| Current research estimates that the average | | | | problems. The secret to gaining revealing insights |
| person has over 60,000 thoughts per day, 90 | | | | is your ability to direct your attention repeatedly |
| percent of which are replications of our thoughts | | | | to your chosen theme and staying open to |
| from yesterday. Moreover, people spend almost | | | | whatever arises in your mind from that |
| half their time worrying, and 90 percent of those | | | | experience. |
| worries never come true. | | | | Mindfulness Meditation: |
| On the other hand, most of us can remember | | | | Mindfulness is a state of awareness in the present |
| those glorious moments when we experienced | | | | moment, when your mind is relaxed and |
| unbound love, sparks of wisdom and | | | | conscious of your experience, including thoughts |
| understanding; the moments when we felt total | | | | and feelings, sensations and breathing, and |
| harmony with the world around us and harmony | | | | accepts everything with an attitude of |
| within ourselves. If we could only manage our | | | | non-resistance and equanimity. Thus, you can |
| restless mind and apply it with greater efficiency | | | | experience everything fully without self-criticism |
| in the present moment! | | | | or clinging to your personal identity and |
| Learning and practicing meditation can set us free | | | | importance. |
| from unnecessary worries and enrich our | | | | The majority of our problems arise from our lack |
| perception and senses. Although various | | | | of awareness and mindless actions in our lives. |
| meditation traditions and techniques exist around | | | | The practice of mindfulness can help us improve |
| the world, they can be roughly divided into four | | | | focus and concentration, enhance the quality of |
| broad categories: concentration meditation, | | | | our communication, manage stress, increase our |
| reflective (or insight) meditation, mindfulness | | | | efficiency and build self-confidence. |
| meditation and creative meditation. | | | | Creative meditation: |
| Concentration meditation: | | | | While concentration and mindfulness bring more |
| Concentration meditation is the basis for all other | | | | focus and awareness into our lives, creative |
| kinds of mediation. Concentration is vital for | | | | meditation helps us to transform and apply the |
| overcoming distractions and maintaining mental | | | | habits of the mind with greater efficiency. |
| focus. Imagine pouring water freely on a flat | | | | Creative meditation can help us with developing |
| surface; it will instantly become a shallow patch of | | | | and strengthening particular qualities of our nature. |
| water that will turn stagnant in the points of | | | | It can also invite more possibilities and potentials |
| depression. But if you channel this same water in | | | | into our lives. For example, creative visualization, |
| one direction and keep it under pressure, it can | | | | one of the most used methods of creative |
| carry tremendous power. The mind works | | | | meditation, can assist us with fulfilling personal |
| similarly. Let it roam freely, and it will have little | | | | desires, such as succeeding in professional life or |
| power, it will simply fill the available space. | | | | attracting happiness. |
| However, the concentrated mind can become a | | | | Our subconscious mind does not discern between |
| powerful carrier of our intentions. | | | | imaginative and real-life stimuli. Although an |
| Through the ability to concentrate, the mind can | | | | impression may last only seconds, the |
| acquire greater calm, stability and clarity so that | | | | subconscious mind can trigger similar emotional, |
| confusion, anxiety and lack of attention become | | | | mental, and psychological reactions repeatedly. |
| problems of the past. Further, concentration is | | | | Thus, by bringing desirable emotionally charged |
| used in the other major kinds of meditation - | | | | images into our awareness we can exercise |
| mindfulness, reflective, and creative. In addition, | | | | productive control over our imagination and |
| the power of concentration can be applied for | | | | influence the positive qualities of our mind. |
| developing physic abilities. | | | | We all know that we can train our physical body |
| Reflective Meditation: | | | | and gradually develop stamina and flexibility by |
| Reflective meditation can be defined as disciplined | | | | exercising regularly. The same rules are true for |
| thinking. You choose an idea, situation, or question | | | | the mind; numerous studies have demonstrated |
| and focus your contemplation on it. When your | | | | that it is possible to develop greater intelligence, |
| mind wonders, you bring it back to the subject of | | | | creativity, and other mental capacities. With the |
| your reflection gently but firmly. This kind of | | | | diligent practice of meditation, your mind will |
| meditation is traditionally used for gaining greater | | | | become more clear, composed and powerful, and |
| insights into the nature of death, life, the meaning | | | | you will be able to apply it to any task or activity |
| of life, or the question of your own mental quest, | | | | with mindfulness and superior efficiency. |
| be it relationships, a scientific puzzle, or daily | | | | |