Autumn Meditation

For me, the seasons represents 2 aspects. The path through my own life and the spiritual path. Firstly, the path through my life and how the seasons map this out. Autumn has particular significance for me.
Spring is birth (or re-birth!). Clearly, this is visible in the explosion of flowers and the greenery that erupts out from the trees and hedgerows. But in spring we catch elements of the previous winter, still left hanging. The ice. Maybe representing the Karma from my previous life? The odd, crisp frost still catches me in the spring. Ice and water from the winter have effects which pervade. As I tend the bonsai in my garden I find one of them with a broken terracotta pot, split by the ice. I will need to replace that in the summer when I re-pot. I notice the roof slate that has broken free and slipped down the roof. The winter has left its mark and things will have to be done to fix these affects. Untouched, the affects of the winter frosts will deepen their damage, so I must notice them and repair. Just like the Karma of a previous life, which I hopefully will notice in my mindful moments, then nurture and transform.
Spring is interesting, a beautiful time but a time when we are busy recovering from the winter and coping with the explosion of growth. It is comparable with our own spring of childhood where we are extremely busy learning and growing (and from a Buddhist perspective, possibly coping with the Karma bubbling up from a previous life, setting us in our place).
As the seasons progress we tend to start to forget about the previous winter and enjoy the moment or look forwards. But, just like Karma, the Winter still occasionally reminds us of its presence and its effects pervade right through the your (and the Karma, right through our life time). I still haven't replaced that Bonsai pot! So even though we may forget those effects, they are still there.
Summer comes, the summer of our youth. We now talk little of winter, of old age. However, even now, we get little reminders of what is to come. Even in Summer, the weather can deliver a sudden frost occasionally. And we do hear the stories of course. From our Grandparents and parents, about the 'dreadful winter of such and such...when the snows were 6 feet deep" These reminders come through, just like the reminders of old age and as a youth we begin to have the first glimmers of understanding around old age and death. Hot summers, just like the passion of our youth, raises energy, and can occasionally cause trouble. But unlike the frost and water from the previous winter, hopefully these problems will be short lived and quickly forgotten.
Autumn. I think I'm here in my life. Autumn is a beautiful time, full of grace and colour, cooler too. With time to dwell on the fun of the summer. But wisdom starts to set in. An understanding of what nature has in store for us as we catch the early frosts. Preparation too. The animals in the forest are eagerly burying food and the birds are eating to build up their fat reserves. They know the winter is coming and they are preparing. And maybe I am preparing too? My spiritual practise is certainly more intense and deeper than in my youth. Maybe I also see a winter coming and recognise the importance of preparation. So for me, this time in my life is very special. I have the wisdom of understanding of what is to come (to an extent) but also some of the energy left from my summer. I have the energy to practise. To prepare.
Winter comes, and a beautiful stillness. With the frosts come clear skies as we head on into the new year. Hopefully, when I reach this time, my Karma will be positive, ready to hand it over to the new year, a new life. Hopefully the frosts from the winter won't be quiet so disruptive for the next spring, the next life.
And what of the spiritual path? How does this compare with the seasons of the year? Each season, although giving us little tasters of the next, sit quietly with mainly their own particular nature and temperament. For weeks, that nature and temperament will largely be the same. Then, suddenly, change comes. The leaves fall and the frosts appear. Traveling home from retreat the other day, I noticed that in the space of a few days, autumn had well and truly rolled in. The trees had gone golden. This, for me, is the way the spiritual path travels. Many weeks of level, sustained practise. Battling against a particular barrier to meditation. Then sudden progress and a leap over the wall. On to the next season then.
Andy Spragg is an experienced Tai Chi instructor with 16 years of teachning experience. Andy is the owner of Re-Vitalise, a company specialising in weekend breaks and retreats in Tai Chi and meditation. These are full board retreats held in tranquil locations throughout the UK.
Andy is a Buddhist and focusses on the synergy between Tai Chi and Buddhist meditation in his teaching.
http://www.re-vitalise.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Spragg
For me, the seasons represents 2 aspects. The path through my own life and the spiritual path. Firstly, the path through my life and how the seasons map this out. Autumn has particular significance for me.
Spring is birth (or re-birth!). Clearly, this is visible in the explosion of flowers and the greenery that erupts out from the trees and hedgerows. But in spring we catch elements of the previous winter, still left hanging. The ice. Maybe representing the Karma from my previous life? The odd, crisp frost still catches me in the spring. Ice and water from the winter have effects which pervade. As I tend the bonsai in my garden I find one of them with a broken terracotta pot, split by the ice. I will need to replace that in the summer when I re-pot. I notice the roof slate that has broken free and slipped down the roof. The winter has left its mark and things will have to be done to fix these affects. Untouched, the affects of the winter frosts will deepen their damage, so I must notice them and repair. Just like the Karma of a previous life, which I hopefully will notice in my mindful moments, then nurture and transform.
Spring is interesting, a beautiful time but a time when we are busy recovering from the winter and coping with the explosion of growth. It is comparable with our own spring of childhood where we are extremely busy learning and growing (and from a Buddhist perspective, possibly coping with the Karma bubbling up from a previous life, setting us in our place).
As the seasons progress we tend to start to forget about the previous winter and enjoy the moment or look forwards. But, just like Karma, the Winter still occasionally reminds us of its presence and its effects pervade right through the your (and the Karma, right through our life time). I still haven't replaced that Bonsai pot! So even though we may forget those effects, they are still there.
Summer comes, the summer of our youth. We now talk little of winter, of old age. However, even now, we get little reminders of what is to come. Even in Summer, the weather can deliver a sudden frost occasionally. And we do hear the stories of course. From our Grandparents and parents, about the 'dreadful winter of such and such...when the snows were 6 feet deep" These reminders come through, just like the reminders of old age and as a youth we begin to have the first glimmers of understanding around old age and death. Hot summers, just like the passion of our youth, raises energy, and can occasionally cause trouble. But unlike the frost and water from the previous winter, hopefully these problems will be short lived and quickly forgotten.
Autumn. I think I'm here in my life. Autumn is a beautiful time, full of grace and colour, cooler too. With time to dwell on the fun of the summer. But wisdom starts to set in. An understanding of what nature has in store for us as we catch the early frosts. Preparation too. The animals in the forest are eagerly burying food and the birds are eating to build up their fat reserves. They know the winter is coming and they are preparing. And maybe I am preparing too? My spiritual practise is certainly more intense and deeper than in my youth. Maybe I also see a winter coming and recognise the importance of preparation. So for me, this time in my life is very special. I have the wisdom of understanding of what is to come (to an extent) but also some of the energy left from my summer. I have the energy to practise. To prepare.
Winter comes, and a beautiful stillness. With the frosts come clear skies as we head on into the new year. Hopefully, when I reach this time, my Karma will be positive, ready to hand it over to the new year, a new life. Hopefully the frosts from the winter won't be quiet so disruptive for the next spring, the next life.
And what of the spiritual path? How does this compare with the seasons of the year? Each season, although giving us little tasters of the next, sit quietly with mainly their own particular nature and temperament. For weeks, that nature and temperament will largely be the same. Then, suddenly, change comes. The leaves fall and the frosts appear. Traveling home from retreat the other day, I noticed that in the space of a few days, autumn had well and truly rolled in. The trees had gone golden. This, for me, is the way the spiritual path travels. Many weeks of level, sustained practise. Battling against a particular barrier to meditation. Then sudden progress and a leap over the wall. On to the next season then.
Andy Spragg is an experienced Tai Chi instructor with 16 years of teachning experience. Andy is the owner of Re-Vitalise, a company specialising in weekend breaks and retreats in Tai Chi and meditation. These are full board retreats held in tranquil locations throughout the UK.
Andy is a Buddhist and focusses on the synergy between Tai Chi and Buddhist meditation in his teaching.
http://www.re-vitalise.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Spragg

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Preparing For Meditation

Before starting any meditation technique, it is necessary to have a calm and quiet mind. It is only when the mind is free that real meditation can be experienced. There are exercises that you can do by yourself to help quieten the mind. You may try one or the other before you start your practice of meditation techniques. There is no one exercise that is known to work best. Each exercise would work differently from one meditator to another.
Although these exercises achieve the same results of a calm and quiet mind, they are different in the ways in which this state of mind is achieved. Meditation exercises include among others relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, concentration exercises, mantra exercises and visualization exercises.
1. Relaxation exercises drain tension and stress from the body. It involves the sequential "cleansing" of your body from head to feet, with the dirty energies being drained through the feet into the floor. After ridding the body of negative elements, you can imagine a vast sea of peace in the center of your chest bringing a wave of tranquility.
2. Breathing exercises focuses the mind to the physical act of breathing. You become aware of how you breathe and when you breathe. You become aware of the way your chest rises and falls each time you breathe bringing your consciousness close to the here and now and away from the problems of yesterday and worries of tomorrow.
3. Concentration exercises take you through certain steps to improve your concentration skills. Often these concentration exercises will let you focus on certain objects and increase your awareness of yourself at the same time. Heightened concentration makes for more effective meditation.
4. Mantra exercises lets you chant a mantra or a word or phrase to help quieten the mind. Chanting mantras are supposed to create a vibration within ourselves to create a personification of the attribute or quality we desire. With mantras, you invite a steady stream of energy with every chant.
5. Visualization exercises use an image to focus your mind on. Through a series of "suggestions," you are made to imagine a thing such as a flower and see it in your mind as if it is real. The whole series of "suggestions" will go on as far as making you hear, feel and smell whatever it is that your mind is focused on. The spiritual heart is said to be gradually opened by this type of meditation exercise.
These meditation exercises have been practiced as part of meditation techniques coming from various religious and spiritual groups. Their effectiveness in clearing the mind into a calm and quite state have been proven for so many years. When done in conjunction with any meditation technique, any one of these meditation exercises can be beneficial not only physically but psychologically and spiritually as well.
Even modern medical practitioners have espoused the use of these meditation exercises to aid in the practice of meditation techniques. Effective meditation using these exercises are known to have health benefits as well.
Here's an excellent way to start enjoying the benefits of meditation today. The Deep Zen audios are an easy and highly effective meditation exercise program that can help anyone achieve deeply satisfying levels of meditation. Try your free demo here: http://www.deep-zen.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Warren_Marion
Before starting any meditation technique, it is necessary to have a calm and quiet mind. It is only when the mind is free that real meditation can be experienced. There are exercises that you can do by yourself to help quieten the mind. You may try one or the other before you start your practice of meditation techniques. There is no one exercise that is known to work best. Each exercise would work differently from one meditator to another.
Although these exercises achieve the same results of a calm and quiet mind, they are different in the ways in which this state of mind is achieved. Meditation exercises include among others relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, concentration exercises, mantra exercises and visualization exercises.
1. Relaxation exercises drain tension and stress from the body. It involves the sequential "cleansing" of your body from head to feet, with the dirty energies being drained through the feet into the floor. After ridding the body of negative elements, you can imagine a vast sea of peace in the center of your chest bringing a wave of tranquility.
2. Breathing exercises focuses the mind to the physical act of breathing. You become aware of how you breathe and when you breathe. You become aware of the way your chest rises and falls each time you breathe bringing your consciousness close to the here and now and away from the problems of yesterday and worries of tomorrow.
3. Concentration exercises take you through certain steps to improve your concentration skills. Often these concentration exercises will let you focus on certain objects and increase your awareness of yourself at the same time. Heightened concentration makes for more effective meditation.
4. Mantra exercises lets you chant a mantra or a word or phrase to help quieten the mind. Chanting mantras are supposed to create a vibration within ourselves to create a personification of the attribute or quality we desire. With mantras, you invite a steady stream of energy with every chant.
5. Visualization exercises use an image to focus your mind on. Through a series of "suggestions," you are made to imagine a thing such as a flower and see it in your mind as if it is real. The whole series of "suggestions" will go on as far as making you hear, feel and smell whatever it is that your mind is focused on. The spiritual heart is said to be gradually opened by this type of meditation exercise.
These meditation exercises have been practiced as part of meditation techniques coming from various religious and spiritual groups. Their effectiveness in clearing the mind into a calm and quite state have been proven for so many years. When done in conjunction with any meditation technique, any one of these meditation exercises can be beneficial not only physically but psychologically and spiritually as well.
Even modern medical practitioners have espoused the use of these meditation exercises to aid in the practice of meditation techniques. Effective meditation using these exercises are known to have health benefits as well.
Here's an excellent way to start enjoying the benefits of meditation today. The Deep Zen audios are an easy and highly effective meditation exercise program that can help anyone achieve deeply satisfying levels of meditation. Try your free demo here: http://www.deep-zen.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Warren_Marion

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Tai Chi Uses - 7 Ways Tai Chi Can Be Useful in Your Life - A Personal View

Note: 'Tai chi' and 'tai chi chuan' are Romanizations of Chinese terms using the older but still popular Wade-Giles system. 'Taiji' and 'Taijiquan' are the equivalent terms from the now universally recognized Pinyin system.
Almost thirty years since my first ever Taiji lesson, I've been reviewing the many ways in which my life has benefited from the practice. Now I'm writing a series of articles to pass on my own experience and understanding of this sometimes confusing subject.
Given how long it's been available in the West, I'm often surprised by how little is generally known about Taijiquan and how much nonsense is still spoken about it. Here are seven areas of benefit which the average student can expect to gain from taking up some form of Taiji practice.
Physical balance and co-ordination:
Before I began the study of Taijiquan I was a particularly uncoordinated and clumsy person. Once, after a public performance playing my guitar alongside a solo dancer, I asked a good friend her opinion. She said "Richard, I love to watch your hands when you play, but the moment you move around onstage you're so clumsy that you're a distraction. Why don't you take up Tai chi or something?" Mortified, knowing her comment was honest and well-intended, I followed her advice and in so doing, changed my life in ways I couldn't have imagined.
Asthma and respiratory problems:
I was a chronic asthma sufferer and I tried many alternative therapies to avoid having to rely on drugs for the rest of my life. Many things helped, but it was adding Taiji and Qigong to my routine which really made the difference. My asthma ceased to be a problem in less than 4 months of beginning the practice.
Whole Body Power: Body mechanics and postural alignment
The word 'posture' suggests something static so this is potentially misleading. Taiji is a movement discipline and involves applying principles of superior body-mechanics to improve the efficient delivery of power. Designed as a system of armed (swords etc.) and unarmed combat, Taiji body mechanics apply equally to lifting a box or pushing a piano. A student of mine in her 80's claimed that Taiji was her lifeline. "If I fall and fracture my hip, I know I'm finished" she once told me. She performed her movements small and cautiously, but more correctly than any of the nimble young dancers who also used to attend that lunchtime class, because she understood and made proper use of the internal movement principles of Taiji.
Being Centred:
Learning to redistribute vital energy for a lower centre of gravity has many benefits. Not only do you gain a mechanical advantage in physical confrontation, but you gain control of your emotional reactions. You retain composure, keep a clear head and maintain better balance, and this communicates through your body language. In my experience, this is usually enough to make an adversary back off, because they're not seeing the green light; raised shoulders, unsteady stance, the victim behaviour they expect. Maintaining your centre is also useful when driving - pay close attention to the way your vital energy rushes upwards when you are seized by a fit of road-rage.
'Full & Empty' and the Psychology of Non-resistance:
Taiji combat theory states that force should be met with emptiness, and returned from an unexpected direction. This superior strategy in warfare has been applied by the Chinese from antiquity right through to modern times. The 'yielding' theory has practical applications in all walks of life, including the practice of meditation and dealing with unwanted thoughts and distractions, and in resolving conflicts in interpersonal communication.
Whole Brain Functioning:
Taiji techniques and principles in general promote the synchronization and integration of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This in turn improves performance in most areas of activity, and greatly benefits physical and mental health and well-being. Keeping the tongue stuck to the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth is one practice which involves both hemispheres of the brain. Another is maintaining an awareness of an area the size of a grapefruit below the navel known as the tantien. Many other aspects of Taiji movement require continuous synchronization of the hemispheres.This in turn improves your energy levels.
Meditation in Motion:
In these fast-moving times, many people find it difficult or impossible to sit down and be still. Besides, where can you find the time to sit in meditation for 20 minutes, go to the gym and do all the other things that are supposed to help you to stay in good shape? Taiji combines the benefits of physical exercise with the calming and focusing of the mind in moving meditation, which can be achieved within a single daily session. I've also found that after years of practice, I only have to stand in the attention posture as if to begin my practice, and a whole range of physiological changes begin to take place immediately. My system has come to recognize this simple stance which acts as a trigger. As a result, I'm able to stand in meditation more easily and for a far longer time than I can sit. I can do this while waiting for a bus, standing in a queue and many otherwise inert moments during the day.
Visit my blog to ask your questions, read free posts, articles and insights into the many ways to use and benefit from taiji, qigong and other systems for health, meditation and self-protection: http://www.richardcoldman.com/. Richard Coldman is a freelance filmmaker, musician and writer with a keen interest in alternative health and almost 30 years experience in Chinese martial arts and therapeutic exercise.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Coldman
Note: 'Tai chi' and 'tai chi chuan' are Romanizations of Chinese terms using the older but still popular Wade-Giles system. 'Taiji' and 'Taijiquan' are the equivalent terms from the now universally recognized Pinyin system.
Almost thirty years since my first ever Taiji lesson, I've been reviewing the many ways in which my life has benefited from the practice. Now I'm writing a series of articles to pass on my own experience and understanding of this sometimes confusing subject.
Given how long it's been available in the West, I'm often surprised by how little is generally known about Taijiquan and how much nonsense is still spoken about it. Here are seven areas of benefit which the average student can expect to gain from taking up some form of Taiji practice.
Physical balance and co-ordination:
Before I began the study of Taijiquan I was a particularly uncoordinated and clumsy person. Once, after a public performance playing my guitar alongside a solo dancer, I asked a good friend her opinion. She said "Richard, I love to watch your hands when you play, but the moment you move around onstage you're so clumsy that you're a distraction. Why don't you take up Tai chi or something?" Mortified, knowing her comment was honest and well-intended, I followed her advice and in so doing, changed my life in ways I couldn't have imagined.
Asthma and respiratory problems:
I was a chronic asthma sufferer and I tried many alternative therapies to avoid having to rely on drugs for the rest of my life. Many things helped, but it was adding Taiji and Qigong to my routine which really made the difference. My asthma ceased to be a problem in less than 4 months of beginning the practice.
Whole Body Power: Body mechanics and postural alignment
The word 'posture' suggests something static so this is potentially misleading. Taiji is a movement discipline and involves applying principles of superior body-mechanics to improve the efficient delivery of power. Designed as a system of armed (swords etc.) and unarmed combat, Taiji body mechanics apply equally to lifting a box or pushing a piano. A student of mine in her 80's claimed that Taiji was her lifeline. "If I fall and fracture my hip, I know I'm finished" she once told me. She performed her movements small and cautiously, but more correctly than any of the nimble young dancers who also used to attend that lunchtime class, because she understood and made proper use of the internal movement principles of Taiji.
Being Centred:
Learning to redistribute vital energy for a lower centre of gravity has many benefits. Not only do you gain a mechanical advantage in physical confrontation, but you gain control of your emotional reactions. You retain composure, keep a clear head and maintain better balance, and this communicates through your body language. In my experience, this is usually enough to make an adversary back off, because they're not seeing the green light; raised shoulders, unsteady stance, the victim behaviour they expect. Maintaining your centre is also useful when driving - pay close attention to the way your vital energy rushes upwards when you are seized by a fit of road-rage.
'Full & Empty' and the Psychology of Non-resistance:
Taiji combat theory states that force should be met with emptiness, and returned from an unexpected direction. This superior strategy in warfare has been applied by the Chinese from antiquity right through to modern times. The 'yielding' theory has practical applications in all walks of life, including the practice of meditation and dealing with unwanted thoughts and distractions, and in resolving conflicts in interpersonal communication.
Whole Brain Functioning:
Taiji techniques and principles in general promote the synchronization and integration of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This in turn improves performance in most areas of activity, and greatly benefits physical and mental health and well-being. Keeping the tongue stuck to the roof of the mouth, just behind the front teeth is one practice which involves both hemispheres of the brain. Another is maintaining an awareness of an area the size of a grapefruit below the navel known as the tantien. Many other aspects of Taiji movement require continuous synchronization of the hemispheres.This in turn improves your energy levels.
Meditation in Motion:
In these fast-moving times, many people find it difficult or impossible to sit down and be still. Besides, where can you find the time to sit in meditation for 20 minutes, go to the gym and do all the other things that are supposed to help you to stay in good shape? Taiji combines the benefits of physical exercise with the calming and focusing of the mind in moving meditation, which can be achieved within a single daily session. I've also found that after years of practice, I only have to stand in the attention posture as if to begin my practice, and a whole range of physiological changes begin to take place immediately. My system has come to recognize this simple stance which acts as a trigger. As a result, I'm able to stand in meditation more easily and for a far longer time than I can sit. I can do this while waiting for a bus, standing in a queue and many otherwise inert moments during the day.
Visit my blog to ask your questions, read free posts, articles and insights into the many ways to use and benefit from taiji, qigong and other systems for health, meditation and self-protection: http://www.richardcoldman.com/. Richard Coldman is a freelance filmmaker, musician and writer with a keen interest in alternative health and almost 30 years experience in Chinese martial arts and therapeutic exercise.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Coldman

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Meditation For Children in 5 Easy Steps

Meditation for children? Absolutely! Just follow these 5 easy steps to see how meditation for children can be fun and rewarding.
1. Find a Comfortable Space
Low lighting, a comfortable temperature, and relative quiet are essential with meditation for children. Without these elements it is hard, if not impossible, for a child to focus. Another consideration is having a soft place to sit, but not too comfortable that they are relaxed to the point of falling asleep. Soft music (classical is a good choice) can be used to help calm and focus an active child.
2. Allow the Children to Change Positions as Desired
One of the great things about meditation for children is that there are no strict and unbending rules. Allowing children to change positions when desired can make meditation more meaningful and productive for them. Some ways they may find comfortable are sitting cross-legged, stretching their legs out in front of them, sitting in a chair, rocking slowly back and forth, or even standing or walking in a slow circle.
3. Picture It
Teaching imagery can be an effective and easy way for children to learn meditation. Start by asking them to think of a place where they feel relaxed. While picturing this place in their minds, ask them to describe it to you. Finally, encourage them to think of this place whenever their minds wander to other things.
4. Focus on Breathing
The idea here is to get them to use to deep and slow breathing that is conductive to relaxation. An easy way to accomplish this is to have them take deep in and out breaths while you count out loud. After a few times of doing this, have them count silently in their heads while they slow down each breath.
5. Start with Short Periods of Time
Start with about 5 minutes at a time and work up. Starting with too much time will often lead to impatience and boredom for children. After several sessions of 5 minutes each, slowly work up to longer times using small increments.
Meditation for children helps encourage them to slow down and relax. It can be used before bed to prepare them for sleep, in the morning to get them ready for the day, and any time to calm and focus them.
Sarah Holt writes for TheMeditationSite.com. For more on Meditation, and to get the Meditation Newsletter, visit: http://www.TheMeditationSite.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_J_Holt

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Alternatives to Medication For the Treatment of ADD-ADHD

Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food -Hippocrates
Although a significant number of studies are have found that "natural" treatments, can substantially improve the condition of ADD/ADHD patient, other than prescribed medicine, no other form of treatment is not recognized yet in the US. With this development, some health professionals are turning to behavioral and dietary interventions to cure this disorder. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still only supports drug therapy as the treatment for ADD/ADHD.
What can be said about prescription medication is that it is still new to the practice of medicine but plant extracts and other holistic remedies have existed before our time. Modern medicine possesses the wondrous capability to alter natural substances to form a chemical derivative that has absolutely nothing to do with the original material in its final form.
It is, however, very interesting that it was the advent of chemically-based foods, sweeteners, additives, and, yes, medications that signaled the advent of the ADD/ADHD "epidemic".
Is there a connection?
As the environment that people lived in changed, so did the ability of the body to function naturally. It stands to reason that any substance capable of producing biochemical reactions within the body is capable of altering the body's functioning to elicit unnatural symptoms, including those displayed by individuals diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.
In essence, for the most part, the symptoms of ADD/ADHD are not caused by any natural malfunction of the human body, but rather by the introduction of unnatural substances which, in turn, create a toxic environment in which the body can no longer function properly. In support of this argument, it is obvious that the incidence of ADD/ADHD and the use of chemical additives, preservatives, and substances have risen at roughly the same rates.
The rate of ADD/ADHD diagnoses has risen with the rise of chemical usage.
Individuals who are more sensitive to extraneous toxins are prone to reacting to allergens. Those who are not sensitive would not develop any. You can safely say that some have it in their genes to have severe reaction to toxins than other people.
It stands to reason that, if the body reacts to a toxic environment by displaying a host of symptoms such as fidgeting, distractibility, impulsivity, hyperactivity, forgetfulness, and behavioral problems, removing the individual from the toxic environment can lessen, and even eliminate, the problem.
The issue of ADD/ADHD treatment is that many people knows that the toxin effecting sufferer of ADD/ADHD must be removed from them and this goes for removing the individuals from the toxic environment too but the vast number of us are still unclear about how to go about doing that. With the many non-medication method available today, prescribed medication should be the last choice in anyone seeking out ways to deal with this disorder.
It is found that many ADD/ADHD cases can be treated by managing the following issues: - proper nutrition needs of the patients. - any existing behavioral issues - toxins that are currently in the patients environment
Not many have found the need for medications, even if it is during emergencies.
Many researchers suspect, and are now investigating, the correlation between food allergies and behavioral problems. These researchers have gone so far as to suggest that more than 60% of individuals suspected of having ADD/ADHD might be "cured" by eliminating such toxins as sugar, artificial colors and preservatives, soy, milk, chocolate, wheat, some citrus fruits, and eggs from their diets.
Here are the methods of elimination diet that can be used to control ADD/ADHD. Elimination diet can be done using the following ways: 1. Take food that is suspected to be the culprit away from diet. If it is diary product then you can take it off the diet and only introduce it back after symptoms disappear. When doing so, make sure you do it one at a time. By doing this, you can easily identify food that is responsible for the symptoms. 2. You can start eliminating food such as diary, wheat products, sugar, eggs, nuts, soy products, corn, and citrus fruits and juices because they are usually the type that are responsible for these symptoms. 3. Eliminate foods for a minimum of two weeks. Keep a careful diary of the individual's behavior, breathing, and general health during this period. 4. Foods should then be introduced one at a time and for the period of three days minimum. Introducing food should be done at three days interval until a reaction appears. 5.Do not neglect reading food labels because important information such as finding out that the food have an offending food as the ingredients can be missed thus creating reactions.
Another method that can be used to determine food allergies, sensitivities, and toxicities is the food diary. For a period of about a month, write down all foods, beverages, snacks, candies, etc. that are consumed. Everything that goes into the mouth must be recorded; even such innocuous substances as gum, medications (even over the counter meds), and candies. Record behavior, breathing, and general health in the diary. Remember to record sleep patterns, activity levels, and attitude. At the end of the month, patterns should be detectable according to what was ingested, when. Food diaries are often used in conjunction with an elimination diet.
Elimination diets and food diaries are now being used to uncover toxins that may be responsible for such conditions as Autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, general food allergies, Fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, and even depression!
Jimmy Brownen is a leading expert in the field of ADD /ADHD and has years of experience in the treatment of it. For more information on the disorder or for alternative means of curing ADHD, please visit his site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Brownen
Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food -Hippocrates
Although a significant number of studies are have found that "natural" treatments, can substantially improve the condition of ADD/ADHD patient, other than prescribed medicine, no other form of treatment is not recognized yet in the US. With this development, some health professionals are turning to behavioral and dietary interventions to cure this disorder. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still only supports drug therapy as the treatment for ADD/ADHD.
What can be said about prescription medication is that it is still new to the practice of medicine but plant extracts and other holistic remedies have existed before our time. Modern medicine possesses the wondrous capability to alter natural substances to form a chemical derivative that has absolutely nothing to do with the original material in its final form.
It is, however, very interesting that it was the advent of chemically-based foods, sweeteners, additives, and, yes, medications that signaled the advent of the ADD/ADHD "epidemic".
Is there a connection?
As the environment that people lived in changed, so did the ability of the body to function naturally. It stands to reason that any substance capable of producing biochemical reactions within the body is capable of altering the body's functioning to elicit unnatural symptoms, including those displayed by individuals diagnosed with ADD/ADHD.
In essence, for the most part, the symptoms of ADD/ADHD are not caused by any natural malfunction of the human body, but rather by the introduction of unnatural substances which, in turn, create a toxic environment in which the body can no longer function properly. In support of this argument, it is obvious that the incidence of ADD/ADHD and the use of chemical additives, preservatives, and substances have risen at roughly the same rates.
The rate of ADD/ADHD diagnoses has risen with the rise of chemical usage.
Individuals who are more sensitive to extraneous toxins are prone to reacting to allergens. Those who are not sensitive would not develop any. You can safely say that some have it in their genes to have severe reaction to toxins than other people.
It stands to reason that, if the body reacts to a toxic environment by displaying a host of symptoms such as fidgeting, distractibility, impulsivity, hyperactivity, forgetfulness, and behavioral problems, removing the individual from the toxic environment can lessen, and even eliminate, the problem.
The issue of ADD/ADHD treatment is that many people knows that the toxin effecting sufferer of ADD/ADHD must be removed from them and this goes for removing the individuals from the toxic environment too but the vast number of us are still unclear about how to go about doing that. With the many non-medication method available today, prescribed medication should be the last choice in anyone seeking out ways to deal with this disorder.
It is found that many ADD/ADHD cases can be treated by managing the following issues: - proper nutrition needs of the patients. - any existing behavioral issues - toxins that are currently in the patients environment
Not many have found the need for medications, even if it is during emergencies.
Many researchers suspect, and are now investigating, the correlation between food allergies and behavioral problems. These researchers have gone so far as to suggest that more than 60% of individuals suspected of having ADD/ADHD might be "cured" by eliminating such toxins as sugar, artificial colors and preservatives, soy, milk, chocolate, wheat, some citrus fruits, and eggs from their diets.
Here are the methods of elimination diet that can be used to control ADD/ADHD. Elimination diet can be done using the following ways: 1. Take food that is suspected to be the culprit away from diet. If it is diary product then you can take it off the diet and only introduce it back after symptoms disappear. When doing so, make sure you do it one at a time. By doing this, you can easily identify food that is responsible for the symptoms. 2. You can start eliminating food such as diary, wheat products, sugar, eggs, nuts, soy products, corn, and citrus fruits and juices because they are usually the type that are responsible for these symptoms. 3. Eliminate foods for a minimum of two weeks. Keep a careful diary of the individual's behavior, breathing, and general health during this period. 4. Foods should then be introduced one at a time and for the period of three days minimum. Introducing food should be done at three days interval until a reaction appears. 5.Do not neglect reading food labels because important information such as finding out that the food have an offending food as the ingredients can be missed thus creating reactions.
Another method that can be used to determine food allergies, sensitivities, and toxicities is the food diary. For a period of about a month, write down all foods, beverages, snacks, candies, etc. that are consumed. Everything that goes into the mouth must be recorded; even such innocuous substances as gum, medications (even over the counter meds), and candies. Record behavior, breathing, and general health in the diary. Remember to record sleep patterns, activity levels, and attitude. At the end of the month, patterns should be detectable according to what was ingested, when. Food diaries are often used in conjunction with an elimination diet.
Elimination diets and food diaries are now being used to uncover toxins that may be responsible for such conditions as Autism, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, general food allergies, Fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, and even depression!
Jimmy Brownen is a leading expert in the field of ADD /ADHD and has years of experience in the treatment of it. For more information on the disorder or for alternative means of curing ADHD, please visit his site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Brownen

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De-Stress Yourself With Daily Deep Relaxation Meditation

When it comes to Meditation we must have an open mind and make a commitment if we want change in our lives. When people think of meditation they often think of religion or they think of it as a waste of time. But meditation is the ultimate skill of patience, which gives peace and calm to our minds, bodies, and then to our lives.
Stress causes a racing mind of worry and fear, which is usually on autopilot. When on autopilot we display unwanted emotions like anger, irritability, and moodiness. When our mind is noisy we are unable to fall asleep, stay asleep, and get essential hours of sleep. Other thoughts that may cause disorder in our mind and lives are of what we don't have, peoples' offenses, the need to control other people, or lack of faith in ourselves. These stressful thoughts manifest into physical symptoms and cause muscle tension and stiffness.
A popular meditation technique to help remedy all of the above mentioned is Deep Relaxation Meditation, which is most effective if done everyday. When we learn the technique of deep relaxation and do it often enough we will create a habit of being aware of our tension and stiffness throughout the day. In other words, we become more aware and in tuned with our mind and body. This habit allows us to bring ourselves to a relaxed and calm state anywhere at anytime.
The Deep Relaxation Meditation should be done everyday to produce the habit mentioned above. The best time to do this is right before you go to sleep so that you may create an intentional deep sleep and if you have difficulty sleeping this will also help improve your rest in the evening. On the whole, we can benefit from Deep Relaxation Meditation if done two to three times a day. This technique can be done in 5 to 10 minutes.
The best way to learn this practice is with an instructive audio. After listening once or twice it should be very easy to facilitate on your own. A good audio will teach you to begin in a comfortable position with deep breathing exercises. Then the audio will bring you through a process of relaxing every part of your body. Not only does this relax your body it also relaxes your mind because you take yourself out of your thoughts and into the focus of the senses in the body.
This practice has the benefit of releasing physical strain, quieting the mind, giving the participant peace, and it allows you a spiritual space. When your mind is quiet and your body is relaxed you will better be able to hear that still small voice. Learn to do a Daily Deep Relaxation Meditation and you will be an expert at destressing yourself and creating happiness in your life.
Elizabeth Stanfill, Managing Director of Destress Yourself, is an authority and expert in Critical Incident Stress Management, General Stress Management, and Overcoming Burnout. She specializes in teaching individuals to discover the stressful habits that are holding them back in life and changing these habits into successful practices that create explosive jumps in personal and professional performance. For more free information about Destressing Yourself please sign up for our free Destress Yourself Newsletter and receive free admission to our monthly Destress Yourself teleclass. http://destressyourself.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Stanfill

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Cosmic Energy Meditation

This is a nice little exercise using energy to increase positivity and reduce stress.
Find somewhere nice and quiet to relax where you won't be disturbed. Make sure you are comfortable and your back is supported. If you can adjust the lighting in your room try lowering it to a dusk-like level. Not too dark you don't want to fall asleep, but nothing so bright that it will be distracting. Focus on your breathing, take nice long, slow, deep, breaths, Let all your thoughts quiet down and drift away. If persistent thoughts keep entering your mind simply acknowledge them then let them slide out of your head. Bring your attention back to your breathing every time you feel your focus dwindling. When you feel nice and relaxed we begin this energy meditation.
I'd like you to visualise a bright white light above your head. Concentrate on this light and as you watch it you notice it getting bigger and brighter. Watch the light and bring it closer to you. Feel a warm sensation from this light as it gets closer. If you can't physically feel the heat don't worry just imagine that the light is giving off heat. After a few attempts you'll begin to feel the heat of the light. Let the light grow bigger and wider until it completely surrounds you in a big bright cocoon of warm healing energy. Focus on this light energy, feel it moving around you, feel it electrifying the air around where you are sitting. Again if you can't feel the light don't worry you will with a little practice.
This is the earth's positive energy and you are now tapping into all the positive life forces that it brings. I'd like you to take a nice deep breath now. As you breathe in consume some of this beautiful, bright, white cosmic energy into your body. Just breath in the light. Feel it warming your insides as you sit and relax.
As you breath out let all your negative energy travel out of your body with your breath. Visualise this negative energy as black or dark light. Watch this energy move away from you and be absorbed by the white energy. This white energy will purify all your negativity and return it to the cosmos as pure energy.
Repeat this process for as long as you need too. Breath in the white cosmic energy and breath out any negative dark energy you have contained within you.
Once you are finished enjoy your day and enjoy your new found feeling of lightness.
Brenda Mayhew writes on self development related issues. For more information on meditation and to keep up to date with her recent articles please visit her blog at http://laropmet.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Mayhew

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How to Make Time For Self Meditation

What for you gets in the way of daily meditation? The reason I ask this question is that almost universally mediation is said to be one of the fundamentally best ways to relax and get relief from stress so the question is, why is it more people don't meditate? On Google there were 673,000 searches in September 2008 for the term learn meditation. So I was curious to discover what holds people back. One area that sprang to mind especially thinking back to when I first got interested in meditation is time.
A perception there is not enough time to meditate
People often give time as a major reason for not meditating however this in its self is not totally accurate, it is just more likely that we are putting other things in front of meditation. Now when I say this there is often a chorus well, I have to go to work, I have my children to attend to. Yes I know we all have lives to lead so how can we make enough time to do self meditation?
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Often in our daily rush we do not often have time to ask what's really important to us. Quite often we are so absorbed moving from one doing to another, there is very little time for self awareness or stillness in our lives. The funny thing is awareness and stillness are key elements for keeping in touch with every area of our life positively. So for example as a busy parent, you will probably interact with your children better, day to day stresses and strains are still there however some how do not seem to get on top of you like they used too . So when viewed this way, if your life is important to you and by that I mean what's within your life, be it family, work etc is important, if you want the very best from these elements of your life, then you are going to require something that can help maintain you at your very elementary best. Now if you were to believe this something was meditation, and you were willing to accept and believe it could transform your day to day life, would you consider making time for meditation then?
And finally a little faith
And so the question how will you know what I am saying is either true or accurate? This really is the crux of meditation, in that it is a process, that reveals its true value over time, this is not to say that benefits can not be experienced fairly quickly, just that mediation, is about bringing you back to your source or your core self. To some that might seem deep and perhaps a little weird, but I always say its great to come home after a journey, by that I mean we journey outward everyday getting things done, and that's important, however its great to just sit, and return home (source or core) before you journey outward once more.
Lee is a stress relief and life balance coach.Lee specialises in 'communication and interaction', helping individuals and organisations develop new ways of thinking in order to realise their dreams and outcomes.http://www.stressrelief-coach.com/wordpress/why-do-meditation/ http://www.stressrelief-coach.com/wordpress/easy-how-to-meditation-prt-2-what-stops-you-from-meditating/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Boniface
What for you gets in the way of daily meditation? The reason I ask this question is that almost universally mediation is said to be one of the fundamentally best ways to relax and get relief from stress so the question is, why is it more people don't meditate? On Google there were 673,000 searches in September 2008 for the term learn meditation. So I was curious to discover what holds people back. One area that sprang to mind especially thinking back to when I first got interested in meditation is time.
A perception there is not enough time to meditate
People often give time as a major reason for not meditating however this in its self is not totally accurate, it is just more likely that we are putting other things in front of meditation. Now when I say this there is often a chorus well, I have to go to work, I have my children to attend to. Yes I know we all have lives to lead so how can we make enough time to do self meditation?
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Often in our daily rush we do not often have time to ask what's really important to us. Quite often we are so absorbed moving from one doing to another, there is very little time for self awareness or stillness in our lives. The funny thing is awareness and stillness are key elements for keeping in touch with every area of our life positively. So for example as a busy parent, you will probably interact with your children better, day to day stresses and strains are still there however some how do not seem to get on top of you like they used too . So when viewed this way, if your life is important to you and by that I mean what's within your life, be it family, work etc is important, if you want the very best from these elements of your life, then you are going to require something that can help maintain you at your very elementary best. Now if you were to believe this something was meditation, and you were willing to accept and believe it could transform your day to day life, would you consider making time for meditation then?
And finally a little faith
And so the question how will you know what I am saying is either true or accurate? This really is the crux of meditation, in that it is a process, that reveals its true value over time, this is not to say that benefits can not be experienced fairly quickly, just that mediation, is about bringing you back to your source or your core self. To some that might seem deep and perhaps a little weird, but I always say its great to come home after a journey, by that I mean we journey outward everyday getting things done, and that's important, however its great to just sit, and return home (source or core) before you journey outward once more.
Lee is a stress relief and life balance coach.Lee specialises in 'communication and interaction', helping individuals and organisations develop new ways of thinking in order to realise their dreams and outcomes.http://www.stressrelief-coach.com/wordpress/why-do-meditation/ http://www.stressrelief-coach.com/wordpress/easy-how-to-meditation-prt-2-what-stops-you-from-meditating/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Boniface

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Simple Everyday Meditation

The age-old traditional practice of meditation is used in modern times as a way of improving one's state of mind and overall well-being. This practice of simple everyday meditation can be integrated as part of one's regular routine. It is simple to do and requires very little time to do making it easy to squeeze into one's busy schedule.
The feeling of general well-being that meditation brings makes it a worthwhile activity for anyone to undertake. If you are feeling the ails of busy modern-living, following these simple meditation steps can greatly help you get through this day and the days to come:
1. Look for a quiet place where you can do your meditation without distractions or disturbances. Choose one that does not have your usual domestic "noise-makers" (i.e. telephone, television, radio, alarm clock, family pet etc.).
2. Put yourself in a comfortable position. There are positions that are highly recommended by meditation experts to bring about effective meditation. Try the standard sitting position by sitting erect on a low chair, with legs uncrossed and both feet planted on the floor shoulder width apart. According to meditation experts, this position lets internal energies to flow more freely throughout the body. In the eastern world, the "half-lotus" position is a popular posture used in meditation. In this position, the meditator sits on the floor with legs crossed and the buttocks elevated on a cushion. This position is believed to encourage the flow of energy upwards, moving towards the brain.
3. Commit to meditate for a certain period of time. It is recommended that you intimate to someone that you intend to use this period to meditate. This creates for you a sense of accountability to fulfill a commitment that has been verbalized. Setting a fixed period of time also lets other household members or friends know that you intend for this time to be private and undisturbed. Take about 15 minutes at the start of everyday to do meditation.
4. Choose a focus by formulating a short phrase that describes your personal belief system. In religious meditation, this is often a quote from the bible or a prayer. If you are not religiously inclined, you may choose to focus on a neutral word or a motto.
5. Close your eyes and concentrate on relaxing your whole body. Do this sequentially by concentrating on releasing tension from your forehead, then your face, then your neck, then your upper torso, and so on, working your way down to your feet. By doing this, you are freeing your mind from stressful thoughts and your muscles from tension.
6. Breathe in and out in a slow and steady pace. Repeat your focus statement silently in a steady stream over and over again. Just inhale and exhale while silently chanting your focus statement. Keep going still with your eyes closed. Concentrate on your focus statement. When other thoughts enter you mind, do not play tug of war with it. Accept it, brush it aside and then return to your focus.
7. Do this for your committed time period. Play it by ear, do not use an alarm clock or anything that will make a noise to suddenly jolt you into full consciousness, undermining whatever efforts you have taken to achieve a relaxed state. At the end of your meditation period, open your eyes while still in your meditative position. Sit still for at least a minute and savor the feeling of relaxation with simple everyday meditation.
By following these easy steps, you would have had a simple yet effective meditation session. You will find at the end of this simple meditation that you are more relaxed and more ready to face the rest of your day productively with a positive mental disposition, simple everyday meditation.
Here's an excellent way to start enjoying the benefits of meditation today. The Deep Zen audio program is easy for anyone wanting to learn how to meditate and helps advanced meditators achieve deeper levels of meditation too. Try your free demo here: http://www.deep-zen.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Warren_Marion

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Meditation For Optimal Health

Meditation has become popular because it promotes optimal health, gives the body a profound rest, dissipates stress, sifts through your mind traffic, helps you to think ahead and keeps you organised.
Meditation looks after your body: Every cell in your body has a certain vibrational frequency for good health and vitality. Fear, anger, hostility, etc can cause the vibrational energy in your body to alter - to move toward disharmony or dis-ease. Meditation helps you to return to the vibrational frequencies of harmony and health. The daily practice of meditation will move you away from the harsher emotions of hate, bitterness, spite, and frustration and towards the more gentler emotions of love, compassion, and kindness.
Meditation can help you to unravel problems and find solutions by accessing your creative and/or intuitive self. Meditation can bring you a new level of living and a new experience of your own power; meditation can awaken a series of unexpected abilities to bring happiness and well-being into your life. The continual practice of meditation on a daily basis will bring peace and tranquillity into your life. When you are at peace with yourself and those around you then the world is a much happier place for everyone and goodwill towards all people becomes the logical result. When you reach a deep level of meditation you will begin to experience a deep calm, extraordinary personal power. It is a feeling of absolute peace, feeling centred, focused and clear with an ever deepening expression of strengthening self-love.
The experience of meditation varies with each person depending on their beliefs and attitudes. It must be remembered that if you were brought up in a happy environment that it will be easier for you to enter into a meditative state, but if you were brought up in a fearful environment it may take you longer, people who are fearful / critical are often cautious and therefore are not as willing to let go deeply. To meditate deeply you must let go of the need to analyse and question your experiences in meditation. If you analyse your meditation moment to moment, you will not drop into a deep meditative state. It is imperative that you let go of your need to control the process of meditation.
Meditation should be fun and effortless, look forward to your meditations as you would look forward to meeting an old friend. Let go of the need to control your meditation and allow yourself to just experience it moment to moment. Meditation begins by seeking refuge from stress and tension and ends with feelings of renewed strength, confidence and tranquillity. There are many forms of meditation, this is perhaps the simplest one for the novice.
Breath Meditation Breath meditation is a very simple meditation that you can practice almost anywhere. Sit down in a comfortable position in your favourite armchair. Close your eyes and roll your shoulders backwards to open up your chest cavity. As you breathe in, imagine that you are breathing all the way down to just below your navel. As you breathe, your abdomen will start to expand and contract. If you find that your shoulders are rising and falling, put your hands on your navel and push your abdomen out and in with each breath, to get you into the habit of breathing deeply into your lungs. You may like to imagine, as you breathe in, an arrow pointing downwards until it reaches below your navel, and then turning around for its return journey, as you breathe out. Practice this breathing for twenty minutes a day to develop your meditation skills. Use the first ten minutes to write down your mind traffic and the second ten minutes to focus on your breathing and having a quiet mind. To release your mind traffic, have a pen and paper beside you and when a thought comes into your mind, write it down on the paper. If you need something to focus on, you can use the word calm or relax or let go on your outgoing breath. To finish your meditation, imagine that you are awakening from a wonderful sleep. Wriggle your toes, stretch, open your eyes and then return to your usual activities.
Cheryl Cattarin is a spiritual counsellor with many years experience in natural healing therapies. Teaching people to access their spirituality, inner wisdom and intuition is her life's passion. You can read more about personal and spiritual development at http://www.cherylcattarin.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cheryl_Cattarin

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Manifestation Meditation - A Practical Guide to the Law of Attraction

Leave aside the marketing hype, The Secret and The Law of Attraction bear some truth: our thoughts create reality. Let me elaborate.
Universe is energy. This was demonstrated by science. Quantum Physics showed that there is no hard matter inside the atom: just various forms of energy. These energies are just particularizations of a basic state of matter called quantum field. This filed fills all the Universe. There is no such a thing as empty space in the Universe. Planets would not hold together around the sun if that was the case.
Most interesting, the quantum physicists were surprised to find out that the output of the experiments they ran were influenced by the observer ("observer effect"). Not subjectively as the in interpretation of the results or magnetic field interaction, but objectively as hard evidence that thoughts (what else does the observer create), bear energy that influenced the experiment. Translated in real life this means that our thoughts create reality indeed.
Are you still with me? Well, it was not simple to digest this for me either. OK, forget about the scientific mumbo jumbo. More down to earth, is easier to accept that once your mind is focused on a certain (desired) output, it segregates among choices and selects the favorable situations that will eventually help you to achieve your goals. This was easier to comprehend wasn't it?
Once accepted that your thoughts influence reality, than the most important thing becomes controlling your thoughts and focusing on the relevant thoughts for the reality you want to create.
Your mind is distracted all the time. Random thoughts, difficult to control and manage. A typical (untrained person) can not focus on a specific object (thought) more than few seconds at a time. And this precisely where meditation comes into the picture. It has a three fold benefit:
Meditation helps increasing the focus and awareness. At the beginning of your meditation practice you become aware of what your mind does and bring it back to your focus. With practice (sorry, not in two weeks though) you will be able to concentrate longer and longer on a certain thought and this has the effect of a magnifying glass under sun: it creates energy (caloric in that case).
Meditation creates the mind setup (a.k.a. the right mood) to take action and translates your thoughts in reality. Sorry to disappoint you but, the Universe will not bring it to you. This is the big deception in The Secret. You have to take action and go out there and get it. Well, meditation creates the motivation behind your actions.
Meditation makes you more aware of your emotions (not emotionless though). So your decisions or choices are more objective. You sleep over it, if you wish in a short time frame.
There are some simple meditation techniques you can implement in your daily routine. Twenty minutes of meditation every day go a long way. Even more, there are alternative means that can create a similar mind state with meditation a lot faster than classical meditation. During this state if you focus on the object you want to be manifested in your life, the effect of meditation increases exponentially.
For details on how to use meditation to help manifest the reality you desire please check: Manifestation meditation
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Constantine_George

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Kundalini and Sexual Awakening

One of the most talked and pondered about effect of Kundalini meditation is relating to the sex and arousal. Popular press and non serious mediators are fixated on this aspect of Kundalini meditation.
There is no denying that Kundalini energy is rooted in our personal creative energy, which no doubt is sexual in nature. As a matter of fact Kundalini meditation increases our sensibilities and consciousness to experience intense bliss in everything that we do, including sexual union. Sexual intercourse is the ultimate union of male and female energies in an act of creation; hence a surge of Kundalini energy is experienced.
All the learned teachers tell us that first a person should tune into his spiritual energies and devote time to solitary meditation. It is this practice that will bring a heightened sense of energy and an intense pleasure during the sexual intercourse.
Some schools of Kundalini meditation encourage the use of sensuous fantasies in order to awaken the first chakra, where the Kundalini goddess lies dormant at the base of the spine. This might be a good method for celibate monks studying under a master and living a solitary life but in our modern environment it can be counter productive.
Despite the myths to the contrary the purpose of Kundalini meditation is not to generate masturbatory rush of sexual energy through the human body. The idea and purpose is to consciously increase and nurture the overall balance of energy in the system.
You will definitely experience more sexual pleasure and potency as you progress with your meditation, but that is not the purpose or the goal of Kundalini meditation. I would say that it is just a very pleasant side effect which will happen on its own without you making any conscious effort.
You can and should explore the deepening of your sexual awareness and intensities of your orgasms with your sexual partner which results because of conscious awakening of Kundalini. I would deeply stress that your daily meditation alone is of prime importance and the sexual manifestations of Kundalini should be treated with gratitude and received as a gift of your spiritual practice.
I can assure you that with disciplined practice and dedication you will reach a stage where the continued blissful state will be far beyond any pleasure, sexual or other, that you might have experienced in life. Your daily mundane chores will give you intense pleasure and your awareness expands and engulfs everything within and without.
http://basic-meditation.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandeep_Khara

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How to Get Free Lessons on Transcendental Meditation - Learn TM Techniques Online

In this article I'm going to give you some very simple tips on how to get free lessons on transcendental meditation. The simple truth is that TM is a great way for many folks to start meditating, yet, can be very expensive for ordinary people like me and you. (especially as you move up through the levels) I'm going to lay out the simple steps below on your options, and how you can quickly and easily find inner "bliss" through the magic of meditation REGARDLESS of your budget! Read on..:-)
Step 1: Find Transcendental Meditation Techniques Online
While much of the TM process is "supposed" to be individualized, the simple truth is that most of the TM techniques are simply mantra meditations that use a special incantation given to each individual. Most of these are really NOT individualized, and lots of the mantras are widely available online..:-) TM is a wonderful technique, but has no real superiority to ANY other mantra based meditative technique. Kaballah for example uses mantras as well, but doesn't SELL them as unique to each individual.
Step 2: Create Your OWN Mantra and Simply Meditate!
This is also a very easy way to get started meditating with TM techniques WITHOUT having to wait for a personal mantra. The power of contemplation is surely in lots of practice and NOT waiting for the perfect word to repeat while meditating. Simple sit down and comitt something powerful to your practice and use it. It's really that simple.
Step 3: Use Brain Entrainment Sound Technology to Take Your Meditation to the Next Level
This is graduation time..:-) Moving on to bi nural beat technology was one of the most profound things I did for my OWN meditative practice. Simply stated, you can use different frequencies to bring the mind into a "zen" like state while either repeating a mantra, or not, and it is phenomenally effective for radical personal transformation!
And of course there is SO much more....More that lies possible in YOUR life if you only open yourself up to the possibilities. Simply START by opening your mind, spirit & enhanced AWARENESS and ride the supernatural surfboard into the wild, wacky and wonderful world of the unknown..:-) It WILL rock Your WORLD...I promise..;-)
Who Else Wants to Experience Radical Inner Peace & Magnificent Well Being?
Read on...to discover how to cultivate DEEP meditation blissful concentration and SO much more.......quickly, easily and magically even if you are a complete novice and have no idea what you are doing!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tina_Bardo
In this article I'm going to give you some very simple tips on how to get free lessons on transcendental meditation. The simple truth is that TM is a great way for many folks to start meditating, yet, can be very expensive for ordinary people like me and you. (especially as you move up through the levels) I'm going to lay out the simple steps below on your options, and how you can quickly and easily find inner "bliss" through the magic of meditation REGARDLESS of your budget! Read on..:-)
Step 1: Find Transcendental Meditation Techniques Online
While much of the TM process is "supposed" to be individualized, the simple truth is that most of the TM techniques are simply mantra meditations that use a special incantation given to each individual. Most of these are really NOT individualized, and lots of the mantras are widely available online..:-) TM is a wonderful technique, but has no real superiority to ANY other mantra based meditative technique. Kaballah for example uses mantras as well, but doesn't SELL them as unique to each individual.
Step 2: Create Your OWN Mantra and Simply Meditate!
This is also a very easy way to get started meditating with TM techniques WITHOUT having to wait for a personal mantra. The power of contemplation is surely in lots of practice and NOT waiting for the perfect word to repeat while meditating. Simple sit down and comitt something powerful to your practice and use it. It's really that simple.
Step 3: Use Brain Entrainment Sound Technology to Take Your Meditation to the Next Level
This is graduation time..:-) Moving on to bi nural beat technology was one of the most profound things I did for my OWN meditative practice. Simply stated, you can use different frequencies to bring the mind into a "zen" like state while either repeating a mantra, or not, and it is phenomenally effective for radical personal transformation!
And of course there is SO much more....More that lies possible in YOUR life if you only open yourself up to the possibilities. Simply START by opening your mind, spirit & enhanced AWARENESS and ride the supernatural surfboard into the wild, wacky and wonderful world of the unknown..:-) It WILL rock Your WORLD...I promise..;-)
Who Else Wants to Experience Radical Inner Peace & Magnificent Well Being?
Read on...to discover how to cultivate DEEP meditation blissful concentration and SO much more.......quickly, easily and magically even if you are a complete novice and have no idea what you are doing!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tina_Bardo

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Top 3 Meditation Techniques

Undoubtedly by now news of the vast benefits of meditation must have reached you. Study after study have been empirically validating what the ancient masters have been saying for generations, there is nothing quite like meditation. Meditation is good for your mind, body and soul, but what kind of meditation should you practice in order to extract these wonderful benefits? That is the topic of this article.
Of all the various meditation techniques that exist, the following are the top 3.
1. Zen Meditation Technique:
One of the greatest meditation techniques is that of the Lord Buddha, Zen Buddhist Meditation Technique, or Zazen. This technique was put forth by Lord Buddha and is the heart of Zen Buddhist practice. It is based on concentration on the breath and is a silent, seated meditation.
Beginner's should start Zazen practice be sitting up straight and still and counting their breaths from one to ten. Count every inhalation and exhalation starting with one and when you get to ten, start at one again. If at any time your mind wanders away and you lose count, gently bring your attention back to the breath and start again at one.
As you get more proficient with this method, you can drop the counting and just start attending to the breath. Normally it take at least six months or more (could take years) to move ahead to this version. Don't worry though, all along the meditation will be working for you, helping uplift and raise your level of consciousness and awareness.
2. Mantra Meditation Technique:
Mantra meditation forms the heart of the Hindu faith and it's effectiveness has also been proven by centuries of successful application. In mantra meditation, you pick a mantra that suits you and then repeat it mentally or out loud continuously. This technique, just like Zen Meditation, will help develop your concentration, mental focus and awareness.
One of the best mantra meditations is So Hum Mantra Meditation. In this version, as you inhale you think the sound Soooo, and as you exhale you think the sound Hummm. So Hum means I am That. It implies that you and divinity are one. This mantra is great for opening the heart center and allowing unconditional love to flow.
3. Chakra Meditation Technique:
The third best meditation technique for extracting and enjoying the vast benefits of meditation is Chakra Meditation. There are several kinds of chakra meditation and here I will go over the most used ones.
Chakras are considered energy vortexes which when balanced lead to you being balanced physically and emotionally. The various chakra meditation techniques looks to open and balance these vortexes using the attributes that the chakras have. Here are two commonly used methods to open and balance the chakras.
1. Concentration on the Chakra Point: The first method you can use to activate a chakra is by concentrating on its physical location in the body. As you concentrate on the location, you bring the energy of awareness there, which then works to open that energy center.
2. Chakra Mantra Meditation: Associated with each chakra is a seed sound, or beej mantra. Chanting this should is a direct and powerful way to open and balance that particular center. One word of caution with chakra meditation is that one should not open these centers too forcefully or quickly. Slow and steady is the name of the game.
Summary:
So there you have the three best meditation techniques to explore, learn and benefit from. I hope you embrace this wonderful science and I hope it helps you reach your full potential in this life.
Anmol Mehta is a modern Yoga & Meditation master. His free Guided Meditation Techniques website offers important Kids Yoga Guidelines and free Hatha Yoga Poses e-books and videos.
This article is available for reprint on your website and/or newsletter, provided it is not changed and you include the author's signature.
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Body Meditation - How to Do a Body Meditation

At its simplest, a body meditation is a guided meditation that focuses on each part of the body in turn, relaxing it and then moving on to the next part.
Many meditations focus on an object, such as a candle. In a body meditation, you'll change your focus as the meditation progresses.
Start by sitting or laying down somewhere comfortable and where you won't be disturbed.
Focus on your breathing, taking slow deep breaths. When it's right for you, allow your eyes to close of their own accord.
Now pay attention to your scalp. Let it relax completely. Allow any itchiness to just melt away.
When your scalp is relaxed, move downwards and allow your forehead to relax. You may decide to let the furrows in your brow smooth themselves out in your mind's eye.
Next, let your eyes relax. We work our eyes hard, often forcing them to see things through the glass or plastic of eyeglasses or contact lenses. Just give your eyes chance to relax, even though you're not asleep.
Do the same for your ears, nose and mouth in turn. You may find that they start to relax as soon as your focus moves to them.
All the while, allow each part of your body that's already been the subject of relaxation to stay relaxed, even if it's tempted not to.
Concentrate next on your neck. Like our eyes, our necks are often worked hard and will welcome the chance to relax. Once your neck has started to feel nicely relaxed, work on your shoulders. Not necessarily by slouching. But maybe by letting them drop a little so they're not quite as rigid as normal.
After that, it's the turn of your arms. You can work on each arm in turn or both at the same time - whichever seems more natural for you.
Once your arms and hands and fingers are totally relaxed, work your way down the trunk of your body. Relax your lungs, chest, stomach and abdomen. By now, the whole of the top half of your body should be in a deep state of relaxation.
Continue working down your body, paying attention to the base of your spine as this is another pressure point that we often neglect.
Finally, work down through your legs to the tips of your toes. Do this the same way you relaxed your arms - either both legs at the same time or each leg in turn. Whichever is best for you.
When you get to this stage, your whole body should be relaxed. When you first start this body meditation process, you may find that parts of your body "un-relax" themselves. That's perfectly normal. Just briefly bring your focus back to the relevant part and let it relax again.
Keep your body in a state of total relaxation for a few minutes and then at your own pace bring your attention back to the outside world and allow your eyes to open in their own time.
Discover more about different meditation methods at this meditation reviews site.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Johnson

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Making Chakra Meditation a Big Part of Your Life

Meditation is one of the best things you can do to bring a little relief to your mind, your spirit and even your physical body. It is a practice which has been with us for thousands of years; the ancient civilization of India was one society well aware of the benefits provided by meditation. We in the West have come to an understanding of meditation as a tool for achieving better mental and spiritual health only recently. On of the most effective and simple methods of meditation (and for precisely this reason, the most popular) is Chakra meditation.
The Basics of Chakra Meditation
Chakra Meditation is a means of striking a balance between the seven energy centers of the body - these are known as Chakras. Once these energy centers are properly balanced, proper energy flow through the body can be achieved. We should briefly explain these seven Chakras:
1. The Crown Chakra - located at the top of the head, this is the Chakra which relates to our thought; wisdom, knowledge and our very consciousness.
2. The Brow (or Third Eye) Chakra - this Chakra is located between the eyebrows and relates to the element of light; that is to say our powers of perception and visualization.
3. The Throat Chakra - this Chakra is found at the base of the throat and is tied to the element of sound. This Chakra is related to our ability to communicate and our creative impulses.
4. The Heart Chakra - found in the center of the chest close to the heart, this Chakra is responsible for your capacity to love and feel compassion, as well as governing your relationships. This Chakra is related to the element of air.
5. The Solar Plexus (or Power) Chakra - situated just above the navel, this Chakra is related to our will power as well as our metabolism. This Chakra is related to the element of fire.
6. The Sacral Chakra - found just below the navel, this Chakra relates to physical love and our generative organs, as well as the creative impulse.
7. The Root (or base) Chakra - Found at the base of the spine, this Chakra is responsible for our general physical health, as well as security and prosperity. This Chakra is related to the element of Earth.
To refresh yourself and bring things back into the proper balance, nothing works better than does Chakra meditation. If all of these important energy centers are in proper alignment, then you will enjoy better health; physical, mental and spiritual. Chakra meditation can make a huge difference towards fostering better health and a better life for you.
Chakra Meditation:- The Process
Chakra Meditation consists of three techniques:
1. Grounding - This technique aims to make you feel physically connected with the Earth. Close your eyes and visualize a root growing from your body and into the Earth beneath you. You will need to focus intensely in order to do this successfully.
2. Centering Technique - Take a few deep breaths. Tighten and relax each part of your body, from bottom to top; visualize yourself relaxing as you do so. Finally, visualize centering a piece of pottery on a potter's wheel.
3. Relaxation Technique - This can be anything which works to produce the necessary state of relaxation for you, but many find that visualization techniques are best to achieve this. Here is a simple way to perform Chakra meditation:
a) Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. b) Close your eyes and try to shut out external stimuli - you want to have as few distractions as possible. c) Breathe naturally; your breath will naturally reach the proper state. d) Begin to concentrate on each part of your body from toe to head. Eyes still closed, feel the surface you are sitting or lying on, the air around you; visualize your surroundings. e) You may find this difficult at first, but just let any distracting thoughts run through your mind - they will work themselves out and disappear with practice. f) Don't hold your consciousness back; let it flow as it will through your body.
Do this meditation for as long as needed at any time of the day!
Paul White is one of the experts who writes for the popular website:- http://www.chakra-balance.com/chakra-meditation/
Please visit here to get more information on how chakra meditation can enhance your life and to get 29 FREE chakra meditation mp3 audios and ebooks.
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Easy Chakra Meditation

A chakra meditation can either focus on one chakra or, more typically, each of the 7 chakras in turn.
It is generally thought that your chakras reflect your "chi" or life force energy. Like anything else in your body, it is possible for your chakras to get out of balance. Which means that the object of this meditation is to rebalance your energy fields.
Sit, stand or lie down. Whichever you are most comfortable with. Then start your relaxation as normal by taking a few deep breaths and allowing your eyes to slowly close.
You can either visualize your energy being balanced in each of the appropriate locations or you may prefer just to see the different colors associated with each zone. A lot of people find it easier to just see colors in the approximate location in their body rather than going back to high school biology lessons and having to actually visualize the different internal body organs.
So we'll take the color approach here.
Start with your root chakra. This is red in color and is located at the base of your spine. Imagine a glowing ball of red light that grows in strength each time you breathe in and out. If the globe starts to spin, allow it to do this. You may even notice the spinning getting faster and the light glowing brighter - that's fine.
The next chakra to pay attention to is your sacral chakra, found in the region of your abdomen. This is orange in color and influences your creativity. As before, allow this color to grow in strength and to spin if it wants to.
After that, it's your solar plexus chakra, which is colored a golden yellow. In case you're not sure, your solar plexus is found just under your belly button and is associated with "gut" reactions.
The heart chakra is the next to get your attention. It's an emerald green color and you allow it to grow in intensity, you may well feel the feelings of love that are associated with it.
Moving further up your body is your throat chakra. This one has a pale blue light and is your center for expression (so the artist in you will love it when you get here!)
Next is the brow chakra, also known as your third eye chakra. As you'd expect, this can be found on your brow or forehead. This relates to your intuitive nature and is a deep indigo blue in color.
Finally, it's your crown chakra which is located at the top (or crown) of your head and has a violet light. This chakra is your connection to the universe or the divine, depending on your point of view. Once this color is spinning nicely, visualize each of the other colors below it in your body also spinning in unison.
Then "open up" your crown chakra to the universe and allow an intense beam of white light to beam itself down from the heavens, filling your body with its radiance and maybe even going right the way down into the ground as your roots.
In your own time, close each color chakra in turn, letting them slow down in speed but keeping their bright, radiant colors.
Gradually allow your body to return to the conscious world.
Discover how to meditate easily and check out these meditation reviews.
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Meditation, Three Methods For the Beginner

You'll want to set aside twenty to thirty minutes and also be in a quiet place when you first start practicing meditation. If you have never meditated before, you might be easily distracted and you don't want to be disturbed. Once you have been meditating for a period of time you really won't be disturbed by anything during your sessions.
Meditation is a very simple practice and although the benefits are too numerous to list, they include a more relaxed state of being, a clearer mind, and lowered blood pressure. After you have been meditating for a period of time, you might feel cognizant of things that never occurred to you. A peaceful, relaxed state is a good starting point to be aware of in the beginning.
Let's get started. There are three different methods of meditation that I will discuss. Although there are many other ways to meditate, just remember that all roads lead to the same castle. Your ultimate goal is to achieve peace, clarity, a calm mind, and a more relaxed state of being. You are not going into meditation looking for some "answer" or for any metaphysical reason, although you may experience these.
First Method - The countdown. You'll want to sit in a comfortable chair with your hands in your lap. Close your eyes and relax. Breathe a couple of deep cleansing breaths. Now you're ready to begin. The purpose of meditation is to clear your mind of all thoughts. Start with the number 99, and as you are focusing on 99 breathe in slowly and then breathe out. Now go to 98, and as you are focusing on 98 breathe in slowly and then breathe out.
Repeat this process and the countdown until you are unaware of your breathing or counting down. Remember the purpose of meditating is to clear your mind of any thoughts. When a thought pops into your mind, just observe it, release it, and go back to 99, and start your countdown again. In the beginning you might not get out of the nineties for several practice sessions. That's o.k. Don't give up. It will have a long term positive effect. Just observe your thoughts, don't dwell on them and don't string a bunch of thoughts together, just observe, release, and go back to 99 and start your countdown again.
Second Method - The mantra. Seems a little more metaphysical, maybe it is. The practice of meditation was believed to have been started in the Far East and was accompanied by the use of mantras. When "Transcendental Meditation" came to North America, along with it came mantras. A mantra is a word or a sound which you focus upon while you are meditating.
Again, sit in a comfortable chair with your hands in your lap. Take a couple of deep cleansing breaths. Deep breath in, and hold, and deep breath out. Repeat. One mantra, should you decide to use this method, will be two sounds. The first is "AH". As you breathe in, focus on (do not say) the sound "AH". Deep breath in "AH". The other sound is "HUM", so as you breathe out, focus on "HUM". Breathe in "AH", breathe out "HUM", and so on and so on.
Remember, whichever method you choose to use, the purpose is the same, clear your mind of thoughts. Think of your mind like the surface of a pond. You want the surface to be flat calm. Any thought which comes into your mind causes a ripple, or disturbance, on the pond. Your focus for the entire exercise is on "AH" "HUM", when your mind wanders, bring it back to "AH" "HUM".
Third Method - Follow your breath. Seems simple. It is, and its very effective. One thing that you have with you everywhere you go - hopefully - is your breath. We often forget about it or take it for granted, or are just unaware of it, breathe in . . . breathe out.
Sit in a comfortable chair with your hands in your lap. Take a couple of deep cleansing breaths. Deep breath in, hold, deep breath out, a couple of times. Now as you continue to breathe, observe your breath as it comes in your nose and follow it into your lungs, now back out of your lungs, and follow it out of your nose. Breathe in, breathe out. Remember that the purpose of meditation is to clear your mind of all thoughts, so when thoughts come into your mind, and they will, just observe them, release them, and go back to following your breath. Breathe in, breathe out. Its that simple.
You'll want to start with a daily routine of about fifteen to twenty minutes per session. Once you've practiced for a week or two, you'll realize that you have fewer and fewer thoughts interrupting your sessions. You'll also begin to realize that the sessions seem more even, and you'll feel more calm afterward and for an extended period of time.
Your mind will gain clarity and you will operate in a more relaxed state of being. Eventually after practice, you'll realize that everything in your life is a little more even, including you. Its amazing what meditation can do, once you've practiced long enough, you'll never stop.
George L. Kenney is an online marketing professional. He will assist you in learning how to leverage your time, money, and technology to put you on the fast track to success. To find out more about the Marketing Mentors Program Click Here
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