Learning to Meditate

Meditation

After having heard of all the benefits of meditation I really wanted to give it a try, but I had no idea of how to start.

I didn't feel like going to a place and taking lessons, although I do find it a good option. I was just too lazy to go anywhere.

So I decided to start by reading a book, then another book, then another one...

I've been finding that extremely helpful. But I wanted to make it even better, so I decided to purchase a few tapes, some VHS and some DVDs.

Amazing what we can learn from the comfort of our own homes.

Even if you are lazy like me, there's lots of good alternatives out there, you may find a good link on this page that will help you on your meditation. Good Luck!

Meditation

What is Meditation?

Meditation’s objective is to help you purify your mind. Cleansing the thought process of all emotional "toxins" like greed, jealousy and hatred things that keep you in an emotional block. Bringing the mind to a state of peace and awareness, concentration and insight.

More than anything Meditation is a psychological activity. It makes you deal with feelings and emotions. The best times to meditate are early in the morning when your mind is fresh; it will help you to get ready to deal with every thing that you’ll have to during the day.

Another good time for meditation is right before you go to sleep, so you can get rid of the entire burden that you have on your mind before you fall asleep. It will help you to rejuvenate yourself and have a good night of sleep.

Senior meditators do it for hours a day, but it comes to them naturally. If you are just starting to meditate try to do it only once a day, don’t overdo it, as it might make you feel burnt out. Give yourself time to incorporate Meditation to your daily life and habits.

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The Effects of Meditation

How the regular practice of meditation will help your life.

Our health is founded upon a relationship between body, mind and spirit - and the wellness of each part - and the physical body itself is only one component in the overall equation of well-being. This principle of holistics recognises that a stress free and happy mind and a blossoming spiritual life are major factors in our physical health. Just as stress and negative emotions silently erode our life force, so too the practice of meditation releases a new and positive life force - borne of inspiration, happiness, peace - into every part of our existence, creating the optimum conditions for vitality and health. With meditation even our sleep pattern can change - an improvement in quality, a likely reduction in quantity. More time and energy to live our lives!

Everything Starts Within
The way we feel and function in our outer life is determined to a very great extent by our inner life - our happiness, our confidence, our moods, our consciousness. We often have little power to change events in the outer world, but we can change the way we react to them. When we are happy and calm, difficulties and problems are easily coped with - when we are anxious or unhappy, the same difficulties can become nightmares. Our whole experience of life is coloured by our own consciousness - our life is the creation of our minds! Meditation balances the inner and outer worlds and brings out the bright colours of our nature - joyfulness, serenity, loving kindness, strength. These emerging positive qualities reshape our very experience of life, for everything starts within.

The writings of all the great sages and pathfinders over the centuries share many recurring ideas and truths - one of these is a belief in the wisdom and beauty of the human soul. Sri Chinmoy describes the soul as our 'inner pilot' - it is our highest Self, our truest Self, our in-house life guide. The more we listen to our soul, the more our outer life will flourish and prosper - and it is in the silence and stillness of meditation that the wisdom of the soul can most easily be felt and experienced. In everything of life - decision-making, problem solving, the search for fulfillment and purpose - the inner pilot is there to show us the way and we can learn to access it through our deepening practice.

The Soul's Special Promise
The great sages also tell us that each soul is unique and has something very special to accomplish on earth. It is by listening to our 'inner pilot' that we begin to feel and understand what our life's deeper purpose is and then our outer life becomes increasingly in harmony with this knowledge. The discovery and fulfillment of the soul's special promise brings us great happiness.

Power of mind
The many techniques employed in learning meditation share a common theme - harnessing and concentrating the power of the mind. By-products and benefits of this effort are numerous - an ability to focus and concentrate quickly, enhanced memory, a stillness in the meditating mind which enables us to access deeper, intuitive, creative and inspirational parts of our being.

Power of Heart
Sri Chinmoy places great emphasis on the spiritual heart in our quest for happiness, for it houses many of our most powerful spiritual qualities. A widening, deepening capacity for love; compassion for others; a oneness with all of life; inner wisdom; a desireless happiness, like the fragrance of an inner flower, spreading out into our life - a treasure trove waiting to be discovered! Sunset over the oceanThe heart is an egoless, unhorizoned consciousness and living 'in the heart' is one of the secrets of real happiness. One of the principle forms of yoga - bhakti yoga - is centered in the spiritual heart as well. Here, the power of devotional love is directed out to God and sees divinity in all things.

A Peaceful Life
Meditation will make you a very peaceful person. This peace comes about through a growing self-acceptance and self-confidence, and through an inner poise that comes from a deeper part of our being. This peace is not something passive and fragile - it is very powerful and dynamic. This kind of inner peace will lift you above success, failure, the positives and negatives of life - it leaves in us an adamantine poise and a sense of calm detachment in the face of life's changing fortunes and tribulations. People who have developed inner peace are very powerful.

Awakening
Meditation is the awakening to our true nature, a spiritual path to enlightenment, self-realisation, oneness with God. This is why one should always feel gratitude for the impulse to meditate - we have consciously begun the great journey of awakening that lies at the very heart of all human life

Jogyata Dallas is a member of the Auckland Sri Chinmoy Centre. He has been giving free meditation classes for the past 20 years throughout New Zealand

meditation

Free Yourself From Worry And Fear

Finally Free Yourself From Worry And Fear

by Edward W. Smith

Would you like to move your life ahead in spite of worry and fear? Everyone has fears and worries, what sets us apart is our ability to deal with them and move on. This article will show you how to manage your worries and fears, so you free yourself from them. This is the place to obtain quick, action-oriented advice on steps you can take right now to reduce your fears and worries.

The first step in managing your fears and worries is to recognize that you have them, and then to make them real.

Write out a list of each of the fears and worries you have. Many of the items on your list will not stand the light of day. You will immediately realize that some of them are silly or just aren't things you should be worried about. Take each of these items off the list.

Next, take each item and make a list of all the things you can do about it. This shows you that in most cases you will be worried about something that you can't control at all and that your worry serves no purpose. Vow not to worry about things you can't control and take them off your list. In the case where you can do something to reduce the worry, your sense of control is enhanced, making you feel better.

Now, ask yourself what is the worst thing that could happen with each worry. In most cases you will find you can live with even the worst outcome and this will also make you feel better.
Once you are down to a hard-core list of fears and worries that you can control, set up a plan to control them. What options do you have? Who can you ask for help? Exactly what has to be done, when? Realize you have a lot of control here and give yourself credit for taking action as you do so in order to lift your spirits.

Also, it helps to realize that you can feel the fear and still take action. Fear serves a purpose in that it is a great "alert" mechanism that helps us stay out of trouble. But once we "get the message" fear has done its job and starts to get in the way. Fear and worry can be a positive if we use it as a call to action and fix a problem. If you acknowledge the fear, and then proceed with what you need to do, you will find you are able to function in spite of the fear.

Here are some other tips that will help you feel better. Make an effort to concentrate on breathing. We tend to limit our breathing when we are fearful. You will feel better, the more you breathe. Also, meditation will help reduce stress and take your mind off your worries. Visualization and affirmations that help you focus on becoming positive in light of the situation can help you move forward while acknowledging the fear. Do not forget physical exercise as a way of reducing the stress that goes with fear and worry.

Once you begin to have things under control, change your focus from the negative fears and worries, to the positive things in your life. When you catch yourself worrying, bring new positive thoughts into your mind. Change your thinking from the "cup is half empty" to the "cup is half full". Suddenly things that were worries are now positives.

Another way to help reduce the amount of fear and worry in your life in the future is to begin to do more planning on the things you will be doing. Look for areas that could become problems and begin to cover all the contingences. Forward planning will build your self-confidence and ward off those nagging fears that something is not right.

So now you have the tools necessary to reduce the fear and worry in your life and replace them with a justifiably positive attitude backed up with action and solutions. Start using these tools right now and begin to live a happier life.

About the Author
Edward W. Smith is the author of Sixty Seconds To Success, he produces and hosts the Bright Moment cable TV and internet radio show, is president of the Bright Moment Seminars, is a motivational speaker, and publishes the free, daily, email of the One Minute Motivator (quick peak performance tip). His website is www.brightmoment.com and his email is edsmith@brightmoment.com.

Better Life with Inner Peace

by Tony Robinson

Inner peace is complicated to classify in view of the fact that it fluctuates with different individuals. Inner peace is problematical, since some people are able to achieve inner peace faster than others are. It depends on the mind searching for inner peace, but some are happy with less while others need more to obtain inner peace.

Inner peace lengthens in conversation, in view of the fact that we are talking of ethics, quiet, principles, customs and more. The point of view in finding inner peace depends on what truth really means to you. All of us much search deep within our self to decide what we think, feel, fear, believe, expect, et cetera. At what time we begin our search questions will crop up that make us wonder if inner peace is reachable.

Ethnic is honesty. We have races, groups, class, gender, and other social related issues that cause us to struggle in our journey to finding inner peace. Prejudice, is a form of hate that weighs heavy on the mind. We are all affected by prejudice, thus we must reach in our self to find truth and search for inner peace. The deal is, ethnic is a truth. Ethnic covers groups, race, gender, class, et cetera. Ethnic comes from birth. When we are born, we are born in truth of nature and mind.

Down through the years humankind has placed value, judgment, and control over each human being alive. Our country is ruled by government officials and criminal justice, all with their own ideas how we are suppose to live, act, think, et cetera. We are plagued with the many lies told to us by false religious groups, as well as others. The truth is there are only one true religion and one true God. The truth is when we are born we are born in truth and led astray as the years go by.

Unfortunately, the residue your mind took from the world must come out in order for you to find inner peace, since you will need to find the truth to reach your destination. If you want the truth from religion to achieve inner peace try reading the bible thoroughly to learn what is truth to you before venturing off door to door to find the true religion.

If you are searching for truth in politicians then you will be searching for the rest of your life without inner peace. The fact is the government officials are merely imperfect human beings that base their ideas on theory, opinions, ideas, philosophy and lies. If you wondered why the government has difficulty maintaining an entire country, well the truth is man alone cannot find peace, because they are working against the Almighty who laid out the rules from the get-go.
Life is a challenge. When you see life as a threat, it will take time for you to find your inner peace, since you will need to come to agreements within. When you live life in expectation, you are only sitting self up for a fall.

We have a nature ability to find our own inner peace, which was given to us at birth. The natural mechanisms inside our mind make it possible to search the truths and leave the lies behind. When you have truth, you will have convictions, which no one will be able to argue with you.
We can venture off into arguments to learn where they start, but the topic is inner peace. Inner peace is a quietness of the mind. Sometimes people find it hard to achieve inner peace because they hear the word, but do not really know its meaning. Therefore, defining inner peace may help you reach your destination.

Tips for achieving inner peace

Take time out for you and pondering on the storage in your mind.
Learn self-talk and continue using the tool throughout your life. Some people think that talking to self and answering self-means the person is crazy. Contrary to the idea, the truth is those that have the ability to communicate with self and answer their own questions, have the ability to find inner peace.

About the Author
Tony Robinson is an International Author and Webmaster who has found inner peace. Visit his site with which he shares his tips for inner peace at http://www.innerpeacenow.com/

Why Meditate, you ask?

Try this simple meditation technique and you'll see the benefits right away. It will only take a few minutes.

Choose a quiet and restful place. You need to create a serene atmosphere ... no phones or tv and no interruptions of any kind.

Sit down, close your eyes and relax your body. Breath deeply through your nose and out your nose and mouth (as you would usually do).

Do this in a controlled manner, that is, slow and easy breaths. Feel your body relaxing? Try it for 5 to 10 minutes.

Benefits? Many. Among them:

Decrease of anxiety and stress.
More positive attitude and less irritability.
Better creativity, memory and it will help you make better decissions.
Helping with depression.
It will make you feel rejuvenated and ready for action.

Any thoughts? ... or just one: "It is worth a try".

-- Jay.

For related information and articles visit www.depressiontalk.blogspot.com

Taboo: Talking about Depression

Taboo: Talking about Depression

Many won't touch the subject but the truth is that you probably know someone that has suffered from it, or maybe is still suffering from it. I don't understand why it is still such a big taboo, a big issue.It is here, there and everywhere and the best way to deal with it is to be aware of the symptoms and to know that it is treatable!

The following article is a bit of information about depression from the National Institute of Mental Health.

Depression: A Treatable Illness

Depression is a serious medical condition that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things.

A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better.

Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who have depression.

Types of Depression

Depression comes in different forms, just as is the case with other illnesses such as heart disease. The three main depressive disorders are: major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Major depression (or major depressive disorder) is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptom list below) that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. A major depressive episode may occur only once, but it is more common for several episodes to occur in a lifetime. Chronic major depression may require a person to continue treatment indefinitely.

A less severe type of depression, dysthymia (or dysthymic disorder), involves long-lasting symptoms that do not seriously disable, but keep one from functioning well or feeling good. Many people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes during their lives.

Another type of depressive illness is bipolar disorder (or manic-depressive illness). Bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression), often with periods of normal mood in between. When in the depressed cycle, an individual can have any or all of the symptoms of depression. When in the manic cycle, the person may be overactive, over-talkative, and have a great deal of energy. Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems and embarrassment. For example, an individual in a manic phase may feel elated and full of grand schemes that might range from unwise business decisions to romantic sprees.

Symptoms of Depression

Not everyone with a depressive disorder experiences every symptom. The number and severity of symptoms may vary among individuals and also over time. In addition, men and women may experience depression differently.

Symptoms of depression include:Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood. Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness. Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex. Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down". Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions. Trouble sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping. Appetite and/or weight changes. Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts. Restlessness, irritability. Persistent physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain, that do not respond to routine treatment.

Some Facts About Depression

Depressive disorders are common: they affect an estimated 9.5 percent of adult Americans in a given year, or about 19 million people.Depressive disorders often begin between ages 15 and 30 but also can appear in children.

Depression (not including bipolar disorder) is the leading cause of disability among men and women of all ages in the U.S. and worldwide, according to the World Health Organization's World Health Report, 2001.

Treatments

More than 80 percent of people with depressive disorders improve when they receive appropriate treatment. The first step to getting treatment is a physical examination by a physician to rule out other possible causes for the symptoms.Next, the physician should conduct a diagnostic evaluation for depression or refer the patient to a mental health professional for this evaluation.

Treatment choice will depend on the patient's diagnosis, severity of symptoms, and preference. A variety of treatments, including medications and short-term psychotherapies (i.e., "talking" therapies), have proven effective for depression.

In general, severe depressive illnesses, particularly those that are recurrent, will require a combination of treatments for the best outcome. It usually takes a few weeks of treatment before the full therapeutic effect occurs.

Once the person is feeling better, treatment may need to be continued for several months-and in some cases, indefinitely-to prevent a relapse.

For More Information on Depression Visit the NIMH website at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/ for information that supplements this publication.

All Rights Reserved 2005- 2006. www.depressiontalk.blogspot.com

Meditation

Meditation

Well, I do have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. I have a very active brain and I haven’t found the ON/OFF button yet. This last week has been especially bad.

So I was at work talking to a friend about it and the subject of meditation came up again. I mean again because I have tried meditating a few times, but I either found it too boring to continue, or I simply couldn’t focus and had to stop. Apparently the whole point is just trying!

Being tired the way I was I didn’t have anything to lose, so I went straight to the library to get some tapes, videos and books about it.Then, at 10 pm, even though the Amazing Race was on TV, I started watching one of the tapes and I was joined by everybody, even the cat!.

The program was ½ hour long and by the end of the tape I was almost falling asleep.I have to admit that it DID work. I was able to sleep pretty much from 11pm till my alarm rang in the morning. My hubby also slept a LOT better and for my surprise even the baby slept all night!

PS: for those who don’t know “the baby” is our kitten, since she stayed at her “grandfather’s” for 10 days while we were in Nova Scotia she has been on his schedule waking up at 5 am every morning. NOT today, though, and so I have to say that this REALLY WORKS!!!!

All Rights Reserved 2005-2006. Meditation.

For related articles and information visit www.depressiontalk.blogspot.com