Question, do you like to exercise? Are you willing to open your mind to alternative mind relaxing therapy? Yoga meditation is well documented as the observing, comprehending, recognizing the different degrees of being, so that we all can combine and carry out our own individual view points on life. It will help us dwell in those direct experiences of our consciousness.

Here are some skills that will improve the yoga meditation :

Relaxing the body through Yoga Meditation In order to relax the body, you will need to execute a corpse-posture, which combines relaxing and tensing of the muscles, 61 points, gives you complete relaxation, or perhaps the yogic sleep commonly known as yoga nidra. In order to achieve holistic relaxation, it is best to repeat the exercise either in class, or just by yourself The decision is completely yours when and how you wish to relax.

Combining Comfort & Posture With Yoga There are various postures on yoga meditation which include: Accomplished pose, Auspicious pose, Easy pose and Friendship pose. To refine these postures perfectly may take a while, so you never get bored doing it, and it’s always achallenge, however “practicing to achieve perfection. When you want to master the art of meditation, it is best that you start with the Friendship pose; you do this by sitting upright in a chair and make sure that the head, and neck are aligned.

Calm Your Breathing When practising your breathing for Yoga Meditation, it usually begins with the awareness and its ends. To start with, you will learn how to observe the quality of your breath whether there are pauses, twitches, short or rapid deep breathing. Gradually, you will improve the breathing process teaching yourself the calmness of your breath breathing using the diaphragm, nostril breathing, 2 to 1 breathing and plenty of other breathing practices.

Witnessing the objects that travel in your mind Avoid eliminating the thinking processes of you mind, to know how to become a neutral witness is one sure way of acquiring a quiet and restful mind . It doesn’t mean that you must therefore suppress all emotion. Rather, it can actually help you learn to let go and will allow all natural progressions of thinking, without the interruption of anything and remain focused on the stream yourself.

Inspecting the quality of your thoughts So you know how to determine which thoughts to keep and dispose of, you have to get to the goal of a skill known as inspection. Once you master this skill, you will be free from the unconscious control of thought patterns.

So, when you decide to do Yoga Meditation, it is best to learn these skills. Why is this important? Basically, this is the only way you can accomplish and go through the true heart and soul of yoga meditation.

Start here to review and find new ways to begin Yoga and Meditation visit our specialised site at My-Yoga-Meditation.com.

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Daily meditation is key to overcoming your daily stress. Meditation helps eliminate stress by helping you quiet your mind and strengthen your connection to spirit.

How does stress affect health? Stress can have many adverse effects on your health. Meditation can greatly improve your health on many different levels.

Meditation does not have to be an hour long practice to be effective. Even just three minutes of meditation every day can be very beneficial. With twenty minutes of meditation, it’s as good as having a whole night’s sleep. You still need a good night’s sleep to maintain good health.

There are many different ways to meditate. Even in your every day activities you can incorporate meditation. When you are cleaning or doing the dishes, practice taking deep slow breathes and quieting your mind. Just practice being in the present moment and clearing all thoughts from your mind. You can practice this meditation technique, when you are doing any activities, that don’t require thought.

You can practice quieting your mind and being present during your exercise time, as well. Daily exercise, by the way, is another great way to reduce and manage stress. Go for a nice walk, somewhere quiet and peaceful. On your walk practice quieting your mind and being present in the moment. Just practice being silent, without music or other noises. That is also a form of meditation.

Then there is the standard form of meditation. One way to meditate is to sit on the floor, or on a cushion or a mat and cross your legs. A comfortable chair may also work for your meditation. Being comfortable and having your back straight, so your breath flows easy, is the most important thing. It is a good idea to either have your palms facing up or you can conect your thumb and index finger together. By having your palms facing up, it allows you to receive, the healing energy easier. By connecting you thumb and index finger, it allows the chi energy to circulate through your body more.

When you meditate, close your eyes and begin to take some nice deep slow breaths. Focus on your breath and begin to clear away any thoughts that are going through your mind. To silence any of your ‘mind chatter’ that may arise, just silently repeat the words “quiet my mind” a few times until your mind is silent again. Don’t feel that you have to start by meditating an hour at a time, right away. Start with whatever is comfrtable, even if it is only three to four minutes. The more you practice, the longer you will be able to meditate. A great intention for yourself, is to build up to at least twenty minutes of meditation.

When you are meditating you can have very relaxing music on or have complete silence. Sometimes music will help someone relax more, for others they find it distracting. Try both and see what works best for you.

You can meditate on manifesting something that you desire, or you can just focus on inner silence. If you choose to meditate on manifesting something, what I recommend doing is, focus the first half of your meditation on inner silence, then the second part of your meditation on what you want to manifest. That inner silence is so very important. It is necessary, to reduce stress in our lives, to completely silence our mind completely. We feel our soul connection to the ‘All That Is’, God, in this silence.

Another way to use meditation to strengthen our connection to The Creative Source, is to chant the sound of “aahhh” during our meditation. Every name for the Higher Power,in every religion (God, Allah, Krishna, Yauweigh, Ra, Tao, etc…), contains the sound of “aahhhh”… That sound of “aahhh” raises our vibration to a vibration that resonates closer to The Divine Creator.

You can experience brief spurts of meditation throughout your day. If you are at work, and you are starting to feel stressed, go to the restroom, or somewhere quiet and just close your eyes and take a few deep slow breathes and practice quieting you mind for a few minutes. You will be amazed at how well you will feel after that short meditation.

The way to master managing everyday stress, is to practice, every day, slowing down your breath and silencing your mind.

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

Discover more powerful ways to reduce or even eliminate stress from your life. Ryan Pearson is a Master Life Coach, Author and Radio Show Host. His unique and powerful insights will help you find inner peace, love and happiness in your life. Receive FREE inspiration directly to your email. Go to www.mysoulsystem.com now!

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You probably know that a deeper and more relaxed sleep will make you feel better the next day and you will be more alert. But have you considered using meditation to help you to fall asleep more quickly and let you sleep more soundly through the night? Meditation relaxes the mind and the body, helping you to fall asleep sooner.

A lot of people, for a variety of reasons, may try taking numerous different pills. However, you should know that with sleeping pills, you run the risk of interrupted sleep and daytime drowsiness. If you decide to use meditation instead of medication, it takes practice to learn the techniques that work for your body in particular, so be patient.

There are several ways you can meditate – listening to music or in silence, burning candles, sitting calmly and allowing your mind to drift, or by the more concentrated practice of yoga meditation. Meditation relieves tension and eases anxiety, which will lead to a more restful and refreshing sleep.

There are several tips to help you reach better results with your meditation. You could try utilizing techniques such as a mantra, which is a positive phrase repeated aloud or in your mind, listening to relaxing CDs, or focusing on deep breathing exercises. When negative thoughts creep into your head and interrupt your meditation, try sweeping them away, making room for positive thoughts.

You can more easily practice meditation techniques when you create an atmosphere that enables you to focus and shut out distractions. Try the following tips.

1. Find a location that’s quiet and where you’re not likely to be interrupted. It could be a secluded room in your home or an isolated nook in the park. Eliminate disturbances such as the TV, phone and similar irritations.

2. Make yourself comfortable. Sit in a position in which you feel relaxed. You can use cushions or pillows if you prefer. Take off your shoes and make sure you are in light, easy flowing clothing instead of something binding and uncomfortable.

3. Now relax. Shut your eyes and allow your thoughts to wander. Picture a calming scene such as a meadow of grazing sheep or a quiet pond to help you concentrate.

4. Take a deep breath. Inhale deeply and rhythmically, while concentrating on the air being drawn in and exiting your body with each breath. Stress relief and increasing your oxygen levels can be achieved by these deep breathing techniques.

Meditation right before bed can improve your sleep patterns and help you to get a good night’s sleep. Even just 10 to 15 minutes per day will help you relax and sleep better.

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

Keira Adams is passionate about women’s wellness, and often writes about meditation techniques. If you want to know more about this calming practice, visit Meditation-Info at www.meditation-info.com.

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What is the best type of meditation?

This is a typical question that’s asked on a regular basis. Is there a special type of meditation to relieve my stress? Pain? Help me sleep better at night? Awaken me to my spiritual greatness?

The answer is simple and involves some homework on your end.

There is no single best type of meditation. There is no single best meditation course or cd or audio. There is no best meditation technique or teacher.

Everyone has unique experiences, desire and needs to fulfill. That being said, it only makes sense to realize that each person will experience the types of meditation in a very different way.

There is no right or wrong meditation, but rather there is the right kind of meditation for you. Begin to meditate using different techniques, audios and guides and pay attention to what resonates the most with you. Is there one type of meditation that brings you to a deep state of mind? Is there that one meditation audio that really helps you to live in the present?

Some types of meditation for you to try are:

Healing Meditation: A great meditation to start off with if you have physical ailments

Guided Meditation: I recommend guided meditations for beginners because you have someone guiding you through your meditation experience

Walking Meditation: Not sure if you can sit in one place for an extended period of time? Do some research to learn more about walking meditation and how it can benefit you.

And the list goes on….

To get a better feel for the different types of meditations out there, check out these free meditations below:

Silva Centering Exercise: This is a free guided meditation that will give a general idea of what guided meditation is
.

At the bottom of the Silva Centering Exercise page, check out the links to these other free meditations:

- Positive Thoughts Meditation

- The Daisy Pond

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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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People frequently tell me that they can not meditate, they have tried, can not do it and have given up. So they miss out on all of the benefits that meditation can bring. Learning to meditate is like learning to do anything else; you begin knowing little or nothing and practice until you can do it without thinking. Start right now, find out why meditation is worth doing and follow these five steps that will make meditation easy.

Recently I was working with a young woman who told me that she was extremely stressed and unhappy with her work. She said that she had no time to herself, no time to think and her mind raced constantly. In an average day she had information overload from the time that she woke until she went to sleep. She would rise in the morning to the television, took her iPod when she went for a walk, listened to the radio to and from work – you get the picture. Sound familiar?

To start, we found some time during the day when she had zero information flow. The TV was turned off in the morning and no radio in the car to and from work. Just quiet time to contemplate. We then moved to meditation. “Well”, she said, “I have tried that. I can’t meditate and I hate it.” Turned out she had launched into an hour long session, could only last a short while and decided it was not for her. An all too common story.

What is meditation and why bother? Meditation is a process or technique that you use to clear and calm your mind. You can use meditation just for that purpose or you can focus your meditation on something that you desire such as prosperity or well being. Meditation has been scientifically shown to be a powerful healing tool and a self help tool for achieving stress reduction and better sleep. Many people enjoy the personal development, self awareness, inner peace and freedom that results from meditation. Successful entrepreneurs often claim that meditation creates clarity of mind which in turn effects their success.

So how do you meditate? The following five steps will help you to get started:-

1. Learn something about meditation, just as you would with any new pursuit. There is an unlimited supply of books, web sites, free classes and resources available. Start at the beginning and get to know a little.

2. Be very patient with yourself and release any expectations that put you under pressure to perform. In meditation you are quieting and clearing the mind but the mind may want to keep right on thinking. Be patient and just keep drawing your mind back to focus upon the meditation.

3. Start with a short time, try five minutes, and increase the length of time over a few weeks. Even a few minutes will make a difference so see step one and just be patient.

4. Before you begin to focus on meditation, I highly recommend the use of a relaxation audio program. You can download podcasts and other resources free, from meditation sites on the internet. Start with some of these and learn to relax and then lead into meditation. When you become adept with your meditations you will continue to commence every meditation with a short relaxation.

5. Try this simple meditation, starting with a short time. Get into a comfortable position; sit on a chair with your feet flat on the ground, try sitting cross legged on the floor or lie on your back well supported wherever you need it. Close your eyes and feel your body relax. Take several deep breaths and release your breath with a deep sigh. Relax more and feel the tension float away with every sigh. Now imagine that your body is a vessel full of water and feel the water draining from the top of your head down through your body to the soles of your feet. Just slowly, let it drain downwards and then feel it moving slowly from the soles of your feet to fill up your body, up to the top of your head. Feel this happening, imagine it happening and let it happen naturally. Should your mind wander off, just bring it back to the water and gently move back into the meditation. Do this for as long as it takes for your mind to give up and just be empty or for as long as you like. Each time, see if you can do it for longer until eventually you find your mind calms and stops thinking. At that time you will find that you can feel every part of your body at the one time. You should just feel that feeling for as long as it lasts or as long as you like.

Keep it simple! This is a great principle when learning relaxation and meditation. Be patient with your self and move to higher forms of meditation when you are comfortable to do so. You are your best teacher when it comes to meditation which is a great way to learn about yourself. Have fun and create yourself a little head space.

People frequently tell me that they can not meditate, they have tried, can not do it and have given up. So they miss out on all of the benefits that meditation can bring. Learning to meditate is like learning to do anything else; you begin knowing little or nothing and practice until you can do it without thinking. Start right now, find out why meditation is worth doing and follow these five steps that will make meditation easy.

Recently I was working with a young woman who told me that she was extremely stressed and unhappy with her work. She said that she had no time to herself, no time to think and her mind raced constantly. In an average day she had information overload from the time that she woke until she went to sleep. She would rise in the morning to the television, took her iPod when she went for a walk, listened to the radio to and from work – you get the picture. Sound familiar?

To start, we found some time during the day when she had zero information flow. The TV was turned off in the morning and no radio in the car to and from work. Just quiet time to contemplate. We then moved to meditation. “Well”, she said, “I have tried that. I can’t meditate and I hate it.” Turned out she had launched into an hour long session, could only last a short while and decided it was not for her. An all too common story.

What is meditation and why bother? Meditation is a process or technique that you use to clear and calm your mind. You can use meditation just for that purpose or you can focus your meditation on something that you desire such as prosperity or well being. Meditation has been scientifically shown to be a powerful healing tool and a self help tool for achieving stress reduction and better sleep. Many people enjoy the personal development, self awareness, inner peace and freedom that results from meditation. Successful entrepreneurs often claim that meditation creates clarity of mind which in turn effects their success.

So how do you meditate? The following five steps will help you to get started:-

1. Learn something about meditation, just as you would with any new pursuit. There is an unlimited supply of books, web sites, free classes and resources available. Start at the beginning and get to know a little.

2. Be very patient with yourself and release any expectations that put you under pressure to perform. In meditation you are quieting and clearing the mind but the mind may want to keep right on thinking. Be patient and just keep drawing your mind back to focus upon the meditation.

3. Start with a short time, try five minutes, and increase the length of time over a few weeks. Even a few minutes will make a difference so see step one and just be patient.

4. Before you begin to focus on meditation, I highly recommend the use of a relaxation audio program. You can download podcasts and other resources free, from meditation sites on the internet. Start with some of these and learn to relax and then lead into meditation. When you become adept with your meditations you will continue to commence every meditation with a short relaxation.

5. Try this simple meditation, starting with a short time. Get into a comfortable position; sit on a chair with your feet flat on the ground, try sitting cross legged on the floor or lie on your back well supported wherever you need it. Close your eyes and feel your body relax. Take several deep breaths and release your breath with a deep sigh. Relax more and feel the tension float away with every sigh. Now imagine that your body is a vessel full of water and feel the water draining from the top of your head down through your body to the soles of your feet. Just slowly, let it drain downwards and then feel it moving slowly from the soles of your feet to fill up your body, up to the top of your head. Feel this happening, imagine it happening and let it happen naturally. Should your mind wander off, just bring it back to the water and gently move back into the meditation. Do this for as long as it takes for your mind to give up and just be empty or for as long as you like. Each time, see if you can do it for longer until eventually you find your mind calms and stops thinking. At that time you will find that you can feel every part of your body at the one time. You should just feel that feeling for as long as it lasts or as long as you like.

Keep it simple! This is a great principle when learning relaxation and meditation. Be patient with your self and move to higher forms of meditation when you are comfortable to do so. You are your best teacher when it comes to meditation which is a great way to learn about yourself. Have fun and create yourself a little head space.

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

Brenda Campbell is an experienced coach and mentor who works with people all over the world to assist them to achieve their dreams and desires. If you found Meditation Made Easy helpful, go to Brenda’s website to find out more about personal development: => www.attractsuccess.com.au

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Would you like to learn how to sleep better through breathing meditation? Could you do with more energy at the end of your week? Do you ever wish that you could keep your cool in a stressful situation? You can get all these, and countless other benefits through meditation.

And that’s before you even start looking at the deeper spiritual benefits that you can really only get through meditation. Peace descends on your everyday life and allows you to really live and experience your life. It starts to peel back the illusions that bind us to society and liberates our soul to soar. And that serenity will stop that endless thinking that keeps you awake at night.

Many spiritual traditions teach meditation and prayer as a vital component of their training. It’s no accident that such diverse philosophies as kung fu, yoga, Islam, Zen, Taoism and Christianity all share a similar observance to quiet the mind and look inwards towards the self. Though it may not be called meditation by every tradition, that doesn’t change the fact that whether you are focusing on a candle flame or your love of Christ, it is an all consuming focus that stills the everyday mind and puts your attention on the divine.

Physically all these things will improve our ability to deal with stress. Also research has shown that the immune system is strengthened, so we are much more able to fight off disease and even cancer.

Breathing Meditation And Athletes

There are monks who practice a breathing meditation as they place their full attention on the experience of breathing, to the exclusion of all thoughts. We may do it all day every day, but most of us are completely unaware that we are breathing at all? Just think about how often athletes talk about being “in the zone” what does that mean? It is complete and absolute focus to the exclusion of everything else. Athletes are more aware of breathing as it contributes to their performance. Often the breath is all that they will focus on while the rest of the body works automatically.

By training yourself through regular breathing meditation, you can bring this sort of focus to everything that you do. Get through an hour’s work in ten minutes, and enjoy it more!

It’s a popular misconception that you need to be sitting with your legs crossed and your feet in your ears before you’re really meditating! Not necessarily so, any time you focus all of your attention on something, your everyday thoughts cease and brings about a form of meditation.

In the search for meaning in our society today many are finding it unknowingly in the sweat of a long bike ride, or the thrill of flying down a snowy slope. The focus required in these activities brings you into the moment you’re in, you can’t be thinking about what’s for dinner!

If you learn the breathing meditation techniques, you’ll sleep better automatically. Dealing with difficult workmates, coping with stressful situations, basically you’ll have the power to put everything into it’s proper perspective. The physical and mental benefits have been thoroughly proven, so why not take advantage of them for yourself?

If you want to find out how to sleep better using breathing meditation, check out this site www.howtomeditate.biz You ll find out how to clam your mind, increase your energy levels and enjoy your life more than you ever thought possible

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

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Can you use meditation to help your insomnia and sleep better? People all around the world have found that quietening their mind, stopping those thoughts going around in their head all the time, makes a huge difference to having a good night’s sleep. Here’s a few more tips that’ll help you get a great nights sleep:

1. Calm your mind

Often easier said then done, but most people have had the experience that their mind just won’t stop and keeps them awake. When you have thoughts running through your head all the time it’s hardly surprising that we have a hard time slipping off to sleep.

Most people think that TV is a good way to unwind before bed, but often it has the opposite effect. It depends on what you’ve been watching, but a horror film isn’t going to help you get to sleep. Often the images you’ve been watching are going to tend to keep playing on the screen of your mind. If you’ve been watching some calm oceanic views listening to calming ocean sounds, this is much more likely to help you slip into a relaxed state of slumber.

People often read rather than watch TV as you have a lot more control over what you accept. Whatever works for you, just keeping in mind that reading a steamy romance could keep you up too!

2. Get into a bedtime routine

This is a really powerful one as it works on a physical and a psychological level at the same time. By having a certain routine that you follow before going to bed, say brushing your teeth and then putting the heater on, you’re telling your mind that you’re about to go to sleep. This in turn feeds back to your body, telling it to produce the hormones that prepare you for sleep too.

3. Don’t drink coffee, black tea or eat chocolate

I hope that this one is pretty common sense, I mean, stimulants before bed, doesn’t really sound like a great idea now does it? However, not everyone thinks of tea or chocolate as being a stimulant. They may not be as powerful as a cup of coffee but there’s a reasonable amount of caffeine in both.

Eve if you think that you’re one of these people who can have a coffee and go to bed 5 minutes later, you’re still being affected. Caffeine will raise your blood pressure and heart rate, which are really not you sleep. Even though you may get to sleep but you probably won’t reach the deeper stages of sleep.

4. Don’t spend time in bed not sleeping

Now what I mean by this is that you want to have a strong association with bed being a place to sleep. Not where you watch TV, have a late night snack and catch up on the latest gossip on twitter. By all means do these things if you want to, just not in your bedroom.

You want to make your bedroom a private sleep sanctuary, somewhere that you leave the world behind and enter your dreams. If you couple this with a strong bedtime routine, you’ve got a powerful pull to calm you down and send you straight to sleep.

5. Try herbal remedies like chamomile tea

You can get herbal sleeping pills, which in my opinion can be useful and very effective, but just because they’re herbal you still need to be careful and watch any potential side effects that may occur.

Also, chamomile tea has a long history of being a great way to settle the mind and body for sleep. It’s only called tea because you pour hot water over it and it’s a completely different plant to black tea, so there’s no caffeine in it at all. There are other longer term herbal supplements that can help to calm your nervous system all day and aren’t just to help you sleep. In our hectic world this can a huge help for many people.

If you’ve ever wondered if meditation could help you sleep better, then here’s your answer…Of course! Meditation, especially just before sleep will help to calm your mind and it’s even more powerful when it becomes a part of your bedtime routine

Can you use meditation to help your insomnia and sleep better? People all around the world have found that quietening their mind, stopping those thoughts going around in their head all the time, makes a huge difference to having a good night’s sleep. Here’s a few more tips that’ll help you get a great nights sleep:

1. Calm your mind

Often easier said then done, but most people have had the experience that their mind just won’t stop and keeps them awake. When you have thoughts running through your head all the time it’s hardly surprising that we have a hard time slipping off to sleep.

Most people think that TV is a good way to unwind before bed, but often it has the opposite effect. It depends on what you’ve been watching, but a horror film isn’t going to help you get to sleep. Often the images you’ve been watching are going to tend to keep playing on the screen of your mind. If you’ve been watching some calm oceanic views listening to calming ocean sounds, this is much more likely to help you slip into a relaxed state of slumber.

People often read rather than watch TV as you have a lot more control over what you accept. Whatever works for you, just keeping in mind that reading a steamy romance could keep you up too!

2. Get into a bedtime routine

This is a really powerful one as it works on a physical and a psychological level at the same time. By having a certain routine that you follow before going to bed, say brushing your teeth and then putting the heater on, you’re telling your mind that you’re about to go to sleep. This in turn feeds back to your body, telling it to produce the hormones that prepare you for sleep too.

3. Don’t drink coffee, black tea or eat chocolate

I hope that this one is pretty common sense, I mean, stimulants before bed, doesn’t really sound like a great idea now does it? However, not everyone thinks of tea or chocolate as being a stimulant. They may not be as powerful as a cup of coffee but there’s a reasonable amount of caffeine in both.

Eve if you think that you’re one of these people who can have a coffee and go to bed 5 minutes later, you’re still being affected. Caffeine will raise your blood pressure and heart rate, which are really not you sleep. Even though you may get to sleep but you probably won’t reach the deeper stages of sleep.

4. Don’t spend time in bed not sleeping

Now what I mean by this is that you want to have a strong association with bed being a place to sleep. Not where you watch TV, have a late night snack and catch up on the latest gossip on twitter. By all means do these things if you want to, just not in your bedroom.

You want to make your bedroom a private sleep sanctuary, somewhere that you leave the world behind and enter your dreams. If you couple this with a strong bedtime routine, you’ve got a powerful pull to calm you down and send you straight to sleep.

5. Try herbal remedies like chamomile tea

You can get herbal sleeping pills, which in my opinion can be useful and very effective, but just because they’re herbal you still need to be careful and watch any potential side effects that may occur.

Also, chamomile tea has a long history of being a great way to settle the mind and body for sleep. It’s only called tea because you pour hot water over it and it’s a completely different plant to black tea, so there’s no caffeine in it at all. There are other longer term herbal supplements that can help to calm your nervous system all day and aren’t just to help you sleep. In our hectic world this can a huge help for many people.

If you’ve ever wondered if meditation could help you sleep better, then here’s your answer…Of course! Meditation, especially just before sleep will help to calm your mind and it’s even more powerful when it becomes a part of your bedtime routine

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If you need to sleep better, meditation could be the answer that you’ve been looking for. You can take advantage of audio technology and neuroscience research…all at the click of a button, to get a fantastic night’s sleep, every night. Click here to find out how www.howtomeditate.biz

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Why Meditate?

Scientists and doctors study meditation and recommend it. Meditation is now proven to be more than just a ‘warm and fuzzy’ feeling. It works. So there are many reasons why people begin to meditate. Some learn meditation to become more relaxed, for improvement in health, to reduce stress, for clearer thinking, to become more creative, to sleep better and to improve mental strength. There are physical, emotional and spiritual Benefits of Meditation. It’s safe, it’s simple and it’s free.

People who are not familiar with meditation may consider it to be prayer or worship, but this is far from the truth. Meditation can be described as concentrated awareness, so as you overcome distractions and focus your mind on something you are becoming aware; you are meditating when you maintain a continued state of awareness. There are a wide range of disciplines taught for bringing your attention on to some object or thought or awareness. In fact what happens in the process is that meditation moves your brainwaves into an alpha state. This is a relaxed state with a level of consciousness where you are still aware. In the alpha state learning and healing are promoted.

Brainwaves Brainwaves are electrical activity emanating from the brain. There are four categories of brainwaves as shown below: Beta (alert/working): 15 to 40 hertz, Alpha (relaxed/reflecting): 9 to 14 hertz, Theta (drowsy): 5 to 8 hertz, Delta (sleep/dreaming): 3 to 4 hertz, Delta (deep dreamless sleep): 1.5 to 3 hertz *Hertz = cycles per second.

In the alpha state your brainwaves run between 9 to 14 cycles per second or hertz, compared with your normal waking state beta: of 15 to 40 hertz. Deeper states of relaxation move through theta, delta to the deepest delta, which is a highly creative state of relaxation.

In fact you are meditating when you focus on birds singing, to the exclusion of all other thoughts, or staring into the fire, just focusing on that, or concentrating on your breath coming in and out, thinking of nothing else.

Traditionally Eastern cultures have practiced meditation for centuries as part of their spiritual teachings, and until recently, say the last 30 or 40 years, Westerners viewed meditation with a bit of suspicion. Now, the benefits are so well documented and experienced by so many that it has become common practice for many doctors and health practitioners to recommend meditation as part of their healing plan.

There are two basic techniques of meditating and the different practices fall in to either of these two categories, with some variations possible. In mindfulness meditation the meditator sits in a comfortable position and focuses his attention and awareness on an object or activity; such as a candle, breathing, a visualization or a mantra, keeping an open focus and awareness of the present moment as he does so. This method allows for free flowing and observing of his thoughts while using the focus as an ‘anchor’ he constantly brings his mind back to the focus, when he starts to wander off in to different thoughts.

With concentration meditation which is used by most spiritual and religious traditions, the meditator keeps his attention on a particular object like repetition of a prayer or a mantra to minimize distractions, and continually brings his mind back to the chosen object. Lawrence LeShan defined meditation in ‘How to Meditate’ as “doing one thing at a time with your whole being”.

In some traditions both mindful and concentration meditation are combined.

It is possible to practice meditation even while walking or doing simple repetitive tasks. It is in moments when your mind is clear that you get that ‘realization’, ‘inspiration’ or ‘BFO’ (blinding flash of the obvious). “AHA” you say, as something miraculously pops in to your head.

Learn How to Meditate You can attend sessions somewhere in your city, usually free, to learn how to meditate. There are many books and tapes to help you, most of them excellent aids. It is easy and simple to learn. There are many tools to help you move into a meditative state. The one I absolutely love is the Holosync audio tapes from Centrepointe (centerpointe.com) (I don’t lightly recommend products, but this advanced Neuro technology is light years ahead of anything else I have tried and read about. I use it daily).

When you practice meditation regularly you begin to liberate the energy in your mind and the quality of your consciousness will expand. You will become more relaxed and happy, experiencing a sense of control of your life. You tend to approach life in a much more peaceful manner, not stressing in ways you might have done previously. This is not just a generalized statement, but is now being proven by empirical research.

I maintain wholeheartedly that meditation is truly beneficial. Do try it.

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Winsome Coutts is co-owner of Global Secrets International and writes stories and articles for personal development, The Law of Attraction and The Secret Movie. Visit her website for heaps of info, free downloads & self-help tools. www.the-secret-dvd.net/

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