS

Meditation - Everyone's Right to Relaxtion

2008-09-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

The word meditation carries with it a lot of pre-conceptions: it must be eastern, New Age, involve yoga postures, and be generally other-wordly.

Yet, it is not really mysterious or complicated at all. But, rather the birthright of every individual to experience times of deep reflection and relaxation.

Meditation does not mean eastern, and it can be entirely non-secular. Meditation can be as simple as counting your breaths or as deeply spiritual as chanting the names of God with prayerful devotion.

Most people who consider meditation today do so because they are seeking some relief from stress and anxiety. They are looking for relaxation more than the goals offered by a steady, or devotional, meditation practice. Yet there is nothing more peaceful than true spiritual meditation, such as the meditative recital of the the Jesus prayer, or the maha mantra.

Whatever your faith, you can enjoy the benefits of devotional meditation by selecting a verse, psalm, or phrase and dedicating yourself to reflecting on it silently, or by gentle repetition for a few minutes each morning and evening.

An easy way to get started with meditation is to learn one simple technique know to give ready results in reducing stress and invoking a sense of calm, and practice it daily, It's more beneficial to practice every day for just 10 minutes than to go for meditation marathons of an hour or more once a week.

Some practitioners find a simple breathing exercise calms their mind before they enter into a deeper meditation of their choice. For other, who wish to meditate purely for some peace and relaxation that breathing exercise is enough.

Whatever your chosen faith or path, you cannot progress along it smoothly if you are under the distracting grip of stress, daily meditation keeps stress at bay and enables you to operate at your conscious best. To make thoughtful choices and to be considerate to others is a natural side benefit or a regular reflective practice.

To run on uncomfortable automatic pilot is a hazard to your health, a waste of your intelligence and creativity and a distraction to your potential contribution as a human being.

Why not invest just ten minutes a day in the simple art of reflection that will help you feel at your best, and also give your best?

Ananga Sivyer is a health writer with a passion for helping people feel positive and in control of thier lives.

Get her FREE meditation & relaxation MP3 downloads and her FREE Beautiful Calm Meditation eBook on her Living by Design Blog at http://www.ananga.squarespace.com

How To Start Meditating - Steps To Meditating Success

2008-09-15T03:23:00.000-07:00

To start meditating you will need to choose a time and a place where it's unlikely that you'll be disturbed for at least the length of your meditation session. It's not the end of the world if you are disturbed, but it's better if you're not.

When you start out meditating, pick a length of time. Say 10 or 15 or even 20 minutes. This will be the length of your meditation session. If you're using a pre-recorded guided meditation then that will determine the length of your meditation session.

Many people find that picking a time first thing in the morning, before all the other "important" things get in the way of their meditation, is good. Other people like the calming sense induced by doing their meditation before they go to sleep. Whatever works best for you is good. After a while, you may even decide to treat yourself to a couple of meditation sessions each day.

Like most things in life, it's important to make your meditation a habit. Like any new habit, chances are that the first few sessions will involve reminding yourself to meditate. Then, gradually, like cleaning your teeth, meditation will start to become part of your daily routine.

Steps to meditating:

• Choose a meditation method. Most people start with something like a guided meditation or a walking meditation.

• Choose a time and place when you are not likely to be disturbed.

• Choose somewhere you feel comfortable and can relax.

That's all!

By Trevor John

Meditations: Defining the Purpose of Your Meditation Session

2008-08-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

The concept of meditating for many people is that of hippies sitting out in the bush, high on weed, all chanting together or of Buddhist Monks in the high mountains of Tibet chanting their sacred text. Meditation can be all of that and more. Meditation is for everyone, not just a select group. When choosing to meditate, you must clearly define the purpose of the meditation session. Meditation in the western world is most commonly related to stress relief and to help ease the strains of everyday life but it does not have to be.

What is meditation?

Most people miss understand the purpose of meditation and what you can achieve with it. The purpose of meditation is to remove the demands the world places on your mind. It is about clearing your mind so that you can prepare for the next on-slaught the world decides to throw at you.

If you are stressed then meditation will help you to clear your mind of the stress so that you can better focus on the issues that are causing the stress. The cool part is that during a meditation session you can teach yourself or direct yourself to do anything you want.

In a book I have become a great believer in, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, the writer in his third secret of what millionaires know to become obscenely rich and successful, he talks about Autosuggestion. Autosuggestion is about programming your mind to become successful and achieve what you want.

Meditation is a great tool in helping you to achieve this objective. In fact meditation is the best way to help reprogram your mind to achieve anything. Buddhist monks for millenniums have been using meditation to help in their path to enlightenment and in becoming a better person. During their meditations they reflect on where they are in their life and based on the sacred texts provided by Lord Buddha they use these during their meditations to reflect on what they have done and use the teachings to become a better person and achieve enlightenment. They use the sacred texts to help their reflections in changing who they are to what they want to be.

This leads me to an important statement, do not meditate for the sake of it, have a clear purpose for your meditation session.

If you are stressed then your meditation session should be focused on helping you to overcome the stress and get back to a point of calm. Once you have got to the point of calm then your next step is to meditate on the issue that is causing you the stress. For example, if someone in your office is causing you stress through bullying or being rude to you then you should be using your meditation sessions to retrain your mind on how to deal with these bullies.

The retraining meditation session could be achieved through using lessons or repeating text from people who are experts in this area and then reflecting on the lessons during the meditation session. Alternatively, you can reflect on the actual situation where you had a run in with the person who is causing you issues and then during your meditation reconstruct the situation and work out ways you could have made the situation better. Essentially you can use the meditation session to role play and work out a strategy to ensure you maintain control over the situation the next time someone is causing your pain and suffering.

Using meditation in this way will help you in dealing with situations more effectively. The reason we do the reflections during meditation is because that is when our mind is without clutter or impacted by the stresses of day-to-day life. Before doing the reflection you should always deal with the stress before beginning the reflection or you will not achieve your outcomes.

Look, what I wanted for you to get out of this article was that, before you start your meditation, you should always have a clear outcome that you want to achieve with the meditation. If you do not meditate with a purpose, then your meditation will not be effective.
By: Chris Le Roy

Meditation: A Path to a Stress Free Life

2008-08-20T22:36:00.000-07:00

A common man meditation as a worship or prayer. However, this is not the real meaning of meditation. The real meaning of meditation is awareness.

In fact, any action that you perform with awareness comes under the category of meditation. From listening to the voice of running water carefully to keeping tabs on the way you breathe, everything is meditation.

When performed without any sort of distraction to the mind, meditation is known to be as effective.

One should not consider meditation as a technique. It is a way of life. The deep meaning of meditation is cessation of the thought process. The process perfectly explains a state of consciousness, where the mind of an individual is free of thoughts that are scattered all around and in various patterns.

The person who meditates will ultimately realize that all the different activities of the mind are diminished in to a simple activity.

There are several benefits of meditation that one can enjoy. These include the following:

1. Control over stress

2. Management of pain

3. Relief from drug addiction

4. Relief from cancer and other chronic illness

5. Relief from high blood pressure

6. Relief from heart disease

7. Psoriasis control

8. Infertility control

9. Relief from tension and headaches

10. Relief from premenstrual syndromes or PMS

11. Help during respiratory crises.

12. Relief from fibronyalgia ulcers

13. Relief from
14. Insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome

The true purpose of meditation is something that’s little known by most people across the globe. Most people simply love the feeling when they sense fascination and experience mystic visions, heightened mental functioning in conjunction with psychic intuition.

The actual purpose of meditation is to let the individual meet his or her true self. In short, meditation works towards bringing them back to themselves. The benefits of meditation can be enjoyed once the individual, who performs it become healthier, happier and realize a great sense of self awareness. One would definitely benefit from enhanced functioning of mind, greater intuition and an easy access to all the unknown resources and efficacies.

When meditating, you don’t require to force yourself to focus completely for longer periods of time. In case, you try to do this there will be a negative impact on the meditation.

Whenever you are lost in your own thought or get confuse, you just require to acknowledge these thoughts and try to return back to the attention of the meditation object gently. This process can be repeated as many times as you get distracted. This will help you to make your mind calmer and the distractions will tend to cease naturally.

Insight alone is not enough to transform your life. Meditation will let you understand layer perspectives of your life. It also enhances clarity of thought.

However, acting upon the guidance is extremely important in order to benefit from meditation the right way.

Meditation is surely going to change your life and bring in lots of benefits to you. All you require to do is to meditate the right way!
By: Bertil B Hjert

Meditation – Techniques To Learn

2008-08-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

When it comes to learning meditation, one requires to learn several important techniques in order to achieve success and obtain maximum benefits. Remember that effective meditation includes a lot of techniques.

The techniques of meditation vary from one culture to other. However, the art of meditation is one. It is universal. These techniques have been developed to suit different personalities. You would find that certain techniques demand concentration, focus and attention. There are also other techniques that are expansive. ‘Vipassana’ form of meditation is such a technique. It allows one to enjoy free flow of thoughts in conjunction with observation.

Here are some of the most common techniques used in:

a) Mantra meditation:

A mantra can be defined as a grouping of different sound vibrations that have an effect on the physical as well as mental consciousness. Traditionally, these are given to a student by a Teacher or ‘Guru’. However, in the absence of a Guru, the practitioner or the student can opt for his own mantra.

One needs to follow an important rule when selecting a mantra. According to this rule, one must choose a mantra that appeals to the mind fully when spoken verbally. When chanting mantra, powerful vibrations are created. These are said to be directed to the appropriate ‘Chakras’ in order to attract certain divine forces.

This technique works towards healing the physical, spiritual and psychological body of the practitioner. One must fully enjoy the rhythm of the mantra when it is chanted. It is also necessary to surrender oneself to the whole experience.

b) Steady gaze or Trataka:

This is a simple but very beautiful technique of meditation. You need to use a regular candle for this technique. Some people prefer using other objects of their choice. You should set up the candle at an arm’s length. It should be placed in level with eyes.

Perform steady gazing with eyes open first. After a while, you can close your eyes and gaze at the after image of the flame. This should be gazed at the eye brow center. Do not move through out the practice. Now, relax your breath and lengthen and deepen it. Repeat the process for sometime.

c) Chakra meditation:

Charka meditation refers to a simple way for neophytes to explore the charkas via self help. This helps in providing a sense of awakening in them gently. This is done in a balanced integrated manner.

You can perform it either sitting or lying. You need to close your eyes, adjust your body and clothing. Let your breath relax, slow and then deepen. Do not make an attempt to control it. Once you are settled down, begin with Ujjayi pranayam and do this for sometime.

Bring awareness towards the spinal passage. Do it for a few minutes. Ascend with inhalation and descend with exhalation. Try to locate charkas within that channel. Don’t locate the exact location. Only focus in general area. Feel the location of these charkas and repeat its name mentally as you pass by it.

You need to mentally repeat from Mooldhara to Ajna and then reverse the order. Prior to finishing, let go of breath sound and then names. Now, chant mantra ‘Om’ for about three times.

By: Bertil Hjert

Discovering Meditation Secrets

2008-08-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

Meditation helps us free our minds, alleviate stress, and create an understanding between man and universe.

There are many different ways to meditate. Some people sit down on the floor, some stand up, while others sit in a chair and close their eyes. All of us need to find what works for us in order to get the most out of our meditation sessions. Here we will explore some meditation secrets that will help us achieve a better understanding of the concept of meditation and how to get the most out of every session.

Meditation Secrets

• Realize the true reason for meditation - Don’t get lured into all the hype surrounding meditation. It is easy to become fascinated with the mystic visions we commonly associate with meditation. People often see themselves being able to see things, resulting in higher psychological functioning. Although some of this is true, the real purpose for meditation is to have us come in contact with our higher consciousness so we can feel more in touch with ourselves and our environment.

• Being Distracted - There is a myth surrounding meditation. Many think becoming distracted during a session, meaning your mind wanders off the focus of the object at hand, results in a failed session. This is not true. Meditation secrets reveal that if you become lost or confused during your session, then just accept these thoughts and turn your attention back onto the object of focus. Don’t resist outside thoughts. This will only hinder the meditation process.

• Let Go - Find a style that suits you. Once you have chosen a style, try to let go of negative thoughts. Do not focus on the ‘hows’ of being able to get everything you want from this life. Let it come naturally by investing some trust into your unconscious mind. These meditation secrets are the key to success during every session.

Find out more meditation secrets and discover how meditation can help you relax and de-stress in today's hectic world by visiting learn how to meditate.

Meditation Made Easy With Tea

2008-08-14T00:57:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy meditating but are looking for a way to enhance your experience? Many people light candles and incense or play peaceful music in the background. And some go for long walks, meditate in groups or even find a special location in a garden. It takes a while to find out what works for you when meditating; but once you find "it" you want to hold on to it. For some, that special "it" is drinking tea, for they find it heightens their consciousness and creates an easier meditative experience. So for those who are thinking of drinking tea as a part of their practice, I want to offer what I've found to be the popular teas for meditation.

Many people wonder what the correlation is between tea and meditation. Just from experiencing the two separately, you can find the correlation. When you meditate, you gain a sense of enlightenment - an almost "light" sensation where you feel open to the world. Tea, for all practical matters, gives a similar sensation. You can especially feel it when you drink hot tea when you have a cold. The steam from the tea instantly opens your nasal cavities and breaks up congestion in the chest, allowing you to breathe easier. And of course breathing is the foundation of meditation. So if tea is used to keep you open and clear, it will clearly enhance your meditation experience. Overall, tea enhances the feeling of well being that is already present in meditation.
So what are considered to be the popular teas for meditation? There are a lot of teas that people seem to enjoy to enhance their meditative experience, but I've listed several that appear to be more popular than the others because of their apparent health benefits.

Green Tea

This is probably one of the most well-known teas for meditation, as well as for other purposes. It is not difficult to find a box of green tea in a grocery store, and it is even popular as an iced tea. But what makes green tea so special? According to experts, green tea is heavy in compound epigallocatechin gallate (that's a mouthful!), which is a strong antioxidant. It also stimulates the immune system to fight diseases.

Black Tea

Black tea, though traditionally considered a less healthy option than green tea because it is more oxidized and caffeinated, is becoming a more popular option among teas for meditation. This is because recent research is showing that the very reason that black tea is darker than the others is because it contains theaflavins and thearubigens. Also, black tea is said to be high in flavonoids, which are helpful in reducing high cholesterol levels that are often responsible for strokes. With people now seeing the health benefits associated with black tea, they are realizing that it is okay to incorporate it into their meditation routine.

White Tea

White tea is quite popular among the various teas for meditation. Like black and green tea, white tea comes from the plant Camelia sinensis. The difference is, however, that white tea is created from the leaves and buds of the plant in its early stages and is then air dried instead of suffering a brutal oxidation process that results in many teas losing their health benefits. Studies have revealed over the years that white tea is more effective than green tea in keeping people healthy because it destroys organisms that cause diseases as serious as Strep Throat and pneumonia. White tea extract is even known to provide anti-aging benefits. All of these health benefits are cause for many people to want to consume white tea, especially during meditation when their purpose is total health and well-being.

Loose Leaf Tea

While most people drink tea from a bag, some are finding that the benefits of drinking tea in its original loose-leaf form are greater. For one, loose leaf tea is much more flavorful because many of the natural oils have not been removed as they have been when tea is crushed to be placed in a bag. Also, in its loose leaf version, the tea maintains its powerful antioxidants and is healthier all the way around; this is why loose leaf tea is popular among teas for meditation. Loose leaf tea can be prepared a variety of ways but is usually prepared through an infusion process that helps to maintain the leaves' natural essential oils.

Chánakára Chakra Tea

Chánakára Chakra Tea is a tea brand created specifically for meditation. This tea focuses on meditating through the chakras. It comes in 7 flavors that each represents one of the 7 chakras; they are: red berry rooibos, dragon fruit, vanilla honey bush, melon & green tea, blue ginger, guanabana, and white lotus. These 100% natural teas are meant to enhance the meditation process by pinpointing specific energy centers. For example, the red berry rooibos was created for the 1st charka, which is centered on health and prosperity. Its ingredients include organic rooibos, rosehips, raspberry leaf hibiscus, and its flavor is incredible! Another flavor, white lotus, was created for the 7th charka, which focuses on spirituality and wisdom. Since it is a white tea, its ingredients include chamomile, chrysanthemum, lotus and linden flowers - a very tasty choice and perfect option among the many teas for meditation.

There are literally hundreds of different available teas for meditation. Since most teas are made from black, green or white tea, it can be just a matter of choosing one you think you will like. However, all teas do not resonate well with all people, and if you are truly involved in the art of meditation then you know creating an efficient technique that works for you is vital to being productive and effective. You may find that after trying tea during the process, you are thrown off of your routine some, thus blending tea with your meditation may not work for you. But if you think it will then rest assured that there are many teas for meditation for you to choose from.

Jeffrey Meier of Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.Jam727.com offers information articles on a wide variety of subjects including Green Tea at http://www.jam727.com/green_tea.htm

Best Meditation Methods

2008-08-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

Discovering the best meditation method for you is one of the highs you can experience in modern day life.

Too often, we are too stressed even to contemplate meditation, even though taking a few quiet minutes to meditate could be one of the best things we could do in our lives.

For the next week, experiment with a different meditation method each day and note down the effects. You'll then have a much clearer idea of the best meditation method for you.

Breathing meditation. This is one of the simplest meditation techniques and focusing on your breathing is quick and easy.
Walking meditation. Take a leisurely walk. Breathe in the air. Notice the sounds and smells!
High tech meditation. Put on your headphones and a binaural beats track. Sit back and let the technology do the rest.
Mantra meditation. Repeat your chosen mantra over and over, either out loud or in your head.
Candle meditation. Light a candle somewhere safe, sit down and focus on the candle flame. Let all other thoughts drift out of your mind. Keep focussed on the flickering flame.
Guided meditation. Put on your headphones and listen to a pre-recorded guided meditation talk you through the process of relaxing your body and clearing your mind.
Mirror gazing. No, you're not doing an impression of Narcissus! Simply gaze into your reflected image. Focus on the wall just behind your head. Let all other thoughts fall out of your mind.

Your feelings and daily journal will help you to quickly come to a conclusion as to which meditation method is best for you. You may even decide to "ring the changes" and indulge in several different meditations according to the day of the week and the time available in your schedule.

Read my review of the one of best meditation methods I've come across to date at http://personaldevelopmentreviews.org/index.php/2007/04/17/secrets-of-abundant-energy

What Happens When We Don't Meditate?

2008-08-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

When we don't meditate, we find ourselves being more confused and angry. Our attitude toward others is less cooperative and more competitive, and our inclination to attach and cling to harmful things increases as a natural affinity develops for uninspiring things.

Desires are more lustful, and we are more conceited. We become cynical and skeptical as our concerns of being lied to increase, simply because we believe each lie, leaving us with fearful feelings toward those who are so controlling, egotistical, and arrogant, that they no longer respect us.

Our restlessness and sadness increase as our energy levels decrease, and we become less sensitive to unkind acts, but we never know the far-reaching results of those acts, and we aren’t concerned about how they affect us, or how they affect everyone we touch.

The worries over our failures in the world and concerns over such things as our death or the death of family and friends become great burdens, and our sorrow increases appreciably. Physical and mental pain increase, because we no longer comprehend the three common characteristics of existence — impermanence, discontent and no self.

When we don’t meditate, we lose confidence in our life journey, and we also jeopardize our health, as our immune system that was bolstered by meditation is now forced to fend for itself. Our cravings and desires increase, and whatever healthy lifestyle we began to develop now regresses into simple, shortsighted pleasure-seeking where sense desires rule.

Psychologically, the idea of self, or of our “I thought” dominates our existence, and separation increases between ourselves and our fellow beings, especially if our fellow beings don’t believe as we believe. Hatred simmers just beneath the surface, and anger dominates our every interaction. We increasingly fear that we aren’t getting our fair share, and we use every means to get more, even at the expense of those less fortunate.

Spiritually, we lose our bearings, and begin relying on others to tell us what spirituality is all about, and what to think and do instead of finding out for ourselves. We no longer feel that special passion that once changed our lives, as we become stuck in the world of form and illusions once more. Our life becomes a struggle now, and any peace or understanding that was beginning to develop now fades and wilts under the pressure of an unrelenting world of distraction.

But the saddest thing of all, the thing that we can no longer relate to, is the following; “and the fourth degree of evil that comes from joy of worldly things is: And he departed from God, his salvation. This man has made money and things of the world his God, and David said, 'Be thou not afraid when a man shall be made rich, for when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away, neither riches, nor joy, nor glory.” – St. John of the Cross.

Written By:- E. Raymond Rock

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=E._Raymond_Rock

Inspiration for Meditation

2008-08-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

1. Music for Meditation.

If music is soulful and peaceful it brings our soul to the fore. When we hear soulful meditative music our inner being begins to aspire for a deeper and more meaningful reality. This aspiration to reach a more fulfilling, expansive consciousness is the real secret of meditation. When we have a burning inner flame then our meditation technique becomes of little importance. When we are inwardly aspiring for peace, light and joy our soul meditates spontaneously on our behalf. Music can definitely awaken our slumbering inner spirit.

"Each time we hear soulful music, we get inspiration and delight. In the twinkling of an eye, music can elevate our consciousness." (1)

Music for meditation can give us real inspiration but we should make sure the music is composed and played in a meditative consciousness. If the music creates restlessness and excitement then this will not help in any way our meditation.

2. Meditate on Nature.

Nature embodies a dynamic peace. The beauty, expanse and scale of nature are very conducive to meditation. The Spiritual Master Sri Ramakrishna told his disciples to always meditate when they came across an expanse of water. Water signifies consciousness and purity; this consciousness and purity are the essence of meditation. If we can meditate at the ocean's edge we will also feel a sense of infinity and expanse. It is hard for the human mind to conceive of concepts like infinity and immortality, but when we see the ocean stretching into the distance we can definitely be inspired by this concept of infinity.

3. Meditate with an adept of Meditation. If we can have the opportunity to meditate with a real expert in meditation we will definitely feel something in their meditation. When we meditate in the presence of a real Spiritual Master we can benefit from the peace and light that they bring down. If we do not have the opportunity to meditate in the presence of a living spiritual master we can meditate on the photo of some Teacher, whom we have the utmost faith. If the photo was taken during meditation the picture will embody a meditative consciousness. If we can enter into this meditative consciousness it will bring our own inner meditative power to the fore. This consciousness is the secret of meditation.

4. Meditate with others.

If we meditate in a group with other like minded people who enjoy meditation we will gain increased inspiration and confidence in the power of meditation. If we only meditate on our own it can feel like we are battling against the world. However when we meditate in a group our own meditation will be heightened because we benefit from the meditative consciousness that occurs in a group meditation.

5. Regularity.

If we meditate on a regular basis then we will gain an increased meditative capacity. We should not be in a hurry to judge our own meditation. If we feel we have meditated badly and start feeling we are hopeless then we will definitely lose inspiration. Instead we should feel that each time we meditate there is a golden opportunity to feed our inner being. Even if we don't feel as if we are making much progress, we should remember that each time we meditate, we are taking an important and necessary step to improving our own meditation.

References

(1) From: Music: God's Universal Language by Sri Chinmoy

Tejvan became interested in meditation and eastern mysticism whilst studying at University in Oxford. After studying various spiritual traditions he became a meditation student of Sri Chinmoy. Tejvan now offers meditation classes on behalf of the Sri Chinmoy Centre in Oxford.

Meditation For Stress Relief

2008-08-01T23:43:00.000-07:00

Meditation can be practiced by anyone for stress relief. It is possible for a person to improve the quality of their life by adding regular sessions of meditation to their schedule. Meditation will help to reduce overall stress by adding a measure of calm and peacefulness into the daily life.

When someone is in a stressful situation, their body goes into a fight or flight mode. This automatic stress response brings on an adrenaline rush, quickens the heart rate, tenses muscle and makes breathing shallow. If a person is in actual physical trouble, this automatic stress response helps that person react quickly.

When a person is frequently in a stress mode on a daily basis, this takes a toll on the body and the mind. Stress related illnesses and conditions include heart disease, high blood pressure, peptic ulcers, poor immune response, sleep problems and chronic fatigue. Chronic stress may also trigger psychological conditions such as anxiety attacks, psychological distress, eating disorders, depression and mood swings. Doctors are linking stress with many diseases.

The stress of modern life comes not from being attacked by a large predator where the automatic stress response could come in handy, it comes from daily frustrations over events that do not usually require a flight or fight response. Instead, a person may be frustrated while sitting at a slow computer or over the children who are fighting over the television, where the adrenaline rush and speedy heart rate do more harm than good. When this type of stress happens on a daily basis, it is considered chronic stress.

Meditation activates a relaxation response. The relaxation response reverses the effects of the automatic stress response. Meditation will cause the heart rate to slow down, blood pressure to stabilize and the muscles to relax. The breathing will slow down and deepen.

Meditation is not the same as lying on the couch and relaxing. Meditation is a technique to helps people to relax when they are awake. Meditation is a focused technique for quieting the mind and body. As a person practices meditation, it becomes easier to reach that peaceful and relaxed state of mind. The state of meditation becomes deeper as a person practices it.

Deeper meditation has greater benefits. Deep meditation will trigger more of the potent alpha wave activity in the brain. This alpha wave activity produces a tranquil state of mind and body. The alpha wave state is soothing to a person and when it occurs, the person is in a deeply relaxed state and has a feeling of well being.

Many benefits result from regular meditation. Self confidence, energy levels and productivity all receive a boost from meditation. Health will improve or stabilize because stress levels go down which will reduce stress related conditions and illnesses. A person's mood can improve when anxiety levels are reduced because stress is no longer a chronic condition. Many people report that they have better memories and concentration with regular meditation.

Meditation is simple to do and does not require any special equipment. Meditation can be done anywhere, even in a car or at the office. All the person needs is a quiet space where he or she will not be disturbed for ten minutes to up to a half hour or more. Even a short session of meditation is better than no meditation at all.

by Daniel Millions

Meditation: A Path to a Stress Free Life

2008-07-29T04:26:00.000-07:00

A common man considers meditation as a worship or prayer. However, this is not the real meaning of meditation. The real meaning of meditation is awareness.

In fact, any action that you perform with awareness comes under the category of meditation. From listening to the voice of running water carefully to keeping tabs on the way you breathe, everything is meditation.

When performed without any sort of distraction to the mind, meditation is known to be as effective.

One should not consider meditation as a technique. It is a way of life. The deep meaning of meditation is cessation of the thought process. The process perfectly explains a state of consciousness, where the mind of an individual is free of thoughts that are scattered all around and in various patterns.

The person who meditates will ultimately realize that all the different activities of the mind are diminished in to a simple activity.

There are several benefits of meditation that one can enjoy. These include the following:

1. Control over stress

2. Management of pain

3. Relief from drug addiction

4. Relief from cancer and other chronic illness

5. Relief from high blood pressure

6. Relief from heart disease

7. Psoriasis control

8. Infertility control

9. Relief from tension and headaches

10. Relief from premenstrual syndromes or PMS

11. Help during respiratory crises.

12. Relief from fibronyalgia

13. Relief from ulcers

14. Insomnia and irritable bowel syndrome

The true purpose of meditation is something that’s little known by most people across the globe. Most people simply love the feeling when they sense fascination and experience mystic visions, heightened mental functioning in conjunction with psychic intuition.

The actual purpose of meditation is to let the individual meet his or her true self. In short, meditation works towards bringing them back to themselves. The benefits of meditation can be enjoyed once the individual, who performs it become healthier, happier and realize a great sense of self awareness. One would definitely benefit from enhanced functioning of mind, greater intuition and an easy access to all the unknown resources and efficacies.

When meditating, you don’t require to force yourself to focus completely for longer periods of time. In case, you try to do this there will be a negative impact on the meditation.

Whenever you are lost in your own thought or get confuse, you just require to acknowledge these thoughts and try to return back to the attention of the meditation object gently. This process can be repeated as many times as you get distracted. This will help you to make your mind calmer and the distractions will tend to cease naturally.

Insight alone is not enough to transform your life. Meditation will let you understand layer perspectives of your life. It also enhances clarity of thought.

However, acting upon the guidance is extremely important in order to benefit from meditation the right way.

Meditation is surely going to change your life and bring in lots of benefits to you. All you require to do is to meditate the right way!

Stress Relief With Meditation: Get Relaxed In Five Easy Steps

2008-07-29T04:01:00.000-07:00

You may have heard a lot about meditation. But, you may be put off by the seemingly arcane sound of the word 'meditation'. When one is already stressed, how can one think of getting relief from stress with meditation? Who has so much spare time to learn weird old world practices?

But, wait, before making up your mind, give me five minutes of your valuable time, and I assure you that-

You will stop believing that meditation is some kind of voodoo or mystical practice, and,

You will get a glimpse of the power of meditation in making you feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

You will realize that it takes only ten to fifteen minutes to practice meditation.

I am describing below five simple steps for getting stress relief with meditation. You don't need to make any elaborate arrangements for practicing the meditation; just a quiet place. Your family will willingly offer you a few minutes of quietude if they know that you will come out of it in a healthier and happier state of mind.

So here are the five steps to reach meditative state-

Choose your mantra. You can choose any word- it can be 'ohm', or 'relax' or 'peace' or any other word with which you are comfortable.

Sit down in a chair, or in the lotus position, or whatever position you are comfortable in. Don't lie down: you may fall asleep.

Relax all your muscles, starting from the feet and legs. Gradually start moving upward. Concentrate on your thighs, stomach, chest, back, neck, face and head, relaxing them one by one. Concentrate on one group of muscles at a time, relax it, and then move ahead. In the end, you entire body will feel relaxed. Even if you are not successful the first time round, don' bother, do it anyway

Start taking slow and deep breath, while reciting the mantra, you chose in step 1, with each breath. Try concentrating on it without making too much of an effort. Reconcile to the fact that the mind will wonder. Whenever you become aware of your mind going away from the mantra, gently bring it back.

After five minutes, stop reciting the mantra, and start becoming aware of your surroundings, very slowly. Give yourself a few minutes to come out completely.

This is your five steps exercise for stress relief with meditation. You will feel deeply relaxed, if you do it correctly. It takes not more than ten to fifteen minutes. If you do this exercise in the morning you ill feel more relaxed during the entire day.

Practicing regularly trains your body and mind to get relaxed under stressful situations in a few seconds, at will. Meditation not only relaxes you, it benefits your body and mind in many other ways. Do it regularly, and start seeing those benefits in your own life.

By:Praveen K Sharma