Exactly How To Meditate

Have you been feeling stressed and asking yourself the question lately ‘How do I meditate?” Meditation is easy to learn and takes only a few minutes to do. You can do it anytime and anywhere that is convenient to you; either in the morning or in the night, in the park or at home.

Meditation is simple and easy and does not necessarily take up a lot of your time. It can be done anywhere, any time and for any duration. If you are on a train and have a few minutes to spare, doing a few minutes of meditation can leave you feeling refreshed, recharged and calm when you reach your destination.

There are a few things you need to know about how do I meditate when you wake up in the morning. Find a quiet place where you know nobody will disturb you – it could be in the bedroom on your bed, on the floor or even out in the garden. You can choose to meditate either with or without some calm, soothing background music.

The next step in how do I meditate involves focusing on every part of your body from your feet upwards till you reach the top of your head. Slow down your breathing and focus on every breath. Try to hear your heartbeat and match your breathing with your heartbeats. When you are new to how do I meditate you may find it difficult to stay focused but in time and with a lot of practice it will get easier. Once you’ve finished your meditation, you can slowly bring your mind back to reality and start breathing normally again.

How do I meditate takes time and practice to master the art. But you will notice positive changes if you keep at it and you will notice that you are more peaceful and are calmer when faced with any problems.

To find out more about how to meditate and discover the different ways of meditating, visit learn how to meditate

Meditation And Its Potential Health Benefits

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years in the eastern cultures and many of their healers believe that it has significant benefits to your health and wellbeing. There are many different types and forms of meditation and it can get quite complicated. Perhaps it is best at the start to stick with a simple approach as there are many very easy exercises you can do almost anywhere and anytime.

So what is meditation and what is its ultimate purpose? Well, the simplest definition may be that it is the pursuit of a quiet mind. Many people believe that a silent mind is also the least stressful and also may have great health benefits. Each day more people discover meditation and report great health benefits as far as a greater sense of wellbeing however there are few official scientific studies done to verify the effectiveness of meditation.

In fact, many scientists are just beginning to research the correlation between meditation and improved health. There are however many peer reviewed articles that have been published on the relationship between meditation and reducing stress or decreased symptoms of disease.

So it does require some faith on your part to at least try some meditative practices and experience the benefits for yourself before you decide that it does not work just because there are not many 'official' scientific studies done on it yet. The Chinese and other eastern cultures have been quietly reaping the potentially huge benefits of meditation for thousands of years and the west is only just beginning to catch up.

A simple meditation exercise involves concentration on your breathing. Simply turn your mental focus to your breath as you inhale and then exhale normally. The key is to only think about the breath and nothing else. The idea is to develop a silent mind that is focused on something neutral like the breath. If you like you can instead focus on the tip of a pen or anything that is neutral and does not incur great emotions. You can do this for around ten minutes or so each day or whenever you feel you need to get rid of some stress.

You will find that at the start there will be many other distracting thoughts entering your mind. When this happens just return your focus back on the breath or whatever neutral item you chose. The more you do this the easier it becomes to get that state of a silent mind. You will find that this state of a quiet mind is very relaxing. It is a fantastic way to reduce stress and as we all know, stress can have significant negative effects on your health so this is perhaps one the greatest benefits of meditation.

A few studies have been done at several universities on the effects that transcendental meditation can have on your physiology, psychology and sociology. It is actually one of the most studied forms of meditation. Some of their findings show that this kind of meditation can improve your mental abilities such as increasing intelligence, creativity and learning ability.

Other documented benefits of transcendental meditation include reduced stress, less incidence of disease, improved cardiovascular health and increased longevity. Some sociological benefits include better self confidence, less anxiety and improved job performance.

There are many books written on this type of meditation and how to perform it so it could be a good idea to learn more about this type of meditation as it seems to offer many health benefits. Other kinds of meditation include zen meditation and chakra meditation. Practice meditation regularly as part of an overall program that includes proper diet and exercise habits so you can be and stay healthy.

Meditation: A Gateway Outside Reality

Life always creates different images and different issues in the mind of a human. Inside the mind everything may happen. Fantasies, dreams, problems and many others, they always consume a large space in the cradle of the mind: the thoughts. Many self-improvement books teach that success is first conceived in the mind. There are many testimonies of excellent and successful persons that prove this testimony. This is why people must understand the fabulous power thinking can bring. This power of the mind can be harnessed through the practice of meditation.

Meditation can be defined as setting all your thoughts into the neutral realm and letting it roam. But there is another meaning of meditation, and that is putting your focus into something. The secret of a triumphant meditative session is pouring your best effort to reflect on something. The good news is that something can be any image, sound, smell, idea, or object that motivates you. Inside our meditation arena, no one can dictate what someone wants to create or who he wants to see. These include the things we hope for and the life we dream of. In this effect, meditation paves a way outside the reality created by the outside world. What occurs in the external environment of the mind may be drastically altered in well-focused thoughts. During the meditation, we eagerly conceive and perceive the things that we want to focus on. This is the secret of meditation, which gives way to the secrets of success.

This is why many people reach their goals despite the trials and problems the world brings to them. It is because they already meditate beyond what the reality dictates. Meditation which serves as a gateway outside reality preserves the self-esteem, the self-image and the dreams a person has. The deepest desires are brought forth and are given the opportunity to be actualized through the powers of meditation.

In conclusion, meditation indeed serves as a portal outside the real world, but still we should not forget that the success after our meditation depends on the genuine and diligent practice of meditation for the right purpose. Meditation should not be the only means to achieve success. It is a tool that should be used with the best of intentions. Meditation provides benefits of physical and mental health that further help you attain what you want in life.

Keep in mind, the state of meditation is only a temporary escape from reality. As one removes himself from the meditative state, he becomes more capable of facing the challenges offered by the external world. Always remember how powerful the human mind is, and how more powerful it can become if given the right motivation to work. Think of all the other physical benefits and spiritual gifts that meditation opens up for your life. These can all be achieved if you are willing to receive them. You can gain the most from meditation and the power of the mind. All you need to do is to make the decision.

By:Ace Smith

Explore the Benefits of Meditation

If you practice meditation regularly, then you are probably aware of its benefits to your spiritual well-being. Mediation can help people stay calm, focused and relaxed. Relaxation is one of the most outstanding and well known benefits of meditation. It has been proven through studies that health problems are often a result of stress and anxiety. An individual can relieve his or her body from stress and anxiety through regular practice of meditation.

Lowering the levels of blood lactate is one of the lesser known benefits of meditation. This benefit can reduce of the number of panic attacks that an individual can suffer. If you suffer from frequent panic attacks, then you can reap the benefits of meditation. Meditation allows you to maintain chemical balances that help regulate the nervous system and reduce stress.

Meditative practices can also help people cope with their distress when they are experiencing great periods of stress. The negative effects of life changing episodes like the loss of a loved one or a divorce can be reduced through meditation. This may be attributed to one of the benefits of meditation that involves an increase of serotonin production in the brain. Studies indicate that elevated serotonin levels can help improve a person’s moods. A person who has too little serotonin can suffer from conditions like depression, insomnia and obesity.

There is also evidence suggesting that meditative practices can slow a person’s heart rate while increasing blood flow. A person can bring his blood pressure rate back to normal with repeated practice of meditation. The increase in blood flow along with the slower heart rate serves to lower a person’s blood pressure. This means that the benefits of meditation can also help people who suffer from high blood pressure.

Some studies reveal that increasing an individual’s ability to fend off illnesses including cancer is also one of the many benefits of meditation. Researchers have observed that the meditative process can increase the production of cells that the body uses to kill bacteria, viruses and even cancer cells. These benefits of mediation are very important, even if they often go unnoticed by the general public.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Benefits of Meditation. Visit our site for more helpful information about Benefits of Meditation and other similar

A One Minute Meditation

Maybe learning to meditate intimidates you, and in any case it's tough to find the time for daily meditation. The solution to both problems is an easy meditation you can learn right now, that will only take a minute to do each day.

An Easy Meditation Technique

Breathing through your mouth expands your chest, but if you breath through your nose you'll notice how your abdomen extends. You see, nose-breathing causes the diaphram to pull air to the bottom of your lungs. This delivers a good dose of oxygen into your bloodstream and brain. It also tends to relax you.

Breathing through your nose is healthier, and it's the basis of this one-minute meditation. You simply close your eyes, let the tension go out of your muscles, let go of your thoughts (to the extent possible), and take four slow, deep breaths through your nose, paying attention to your breathing.

Is Meditation This Easy?

You're not likey to get you into a deep meditative state with this simple exercise. You will get benefits, though. These will almost certainly include a clearer mind and a reduction in stress.

Try to develop a "trigger" for your meditation. You can do your four breaths when you get into the car, for example, or right after lunch each day. A trigger is a place or time that reminds you, so your meditation becomes a habit.

Some may say this isn't "real" meditation, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the relaxation you'll get from this technique. You can always pursue deeper meditation later, if you wish. In the meantime, remember that not everything has to be difficult to be of value. Why not do an easy one-minute meditation right now?

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com

Stress Relief Without Drugs - Walking Meditation

Walking meditation can be done in many ways and for many purposes, but I have found this technique to be outstanding in relieving stress. It's easy to do, and you should feel a distinct benefit from the first fifteen minutes of trying it.

This technique is particularly effective for those who have difficulty sitting still in meditation for long periods of time, or want to break up their sitting with a little walking meditation. This technique can be used exclusively, and can be as effective as sitting meditation for many meditators.

A path about twenty paces, or about fifty feet long is ideal. Any length will work however, even walking across a small room. The purpose of this meditation is to relax and slow the mind down, so follow the instructions as closely as you can. Also, since you will be repeating a mantra of sorts, don't let thoughts interfere with your mantra, or your concentration on walking. Just walk; and pay no attention to anything else except your mantra and your walking.

The walking will be very slow, about four seconds per step, slowly picking up one foot, moving it forward, sitting it down, and then picking up the other. You should be aware of when you are going to walk, when you are walking, when you intend to stop at the end of the path, when you are standing, when you anticipate turning, when you are actually turning, when you anticipate walking again, and when you are actually walking.

All of these movements are helped by your mantras, which state exactly what you are doing at the time. For example, when you are walking, with each step you will say audibly, softly, slowly, "I am walking." This should be said in a light, almost singing voice where the second word will be higher pitched than the other words. That is, the word, "am" will be higher pitched than either "I" or "walking." It will be almost as if you are singing your mantra to a child in a very soft, lullaby voice. The mantra and the way you repeat it are extremely important in relieving your stress. It must be said in kindness to yourself.

Step 1. To begin, while standing at the end of the path, say, "I want to walk." Then wait four seconds and again, "I want to walk." Wait four more seconds and then one more, "I want to walk." The words, "want to" will be higher pitched than either "I" or "walk."

Step 2. Now begin walking, slowly picking up your left foot, moving it forward, and setting it down while saying, "I am walking." Then your right foot, and again, "I am walking." Maintain a step about every four seconds. The word "am" will be higher pitched than either "I" or "walking."

Step 4. Continue this down the path until you are about three paces from the end of the path. Then with each of the three remaining steps before you reach the end of the path, say, "I want to stop." The words, "want to" will be higher pitched than either "I" or "stop."

Step 5. Stop at the end of the path and while you are standing still, say, "I am standing." Then wait four seconds and again, "I am standing." Wait four more seconds and then one more, "I am standing." The word "am" will be higher pitched than either "I" or "standing."

Step 6. Then after about four seconds, say, "I want to turn." Then wait four seconds and again, "I want to turn." Wait four more seconds and then one more, "I want to turn." The words "want to" will be higher pitched than either "I" or "turn."

Step 6. Then begin turning while saying, "I am turning." Then again slowly, "I am turning." And once more as you complete your turn, I am turning." The "am" will be higher pitched as before.

After you complete your turn, go back to Step 1.

You will find that if you concentrate on only your walking, and concentrate on the mantras, worries and cares will melt away for awhile, usually enough to give your busy mind a break from all the stress.

Try to do this as much as you have time for, either indoors or outdoors. Not only will it relieve stress, but if you can get concentrated enough doing this, the mind can actually make a shift in consciousness that could change your life for the better. As always, contact me if you have any questions.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

Five Roadblocks to Meditation and How They Apply to Westerners

The first hindrance to meditation is desire for sense stimulation. This can range from obsessive sexual lust, to compulsive socializing, to addictive intellectual pursuits. In the West, we tend toward the addictive intellectual pursuits because we have usually disciplined ourselves regarding lustful sex and compulsive socializing before becoming interested in meditation.

There are, however, always subtle, lingering desires for sense stimulation regarding sex and socializing, and they manifest when we choose the group with which to belong. If we hope to meet that certain someone, or if we want to socialize and make friends, we will join a group where we can pursue those goals.

Then, meditation many times become secondary, no more than a ritual to promote the hidden goals, which might not be to release us from the bondage of worldly illusion. Instead of a goal of emptiness, the goal becomes activity. One goal abandons the worldly life and its illusions, the other abandons any hope of true freedom.

Even if we see the fallacy of sex and socializing when it comes to serious practice, we Westerners many times fall prey to the main sense desire, which is our love of mind, or intellectual stimulation. The mind loves to solve problems, and even though the problem of enlightenment is far beyond the mind's capability to solve, Westerners try to figure it out, and inadvertently escape from the stillness, that holds the key to enlightenment, and into their books.

Attempting to solve the problem of humanity through books stimulates our sense of mind. It's pleasurable, and offers an escape not much different from sex or socializing. We justify it, incorrectly, because we believe that we are pursuing truth, even though truth can never be found secondarily through books or lectures. If one's practice is sincere and dedicated, then a lecture or a phrase from a book can trigger insight. However, if the tendency is to rely primarily on books rather than meditation, then true insight is prohibited and delusion is fostered. When we read too much, then even the important things we run across become so watered down that no progress will be made, which inhibits insight and only promotes delusion.

Not reading or listening at all to meaningful lectures is incorrect as well, because essential reading and discussion ease us back onto the correct path in case we have strayed. A good guideline for Westerners is that only distilled reading should be done. For every hour of reading or listening to lectures, one should meditate at least 10 hours. Then, the reading becomes balanced, and less of an entertainment and stimulation of the mind. It then becomes more of a guide to one's meditation practice, and the reading will automatically become serious, distilled, and relevant to one's practice because frivolous reading wastes that precious one hour that the mind has to escape!

The second hindrance is anger or ill will. This one is particularly relevant to Westerners because our culture is so angry. If you have driven anywhere lately, you know what I mean; it's as if everyone is a hidden explosive device such as those found under the sea that has long spikes protruding from its body, just waiting to go off, and if anything or anyone even slightly touches one of the spikes . . . boom!

It is not possible to calm the mind when in the presence of such anger and ill will. We will just sit there and simmer. Pretending to be peaceful with an angry mind is just lying to ourselves, which we become pretty good at, but still, we are only faking ourselves out. Only a loving mind can go deeply into meditation, therefore, how does one become loving? One can only become loving when the one who hates disappears, and only when the one who hates disappears can true progress be made in the spiritual life.

This all begins when the focus on one's breath becomes more important than ones opinions and ideals, one's thoughts and emotions; and one's attachments and aversions. It all starts and ends with concentration on the breath, and an acknowledgment that whatever opinions and thoughts we might have; they are irrelevant for the short time that we have decided to meditate. Of course, the more we meditate, the longer we can forgo our anger and aversion. In the meantime, we get so used to being peaceful during meditation where the angry thoughts and emotions are replaced by the breath, that we carry a little of that peacefulness out into our lives.

By overcoming our anger and aversion, our meditation not only begins to deepen but we protect ourselves when out in the world. Instead of a situation looping into violence where two inflated egos fight for control, we can sit back and relax, knowing that such a thing as ego is merely a construct of mind with no substantial reality. Just through the simple process of meditation, we begin to get to know ourselves as we have never known ourselves before.

The third hindrance; sloth and torpor, is the less troublesome one for Westerners, in the beginning at least, because we tend to go at things at breakneck speeds. We are usually keen to practice and rarely become disinterested because we are tired or lazy. What does happen, however, is that many times we become sleepy in meditation because when our minds calm down, the natural response is to go to sleep if we are sleep deprived, and most of us are because we keep ourselves so busy.

Sloth and torpor can be solved quite easily, however, and it doesn't involve getting more sleep; it involves passion. If you are involved in something that you love, for example establishing a new business, or beginning a new relationship, the energy levels become so high that sleep is almost unnecessary; or eating for that matter. This kind of passion develops in th spiritual life once one begins to get some results from their meditation, and begins to understand the depth of the practice. The best advice here is to concentrate with all of your might so that a shift in consciousness can occur, remembering that shifts in consciousness are the only things that will matter when a last breath is taken. Seldom does one become sleepy when a bear is outside of their tent. And what's worse than a bear outside your tent - rounds and rounds of rebirth into the physical realm.

Restlessness, the fourth hindrance, ranks right up there with intellectualism when it comes to Westerners. We have little patience for anything, and less tolerance for things that don't agree with the views and opinions that we accumulate, many times, by second hand information. We are very gullible when we read anything, and tend to accept it as truth. Since more often than not it isn't truth, just a smattering of truth disguised as wisdom, we eventually see through it and go on to our next adventure. Hence, spiritual window shopping becomes a way of life where we never stop long enough to practice seriously.

This restlessness is very much tied into sensual desires, where if we are not entertained and stimulated physically and mentally every moment, we are not happy campers. We never stop long enough for the mind to begin clarifying, and as a result, we seek our pleasure from externals. We think that it is good that externals always provide instant gratification (or almost always, until one gets older), and bad that internal observation and investigation provides nothing, as far as our deluded minds are concerned.

It's only after hitting that wall of emptiness, the one we have been running from for so long, that we begin to see what an untainted mind can be like, and this is where the restlessness stops. In the meantime, however, when the mind decides to settle down and stop its restless ramblings, there will be mental pain no different from an addiction that is suddenly stopped. The withdrawal can be quite severe. However, if the mind does not withdraw from its addictions, such as attachment and aversion, love and hate, then when the opportunity to bounce from one thing to another is no longer available, the mind will not only no longer have an escape through external channels, but since it has not invested any effort in internal understanding, it will be cornered with no escape. Now the pain can become unbearable, catapulting one into lifetime after lifetime of unknown consequences.

And the fifth and last common hindrance is doubt. As Westerners, we are bombarded constantly by half truths and untruths, and are thus, perhaps justifiably, cynical. We don't believe anyone, even ourselves at times, and doubt, misgivings, uncertainty, and suspicion make life, and finding a spiritual practice, downright miserable.

We can doubt many things when we decide to look for a path, such as whether or not the practice we have decided to embrace really gets results, if the practice doesn't require much from us. Or we can doubt our own capacity to successfully follow and apply the practice, especially if the practice requires everything from us. We just can never find that perfect practice, or that perfect teacher.

We can doubt that the teacher of the religion or philosophy is telling us the truth, as well as doubting the modern day validity of the practice. The list goes on almost indefinitely regarding the things that the mind can come up with to get out of meditation.

Not all doubt is bad, however. We must always use discernment, and not only faith, when choosing between the world, and the promise of transcending this world. First, we must be experienced enough in the world to see how in the world we cannot really count on anything. If we doubt that this is true, then we must become more open minded so that we can really see what is going on in our lives, and in the lives of those around us.

When we see life as it is, and not how we perceive life to be, then we are seldom blindsided by disaster, for there are no disasters. Disasters are only perceived as such because of unrealistic expectations, for example; that we are going to live forever in happiness just as soon as this or that happens, and that our friends and relatives will fare the same, without ever having to suffer old age, disease and eventual death. And that we will never suffer an accident, or a streak of bad luck.

If we do see enough about life that we feel that in fact we can't trust life, then we must be very careful where we go to escape from life's uncertainties, because if we go the wrong way, we could end up more entangled in life than ever, and thus more uncertain than ever.

Therefore, the best antidote for doubt is understanding and wisdom, approached with an open and stable mind. Meditation can provide these when we use our own clear discernment to clear out the delusions that we have built up in our own minds. This then enables us to ferret out truth from fiction, and to remove all of our doubts.

So these are the roadblocks we all face as Westerners, and as human beings, not only in meditation, but in life as well। Our life always reflects our meditation practice, and our meditation practice reflects our life. But these hindrances and roadblocks are not insurmountable. Just knowing about them, understanding them, and not underestimating their power to distract us can be a beginning for us to conquer them.

Written By:- E. Raymond Rock

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=E._Raymond_Rock

Meditation - What is It Good for Anyway?

Meditation is an age old healing and stress relieving modality practiced throughout the world, in virtually all cultures and all religions, although it may go by different names - prayer, visualization, relaxation techniques, and hypnosis; they are all forms of the same practice.

Meditation refers to "taking a break" from real life. Its goal is to bring about a sense of relaxation to the mind, body and spirit. For some, it helps to connect them to their higher self, others connect to the Universal life force and still others use meditation to get away from reality for a few minutes.

In fact, it's been found that meditation is not just merely a "taking break"; there are a multitude of physiological changes that take place when a person meditates. As a sampling, and by no means all inclusive, the following conditions can benefit from regular use of meditation:

Addictions, stress relief, pain management, hypertension, PMS, fibromyalgia, headaches, migraines and insomnia.

Other more serious and life threatening diseases such as heart disease, AIDS, autoimmune conditions and cancer may also benefit from the regular practice of meditation.

Research shows that when a person meditates there is an increase in immune function, a decrease in heart rate, a lowering of cholesterol levels and a decrease in levels of stress hormones.

Among its psychological benefits, meditation is helpful in patients with depression and panic attacks. Some have found it useful in repressed memories and past life regression therapy as well.

Once an individual learns how to meditate and experiences the benefits associated with slowing down, taking time out for oneself, and the healing potential, it's easy to use this modality anywhere and anytime. Meditation takes deep concentration and focus when first learning but the ease at which a person can transition into a meditative state increases as they improve and continue to practice.

Rachel Dayer runs and operates http://www.mustask.com, a health related portal.

Meditation Benefits – Reduce Stress & Improve Your Overall Wellbeing

Meditation can be done by anyone. It’s easy to do and for something that takes up so little time and effort the health benefits are enormous.

Here we will look at the benefits in more detail how it can reduce stress and also improve your psychological state and overall sense of wellbeing.

Meditation has been proved scientifically to combat stress and the reason is that it simply counteracts it.

What happens during stress?

During stress, the heart beats faster and blood pressure rises. The blood flow is diverted from the internal organs to the muscles as well as the areas of the brain that control muscle coordination as the body is in a state of fight or flight.

All this leads us to the feeling exhausted, anxious and stressed.

Stress is induced by stimulation of the hypothalamus of the brain relaxation can achieved by countering this stimulation by countering it with meditation.

Clinical studies have shown that Meditation can contribute to an individual's psychological and physiological well-being as meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state.

It is this alpha state which is the level of consciousness that promotes the healing state.

Meditation and stress relief

1. Decreases the metabolic rate, lowers heart rate and lowers blood pressure

2. Lowers levels of cortisol and lactate-two. Both these chemicals are a buy product of stress.

3. Reduces free radicals damage to the body

4. Improves skin resistance which lowers with higher stress and anxiety l

5. Helps reduce high cholesterol levels which some with stress and lead to cardiovascular disease.

Our lives are overloaded

Today, it seems that our lives are more stressed than ever and meditation also allows us to step back from the rat race and achieve time out.

Meditation is therefore not just there to counter stress it also helps us enrich our lives and our wellbeing.

• Increases brain wave coherence.

• Encourages creativity.

• Relives anxiety.

• Decreases irritability and improves mood

• Improves memory and concentration.

• Gives a feeling of happiness.

• Increases emotional stability.

Today, it is estimated that around 5% of all Americans practice some form of meditation and this number will increase as the health benefits of meditation are realized by more people.

Meditation is easy to do and we will look at this in further articles in this series as well as the different forms of meditation you can practice.

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On all aspects of self improvement and personal development and more on meditation visit our website for a huge resource of articles, features and downloads and at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

Meditation Classes

Meditation classes are held to impart the correct knowledge of meditation to the meditators, especially the beginners. Meditation classes are also the preference of meditators who like to practice meditation in a group to be able to experience heightened benefits through collective consciousness. Collective consciousness refers to process where it is believed that when a collection of minds function in unity towards a common purpose of meditation, entire group enhances the chances of reaching the ultimate understanding. Typically, meditation classes are held either in open spaces with natural and peaceful surroundings or inside a spacious room or hall.

Meditation classes are an ideal gateway for beginners to enter the world of meditation as it helps them avoid common errors and inculcate the right understanding. Meditation techniques such as breathing though not complex, require a certain basic understanding regarding the areas of focus and practicing watchful awareness.

Meditation classes are usually presided over by a teacher or master who have profound understanding of the methods of meditation. There are 112 techniques of meditation as described in the book of Tantra. The master has the expertise and the heightened level of awareness to choose, combine, and modify various meditations according to the needs of the disciples. For instance, traditionally, Vipassana meditation is usually performed in total silence and solitude. However, this technique can be coupled with walking meditation to suit the people who find it easier to observe the macro or the dense than the micro or the subtle.

Meditators face the risk of inaccurately interpreting the method of practice due to their inexperience, in case they begin meditating without proper guidance. In meditation, a lot of emphasis is laid on act of practicing under a living master as books and other mediums can impart one-way knowledge and cannot offer personal guidance. A master who is around to monitor the understanding and way of practice puts the disciples on the correct path and modifies their mistakes.

Meditation provides detailed information on Meditation, Meditation Techniques, Transcendental Meditation, Guided Meditation and more. Meditation is affiliated with Tai Chi Videos.

The Awesome Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is making a strong comeback in today's world. Stressed out business people and all sorts of different groups have found this old technique for its many benefits.

Meditation will help restore your energy, rejuvenating your body and leave you feeling calm and ready to face the rest of the day.

There have also been claims that meditation is a good way to cut down on the sleep you need. Meditation is different then sleep. Its a different kind of deeper relaxation. During meditation, the mind is able to rest more intensively and concentrated, than it is with sleep. Meditation will help calm the mind, relax the body and refocus the energy you already have. Although meditation cannot replace sleep, it can help to reduce the amount we need.

The benefits of meditation are boundless, but some include: higher energy levels, better concentration throughout your daily tasks and work times, and reduced stress levels. Meditation is one of the best stress reducers and is even used in hospitals for that purpose. Through your meditations, you may even gain new insights on your life and the people around you. Meditation is also often used for religious or spiritual purposes, so feel free to add that to your meditation routines, you'll still get the same energy boosting results and may gain more personal or spiritual insight.

For whatever purpose you use it for, meditation is one of the best known methods for restoring energy without sleep. Now, add this to the sleep routine talked about in the Energy through Sleep section and you'll optimize not only your energy levels, but the time you spend refilling those levels.

For more information on meditation and other ways to boost your energy and live healthy go to http://www.voernix.com

Best Meditation Technique

Meditation, just like anything else, has been through a lot of changes since its first inception thousand of years ago. Today, we know people are practicing Healing Meditation, Transcendental Meditation, Zen Meditation, Mantra Meditation, Hindu Meditation. The list goes on with Moving Meditation, Passive Meditation, Candle Light Meditation, and a few others. For beginners, the overwhelming numbers of techniques, literatures and advertisements could be very confusing. For those who has already started one technique, this could also create a problem, because each technique claims that it's the best technique.

Before we go on deciding which technique is the best, let's begin with what is Meditation? Meditation is one way you communicate and become one with The One, The Beginning of Everything, or God we used to call It. The true essence of meditation is to feel and experience the unity itself. After all, we are all Light Beings seeking human experience, not the other way around. A lot of beginners are not well informed about this, and they meditate for healing, for "spiritual growth" or even ascension without really understanding what that means.
Some people go all the way to meditate with an extreme measures, just because it has been the only way in their cultures. Some belief meditation could make one to become "God like" or some kind of super human. People are doing this because they feel that they are only human who needs more power to become more like Spiritual Beings. They forget that we are all part of The One. We do not need more and special power to become like Him, we only need to be fully conscious that we are part of Him. We already have the Power.

Now that we are fully aware what meditation is all about, and what meditation could and could not do to you, what is really the best Meditation Technique? The best technique is the one which brings you closer and closer to The One. The best technique is the technique which "remind" you who you really are , regain your full potential and full consciousness. This technique never ask you to give your power away to any living person or even Light Masters. It could be accessed directly from The One, not through any particular ritual or certain teachings.

The fact of the matter is, meditation technique is as personal as the individual itself. Trust your intuition, follow your heart, and go with the technique you're most comfortable with. Always think of your teachers as your fellow traveler with respect, but do not give your power away.

Do your meditation regularly in the stage of Pure Unconditional Love. This must not feel like a chore, do it because you are fully aware that we are all part of The One, we are all Light Beings seeking human experience. Happy Meditating.
By Alex Lee

Meditation as a Health and Spiritual Exercise

According to Buddhism, a person can reach “Nirvana” or the highest state of enlightenment through continuous meditation and by participating in the Buddha's daily service, among other things. Through time, many people have benefited from the practice of meditation.

Meditation, as practiced by Buddhist monks and practitioners, has become a spiritual tool and health enhancer in one। More than just the chants and meditative posture, meditation is about proper breathing and concentration of one's thoughts. As a health and spiritual practice, meditation came into prominence centuries ago in the East where people's lives and culture demanded a way to “escape” the realities of life.

How do we know if we are already in a state of meditation or just wasting away time with our eyes closed? Meditation is a state of mind that leads to inner peace, self-fulfillment, self- improvement, and the development of a positive outlook in life. There are two types of meditation; the concentrative and the mindfulness type. Concentrative is more on the person's concentration, sitting quietly and calmly with good breathing patterns. It is said that the one's mind is somewhat connected to one's breath of air. Continuous rhythm of inhales and exhales of the breath will make the person feel more calm and relaxed, focusing on their steady flow of air in and out of their bodies. This will result in the mind being more aware and tranquil at the same time. Mindfulness, on the other hand, involves attention and awareness on passing wave of sensations, images, feelings, thoughts, sounds, smell, anything that your body can interact with. This in turn will give the person a more non-reactive mind state, much like looking at a television, without any feeling or thoughts that can bother you away.

Meditation and relaxation often go hand in hand. In scientific studies, it has been proven that there are health benefits in practicing this kind of activity. By being in a relaxed state of mind, the person is also regarded to as in alpha state, of which is a level of consciousness that promotes good healing.relaxation in a person is highly recommended, since people always move and think, and by being relaxed it can also give relaxation to the body and mind that will eventually enhance our well-being as well.
Knowing all this, one can see the connection of both scientific and religious factors, all because of meditation. Indeed, this activity shows a unique philosophy that can really help oneself. In practicing such kind of relaxation process, the person sees the innermost self at its fullest. This helps the person in dealing with external difficulties, seeing past all this and in a way becomes humble and calm in dealing with situations. This relaxed state of meditating allows the person in helping oneself health-wise, since this to can take away simple headaches, stress, or even mild anxity . It began way before, and it will never go away. This kind of activity brings out the person in you. By meditating, this will give you a sense of calmness in a positive state. There are no known facts that this can be harmful to you, so why don't you give it a try?BuySoma.Ca