| What is meditation - most of you have heard of | | | | and stress tolerance returned very convincing |
| it, some of you may have even tried it - but for | | | | results; the following is an excerpt from |
| many of us it is an alluring part of Eastern spiritual | | | | Goleman's writing followed by a passage from |
| practice, though it is not solely a spiritual | | | | 'Creative Meditation' by Richard Peterson, Ph.D. |
| endeavour. The word meditation often conjures | | | | "People who are chronically anxious or who have |
| images of an Indian sage in a loincloth or a vision | | | | a psychosomatic disorder share a specific pattern |
| of the Buddha seated in serene contemplation; | | | | of reaction to stress; their bodies mobilize to |
| the image is one of stillness and composure. | | | | meet the challenge, then fail to stop reacting |
| Yogis, Zen Masters, Taoists have all meditated for | | | | when the problem is over. Their bodies stay |
| millennia. Early Christian monastic practice included | | | | aroused for danger when they should be relaxed, |
| the lectio divina ; this is the practice of reading the | | | | recouping spent energies and gathering resources |
| Bible very slowly and deliberately, pondering and | | | | for the next brush with stress." -D. Goleman |
| contemplating the true meaning of the teachings | | | | "The anxious person meets life's normal events |
| of Christ. Meditation is mentioned over 20 times in | | | | as though they were crises. Each minor happening |
| the Bible. | | | | increases his tension, and his tension in turn |
| At any given period in the history of man, | | | | magnifies the next ordinary event - a deadline, an |
| meditation has been an excellent remedy for the | | | | interview, a doctor's appointment - into a threat. |
| over-stimulation, stress and anxiety of society. It | | | | Because the anxious person's body stays |
| is one of the main therapies in the science of | | | | mobilized after one event has passed, he has a |
| Ayurveda and even allopathic physicians recognize | | | | lower threat threshold for the next. Had he been |
| the benefits of meditation and recommend | | | | in a relaxed state, he would have taken the |
| meditation to their patients. Scientists have | | | | second event in stride. |
| examined meditation from all angles and not one | | | | A meditator handles stress in a way that breaks |
| can refute the positive physical, emotional, | | | | up the threat 'arousal' threat spiral. The meditator |
| psychological and physiological benefits that a | | | | relaxes after a challenge passes, more often than |
| regular meditation practice can have on the | | | | the non-meditator. This makes him unlikely to see |
| human spirit. There are many styles of meditation | | | | innocent occurrences as harmful. He perceives |
| and many reasons to meditate - for therapy, for | | | | threat more accurately, and reacts with arousal |
| stress management, for knowledge, for devotion, | | | | only when necessary. Once aroused, his rapid |
| to further the practice of Pranayama or simply as | | | | recovery makes him less likely than the anxious |
| a refreshing and restful break in the day. The | | | | person to see the next deadline as a threat. " |
| entirety of meditation practice is far too vast to | | | | (From The Meditative Mind, pp. 164-165) |
| cover here, but the list includes: | | | | From Creative Meditation by Richard Peterson, |
| ~Mantra Meditation - focusing on sounds and | | | | Ph.D. A.R.E. Press, 1990. |
| sacred words | | | | When we have peace and clarity in the mind, we |
| ~Buddhist Meditation - as part of the Noble | | | | experience a healthier physical body. When we |
| Eightfold Path to Enlightenment | | | | have a healthier body, our minds become clearer |
| ~Vipassana Meditation - focusing on reality and | | | | and settled; we can explore the infinite broadness |
| insight into the mind | | | | of the mind when we learn to focus its energies |
| ~Devotional Mediation - meditation on God | | | | toward that goal. This symbiosis is important in |
| ~Taoist Meditation - meditation on the teachings | | | | the practice of yoga, pranayama and meditation. |
| of the Tao Te Ching | | | | All three of these practices together create an |
| ~Zen Meditation - focusing on the teachings of | | | | incredible wellness system, however, they are |
| Zen Buddhism | | | | powerfully beneficial when approached individually. |
| Meditation is an integral part of yoga practice, in | | | | Meditation does not require that you subscribe to |
| fact, the purpose of asana practice is to settle | | | | any particular spiritual path, you need not |
| the body and focus the mind in preparation for | | | | meditate on any God at all - though prayer is a |
| meditation. However, you do not have to be an | | | | meditative act. Taoists meditate from a place of |
| accomplished yogi or Buddhist Master to practice | | | | stillness and emptiness, Zen meditation often |
| meditation effectively, you don't need to pretzel | | | | centres around the teaching of the Buddha, Christ |
| yourself into lotus pose - truly, for many of us, | | | | went into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights in |
| Lotus Pose is simply too physically challenging to | | | | order to fast, meditate and commune with God. |
| allow focus. You can meditate while walking, while | | | | Beyond any spiritual application, just the simple act |
| seated in a straight-backed chair, in Easy Pose, | | | | of focusing on the flow of your breath while |
| Simple Cross-Legged Pose and for the very | | | | meditating is enough to gain benefit. |
| flexible the classical meditation pose, Padmasana/ | | | | Learning to meditate takes patience, just like |
| Lotus Pose. Any pose that allows comfortable | | | | learning anything. When we begin to meditate we |
| stillness for the body is effective for meditation; | | | | are often critical of our inability to sit still, this is |
| when you remove as many physical and | | | | natural - for one, we are not accustomed to |
| environmental distractions as possible, the mind | | | | sitting still, sitting on the floor or sitting |
| and breath are free to focus. | | | | cross-legged (let alone Lotus Pose!). If you find it |
| Meditation has many benefits on many levels, | | | | difficult to sit still for long periods of time, try |
| including (but not limited to): | | | | interspersing walking meditation with sitting |
| Physiological/Physical | | | | meditation. Our tendency is to be critical of |
| ~ revitalizes the nervous system | | | | ourselves if we do not get it right the in the first |
| ~ strengthens neural pathways within the brain | | | | few attempts, it is necessary to practice |
| ~ increases lung capacity | | | | non-competition with ourselves first. In the |
| ~ increases oxygen flow to the brain | | | | beginning of your meditation practice it will be |
| ~ increases alertness | | | | difficult to quiet your mind, to cease the endless |
| ~ improves sleep | | | | chatter that goes on inside our heads all the time |
| ~ can reduce the effects of asthma | | | | - this is completely normal. Even those who |
| ~ improves immune system | | | | meditate regularly have thoughts when they |
| ~ assists with addiction/abuse recovery | | | | meditate, what you must practice is detachment |
| ~ reduces blood presure | | | | from those thoughts, let them float by |
| Mental/Emotional | | | | unobserved and return your focus to your breath |
| ~ calms the senses | | | | - some find it useful to meditate with their eyes |
| ~ focusses the mind to bring clarity & | | | | closed, others find that a point of focus like a |
| perspective | | | | candle or object works best. |
| ~ soothes the over-stimulated Self | | | | More advanced meditation is a subtle practice, not |
| ~ reduces stress | | | | merely sitting still and breathing, but a deeper |
| ~ promotes positive outlook, reduces negative | | | | method of connecting with your Self and working |
| thinking | | | | with the breath and the energies of the mind - |
| ~ increases Self-Esteem | | | | the mind and the brain are separate entities |
| ~ improves memory | | | | working in concert; the brain is the tool that |
| ~ reduces anxiety and hypersensitivity | | | | collects information, the mind is the system that |
| ~ increases creativity | | | | interprets it. Peaceful existence is intrinsic to the |
| Spiritual | | | | human spirit; it is when we become distracted by |
| ~ allows the flow of prana/chi/life energy through | | | | external input that we lose our Selves. This |
| the body | | | | creates imbalance and anxiety in the body, mind |
| ~ develops, promotes and maintains spiritual | | | | and spirit and draws us away from our purpose. |
| awareness | | | | Through meditation we have the opportunity to |
| ~ unites one with Consciousness and the truest | | | | heal the mind, heal the body and in quiet |
| Higher Self | | | | contemplation we are re-introduced to who we |
| ~ increases connection with the Divine | | | | truly are and to our true balance. |
| ~ balances the Doshas - especially Vata | | | | What is important is regular meditation practice. |
| disturbances (see Ayurveda for information on | | | | Try meditating for five minutes a day to begin |
| the Doshas) | | | | with - as your practice becomes more regular |
| ~ prepares the Self for the transition of Death | | | | you will find it easier to take the time for yourself |
| ~ allows us to open our minds and hearts in order | | | | to allow your mind to rest. Try different styles of |
| to Live more fully | | | | meditation to see which style suits you best; you |
| ~ brings us into the divinity of the present | | | | may of course practice as many different styles |
| moment | | | | of meditation as you find useful, restful and |
| Of particular importance to many of us today are | | | | beneficial. We have chosen a few meditations for |
| the stress-reducing benefits of meditation; this | | | | you to try below but you may find more |
| applies to everyone regardless of age, profession, | | | | practices on - above all enjoy your meditation |
| gender, race or spiritual path. Daniel Goleman's | | | | practice and reap the benefits of reduced stress |
| research in the scientific community on meditation | | | | and increased health. |