| Meditation "Meditation is the bridge between this and all other levels of consciousness; Practicing meditation makes you aware of your eternally enlightened nature.
By practicing meditation you will come to see that the true nature of the real you, the body of light, is everlasting bliss!"
-Rama What is meditation?
Meditation is a conscious effort to change how the mind works. The Pali word for meditation is 'bhavana' which means 'to make grow' or 'to develop'.
Meditation is a period of time set aside every day to quiet the mind. Meditation is a way to slow down, chill out, and get in touch with the eternal side of your being. Initially in meditation, thoughts are slowed down, and eventually, thought stops completely. The height of meditation is a state called samadhi where the mind is completely merged with worlds of perfect light. Meditation recharges you and helps you get in touch with your inner self. It brings clarity and insight into daily life - you can more easily determine what is really right for you. Meditation makes you happy and bright. It also empowers you to accomplish things in the daily world by connecting you to the power of the universe. Eventually, dedicated meditation practice leads to Enlightenment. The great news is that the benefits of meditation will be experienced right away, beginning with your first meditation session.
Many styles of meditation practice exist today. They generally involve focusing on energy centers in the body, concentrating on a picture or image, chanting, or breathing exercises. Regardless of the style, they all share a common goal - to stop thought. When our thoughts stop, we can connect to worlds of light, power, wisdom, and pure consciousness. Try each style and determine which one feels best to you. You may even want to alternate between the techniques from time to time. Whichever approach you choose, you will find that each meditation session brings a little more clarity and power into your life. The most important things are perseverance in your practice and the ability to never judge your meditation. Meditation takes practice, so don't expect too much too soon. If you find your mind wandering away from your meditation, do not get frustrated. Simply bring your mind gently back to the technique. Trust yourself and believe in the practice.
What are the physiological and pyschological effects of meditation?
Meditation is now accepted as having a highly therapeutic effect upon the mind and is used by many professional mental health workers to help induce relaxation, overcome phobias and bring about self-awareness. The most common physiological effects of meditation are reduced blood pressure, lower pulse rate, decreased metabolic rate and changes in the concentration of serum levels of various substances.
How is meditation different from relaxation, thinking,concentration or self-hypnosis?
Relaxation: is a common biproduct of meditation. Relaxation itself can assume many forms, such as taking a hot bath or reclining in the Lazy-boy and watching tv, etc. Meditation is an active process where the meditator remains fully aware of what the awareness is doing. It also attempts to transcend the thought process whereas many forms of relaxation still engage the thought process. Meditation allows the body to relax and can offset the effects of stress both mentally and physically to a potentially much greater degree than passive relaxation.
Thinking : Thoughts generally consume energy in the process of their formation. Constant thought-activity, especially of random nature, can tire the mind and even bring on headache. Meditation attempts to transcend this crude level of thought activity. Through regular practice one becomes aware that they are not their thoughts but that there is an awareness that exists independent of thought. Descartes ("I think, therefore I am") obviously was not a regular meditator! Concentration: Meditation begins with concentration, but after an initial period of concentration, thought activity decreases and keeping the awareness focused becomes more spontaneous. At this point the person may or may not continue to employ the object of concentration. Self-hypnosis: Self-hypnosis, like meditation, involves at least an initial period of concentration on an object. However in hypnosis one does not try to maintain an awareness of the here-and-now, or to stay conscious of the process. Instead one essentially enters a sort of semi-conscious trance.
What are the different meditation techniques?
Meditation involves concentrating on something to take our attention beyond the random thought activity that is usually going on in our heads. This can involve a solid object or picture, a mantra, breath, or guided visualization.
Typical objects employed include a candle flame or a flower. Some people use pictures, such as a mandala - a highly colored symmetric painting - or a picture of a spiritual teacher in a high meditative state. Mantras are sounds which have a flowing, meditative quality and may be repeated out loud or inwardly. The breath is also a common focal point. Finally, guided visualization is also considered by some to be a form of meditation. A guided visualization can help to bring one into a meditative state; also, visualization may be used once a meditative state has been reached to produce various results.
The following links are provided to help you explore the subject of meditation. Enter and Enjoy.
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