Society, Religion, Spirituality and Meditation

Meditation is widely used in the western world today. As people hear of the benefits of meditation it has travelled the world several times over under various different names. One thing that we have realised though is that countries like India, China and Japan have always been at the forefront of meditation. Most of the new enlightenment techniques that we are just learning now started in Asia, and often centuries ago. As you can imagine though there are a lot of differences between how people live in Asia and how we live in the West today.Our upbringings are different, our lifestyles are different, and the way we learn and understand is totally alien to the people of Asia. This means that the way our countries understand and accept meditation is also slightly different.
In Asia students of meditation learn the concepts by way of parables or stories. In the West we encourage critical thought. We teach our children how to think with rational, logical minds. Telling stories to explain a thought doesn't work. We require facts and scientific data. We lose a lot of the meaning behind meditation because of this, and limit ourselves to the depths that we can reach. There is a meditation society in most countries now. This is often the best place to find meditation courses and seminars local to your region.
Religion
Religion has also adapted to encompass meditation practices into it's daily programme. You can now find meditation exercises adopted to suit Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and many other religions. Some people are still finding resistance using meditation within their specific Church or Temple. While meditation has been accepted by most religions some people are finding it slow to trickle down to the people at the bottom. If you would like to incorporate meditation into your religious practices and are finding it difficult to get information from your local religious centre there are lots of examples and instructions online to show you the best ways to use meditation for your own religious purposes.
Spirituality
Spirituality and the new age movement was one of the first groups of people in the west to adopt and accept meditation practices into their way of life. Spirituality differs from religion in that spiritualists aim to reach a level of happiness in their lives. Religion tends to stick to a set of rules, where as spiritualists will try various different methods to find the path that is right for them. It is a very personal experience and they can use meditation to help them along the path that they have chosen.
It really doesn't matter why you come to meditation. It is such a simple technique to master that you can adapt it to almost any situation.
Brenda Mayhew writes on self development related issues. You can learn more about meditation by visiting her website, Meditation Basics.
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Theta (Waves) Rhythms Are Mentioned in Meditative Programs, But What Are Theta Rhythms?

The human brain emits various wave frequencies that can be measured by an electroencephalogram (EEG). The EEG measures the electrical activity from the brain. The brain emits several kinds of wave frequencies that are measured in Hertz (Hz). The frequency range of human hearing is between 16-20,000 hertz (Hz)). The types of waves emitted by the brain are: alpha (8-13 Hz), beta (13-30 Hz), delta (0.5-4 Hz) and theta (4-9 Hz). Theta waves are associated with sleep and wakefulness. The Theta rhythm is identified as slow, large amplitude oscillating waves.
The Theta waves are mainly derived from the hippocampus in the brain. The Theta wave appears to be active during alertness and during REM (dream) sleep.
What does the theta rhythm do?
Theta rhythms have been associated with forms of behavior, learning, memory and with spatial navigation (the ability to know how to get home or go somewhere). The Theta pattern was first observed in 1933, but described in 1938 by Jung and Kornmuller. Scientific interest on Theta wave really began in 1954, after Green and Ardini published their research on the theta rhythm in cats, rabbits, and monkeys.
Where in the brain are theta waves?
Most of the largest EEG brain signals are produced from the hippocampus. Theta waves are mainly derived from the hippocampus, though it can be observed in many parts of the brain. Derivation for Theta rhythm is derived in the medial septum, an area located next to the hippocampus, and is linked to the hippocampus by neurons. Destruction of the medial septal area appears to eliminate Theta activity throughout the brain. Separately though, a small area in the hypothalamus known as the supramamillary nucleus, appears to act independently and can produce theta activity not associated with the medial septum. Theta rhythm is activated during times of alertness, REM sleep, memory, and informational processing. Humans have two hippocampi, one on each side of the brain, and they are located forward and center of the brain. The term hippocampus was first used by anatomist Giulio Aranzi (1564) due to the resemblance of a sea horse. Hippocampus is a Greek derivation for seahorse (hippos = horse, kampos = sea monster).
What does this part of the brain do?
In early 1900, Vladimir Bekhterev observed profound memory disturbances from a patient due to the damage of the hippocampus. The importance of memory in the hippocampus was brought to the attention of researchers when part of the hippocampus was removed to alleviate epileptic seizures. After the surgery, memory impairments were observed that included severe amnesia. Other patients observed with hippocampus removal or damage was also reported to show memory loss.
The hippocampus is one of the first regions in the brain to suffer damage in Alzheimer's disease. Memory problems and disorientation, associated with hippocampus and Theta waves, appear among the first symptoms of this disease. Encephalitis and oxygen starvation are a couple of other ways that the hippocampus can become damaged.
The hippocampus is one of the most electrically volatile parts of the brain. New neurons continue to be created throughout life in the hippocampus.
How do we create theta waves?
Theta rhythms are induced by electrophysiological or pharmacological stimulation of the medial septum . Theta waves are created during deep sleep (REM), alert activity, and in the learning process.
What does Theta have to do with meditation?
Meditation seems to have a calming effect where stress is released, positive moods are enhanced, and immunity from diseases is increased. In studies on alpha and theta waves during meditation, Aftanas and Golosheykin (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005), observed that alpha and theta waves are increased during meditation. Throughout meditation there is also a fluctuation of hormone release with an increase of serotonin (positive emotions), increased melatonin (sleep, strengthening the immune system, positive emotions), and decreased cortisol (stress) in the body.
Steve Bynum is a graduate of the University of Illinois. He writes to educate people about themselves and improving their lives. He believes in the improvement of lives beyond formal education, and in educating ourselves.
http://www.themillionairetoday.com
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Allow Yourself to Relax - Simple Relaxation Techniques That You Can Try

Stress is one of the curse of living in modern times. Almost everyone suffers from stress and it can also bring lots of negative impacts to both our body and mind.
When we are feeling stressed out or worn out maybe because we have extremely miserable day or things just don't work out the way we want to, the best thing that we can do is relax. So what can we do to achieve relaxation? If there are thousands of ways we can get stressed, there are also many ways we can relax.
One way of relaxation is by using a breathing meditation technique. The simple way to do that is just by becoming aware of the movement of your breath going in and out and relax the tension in your mind and body. When thoughts or feelings appear, just let it be there without resistance at all and re-establish your attention to the breath. Doing this for 10-15 minutes will help greatly to reduce the stress and tension in your mind.
Listening to relaxing music or sound of nature also help a lot to reduce stress. Just by listening to the sound of waterfall or the birds chirping harmoniously, you can feel that instant joy and ease in your mind. It will take your attention from your stressful situation to a more peaceful and relaxing state of mind.
Doing a mindful walking in the garden path or nearby lake side is also a great way to relax. Walk slowly and be mindful of your breath and the movements of your feet. Also, be aware and present with all the surroundings when you walk. You can notice that just by being with the trees or looking mindfully at the sky, you can be with the present moment without any struggle or resistance. It can also help you to get in touch with nature and feel the peace that is always there in the present moment.
Another easy way to achieve relaxation is by doing yoga. I'm a practicioner of Asthanga yoga myself and I feel lots of benefits from it both physically and mentally. Yoga can help to reduce stress and lower your blood pressure which makes your body more energized and at ease. Doing yoga in the morning before you start doing your activities is a great way to start your day.
Hypnosis is one controversial relaxation technique that you can try. There are lots of guided self hypnosis on the internet that you can listen to and it is a really great alternative if you don't have any idea on how to relax before. It is also a good alternative for people with stress related health problems.
These relaxation techniques are just some of the ways you can achieve relaxation. My suggestion is just choose any technique that suits you and practice it regularly. By applying these techniques, you can start to reduce the stress in your daily life and also become more accepting with whatever happening in your life since you already know how to cope with this stressful situation.
Felix Makmur has been practicing meditation for over 5 years and he is the owner of the website http://www.squidoo.com/meditationbliss, where he provides tons of FREE meditation resources, including guided meditations, audio programs, free CDs, free Ebooks and more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Felix_Makmur

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