Meditation Facts

These days, going to the doctor when you are sick is not the only way so you will feel better. According to the National Center for Complementary Medicine, meditation is among the top 10 alternative therapy treatments. But before we get into that, it is best we learn some meditation facts.

First, meditation means awareness. Why? This is because your senses are heightened as you concentrate on your breathing and your hearing is sharper than before. You tell your mind to block out these distractions so you are able to find inner peace which you can carry with you when you open your eyes.

Some think that meditation is a religion when in fact it is a science. This is because numerous studies done in the past show that those who practice it feel relaxed, are physically fit, have improvements in their academic standing in school and have an increase in their productivity at work.

But where did the word meditation come from? This comes from two Latin words. The first is called “meditari” which means to think, dwell upon or to exercise the mind. The second is “mederi” which is to heal. If you put these all together, it describes basically what this activity is which is a time for your to reach deep in your mind and recharge.

As you can see, meditation has benefits that are physiological, physical and psychological. You don’t have to take any pills or get a prescription from a doctor. It is free and it doesn’t consume much of your time. This can be done in 5 to 20 minutes each day. You just have to sit comfortably and close your eyes then continue with whatever you were doing.

Given that meditation has been practiced for centuries, various movements have emerged. But regardless of their names or techniques, this can be grouped into two basic approaches.

The first is called concentrative meditation. Here, the person focuses his or her attention on the breath, an image or a sound to create a greater awareness and for clarity to come forth. Think of it like you are looking at something through a microscope so you are able to narrow your focus.

This is quite easy since all you have to do is sit down and just breathe. The correct way of doing it is to inhale and exhale slowly because as this becomes deeper and slower, your mind becomes more aware and tranquil.

The second type is called mindfulness meditation. Just like concentrative meditation, the person sits quietly and then reflects on his or her feelings, sensations and thoughts. These things come to mind one at time without the person calling on any of them to come forth. It just appears and no action is taken so that when you wake up, you see the bigger picture and know what you have to do.

Which meditation technique is the best of all? There is no correct answer to that because this depends entirely on the personality of the individual.

The one fact about meditation you should remember is that regardless of what you choose, its focus is to silence the busy mind. It does not remove the stimulation which you feel but rather direct your concentration to something else to achieve that inner peace. You just have to keep an open mind to see what it can do because it is a science. …Read more >>

Easy Meditation Techniques

Meditation may be a challenge for most people to do as a habit. But it is not as difficult as some may think. There are several easy meditation techniques that anyone can follow toward attaining a deeper sense of relaxation. Meditation is an effective weapon against banishing stress brought about by the rigors of life. You should try it out and here are the simple steps that you can follow to help you out.

One of the first things is find a place where you can sit comfortably. It should also be some place where you can have few distractions as possible. Distractions are not good when you are meditating since they can keep you from developing your focus and concentration and keep your mind away from everything. Once you get the hang of meditating by keeping away the distractions, you can also do your meditation while riding the train, bus or plane.

After you have a place where you can do your meditation in comfort, you now need to choose a mantra. It can be any word that you feel can help you feel relaxed and calm. Try to go with words for your mantra that really appeals to you. It can even be your own name as long as it helps you feel positive and be aware of your meditation.

Once you have yourself comfortable and have chosen a mantra, close your eyes and start repeating the mantra to yourself. Let the mantra do what it wishes. If it is something that you wish to repeat it slowly, fast, quiet or loud, then do so. Try not to let outside thoughts to disturb you while you are doing this. Just ignore them and focus on repeating your mantra.

As you repeat the mantra, try not to get distracted and just be aware of what you are saying and focus on it. Learn also to remain relaxed and clam as you do this. In time you might sometimes find yourself going off on a daydream and stop repeating your mantra. Just try to refocus and continue on with your meditation before you ward off any further.

The key to this simple meditation is trying not to let distractions come before you when you meditate. It can be a bit hard sometimes to do first, but it will develop along the way and will help you develop your focus as well as awareness better. After some time, stop repeating your mantra and remain quiet while you are still sitting comfortably. Do this for about a couple of minutes or so. Avoid getting up immediately after your meditation. It would be similar to jumping up just after having a deep sleep. It would cause a lot of stress in itself.

The other key to effectively make use of such easy meditation techniques is to do it as a habit. Try to allot some free time in your schedule for your meditation. Making it a habit would make you improve your ability to keep out distractions when you do not need them. This meditation technique can be done in as little as ten minutes or so. It is not such a long time to spend on something that can provide you with a lot of benefits especially when it comes to battling everyday stress.
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How Meditation Helps Insomnia

Insomnia simply is a chronic inability to sleep. I have had many restless nice with only a few hours a sleep. Many nights I would only get 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I had tried everything to help me sleep.I tried things like Tylenol pm.mild nerve pills and even was tested for sleep apnea and had a breathing machine to use at night for the sleep apnea.That machine made me feel as if i could not get any oxygen. Insomnia can make you crazy after awhile.

I was having a very difficult time breathing with it. I had to quit using the machine because it was so uncomfortable.I was getting very irritable from not sleeping so a friend told me how using mediation helped her.I went on the computer and found out many ways meditation helps people for many different problems. The first thing I learned is that having insomnia can also be a mind thing.

You can actually train your mind to go without sleep.I know that I think about the struggles I go through everyday and keep that on my mind so I cannot sleep well. Through meditation I have learned to calm down,relax and know that getting so upset over things I cannot change will just make things worse. Now when I come home after a exhausting day I don't let things bother me so much. I actually first started my mediation in the morning before I left and again when I get home.

In the morning I get up about 30 minutes earlier then the rest of the family so I can have time to myself. I go into the kitchen get a book I like or a newspaper,fix me some coffee and just meditate before I have to start my hectic day. When I come home at night I know that with my insomnia I will have another restless night so I start preparing for my night after I get supper cooked the dishes done and kids to bed.

For my meditation at night I will first relax by listening to soothing music. I will turn on a music channel on my television and just kick back and relax. I then get in a hot tub and sit there and let the hot water sooth me. After I get out of the tub I do not wait to go to bed. Since my body is now very relaxed I go straight to bed. I have learned by staying awake watching TV after I am so relaxed will only make it harder for me to sleep.

Since I used my meditation while listening to comforting music and relieving my tension with a hot bath why get upset by watching television. I turn my fan on low get under the covers take some deep relaxing breaths and go to sleep. I'm not saying that I am cured and get 8 hours of sleep every night but I can say that using mediation to relax me has helped me at least get a couple of extra hours of sleep then I use to.

My husband also turns on the little clock radio to a country channel and leaves it on low all night to help him get some sleep.You have got to remember meditation is simply clearing your mind of thoughts that upset you. Once you have cleared your mind over whatever is bothering you it will be to your benefit.

Relaxing is the key to having a better day and night. So find a way of meditation that will help you relax and just enjoy your night. You are worth it and most of all after all you do for everyone you deserve to have a few moments of relaxing meditation. …Read more >>