How Not to Meditate

To meditate incorrectly, take on meditation as you have taken on everything else in life – aggressively. Determine that you will become the best meditator ever, and think very positively. Then establish a rigorous schedule and resolve that you will become enlightened faster than any sage in history, bar none. It took the Buddha 6 years. Hah, you can do it in a few weeks!

If thoughts hound your practice, violently push them out of your mind and grit your teeth so that no thought has a chance to disrupt your inner-peace. This is a fight to the finish, and you will win. Just don't let anything get in your way. If anger comes up, use it. Apply it to your poor efforts, because if you don't, you will never get ahead in you practice. Get angry! Get even!

Don't pay any attention to your teacher. She hasn't a clue about how advanced you are. She still talks about things that you have breezed past ages ago, and isn't on the same page at all. And most importantly, keep an eagle eye on your competitors, the ones who sit next to you and pretend that they are such great meditators, acting so peaceful and content. Hah! They are impostors, we know that, so keep a close eye on them for when they slip up and reveal how inept they really are.

If you don't feel like meditating when it's time to meditate, just pass. Your intuition is telling you that something is more important, and your intuition never fails. Maybe you're tired and your body needs rest. Don't let meditation interfere with your life, after all, you have to make a living and be around people. It's not as if you are a hermit. Don't make your friends think that you're weird or something. That wouldn't be good.

Actually, maybe you're just not cut out to be a meditator, after all, how many of your friends have even heard of meditation? I mean; you've tried to meditate for a few days now and nothing has happened, so maybe it's not for you; after all, what are you really going to get out of it? It hasn't changed your life yet . . . and it sure is boring.

Yep, you tried, and it didn't work. On to greater things, for yourself . . .

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

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The Quiet Mind

What does Michael Jordan, Jack Canfield, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and the Dali Lama have in common? Each is successful and knows the importance of using different forms of meditation to still "mind chatter" and focus on the task at hand. In a culture where it is common to have a cell phone, Internet access and a mp3 player it is important to ask, "What is the impact of technology on my lifestyle?" It is a fact that you receive more information in 2 weeks then wise men during the time of Christ received in two years. The greatest stressor in our culture today is the constant stream of stimuli we receive from our environment.

Early stress research by Dr. Hans Selye showed the body will fight or flee in response to certain situations. The body responds to any perceived threat, (physical or emotional), with an increase in heart rate, breathing and moving adrenalin into the blood. In prehistoric times this was necessary for survival, however, today we deal with pressures that don't allow a physical release for this energy. A constant state of arousal can lead to chronic physical and mental disease. What can we do to deal with stress in a healthy manner?

Dr. Herbert Benson, of Harvard Medical School, researched various types of world literature for practices and guidelines on meditation. He discovered some common characteristics found in most cultures, which he called the "relaxation response." The relaxation response will calm the body and restore it to a peaceful, balanced state.

STEPS FOR THE RELAXATION RESPONSE

1. Select a mantra. A mantra is a word, sound, prayer, thought, or phrase. The mantra is most effective it has a spiritual meaning to you. (A Christian may choose: Peace with Christ. A Hindu may select Om.) The mantra is more effective if it is in your native language.

2. Find a quiet spot and sit in a comfortable position.

3. Close your eyes and focus on progressively relaxing all your muscles.

4. Concentrate on slow breathing and repetition of your mantra.

5. Don't worry when your mind wonders. Passively return to the mantra when other thoughts intrude.

Action Step: Meditate for 10-20 minutes, 1-2x's daily for the next 30 days to establish this as a regular practice.

Dr. Herbert Benson and Dr. Joan Boryshenko have used meditation at the Mind Body Clinic to treat patients from everything from depression to cancer. Regular meditation will increase your self-awareness and the peaceful state of a relaxed body will be normal not the exception.

Jim Abbey M.S. /RsCP Transformational Coach Contact: jim@abbeyjim.com

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3 Meditation Tricks When Your Mind Begins To Wander

Meditation is time dedicated to being present and aware of your oneness with God/Spirit/Consciousness. About 15% of the time you're probably able to drop into this zone and just buzz along. You come out of there in another world and everything hums along. The other 85% of the time you might find yourself in a struggle, trying to let go of your plans, dreams, arguments, and task lists.

For the 85% of the time, I have a few tricks to sink into a meditative state. First, I focus on my breath. This is the simplest thing you can do to reel your attention in. As you breathe in, feel the air in your nostrils, down the airways, filling your lungs. As you breathe out, feel your lungs relax and the air press out your nose. Just watch it for sometime until it evaporates and you fall like a leaf in a soft place. Your mind will be clear.

When focusing on my breath does not work, I think an affirmation. I might say something like, "God is, I am," or "Let go, let God." I repeat the affirmation like a mantra. If my mind is really noisy, I say it out loud. I slow the pace of the affirmation and lower the volume from speaking, to a whisper, to a thought. As the pace and volume of the affirmation slows and lowers, so to does my mind. Eventually, the words are not thought, just felt. Soon after, I find myself in a meditative state, present, and at one with all.

Another technique I use to still my mind is to watch my thoughts. I imagine that I am lying on the ground looking up at them like clouds passing by. In the beginning I find myself sticking with a particular cloud as it passes. When I notice that I am drifting with a particular cloud, I remind myself to continue to watch the clouds pass by. After sometime I close my eyes in my imagination so that I can't see the clouds passing. Soon after, I fall into the meditation.

You can use these tools at any time to become present, even with your everyday tasks outside of meditation.

Visit http://www.balancedlifecenter.com to learn how to apply spirituality to your life. Get a daily pick me up, bursts of inspiration, and spiritual insights that you can apply to your everyday life.

Nneka is a lifelong student of metaphysics and spiritual practice. Putting Spiritual Truths into everyday practice is one of her personal goals. Helping people do the same is the ultimate goal of her site, Balanced Life Center - Spirituality Applied to Life

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Meditation -- Mental Practice

Picture yourself on a freeway overpass watching the cars and trucks going by underneath. The cars and trucks are your thoughts. Don't jump into one the cars or trucks and be carried away, no matter how alluring the car or thought might be, allow it to go down the road and disappear out of sight. Then wait for the next car to come by, and then let that one go, too. Don't try not to think, just be aware of each thought as it comes up, and let it go. It's very simple. If you find that your mind is so busy that you can't do this, then you must begin with *hara, nose-tip, or word concentration. Try the overpass first. Once you can sustain your concentration, new wisdom opens up; a new world opens up, and you'll see and understand things quite differently. You will begin to understand a little better how thought creates a fictitious self. Then the mind will begin to become very sharp and discerning, and your awareness will increase regardless of your activities.

Try to extend the periods of concentration and reduce the time spent lost in thoughts. As you learn to do this, eventually you will be able to maintain this bright awareness for the entire meditation period with few thoughts arising. Then you will be able to take this bright awareness out into the world and remain in a constant state of meditation, using thought only when necessary. This bright awareness is where light bulbs go off -- the creativity that occurs in flashes having nothing to do with mechanical thought. It is the intuitive insight accessed by all true artists and seers; it is the portal to spiritual enlightenment, and it changes your life from one of fear and worry into one of a constant state of semi- Samadhi.

*Nose tip, hara, and word concentration:

The first stage of concentration involves applying attention. Here, you direct your mind to a certain meditation object just as you would direct a hammer toward a bell, striking it. You strike the bell (you strike the object with your mind's attention), it rings for a while (as you maintain undivided attention on the object), and then the bell stops ringing (when you lose your attention as your mind drifts off the object and on to something else). Then you must strike the object again, repeatedly, to reestablish your attention. Your initial focus cannot maintain itself for long before drifting away. This is to be expected, just keep returning to your meditation object again and again; persistent returning is all that is required at this point. With practice, you will be able to remain with the object of your concentration longer, and this will lead you to the next step — a sustainable focus without losing attention.

Hara: This is an area usually called the solar plexus region just above the naval. Notice, when breathing, how the diaphragm rises and falls in that area. (breathe down low, not from the chest which causes tension). Concentrate on the point of physical sensation where the diaphragm rises and falls. Don't follow the breath in and out, just stay on the point. Use the freeway overpass method if possible, but if your mind wanders too much, then tie your mind to the hara.

Nose tip: Notice where the incoming breath touches your nose tip, the rim of you nose, or your upper lip. Concentrate on that spot as the breath goes by. Never follow ther breath, always remain exactly on the spot as the incoming and outgoing breath passes by.

Word Concentration: At the end of every in breath and out breath, silently repeat a word. The word can't be any word, it must have a special connotation. For now use "Buddho." So its; in breath . . .Buddho. Out breath . . .Buddho. Tie your mind to the word and don't allow it to wander.

Copyright © E. Raymond Rock 2007. All rights reserved

Please don't hesitate to Email with your questions.

E. Raymond Rock of Fort Myers, Florida is cofounder and principal teacher at the Southwest Florida Insight Center, http://www.SouthwestFloridaInsightCenter.com His twenty-eight years of meditation experience has taken him across four continents, including two stopovers in Thailand where he practiced in the remote northeast forests as an ordained Theravada Buddhist monk. His book, A Year to Enlightenment (Career Press/New Page Books) is now available at major bookstores and online retailers. Visit http://www.AYearToEnlightenment.com

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Go Deep Into Delta - Optimising Your Brain For Success And Happiness

Optimising Your Brain for Success and Happiness

Today in Warburton Australia the Tibetan monks are in town.

It seems to have transformed this little green valley into a spring like paradise.

Even in the middle of a large Australian drought we had many inches of gentle rain the day before the Harmony Festival as if the heavens themselves approved.

Attending a recital of some of the town's school children this afternoon at the community town hall, it was beautiful to see a genuine exchange of culture as the monks sang for the chldren and they in turn sang for the monks and audience.

A respect for the indigenous wisdom is thankfully here too as a children's choir sings in the Wurunjeri language of the aboriginal culture originally resident here tomorrow.

The specific harmonics induced positive states of consciousness as the mantras were sung with stunning clarity.

One venerable monk was teaching the children to focus on a favourite color as a prelude to meditating.

Exuding concentration and focus, his peaceful lecture was delivered while another monk patiently drew an exquisitely painted sand mandala. An atmosphere of productive harmony prevailed.

For a lot of us a positive mental attitude doesn't come easy. It can seem a little Pollyannaish to try and get relaxed in the face of a day in the corporate jungle.

There's all those fight and flight ancestral emotions to ward off attackers and attempt to find safety, make money and negotiate fast traffic. It seems we're either trying to amp ourselves up with enough coffee or slow ourselves down with too much alcohol or prescription tablets.

Yet there's a way you can begin to optimize your brain for deep rejuvenation to wake up feeling youthful and fresh which requires no effort at all.

In fact, you won't even know it's happening.

It's all done magically while you're asleep. Dr. Jeffrey Thompson's pioneering work with thousands of patients has led to groundbreaking discoveries in how sound frequency patterns built into musical soundtracks induce brainwave entrainment.

Dr Thompson's pioneering work with thousands of patients has led to groundbreaking discoveries in how sound frequency patterns built into musical soundtracks induce this brainwave entrainment, common in meditators. His audio programs are currently being used by psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, MD's, chiropractors, and bodywork professionals in 26 countries.

You might already know most of our waking hours are spent in beta, thinking furiously and solving pressing problems. Many self development courses teach that visualizing and slowing down in alpha brainwaves heightens perception and accuracy and helps in attaining goals.

I did an alpha workshop at seventeen years old and increased my grades substantially, visualizing good outcomes and slowing down enough to receive added insight and fact recall. What an amazing help!

The next stage is theta, an even deeper state of concentration and ability to access untapped powers of the mind and psyche. The popular TV show Heroes plays with these concepts of mastery of the physical world, which for our society has passed into myth and legend, except for a small amount of advanced souls.

There are several stages of sleep which people pass through in the course of a good restful night. In each stage our sleep gets deeper, our bodies get more relaxed and our brainwave patterns slow down.

Delta sleep is the time when the body recuperates and rebalances itself for the new day. Getting enough sleep, but more specifically enough Delta sleep, is essential for healthy, productive living. It is the most physically relaxed stage of sleep.

Programs like Delta Sleep System can be played on any ordinary stereo or through headphones. Pulses of sound embedded into an ambient musical soundtrack, combining rich orchestration and "3-dimensional" sounds of nature will coax your own brainwaves toward their natural pattern of deep Delta Sleep.

So fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up rejuvenated and who knows, you may even learn to meditate as well as a Tibetan monk!

Rebecca Kellock Dip Children's Writing Australian College Journalism.I worked as a teachers aide for seven years in primary and high school plus a couple of amazing book shops. I love books, education and health related activities and now co manage http://www.audiobookgiftshop.com, a successful online audiobook store.

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Morning Meditation

When we meditate in the morning we have an opportunity to enter into an atmosphere of inner peace before entering into the world at large.

Morning is a good time for meditation because our mind is usually free of endless thoughts that accumulate during the day. If we have slept well our mind will be clearer; at this time we will find that we are more receptive to meditation. As soon as we wake up we should try not to think about any of the day's activities before we have meditated. If our first thoughts on waking up is a sense of gratitude or positive feeling for the world it will also help enormously.

The morning is a good time to meditate because the atmosphere of the world is more peaceful. Most people have not yet entered into the hustle and bustle of daily activity. It is best if we can meditate before 6.30am. In Hindu scriptures it is said that the absolutely best time, known as "Brahma Muhurta" or Hour of God is 3-4pm. This hour is most conducive to meditation, however for many westerners it can be difficult to get up at this hour because it would require going to bed very early. However if we can meditate early we will benefit from a more peaceful meditative atmosphere.

"Early in the morning, before the sun rises, the earth-consciousness is not yet agitated. The world has not yet entered into its daily turmoil. Nature is calm and quiet and she helps us to meditate." (1)

One problem people may notice is that getting up early may leave them feeling sleepy during meditation. When meditating we need to be fully awake, if we feel drowsy during meditation it will be difficult to meditate well. If we doze off during meditation we will not make any progress. Real meditation is more than just a state of relaxation, meditation embodies a dynamic peace; when we meditate we should be fully awake and alert. If we do feel a little drowsy in the morning there are a few things we can do. Firstly if we wash with cold water we will feel refreshed. We can also do a little gentle exercise to get the circulation going. It is also advisable to try meditating with eyes open (or at least half open). When we meditate with our eyes closed we are more likely to fall asleep.

Meditating on the rising sun can be a powerful benefit. The rising sun is a potent symbol of a new day and our rising aspiration. The sun also gives a subtle spiritual vibration. If we meditate facing the direction of the rising sun we will get an additional benefit. However if it is still dark at 6.00am we should not feel that the rising sun is essential.

(1) Sri Chinmoy, Excerpt from Meditation: Humanity's Race And Divinity's Grace, Part 1 Agni Press in 1974 by Sri Chinmoy

Richard became interested in meditation and eastern mysticism whilst studying at University in Oxford. After studying various spiritual traditions he became a meditation student of Sri Chinmoy. Richard now offers meditation classes on behalf of the Sri Chinmoy Centre. http://www.srichinmoybio.co.uk/

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Guided Meditation - The Best Approach

Meditation is easy to understand and practice and the benefits are enormous, but choosing the right approach and learning which techniques will work best for you, can't be determined by reading a book or magazine, or listening to a CD etc.

If you go this route and decide to give it a try, the chances are that you won't get anything like the results you're looking for, and it won't be long before you consider it a waste of time and call it a day. This has nothing to do with the way in which the information's presented (although obviously it makes a difference) - it's to do with going it alone, and not having anyone to guide you, work with your feedback, or provide insight and understanding. I'm not saying you can't get anywhere on your own - I'm just pointing out that the odds are against you!

People turn to Meditation for countless different reasons, and the question on everyone's mind before they get started is "Will It work For Me?" The answer is "Yes - it Works For Everyone," but regardless of the effort you're prepared to make, without the right teacher behind you, not a lot will happen.

There's a huge amount of information out there, but most of it boils down to the same basic principles, philosophy, and practices. Every writer has their own way of putting things across, and every teacher adds their own personal style and interpretation. Faced with unlimited choice, it's much easier to find yourself on the wrong path altogether, and never get the information you need or learn how to use it.

Joining a group will put you in touch with like minded people and provide a social outlet, but it's highly unlikely you'll receive any individual instruction - it'll just be a matter of grabbing what you can from whatever's happening. The best approach by far is to find a teacher that's prepared to work with you individually, modify their program to meet you personal requirements, and help you to branch out from there.

The following guidelines should help you locate one that's right for you.

1. Make a list of what you're hoping for Meditation to help you achieve. Narrow it down - don't be too general.

2. Check out a number of courses and make a note of the ones you feel might be suitable.

3. Get in touch with the teachers, and ask if the course will meet your requirements.

4. Confirm how long the course will take, how much it costs, if there are guarantees, and whether there's a refund policy.

5. Find out if there's ongoing guidance and support.

Guarantees are difficult to define, but you need to feel confident that your teacher will work with you and do what it takes to get you the results you're looking for - not just give you a set of exercises and leave you to it. Additionally, you'll need to be sure that there's ongoing guidance and support once the course is finished, to help you develop in the future.

When you take a course you're buying a service, and if the service doesn't come up to scratch you're entitled to say so and expect your money back. A teacher should be confident in their ability to help you achieve what you're looking for, so steer well clear of any that tell you "it's entirely up to you!"

Get the right teacher and the magic and power of Meditation will bring you everything you wish for, and change every aspect of your life for the better.

For additional details, please visit www.meditation-for-all.com

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Why Lambert Point?

Have you ever been somewhere that just suits you down to the cellular level? I don't mean a place that you feel comfortable in, nor a place with pretty scenery, nor even a spot where you had a lot of fun as a child. I mean a place where you go and your whole being seems to go "aaahhhhhh"! A place where you feel like you are an integral part of the whole. I know it sounds a bit corny, but if you have a place like this you know the feeling.

Lambert Point is a real place. It's a place that is the most perfect place on Earth that I have ever been or can imagine! I probably know twenty people who have ever seen it. There are big bull pines overlooking a salt water creek on one side, and a small river on the other. The front side faces east looking out towards the islands. At low tide, there's nothing but mud flats and the remains of the river, which is only about forty feet across. At high tide, it's a different look and feel to the place, as if God had decided to spruce it up some.

Every season has its own unique design, regardless of the locale, but they seem magnified here somehow. Whether it's a fall afternoon's low angled sun behind you making every branch of the spruce and hemlock trees stand out with stark clarity, a calm early June morning with a high tide as green as the pines, or that pre-nor'easters' breathless feeling at low tide just when the snow starts falling.

Anyway, before I get too weepy, that is an explanation for the name. I haven't been there in about ten years, and I hope it hasn't been ruined by the influx of houses common to the area. I am afraid that going there will confirm my dread that it is so.

Do you have a place in your memory like that? If so, you can use it to your benefit. During times of stress, or if you just want to "reset", it's amazing what twenty minutes worth of time reflecting on that old spot will do for your peace of mind. All you have to do is get comfortable, take several deep breaths, and relax. Think of the sights, sounds, and smells you had when you were there.

Try it and see!

Paul Nichols: http://www.ClickHarness.com

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Mindfulness Meditation - Living A Life Of Purpose and Harmony

I was just about to give up on my life when I was introduced to Eastern spiritual practices. I had studied everything that our Western world had to say about suffering and what to do about it. And the more I learned, the worse I felt. Out of desperation for a better way of life, I began a daily meditation practice. I studied and practiced a mindfulness practice called shamatha in which the attention is placed on the breath in a restful yet alert manner. This practice showed me very clearly what the problem was: ME! There was so much chaos and distraction taking place in my mind on a momentary basis that it made sense as to why I never felt right. The 'me' that I had come to know was indeed full of conflict, speed, and ambivalence. My thoughts constantly raced and pulled me in a million different directions. It was frankly appalling to see how frenzied my mind was. All of this mental chaos created a state of emotional inertia that kept me confined to a very narrow range of the the human emotional spectrum. Basically, I was so stuck in my head that I had lost contact with reality.

From a meditative perspective, everything in the universe is inherently empty. Our concepts and opinions are devoid of any inherent reality. We are convinced that we are real only because of the deluded nature of our own minds. We simply don't see things as they are. We see through the filters of our concepts and thoughts, which seem to be very convincing. If we buy into our mental projections of reality, we will suffer. Meditation is the practice of developing space around these constant projections. With regular practice, we become less and less convinced that we or anything else is inherently real and solid.

The irony here is that recognizing our own non-existence is the very basis of freedom, joy, and love. Our clunky, solid sense of self is what gets us in trouble. So, when I say that everything is empty, it may be tempting to see this as a negative statement. But even that is empty. When we flash on non-existence or emptiness, we see the ultimate potential in all things. Instead of being pinned down by our dualistic perceptions of good/bad, happy/sad, like/dislike, etc., we see that the universe is free from any kind of limitation whatsoever. This is the nature of genius and mysticism.

Have you ever lost yourself for a moment? Perhaps in your work, or playing with your kids, or watching an intense movie? That is like flashing on emptiness. You are free of your normal sense of who you are. There is no boundary between you and everything outside of you. In Buddhism, this is seen as the experience of Big Mind. It is a momentary flash on the infinite nature of reality from which we are inseparable. In mindfulness practice, this flash of awakening is deliberately maintained; everything that arises in the mind is simply a manifestation of universal energy. There is no 'I' in any thought or feeling. It is impersonal energy that arises and passes. When we taste this freedom from personalizing the constant arising of thought, it is like we can finally breathe and surrender to the beauty of life.

Regular meditation practice enables us to rest our awareness in this state of undistracted, empty stillness. Interestingly, this does not necessarily mean that the mind is quiet and obedient. We can still be thinking and have a recognition of this peace and openness. Over time, the mind does stop for periods of time. There is just absolute stillness. But as a beginner, the main point is to keep your awareness one-pointed on the present moment whether you are thinking or not. Don't try to stop your thoughts. Just stay focused on the moment and be still.

As your mind begins to become more expansive and present, your life will begin to open up in unforeseen ways. Old habits, fears, and harmful relationships will fade away. You will become genuinely invested in the ways that you can be of service to others. Why? Because the inside and the outside are no longer seen as separate. Instead of being preoccupied with this contracted version of 'I', the enormous energies of the universe call you out to offer your best to alleviate the suffering of others. This is the beginning of freedom. It is the beginning of living in spirit. Mindfulness practice is one the the vehicles that can take you there.

Kevin Doherty, L.Ac., MS is a licensed acupuncturist who has been studying, practicing, and teaching meditation since 1992. To learn more about Kevin and his approach to meditation, go to http://www.mindfulnesscd.net

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Let's Start!

Hi! I am Rob Hiller and I will tell you all about meditation. I am going to post in this blog most interesting stories about meditation and health.