Meditation is the art of silencing the mind. It is a practice. As with anything, the more you practice, the more deeply you’ll experience the benefits. Just as your body needs rest after a long day on your feet, your mind needs rest from thinking. Both the body and mind require and rely on stillness and silence for optimal health just as much they require and rely on water and air for optimal health. Step out of the “go-go-go” pace of your day and observe what meditation does for you. Take a break from the incessant thoughts such as “I have to …” and “I don’t have time for …” Here are some of the benefits of meditation:
Increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
Increases exercise tolerance.
Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation.
Reduces high blood pressure.
Reduces anxiety.
Decreases muscle tension.
Eases / dissolves chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis, asthma, etc.
Reduces pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms.
Helps in post-operative healing.
Enhances the immune system.
Reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress.
Enhances energy, strength and vigor.
Enhances the thyroid function which stabilizes weight.
Reduces free radicals (less cell tissue damage).
Increases skin resistance.
Decreases cholesterol levels (lowers risk of cardiovascular disease).
Improves respiratory function ( the flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing).
Decreases the aging process.
Eases / dissolves headaches and migraines.
Strengthens brain function.
Reduces need for medical care.
Improves performance in athletic events.
Harmonizes the endocrine system (helps regulate mood, growth and metabolism).
Relaxes the nerve system.
Produces lasting beneficial changes in brain electrical activity.
Builds self-confidence.
Increases serotonin level (influences mood and behavior).
Resolves phobias and fears.
Helps with focus and concentration.
Increases creativity.
Increases brain wave coherence.
Improves learning ability and memory.
Increases feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
Increases emotional stability.
Improves relationships with patience, acceptance and tolerance.
Slows aging process.
Helps to remove bad habits.
Develops intuition.
Increases productivity.
Helps to ease obsessive thinking and ignore petty issues.
Increases ability to solve complex problems.
Purifies and radiates your character and personality.
Develops will power and integrity.
Enhances communication between the two brain hemispheres.
Increases stable reactions to stressful events.
Increases one’s perceptual ability and motor performance.
Supports higher intelligence growth rate.
Increases positive attitude toward life.
Decreases potential for illness.
Helps in quitting smoking and alcohol addiction.
Reduces dependency on drugs, pills & pharmaceuticals.
Supports restful sleep (helps cure insomnia).
Increases sense of responsibility.
Decreases restless thinking.
Decreases tendency to worry.
Increases listening skills and empathy.
Enhances ability to make thoughtful decisions.
Gives composure to act in considerate & constructive ways.
Develops emotional maturity.
Helps to keep things in perspective.
Provides peace of mind and happiness.
Helps you discover your purpose.
Increases compassion.
Blossoms wisdom.
Develops deeper understanding of yourself and others.
Brings body and mind in harmony.
Increases acceptance of yourself.
Helps foster forgiveness.
Enhances perception and attitude about “living in the present moment.”
Creates a deepening capacity for love.
Ignites your power and consciousness to go beyond the ego.
Cultivates an inner sense of assurance or knowingness.
Supports perception that you are “one with everything.”
Increases the synchronicity in your life.
Meditation Techniques
Envisioning Meditation
15 + minutes. Sit in a comfortable crossed-legged position. For support, sit on a pillow so your hips are elevated above your knees. Sit up tall so you feel your spine is perpendicular to the earth. Inhale and exhale through the nose. Begin to meditate on the gentle flow of 4-second inhales and 4-second exhales to encourage a lower heartrate and relaxation for the senses and functions of the body and mind. Once you find a peaceful breathing rhythm, begin to imagine yourself sitting on a beach. Feel the warm sand beneath you and the warm sun embracing your entire bdoy. Let the warmth and light penetrate your mind and body. Let it flow gracefully to the places where it's needed most. In this type of meditation, imagine yourself in any place that offers comfort and solace for you. Stay tuned into the breath along your journey. Be playful and peaceful within your imagination and observe the calm that resonates within and around you.
ART Meditation
15+
minutes. Get creative with coloring, drawing, painting, sculpting (whatever art form or materials you'd like to use) a scene or abstract designs of you embracing calm and comfort. What does that process look like to you? How do you want to bring calm to fruition? What dissolves and what blossoms? What roots and what rises? Don’t
worry about how “good” your artwork is.
Simply meditate on the images and feelings that arise and relish what manifests. This will
strengthen your ability to live the concept of “mind over matter." Display your art pieces where you’ll see them every day.
Writing Meditation
15+ minutes. Dedicate a journal to your writing meditation entries. Through the use of language and words, articulate what calm and comfort are to you. Vary your writing styles such as poems, stories, articles, lists, brainstorm bubbles, comics, scripts and letters. Play with 1st and 3rd person perspectives. Play with personification; BE that maple tree in your backyard and write about how you (as the tree) sense the world. No matter what you write or how you write, include descriptions of your senses. Explore sound, sight, touch, taste, smell and the power of intuition in whatever capacity beckons you.
Nature Meditation
Get outside. Immerse yourself in the elements. Tune into the senses and breath. Walk, hike, run, bike, sit under a tree, stare at a leaf ... Ponder peace. Be peace.
Chants
*
Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bavantu
May all living beings be happy everywhere
*
Karaagre Vasate Lakshmi
Karamuule Saraswati.
Karamadhye Tu Govinda
Prabhaate Kara Darshanam
The front part of the hands (the fingertips) are ascribed to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, the middle part (the palm proper) to Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning, and the root (the part of hand near the wrist) to Govinda (God).
Every morning, have a respectful look at your hands which symbolize honest labor.
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