Hectic schedule and modern life work, makes most of the people feel stressed and overworked. There is not just enough time in a day to wrap up everything. We feel tired, impatient and unhappy because of work load. It can also affect our body and mind. We are often so busy that there is not enough time to stop and meditate.

Meditation is mental as well as physical discipline that attempts a deeper state of relaxation. It also involves turning the attention from single point reference. It has been practiced since antiquity and is also component of many religions and sometimes also practiced outside the religion. But meditation actually gives more time to keep mind calmer and more focused. Different meditative techniques involves wide ranges of spiritual and psychological practices that focuses on different goals like higher state of consciousness, creativity or self-awareness, or simply a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind. Secrets of meditation help to stay active and sharp.

The purpose or aim behind meditation breathing is to calm the mind and develop an inner peace. First step of meditation is to stop distraction and make mind calmer and more lucid. This can be achieved by regular practising of a simple breath meditation. Always choose quiet and clean place to meditate and sit in comfortable position or sit in cross legged posture or any other position that’s comfortable for you. Then close your eyes partially and turn attention to breathing while meditation. Breathe naturally through nostrils without attempting to control your breath and become aware of the sensation of breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. You should try to concentrate on it; focus on a single point on the sensation of the breathing and try to avoid different thoughts that arise in the mind. If you notice that mind is distracted and is following thoughts, immediately return to breath. Repeat this as many times until the mind calms and settles.

Meditation audio guides through a series of steps or imagery exercises. Meditation audio includes various forms of music, tones to relax or stimulate brain waves. Most of the people find audio for meditation is helpful because it provides diversity in practice as well as discipline. Another plus point of using free guided audio meditation is the opportunity to try many different styles and presenters. Music helps to relax, calm and helps to gain concentration.

You can use the Meditation chair as proper posture is essential. Sit up comfortably stable and straight. Keep feet grounded on the floor and hands should be on the knees. Chest should lift up and shoulders should be down during meditation.

By practicing the basic secrets of meditation, gradually our thoughts will settle and will experience relaxation and joy of inner peace. Mind becomes spacious and will fell refreshed. Stress and tension comes from mind. Many of the problems including ill health are caused by this stress. Concentration on breathing helps to calm distracting thoughts and mind will become lucid and clear. Breathing meditation and audio meditation keep inner peace and contentment just by controlling the mind.

Michael Bunata is author of this article on Secrets of Meditation. Find more information about The Basic Secrets of Meditation here.

Article Source: http://www.thecontentcorner.com

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Shiva Rea: Daily Energy - Vinyasa Flow Yoga
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Another Fantastic DVD from Shiva Rea!!   Review Date: November 19, 2009 Reviewer: Yoga Teacher, OM-aha, Nebraska I am so excited that Shiva Rea has a new DVD!! I have all of her DVDs and practice to them on a regular basis. This DVD has seven 20-minute practices, 2 meditations, core, counterposes, and shavasana. I would say it's for experienced beginners and beyond. Here are the chapter titles: Solar Meditation (active movement meditation) Lunar Meditation (seated meditation and breathing) 20-Minute Practices: Earth (standing Poses within a vinyasa format) Heart + Air (backbending within a vinyasa format) Water (fluid vinyasa) Fire + Water (standing poses, arm balances, and vinyasa) Fire (similar to the Agni Namaskar, contains push-ups and active vinyasa) Chakra Vinyasa (vinyasa to stimulate earth, water, fire, and air) Shanti (this is an amazing sequence!!! She calls it relaxation flow. it's yoga poses approached in such a mellow way that you don't realize you're actually doing yoga! a great one to do on a day where you're feeling under the weather, or wanna start slow, or end deliciously.) 7 minute Core/Abs 6 minute Forward Bends/Counterposes 6 minute Relaxation The beauty is you can do any one section, or combine them to your liking with the "yoga matrix". Shiva also offers many pre-set practices, combining several sequences together for differing affects. All of these practices are new, and are not repeated on any of her earlier DVDs. The only exception might be the Fire section, but even that has several differences to make it distinctive from her earlier versions. This is the latest offering from Shiva, and is very reflective of her actual teaching style in a live class. I had the pleasure of spending another week with her in LA a few weeks ago, and we did some practices very similar to these. It's a fantastic DVD, and a great way to get Shiva right in your own home!!! The BEST yoga DVD out there   Review Date: December 3, 2009 Reviewer: Dominik Zakrzewski, Maspeth, NY United States I usually don't bother leaving reviews but this DVD really warranted it. I've never been a fan of Shiva Rea's DVDs because thye seemed more like a movie to me rather than an instructional practice. This DVD contains 7 main workouts that when done on their own give you a great workout. She also pairs them into 7 practices between 40 and 60 minutes. This really is the total package. I personally cannot do an hour of yoga daily or every other day. I am usually pressed for time and after a while my body starts to break down. Like it says on the package that it's better to do a little bit of yoga daily than a full routine every now and again. Don't lt the short time of the workouts fool you, they really ARE effective. I do a different one each day, every day and my body is reallly toning, getting muscular, and this really gives me the peace and grounding that yoga is known to induce. I am statign to face the day with a serene gaze like Shiva dones in this workout, and all of her DVDs. The Best Vinyasa Practices Around   Review Date: November 28, 2009 Reviewer: Yoni, Israel I really love Shiva's new DVD and I already tried all of it a few times(except earth which was too basic for me). These are wonderful 20 minute (actually 21-23 min.) complete practices on their own but also work great combined with each other or with other DVDs. There is a matrix and pre set practices. Here is a description of the practices: Earth - the most basic practice. It's like a combination of foundation vinyasa from "Shiva Rea - Fluid Power - Vinyasa Flow Yoga" and some of her dancing warrior variations from "Yoga Shakti" . Heart-Air - my favorite and the most unique practice in this dvd in my opinion. This backbending sequence starts slowly with cat pose and variations and continues to a wonderful flow of poses like several quad stretches in different positions such as kneeling bow , lunge position and in standing half split position. There's also dolphin and dancer's bridge and a single legged bow to a stretch I still haven't seen before - you move on your side to a kind of side one leggeg bow , it's not as hard as it sounds. Then its full bow , bridge and wheel and then one legged wheel that I actually managed to do thanks to Shiva's backbend preperations. In the end she does a lying twist with a straight leg as a counter pose. Chakra Namaskar - a vinyasa combining the elements of earth, water , fire and heart-air with a series of poses such as cat , lunge with a twist , warrior 1 to 3, three variations of side plank and more. Fire-Water - a great combination vinyasa of standing poses such as yogic squat, bound triangle , reverse warrior , half moon with quad stretch , lunges , arm balances such as bhujapidasana and vishma something (I don't remember the name) and backbends such as cobra and bow. It really reminded me of the standing pose flows from Yoga Shakti but still different and unique. Fire - another variation to the agni namaskar, it's very similar to the one from the upper body DVD but with less emphasis on pushups (although you do quite a few but not 108) and more emphasis on poses such as revolved lunge and chair , half splits, cobra and bow variations . it ends with camel, crow and side crow which were nice for a change. it has a nice music with a slow reggae beat and I really enjoyed it , it's my favorite variation of this namaskar. Water - a fluid circular vinyasa similar to her Jala and Mandala namaskar , it was very mellow and nice. Shanti - a great relaxing practice focusing on slow stretches. It starts with lunges with side bends and half splits and continues to pigeon with a nice variation of moving with your hands to each side and then a long hold of pigeon. One legged head to knee forward bend , cow and a seated twist . she also repeats lying on your stomach and twisting to the side twice during the practice. The bonus segments are also nice additions that make this DVD almost perfect: Solar meditation - a moving meditation with arm movements , yogic squat , wide angle forward bend and a twisting kriya similar to the one from "Shiva Rea - Radiant Heart" it's a great little warm up. Lunar Meditation - a seated meditation. Core - very similar to the one from Shiva Rea: Creative Core and Upper Body and even with the same music but with some different fun variations. Forward Bends - always great to add for every practice although each of the longer practices already has counter poses in the end, you can see the clip. There's also an almost 5 minute shavasana with great relaxing music. This time the DVD was shot in an inside studio set and although I always prefer outdoor sets the set is very nice looking and relaxing. The music is excellent! and mostly new. I would say most of the practices are suitable for beginners with some experience except fire, fire water and heart air which are slightly more advanced. I highly recommend it. One for the Regular Folks   Review Date: December 27, 2009 Reviewer: Lisa M. Mims, Austin, TX United States If you've tried everything to get yourself to lose weight or get in better shape, and you like yoga, this is for you. If bribes, diet websites, working out with a partner, classes, and generally torturing yourself, didn't get you to exercise, there is help. Lots of long-term research says that if you exercise first thing in the morning, you'll do it. However, very few people have lots of time in the morning, so what you're trying to find is a twenty or thirty minute workout that you'll actually do. This is the way to get there. If you're like me, you wake up in the morning, and you're not exactly looking to be tortured. No torture here. The set is beautiful. It appears to be a dark wood Pergo floor with a circular stage surrounded by beautiful yellow, teal, orange and red antique Sri Lankan or Indian doors with artistically splashed panels in between. Even above the line of the panels and doors, there is an artistically placed shadow of a mandala (circle pattern). Very neat. This is something you could look at for a long time. The workout itself is safe for most people with basically intact shoulders and some prior experience of yoga--you'll need to know how to do downward dog safely. It's not that difficult in each twenty minute sequence, but it is enough to get your heart rate up pretty substantially unless you're already in very good shape. Here and there, there are advanced moves, and even one more advanced twenty minute sequence. If you are a Shiva Rea fan, be aware that this is not a dancerly tape: with the exception of the Water sequence, this is pretty straightforward yoga. (It's great if you like standard yoga!) Also, it occurs to me that this might be a gateway to some of the more difficult sequences on her other tapes, specifically the harder parts of Yoga Shakti, and her Fluid Power DVD. Wow! Awesome DVD.   Review Date: January 7, 2010 Reviewer: Jennell Leveque, San Francisco and the globe I very rarely practice at home as I practice at various studios most days of the week and some days I'll take 2 or 3 classes in a day. However sometimes life doesn't permit getting to a studio. At a studio I can take a 90 minute class, a 3 hour workshop, or even a day long work shop and keep going. In front of the TV with a DVD I will not last more than about 30 or 40 minutes. I love the 20 minute (actually about 22 minutes) practices. I only did two so far (Fire + Water and Fire) but they are mini complete practices. What I liked about this Shiva Rea DVD is it was not her dancy, free flow style. I worked the Yoga Journal conference a couple years ago and we could go in and out of the classes. I went to a few of her classes and they were all very free flow. I was not into it at all and this DVD is not like that style at all. I do like how she always puts a little twist on poses to make them her own. This is not for beginners. I have to say this because there is bound to be a couple people that rate it one star stating that it is not for beginners when no where on the DVD does it say anything about beginners. One extremely minor pet peave. Now I own a couple of her other DVDs but it has been a while since I watched them so I don't know if she does this all the time but she used ALL the English terms for the poses but then said asana after each one. So she would say plank asana and triangle asana. It was weird. She should just say plank or just say triangle or if she wants to use asana then say trikonasana. Like I said a very minor thing and personal pet peave. I am looking forward to checking out the rest of the DVD.

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If you wish to know how you are doing in your practice – look at your reactions – look at your life.

Unless we connect ‘off’ the mat, bringing our practice into daily life, then any insights and breakthroughs will be of no great value. You may be great at practising yoga on the mat, or sitting quietly in a room – but how are you at practising it in your relationships – with your mother, your son, your neighbour, your boss? As you will your body on the yoga mat to let go of tension and stress, do you remember to do the same with resentment and irritations in daily life? The next time you tell someone that you are sorry, even for bumping into them on the street – really feel it, really mean it?

By answering questions like this – you will find out how you are doing in your practice. You may feel that you are not doing so well once you take a look at your yoga in your life – but this points out the areas that need practice. Just as it takes time to perfect a forward bend, bit by bit the spine becomes flexible and free, the same will happen with daily practice applied in other areas of your life. To be aware of what needs work is no bad thing.

The most powerful transformations are ones established over time, ones which have deep roots. At times you will feel like you are getting nowhere, and then something will happen and your ‘new’ reaction will show you how far you have come. You will begin to have clarity in what once were confusing situations, and by really knowing who you are you will make decisions with detachment as well as love and compassion. When a fear arises, try not to stamp it out or ignore it, welcome it, awknowledge it. Just as in a yoga posture – find the edge and work with it – in time you find that the edge is not actually the place to be avoided but it is indeed your path – to be followed. By knowing this is the path you will come to realise that it is a journey and not a destination and small steps is the only way it can be travelled if you want to absorb all life has to offer. Run too fast and you may fall and hurt yourself, you will miss the beauty around you and the opportunity to engage fully with others.

‘Yoga is a journey, not a destination’ – there will always be somewhere to go. The next time you wish to measure your progress, take a look at your life as a whole – the emotions that arise in daily situations and the fears which arise in decision making, as well as during yoga postures.

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People start meditating for different reasons. If we divide those who start meditating in two groups, there are spiritual seekers seeking a deeper meaning to life, or seeking god. The other group are those who want to improve their mental and physical well-being. There are of course other reasons too, but most can be sorted under these two groups in one way or another. Enough scientific research has been done to prove the positive effects of meditation for it to be recommended by health professionals.

Physical health

An interesting study was made based on health insurance statistics. It showed that meditators had 87% fewer hospitalizations for heart disease, 55% fewer for benign and malignant tumors and 30% fewer for infectious diseases. The meditators had more than 50% fewer doctor visits than did non-meditators.

I have heard from many sources that at least 80% of all disease has it’s roots in mental and emotional issues, most of the time related to stress. This means that if we get perfect mental and emotional health we would almost never get sick, or at least 80% less often! For some this is the goal with their meditation practice. For others this is just a positive side effect on the way to a higher goal.

Mental well-being

Since the book and film “The secret” became popular, more people have become interested in using meditation to help visualize various goals in life because according to “The secret” you can draw anything you want to you by having a clear mental image and feeling of what it would be like to have what ever is it you are wanting. It may be material things or it could be a relationship or the job of your dreams. Some people are content with just enjoying feeling good from within, being more relaxed, happier and a clearer mind.

Meditation gave prisoners improved well-being and behavior

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. Everyone can benefit from meditation. A very interesting study was done with a group of prisoners at a high-security federal penitentiary in the United States. They formed a meditation group which met once a month with a qualified instructor and then weekly among the prisoner-students themselves, without the instructor. The group meetings were supervised by a clergy member who was a full time member of the prison’s administrative staff. After only one session with their teacher, all students reported increased peace of mind and mental contentment, even though 90 percent of the prisoners had no previous knowledge or experience with any form of meditation practice. The prison administration monitored the group, and reported that they became more cooperative, more inwardly-focused on self-development, less anxious, and less apt to use drugs or alcohol or engage in any form of violent behavior.

The prison meditation group began with five participants, and increased in popularity until there were more than 50 meditation students, and each of them meditated at least 15 minutes per day. The participants referred to meditation as “a furlough for the soul”, and said that when they were in a meditative state, they felt completely free from the environment, stress, and physical confinement of prison life. It was an escape for them, but not into denial and repression, but into expanded awareness.

Enlightenment and Oneness

There are spiritual seekers who see all of the mentioned positive effects merely as positive side effects on the way to their true goal: Enlightenment, Nirvana or oneness. In order to reach this goal they often feel that they can not get caught up to much in the external or mental well-being they achieve through meditation. Their goal is beyond the mental, emotional, physical and even beyond the mind itself, because the mind can never achieve this higher state. The mind and thoughts are what most people identify with but to this group of people these things are just outer chatter that will stop them in their progress if they get caught up with them. Many guru’s and spiritual masters talk about higher states of consciousness beyond the mind. A state where there are no thoughts.

No mind? No thoughts? Can one live or even exist without it? If what they say is true, then they are the living proof of it. Some say that the mind and thoughts still exists in their life, but are experienced as background chatter that doesn’t effect them in a negative way and that they can still chose to use the mind in situations that require it, but that it still never takes control over them. They use the mind when needed, instead of the other way around. Would’t that be liberating? To be able to shut off the mind and thoughts sometimes.

Change the world

It seems that what ever your goals are, meditation can be used to help you get there. Most people don’t have the patience to learn meditation and find it to be very boring. There are ways to experience meditative states and enjoy the positive effects by using technology (mostly sound technology) without the need of learning any meditation technique.

We really live in a time that makes inner transformation available easier then ever before and I have a feeling there is a reason for that. Look at the world and what is happening to it. There is a need of change and now is the time. Start today, or you might never start at all.

People start meditating for different reasons. If we divide those who start meditating in two groups, there are spiritual seekers seeking a deeper meaning to life, or seeking god. The other group are those who want to improve their mental and physical well-being. There are of course other reasons too, but most can be sorted under these two groups in one way or another. Enough scientific research has been done to prove the positive effects of meditation for it to be recommended by health professionals.

Physical health

An interesting study was made based on health insurance statistics. It showed that meditators had 87% fewer hospitalizations for heart disease, 55% fewer for benign and malignant tumors and 30% fewer for infectious diseases. The meditators had more than 50% fewer doctor visits than did non-meditators.

I have heard from many sources that at least 80% of all disease has it’s roots in mental and emotional issues, most of the time related to stress. This means that if we get perfect mental and emotional health we would almost never get sick, or at least 80% less often! For some this is the goal with their meditation practice. For others this is just a positive side effect on the way to a higher goal.

Mental well-being

Since the book and film “The secret” became popular, more people have become interested in using meditation to help visualize various goals in life because according to “The secret” you can draw anything you want to you by having a clear mental image and feeling of what it would be like to have what ever is it you are wanting. It may be material things or it could be a relationship or the job of your dreams. Some people are content with just enjoying feeling good from within, being more relaxed, happier and a clearer mind.

Meditation gave prisoners improved well-being and behavior

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. Everyone can benefit from meditation. A very interesting study was done with a group of prisoners at a high-security federal penitentiary in the United States. They formed a meditation group which met once a month with a qualified instructor and then weekly among the prisoner-students themselves, without the instructor. The group meetings were supervised by a clergy member who was a full time member of the prison’s administrative staff. After only one session with their teacher, all students reported increased peace of mind and mental contentment, even though 90 percent of the prisoners had no previous knowledge or experience with any form of meditation practice. The prison administration monitored the group, and reported that they became more cooperative, more inwardly-focused on self-development, less anxious, and less apt to use drugs or alcohol or engage in any form of violent behavior.

The prison meditation group began with five participants, and increased in popularity until there were more than 50 meditation students, and each of them meditated at least 15 minutes per day. The participants referred to meditation as “a furlough for the soul”, and said that when they were in a meditative state, they felt completely free from the environment, stress, and physical confinement of prison life. It was an escape for them, but not into denial and repression, but into expanded awareness.

Enlightenment and Oneness

There are spiritual seekers who see all of the mentioned positive effects merely as positive side effects on the way to their true goal: Enlightenment, Nirvana or oneness. In order to reach this goal they often feel that they can not get caught up to much in the external or mental well-being they achieve through meditation. Their goal is beyond the mental, emotional, physical and even beyond the mind itself, because the mind can never achieve this higher state. The mind and thoughts are what most people identify with but to this group of people these things are just outer chatter that will stop them in their progress if they get caught up with them. Many guru’s and spiritual masters talk about higher states of consciousness beyond the mind. A state where there are no thoughts.

No mind? No thoughts? Can one live or even exist without it? If what they say is true, then they are the living proof of it. Some say that the mind and thoughts still exists in their life, but are experienced as background chatter that doesn’t effect them in a negative way and that they can still chose to use the mind in situations that require it, but that it still never takes control over them. They use the mind when needed, instead of the other way around. Would’t that be liberating? To be able to shut off the mind and thoughts sometimes.

Change the world

It seems that what ever your goals are, meditation can be used to help you get there. Most people don’t have the patience to learn meditation and find it to be very boring. There are ways to experience meditative states and enjoy the positive effects by using technology (mostly sound technology) without the need of learning any meditation technique.

We really live in a time that makes inner transformation available easier then ever before and I have a feeling there is a reason for that. Look at the world and what is happening to it. There is a need of change and now is the time. Start today, or you might never start at all.

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/Marcus Knudsen. Inventor of Bliss coded sound – www.xphirience.com

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Amazon.com Price: $10.04 (as of 2010-09-10 17:06:30 GMT) Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life.
	Manufacturer: Perigee Trade Customer Rating:   List Price: $13.95 Sale Price: $10.04 Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours Free Shipping Available Buy Now
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In recent years, mainstream Americans have begun to come around to meditation in a big way-and scientific studies are suggesting that the physical and mental benefits are solid and real. But to many, it remains something mystical and inaccessible...and spiritually-oriented tomes on the market don't do much to make it easier. As interest in meditation continues to grow, this book offers a simple, no-nonsense program to help beginners experience reduced stress and increased focus in only eight minutes a day. Designed by meditation expert and bestselling author Victor Davich, this program teaches the basic principles of meditation while clearing up the misconceptions and myths that too often get in the way.
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The Yoga Bible
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Featuring over 150 yogic postures from the main schools of yoga, including Iyengar and Astanga Vinyasa, this guide provides a comprehensive illustrated step-by-step book to achieving the postures and advice on altering them where necessary with easier postures highlighted for beginners. The book also includes more advanced positions for experienced yogists, which will inspired them in developing their practice. In addition to postures, the book includes notes on various types of yoga practices as well as a summary of well-known traditional schools of yoga and how they vary. Also inside is advice from the author on breathing techniques and the benefits of yoga in healing, pregnancy, de-stressing and meditation. Christina Brown qualified as a yoga instructor at the Sivananda Ashram in southern India in 1995. She has also trained in Iyengar Yoga at the Sydney Yoga Centre and in Deradun, India and in yoga therapy at the Yoga Therapy Centre in London. She currently teaches yoga in Sydney, Australia and holds a degree in complementary medicine from the Natural Care College in Sydney. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
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Yoga is widely known to improve the health and well being of its practitioners. It is the union of the mind, body and soul and the benefit you get out of yoga far outweighs the time you spent practicing it. While many people find it difficult to set aside an hour or two of yoga practice each week, a 30 minute yoga session is finding its way into the lives of busy executives, financial brokers, teachers, bankers, and other people with very busy schedules and making a great impact in their everyday lives.

The body responds positively to 30 minutes of yoga exercise done routinely everyday or every alternate day, compared to an hour of yoga done each week. This half-hour yoga fits very well into the lives of people who can’t spare an hour or two of practice because of their busy careers. 30 minutes a day is all it takes to reap the benefits of yoga as it stretches and lengthens the muscles and reduces the risk of injuries. It also gives balance and a sense of agility as we get older. It relaxes the muscles and reduces tension which minimizes pain that is associated with it while toning them to build stamina and endurance. This daily incremental yoga session helps us to relax, clearing away tension in our body. As a result of that we benefit by getting higher levels of energy to carry out our daily chores and activities. The breathing practices in yoga helps to relax the muscles and the mind and brings the much needed oxygen to the cells in our system. This produces a sense calmness and confidence and also gives us better quality sleep as it clears away clutter and allows us to focus our attention on every aspect of our lives and be present in our current activity without having to worry about what has happened in the past or what is going to take place in the future.

The deep breathing in yoga reduces our stress level as it decreases the hormones in the body which are released when we are overwhelmed. The different yoga poses create a relaxation response and helps us to reach an inner state of calmness for more focus, alertness and attention. Many successful people routinely practices this 30 minute yoga each day to keep themselves in balance, alert and productive. Yoga practitioners have also attributed their success in business and in their personal lives to this daily routine.

Copyright (c) 2009 Azmi Adnan

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Azmi Adnan is a writer and a yoga practitioner. Subscribe to his newsletter for interesting articles on yoga at his website www.power-to-live.com/yoga.htm

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Neuroscientist Dr Shanida Nataraja has just published The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation, a thought-provoking science book that proves meditation can improve your concentration, memory and decision-making skills.

Dr Nataraja was first exposed to meditation by her parents, who meditated regularly. She explains: “I was raised in a family where meditation was a central part of life. My father is Indian, from a Hindu background, and my mother is Dutch and Catholic.” However, it wasn’t until she became a research scientist that she decided to investigate whether her parent’s activity actually worked.

Dr Nataraja was surprised at the findings of her studies, she said: “I really didn’t expect to find that meditation plays such a role in optimising brain function and health, from cognitive abilities to cardiovascular wellbeing.” She found that meditation was beneficial to the brain because it boosted brain integration.

Dr Nataraja believes brain integration is important, as she thinks that westerners use the left halves of their brains too much. She explains, “Generally speaking, the left hemisphere is associated with analytical, rational and logical processing, whereas the right hemisphere is associated with abstract thought, non-verbal awareness, visual-spatial perception and the expression and modulation of emotions. In the western world, most individuals navigate through their everyday life in a fashion dominated by left-brained thinking.” Relying too heavily on the left hand side of the brain can cause people to think too much, while not feeling enough. This can cause stress and anxiety, as well as making people feel overwhelmed.

Dr Nataraja’s research used galvanic skin response meters to monitor emotional changes through the skin and electroencephalograms (EEGs), which measured the amount of electrical activity that was being produced by the brain. Her work demonstrated that entering a meditative state could bring a feeling of calmness, prompted by a much-needed increase in use of the right side of the brain. Her studies also showed an increased level of alpha brain wave activity, which indicated that meditation also activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This activation of this nervous system is important as it lowers stress levels, which decreases pressure on your heart.

Although she proves that there are numerous health benefits offered by meditation, Dr Nataraja also realises that it can be difficult to reach the meditative state in today’s busy world. However, she advises people to take a 15-minute break at the start and finish of every day for quiet reflection, which has a calming effect and can help to relieve some of the pressure of modern life.

Dr Nataraja champions a number of alternative therapy methods to reach the meditative state. She said: “I also do yoga two or three times a week; it took me a long time to find a type of meditation that suited me. I’ve tried tai chi, chi gung and other approaches, but yoga really works for me with its very specific point of mindful focus on the postures.”

Source:

Guardian

Samantha Srillian is a freelance writer, as well as a naturally gifted psychic medium and tarot card reader. She is interested in alternative therapies, angels and spiritual healing.

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Yoga instruction can be the first step in changing and improving your life and creating a whole new you. When one comes to the decision that they are in need of a real life change, there are many ways to accomplish this, but few will be as beneficial as Yoga.
Yoga is a means in which you can improve yourself mentally, emotionally, spiritually as well as improving your physical body. The benefits of Yoga are immense; you will become stronger, healthier and feel better about yourself when you commit yourself to Yoga instruction.

The health benefits alone are enough to get many people started with yoga instruction, but there are many reasons why yoga can help you to change your life for the better. Yoga is a type of all in one approach to life change, though alone it cannot work miracles to help better your life, it can be a great foundation for a start.

Aside from health, there are other ways in which yoga instruction can help to improve your life.
It could help you to earn more money. Yoga can provide you with the ability to manage stress, and this alone can assist you in the workplace, but it can also aid you in your concentration skills. The better you can concentrate, the more you can get accomplished.
Another advantage of learning Yoga is increased energy. Many people claim that they begin to feel more refreshed and energized after they begin practicing Yoga. This translates into more energy to devote to your interests, as well as family and friends. There is little doubt that our loved ones and those things that absorb our interest is what really make life worth living. Imagine a life in which only a small portion of your energy and thoughts are used for work, and the rest is saved for what is most important to us. This alone could help change your life for the better.

Coping with depression is another area in which Yoga can be of use. Yoga postures are designed to stretch, compress and massage your internal organs and glands. This stimulation is thought to help balance hormone levels in the body, which can help to attain a more balanced emotional condition.
Maybe you would like to stop smoking, or conquer some other habit that may be harming you. Yoga will increase your motivation, energy and focus, which will aid you in changing whatever habit you set out to change.
Yoga instruction can truly be beneficial for those who are looking to make some meaningful life changes.

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Thomas T is the owner of www.Yoga-Instruction.NET. Lots of free info about Yoga Instruction at www.Yoga-Instruction.NET.

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Meditation provides a much-needed succor to the battered mind and soul. This fact is known for centuries to ancient civilizations, like Hindu. However, the Western world has only just realized the potency of meditation as a means towards a healthy physical and meta-physical existence. Chakra Meditation is one of the Meditation methods that is most popular the world over purely because of its simplicity and effectiveness in bringing about a change in anyone’s life.

Chakra Meditation – A Primer

Quite simply, Chakra Meditation refers to the process of balancing and energizing all the 7 energy centers (Chakras) in order to align the flow of energy through them. These 7 energy centers, or the Chakras, are:

1. Root Chakra governing your general health, prosperity and well being is located at the base of the spine and related to the element ‘Earth’.

2. Orange or Naval or Sacral Chakra located at the center of abdomen and related to the element ‘Water’. It governs our emotions and sexuality.

3. Throat Chakra is situated at the base of the throat. It is related to the ‘Sound’ element, which governs our creativity, communication ability, and resonance.

4. Heart Chakra is situated right at the center of the chest. It is related to the ‘Air’ element, which governs our feelings of love, compassion, and general relationships.

5. Power Chakra, also called the Solar Plexus, is situated just above the naval region. It is related to the ‘Fire’ element, which governs our will power, metabolism, and autonomy.

6. Brow Chakra governing your power of imagination, visualization, and interpretation is located between the brows on the forehead and related to the element ‘Light’.

7. Crown Chakra located at the top of the head and related to the element ‘thought’. It governs consciousness, wisdom, and knowledge.

If you want to reinvent yourself and bring back those vitalizing moments in your life, then there’s no substitute to Chakra Meditation. If these vital seven Chakras are rotating in sync, physical, mental, and spiritual well being is assured. Thus, you can safely conclude that Chakra Meditation is the key to overall health of your life, taken as a whole.

Chakra Meditation – The Process

Chakra Meditation involves three techniques in this order:

1. Grounding Technique refers to the process whereby, your body feels connected with Earth. The visualization involves assuming a root growing from your body and entering into the Earth, thus, transfixing your body to the ground. With some intense focus and determination, you can achieve this state of Chakra Meditation.

2. Centering Technique, which aims at preparing your body to receive the benefits of Chakra Meditation. Just take three to five deep breaths and visualize relaxation of every body part from toe to crown. In simple words, just tighten and relax each body part from toe to the crown, and then visualize the act of centering a pot on a pottery wheel.

3. Relaxation Technique, which is the final step in Chakra Meditation. There is no hard and fast rule to relax your body. Everyone has his or her own method of relaxation.

Here is a simple method of performing Chakra Meditation:

a) Sit or lie down comfortably.

b) Loosen all your clothing so that there is no tension on any part of the body, and close your eyes.

c) Take relaxing breaths – neither too fast nor too slow. Just give up your control on the breath, and let it flow naturally.

d) Feel every part of your body from toe to the crown in that direction. Feel the earth you are lying on or the sofa you are seated on, feel the clothes you are wearing. Feel completely present with yourself and relaxed.

e) You may experience a wave of thoughts, fears, and every kind of emotion during this process. Don’t avoid them! This represents the release of stress-related thoughts. With practice and regular exercise, these negative emotions and feelings will disappear.

f) Feel every subtle inner detail and let your awareness travel freely from one body part to the other.

This exercise can be done at any time of the day and for any duration of time. However, the longer the better!

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The author Jonathan Benjem is one of the experts who writes for chakra-balance.com site. Visit here to understand how chakra meditation can change your life and receive twenty nine Free chakra meditation Audios.

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