Most of us lead busy, fast-paced lives. We have too much to do and too little time, and may be dealing with career pressures, family difficulties, or financial problems on top of everything else. Doctors have known for some time that there is a direct link between stress and a variety of health problems including headaches, stomach problems, heart problems, skin conditions, and high blood pressure, as well as depression and anxiety. While we can’t eliminate all stress from our lives, we can take steps to reduce its effects, and meditation is a wonderful way for you to calm down and regain your balance.

Meditation has been used for centuries as a way for people to reflect, relax and connect with their inner selves, but it is not some mysterious ancient art that requires years of study. At some time in your life, you have probably experienced a meditative state, a feeling of peace and serenity, simply by walking through the woods, or enjoying a beautiful piece of music. With just a little practice, you can achieve that peaceful state whenever you wish, and feel refreshed and ready to take on life’s challenges.

Try to Meditate Daily

Pick a time that works for you. If you have children, wait until they are in school or napping. Many people meditate in the morning as a relaxing way to start the day, while others like to meditate before bed. The time of day is not important, nor is the amount of time you spend meditating. Twenty to thirty minutes is good, but even if you can only spare 5 or 10 minutes you will still benefit from it.

Meditation Basics

Choose a quiet place with few distractions. If you like, you can light incense or a scented candle, but it isn’t necessary. Some people find it helpful to listen to relaxing music or nature sounds while meditating; others prefer complete silence.

You can sit cross-legged on the floor, or sit in a chair with your back supported. The important thing is that you are comfortable. Place one hand on each thigh, or cup your right hand under your left in your lap. You do not have to stay still to meditate! It’s ok to move or scratch an itch! Don’t feel that you have to shut out the world completely to get the benefits of meditation. If the phone rings, or there is some other brief interruption, just take care of it, then go back to meditating.

Breathing

Keep your spine straight, but not stiff, as this allows you to breathe deeply. Breathing deeply helps you to relax and concentrate because more oxygen is getting into the bloodstream. And deep breathing actually slows your heart rate. When you have found a comfortable position, begin focusing on breathing deeply. Follow each breath as it enters your nose, goes down into your lungs, and then out your nose again. Feel it on your upper lip as you exhale. Breathe in to the count of 4, and exhale to the count of 4. Feel the muscles in your body beginning to relax.

Don’t be concerned if you find it difficult to relax in the beginning. Trying too hard to relax can be stressful in itself! You may find yourself thinking about work, or all the things you need to take care of that day. If so, just acknowledge the thoughts that come into your head, but then let them go and focus again on your breathing. You may also want to start with shorter periods of meditation and work up to longer sessions.

Visualize

Visualization is a great tool to help you relax. Imagine yourself in a place that you find peaceful, for example, the beach. Think about the sounds you would hear there: the cries of the seagulls, and the sound of the waves on the shore. Imagine how the sun feels on your skin, and the smell of the salt air. You might choose to visualize being in the woods, or in the mountains. Whatever you choose, imagine every detail as if you are actually there.

Meditation is only one of the ways to reduce the stress in our lives. Eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep and exercise are also very important. Take a look at your lifestyle and decide whether you need to make other changes, but try meditation, too. It is a great way to relax and reduce the negative effects of stress, and you will feel the difference immediately.

Most of us lead busy, fast-paced lives. We have too much to do and too little time, and may be dealing with career pressures, family difficulties, or financial problems on top of everything else. Doctors have known for some time that there is a direct link between stress and a variety of health problems including headaches, stomach problems, heart problems, skin conditions, and high blood pressure, as well as depression and anxiety. While we can’t eliminate all stress from our lives, we can take steps to reduce its effects, and meditation is a wonderful way for you to calm down and regain your balance.

Meditation has been used for centuries as a way for people to reflect, relax and connect with their inner selves, but it is not some mysterious ancient art that requires years of study. At some time in your life, you have probably experienced a meditative state, a feeling of peace and serenity, simply by walking through the woods, or enjoying a beautiful piece of music. With just a little practice, you can achieve that peaceful state whenever you wish, and feel refreshed and ready to take on life’s challenges.

Try to Meditate Daily

Pick a time that works for you. If you have children, wait until they are in school or napping. Many people meditate in the morning as a relaxing way to start the day, while others like to meditate before bed. The time of day is not important, nor is the amount of time you spend meditating. Twenty to thirty minutes is good, but even if you can only spare 5 or 10 minutes you will still benefit from it.

Meditation Basics

Choose a quiet place with few distractions. If you like, you can light incense or a scented candle, but it isn’t necessary. Some people find it helpful to listen to relaxing music or nature sounds while meditating; others prefer complete silence.

You can sit cross-legged on the floor, or sit in a chair with your back supported. The important thing is that you are comfortable. Place one hand on each thigh, or cup your right hand under your left in your lap. You do not have to stay still to meditate! It’s ok to move or scratch an itch! Don’t feel that you have to shut out the world completely to get the benefits of meditation. If the phone rings, or there is some other brief interruption, just take care of it, then go back to meditating.

Breathing

Keep your spine straight, but not stiff, as this allows you to breathe deeply. Breathing deeply helps you to relax and concentrate because more oxygen is getting into the bloodstream. And deep breathing actually slows your heart rate. When you have found a comfortable position, begin focusing on breathing deeply. Follow each breath as it enters your nose, goes down into your lungs, and then out your nose again. Feel it on your upper lip as you exhale. Breathe in to the count of 4, and exhale to the count of 4. Feel the muscles in your body beginning to relax.

Don’t be concerned if you find it difficult to relax in the beginning. Trying too hard to relax can be stressful in itself! You may find yourself thinking about work, or all the things you need to take care of that day. If so, just acknowledge the thoughts that come into your head, but then let them go and focus again on your breathing. You may also want to start with shorter periods of meditation and work up to longer sessions.

Visualize

Visualization is a great tool to help you relax. Imagine yourself in a place that you find peaceful, for example, the beach. Think about the sounds you would hear there: the cries of the seagulls, and the sound of the waves on the shore. Imagine how the sun feels on your skin, and the smell of the salt air. You might choose to visualize being in the woods, or in the mountains. Whatever you choose, imagine every detail as if you are actually there.

Meditation is only one of the ways to reduce the stress in our lives. Eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep and exercise are also very important. Take a look at your lifestyle and decide whether you need to make other changes, but try meditation, too. It is a great way to relax and reduce the negative effects of stress, and you will feel the difference immediately.

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Louann Vertrees is an entrepreneur and freelance proofreader and editor. She has also worked as an English teacher and counselor. Among her many interests are Eastern philosophy and holistic health care and disease prevention. Visit her website at azproofreader.com

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Hypertension is a common disease nowadays, which, if it’s not treated corectly can cause many damages to the other organs of the body. People who suffer from high blood pressure need to lower blood pressure in order to neutralize the effects of hypertension on their body.

Changing the life style and sometimes taking medicines is recommended for the people who need to lower blood pressure.

It is very helpful in the treatment of hypertension the yoga lifestyle, which can really help you lower blood pressure. Yoga exercises, called asanas, involve stretching and moving the body into various positions. During these exercises any tightness or tension observed in the body should be consciously relaxed. Yoga practice offers stress management techniques, which are essential to lower blood pressure. There are many yoga asanas, maybe hundreds or even thousands, but only certain asanas can help you lower blood pressure.

The most efficient for lowering blood pressure are the forward bends, which have a pacifying effect on the brain, the nervous system, the blood circulation to the brain, and they also help you reduce the stress. All these lower blood pressure. Furthermore, these asanas slow down the pulse rate, so they lower blood pressure.

They are also helpful to lower blood pressure the sitting asanas, such as Upavista Konasana, which remove the tension from the ribs and the intercostals muscles, and also help you breathe easily. Many hypertensives have difficulties in breathing and these asanas help them in this matter and they also lower blood pressure.

Other helpful asanas are the supine poses, like Supta Baddhakonasana, which relax the abdominal region and have a calming effect on the nerves, facts that lower blood pressure.

There are also recommended for those who need to lower blood pressure, the inversions, such as Halasana and Setubandha Sarvangasana, which have a refreshing effect on the nerves and reduce the sympathetic tone very fast. Usual practice of these asanas regularizes blood pressure, so lower blood pressure when it’s abnormally high.

At these previous asanas you can add the pranayama and the Svanasana, which relax the mind and senses, and stabilize the blood pressure, so lower blood pressure in case of hypertension.

This medical article is written by Groshan Fabiola during one research session on lowering blood pressure in a natural way, that will be using yoga. So, if you want to find out more about how to lower blood pressure, especially in a natural way, please click this link.

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Meditation is a simple mental practice, which looks like thinking, but goes far beyond the process of thinking. Meditation is a heightened state of awareness. The practice of meditation can be seen in ancient religious texts (Christian, Muslim and most importantly Hindu scripts). The most widely followed meditation is Yoga meditation. Yoga was part of ancient Indian (Hindu) life and is still widely practiced. Yoga also suggests a few asana (yoga poses) for meditation and there are poses that are not suited for meditation.

Meditation, as a religious ritual was practiced for over 5000 years. The most developed form of meditation is from India, the yoga meditation. Originally proposed as a religious practice, yoga meditation is now widely practiced in the western world for its curative and pacifying effects. This kind of medicine is proved to have positive effects on both physical and mental health. Conditions like high blood pressure, insomnia, stress, etc are effectively cured with guided yoga meditation.

The goal of meditation can vary. Initially, meditation can be practiced just for relaxation. Meditation gives a relaxed and peaceful mind. Meditation can also give you greater focus and concentration powers. Meditation involves meditating of a single point or idea. This concentration passes on to all other aspects of your life. Ancient yoga practitioners of India aimed spiritual awakening through meditation. Buddha was originally meditating under a Bodhi (ficus) tree, when he achieved enlightenment. Sikhism, Taoism, Jainism, etc have meditation as an important part of their religious rituals. Similarly, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc also have disciples of meditation at varying levels.

Eastern martial arts like Karate, Kung fu, etc required the practitioners to meditate, to increase concentration and for better performance.

The first stage of meditation is choosing a calm location, free from distractions of all kinds. In the ancient times, Indian sages went to forests, away from other the civilization to meditate and they meditate for several years. And they mostly meditated while in the lotus pose of yoga practice. They also meditated while standing on one foot.

Meditation includes first stopping your mind from wandering into distractive thoughts. The only way you can do this is by first observing the thoughts that come to your mind, without making any effort to control or stop the thoughts. After a few days of trying, there will be only a few dozen thoughts coming to your mind, as against the hundreds of thoughts that pestered you while you started your attempt of meditation. Further attempt of a few more days will help you control your thoughts and put your focus on just one thought or idea.

One easier way to control the excess of thoughts is to just listen to the rhythm of your breathing, without controlling it. Soon you can contemplate on one thought or no thought at all. When you can fully concentrate, without the knowledge of the outside world, you have achieved the conditions of meditation. Even if you approach it as a means of fighting stress and a means of achieving higher levels of concentration, meditation will soon help you experience a spiritual bliss – no one else can explain it to you.

For meditation videos and articles, visit www.onmeditation.tv now!

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Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful things many women want to go through and are going through. It is something which many women look forward too and with the increasing joy there is also fear factor. Fear about your baby’s health, a smooth delivery, mood swings, fatigue, morning sickness, constant craving for strange items, increasing weight and overall the feeling about pregnancy can be overwhelming.

Pregnancy is an ensemble of risk factors. With a living being in you, your body goes through lot of changes and these variations may have an impact on your body. There are increasing chances of you having high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, liver disease and many more. These all can be avoided by doing some yoga asanas and breathing exercises which would help in having smooth delivery. But before doing any of these exercises consult your doctor.

Yoga helps in avoiding high blood pressure and also tries to control your weight. Breathing exercise is very easy and can be easily done and one should avoid too many jerks and jumping in this condition. Some of the poses or asanas which pregnant ladies can do are Mountain yoga pose – beneficial for inciting strength, relaxing and providing strength, Triangle Yoga Pose- stretching your spine, tones up your spinal nerves, helps in your digestive system, Warrior yoga pose – which includes warrior I and warrior II, Standing side stretch – good for your stomach, arms and legs, Standing spread leg forward bend and Forward bend yoga exercise, Hero yoga pose, Cat pose, Fish pose, Headstand, Tree yoga pose and many more including Corpse pose.

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Kevin Pederson, the webmaster for Yogawiz , provides information on all the aspects of yoga, the importance of yoga in your daily life and curing your ailments.

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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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