Love and Gifts
Posted by admin on Oct 14, 2011
Ahhhh, relationships are beautiful things aren’t they? The love, the memories, the romance…. The only thing not so great about relationships IS FINDING THE RIGHT ANNIVERSARY GIFT!!! Ughhh I was having such a hard time finding just the right thing for me and my gals’ 10th anniversary, after all it’s the tenth one! I couldn’t just show up with some shirt or a pair of shoes… I had to make this special. After a failed attempt at the local mall, I did what all us lost men do and searched on the net for special gifts, needless to say I got a lot of crazy stuff! But one thing that caught my eye were these couples rings, you could put a name or a date on them. They were perfect; I put our names and the day we met on them. And she absolutely loved them! I even got our lil secret joke engraved on the inside, had to put my funny side in there with the romance stuff… After all that’s how I got her in the first place.
Meditating For Health Benefits
Posted by on Jan 19, 2011
The health benefits of effective meditation are slowly gaining popularity in the world of alternative medicine. Meditation is believed to result in behavioural, attitudinal and health transformation in most people. The practice of different meditation techniques in the modern western world is being adopted by most alternative medical practitioners to help their patients reach deep into their consciousness and into the root of their physiological as well as psychological concerns.
Meditation traces its roots from religious practices of Hindu and Buddhism. It has a history of over thousands of years, stretching back to the first Indian civilizations. Vendic Hinduism, one of the oldest religions, is known to profess meditation as part of its spiritual and religious practices. This form of mental discipline involves the attainment of a deep state of relaxation and a higher state of consciousness through the channeling of mental energies to a single focal point. Originally done in religious and ritualistic affairs, meditation has now evolved into other uses including alternative healing.
There are different ways by which meditation can be done. One meditation technique focuses on specific fields or background perception and experience referred to as “mindfulness.” Another meditation technique, called “concentrative,” focuses on a specific object. Both techniques can be combined or used interchangeably with the expectation of the same results of a relaxed consciousness. These techniques are separated by the object of focus used in inducing the desired state of mind.
1. Mindfulness meditation is characterized by open focus. The present status and experiences are kept in the consciousness. It is this focus on present perceptions that serves to anchor the meditator to the whole process of meditation. The awareness of what is and what is not are processed in the mind as it is, without analysis or interpretation.
2. Concentrative meditation, commonly used in religious and spiritual practices, focuses the meditator on a particular object. All other thoughts and distractions are banished from the meditator’s mind. This type of meditation clears the mind of all other things but the object of focus.
3. Combined meditation brings together mindfulness and concentrative meditation. In this meditation technique movement is allowed, making the meditator aware of the energies flowing through his body and making body movements smooth and fluid.
In all these meditation techniques, introspection is common. All are done in a period of quietness, inviting relaxation and a feeling of inner peace. These meditation techniques are practiced in modern ways of counselling and psychotherapy. As they result in mental and muscular relaxation, these meditation techniques are considered to be effective tools in relaxation training, one of the procedures done by psychologists and psychiatrists to help an individual uncover the inner self and consequently address present behavioral, attitudinal and mental concerns.
These meditation techniques are also used in alternative medicine to help treat diseases particularly heart or cardiovascular diseases. As meditation ultimately results in a relaxed state of mind and a general feeling of well-being, these meditation techniques are credited for reducing incidences of cardiovascular diseases through effective stress relief in most patients.
Here’s an excellent way to start enjoying the benefits of meditation today. The Deep Zen audio program is easy for anyone wanting to learn how to meditate and helps advanced meditators achieve deeper levels of meditation too. Try your free demo here: http://www.deep-zen.com
Author: Warren Marion
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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How to Master Meditation – Self Hypnosis Recordings For Meditation
Posted by on Jan 16, 2011
Meditation recordings can help you unlock the true potential of your subconscious mind in more ways than you may realize. There are many reasons that people decide to begin meditation exercises, one of the more common reasons being for the purpose of relaxation. If you have difficulty learning to relax you will find that various recordings will help you get the relaxation you need in order to either lower the amount of stress in your life or remove it all together.
What is Meditation?
Meditation at its core is a state of complete mental and physical relaxation. Meditation in one form or another is practiced by many religions throughout the world and throughout history. The goal of meditation for the purpose of religion is to reach a higher or more enlightened state. For modern purposes, this is most often used as a form of seeking mental clarity or stress relief though some still practice meditation for religious reasons.
What are Medication Recordings?
Meditation recordings are recordings that are designed to work with your subconscious mind while you are entering into a state of relaxed meditation. These recordings are ideal for people who have difficulty relaxing their minds enough to enter into a meditative state as they can help with the relaxation process and guide you through the beginning steps of meditation.
Benefits of Meditation
There are more benefits to meditation than you may realize. The multitude of benefits for many people is well worth the price of a few meditation recordings to help them work through the process to receive the full benefits that meditation can provide. Some of the benefits you will find through mindful and regular meditation include:
- Better Health
- Weight Loss Help
- Mental Clarity
- Less Stress
- Lower Blood Pressure
What Can Meditation Mean for You?
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, meditation has been used successfully to overcome phobias, become more assertive, find self confidence, move beyond addictions, and overcome serious illnesses. If the powers of the mind can do all of these things with the right subconscious suggestions can you imagine the power within that can be unleashed through consistent effort and deliberate suggestion?
Hypnosis and Meditation
Hypnosis and meditation are not the same thing. They may, however, be used in combination for even more astonishing results. When you combine self hypnosis with meditation recordings you can enter into an even deeper state of relaxation making suggestion opening your mind even more to the power of the suggestion. If you have never before experienced the power of one or the other it’s a good idea to experience one at a time. You may want to begin with relaxation and meditation exercises before advancing to self hypnosis and deeper meditation techniques.
Getting the Most from Your Meditation
The more you practice meditation the better the results will be. If you have difficulty entering into a deep meditative state be sure to see if there are any meditation recordings available that will help you enjoy maximum results for your meditation efforts.
J. Seymour is a writer with Self Help Recordings. ‘Master Meditation’ is an excellent recording by Steve G Jones, who offers twenty years of experience through these recordings. To find out more, visit Meditation Recordings. A range of other self hypnosis products can be found here – Meditation Self Help. All of the recordings on Self Help Recordings are backed by an impressive sixty day guarantee, so to find out more simply click on the links.
Author: J Seymour
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Rare and Powerful Meditation Tips and Advice
Posted by on Jan 13, 2011
There are a few misunderstandings about the nature of meditation that keep people from attempting to pursue this extremely valuable life-changing skill. Meditation is not what most people imagine. You do not have to sit cross-legged with a purple dot painted on your forehead while you repeat the word ohm over and over, like a bad song you can’t seem to release from your mind.
Meditation is about connecting with your inner self by slowing down your activities and quieting your mind. Meditation is making time to listen to your inner being. The process of meditating has many forms. Meditation has many forms. Jogging, tai-chi, yoga, and even weight training are a few examples of moving meditation. These forms allow your thoughts to slow down and your mind to become reflective.
We all have the capacity to train our minds to have the same effect without running ten miles or driving to the beach. Moving while meditating has limitations. You must pay attention to the physical world and are unable to focus 100% on your inner realms.
Guided meditation is about being comfortable and undisturbed for a set period of time. You will close your eyes and draw your attention inward. This becomes what I call the art of meditation. I have a powerful line of guided meditation CDs and MP3 downloads that can assist you in quickly achieving the results you desire. Regardless which form of meditation you decide, it becomes helpful to understand the function of meditation. The function is common to all the many different forms that meditation.
The first function of meditation is to slow down your brain wave activity which in turn, slows down your thinking process. Notice I didn’t say to eliminate or to stop thinking. It is impossible to eliminate your thoughts. I find this myth, one of the most common reasons beginners give up this wonderful skill. They erroneously think if they have one thought pop into they’re head, they have just ruined the experience.
Meditation allows you to shift your attention away from your thoughts and to slow down your thinking process. As your thinking slows down the silent space in-between each thought is where you can receive a flash of insight from your Soul. The insight would always have been there, but you wouldn’t have noticed, due to the steady stream of thoughts that often dominate the mind.
It is natural to have many thoughts enter your mind when you first begin to meditate, don’t become frustrated, just accept this as a normal part of the process. Here are some effective ways to remedy the situation. For example, when you attempt to meditate and your mind keeps worrying about a report due at work. It can be challenging to focus your mind away from it. The first thing to do is don’t fight it. Listen to your inner concerns and then release it. If you can’t stop your mind from thinking ( I have to finish that report by Tuesday morning), simply take in a deep breath and as you exhale imagine your blowing that thought out of your head. Perhaps see the words written on a chalk board and imagine you are blowing the message off the board with your exhale. Or imagine you are erasing it. This gives the subconscious mind a very clear message. Then focus your attention on going deeper. When you learn how to meditate you will naturally have thoughts enter your mind from time to time.
Another technique to end the distraction is to mentally tell those pesky thoughts, “I hear you, thank you and you can go now.” Thinking those words silently to yourself, will confirm to your subconscious mind, I’ve got the message now, the messenger can leave. Be patient and remind yourself that the goal of meditation is not to eliminate thought, but to slow it down. The pause between, is the space where you can resolve your personal problems and find the solutions.
Meditation is a powerful technique to gain mastery over your life, and to become more conscious of your truer self. Meditations’ true purpose is to shift your consciousness from the outer world to your inner world, where all change begins. Meditation offers you a way to create a pause in your daily activity to consciously connect with your inner power.
On a spiritual level meditation offers a ritual to commune with your Soul to receive guidance, healing and wisdom from within. On a mental level, meditation will bring you clarity and can reveal deeper understanding about the way you’re living you life, and what thoughts and beliefs are holding you back. On an emotional level, meditating offers a way to get in touch with your feelings and to resolve them constructively producing profound inner peace. On a physical level, meditation is a stress reducer, as you practice it on a regular basis, you will renew your physical energy and stamina. The siesta times many countries honor is a great way to bring balance back into a busy life-style, even if it’s only a fifteen minute meditation on your lunch break at work.
Lily Tomlin says some of the wildest things and she offers us this profound thought, “Why is it when we talk with God it’s called praying, but when God talks to us, we call it schizophrenia?” Meditation is a way to listen to the still small voice of the spirit of truth. Whether you practice silent, moving or guided meditation you will soon discover the infinite wisdom that dwells within you, waiting to offer you guidance and inner peace.
Copyright (c) 2008 Circle of Light Publishing
Explore my website and take a free test to determine the power of your body mind connection. Sign up for my free weekly Soul-utions quotes. Try my guided meditation CDs. For beginners I recommend, The Rainbow Meditation, Art of Going Within: How to Meditate and/or Escape from Stress. Visit my site at http://www.RelaxationMeditations.com
Author: Michaiel Bovenes
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The History of Meditation
Posted by on Jan 10, 2011
“Yoga” and “meditation” seem to have become trendy words recently, and even trendier practices. But for all their modern applications, both yoga and meditation have been around for a long, long time.
For more than five thousand years, meditation has been a part of human life. Though it has its roots in Hinduism, most religions throughout the globe practice one form of meditation or another.
Meditation in Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Gautama Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism thousands of years ago. Originally a pampered prince, he fled the palace and sought a life of spiritual enlightenment rather than material wealth. After meditating beneath a sacred fig tree for 49 days, Siddhartha attained enlightenment, which allowed him great insight into the cause of human suffering, as well as the process needed to eliminate it.
Since the Buddha’s revelation beneath the sacred fig tree, meditation has been a centerpiece of Buddhism. The meditation techniques they pursue are a part of their goal of reaching Enlightenment and Nirvana, and develop four key areas: mindfulness, insight, concentration and tranquility. These same techniques, however, are often used by non-Buddhists to better their mental and physical health, or to reach other spiritual goals.
Meditation in Hinduism
Meditation actually started as a part of Vedic Hinduism, which is the oldest religion to have meditation as part of it for spiritual and mental enlightenment. Indian scriptures from 5,000 years ago actually describe meditation.
Of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, yoga is the one that focuses on meditation. However, Hinduism has a variety of meditation techniques, each with different focuses for the subject. The ultimate goal for all Hindu meditation is to attain a calm state of mind.
Meditation in Christianity
Though you may not hear about it as much, there are some Christian traditions that can be classified as meditation. Early Christian monks practiced reading the Bible slowly and carefully consider the meanings of each verse, a practice called “lectio divina.” It’s widely regarded as the first instance of meditation in Christianity. Prayer is also considered a form of meditation.
Enhance your meditation with meditation tools
Five thousand years ago, it was probably a lot easier to clear the mind and focus without cell phones ringing and emails beeping. With the stress and constant state of movement that modern life forces upon us, it can be difficult to completely focus on prayers or on mantra meditation.
In this case, meditation tools can make it easier to focus on meditation and quiet the constant chatter in your mind. Find a quiet place where you can have just 5 or 10 minutes by yourself, without a computer turned on or your cell phone ringing. Once you’ve gotten to your place, use a meditation tool like the Zen Stick to attain a meditative state quickly and easily. The benefit of entering a meditative state quickly with the Zen Stick is that you need only spend about 5 minutes a day meditating, as opposed to 10 or 20 minutes with regular meditation.
Make an ancient ritual part of your modern life
For centuries, meditation has been an integral part of many religions. Break out of the rut of your daily grind. Let meditation help you better your life mentally, physically, and spiritually.
About the Author
Get started on meditation today. Visit SleepingTiger.org and sign up for a free newsletter packed with meditation tips and techniques.
Laurie Desjardins is a meditation expert and creator of the Zen Stick relaxation tool. If you want to truly align your mind, body and spirit, consider adding the Zen Stick to your relaxation repertoire. For more information about meditation techniques and Zen Sticks, visit http://www.sleepingtiger.org
Author: Laurie Desjardins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Meditation – It’s Not What You Think!
Posted by on Jan 7, 2011
I’ve been practicing meditation for over 10 years now, the keyword there being practice. I’m certainly no Guru or Buddhist monk that has sat in quite contemplation for those 10 years. I’m just your average guy seeking some spiritual connection.
So, here’s the short version of my experience in tapping into the Divine.
The first time I “attempted” to meditate was with a group of my peers and it was a 5 minute quiet meditation. I thought my head was going to catch on fire or maybe even explode! Five minutes might as well have been 5 hours. The “committee” inside my head would not shut up. My brain shouted “You will never be able to meditate!”
Thus began my quest for an easy way to quiet my mind and get into a meditative state.
I ran out and bought several books on meditation and some guided meditation CD’s. My first great success was with one of these simple guided meditations. WOW! I actually “left my body” and connected to my higher power, it was so…well, POWERFUL.
I continued to experiment with various forms of meditation and sought out as many teachers as I could find. There were so many I can’t cover them all here, but I’ll tell you more in future articles. After some years I found several methods that worked well for me. Here are a few of them.
- Sound based meditation CD’s
- Chanting
- Short (3 to 5 minute) meditations focused on feeling good.
Before I explain these techniques I use, I want you to understand what the benefits of meditation are and what you can expect when you practice regularly.
5 Physiological Benefits of Meditation
- A decreased metabolic rate and lower heart rate.
- Lowered levels of cortisol and lactate (stress related chemicals).
- Lowering of high blood pressure.
- Drop in cholesterol levels.
- Decreases the aging process.
5 Psychological Benefits of Meditation
- Decreased anxiety and depression.
- Decreased irritability and moodiness
- Improved learning ability and memory.
- Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
- Increased happiness and better outlook on life.
5 Spiritual Benefits of Meditation
- Experience an inner sense of knowing
- Ability to connect with Universal Love
- Ability to release negative feelings from the past
- Overall experience of well being and abundance
- Deeper understanding and fulfillment of purpose
Not bad, huh? So here is a little bit about my favorite forms of meditation. The sound based meditations work by inducing brainwaves that mimic the meditative state. It sounds kind of scary, but I promise you it doesn’t hurt! I won’t discuss the whole technology behind this, just know that it works. You can read more about this and listen to a sample of The Chi of Love Meditation CD at http://www.thechioflovecd.com
Wayne Dyer has a fantastic CD called “Meditations for Manifesting” that contains the OM and the AH meditation chants. I used to think chanting was sort of freaky and foreign until I tried it, it’s actually awesome! My personal favorite is the AH meditation. Dr. Dyer explains that AH is the sound of God, and goes on the explain how to do this meditation and offers some affirmative statements to contemplate while chanting. After 20 minutes of chanting AHHHHHH, my whole body vibrates and I feel incredible. I can’t tell you how amazing this is, I highly recommend it!
The short feeling meditations I do are based on the teachings of Abraham as channeled through Esther Hicks. I had some pre-conceived notions about this kind of far out spiritual stuff (channeling, non-physical entities, etc), but I found that prejudice and spirituality don’t mix. Remember, your mind is like a parachute, it works best when open. So anyway, you simply sit and concentrate on how you would feel if you had certain things that you want such as more money, the perfect relationship or a great job. Quick, easy and effective.
Here are 5 keys to remember about meditation.
- 1. Anyone can meditate – If I can do it, you can do it.
- 2. There’s really no wrong way – Whatever works for you is the right way.
- 3. It takes practice – Schedule some time everyday, just do it, but don’t judge the quality of your experience. It really is “all good”.
- 4. You don’t have to sit for hours – 3 to 5 minutes can be enough to make huge changes in your life and health.
- 5. Meditation will make your life better - You can improve your physical, mental and spiritual well being with one simple activity.
So my friends, give meditation a whirl. Try some of the techniques I’ve mentioned above or try some of your own. I’ll be offering up more methods and insights to this worthwhile activity in the near future. In the mean time, Namaste.
© Copyright 2007 – Steve O’Sullivan
Author, Speaker and Meditation Teacher Steve OSullivan has been studying and practicing meditation for over 10 years and is the creator of The Chi of Love Meditation CD. Listen to a fr-ee sample at http://www.TheChiofLoveCD.com
Author: Steven O’Sullivan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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