How do you define meditation?

In the fast pace society we live in today it is easy to become distracted and lose our awareness. So many of life’s hidden treasures come from the subtle often over looked gifts that we are presented with daily. Through teaching meditation anxiety, depression, stress and other negative distractions will fade and have less of an influence on our emotional states. As adult’s we understand that these distractions occur and have the intelligence to make adjustments to help keep them at bay. Children however often do not understand when they are stressed or distracted and this can lead to misbehavior, poor performance and unhappiness. Teaching Meditation is one of the best solutions for this problem. It will allow them to increase their awareness, focus and concentration giving them a clear mind to be happy and present. A school district in San Francisco started teaching meditation programs to help troubled teens. The goal was to have them using meditation for short periods to help them reduce their stress levels and build their focus in hopes to improve their performance at school. The results of the program were awesome. The attendance rate of the students increased by 98% and there was a 79% decrease in suspensions. There was also a noticeable improvement in the students grade point average at the end of the […]

How do you define meditation?

What is “Identification”? MEDITATION IS MEANT TO BRING you to a state of watchfulness or witnessing. This means that you are a bit like someone on the sidelines. Things go by but have nothing to do with you. You do not interfere or question (whatever is) happening. You watch and, maybe, even enjoy everything that passes by. What has this to do with the term “identification?” In meditative practice, there is a very lengthy story of a man with a fine home. It catches fire and burns uncontrollably. The man despairs of not having sold it to the many interested buyers. He is saddened by the fact he now owns a worthless ruin. As the fire burns, one of his three sons approaches and tells him not to despair for the home was sold the day before and at a good price. Click Here to learn More About Meditation! The man is suddenly no longer identifying himself with the tragedy and watches calmly as the fire continues to rage. The second son asks how the father can so peacefully watch the home disappear in the flames. His father reassures him that the home has already sold for a large sum. The son corrects him and says that the buyer had not fully committed to the purchase and that the house […]

The practice of meditation is not something new. Research shows that the art of practicing meditation dates back more than 5000 years. Over time, various different groups have evolved the practice of meditation according to their own belief systems and preferences. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that today there are so many different meditation styles a person could choose from, to suit their own needs. Taking the time to learn a little more about the different types of meditation styles and its origins will allow an individual to make a more informed decision on which style or type would be most suitable. Initially thought to be a practiced art form that is heavily connected to some form of religious beliefs, meditation is now accepted as simply a practice of seeking to connect body and mind in a holistic manner to benefit the individual’s daily existence. Today a large segment of society turns to the use of meditation as a stress reduction tool, a relaxation tool or as a self-improvement tool. There have been many positive results documented due to the use of meditation for these purposes, but to date, scientific researchers are still unable to conclusively acknowledge just how the mechanisms of meditation works. Many people going through difficult phases in their lives turn to meditation for relief. […]

I was having dinner with a couple of friends the other night. The conversation, food, atmosphere was all great. I truly enjoy good quality time with the people I value and care about. The reason I bring this up is right next to us was a large table of eight young twenty somethings probably in college. A good part of their evening I noticed was spent with their faces glued to their cell phones. Now I know we all have times where we need to be connected, but I remember going out with my friends in college laughing, talking and building strong relationships and bonds many of which have lasted over 20 years.   I am not trying to say that we were any better than anyone else, but I do think often the youth of today is getting lost in technology and further away from true personal connections and deep relationships. Here are few important things to think about in order to build and maintain deep meaningful relationships: 1- Realize that there are great people everywhere. You should never feel the need to settle for anything short of true happiness. 2- Be clear about your future expectations. Who would you like to be connected with? What direction are you moving towards with your life? What are your core beliefs […]

How do you define meditation?

The most common reason that keeps people from starting a meditation practice is the belief that they do not have enough time. This 3 minute meditation will show you how time can never be an excuse again. Everyone has enough time to implement simple active meditation practices in to their life. Active meditations can be done in as little as 3 minutes and will offer endless benefits. Listen to what a few meditation practitioners had to say about using these simple easy to apply meditation techniques:     “Before I started meditating, I was a mess. My job, living situation, and relationships were all in shambles. I knew I needed a fresh start. I set goals for myself to simplify, but I was still finding myself incredibly scattered mentally.” “The growth I went through was interesting. Breath training changed me almost immediately. Once you’ve experienced being able to control your state of mind and stress level It’s incredible how free you feel. Anxiety and self-doubts faded and then were gone. There was no therapy involved. I wasn’t even directly intending to change those issues. I didn’t even really know they were something you could change. But then, just by learning to pay deeper attention to what’s really happening and learning how to guide my breath and movement my normal state […]

3 Meditation Relaxation Exercises Lung Breathing First, start by establishing a deep relaxed breath. Inhale and bring in as much air as possible without making yourself tight. Then exhale and let yourself melt releasing every ounce of tension in your body. This exercise can be done either standing or sitting in an up-right position. Make sure to maintain a good posture and don’t let yourself collapse as you move into deeper relaxation. Click Here to learn More About Meditation for Relaxation! Now after you have found your rhythm and your breathing is smooth start to roll your shoulders. First, focus on breathing into the back sides of the lungs by inhaling as your shoulders are circling up and back. Having the shoulders in the rear position will release tension across the back of the lungs giving them more room to expand and contract. Do this for at least 6-12 slow deep breaths. Next change direction, focusing on breathing into the front sides of the lungs. This time roll the shoulders forward and down as you inhale. Do this 6-12 times with a slow relaxed breath.   Spine Conditioning This exercise can be done in either a standing or sitting position as well. Begin by finding a deep relaxed breath. Then on your inhale start at the base of the spine […]