This week to change the pace on the meditation I wanted to learn more about you, your thought son meditation, and where you’d choose to go with it.
I define meditation as a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the conditioned, “thinking” mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. It often involves turning attention to a single point of reference. (Coincidentally this is also how wikipedia defines meditation (for today… it’s fickle))
I have gone through several guided meditation with you to help you reach this area where imagination become reality, where you can focus on one moment, thought, or many and find a sensation that you are looking for.
How do you define meditation?
How do you meditate?
Do you have a favorite method of meditation?
Where do you Meditate?
What are your benefits from meditation?
What do you hope to get from meditation?
If you could make a wish to feel something, or see something, or experience something, that could be done through meditation what would that be?
What can I do to improve my meditations?
Health and Yoga lists the following benefits from meditation:
It causes an improvement of body luster and general health-When your mind focuses on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive more oxygen and other nutrients in abundance. Today, many of the film stars and fashion models include meditation in their daily regimen.
Provides for improvement in concentration - Many of the athletes and sports professionals regularly employ meditation methods. Studies have found a direct correlation between concentration exercises (meditation) and the performance level of sports professionals. Meditation strengthens the mind, it comes under control and is able to provide effective guidance to the physical body to effectively execute all its projects. Psychological Exercises are a powerful way of improving concentration and improving mental strength.
Below I highlight some of the health benefits suggested by the Health and Yoga website:
- It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
- Leads to a deeper level of relaxation.
- Good for people with high blood pressure as it brings the Blood Pressure to normal.
- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
- Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches.
- Builds self-confidence.
As I contemplate these questions personally I look forward to your answers. Please also petition your friends and those you know for their answers to these questions. Until then I hope to meet all of you at the bottom of those stairs.
Claudious
August 23rd, 2008 at 3:35 am
Living in the big harsh city I do not have time to meditate. There is nowhere to escape the traffic, sirens, Nextel noises and thumping music. I am bombarded by these sounds everyday. I’ve even tried earplugs. My hearing is just too acute and my nerves too strung out from a thankless job. I long for the sweet sounds of a forest in Autumn. That to me means meditation and I wish I could have it right now. Sorry, didn’t mean to kvetch.
August 23rd, 2008 at 6:37 am
I agree that meditation has many (increasingly proven) benefits. For some people, perhaps like Carolyn, a more physical form of meditation such as Tai Chi, or even a more vigorous art might be useful as this may be a way to so fully absorb into an activity that the daily noise begins to disappear.
best wishes,
Richard
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:25 am
I hardly ever take any time to just sit and relax. It’s one of my flaws. I need to learn to do a better job of it.
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Carolyn, thank you for sharing with me how hard it is to meditate in the city, I find it hard to find absolute silence here as well, it’s something I think we’ll have to work around as we move forward. I really like Richards’ comment about looking for a physical form of meditation. There are also some methods of induction that might use the noises to work for you and not against you.
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Richard, thank you for your comment, I’m very glad to have you here!
August 23rd, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Alf, it’s hard to take the time to find silence. Mr. Rogers said before he died that in todays society we’ve become such noisy busy people, and emphasized the importance of finding quiet, for a moment, even if for no good reason.
August 23rd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I meditate to music. When no one is around I put down a thick and super soft blanket on the living room floor and turn up the music on the surround sound so that the music is the only thing I can hear. I visualize the music coming off the page and my laying on the staff. I listen to the same song over and over again. I lay there until my body “wakes” itself up from the meditative state.
I always feel so relieved and less weighed down by the stresses of everyday life when I am done. My mind is much clearer and I am more able to handle problems.
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Claudious,
Did you see the comment I posted back to you on How May I Deflect Your Call? It was classic.
August 23rd, 2008 at 10:47 pm
lol Carolyn, I did see your comment, I love that you got that joke. A lot of people aren’t really versed the myths anymore. Thank you!
August 24th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Meditation to me is the freeing your mind from the worries of every day life. Troubles, problems. My favorite form is active meditation. I love to spin yarn (with a spinning wheel) Out under under my trees. As I left the actions occupy my body. My mind relaxes and solutions and ideas come to me. It makes me fee free from earthly cares.
Knitting also does this. I like it best curled up in a soft chair in the winter with a hot cup of chocolate close by. The winds and snow can blow while I feel peaceful.
I think it’s interesting that as I sit in the quiet. That soon I start to here birds, the breeze, sounds that were lost in the noise of my mind. I find I can take deep breathes.
And everything becomes manageable during that time and I can pick up early day again.
Good questions Claudious. They got me thinking. Always a good thing.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:42 am
I am with a lot of people in that I just don’t have time to meditate. However I do find joy in the small things everyday (as you know from the latest post!) and these help me in my life. I do wish I could find the time to include some type of relaxation every day. I got together with a group of ladies last week and they were talking about all the books they have read/are reading - I just sat there in silence - something else I don’t get time to do!!
August 27th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Claudious, meditation is something I’ve never really got into. It’s the bit of my coach training I’ve shied away from. But, you’ve got me thinking again. I’ve got a couple of people who meditate so I’m going to talk to them and maybe take the plunge.
Inspirational post!