Many scientific and medical studies have demonstrated the many benefits of practicing mindfulness meditation. This practice of mindfulness has been effective in the treatment of fibromyalgis, chronic depression, anxiety and also in the handling of persistent pain. The many advantages of mindfulness meditation practice include

1. Increased Ability to Relax.

2. Greater capability to Cope.

3. More Energy.

4. Greater ability to Focus.

5. Greater Peace of Mind.

6. Greater sense of Integrety

Human beings have for many thousands of years engaged in practices of meditation and contemplation. They have practiced bringing the awareness of the present moment to their experiences in their body, into their heart and into their mind. These practices, that can be referred to as sacred technologies, help many people develop more kindness, more compassion and empathy, and help expand their capacity to be more accepting of the ups and the downs that life brings to each of us.

This practice of mindfulness has in in recent times had a growing impact on our Western culture. Mindfulness does not necessitate adherence to a particular set of religious beliefs or to a given spiritual point of view. Practicing mindfulness can, and does, enhance one’s development through the various stages of the spiritual life. The practice of mindfulness can help in the negotiating those key transitions of personal and spiritual development that everyone must at given periods in their life take.

Fortunately , mindfulness is not something one has to “get” or attain. Mindfulness is already there within you. It is a deep internal source available to you and it is patiently waiting in order to be released and employed in the service of healing, learning and growing..

Individuals participate in the practice of mindfulness for reasons as diverse as…

Stress — job, family or money. Protracted discomfort and illness. Hysteria and panic.

Elevated blood pressure Headaches

These individuals are sent by their doctors or they’re self-referred. Many such people enroll on courses because, although they’re feeling well physically, they say the pace of their lives is “out of control” or they “are just not feeling quite right.” Mindfulness enables you to follow the great instruction of the poet Max Erhmann who wrote in his poem titled Desiderata,

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste and remember what peace there might be in silence.

Mindfulness is a personal development technique that allows you to be present and to invite the joys of presence arising from within you. Instead of your spending time getting anxious and wondering what the future will bring you have your attention focused on the present moment and in a magical way the worry and the anxiety start to flow out of the mind and the body. This practicing of mindfulness costs you nothing except for the time and the commitment to the practice that is needed. Mindfulness is a practical art and brings you into the abundance of the presence you have always been but have forgotten.

Tony Cuckson is a writer of spiritual and personal development courses guiding you to finding purpose, passion and prosperity through various life transitions.. Using assorted maps of the stages of personal development along with mythology, story telling and personal and spiritual development practices you are guided to live your One Wild and Precious life. To discover more about spiritual development courses and the power of story telling and poetry to transform your life visit http://www.tonycuckson.com

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There are many different kinds that we all face troublesome spots in our life, but probably one of the biggest ones that many people are dealing with today is facing meditation trouble in their home. Did you know that many people it even take this type of trouble to heart?

When you’re facing meditation trouble it is coming at you on many different levels. Many people to not understand this concept and this is probably one of the biggest misconceptions when trying to heal different areas of your life.

When an issue comes into your life such as this, you have to understand that it is not just on one level, but it is on all of the four main levels for balancing out your life – which are the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.

Healing all of these levels is what is going to work on easing their meditation trouble in your life and bringing everything back into our harmonious state. You can do this in some simple and easy steps today to get started.

Let me ask you a few simple questions to get you started. What is healing to you? How does this resonate within your own energy fields? How do you see this helping your life today? What kind of images come to mind?

When you’re working with some of these questions, and answers, this is good to help you get started on working with those meditation trouble issues for healing process to begin.

When you work on answering these questions you’re going to get a good basis of understanding yourself from within at your soul level. This is where you’re going to find these answers.

You have to understand when you’re working with finding answers through your inner soul connections for your meditation trouble, these answers are not going to make the person that you are today or define you in any way. They are simply answers to get you started on healing pathway.

Most people stop at this point for their healing process because they do not like the answers that come about. It does not matter if the answers are good or bad, as remember they are just answers to questions for your own healing process to begin. This does not make you a good or bad person, nor does it control the positive or negative in your life.

These answers are something that was determined from a previous mindset that you are holding; they are not controlling you now.

There are many different ways you can work on healing the meditation trouble in your life through some complementary and alternative therapies. You can work with positive affirmations, Reiki healing, crystal healing, inner soul work, purging and releasing techniques, shifting into a positive mindset, music therapy, and many others.

When you’re working with Reiki energy healing for your meditation trouble, make sure to tap into the power of self-healing for all of the issues in your life on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level connections. This is where you’re going to have a successful healing session in all areas of everything is balanced out in a harmonious way.

Enjoy the new technique that I shared with you, and make sure to find other ones that resonate within your own vibrational frequency today to heal the meditation trouble in your life.

Nicole Lanning, certified healer in spiritual healing sessions, holistic health, holistic healing, and spiritual healing methods can be contacted at Healing Art Forms and Holistic Healing Minute.

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yoga teacher training

In Yoga, whether you stand with the head, bend forward, or bend backwards, if your head is below the heart, you are performing an inversion.

This means that Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and Fish (Matsyasana) are also inversions – although both postures are moderate in comparison to Head Stand (Sirsasana). If the risks over-shadow the advantages, there is no logical reason an instructor in a yoga teacher training or pupil should train a technique. The next contraindications are particularly associated with inversions.

If you have any of these conditions, please omit inversions or talk with a competent teacher who will adjust your exercise. If you are an instructor, you need to make certain to understand about the physical condition of every student. This means new pupils who show up late, disrupt your classes, take risks if they have any medical conditions and will keep you accountable if something goes wrong.

The answer: Do not educate students who you have not spoken to prior to training. A student’s medical condition is data that you must understand to be able to teach Yoga exercises safely. In the following cases, inversions should be omitted, adjusted, or changed, depending on the health of the pupil.

In the case of neck issues, eye problems, a past heart stroke, hypertension, heart problems, sinus problems, and epilepsy, inverted asanas must be omitted, altered, or changed. If a pupil is expecting, she should be practicing with a prenatal Yoga exercise specialist and attend a yoga conference.

In the case of the monthly period, there’s much controversy. About a contraindication for menstruation: At this time, there isn’t any hard data or analysis that would guarantee an official warning.

Therefore, it might be wise to let students know of the controversy. Finally, never put a student in danger. If you have serious doubts regarding a student’s capability to properly perform an inverted asana due to a health issue, you have to omit this or insist on a doctor’s note.

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People are currently going keep to ancient practices as they be acquainted with that the fashionable times have been causing them too far stress. Of each one the suggests that of relaxation out there, more and added people are shopping forward to expertise the advantages of meditation.

Due to its effectivity apropos calming the mind and developing a person’s level of intuition, meditation has currently being performed not just a means that of clearing the mind plus inner reflection but additionally to heal assorted diseases during the mind, emotions, plus physical aspects.

Meditation and its advantages

One of the most celebrated advantages of meditation is which it greatly helps the person’s physical state. Among the physical benefits of meditation involve the heart thru a deep rest since it decreases the person’s metabolic rate in addition to the center rate, that ends up in the reduction of workload for the heart. Other than that, it’s also known to lower the levels of a person’s cortisol in addition to dissolving the chemicals that are closely associated with everyday stress.
Different physical benefits of meditation additionally come with reduced free radicals during the body by eliminating oxygen molecules which are unstable, decreases a man’s high blood pressure, develops the ability to get more resistant skin, lowering or totally dropping the person’s level of cholesterol, improve air flow to the lungs to aid easy respiration, delays biological aging plus will increase the levels of DHEAS in older people.

When it comes to psychological factor, meditation aids in increasing the person’s brain wave coherence, decreasing anxiety levels, mostly irritability, deep-set depression, and swing of moods, improves the person’s memory as well as their learning ability, increases the person’s ability for self-actualization, will increase the person’s feeling of youthfulness plus rejuvenation as well as vitality, ends up in positive outlook in life plus joyfulness, and will increase a man’s emotional status plus stability.

Alternative noted edges of meditation for an individual and their community come with:

– Relaxation to the person’s the body, mind, and soul.

– Rejuvenation of energy to face the serious challenges plus stress ahead.

– Healing of various diseases that are closely-associated with the mind and the overall body.

– Constructing a added stable person vis emotions.

– Developments of relaxed family life and instilling positive outlooks in life to younger people.

– Enhances the person’s ability to form their mind function properly.

– Letting a man discover his or her inner self, this in turn releases the creativity in them.

– It helps individuals to free themselves from various vices and addictions such as alcohol plus cigarettes as well as in various medications such as tranquilizers plus narcotics.

– It even helps a person to realize higher self-confidence, thus, ensuing to stronger power of the will.

– It can be an effective and safe way of discovering one’s self rather than focusing the awareness to alternative unhealthy practices.

– It aids in the development of the power of the mind.

The listing goes on about the advantages of mediation in an individual and to their community. In therefore many cases, these are positive edges but once mediation has not been used properly, people ought to bear in mind of the facet effects. To avoid this from happening, individuals who are planning to get serious in meditation ought to always consult a skilled prior to performing any meditation techniques.

People are currently going keep to ancient practices as they be acquainted with that the fashionable times have been causing them too far stress. Of each one the suggests that of relaxation out there, more and added people are shopping forward to expertise the advantages of meditation.

Due to its effectivity apropos calming the mind and developing a person’s level of intuition, meditation has currently being performed not just a means that of clearing the mind plus inner reflection but additionally to heal assorted diseases during the mind, emotions, plus physical aspects.

Meditation and its advantages

One of the most celebrated advantages of meditation is which it greatly helps the person’s physical state. Among the physical benefits of meditation involve the heart thru a deep rest since it decreases the person’s metabolic rate in addition to the center rate, that ends up in the reduction of workload for the heart. Other than that, it’s also known to lower the levels of a person’s cortisol in addition to dissolving the chemicals that are closely associated with everyday stress.
Different physical benefits of meditation additionally come with reduced free radicals during the body by eliminating oxygen molecules which are unstable, decreases a man’s high blood pressure, develops the ability to get more resistant skin, lowering or totally dropping the person’s level of cholesterol, improve air flow to the lungs to aid easy respiration, delays biological aging plus will increase the levels of DHEAS in older people.

When it comes to psychological factor, meditation aids in increasing the person’s brain wave coherence, decreasing anxiety levels, mostly irritability, deep-set depression, and swing of moods, improves the person’s memory as well as their learning ability, increases the person’s ability for self-actualization, will increase the person’s feeling of youthfulness plus rejuvenation as well as vitality, ends up in positive outlook in life plus joyfulness, and will increase a man’s emotional status plus stability.

Alternative noted edges of meditation for an individual and their community come with:

– Relaxation to the person’s the body, mind, and soul.

– Rejuvenation of energy to face the serious challenges plus stress ahead.

– Healing of various diseases that are closely-associated with the mind and the overall body.

– Constructing a added stable person vis emotions.

– Developments of relaxed family life and instilling positive outlooks in life to younger people.

– Enhances the person’s ability to form their mind function properly.

– Letting a man discover his or her inner self, this in turn releases the creativity in them.

– It helps individuals to free themselves from various vices and addictions such as alcohol plus cigarettes as well as in various medications such as tranquilizers plus narcotics.

– It even helps a person to realize higher self-confidence, thus, ensuing to stronger power of the will.

– It can be an effective and safe way of discovering one’s self rather than focusing the awareness to alternative unhealthy practices.

– It aids in the development of the power of the mind.

The listing goes on about the advantages of mediation in an individual and to their community. In therefore many cases, these are positive edges but once mediation has not been used properly, people ought to bear in mind of the facet effects. To avoid this from happening, individuals who are planning to get serious in meditation ought to always consult a skilled prior to performing any meditation techniques.

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

Learn about brain entrainment and binaural beats for health and relaxation.

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Waves lapped against the gentle beach in the darkness as I listened deeply to the ocean, and the lingering exhalations of the other sixty people around me. The moon was rising over the water behind Snatam Kaur, GuruGanesha Singh and Manish Vyas, who watched us silently with light in their eyes as the music slowly faded. They had just finished leading another evening of beautiful kirtan (call and response singing) during their sacred chant retreat in Mexico.

After a few moments, Manish gently broke the silence, “Listen to the waves, and then listen to the space between the waves. Find yourself in that space.” This is where the kirtan had carried us, to this space, this deep silence between the waves. As Manish spoke to us, I could still feel the mantra coursing through my bloodstream with each heartbeat, Snatam’s voice carrying on into the silence. I felt such a sense of joy, my heart wanted to burst. I looked around and saw my emotions mirrored in the expressions of the people surrounding me. And suddenly, there was no space between the person next to me and me. We became so deeply connected by that shared experience, that there was an intimacy created beyond explanation. I did not know these people before we arrived at this kirtan event, but we left as family.

This experience of deep connectedness and community is being expressed by people attending kirtan gatherings and concerts all over the world. For many, kirtan has become their favorite practice of devotion, but for some, kirtan is a completely new experience. The idea of chanting in a group is completely foreign to them.

Akasha, a yoga teacher in Birmingham, Alabama, went to a David Newman (a.k.a. Durga Das) concert earlier this month. “I brought a bunch of my students to the concert,” he said. “They all had strong physical Yoga practices, but had never been to a kirtan event before. We don’t get kirtan artists touring through Birmingham. There were some people who came who had never chanted in their lives. Half-way through the night, I saw them rocking back and forth with their eyes closed, singing their hearts out. My students said that they felt electric afterwards. The experience of devotion towards oneness and towards each other was so strong. It didn’t matter if you could sing or not, everyone was chanting along.” And that’s the thing about kirtan; we are carried by the group energy to an exciting exploration into whom and what we are.

Kirtan is a new kind of concert experience here in the West. It’s not so much a performance as a journey into the self through the practice of listening and singing. And while there might be leaders at a kirtan concert, everyone is a part of the music. In kirtan, everyone sings. Snatam Kaur calls her concerts “coformances” rather than performances because she says the audience is an equal part of the music. Kirtan is a practice that started in India thousands of years ago, but in the last decade has become a phenomenon across the United States and has transformed musically to appeal to the ears of American audiences. Two recent books chronicle this movement and interview and track the evolution of some of the most popular kirtan musicians including Krishna Das, Deva Premal, Bhagavan Das, Snatam Kaur, Ragani, Jau Uttal, Dave Stringer and Wah! Linda Johnsen, author of Daughter of the Goddess and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hinduism, recently released a book called Kirtan! Chanting as a Spiritual Path and Journal of Vaishnava Studies editor Steve Rosen’s (Satyaraja Dasa) The Yoga of Kirtan also includes an audio CD of the music.

There is a theme that runs through the unique stories I hear from people who attend all of these various musicians’ kirtan events. People feel like they become a part of something bigger than themselves. Even after having gone to kirtans for years, I will sometimes find myself in the midst of an entirely new energy at a kirtan concert. The first time I saw Dave Stringer perform, I was seriously blown away by it. It was a packed house, and he carried us with him in the progressively building nature that is the trademark of kirtan. In addition to the deeply peaceful feel of some of the kirtan concerts I had been to, at Dave’s I got up to sing and dance at the back of the room with a group of strangers – and through that experience, we really connected. It was such a different experience of kirtan for me that I realized I wanted to experience them all. I wanted to feel the uniqueness that each kirtan artist brings to the group.

It didn’t matter if you could sing or not, everyone was chanting along. And that’s the thing about kirtan; we are carried by the group energy to an exciting exploration into whom and what we are.

I asked Hargobind, my business partner, about Krishna Das’ last concert. “Krishna Das is hilarious,” he said. “He tells these hysterical stories about India and his Guru and chanting. Through his humor and stories, you feel connected to him, like he’s just a guy you might hang out with. And then he starts singing, and his chants are so rich and upbeat and simple, that you feel relaxed and comfortable enough to join in, and so energized once you start chanting that you are really pulled into it. So you chant, even if you didn’t expect to.”

For a lot of people, this unique experience of feeling comfortable singing in public is in itself a feat. Our western sensibilities have been so tuned to the performance aspect of singing that the act of singing is accompanied by fear. Overcoming this fear alone can be life-changing. And once the fear disappears, the practice of chanting as a group brings with it layers of transformation that unfold the more we chant.

GuruGanesha Singh, a touring kirtan artist and an accomplished guitarist says, “In chanting, there are no bad sounds. In Kirtan, everyone’s voice is nectar.” While sitting in the audience at a kirtan concert, singing along, you can really experience just that: your own voice becomes as beautiful as the performers’. All of the voices merge together to become one voice.

When I asked Mahan Rishi, who has been organizing many kirtan concerts over the last few years in Philadelphia about this experience of community at the events, he said, “Kirtan concerts evoke a sublime, beautiful sense of heart. The kirtan environment creates softness where people can let go and feel a part of a mass flow of compassion. In the 1970s, I went to a Neil Young concert at Madison Square Garden. Neil Young walked off the stage in the middle of the concert and announced, ‘The Vietnam War is over.’ This wave of love went through the stadium. Kirtan is like that. People feel love within themselves that is universal and open when they chant. And the kirtan environment feels so safe and caring that they feel free enough to share it.”

“Each musician holds a different energy. They help to infuse something unique through their own way of chanting,” he continued. “Deva Premal and Miten hold an amazing energy. They know how to really create that inner dance between themselves and the community. There is such a depth that comes from them that it allows people to really connect with the profoundly soulful part of their heart. They combine that with a playfulness that gives it a universality that emanates from their music. Their concert in Philadelphia was unbelievable. We all felt it for weeks afterwards. So many people reached out to us feeling so moved by the event that they wanted to carry that connection forward.”

“The real reason I do these concerts is for Philadelphia: to help build the community consciousness. The kirtan events connect the Yoga centers and the Yoga students and create community in ways that nothing else does. They dissolve the boundaries that can’t be dissolved in other ways. The chanting blends the different Yoga traditions as well and has brought a lot of people beyond the separateness to a much greater state of harmony.” Listening to him, I realized that what kirtan does for the individual, it can also do for groups, bringing communities together.

Manish Vyas, who grew up in India studying classical Indian music, says, “Kirtan in India is a very ancient spiritual phenomenon. It was known as a layman’s way of connecting to the divine. Not everyone is a scholar or has had a chance to practice a path, so the simple men and women had kirtan as a tool to dissolve and merge with the divine. My teacher, Osho, said that kirtan is one of the simplest and most powerful techniques of meditation. It is so effortless and joyful at the same time that the kirtan participants just have to allow the music and rhythm to take over and simply flow with it. What happens next is a huge whirlpool of energy generating from the phenomenon of group singing and dancing. And in a group, one’s separation from the other dissolves. In that space, one is finally ONE, even for a few moments. We use so many methods and techniques to find this union, and through kirtan, it is accessible effortlessly.”

That is the amazing thing about the group chanting experience. It just happens. You feel your voice emerge almost without intent. And it feels perfect.

Markus Sieber, who is half of the band Mirabai Ceiba, says, “Chanting can be like a light in the darkness. You can sing for your pain, for your sadness, and it can transform you. Singing and playing music together is a way of subtle communication beyond words.” When you hear Mirabai Ceiba in concert, you feel all of those things and more. You are sharing those songs of longing with everyone around you and breaking through to a new place together.

Valerie Ortiz, who saw Snatam Kaur’s concert in Virginia last year said, “Snatam’s concerts just open your heart wide open. And then all you are is love.” And in a room full of people, that love has plenty of places to land.

Karan Khalsa is devoted to sharing sacred music and technology through her writing and her business, Spirit Voyage: spiritvoyage.com

The author is the CEO of Spirit Voyage Records which is engaged in yoga music and healing meditations . The company practices various forms of Kundalini Yoga and meditation music.

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

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Designed to support the thighs while easing pressure on the knees and hips during meditation. Called the heart pillow because as one sits, the heart region opens easily and gracefully. Filled with 4 1/2 pounds of certified organic buckwheat hulls in a solid green canvas casing. 22" across.

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Yoga is a 6000-year-old form of exercise which not only disciplines the body but conditions the mind as well.

The practice of yoga is largely thought of as just the asanas (postures and exercises), but breath is really at the heart of yoga. Some have said “if you can breathe, then you can do yoga”. The use of breathing techniques to quiet your mind is one of the primary objectives of yoga.

The regular practice of yoga will make you intimately acquainted with yoga. You’ll learn proper techniques for breathing which will produce relaxation and stress relief and also help you to achieve better posture.

Our minds tend to wander; thinking of the future and the past constantly. With yoga, you’ll train yourself to consider the present – where we are, where our bodies exist. The practice of yoga through breathing techniques helps you to draw your thoughts inward and release all of your worries and tensions.

One of the refreshing aspects about yoga is that, even if only for a minute, you are able to focus and concentrate on the present, and you are learning to let go of the cares and concerns that can bring tension and disease to your body.

By practicing yoga, you will learn to breathe consciously which will make your mind attentive and focused on your practice. You will be able to maintain your thoughts in the present, sweeping aside worries and concerns.

Yoga has many breathing exercises which combat tension and bring a balanced mental state – to begin with, try this exercise.

* Lie or sit still in a comfortable position and be aware of your breathing.

* Continue by being aware of your breath but make your inhalations and your exhalations 4 counts each for several rounds.

* Next, make your inhalations and exhalations last for five counts each.

* Then increase the count to 6 for each inhalation and exhalation. Become aware of your body – make sure that it is relaxed.

* Continue this way until your inhalations and exhalations reach 9 counts. If this is causing you any discomfort, drop the count back down to more comfortable number for you.

* Keep focusing on your body and be aware of any tension. Make a conscious effort to relax any parts of your body that are tense.

* Whatever your final number of breaths is, continue breathing with long breaths for several rounds, then drop the counting and breathe naturally for 10 rounds.

What you should discover from this exercise, as well as with many of yoga’s other breathing exercises, is the ability to relax your thoughts and to still your mind so that you are present in your body. In time, you will eventually gain mastery over your breath so that you will be able to call on your breath to still your mind in times of stress and tension.

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

Kim Archer enjoys the health benefits and relaxation of yoga. A great source of information on this restorative practice can be found at Yoga Essentials.

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Everyone knows the value of walking. It helps your heart, your circulation and your tummy (a great calorie burner)

But here is something else for you to consider: why not use your walking exercise as a time for meditation?. Most people take up walking because it’s a great form of exercise, it is easy on the joints and it isn’t complicated to learn.

You don’t need any special equipment. Just start walking and you are instantly on your way to better health. When you add meditation to your walking, you will find the experience invaluable.

So what is walking meditation, or mindful walking? It is when you deliberately focus on your every step. You don’t have to increase your speed, in fact, you might begin by walking slower so you can get the hang of mindful walking.

When you focus on your walking, focus on how it feels as you raise your foot then place it back down, one step at a time. The practice of mindful walking has its roots in Buddhism, in particular the art of Ayatana. Christianity also has its version of walking meditation: walking the labyrinth.

Utilizing mindful walking helps you focus on the present. As you become more skilled at concentrating your focus on your footsteps and not on the troubles of your day, you will find your stress melting away.

The most familiar forms of meditation have you sitting with eyes shut, concentrating on mental clarity. With mindful walking, your eyes are wide open, taking in the outside world. This gives the walker the opportunity to get outside of the head and all its chatter; a very valuable experience, especially for westerners.

Here are some basic tips for walking meditation:

* Conduct your walking meditation in an area that you are familiar with.

* Shoot for a 20 minute time period. If that is too long for you, start with a 5 minute period and gradually increase your time to 20 minutes.

* Begin walking with good and relaxed posture.

* Focus on the sensations in your feet as they lift off the ground and touch the ground.

* Relax your arms.

* As you walk, keep your focus about 3 to 6 feet in front of you.

In conclusion, it is very easy to incorporate walking meditation into your regular daily routine. Not only will it improve your physical well-being, but you will also be taking your exercise program to a higher level by improving your mind and spirit.

Happy walking.

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

Barbara Williamson resides in Birmingham, Alabama and writes on topics about Alternative Health. Go to Alternative Healing access more valuable articles.

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“Select a clean spot, neither too high nor too low, and seat your- self firmly on a cloth, a deerskin, or kusha grass. Then, once seated, strive to still your thoughts. Make your mind one-pointed in meditation and your heart will be purified…………………………..”

These words originate from the Bhagavad Gita, one of the best known and most influential of the Hindu scriptures. This book provides an entire section on the practice of meditation which is central to the Hindu way of life. It is also an important part of other eastern religions, Buddhism and Zen but it also has its place in Christianity and Judaism. However meditation does not require adherence to any of the faiths and religions that advocate it.

The benefits to be gained from meditation are many. Those people who meditate regularly believe that it leads to a significant lowering of tension and negative emotions. At the same time meditation can increase efficiency at work and deepen the sense of inner calm.

This feeling of well-being will bring a number of physical benefits. Regular meditation will eliminate or reduce stress, ease migration and tension headaches, reduce blood pressure, benefit the the heart and reduce the pain of menstrual cramps.

What we seek to achieve through meditation is a state of passive alertness that transcends the day to day level of thought and distraction. This ‘higher level’ of consciousness can be achieved by every person and does not require a knowledge of religious or spiritual teaching. Meditation is a straightforward way of freeing the mind, forgetting about everyday stresses and focusing upon mental relaxation.

In its simplest form meditation is nothing more than allowing the mind to concentrate upon a simple repetitive sensation such as the running of a fountain or repeating a word over and over again. Any of these and more can be used as something onto which the mind concentrates so strongly that problems and anxieties disappear. When described in its more refined and mystical guise, it is a means to a state of self fulfilment, being completely at one with the universe.

Meditation is not a time consuming process nor is it a form of self-hypnosis. If done correctly it is a life saving experience during which any preconceived opinions and ideas fade, the intellect and senses are refined and the ability to concentrate is improved.

Meditation has existed for several thousands of years but it was only in the 1960’s that it became popular in western culture and today many thousands of people benefit greatly from its effects. Meditation slows down the heart rate and reduces oxygen and carbon dioxide production. It also raises levels of skin resistance to pain or to an electrical current, which tends to be lower when we are stressed and anxious. This indicates an increase of muscle relaxation and can be explained for phenomena such as lying on a bed of nails or walking through fire.

During meditation there is also a reduction of activity in the nervous system and an increase in blood circulation. This slows down the metabolism resulting in the body achieving a hypometabolic state. This is a different state than what the body experiences during sleep or while under hypnosis and is best described as deep and prolonged relaxation.

Meditation has also be shown to have a major effect on the way that the brain works. During meditation the brain produces a balanced pattern of both alpha and theta brave wave rhythms. This may indicate that while in a state of deep relaxation the brain is better able to find a balance between its logical and rational and creative and imaginative sides. This results in more healthier, productive and fulfilled individuals. If it is practised regularly meditation will help to fight depression, reduce hypertension, and relieve anxiety, migraine and psychosomatic illness. Concentration, memory and creativity are also improved through regular practice of meditation.

Regular practice of meditation is also of benefit to people who have difficulty in sleeping and suffer from low energy levels. The quality of sleep will improve when meditation is practised regularly and most meditators testify to feeling less tired during the day, needing less sleep at night and waking up feeling more refreshed.

When starting to meditate it is important to find a quiet, peaceful place and to use this place regularly. Soft background music, incense or low lights are helpful in creating a conducive atmosphere. There are two stages involved in the process of meditation. Firstly comes physical relaxation, where the focus of attention is on the body and tension build up is tackled and when the body is relaxed the clarifying and emptying of the mind can begin.

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Once you have decided to practice yoga for better living and spiritual health, you need to take care of the following points so as to prevent injuries to your physical self:

• Physical condition of the individual: usually, it is recommended that people with normal health practice do yoga practice. But if you are suffering from some physical problems and are using yoga to cure it, you need to follow certain precautions since performing yoga practices without proper precautions may lead to harmful effects on the body. This is because the internal organs like heart, lungs, kidneys etc. are involved and may get harmed if you do not practice yoga properly. Hence it is recommended that you follow the yoga techniques under the expert guidance.

• Right advice: it is important for you to get the proper instructor to teach you the yoga techniques. Usually, people who choose the profession of a yoga teacher do not understand the scientific basis behind the yoga practice and just impose their opinions and likes and dislikes on the students. They bring an element of mystery, charge exorbitant fees and introduce rites and rituals which are not a part of yoga.

• Age and sex: yoga can be practiced by anybody irrespective of age and sex. However it is important to note that certain yoga techniques should not be followed under certain circumstances. Women, who are pregnant or menstruating, should avoid the poses which lay a great stress on the abdomen. Children below eight years should not practice any yogic technique but yogic breathing should be introduced only after twelve years. Very young and old should avoid the poses with the intense twists. After a certain age avoid strenuous practice but you can practice pranayam, dhyana and simple postures.

• Place and surroundings: the place for yoga should be well protected from, animals, rodents and insects. If you choose the indoor room, keep it well lit and should be airy. If you choose the outdoors, the surroundings should be quiet. But avoid the outdoors if it is cold, rainy or very hot. The ground chosen should be plain and flat.

• Time: morning is the ideal time for the practice since it incorporates regularity, but evening time can also be chosen since the body is already warmed up. Your stomach should not be completely full. So if you have had a meal, you can perform yoga after five hours.

• Diet: take simple and nutritious diet. Do not overeat. Keep chillies and spices to the minimum. It is not important to be vegetarians but do not eat more than your body’s requirements.

• Interval: it is advisable to be regular but if for some reason like a lot of work in office or sickness or any other reason you need to skip a day or two it is fine. But once the reason is over, go back to your original routine. Avoid taking long and frequent gaps.

• Clothing: choose light and loose fitting clothes. If you live in a hot climate, you can opt for the sleeveless shirt or a vest. However, in temperate climate, your clothing should offer protection against the cold weather but at the same time do not hinder the movements.

• The seat: always perform the yoga practice on the mat or a carpet but never on the uncovered floor.

• The order of different techniques: when you are combining different techniques like surya namaskar, weight training etc. with yoga, keep a rest period of fifteen minutes between the two. Within the yoga practice, start off by postural techniques, followed by breathing techniques and the techniques of mental concentration in the mentioned order.

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Kevin Pederson is the webmaster of Yogawiz where you can find loads of information on basics of yoga, , asanas and poses and yoga precautions that aim towards harmonizing your mind, body and soul.

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