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Breathing is something that we usually do unconsciously but may also do consciously. Conscious breathing promotes health in many ways. Acidosis in the body sets us up for increased illness and aging.
Showing posts with label meditation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meditation. Show all posts
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Relieve Your Stress With Meditation
Most of us lead busy, fast-paced lives. We have too much to do and too little time, and may be dealing with career pressures, family difficulties, or financial problems on top of everything else. Doctors have known for some time that there is a direct link between stress and a variety of health problems including headaches, stomach problems, heart problems, skin conditions, and high blood pressure, as well as depression and anxiety. While we can’t eliminate all stress from our lives, we can take steps to reduce its effects, and meditation is a wonderful way for you to calm down and regain your balance.
Meditation has been used for centuries as a way for people to reflect, relax and connect with their inner selves, but it is not some mysterious ancient art that requires years of study. At some time in your life, you have probably experienced a meditative state, a feeling of peace and serenity, simply by walking through the woods, or enjoying a beautiful piece of music. With just a little practice, you can achieve that peaceful state whenever you wish, and feel refreshed and ready to take on life’s challenges.
Try to Meditate Daily
Pick a time that works for you. If you have children, wait until they are in school or napping. Many people meditate in the morning as a relaxing way to start the day, while others like to meditate before bed. The time of day is not important, nor is the amount of time you spend meditating. Twenty to thirty minutes is good, but even if you can only spare 5 or 10 minutes you will still benefit from it.
Meditation Basics
Choose a quiet place with few distractions. If you like, you can light incense or a scented candle, but it isn’t necessary. Some people find it helpful to listen to relaxing music or nature sounds while meditating; others prefer complete silence.
You can sit cross-legged on the floor, or sit in a chair with your back supported. The important thing is that you are comfortable. Place one hand on each thigh, or cup your right hand under your left in your lap. You do not have to stay still to meditate! It’s ok to move or scratch an itch! Don’t feel that you have to shut out the world completely to get the benefits of meditation. If the phone rings, or there is some other brief interruption, just take care of it, then go back to meditating.
Breathing
Keep your spine straight, but not stiff, as this allows you to breathe deeply. Breathing deeply helps you to relax and concentrate because more oxygen is getting into the bloodstream. And deep breathing actually slows your heart rate. When you have found a comfortable position, begin focusing on breathing deeply. Follow each breath as it enters your nose, goes down into your lungs, and then out your nose again. Feel it on your upper lip as you exhale. Breathe in to the count of 4, and exhale to the count of 4. Feel the muscles in your body beginning to relax.
Don’t be concerned if you find it difficult to relax in the beginning. Trying too hard to relax can be stressful in itself! You may find yourself thinking about work, or all the things you need to take care of that day. If so, just acknowledge the thoughts that come into your head, but then let them go and focus again on your breathing. You may also want to start with shorter periods of meditation and work up to longer sessions.
Visualize
Visualization is a great tool to help you relax. Imagine yourself in a place that you find peaceful, for example, the beach. Think about the sounds you would hear there: the cries of the seagulls, and the sound of the waves on the shore. Imagine how the sun feels on your skin, and the smell of the salt air. You might choose to visualize being in the woods, or in the mountains. Whatever you choose, imagine every detail as if you are actually there.
Meditation is only one of the ways to reduce the stress in our lives. Eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep and exercise are also very important. Take a look at your lifestyle and decide whether you need to make other changes, but try meditation, too. It is a great way to relax and reduce the negative effects of stress, and you will feel the difference immediately.
Meditation has been used for centuries as a way for people to reflect, relax and connect with their inner selves, but it is not some mysterious ancient art that requires years of study. At some time in your life, you have probably experienced a meditative state, a feeling of peace and serenity, simply by walking through the woods, or enjoying a beautiful piece of music. With just a little practice, you can achieve that peaceful state whenever you wish, and feel refreshed and ready to take on life’s challenges.
Try to Meditate Daily
Pick a time that works for you. If you have children, wait until they are in school or napping. Many people meditate in the morning as a relaxing way to start the day, while others like to meditate before bed. The time of day is not important, nor is the amount of time you spend meditating. Twenty to thirty minutes is good, but even if you can only spare 5 or 10 minutes you will still benefit from it.
Meditation Basics
Choose a quiet place with few distractions. If you like, you can light incense or a scented candle, but it isn’t necessary. Some people find it helpful to listen to relaxing music or nature sounds while meditating; others prefer complete silence.
You can sit cross-legged on the floor, or sit in a chair with your back supported. The important thing is that you are comfortable. Place one hand on each thigh, or cup your right hand under your left in your lap. You do not have to stay still to meditate! It’s ok to move or scratch an itch! Don’t feel that you have to shut out the world completely to get the benefits of meditation. If the phone rings, or there is some other brief interruption, just take care of it, then go back to meditating.
Breathing
Keep your spine straight, but not stiff, as this allows you to breathe deeply. Breathing deeply helps you to relax and concentrate because more oxygen is getting into the bloodstream. And deep breathing actually slows your heart rate. When you have found a comfortable position, begin focusing on breathing deeply. Follow each breath as it enters your nose, goes down into your lungs, and then out your nose again. Feel it on your upper lip as you exhale. Breathe in to the count of 4, and exhale to the count of 4. Feel the muscles in your body beginning to relax.
Don’t be concerned if you find it difficult to relax in the beginning. Trying too hard to relax can be stressful in itself! You may find yourself thinking about work, or all the things you need to take care of that day. If so, just acknowledge the thoughts that come into your head, but then let them go and focus again on your breathing. You may also want to start with shorter periods of meditation and work up to longer sessions.
Visualize
Visualization is a great tool to help you relax. Imagine yourself in a place that you find peaceful, for example, the beach. Think about the sounds you would hear there: the cries of the seagulls, and the sound of the waves on the shore. Imagine how the sun feels on your skin, and the smell of the salt air. You might choose to visualize being in the woods, or in the mountains. Whatever you choose, imagine every detail as if you are actually there.
Meditation is only one of the ways to reduce the stress in our lives. Eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep and exercise are also very important. Take a look at your lifestyle and decide whether you need to make other changes, but try meditation, too. It is a great way to relax and reduce the negative effects of stress, and you will feel the difference immediately.
The Mantras of the Transcendental Meditation Technique
These days we hear a lot of talk about the mantras used for meditation. Some people say a random word is best, others recommend the universal sound Aum or Om. But what about the mantras used in the Transcendental Meditation technique? Are they generic or special? Secular or religious? Useless or effective? And where do they come from? These are important questions so let’s find an answer for them.
The Transcendental Meditation technique is an effortless mental procedure whereby an individual experiences increasingly quieter levels of thinking, leading to the experience of total silence; the source of thought, at the deepest level the mind. The technique of Transcendental Meditation has many unique features and one of them is the mantra. As part of personal instruction each student receives a suitable thought/sound or mantra for their meditation practice. These mantras are meaningless sounds which serve as the delicate vehicle on which the mind glides through deeper, more silent levels of the thinking process.
For maximum effectiveness students are encouraged to refrain from speaking or writing down their mantra as this has a damaging and dulling effect on this highly delicate and refined meditation tool. Also, there is a limited pool of mantras that each Transcendental Meditation teacher draws upon to select the appropriate sound for each student. So it’s entirely possible that some students could have the same mantra.
The mantra is selected by the Transcendental Meditation teacher based on the suitability and harmonious effect it will create for each student when properly used. Also, the technique of how to use the mantra is just as crucial as the proper selection of the mantra/sound itself.
It’s important to note that the mantras are used for their sound quality only and have no assigned meaning. These two important aspects, suitability and meaninglessness, allow the mind to be lively but undirected at the same time, so it can sink deep within, ‘transcend’ thought and experience its own silent, inner nature. This is the process called ‘transcending’ which takes place during the Transcendental Meditation technique.
To understand this principle more clearly lets examine the word ‘flower’. A word has two aspects: the sound value and the English meaning. When we say or think the word ‘flower’ we automatically consider the word’s meaning, its qualities and context. We might think of the color, the smell, the quantity, the location and so on and these thoughts about the flower engage and hold the mind on the surface, conscious thinking level and do not allow the mind to fathom its inner nature.
Therefore by intention and by design, the mantra used in the Transcendental Meditation technique is a sound that has no meaning attributed to it either by the teacher or their student. At the same time it should be clear, that if a science, religion or cultural group were to assign a meaning to a mantra, in the past or future, it would still have no bearing on the use of that mantra in the instruction or practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.
For centuries “google” has been a delightful, nonsensical sound, uttered by babies. More recently however it has been attributed a meaning; the name of a worldwide, Internet search engine. However this new adult meaning has no bearing on a baby’s use of that same sound. Likewise mantras are sounds that are meaningless both to the Transcendental Meditation teacher and the student even though other people, cultures or religions may or may not have assigned a meaning to them.
To further illustrate this point let’s consider the word “flat”. In the USA this sound has a meaning associated with the shape of an object. In England however, “flat” also refers to an apartment. Therefore, each respective culture utilizes sound and assigns meanings for their own localized purpose. Other languages, cultures and people who also use that same sound or word, are completely indifferent to the meaning assigned to that sound/word by other countries or cultures. The same is true with respect to the Transcendental Meditation technique. It utilizes specific mantras/sounds completely irrespective of their intended meaning in other languages or cultural settings.
The Transcendental Meditation technique and the mantras/sounds it utilizes have their origin in the ancient Vedic tradition which predates all religions and cultures including the Hindu religion. The Vedic tradition is a universal body of complete and timeless knowledge encompassing the total field of natural law, or underlying intelligence, that governs the universe. Because the Vedas and the Vedic tradition are ancient and universal, many of its sounds, names and principals are found in many countries, cultures and religions around the world.
The ancient Vedic tradition of India is the oldest continuous tradition of knowledge on earth. In 2003 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed the Vedic tradition (specifically the recitation of the Vedic hymns) a “masterpiece of intangible heritage to humanity”.
The TM technique and its mantras are derived from this same Vedic tradition. Over thousands of years, the technique of Transcendental Meditation contained in the Vedas had been misinterpreted and therefore lost its effectiveness. It was then revived in the 1950’s, to its original and highly effective form, by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who was the custodian and representative of the Vedic tradition in our generation.
So we conclude therefore, that the mantras used in the Transcendental Meditation technique not only have their roots in a timeless tradition of knowledge but that they are also simple and powerful, ancient and unique, meaningful and meaningless, all at the same time!
The Transcendental Meditation technique is an effortless mental procedure whereby an individual experiences increasingly quieter levels of thinking, leading to the experience of total silence; the source of thought, at the deepest level the mind. The technique of Transcendental Meditation has many unique features and one of them is the mantra. As part of personal instruction each student receives a suitable thought/sound or mantra for their meditation practice. These mantras are meaningless sounds which serve as the delicate vehicle on which the mind glides through deeper, more silent levels of the thinking process.
For maximum effectiveness students are encouraged to refrain from speaking or writing down their mantra as this has a damaging and dulling effect on this highly delicate and refined meditation tool. Also, there is a limited pool of mantras that each Transcendental Meditation teacher draws upon to select the appropriate sound for each student. So it’s entirely possible that some students could have the same mantra.
The mantra is selected by the Transcendental Meditation teacher based on the suitability and harmonious effect it will create for each student when properly used. Also, the technique of how to use the mantra is just as crucial as the proper selection of the mantra/sound itself.
It’s important to note that the mantras are used for their sound quality only and have no assigned meaning. These two important aspects, suitability and meaninglessness, allow the mind to be lively but undirected at the same time, so it can sink deep within, ‘transcend’ thought and experience its own silent, inner nature. This is the process called ‘transcending’ which takes place during the Transcendental Meditation technique.
To understand this principle more clearly lets examine the word ‘flower’. A word has two aspects: the sound value and the English meaning. When we say or think the word ‘flower’ we automatically consider the word’s meaning, its qualities and context. We might think of the color, the smell, the quantity, the location and so on and these thoughts about the flower engage and hold the mind on the surface, conscious thinking level and do not allow the mind to fathom its inner nature.
Therefore by intention and by design, the mantra used in the Transcendental Meditation technique is a sound that has no meaning attributed to it either by the teacher or their student. At the same time it should be clear, that if a science, religion or cultural group were to assign a meaning to a mantra, in the past or future, it would still have no bearing on the use of that mantra in the instruction or practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique.
For centuries “google” has been a delightful, nonsensical sound, uttered by babies. More recently however it has been attributed a meaning; the name of a worldwide, Internet search engine. However this new adult meaning has no bearing on a baby’s use of that same sound. Likewise mantras are sounds that are meaningless both to the Transcendental Meditation teacher and the student even though other people, cultures or religions may or may not have assigned a meaning to them.
To further illustrate this point let’s consider the word “flat”. In the USA this sound has a meaning associated with the shape of an object. In England however, “flat” also refers to an apartment. Therefore, each respective culture utilizes sound and assigns meanings for their own localized purpose. Other languages, cultures and people who also use that same sound or word, are completely indifferent to the meaning assigned to that sound/word by other countries or cultures. The same is true with respect to the Transcendental Meditation technique. It utilizes specific mantras/sounds completely irrespective of their intended meaning in other languages or cultural settings.
The Transcendental Meditation technique and the mantras/sounds it utilizes have their origin in the ancient Vedic tradition which predates all religions and cultures including the Hindu religion. The Vedic tradition is a universal body of complete and timeless knowledge encompassing the total field of natural law, or underlying intelligence, that governs the universe. Because the Vedas and the Vedic tradition are ancient and universal, many of its sounds, names and principals are found in many countries, cultures and religions around the world.
The ancient Vedic tradition of India is the oldest continuous tradition of knowledge on earth. In 2003 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed the Vedic tradition (specifically the recitation of the Vedic hymns) a “masterpiece of intangible heritage to humanity”.
The TM technique and its mantras are derived from this same Vedic tradition. Over thousands of years, the technique of Transcendental Meditation contained in the Vedas had been misinterpreted and therefore lost its effectiveness. It was then revived in the 1950’s, to its original and highly effective form, by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who was the custodian and representative of the Vedic tradition in our generation.
So we conclude therefore, that the mantras used in the Transcendental Meditation technique not only have their roots in a timeless tradition of knowledge but that they are also simple and powerful, ancient and unique, meaningful and meaningless, all at the same time!
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