When you are dreaming, your predominant brainwaves are in the 7-12hz range that we call ‘Alpha.’ Achieving this state while still conscious can dramatically improve your creativity.

Brainwave entrainment is the use of some external stimulus, usually different sounds that a person will hear with stereo headphones, to induce a certain level of brain wave activity. When a person’s brainwave activity is artificially altered by these means, it will subtly shift their awareness.

The use of binaural beats is a common method of brainwave entrainment. In order for the binaural beats to be effective, a person must be using stereo headphones so that they can hear a different sound in each ear.

Most of the time, the binaural beats will be embedded underneath the layers of tracks on a song, usually soothing ambient music or soundscapes, so that the person listening can focus on the music and not on the frequencies they are hearing. On an effective binaural beat audio, the frequencies should blend perfectly into the background, and you should not be able to consciously notice them unless you really try to isolate them.

Binaural beats are the most effective this way, when they are loud enough to still have an effect on your brainwave activity but quiet enough that you do not notice them. Depending on the difference between the two frequencies you decide to use, you can entrain any desired brainwave state and state of mind.

The ideal brainwave frequency for alpha meditation is about 9-10hz, so if we wanted to create a set of binaural beats that could be used to artificially induce this specific frequency, we could play 110hz in the left ear and 120hz in the right ear.

To any person who is hearing these different frequencies in each ear, their brain will act like a tuning fork and it will lock on to the difference between the two frequencies, which in this case would be 10hz.

‘Alpha’ is the name that we use for the range of brainwave frequencies from around 8hz-13hz. A person will naturally experience alpha waves during a 24-hour cycle, and it is usually when they are in a light sleep and are dreaming. You can also reach this state by listening to soothing soundscapes or chill-out music, preferably music with alpha binaural beat already embedded in the layers, and simply lying down and resting. When a person reaches this alpha state while they are still conscious, their imagination will be highly active and they can see very vivid imagery, like an intense dream.

After practicing this daily for a short while, even just a week or two, a person’s intuitive creativity will naturally be higher and coming up with new ideas will seem easier.

It is this intuitive alpha state that is the key to increasing your creativity and imagination, because this frequency stimulates the right-side creative portion of the human brain. After doing daily alpha meditation and staying in the alpha state for 30 minutes or more per day, your creative visualization capabilities will markedly increase, and it is this creative visualization that can help you achieve any outcome you desire.

If you are interested in pursuing alpha meditation, you can do a number of things. While it does not require music with alpha binaural beats, this is highly recommended because your brain will automatically lock on to the alpha frequency.

You can go to your local music store and look for CDs on ‘alpha mediation’ or ‘alpha relaxation,’ or you can also look online at places like iTunes. Or if you would like to have full control over your alpha meditation experience, you can embed any song of your choosing with binaural beats using special audio software.

Creating your own binaural beat audios will give you full control over your meditation experience, and you can experiment with different frequencies around the 7-10 hz area to see which ones give you the biggest boost in intuition and creativity.

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With the ability to deliver messages directly to your subconscious mind, you can alter your belief system to become more confident and successful without doing any conscious work. Quite literally, this is the “Lazy Man’s Road To Success.” Learn more subliminal techniques for delivering messages directly to your subconscious mind at HumanMindPower.com

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By now, most of us have the sense that meditation is a great tool for stress management, heart health, healing, boosting creativity, and more.

But meditation is also a great way to improve your sleep and enhance your dreams.

Did you know that anxiety, depression and pain stick with you while you sleep? You bet – they can be visible in the patterns of brainwaves, eye movements and muscle tone recorded in laboratories and sleep clinics. They disrupt our sleep architecture, or the cycles and rhythms of sleep.

Not surprisingly, when we carry extra stress, when we’re down in the dumps, or when we have aches and pains our sleep is far from optimal. Our REM (dream) density and deep sleep is lessened when we are anxious, sad or sedentary. We end up feeling unrested, and not quite right. We feed a negative cycle.

So how do we break it? How do we turn it around and feel truly rejuvenated physically, mentally and spiritually? Well, of course, one great way is through meditation!

During meditation you clear your mind. Essentially, you focus on “nothingness” and you simply “be”. This is easier said than done at first, but you get better and better at it the more you do it. Eventually the feeling of this becomes second nature. You get very good at recognizing when you need to take a minute to stop what you’re doing (physically or with your thoughts) and clear your head again to get back to that feeling.

With a clear mind you don’t have a bunch of mental congestion. Your body can “get through to you” better. You recognize when you need to calm it and lower your blood pressure, physically exercise or simply stop your thoughts and worries and just let go. You allow a state of rejuvenation where your body can glow naturally.

And our most potent, natural rejuvenator is sleep – without a doubt. Our deep “delta” sleep provides us with physical restoration while our REM sleep mentally restores us, and keeps us “sharp”. A meditator with a peaceful body and mind can let go of the day at will and drift into blissful sleep at the drop of a hat. And a peaceful body and mind enter naturally into optimal sleep rhythms so your body can do its thing cellularly and hormonally resulting in a balanced and radiating You!

Pretty great, huh? Well guess what? We can take it to even higher levels. Once your mind is cleared of chatter, worries and stressors, you then have an excellent opportunity to hold your focus on an intention, ideal, or something you DO want to fill your mind with. This may be something specific like new life patterns or behaviors, or something abstract like Love, Peace or Joy. You are only limited by your imagination.

Meditation is easy and effective. When you wake up in the morning, take a few minutes to clearly intend a perfect day, a perfect presentation, or a heart full of Lovingkindness. You’ll be surprised at how big of difference this makes in your life. As you are falling asleep, hold a clear intention of being restored fully and waking refreshed. Repeat your intention as many times as you like. Or repeat affirmations that tonight you will experience certain wonderful dreams, or even lucid dreams!

Lucid dreams are dreams in which you are aware you are dreaming while you are dreaming. This is easily a whole separate topic, but as it pertains to this one, fully lucid dreams can deliver absolute freedom, and a connection to something more. In lucid dreams, you can go anywhere with anyone anytime! About any person who has had this experience will report it as transcendent. Many report it as deeply spiritual, feeling wholly connected to higher aspects of themselves and the universe. Upon waking they cherish the experience and feel – yes – rejuvenated in every way!

I hope by reading this you get a sense of how powerful simple meditation can be. When applied to the realms of sleep and dreams, you obtain an amazing inner resource for rejuvenation. All you have to do is “tap in”!

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

Daniel Topp, MA has spent over 15 years in clinical and research-based sleep medicine. For more information about meditation and sleep enhancement, visit his site: www.3PoundUniverse.com

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While meditation is an important spiritual element of major religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, it’s used every day by millions of people who meditate purely for it’s health benefits. Western medicine recognizes mediation’s positive, calming effects, with doctors advising patients who suffer from stress, high blood pressure and chromic pain to take a few relaxing minutes each day to meditate.

It’s like a trip to the gym for your brain – by focusing the mind on a single thought or image, even for only 10 or 20 minutes each day, you’re body relaxes, our mind becomes clear, and stressful problems become easier to manage.

Why meditation has a measurable effect on mind and body

To understand how meditation works, it helps to understand how the brain functions. The largest part of the brain is the cortex, divided into left and right hemispheres. The left side of the brain is usually dominant, controlling speech, logic, calculation and writing. The right hemisphere controls creativity, imagination and emotions. Researchers believe that when we meditate we create a connection between the two hemispheres. When subjects hooked up to ECG machines meditate, researchers can measure the intensity of alpha waves – the brain waves when we’re in calm, relaxed state – produced while meditating. During meditation, alpha waves are far stronger and more consistent between both hemispheres that during other forms of relaxation – even sleep.

When the brain is in an alpha state, the parasympathetic nervous system takes over – the part of the nervous system that conserves and restores energy, slows blood pressure and heart rate, and controls the digestion and absorption of nutrients by the body. When the parasympathetic nervous system takes over, the high-stress “fight-or-flight” response – which is accompanied by secretion of stress hormones like adrenaline, plus tension in the head, neck and lower back – is overruled, and the body releases other, more positive hormones that promote relaxation and healing.

Proof that meditation works

Medical researchers have done a great deal of study into the benefits of meditation. Studies show it encourages better brain function, improved circulation in the extremities, increased cerebral blood flow and lower levels of stress hormones. A 1987 found that people who practiced Transcendental Meditation – on where subjects used focused breathing and a repeated mantra, or sound) made less than half the number of visits to doctors and spent 50 percent less time in hospitals than people who didn’t meditate. than those who did not.

There are countless ways to meditate, and you can teach yourself how to do it from, books, tapes, or via the Internet in a very short time. There are often classes available at local community centers, holistic health centers and even community colleges, as well. Among the most popular methods of meditation are:

Mantra meditation: A word or phrase – your mantra – is repeated over and over, either out loud or in your head. You can choose a phrase that relates to your personal beliefs, one that’s a positive statement, or a one-syllable word-sound like “om” or “eng.”

Breath awareness: You concentrate on rhythmic breathing, possibly counting each breath in and out, often breathing in through the nose and out the mouth.

Object meditation: You focus on a specific object, noting each detail of its shape, presence and color.

Active meditations: Using rhythmic movements, like walking, swimming, t’ai chi or yoga to focus the mind.

A simple, 7-step meditation anyone can do

1. Set aside 10 to 20 minutes, once or twice a day.

2. Find a place that’s quiet where you are unlikely to be disturbed, and sit down. You don;t need to sit cross-legged, or in any special posture – a comfortable chair is fine. Wear comfortable clothes, and arrange your arms and legs in a relaxed posture.

3. Set an alarm so you don’t have to worry about keeping track of time. If you’re concerned that it may startle you, place it in another room or under a cushion, so the sound will be muffled but audible.

4. Breathe slowly and rhythmically, consciously relaxing your feet, legs, torso, on up your body until all your muscles are loose.

5. Choose a word to repeat to yourself. The classic mantra is “Om,” the Sanskrit word for perfection. Or you could choose a simple word that reflects what you hope to achieve in your life, like “calm,” “happiness” or “energy.” You could also, instead, count your breaths from one to 10, then over again and again. If thoughts drift into your mind, allow them to float gently out again as you re-focus on your word or breathing.

6. When your alarm sounds and you’ve finished, don’t jump right up – allow yourself to slowly open your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and rejoin the world in a relaxed manner.

7. Stretch your arms and legs, and stand up slowly.

Most people who start meditation find they have trouble motivating themselves to meditate, and letting go of the Western tendency to constantly think, think, think about every little thing. This is one reason why you might consider taking a class or using tapes – in can be valuable to have a guide to take you through meditation your first few times. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find meditation is simple and effective – and you can move on to more advanced techniques as you find yourself progressing.

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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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