Abdominoplasty, known as a tuck, is a very common cosmetic procedure. If you are interested in potentially having the surgery, you need to know the typical prices.
Abdominoplasty Prices
Losing weight is the perennial battle as we grow older. It is the lucky soul who does not naturally gain weight as the years pass. Exercise and diet are undoubtedly the best way to attack this inevitable process, a fact repeated in the media and literature over and over. The problem, of course, is who has time given the hectic pace of life?
An abdominoplasty is one option for battling the bulge. The costs of the procedures, however, may come as a bit of a shock if you aren’t aware of them going in. The prices tend to be a bit high given the nature of the procedure.
While abdominoplasty is the name used for most cosmetic abdominal surgeries, there is not one procedure as suggested. In truth, procedures range from full tucks to mini-tucks and so on. The difference is purely a matter of what you are trying to achieve. As you might guess, a full tuck is going to take longer, which results in a higher price. Mini-tucks are more isolated and less expensive given the time in question.
Abdominoplasty prices vary greatly depending on a number of other practical issues. The location of the tuck procedure is going to have an impact, to wit, Beverly Hills surgeons charge much more than surgeons in Oklahoma City. Further, there seems to be a direct correlation between the number of times the surgeon has been on television and the price. If you must have a celebrity surgeon, you are going to pay for it.
In general, the cost of a full abdominoplasty will range from $4,000 to $7,000 dollars. Mini tucks will run as much as half of this figure, but the specific cost is entirely dependent upon what is being done.
Abdominoplasty prices can cause serious sticker shock when you first get an estimate. Remember, health insurance rarely pays for plastic surgery.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A Healthy Guide to Good Nutrition
Whether you are at your ideal weight or striving to reach your weight goal is it simply a matter of burning more calories than you take in? The answer, I suggest, is no! Overall body health improvement as well as weight gain or loss must be factored in to the equation or you could be heading for problems. Correct nutrition can help to reduce the risk of a miriad of health-related problems, the most frightening of which are surely heart disease and cancer. Proper nutrition, however, entails eating many different foods, monitoring your consumption of some food and beverage items, and counting calories. Good diets offer balanced nutrition that reduces cholesterol, blood pressure, and helps with weight control.
To function properly, your body must have the correct combination of nutrients:
Carbohydrates. They are the primary source of ammunition in your diet. The body uses carbohydrates to build glucose which can be used immediately or stored in your body for later. Too much glucose, however, is stored as fat. There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Starches and fibers are complex carbohydrates.
Proteins. Proteins help your body build and maintain muscles and other tissues. They also function in the creation of hormones. Like carbohydrates, excess protein is stored as fat.
Animal and vegetable are the two major types of proteins. Too much animal protein can cause high cholesterol, as it is high in saturated fat.
Fat. Strange as it may seem; fat is another nutrient your body requires. It comes in both saturated and unsaturated forms. Saturated fat puts you at risk of health problems. Unsaturated fat is healthy, but if it goes through any type of refinement process, it can become saturated fat.
Vitamins. These are also required nutrients. Different vitamins perform different tasks within the body. They can work with the metabolism to help with energy levels for any task you can think of that you need your body to perform. It has also been noted that certain vitamins can prevent disease.
For example, vitamins A, C, and E, also called antioxidants, can assist with the prevention of coronary artery disease by keeping build up from occurring on artery walls. Vitamin B-1 is needed for digestion and proper nervous system function. Vitamin B-2 is needed for normal cell growth. Vitamin B-3 helps to detoxify your body. Folic acid assists with production of red blood cells. Vitamin D assists with the absorption of calcium. Vitamin K helps your blood clot.
Minerals and trace elements. These are another nutrient your body requires. Both are used in many different body processes. Minerals like chlorine help make your digestive juices. Phosphorus helps build strong bones. Both can be found in the foods we consume, but with a trace element, your body just needs a tiny amount. Salt is one final nutrient your body requires. You should not consume more than 2400 milligrams per day, though, as it might raise your blood pressure.
You should follow several guidelines to create a well balanced, nutritional diet. First, try to consume two and one half cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit each day. When making your selections for each day, be sure to choose a good variety. A good rough guide is to eat as many different colors as possible, this will help you to select from all five vegetable subgroups at least four times per week.
You should eat at least three ounces of whole grain products each day. At least half of your grain intake should be whole grain based. Milk should also be part of a healthy diet. Consume at least forty-eight ounces of low fat milk or milk products on a daily basis. Your total fat intake should only be between ten and thirty percent of your calories. Most of the fats you consume should be in the form of unsaturated fats, as saturated fats can do much to damage your health. Meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products should all be lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Less than ten percent of your calories should come from saturated fats, and you should always try to avoid trans-fatty acid.
Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be a regular part of your diet as should potassium rich foods. Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation.
Excellent nutrition is the basis of a healthy diet.
To function properly, your body must have the correct combination of nutrients:
Carbohydrates. They are the primary source of ammunition in your diet. The body uses carbohydrates to build glucose which can be used immediately or stored in your body for later. Too much glucose, however, is stored as fat. There are two types of carbohydrates - simple and complex. Sugars are simple carbohydrates. Starches and fibers are complex carbohydrates.
Proteins. Proteins help your body build and maintain muscles and other tissues. They also function in the creation of hormones. Like carbohydrates, excess protein is stored as fat.
Animal and vegetable are the two major types of proteins. Too much animal protein can cause high cholesterol, as it is high in saturated fat.
Fat. Strange as it may seem; fat is another nutrient your body requires. It comes in both saturated and unsaturated forms. Saturated fat puts you at risk of health problems. Unsaturated fat is healthy, but if it goes through any type of refinement process, it can become saturated fat.
Vitamins. These are also required nutrients. Different vitamins perform different tasks within the body. They can work with the metabolism to help with energy levels for any task you can think of that you need your body to perform. It has also been noted that certain vitamins can prevent disease.
For example, vitamins A, C, and E, also called antioxidants, can assist with the prevention of coronary artery disease by keeping build up from occurring on artery walls. Vitamin B-1 is needed for digestion and proper nervous system function. Vitamin B-2 is needed for normal cell growth. Vitamin B-3 helps to detoxify your body. Folic acid assists with production of red blood cells. Vitamin D assists with the absorption of calcium. Vitamin K helps your blood clot.
Minerals and trace elements. These are another nutrient your body requires. Both are used in many different body processes. Minerals like chlorine help make your digestive juices. Phosphorus helps build strong bones. Both can be found in the foods we consume, but with a trace element, your body just needs a tiny amount. Salt is one final nutrient your body requires. You should not consume more than 2400 milligrams per day, though, as it might raise your blood pressure.
You should follow several guidelines to create a well balanced, nutritional diet. First, try to consume two and one half cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit each day. When making your selections for each day, be sure to choose a good variety. A good rough guide is to eat as many different colors as possible, this will help you to select from all five vegetable subgroups at least four times per week.
You should eat at least three ounces of whole grain products each day. At least half of your grain intake should be whole grain based. Milk should also be part of a healthy diet. Consume at least forty-eight ounces of low fat milk or milk products on a daily basis. Your total fat intake should only be between ten and thirty percent of your calories. Most of the fats you consume should be in the form of unsaturated fats, as saturated fats can do much to damage your health. Meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products should all be lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Less than ten percent of your calories should come from saturated fats, and you should always try to avoid trans-fatty acid.
Fiber-rich fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be a regular part of your diet as should potassium rich foods. Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation.
Excellent nutrition is the basis of a healthy diet.
Antibiotics as a Cure for Stomach Ulcer
Stomach ulcer refers to open lesions and ulcerations at the level of the stomach. Statistics indicate that more than two percent of the people in the United States are diagnosed with stomach ulcer each year and it is estimated that around eight to ten percent of these people are at risk of developing various other forms of ulcer over the years. In the United States there are approximately half a million annual cases of stomach ulcer. The disorder has the highest incidence in the male gender, and it predominantly affects people with ages over 50.
Stomach ulcer is considered to be a serious disorder. In the absence of medical treatment, stomach ulcer can lead to complications such as stomach perforation and internal bleeding. There are many forms of treatment for stomach ulcer in present. However, the problem with most medications is that they only provide temporary symptomatic relief, allowing the disorder to reoccur soon after completing the prescribed medical treatment.
Stomach ulcer is a digestive disorder that occurs due to physiological abnormalities (poor stomach production of bicarbonate, poor integrity of the stomach’s mucosal protective cover, inappropriate mucosal blood flow, overproduction of pepsin and gastric acid) and infection with bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Although these bacteria are known to be a major cause of stomach ulcer, most doctors neglect this aspect and only prescribe medications for normalizing the stomach’s production of digestive fluids. Although antacids and other medications commonly used in the treatment for stomach ulcer can keep the disorder under control, they can’t overcome the ulcer completely. Unless the treatment with antacids is followed on a regular basis, the symptoms of stomach ulcer are very likely to reoccur.
One of the most common medications used in the treatment for stomach ulcer is Tagamet. This ulcer drug acts by reducing the levels of gastric acid and pepsin inside the stomach. The problem with Tagamet and other antacids is that they only provide short-term effects. Most people affected by stomach ulcer experience a relapse of the disorder soon after interrupting the treatment with Tagamet.
Since the underlying cause of stomach ulcer is infection with Helicobacter pylori, people with the disorder should also receive a medical treatment with antibiotics. Research results indicate that people with stomach ulcer who have been prescribed a course of antibiotics such as amoxicillin or penicillin have experienced a considerable amelioration of their ulcer. In addition, most people with stomach ulcer who have followed treatments with antibiotics have been permanently cured. Unlike antacids, antibiotics can provide long-term effects for people affected by stomach ulcer, thus minimizing the chances of relapse.
A two-week course of amoxicillin is usually sufficient for overcoming the infection with Helicobacter pylori. Corroborated with antacids, antibiotic treatments can successfully cure stomach ulcers, minimizing the chances of relapse.
Stomach ulcer is considered to be a serious disorder. In the absence of medical treatment, stomach ulcer can lead to complications such as stomach perforation and internal bleeding. There are many forms of treatment for stomach ulcer in present. However, the problem with most medications is that they only provide temporary symptomatic relief, allowing the disorder to reoccur soon after completing the prescribed medical treatment.
Stomach ulcer is a digestive disorder that occurs due to physiological abnormalities (poor stomach production of bicarbonate, poor integrity of the stomach’s mucosal protective cover, inappropriate mucosal blood flow, overproduction of pepsin and gastric acid) and infection with bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Although these bacteria are known to be a major cause of stomach ulcer, most doctors neglect this aspect and only prescribe medications for normalizing the stomach’s production of digestive fluids. Although antacids and other medications commonly used in the treatment for stomach ulcer can keep the disorder under control, they can’t overcome the ulcer completely. Unless the treatment with antacids is followed on a regular basis, the symptoms of stomach ulcer are very likely to reoccur.
One of the most common medications used in the treatment for stomach ulcer is Tagamet. This ulcer drug acts by reducing the levels of gastric acid and pepsin inside the stomach. The problem with Tagamet and other antacids is that they only provide short-term effects. Most people affected by stomach ulcer experience a relapse of the disorder soon after interrupting the treatment with Tagamet.
Since the underlying cause of stomach ulcer is infection with Helicobacter pylori, people with the disorder should also receive a medical treatment with antibiotics. Research results indicate that people with stomach ulcer who have been prescribed a course of antibiotics such as amoxicillin or penicillin have experienced a considerable amelioration of their ulcer. In addition, most people with stomach ulcer who have followed treatments with antibiotics have been permanently cured. Unlike antacids, antibiotics can provide long-term effects for people affected by stomach ulcer, thus minimizing the chances of relapse.
A two-week course of amoxicillin is usually sufficient for overcoming the infection with Helicobacter pylori. Corroborated with antacids, antibiotic treatments can successfully cure stomach ulcers, minimizing the chances of relapse.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Meditation Chairs
Meditation chairs can enhance the experience of exploration by allowing you to sit in a comfortable and relaxed position during your relaxation session. If you have back problems or limited flexibility, the chair offers a comfortable alternative to sitting on the floor.
For those just beginning the practice of meditation, a sitting device can be an effective way of enhancing focus and concentration. There are different types of chairs available including meditation benches, ergonomically designed tilt chairs and inflatable cushions.
A meditation bench allows you to sit in alignment without putting undue pressure on your back. A tilt chair also supports your back while allowing you to remain in the optimum upright position. Many companies providing meditation supplies also manufacture portable meditation chairs, inflatable cushions and folding benches, so that you can meditate in any setting or environment. A portable chair is an excellent investment if you are continuously on the go.
Meditation chairs have several advantages over sitting on the floor or a regular chair. Meditation requires harmony of body and mind, in the sense that physical discomfort should not interfere with the meditation experience. To expand our consciousness and achieve clarity of mind, it is important to be as comfortable as possible during the meditation session. Sitting in any one position for a length of time is bound to cause cramping and distress. Specially designed chairs can provide the proper support and alignment necessary to allow you to get the most out of your meditation experience. It is important to note that regular chairs do not mold to the body in the same way as an ergonomically designed meditation device.
The best chairs have a slight forward angle, which prevents you from slumping during meditation. However, take care that the chair is not too steeply angled, as this will cause overarching. The ideal tilt should be no more than a few inches. The best option is to purchase a meditation chair that you can adjust according to your height, weight and comfort level. Having an experienced person on hand to guide you through the meditation process and adjust your posture is also a good idea.
A sitting device may be particularly useful if you are practicing Zen meditation, which requires several sitting postures. Zen meditation chairs can be made out of numerous materials and come in several different styles. You can choose the style that best suits you as long as the device enables your diaphragm to contract and expand freely.
Meditation is all about discovery and inner peace. Contrary to popular belief, self denial and physical discomfort detracts rather than enhances the experience. It is difficult to expand our minds and awareness when our legs are cramping beneath us. A meditation chair is a device which allows us to focus on what’s really important during our meditation session. With the proper tools and surroundings, the meditation experience is sure to be a positive one.
For those just beginning the practice of meditation, a sitting device can be an effective way of enhancing focus and concentration. There are different types of chairs available including meditation benches, ergonomically designed tilt chairs and inflatable cushions.
A meditation bench allows you to sit in alignment without putting undue pressure on your back. A tilt chair also supports your back while allowing you to remain in the optimum upright position. Many companies providing meditation supplies also manufacture portable meditation chairs, inflatable cushions and folding benches, so that you can meditate in any setting or environment. A portable chair is an excellent investment if you are continuously on the go.
Meditation chairs have several advantages over sitting on the floor or a regular chair. Meditation requires harmony of body and mind, in the sense that physical discomfort should not interfere with the meditation experience. To expand our consciousness and achieve clarity of mind, it is important to be as comfortable as possible during the meditation session. Sitting in any one position for a length of time is bound to cause cramping and distress. Specially designed chairs can provide the proper support and alignment necessary to allow you to get the most out of your meditation experience. It is important to note that regular chairs do not mold to the body in the same way as an ergonomically designed meditation device.
The best chairs have a slight forward angle, which prevents you from slumping during meditation. However, take care that the chair is not too steeply angled, as this will cause overarching. The ideal tilt should be no more than a few inches. The best option is to purchase a meditation chair that you can adjust according to your height, weight and comfort level. Having an experienced person on hand to guide you through the meditation process and adjust your posture is also a good idea.
A sitting device may be particularly useful if you are practicing Zen meditation, which requires several sitting postures. Zen meditation chairs can be made out of numerous materials and come in several different styles. You can choose the style that best suits you as long as the device enables your diaphragm to contract and expand freely.
Meditation is all about discovery and inner peace. Contrary to popular belief, self denial and physical discomfort detracts rather than enhances the experience. It is difficult to expand our minds and awareness when our legs are cramping beneath us. A meditation chair is a device which allows us to focus on what’s really important during our meditation session. With the proper tools and surroundings, the meditation experience is sure to be a positive one.
Meditation technique of perception
One Answer….for all questions - This too will pass...
This meditation technique is quite different from thje conventional meditation techniques. This technique is actually a contemplation exercise and involves thinking over life. Though people of all age can try this technique, it is basically suitable for people with mature age (I mean 18 & above). The reason is that only those who have lived a certain (substantial) duration of life can reflect back on their past. Very young people who are still in the initial phase of their life are less likely (though not impossible) to analyze their life from the angle which this meditation demands. Nevertheless, this meditation technique is very useful for knowing our true self.
Method:
First read this thought provoking story :-
Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them,
" Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?"
All wise men got puzzled by King's question. One answer for all question? Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appeal to all of them. They went to king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he'll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.
After a few days, the neighbors attack the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of King's enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses were following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing in the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished…and he could not return because it was a small road…From back the sound of enemy's horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way.
Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great.
The message was - " This too will pass."
The King read it . Again read it. Suddenly something strike in his mind- Yes ! it too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. A calm come on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forget about those following him. After a few minute he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path.
The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regain his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me.: With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him.
Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He open it and read it again: "This too will pass"
He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness.
If this too is going to pass, it is not yours.
The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours.
You are just a watcher. Everything passes by
We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver. Life come and go. Happiness come and go. Sorrow come and go.
Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life. This too will pass. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent. They all come and pass away. Life just passes away.
There were friends in past. They all have gone.
There are friends today. They too will go.
There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go.
There were enemies in past. They have gone.
There may be enemy in present. They too will go.
There will be new enemies tomorrow and......they too will go.
There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks , all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. Who are you in reality? Know your real face. Your face is not your true face. It will change with the time. However, there is something in you, which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable ? It is nothing but your true self.
You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it.
Everyday for 10-15 minutes sit in silence. Just think over the sentence, " This too will pass." Pondering over your own life will make you realize the true meaning of this sentence. Everything passes yet your real identity remains the same. That real you is your true self. To know that self is true meditation.
This meditation technique is quite different from thje conventional meditation techniques. This technique is actually a contemplation exercise and involves thinking over life. Though people of all age can try this technique, it is basically suitable for people with mature age (I mean 18 & above). The reason is that only those who have lived a certain (substantial) duration of life can reflect back on their past. Very young people who are still in the initial phase of their life are less likely (though not impossible) to analyze their life from the angle which this meditation demands. Nevertheless, this meditation technique is very useful for knowing our true self.
Method:
First read this thought provoking story :-
Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them,
" Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?"
All wise men got puzzled by King's question. One answer for all question? Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appeal to all of them. They went to king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he'll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.
After a few days, the neighbors attack the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of King's enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses were following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing in the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished…and he could not return because it was a small road…From back the sound of enemy's horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way.
Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great.
The message was - " This too will pass."
The King read it . Again read it. Suddenly something strike in his mind- Yes ! it too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. A calm come on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forget about those following him. After a few minute he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path.
The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regain his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me.: With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him.
Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He open it and read it again: "This too will pass"
He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness.
If this too is going to pass, it is not yours.
The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours.
You are just a watcher. Everything passes by
We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver. Life come and go. Happiness come and go. Sorrow come and go.
Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life. This too will pass. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent. They all come and pass away. Life just passes away.
There were friends in past. They all have gone.
There are friends today. They too will go.
There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go.
There were enemies in past. They have gone.
There may be enemy in present. They too will go.
There will be new enemies tomorrow and......they too will go.
There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks , all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. Who are you in reality? Know your real face. Your face is not your true face. It will change with the time. However, there is something in you, which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable ? It is nothing but your true self.
You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it.
Everyday for 10-15 minutes sit in silence. Just think over the sentence, " This too will pass." Pondering over your own life will make you realize the true meaning of this sentence. Everything passes yet your real identity remains the same. That real you is your true self. To know that self is true meditation.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Meditate to Unlock Your Hidden Potential – Part 2
You can be the creator of your own manifest destiny. Through daily meditation practice and focus on changing your life for the better. In fact, you have the ability to redefine yourself in any direction you desire. The power that you can cultivate is limited only by your own imagination.
As I have mentioned earlier, this will change the lives of people who you come into frequent contact with. Therefore, you must always be kind, trustworthy, and considerate to others. You should make a change in that direction at this very moment.
Why the sudden need for character improvement? It goes hand-in-hand with using power and influence wisely. Remember Lord Acton’s saying: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The power of your mind has the ability to alter reality. Therefore, this is a power that must be controlled.
How is this possible? Here is an example: If you had two identical twin boys, who haven’t eaten for two days, and you put an apple in front of them; what would they do?
Most likely, they would fight over it, and the winner would eat, most or, all of it. You and I know they should divide it equally, but each of them has really felt starvation, and that is a reality you and I do not feel at the moment. So we are not talking about imagination, but three legitimate points of view, that each becomes our own reality.
Meditation will allow your mind to see multiple points of view, without judgment. If you can see only one point of view, you haven’t meditated long enough. The best leaders, negotiators, and diplomats, know that you have to understand the opposing viewpoint, to move forward, on any issue. There is always justification, on both sides, in any conflict, but true compromise is meeting the opposition in a different reality, than you both started from.
If you had the ability to travel in the space shuttle, your view of earth, from within your space vehicle, would be much different from the person living in poverty, within a refugee camp. You could not see, or feel, that person’s pain, and each of you would have a vivid picture of life on earth.
You can meditate from a mountain top, but once you have seen the full picture, you have an obligation to help mankind, with acts of kindness. Once you have discovered how easy it is to help others, you are no longer struggling with; “who is right and who is wrong.”
Your new reality becomes, “how can I help?”
As I have mentioned earlier, this will change the lives of people who you come into frequent contact with. Therefore, you must always be kind, trustworthy, and considerate to others. You should make a change in that direction at this very moment.
Why the sudden need for character improvement? It goes hand-in-hand with using power and influence wisely. Remember Lord Acton’s saying: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The power of your mind has the ability to alter reality. Therefore, this is a power that must be controlled.
How is this possible? Here is an example: If you had two identical twin boys, who haven’t eaten for two days, and you put an apple in front of them; what would they do?
Most likely, they would fight over it, and the winner would eat, most or, all of it. You and I know they should divide it equally, but each of them has really felt starvation, and that is a reality you and I do not feel at the moment. So we are not talking about imagination, but three legitimate points of view, that each becomes our own reality.
Meditation will allow your mind to see multiple points of view, without judgment. If you can see only one point of view, you haven’t meditated long enough. The best leaders, negotiators, and diplomats, know that you have to understand the opposing viewpoint, to move forward, on any issue. There is always justification, on both sides, in any conflict, but true compromise is meeting the opposition in a different reality, than you both started from.
If you had the ability to travel in the space shuttle, your view of earth, from within your space vehicle, would be much different from the person living in poverty, within a refugee camp. You could not see, or feel, that person’s pain, and each of you would have a vivid picture of life on earth.
You can meditate from a mountain top, but once you have seen the full picture, you have an obligation to help mankind, with acts of kindness. Once you have discovered how easy it is to help others, you are no longer struggling with; “who is right and who is wrong.”
Your new reality becomes, “how can I help?”
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Relaxation Exercises And Ridiculous Mental Conditioning
When Oprah Winfrey was interviewed by the legendary US television reporter Barbara Walters she was asked "what's the reason you put yourself on the line week after week, year after year, on the cutting edge of human emotion?" Oprah replied "Teaching people to take responsibly. I believe the secret to life is to take responsibility, once people grasp that I believe everything in their life changes. Once people understand it and live it, they are at cause for their life rather than living in effect and in reaction."
Public issues aside most people agree Bill Clinton was a very charismatic leader. Yet by his own admission in his autobiography he talks about painful acts in his childhood, anger and emotion that drove him to a better life. He hit a level of threshold where he was finally dissatisfied enough with his life to make changes. He was literally propelled forward to improve his life, and dream, and apply and learn the tools and strategies to assist himself and those around him. It's up to us to make a decision, to release all our negative emotions, to live in the present and to move into the future with improvement. The best thing about the past is that it's over.
Make a decision right now to release any old emotion you had with other people and move forward empowered. Put your shoulders back. Now stop and do something a little ridiculous. Float way up in the air in your mind, imagine you’re near a big ravine, put 100 singers down each side and hear them singing now. Hear the lightning coming down the side of the cliff. Feel the static electricity in the air. Now imagine a big puma in front of you, licking its lips. Now step inside the puma, feel the muscles and the strength and look way down the bottom, way off into the distance, so small it’s barely a speck, way down the bottom of the cliff is a person or situation you were facing. Hear the singers sing "Your Butt is Mine". Most of us don't feel good because we don’t do what could be described as "ridiculous mental conditioning".
Stop now and imagine a room in your mind, walk down the stairs, as you walk down with each stair releasing negativity and building up strength. At the bottom is a door. Open it. Inside is a beautiful garden. Imagine the sight, the sound, the feel and the smell. And in this garden are some people you need to meet. You need to have a conversation with them that goes something along the lines of "I forgive you". You may not be aware yet of the cords that still connect you to these people.
Now, stop and take two giant blades and drop them down and cut those cords and see the people fly off into the distance to go about their own growing. Now feel a pleasant feeling in your body. Lock this feeling in.
Consciously feel the release. Now visualize in front of you how you want to be, a more advanced version of you. Filled with whatever positive emotions you desire. Stop and imagine the qualities you need. Notice how does this new you look? Notice how his new you is feeling? Notice how this new you sounds? If you haven’t yet noticed then feel the strength from being around this new you. Notice how this new you stands and breathes. Now step into this taking on all the qualities of this new you. Make a commitment with this deepest part of yourself to take this new you around with you wherever you go.
What would this new you do? What would this new you stand for? What would this new you contribute? What would this new you be interested in? How will this you respond when you get off track? How will it feel when you live you life at this new standard? Step into this new you and feel the feelings in your body.
Decide to take your relationships to the next level. People love to talk about their own interests, learn to cultivate the art of being a good listener and people will like you - even if you have to sacrifice some of the conversational enjoyment for yourself to give to others. Watch the difference in your own life. People build up rapport with others by speaking at about the same speed and the same volume as the other person.
Consciously dwell on something that makes you feel strong. Clear your head. Adapt some positive characteristics of a role model. One of the best ways to gain confidence is to decide right now to have it, and embrace it.
Public issues aside most people agree Bill Clinton was a very charismatic leader. Yet by his own admission in his autobiography he talks about painful acts in his childhood, anger and emotion that drove him to a better life. He hit a level of threshold where he was finally dissatisfied enough with his life to make changes. He was literally propelled forward to improve his life, and dream, and apply and learn the tools and strategies to assist himself and those around him. It's up to us to make a decision, to release all our negative emotions, to live in the present and to move into the future with improvement. The best thing about the past is that it's over.
Make a decision right now to release any old emotion you had with other people and move forward empowered. Put your shoulders back. Now stop and do something a little ridiculous. Float way up in the air in your mind, imagine you’re near a big ravine, put 100 singers down each side and hear them singing now. Hear the lightning coming down the side of the cliff. Feel the static electricity in the air. Now imagine a big puma in front of you, licking its lips. Now step inside the puma, feel the muscles and the strength and look way down the bottom, way off into the distance, so small it’s barely a speck, way down the bottom of the cliff is a person or situation you were facing. Hear the singers sing "Your Butt is Mine". Most of us don't feel good because we don’t do what could be described as "ridiculous mental conditioning".
Stop now and imagine a room in your mind, walk down the stairs, as you walk down with each stair releasing negativity and building up strength. At the bottom is a door. Open it. Inside is a beautiful garden. Imagine the sight, the sound, the feel and the smell. And in this garden are some people you need to meet. You need to have a conversation with them that goes something along the lines of "I forgive you". You may not be aware yet of the cords that still connect you to these people.
Now, stop and take two giant blades and drop them down and cut those cords and see the people fly off into the distance to go about their own growing. Now feel a pleasant feeling in your body. Lock this feeling in.
Consciously feel the release. Now visualize in front of you how you want to be, a more advanced version of you. Filled with whatever positive emotions you desire. Stop and imagine the qualities you need. Notice how does this new you look? Notice how his new you is feeling? Notice how this new you sounds? If you haven’t yet noticed then feel the strength from being around this new you. Notice how this new you stands and breathes. Now step into this taking on all the qualities of this new you. Make a commitment with this deepest part of yourself to take this new you around with you wherever you go.
What would this new you do? What would this new you stand for? What would this new you contribute? What would this new you be interested in? How will this you respond when you get off track? How will it feel when you live you life at this new standard? Step into this new you and feel the feelings in your body.
Decide to take your relationships to the next level. People love to talk about their own interests, learn to cultivate the art of being a good listener and people will like you - even if you have to sacrifice some of the conversational enjoyment for yourself to give to others. Watch the difference in your own life. People build up rapport with others by speaking at about the same speed and the same volume as the other person.
Consciously dwell on something that makes you feel strong. Clear your head. Adapt some positive characteristics of a role model. One of the best ways to gain confidence is to decide right now to have it, and embrace it.
Friday, March 26, 2010
5 Great Ways To Lower Blood Pressure Using 1 Great Fruit
Have you had your lycopene today? If you ate a green salad with fresh chopped tomatoes, then you not only got a healthy dose of this powerful antioxidant, but you have also taken significant action toward lowering your blood pressure. A recent double-blind study conducted in Israel has confirmed what hearth-healthy Italians have enjoyed for centuries - tomatoes (and tomato sauce) lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
Dr. Esther Paran, head of the hypertension division of Soroka Medical Center, led up the Israeli study. It involved patients who were already being treated for hypertension, but were not responding well to the medications. Dr. Paran had patients take a supplement of tomato extract. The results were a significant drop in blood pressure after just four weeks.
Tomatoes are so effective at lowering blood pressure because they contain lycopene. This potent antioxidant is even the focus of some hybrid tomatoes grown by the Israeli company, Lycomato, in order to have higher concentrations of lycopene in each piece of fruit. Other antioxidants found in tomatoes make this one super-food in the prevention of heart disease. It can even help keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing which makes it stick to the arteries and narrow the passage way causing blood pressure to increase.
Even during the peak growing season it can be difficult to consume four whole tomatoes each day, which is the recommended amount for having a positive impact on blood pressure. Here are some ways to get the benefits of tomatoes without having to eat them straight off the vine.
1. Make Chili. Using tomato puree, which is a concentrated form of tomatoes, as the base for your chili utilizes the antioxidants without the bulk of a whole tomato. Add some ultra-lean and high protein ground bison and kidney beans with minced garlic and onions, and cayenne pepper and you have a heart-healthy main course and a full day's allowance of tomato.
2. Since using olive oil with the tomatoes enhances the curative quality, make your pasta sauce red with tomatoes, tomato paste and olive oil to sauté the garlic and onion. Tomato paste used in making sauce contains more than 10 times the nutrients of a single tomato.
3. Have a fresh salad as a side dish to either of these entrees and cut one whole tomato on top. You'll get one-quarter of you tomato intake right there.
4. Drink tomato juice. It is better to make your own fresh juice so that you can control the sodium. Store bought juices can be high in sugar and sodium-based preservatives. If you have a juicer, you can make some incredible veggie juices to suit your own tastes by adding carrots, celery and some low-sodium seasonings.
5. Take a tomato supplement. If you just can't stomach tomatoes, then a 200 mg supplement provides the equivalent of more than the recommended four tomatoes.
Adding tomatoes to your diet can reduce systolic blood pressure by 10 points and diastolic pressure by 4 points as was evident in the Israel study. Whatever way you slice it, tomatoes will keep strengthen your immune system and lower blood pressure.
Dr. Esther Paran, head of the hypertension division of Soroka Medical Center, led up the Israeli study. It involved patients who were already being treated for hypertension, but were not responding well to the medications. Dr. Paran had patients take a supplement of tomato extract. The results were a significant drop in blood pressure after just four weeks.
Tomatoes are so effective at lowering blood pressure because they contain lycopene. This potent antioxidant is even the focus of some hybrid tomatoes grown by the Israeli company, Lycomato, in order to have higher concentrations of lycopene in each piece of fruit. Other antioxidants found in tomatoes make this one super-food in the prevention of heart disease. It can even help keep LDL cholesterol from oxidizing which makes it stick to the arteries and narrow the passage way causing blood pressure to increase.
Even during the peak growing season it can be difficult to consume four whole tomatoes each day, which is the recommended amount for having a positive impact on blood pressure. Here are some ways to get the benefits of tomatoes without having to eat them straight off the vine.
1. Make Chili. Using tomato puree, which is a concentrated form of tomatoes, as the base for your chili utilizes the antioxidants without the bulk of a whole tomato. Add some ultra-lean and high protein ground bison and kidney beans with minced garlic and onions, and cayenne pepper and you have a heart-healthy main course and a full day's allowance of tomato.
2. Since using olive oil with the tomatoes enhances the curative quality, make your pasta sauce red with tomatoes, tomato paste and olive oil to sauté the garlic and onion. Tomato paste used in making sauce contains more than 10 times the nutrients of a single tomato.
3. Have a fresh salad as a side dish to either of these entrees and cut one whole tomato on top. You'll get one-quarter of you tomato intake right there.
4. Drink tomato juice. It is better to make your own fresh juice so that you can control the sodium. Store bought juices can be high in sugar and sodium-based preservatives. If you have a juicer, you can make some incredible veggie juices to suit your own tastes by adding carrots, celery and some low-sodium seasonings.
5. Take a tomato supplement. If you just can't stomach tomatoes, then a 200 mg supplement provides the equivalent of more than the recommended four tomatoes.
Adding tomatoes to your diet can reduce systolic blood pressure by 10 points and diastolic pressure by 4 points as was evident in the Israel study. Whatever way you slice it, tomatoes will keep strengthen your immune system and lower blood pressure.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Meditation Basics: Counting breaths is not like counting sheep
Meditation Basics: Counting breaths is not like counting sheep.
"Just close your eyes and count your breaths," they say. How simple can it be? "Don't think about anything else though. Just concentrate on your breathing." Well, anyone who has tried this "simple" meditation knows that it just isn't that easy.
There are many obstacles to this seemingly effortless task. Our minds tend to wander naturally. If we try to completely focus on anything for more than a few seconds, random thoughts take over. And breathing is boring; let's face it. How can you concentrate on something so mundane when there are much more interesting things racing around in your head?
A typical session might go like this: I close my eyes, sit comfortably, and begin counting. Inhale one, inhale two, inhale... "Am I doing this right? I guess so, I'm already on... oh three." Inhale four... "Now, am I supposed to start over at one or just keep going?" Inhale one, inhale two, inhale three, inhale four. "Wow, I'm really getting the hang of this. Oops." Inhale one, inhale two... "Did I remember to pay the phone bill? I'm sure I did. I'm really good at staying on top of my bills. Not like Susan, she's always... Darn, I did it again." Inhale one, inhale two...
The good news is it does get better with practice. The bad news is it can still be a struggle for experienced meditators, especially during busy or turbulent periods in one's life. Luckily, there is more good news. There are some specific things you can do to help you focus and reduce the frustration in your meditation practice. In this article, I would like to offer three tips to help you with your practice. They are: Observe don't control, be compassionate, and enjoy yourself.
First, don't force or try to control your breathing. This is a mistake that a lot of beginners make. Many inexperienced meditators consciously or unconsciously alter their breathing in an effort to focus on it. What results is an exaggerated and often irregular breathing pattern. This can actually inhibit your meditation rather than help it.
What you want to do is just "watch" your breathing. You don't have to exert any additional effort at all. If you just wait and observe, you will breathe. Then, you can count. Of course, we all know this but many people still find themselves forcing it. If you catch yourself controlling your breaths, just gently remind yourself that it's not necessary and then wait for the next breath to come naturally.
This brings me to the next tip, compassion. In this case I mean for yourself in your meditation practice. As we've been discussing, it's not an easy thing to do to concentrate on one's breath. It's very important not to scold yourself when your mind wanders or you catch yourself controlling your breathing. If you think about it, the time you would spend reprimanding yourself for breaking your focus is just more time away from your meditation. It is best to softly bring yourself back to your practice as soon as you notice you're wavering. Don't get down on yourself and start thinking, "I can't do this. This is never going to work for me." These negative thoughts do nothing to help your practice and waste valuable time. Be compassionate. Just brush it off and return to your meditation.
Another way to look at these wanderings is to realize that they are an important part of your progression. Meditation is a skill. And like most skills, it requires practice. A baseball player doesn't step into the batter's box for the first time and start hitting homeruns. He makes mistakes and corrections, and improves over time. He can then gauge his progress by the reduction of errors. Even after he is an experienced batsman, he will still strike out more often than he would like. But his hits should increase as well.
In your meditation practice, your mind will likely wander more in the beginning. But don't give up. It will get better. Just like the baseball player, you will realize fewer mistakes over time and you will learn to recover from them more quickly. Sure, you will still have challenges and even slumps from time to time but you will also have more successes.
The final tip I would like to offer is to find enjoyment in your practice. Even though it may be tough at times, daily meditation can greatly enhance your life. Don't rate yourself and expect to progress or improve to a particular degree or within a particular timeframe. Unlike baseball, mediation is a life-long experience. Remember, this is your time. Let it be your oasis not a chore. No matter what else is going on in your life, your meditation time can be your escape. As a Zen master once said, "It's just you and your breath and then it's just your breath." Breathe in, breathe out, and forget about the world around you. Even when you're busy or preoccupied with some problem, even if you can only find ten or fifteen minutes to be alone with your breath, enjoy it.
I hope these tips will help you to enhance your meditation experience. They have certainly proved to be invaluable in my own practice over the years. Of course I still struggle from time to time with the very same issues we've discussed here. But through observing rather than controlling, being compassionate to myself when I falter, and enjoying my special time alone; I have made my life fuller and happier.
"Just close your eyes and count your breaths," they say. How simple can it be? "Don't think about anything else though. Just concentrate on your breathing." Well, anyone who has tried this "simple" meditation knows that it just isn't that easy.
There are many obstacles to this seemingly effortless task. Our minds tend to wander naturally. If we try to completely focus on anything for more than a few seconds, random thoughts take over. And breathing is boring; let's face it. How can you concentrate on something so mundane when there are much more interesting things racing around in your head?
A typical session might go like this: I close my eyes, sit comfortably, and begin counting. Inhale one, inhale two, inhale... "Am I doing this right? I guess so, I'm already on... oh three." Inhale four... "Now, am I supposed to start over at one or just keep going?" Inhale one, inhale two, inhale three, inhale four. "Wow, I'm really getting the hang of this. Oops." Inhale one, inhale two... "Did I remember to pay the phone bill? I'm sure I did. I'm really good at staying on top of my bills. Not like Susan, she's always... Darn, I did it again." Inhale one, inhale two...
The good news is it does get better with practice. The bad news is it can still be a struggle for experienced meditators, especially during busy or turbulent periods in one's life. Luckily, there is more good news. There are some specific things you can do to help you focus and reduce the frustration in your meditation practice. In this article, I would like to offer three tips to help you with your practice. They are: Observe don't control, be compassionate, and enjoy yourself.
First, don't force or try to control your breathing. This is a mistake that a lot of beginners make. Many inexperienced meditators consciously or unconsciously alter their breathing in an effort to focus on it. What results is an exaggerated and often irregular breathing pattern. This can actually inhibit your meditation rather than help it.
What you want to do is just "watch" your breathing. You don't have to exert any additional effort at all. If you just wait and observe, you will breathe. Then, you can count. Of course, we all know this but many people still find themselves forcing it. If you catch yourself controlling your breaths, just gently remind yourself that it's not necessary and then wait for the next breath to come naturally.
This brings me to the next tip, compassion. In this case I mean for yourself in your meditation practice. As we've been discussing, it's not an easy thing to do to concentrate on one's breath. It's very important not to scold yourself when your mind wanders or you catch yourself controlling your breathing. If you think about it, the time you would spend reprimanding yourself for breaking your focus is just more time away from your meditation. It is best to softly bring yourself back to your practice as soon as you notice you're wavering. Don't get down on yourself and start thinking, "I can't do this. This is never going to work for me." These negative thoughts do nothing to help your practice and waste valuable time. Be compassionate. Just brush it off and return to your meditation.
Another way to look at these wanderings is to realize that they are an important part of your progression. Meditation is a skill. And like most skills, it requires practice. A baseball player doesn't step into the batter's box for the first time and start hitting homeruns. He makes mistakes and corrections, and improves over time. He can then gauge his progress by the reduction of errors. Even after he is an experienced batsman, he will still strike out more often than he would like. But his hits should increase as well.
In your meditation practice, your mind will likely wander more in the beginning. But don't give up. It will get better. Just like the baseball player, you will realize fewer mistakes over time and you will learn to recover from them more quickly. Sure, you will still have challenges and even slumps from time to time but you will also have more successes.
The final tip I would like to offer is to find enjoyment in your practice. Even though it may be tough at times, daily meditation can greatly enhance your life. Don't rate yourself and expect to progress or improve to a particular degree or within a particular timeframe. Unlike baseball, mediation is a life-long experience. Remember, this is your time. Let it be your oasis not a chore. No matter what else is going on in your life, your meditation time can be your escape. As a Zen master once said, "It's just you and your breath and then it's just your breath." Breathe in, breathe out, and forget about the world around you. Even when you're busy or preoccupied with some problem, even if you can only find ten or fifteen minutes to be alone with your breath, enjoy it.
I hope these tips will help you to enhance your meditation experience. They have certainly proved to be invaluable in my own practice over the years. Of course I still struggle from time to time with the very same issues we've discussed here. But through observing rather than controlling, being compassionate to myself when I falter, and enjoying my special time alone; I have made my life fuller and happier.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
How to Train your Brain to keep you healthy and happy
When you are unhappy what do you do? Do you go out for a meal? Go to the cinema? The theatre, perhaps? Do you go shopping? Perhaps you like a drink to overcome your unhappiness. Or do you get a buzz from jogging or going to the gym?
Whatever it is scientist are in the process of proving that internal change is the only thing that can give you health and happiness. Everything else is an illusion.
What does this mean?
Your brain is the only thing that can keep you healthy and happy.
Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin and Jon Kabat-Zinn from the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre have just completed some interesting research that can actually be of benefit to you and me and the way we run our lives.
They took a group of 41 stressed, but otherwise healthy, individuals working in a biotechnology firm in Wisconsin. 25 were taught meditation. In this case: mindfulness meditation. The group met for a 2.5 to 3 hour meditation class each week. After six weeks they all attended a seven hour meditation retreat. In addition each member was asked to meditate, at home, for one hour a day using a guided meditation tape.
The other 16 were held as a control group and did not receive meditation training until the study was completed.
At the end of the eight week programme, in November, they also gave all the participants a flu jab. And guess what. “The members of the meditation group had a significant increase in antibody titers” in other words they have less chance of catching flu.
The bottom line appears to be. If you want to have good health and overcome the day by day blues and maintain happiness learn to meditate. When you meditate you change the way your brain operates.
In addition, they found, the more you practice meditation the better your daily performance.
''What we found is that the long time practitioners showed brain activation on a scale we have never seen before. 'Their mental practice is having an effect on the brain in the same way golf or tennis practice will enhance performance.'' It demonstrates, that the brain is capable of being trained and physically modified in ways few people can imagine.
(Richard Davidson)
So give yourself the space each day to train your brain. It works.
Good Luck
Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com
Whatever it is scientist are in the process of proving that internal change is the only thing that can give you health and happiness. Everything else is an illusion.
What does this mean?
Your brain is the only thing that can keep you healthy and happy.
Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin and Jon Kabat-Zinn from the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre have just completed some interesting research that can actually be of benefit to you and me and the way we run our lives.
They took a group of 41 stressed, but otherwise healthy, individuals working in a biotechnology firm in Wisconsin. 25 were taught meditation. In this case: mindfulness meditation. The group met for a 2.5 to 3 hour meditation class each week. After six weeks they all attended a seven hour meditation retreat. In addition each member was asked to meditate, at home, for one hour a day using a guided meditation tape.
The other 16 were held as a control group and did not receive meditation training until the study was completed.
At the end of the eight week programme, in November, they also gave all the participants a flu jab. And guess what. “The members of the meditation group had a significant increase in antibody titers” in other words they have less chance of catching flu.
The bottom line appears to be. If you want to have good health and overcome the day by day blues and maintain happiness learn to meditate. When you meditate you change the way your brain operates.
In addition, they found, the more you practice meditation the better your daily performance.
''What we found is that the long time practitioners showed brain activation on a scale we have never seen before. 'Their mental practice is having an effect on the brain in the same way golf or tennis practice will enhance performance.'' It demonstrates, that the brain is capable of being trained and physically modified in ways few people can imagine.
(Richard Davidson)
So give yourself the space each day to train your brain. It works.
Good Luck
Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Power Of Binaural Beats And Holosync Can Change Your Life
What if you could have a technology that allows you to meditate like a Zen Buddhist monk? Imagine all the benefits you could get from being able to enter a very deep meditative state without any effort. Can you think of anything you would like to program into your mind during this state? I bet you can.
I am about to introduce you to a relatively new technology that uses Binaural Beats. This technology is cutting-edge and can bring you all the benefits that would otherwise take you 30 years to acquire! I am talking about a meditation program by Centerpointe Research Institute called Holosync. I am going to share with you how this technology works and the benefits you can get from its use as well as the potential dangers that may not be immediately apparent.
Unlike other binaural beats recordings Holosync is a course and not a single recording. It is possible to purchase binaural beat recordings designed for a single purpose. They come in the form of CD and each one is designed to produce just one specific state. However Holosync is very different. The major affect that Holosync promises to produce is the elimination of past negative programing such as traumas, strong and slight emotional issues, negative memories and negative beliefs of all kinds.
Does it work?
To get a comprehensive answer to this question we are required to delve a little deeper into the technology itself and look at the foundation upon which Holosync is built. I am of course talking about Binaural Beat Technology.
It was in 1839 that Binaural Beats were first discovered by a man named Heinrich Wilhelm Dove. However it was much later, in 1973, when Gerald Oster released a paper called "Auditory Beats in the Brain", that their use in cognitive and neurological research was discovered. These beats are in fact different specific frequencies giving to the left and right ear. The audio produced by using binaural beats can send anyone into a deep meditative state in just a few short minutes. These states are Alpha (light trance), Theta (deep trance) and Delta (dreamless sleep).
Binaural Beats are created by an audio mixing technique that sends different frequency tones to each ear separately. They are designed to alter the listener's brain wave activity and they do this very effectively. You merely put on some stereo headphones, sit or lie in a comfortable position, close your eyes and allow the sounds to do their work. You don't even have to force yourself to relax.
Scientists have long known that when brainwave patterns change they affect the body. Chemical reactions take place as a direct result of these chnaging brainwave patterns. Such reactions in the body's chemistry usually results in profound positive changes throughout the whole physical system. In essence binaural beats appear to have the same impact and benefits of very deep meditation. It has been shown that this technology produces exactly the same brainwave patterns as those practising deep meditation. For normal people like me and you this is great news. Usually it takes the a life commitment to learn transcendental meditation. Practitioners of such deep meditative practises devote many hours everyday to perfecting the technique. You can do it in minutes. In fact entering even light states of trance can take years to learn and perfect.
The state of transcendental meditation is said to be enormously beneficial to humans. It can stimulate the creation of certain hormones needed by the body and reduce things like blood pressure and it is even said to slow down and reverse effects of the aging process. So the benefits of entering a deep meditative state are apparent as are the benefits of using binaural beat technology to do it.
As far as Holosync goes the other major benefit, as if we needed one more, is that the state produced by the Centerpointe recordings allow you to directly access the subconscious mind.
This means that the Holosync meditation recordings can be used with any other personal development tool, like subliminal recordings, hypnosis sessions or even as an aid to visualization, with dramatic effects. Using this type of 21st Century technology means you can therefore alter limiting or negative beliefs, heal emotional issues or create new positive behaviours in a fraction of the time it would take you using conventional means and with a much higher success rate.
Here are some of the benefits of transcendental meditation:
1. Creates a deep relaxing feeling throughout the body which stays with you for hours afterwards.
2. Boosts your creativity.
3. Slows aging.
4. Removes emotional blocks, old traumas and creates profound emotional changes at an extremely deep level.
5. Eliminates Stress & anxiety.
Now with all the benefits that transcendental meditation brings, and the fact that Holosync produces the same internal states as this meditation, it would be extremely prudent to try it. The real power of the binaural beats behind the Holosync recordings is that they can be used to induce a meditative state and thus create these changes with no effort whatsoever. All that you need to do is wear stereo headphones, sit or lie down in a relaxing position, close your eyes and allow the audio to do all the work. You only need the discipline to listen to the recordings everyday!
The Binaural Beat market is filling up with manufacturer's who offer some great titles. It is also possible to create your own with the proper software. Unfortunately, here lies the danger! You need an in-depth knowledge of brainwave patterns and their effect on the mind and body in order to create the correct frequencies. There are several forum postings that state the improper use of binaural beat technologies has created negative and even damaging results on some people. For this reason I would not recommend creating your own binaural recordings. Likewise, you should be very careful about where you get your recordings. Seek professional, qualified people who know what they are doing so that you know you are getting a quality product.
The CEnterpointe Research Institute, and the Holosync Solution which it produces, are the brainchild of Bill Harris. He created Holosync in 1989, is trained in hypnosis and as well as being a qualified trainer of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). He has studied contemporary psychology, quantum mechanical physics, the evolution of non-linear systems and the effects of a wide range of neuro-technologies on human behavioural change, evolution and healing. Holosync has also been endorsed by some top personal development trainers such as James Arthur Ray and Jack Canfield (chicken soup for the soul author) both of whom appeared in the movie The Secret.
The downside of the Holosync technology is that you need to listen to it everyday to get maximum benefit and it also comes in stages as a course. However, Bill Harris insists that you do not need to continue using it and can stop after each stage of the course is complete while permanently retaining all the changes you've made. You can of course continue and go deeper into the 'meditations' if you wish. The Holosync solution does create deep states akin to meditation and it does remove emotional traumas that are hidden deep in the subconscious mind. To sum up - Holosync does exactly what it says it will do if you follow the instructions.
I am about to introduce you to a relatively new technology that uses Binaural Beats. This technology is cutting-edge and can bring you all the benefits that would otherwise take you 30 years to acquire! I am talking about a meditation program by Centerpointe Research Institute called Holosync. I am going to share with you how this technology works and the benefits you can get from its use as well as the potential dangers that may not be immediately apparent.
Unlike other binaural beats recordings Holosync is a course and not a single recording. It is possible to purchase binaural beat recordings designed for a single purpose. They come in the form of CD and each one is designed to produce just one specific state. However Holosync is very different. The major affect that Holosync promises to produce is the elimination of past negative programing such as traumas, strong and slight emotional issues, negative memories and negative beliefs of all kinds.
Does it work?
To get a comprehensive answer to this question we are required to delve a little deeper into the technology itself and look at the foundation upon which Holosync is built. I am of course talking about Binaural Beat Technology.
It was in 1839 that Binaural Beats were first discovered by a man named Heinrich Wilhelm Dove. However it was much later, in 1973, when Gerald Oster released a paper called "Auditory Beats in the Brain", that their use in cognitive and neurological research was discovered. These beats are in fact different specific frequencies giving to the left and right ear. The audio produced by using binaural beats can send anyone into a deep meditative state in just a few short minutes. These states are Alpha (light trance), Theta (deep trance) and Delta (dreamless sleep).
Binaural Beats are created by an audio mixing technique that sends different frequency tones to each ear separately. They are designed to alter the listener's brain wave activity and they do this very effectively. You merely put on some stereo headphones, sit or lie in a comfortable position, close your eyes and allow the sounds to do their work. You don't even have to force yourself to relax.
Scientists have long known that when brainwave patterns change they affect the body. Chemical reactions take place as a direct result of these chnaging brainwave patterns. Such reactions in the body's chemistry usually results in profound positive changes throughout the whole physical system. In essence binaural beats appear to have the same impact and benefits of very deep meditation. It has been shown that this technology produces exactly the same brainwave patterns as those practising deep meditation. For normal people like me and you this is great news. Usually it takes the a life commitment to learn transcendental meditation. Practitioners of such deep meditative practises devote many hours everyday to perfecting the technique. You can do it in minutes. In fact entering even light states of trance can take years to learn and perfect.
The state of transcendental meditation is said to be enormously beneficial to humans. It can stimulate the creation of certain hormones needed by the body and reduce things like blood pressure and it is even said to slow down and reverse effects of the aging process. So the benefits of entering a deep meditative state are apparent as are the benefits of using binaural beat technology to do it.
As far as Holosync goes the other major benefit, as if we needed one more, is that the state produced by the Centerpointe recordings allow you to directly access the subconscious mind.
This means that the Holosync meditation recordings can be used with any other personal development tool, like subliminal recordings, hypnosis sessions or even as an aid to visualization, with dramatic effects. Using this type of 21st Century technology means you can therefore alter limiting or negative beliefs, heal emotional issues or create new positive behaviours in a fraction of the time it would take you using conventional means and with a much higher success rate.
Here are some of the benefits of transcendental meditation:
1. Creates a deep relaxing feeling throughout the body which stays with you for hours afterwards.
2. Boosts your creativity.
3. Slows aging.
4. Removes emotional blocks, old traumas and creates profound emotional changes at an extremely deep level.
5. Eliminates Stress & anxiety.
Now with all the benefits that transcendental meditation brings, and the fact that Holosync produces the same internal states as this meditation, it would be extremely prudent to try it. The real power of the binaural beats behind the Holosync recordings is that they can be used to induce a meditative state and thus create these changes with no effort whatsoever. All that you need to do is wear stereo headphones, sit or lie down in a relaxing position, close your eyes and allow the audio to do all the work. You only need the discipline to listen to the recordings everyday!
The Binaural Beat market is filling up with manufacturer's who offer some great titles. It is also possible to create your own with the proper software. Unfortunately, here lies the danger! You need an in-depth knowledge of brainwave patterns and their effect on the mind and body in order to create the correct frequencies. There are several forum postings that state the improper use of binaural beat technologies has created negative and even damaging results on some people. For this reason I would not recommend creating your own binaural recordings. Likewise, you should be very careful about where you get your recordings. Seek professional, qualified people who know what they are doing so that you know you are getting a quality product.
The CEnterpointe Research Institute, and the Holosync Solution which it produces, are the brainchild of Bill Harris. He created Holosync in 1989, is trained in hypnosis and as well as being a qualified trainer of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). He has studied contemporary psychology, quantum mechanical physics, the evolution of non-linear systems and the effects of a wide range of neuro-technologies on human behavioural change, evolution and healing. Holosync has also been endorsed by some top personal development trainers such as James Arthur Ray and Jack Canfield (chicken soup for the soul author) both of whom appeared in the movie The Secret.
The downside of the Holosync technology is that you need to listen to it everyday to get maximum benefit and it also comes in stages as a course. However, Bill Harris insists that you do not need to continue using it and can stop after each stage of the course is complete while permanently retaining all the changes you've made. You can of course continue and go deeper into the 'meditations' if you wish. The Holosync solution does create deep states akin to meditation and it does remove emotional traumas that are hidden deep in the subconscious mind. To sum up - Holosync does exactly what it says it will do if you follow the instructions.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Why You Need to Meditate
The side effects of meditation are positive and countless. Studies have demonstrated that those who meditate on a regular basis have reduced illness, stress, and need for rest.
But one of the most compelling reasons to meditate is that the process of meditation itself is sublime. Meditation is not dependent upon the result, but the act of meditation itself is a blissful one, transporting one to a state of contentment and tranquil awareness during the training of meditation itself, not just at the end of training. Actually, because the means equals the end, the training has no beginning and never ends.
All of us in modern times experience a constant onslaught of stress. We are bombarded by uninvited energies in the form of such things as television, noise pollution, arguments, and angry or envious people. In order to counteract this enormously overwhelming force of negativity and distress, we need a superior power, gathered within ourselves; and meditation connects us to this internal reservoir of cleansing, enlightening energy.
In former times, nature surrounded people in their daily routines and rituals of existence. There were no artificial sound vibrations from telephones or machinery; there were no stresses and diseases resulting from urban industrial complexities. There was the sound of water, the hum of the wind, the beauty of the stars in the sky, and the scent of the earth. There were natural tempos in every aspect of life, as people planted seeds, nurtured them into foodstuffs, and as they observed the cycles of nature they felt a connection to them. Nowadays we can live our entire lifespan without ever contacting nature in a direct way. We live in artificially controlled climates, we gather food from fast food restaurants or from stores where it is packaged in a factory; we invite a total divorce of ourselves from our natural origins and our organic, original pace of life.
Meditation allows us an easy, convenient, portable method to enter into those lost natural rhythms and aesthetics, by closing out the world around us, letting go of our bodies, and clearing the mind of all the artificial stress it gathers knowingly or unknowingly during the course of lives.
Meditation costs nothing, it has no harmful side affects, and it won’t add calories or cholesterol to your body. Nor is it addictive in the sense of drugs and alcohol. But it does provide practitioners with an elevated sense of well-being, often compared to a natural “high” more powerful than those induced by drugs, and this component of meditation is one that can be fully embraced for positive, healthy benefits.
The human body is a complex creation, and in the brain the body naturally produces drugs that are hundreds of times more powerful than pharmaceutical narcotics. As one meditates, the body secretes mysterious hormones and chemicals that actually provide an incredible rush of energy and happiness, and this is only one of the amazing side effects of meditation practice.
Meditation is different things to different people. Some use it in place of, or in addition to, psychotherapy. Others find it most valuable as a tool to enhance sports or work performance, and to increase the memory and other mental functions. Some people rely upon it to help them deal with grief or the aftermath of trauma or tragedy, and to regain a contentment and appreciation for life’s beauties. And there are those who use meditation as a creative tool to inspire them in the arts. Meditation gives us stronger and more sustainable vigor, sexual energy, and calm, as it provides a restfulness that is comparable to deep, exceptionally restful sleep.
There are countless reasons to meditate, and one way to make the world a better and more peaceful and harmonious place, is for all of us to dedicate some time out of our stressful lives to pause and drink from the mental oasis of meditation practice.
But one of the most compelling reasons to meditate is that the process of meditation itself is sublime. Meditation is not dependent upon the result, but the act of meditation itself is a blissful one, transporting one to a state of contentment and tranquil awareness during the training of meditation itself, not just at the end of training. Actually, because the means equals the end, the training has no beginning and never ends.
All of us in modern times experience a constant onslaught of stress. We are bombarded by uninvited energies in the form of such things as television, noise pollution, arguments, and angry or envious people. In order to counteract this enormously overwhelming force of negativity and distress, we need a superior power, gathered within ourselves; and meditation connects us to this internal reservoir of cleansing, enlightening energy.
In former times, nature surrounded people in their daily routines and rituals of existence. There were no artificial sound vibrations from telephones or machinery; there were no stresses and diseases resulting from urban industrial complexities. There was the sound of water, the hum of the wind, the beauty of the stars in the sky, and the scent of the earth. There were natural tempos in every aspect of life, as people planted seeds, nurtured them into foodstuffs, and as they observed the cycles of nature they felt a connection to them. Nowadays we can live our entire lifespan without ever contacting nature in a direct way. We live in artificially controlled climates, we gather food from fast food restaurants or from stores where it is packaged in a factory; we invite a total divorce of ourselves from our natural origins and our organic, original pace of life.
Meditation allows us an easy, convenient, portable method to enter into those lost natural rhythms and aesthetics, by closing out the world around us, letting go of our bodies, and clearing the mind of all the artificial stress it gathers knowingly or unknowingly during the course of lives.
Meditation costs nothing, it has no harmful side affects, and it won’t add calories or cholesterol to your body. Nor is it addictive in the sense of drugs and alcohol. But it does provide practitioners with an elevated sense of well-being, often compared to a natural “high” more powerful than those induced by drugs, and this component of meditation is one that can be fully embraced for positive, healthy benefits.
The human body is a complex creation, and in the brain the body naturally produces drugs that are hundreds of times more powerful than pharmaceutical narcotics. As one meditates, the body secretes mysterious hormones and chemicals that actually provide an incredible rush of energy and happiness, and this is only one of the amazing side effects of meditation practice.
Meditation is different things to different people. Some use it in place of, or in addition to, psychotherapy. Others find it most valuable as a tool to enhance sports or work performance, and to increase the memory and other mental functions. Some people rely upon it to help them deal with grief or the aftermath of trauma or tragedy, and to regain a contentment and appreciation for life’s beauties. And there are those who use meditation as a creative tool to inspire them in the arts. Meditation gives us stronger and more sustainable vigor, sexual energy, and calm, as it provides a restfulness that is comparable to deep, exceptionally restful sleep.
There are countless reasons to meditate, and one way to make the world a better and more peaceful and harmonious place, is for all of us to dedicate some time out of our stressful lives to pause and drink from the mental oasis of meditation practice.
Friday, March 19, 2010
How to Zone Out in the Dental Chair
And so the therapy began.
My next appointment was the following week for more root canal and the week after that also. Not only that my newly filled tooth was now even more painful than before so more work on my filling ensued (as well as more root canal). To cut a long story short I then chose to have a crown in place of a filling that may, or not, have lasted very long.
By now I was helping myself to their filtered coffee and newspaper on arrival.
So today, as I again sat in the dental chair I was prepared. I made sure I was sufficiently relaxed, centred and in the present moment before I turned up.
What did I do? I meditated before my appointment and then meditated through my appointment!
As the shrill piercing sound of the drill reverberated through my head and my face sprayed with water, I simply drifted away to somewhere else – somewhere peaceful. The dentist and the assistant continually asked me if I was okay – I’d slowly nod then zone out again, drifting away and closing the door to the sounds and movements of where my physical body was.
And then it was all over!
The next time you visit your dentist, it really pays to zone out during your procedure (if possible even before you get there) - especially if you’re nervous about any dental procedure at all like I am.
7 Steps to help you Zone out
1. Get a meditation session in before you arrive for your appointment. If you’re not sure how to meditate, do some slow, deep breathing exercises. I generally take around 4 to 5 slow deep breaths, focusing on the outward breath.
2. Be in the present moment. This is when you’re not thinking anything about the future – even 3 minutes into the future! Nor are you thinking about the past – not even 3 minutes ago. The present moment is now whilst you’re sitting in the dental chair, staring at the ceiling becoming aware of and concentrating on the rhythm of your breathing.
3. Once the procedure starts close your eyes and take your mind within. Focus straight ahead – wherever you perceive straight ahead to be once you have your eyes closed – and think of nothing – just blank – the void – staring at the colours and patterns you can see as you sit in the chair with your eyes closed.
4. If you’re about to receive an injection – as the needle goes in, breathe into that area and continue to concentrate fully on your slow breathing until the injection is over.
5. Once that’s over, resume staring into the blank void that is the inside of your eyelids!
6. If you find it challenging to think nothing, focus on a visual image that makes you feel really, really good about yourself then have a look around and see where you are.
7. Whenever you sense you’re starting to again focus on the drilling or whatever else is happening in your mouth, breathe in slowly and deeply focusing on the rhythm of your breathing and allow every single muscle you become aware of, to deflate and relax.
My next appointment was the following week for more root canal and the week after that also. Not only that my newly filled tooth was now even more painful than before so more work on my filling ensued (as well as more root canal). To cut a long story short I then chose to have a crown in place of a filling that may, or not, have lasted very long.
By now I was helping myself to their filtered coffee and newspaper on arrival.
So today, as I again sat in the dental chair I was prepared. I made sure I was sufficiently relaxed, centred and in the present moment before I turned up.
What did I do? I meditated before my appointment and then meditated through my appointment!
As the shrill piercing sound of the drill reverberated through my head and my face sprayed with water, I simply drifted away to somewhere else – somewhere peaceful. The dentist and the assistant continually asked me if I was okay – I’d slowly nod then zone out again, drifting away and closing the door to the sounds and movements of where my physical body was.
And then it was all over!
The next time you visit your dentist, it really pays to zone out during your procedure (if possible even before you get there) - especially if you’re nervous about any dental procedure at all like I am.
7 Steps to help you Zone out
1. Get a meditation session in before you arrive for your appointment. If you’re not sure how to meditate, do some slow, deep breathing exercises. I generally take around 4 to 5 slow deep breaths, focusing on the outward breath.
2. Be in the present moment. This is when you’re not thinking anything about the future – even 3 minutes into the future! Nor are you thinking about the past – not even 3 minutes ago. The present moment is now whilst you’re sitting in the dental chair, staring at the ceiling becoming aware of and concentrating on the rhythm of your breathing.
3. Once the procedure starts close your eyes and take your mind within. Focus straight ahead – wherever you perceive straight ahead to be once you have your eyes closed – and think of nothing – just blank – the void – staring at the colours and patterns you can see as you sit in the chair with your eyes closed.
4. If you’re about to receive an injection – as the needle goes in, breathe into that area and continue to concentrate fully on your slow breathing until the injection is over.
5. Once that’s over, resume staring into the blank void that is the inside of your eyelids!
6. If you find it challenging to think nothing, focus on a visual image that makes you feel really, really good about yourself then have a look around and see where you are.
7. Whenever you sense you’re starting to again focus on the drilling or whatever else is happening in your mouth, breathe in slowly and deeply focusing on the rhythm of your breathing and allow every single muscle you become aware of, to deflate and relax.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
How to Train your Brain to keep you healthy and happy
When you are unhappy what do you do? Do you go out for a meal? Go to the cinema? The theatre, perhaps? Do you go shopping? Perhaps you like a drink to overcome your unhappiness. Or do you get a buzz from jogging or going to the gym?
Whatever it is scientist are in the process of proving that internal change is the only thing that can give you health and happiness. Everything else is an illusion.
What does this mean?
Your brain is the only thing that can keep you healthy and happy.
Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin and Jon Kabat-Zinn from the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre have just completed some interesting research that can actually be of benefit to you and me and the way we run our lives.
They took a group of 41 stressed, but otherwise healthy, individuals working in a biotechnology firm in Wisconsin. 25 were taught meditation. In this case: mindfulness meditation. The group met for a 2.5 to 3 hour meditation class each week. After six weeks they all attended a seven hour meditation retreat. In addition each member was asked to meditate, at home, for one hour a day using a guided meditation tape.
The other 16 were held as a control group and did not receive meditation training until the study was completed.
At the end of the eight week programme, in November, they also gave all the participants a flu jab. And guess what. “The members of the meditation group had a significant increase in antibody titers” in other words they have less chance of catching flu.
The bottom line appears to be. If you want to have good health and overcome the day by day blues and maintain happiness learn to meditate. When you meditate you change the way your brain operates.
In addition, they found, the more you practice meditation the better your daily performance.
''What we found is that the long time practitioners showed brain activation
on a scale we have never seen before. 'Their mental practice is having
an effect on the brain in the same way golf or tennis practice will enhance performance.'' It demonstrates, that the brain is capable of being
trained and physically modified in ways few people can imagine.
(Richard Davidson)
So give yourself the space each day to train your brain. It works.
Good Luck
Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com
Whatever it is scientist are in the process of proving that internal change is the only thing that can give you health and happiness. Everything else is an illusion.
What does this mean?
Your brain is the only thing that can keep you healthy and happy.
Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin and Jon Kabat-Zinn from the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre have just completed some interesting research that can actually be of benefit to you and me and the way we run our lives.
They took a group of 41 stressed, but otherwise healthy, individuals working in a biotechnology firm in Wisconsin. 25 were taught meditation. In this case: mindfulness meditation. The group met for a 2.5 to 3 hour meditation class each week. After six weeks they all attended a seven hour meditation retreat. In addition each member was asked to meditate, at home, for one hour a day using a guided meditation tape.
The other 16 were held as a control group and did not receive meditation training until the study was completed.
At the end of the eight week programme, in November, they also gave all the participants a flu jab. And guess what. “The members of the meditation group had a significant increase in antibody titers” in other words they have less chance of catching flu.
The bottom line appears to be. If you want to have good health and overcome the day by day blues and maintain happiness learn to meditate. When you meditate you change the way your brain operates.
In addition, they found, the more you practice meditation the better your daily performance.
''What we found is that the long time practitioners showed brain activation
on a scale we have never seen before. 'Their mental practice is having
an effect on the brain in the same way golf or tennis practice will enhance performance.'' It demonstrates, that the brain is capable of being
trained and physically modified in ways few people can imagine.
(Richard Davidson)
So give yourself the space each day to train your brain. It works.
Good Luck
Graham and Julie
www.desktop-meditation.com
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
how to mentally clean your aura
There are 7 layers in our aura. When we use meditation and try to 'clean' it, we have to clean every layer. Many new age mystics just tell you imagine and visualise a white light coming down and engulfing your whole aura, this sometimes does't work well. I usually clean every layer as I go along. Start by doing some kind of relaxation procedure like counting 1 to 10 or say to yourself, upstairs, downstairs, over and over again until you feel bored and sleepy,or you can get some http://cashinbank.isis77.hop.clickbank.net/ relaxation music to help you get to alpha or theta brain states. Once you done that, mentally say to yourself " I am at level 1' and move your awareness from head to toe or vice versa, the idea is to scan your level 1 for blockages, once you sense 'something there', move your awareness to it, it should 'melt' or disperse. If it is still there, try breathing it colors, you have to experiment with the color that will remove the block, repeat the same procedure with all other level, eg. I am level 2, I am in Level 3, When you say this, you are telling your mind to adjust to the next level using intent, Intent is the force that changes the level. Some times if you are at level 1, and you sense something 1 feel in front of you and you cannot get it off, and you try the usual color breathing method, This could be due to the fact that this blockage is actually at some other level eg. Level 3 and you can usualy remove the block if you move your awareness to level 3. Sometimes when you move your awareness into the blockages, you get 'impression' like a past event or sometimes it plays like a movie in your mind's eye, this is usually the reason for the block.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Effects Of Meditation
Once Western scientists first began studying the personal effects of speculation in the 1970s, they noticed that heart rate, perspiration, and other signs of emphasis decreased as the meditator relaxed. Scientists, like Richard Davidson, PhD (University of Badger State), have besides been considering the long-term of . In 1992, Davidson received an invitation from the 14th Dalai Lama to come to northern Republic of India and sketch the brains of Buddhistic monks, the foremost meditators in the world. Davidson traveled to Bharat with laptop computers, generators, and EEG recording equipment, thus initiating an ongoing work. Now, monks travel to his WI lab wherever they chew over while in a magnetic imaging machine or they watch disturbing visual images as EEGs record their responses to understand how they regulate aroused reactions.
Any activeness--including --will create new pathways and strengthen certain areas of the mind. "This fits into the whole neuroscience literature of expertise," says Stephen Kosslyn, a Harvard neuroscientist, in a New York Times article (14 September 2003), " taxi drivers deliberate for their spatial memory and concert musicians for their sense of pitch. If you do something, anything, even play Ping-Pong, for 20 years, eight hours a Day, there's going to be something in your head that's different from someone WHO didn't do that. It's just got to be." monks pattern three forms of : 1) focused attention on a single object for long time periods 2) cultivating pity by thinking about angercausing situations and transforming the negative emotion into compassionateness and 3) 'open presence,' "a Department of State of being acutely aware of whatever thought, emotion or sensation is present without reacting to it." Knowing the that has on the monks' brains, Davidson decided to realize what effect has on neophytes. He set up a cogitation with 41 employees at a nearby biotech company in Wisconsin River (Psychosomatic Medicine 65: 564-570, 2003). Twenty-five of the participants enlightened 'mindfulness ,' a accent-reducing form that promotes nonjudgmental awareness of the present and is taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
They knowing the praxis during a 7-hr retreat and weekly classes. During that 8-calendar week period, these participants were asked to think over for I 60 minutes each Clarence Day, six days a hebdomad. Brain measurements were taken before instruction, at the remainder of the eight weeks, and four months later. Measurements showed that increased bodily process in the left field frontal region of the nous, "an area linked to reduced anxiety and a positive excited State Department." Also, at the remnant of the 8 weeks, the participants and 16 controls did not ponder received flu shots to test immune responses. researchers took blood samples from them ace month and two months after the injections, they found that the meditators had More antibodies against the flu virus than the non-meditators.
Any activeness--including --will create new pathways and strengthen certain areas of the mind. "This fits into the whole neuroscience literature of expertise," says Stephen Kosslyn, a Harvard neuroscientist, in a New York Times article (14 September 2003), " taxi drivers deliberate for their spatial memory and concert musicians for their sense of pitch. If you do something, anything, even play Ping-Pong, for 20 years, eight hours a Day, there's going to be something in your head that's different from someone WHO didn't do that. It's just got to be." monks pattern three forms of : 1) focused attention on a single object for long time periods 2) cultivating pity by thinking about angercausing situations and transforming the negative emotion into compassionateness and 3) 'open presence,' "a Department of State of being acutely aware of whatever thought, emotion or sensation is present without reacting to it." Knowing the that has on the monks' brains, Davidson decided to realize what effect has on neophytes. He set up a cogitation with 41 employees at a nearby biotech company in Wisconsin River (Psychosomatic Medicine 65: 564-570, 2003). Twenty-five of the participants enlightened 'mindfulness ,' a accent-reducing form that promotes nonjudgmental awareness of the present and is taught by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
They knowing the praxis during a 7-hr retreat and weekly classes. During that 8-calendar week period, these participants were asked to think over for I 60 minutes each Clarence Day, six days a hebdomad. Brain measurements were taken before instruction, at the remainder of the eight weeks, and four months later. Measurements showed that increased bodily process in the left field frontal region of the nous, "an area linked to reduced anxiety and a positive excited State Department." Also, at the remnant of the 8 weeks, the participants and 16 controls did not ponder received flu shots to test immune responses. researchers took blood samples from them ace month and two months after the injections, they found that the meditators had More antibodies against the flu virus than the non-meditators.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Cultivate a Positive Mind-Set Through Meditation
You have the ability to create your own mind-set. Whether your attitude is positive or negative, is up to you. The ability to change your environment, circle of friends, and attitude, is within your control.
Just like a computer absorbs raw data, so does your mind. Within your mind a culture, within itself, has grown. Many people feel like they have no control of their own mind, because this culture has become negative. The negativity is a result of past experiences, being in a negative environment, or being under the influence of unconstructive ideas.
Similar to a computer virus, you have to identify it quickly, to avoid letting it spread within your mind. You can also pass this virus of negative thinking to people around you. As a result you are spreading negative energy around, like “weeds in a field.”
Much like a farmer, you cultivate too. The energy in your mind is the crop, and it is up to you, whether it is weeds or wheat. If you have a farm and let a field take care of itself; you will be lucky to have any kind of a crop, from it.
This is the same with the energy within your mind.
You have to option to pick quality seeds: Information, in the form of books, eBooks, DVD’s, CD’s, lectures, courses, workshops, and seminars. This is learning, for the sake of self-improvement, and it results in a positive mind-set.
However, your work is not finished, because you must still reinforce the lessons, and keep everything in a focused order. This might be compared to fertilizing, watering, and “weeding the mind.” You have to work at it continually or the weeds will grow back. This, my friend, is meditation, and one of the reasons why we meditate, in the first place.
Meditation is controlled focus on an object, thought, or task without judgment.
This process makes it possible to look at all situations objectively. You can find solutions, turn negative situations into positive learning experiences, and create your own positive mindset. As a result of this you will make new friends, reach goals, handle problems easily, and develop an indomitable spirit.
Remember the last time you made an accomplishment. That feeling, and that ability, are within all of us. It is a formula for success, but you have to take action. Action is something that the vast majority of people will never take.
Learn to separate yourself from “the pack,” through education, meditation, and action.
Just like a computer absorbs raw data, so does your mind. Within your mind a culture, within itself, has grown. Many people feel like they have no control of their own mind, because this culture has become negative. The negativity is a result of past experiences, being in a negative environment, or being under the influence of unconstructive ideas.
Similar to a computer virus, you have to identify it quickly, to avoid letting it spread within your mind. You can also pass this virus of negative thinking to people around you. As a result you are spreading negative energy around, like “weeds in a field.”
Much like a farmer, you cultivate too. The energy in your mind is the crop, and it is up to you, whether it is weeds or wheat. If you have a farm and let a field take care of itself; you will be lucky to have any kind of a crop, from it.
This is the same with the energy within your mind.
You have to option to pick quality seeds: Information, in the form of books, eBooks, DVD’s, CD’s, lectures, courses, workshops, and seminars. This is learning, for the sake of self-improvement, and it results in a positive mind-set.
However, your work is not finished, because you must still reinforce the lessons, and keep everything in a focused order. This might be compared to fertilizing, watering, and “weeding the mind.” You have to work at it continually or the weeds will grow back. This, my friend, is meditation, and one of the reasons why we meditate, in the first place.
Meditation is controlled focus on an object, thought, or task without judgment.
This process makes it possible to look at all situations objectively. You can find solutions, turn negative situations into positive learning experiences, and create your own positive mindset. As a result of this you will make new friends, reach goals, handle problems easily, and develop an indomitable spirit.
Remember the last time you made an accomplishment. That feeling, and that ability, are within all of us. It is a formula for success, but you have to take action. Action is something that the vast majority of people will never take.
Learn to separate yourself from “the pack,” through education, meditation, and action.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
How To Meditate
How to meditate? Breath, and watch your breath.
Among the documented benefits of meditation are less anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in irritability and moodiness, better learning ability and memory and greater creativity. That's just for starters. Then there is slower aging (possibly due to higher DHEA levels), feelings of vitality and rejuvenation, less stress (actual lowering of cortisol and lactate levels), rest (lower metabolic and heart rate), lower blood pressure, and higher blood oxygen levels
How to Meditate Right Now
Here's a simple technique that will give you results in minutes. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and tense up your whole body. Sigh deeply, then breath deeply through your nose and release the tension from every muscle. Just feel each part relaxing, watching for parts that may hold onto tension, like a tight jaw.
If you still have tension somewhere, tense up that part again, then let it relax. It may also help to repeat silently "relax" as the tension drains. This will train your body and mind to recognize relaxation. Later you may be able to relax more easily just by repeating "relax" a few times.
Breath through your nose. This is important because it brings in more oxygen by involving your diaphragm more. You can test this. Breath with your mouth and you'll notice that your breathing is shallower. Then breath through your nose and you'll notice that your abdomen extends more. Air is being drawn deeper into your lungs.
Allow your breathing to fall into a comfortable pattern, and pay attention to it. Pay attention to your breath as it passes in and out of your nose. Your mind may wander endlessly, but all you have to do is continually bring attention back to your breath.
If your mind is still too busy, try naming the distractions as a way of setting them aside. For example, say in your mind, "itchy leg," "worried about work," or "anger," and then immediately return attention to your breathing. Use any way you can to identify and set aside distractions.
That's it. Continue for five or ten minutes, or for 100 breaths. Afterwards, open your eyes and sit there for a few seconds. You'll feel relaxed, and your mind will feel refreshed. And you'll be better prepared for any mental challenges. That's how to meditate.
Among the documented benefits of meditation are less anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in irritability and moodiness, better learning ability and memory and greater creativity. That's just for starters. Then there is slower aging (possibly due to higher DHEA levels), feelings of vitality and rejuvenation, less stress (actual lowering of cortisol and lactate levels), rest (lower metabolic and heart rate), lower blood pressure, and higher blood oxygen levels
How to Meditate Right Now
Here's a simple technique that will give you results in minutes. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and tense up your whole body. Sigh deeply, then breath deeply through your nose and release the tension from every muscle. Just feel each part relaxing, watching for parts that may hold onto tension, like a tight jaw.
If you still have tension somewhere, tense up that part again, then let it relax. It may also help to repeat silently "relax" as the tension drains. This will train your body and mind to recognize relaxation. Later you may be able to relax more easily just by repeating "relax" a few times.
Breath through your nose. This is important because it brings in more oxygen by involving your diaphragm more. You can test this. Breath with your mouth and you'll notice that your breathing is shallower. Then breath through your nose and you'll notice that your abdomen extends more. Air is being drawn deeper into your lungs.
Allow your breathing to fall into a comfortable pattern, and pay attention to it. Pay attention to your breath as it passes in and out of your nose. Your mind may wander endlessly, but all you have to do is continually bring attention back to your breath.
If your mind is still too busy, try naming the distractions as a way of setting them aside. For example, say in your mind, "itchy leg," "worried about work," or "anger," and then immediately return attention to your breathing. Use any way you can to identify and set aside distractions.
That's it. Continue for five or ten minutes, or for 100 breaths. Afterwards, open your eyes and sit there for a few seconds. You'll feel relaxed, and your mind will feel refreshed. And you'll be better prepared for any mental challenges. That's how to meditate.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Is Christian Meditation a way to speak to God?
Christian meditation is a way of communicating with God. Christians can use this meditation to clear their minds of the busy thoughts of the day and concentrate solely on worshipping God and learning the truths of the Bible.
Centuries ago, monks began practicing Christian meditation by reading over verses in the Bible and then thinking about the truths in these verses. Often, they would say the verses to God as a prayer. In this way, the monks learned to speak to God in prayer, and learned how to tell God their own thoughts and concerns. By meditating on Bible verses and praying to God, the monks trained their minds to always think about God. They called this “contemplation”, and it helped them to have a close, loving relationship with God.
By following this method of communicating with God, the monks created what is called the “ladder of prayer”. The rungs of the ladder included reading Bible verses, thinking about the truths in the verses, praying to God, and learning to think about God always.
In the 1900s, two types of Christian meditation were used. Using a mantra, or word that is repeated to help the Christian focus on God, was one type of meditation. An example of a mantra would be the word Maranatha, which is an Aramaic word for “come, Lord”. Christians would also use what is called a Centering Prayer, which uses a sacred word or words to bring the Christian into God's presence. These two types of Christian meditation helped the people using them to take their focus off their own problems and to turn to God to hear what He had to say to them.
A woman named St. Theresa of Avila created five steps to help Christians focus on God when praying. These five steps are known as the five R's.
- The first R is Ready: this is the step in which the Christian realizes that he/she is in the presence of God. To be ready to continue in prayer, the Christian thanks God for the many blessings He gives, and confesses any sins.
- The second R is Read, and includes reading prayers, spiritual books, and the Bible.
- The third R is Reflect. In this step, the Christian focuses on what he/she has just read in order to come closer to God.
- The fourth R is Respond. It is at this step that the Christian speaks with God in an open and honest way about what he/she has been reading and thinking about. It is the most important step, as this is when God can share His wisdom and thoughts with the Christian.
- The fifth and final R is Resolve. This is when the Christian thanks God for what he/she has learned, and closes the time of prayer.
These different types of Christian meditation can all be useful in helping Christians to meet with God, come close to Him, and learn His truths. Christian meditation does not save a person from their sins; it is a tool that can be used by people who are already saved to build a stronger relationship with God.
Centuries ago, monks began practicing Christian meditation by reading over verses in the Bible and then thinking about the truths in these verses. Often, they would say the verses to God as a prayer. In this way, the monks learned to speak to God in prayer, and learned how to tell God their own thoughts and concerns. By meditating on Bible verses and praying to God, the monks trained their minds to always think about God. They called this “contemplation”, and it helped them to have a close, loving relationship with God.
By following this method of communicating with God, the monks created what is called the “ladder of prayer”. The rungs of the ladder included reading Bible verses, thinking about the truths in the verses, praying to God, and learning to think about God always.
In the 1900s, two types of Christian meditation were used. Using a mantra, or word that is repeated to help the Christian focus on God, was one type of meditation. An example of a mantra would be the word Maranatha, which is an Aramaic word for “come, Lord”. Christians would also use what is called a Centering Prayer, which uses a sacred word or words to bring the Christian into God's presence. These two types of Christian meditation helped the people using them to take their focus off their own problems and to turn to God to hear what He had to say to them.
A woman named St. Theresa of Avila created five steps to help Christians focus on God when praying. These five steps are known as the five R's.
- The first R is Ready: this is the step in which the Christian realizes that he/she is in the presence of God. To be ready to continue in prayer, the Christian thanks God for the many blessings He gives, and confesses any sins.
- The second R is Read, and includes reading prayers, spiritual books, and the Bible.
- The third R is Reflect. In this step, the Christian focuses on what he/she has just read in order to come closer to God.
- The fourth R is Respond. It is at this step that the Christian speaks with God in an open and honest way about what he/she has been reading and thinking about. It is the most important step, as this is when God can share His wisdom and thoughts with the Christian.
- The fifth and final R is Resolve. This is when the Christian thanks God for what he/she has learned, and closes the time of prayer.
These different types of Christian meditation can all be useful in helping Christians to meet with God, come close to Him, and learn His truths. Christian meditation does not save a person from their sins; it is a tool that can be used by people who are already saved to build a stronger relationship with God.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Stay Healthy - Learn To Meditate
Wondering how people who live to be 100 with a great quality of life do it? In his book, “Aging Well,” Harvard researcher, George Vaillant, M.D., found out just what centurions do. They cultivate a sense of peace, well-being and maintain a positive attitude. How? Here’s one of their biggest secrets: meditation. What’s ironic about meditation is, it has just become known in the West as a healing technique, but it has been practiced for ages in the East. So in my quest to give you easy sensible ways to purify your energy, I'll begin by defining meditation, then I'll show you how easy it is to apply to your daily routine.
Meditation Defined
Meditational exercises primarily use the experience of the body and thought as a means to reconnect with the environment and its healing power. Meditation, when practiced frequently, has been proven to promote inner peace and wellness. Meditation is also a mental practice in which the mind is directed to one area, often the breath. It draws its energy from the human connection to nature and creates a sense of unity or one-ness with it.
This unity has been shown to increase communication with the spirit of the body. It has also been known to allow positive thoughts in and to stimulate positive physiological and psychological effects. Meditation techniques are easy to learn and can easily be incorporated into any lifestyle. If practiced regularly, meditation will bring balance to your body and mind.
General benefits of meditation and breathing exercises include:
• Deep inner peace
• Improved self-esteem
• Increased creativity
• Physical health/healing
• Reduced medical care
• Slowing/reversal of aging
• Reversing of heart disease
• Stimulation of the body’s immune system
• Reduced stress
I have found there is really no one right ways to meditate. Here are a couple of my favorite meditational exercises that will get you started. Remember, there is no wrong path here. Try these, or simply sit in silence for 20 minutes, daily. You’ll be glad you did.
Meditative Grounding Exercise
• Sit with your legs crossed in a comfortable (Indian-style) position with your hands relaxed on you lap. Close your eyes and imagine a beam of light dropping from the base of your spine through the earth and connecting you to its center.
• Allow this beam of light to expand in width until it is wider than your own body and envelopes it. This is your personal space.
This exercise places you totally in your body and reminds you that you are anchored to the earth. Remember, the more grounded you are, the more aware you are. Sense the presence of your higher self: listen to its voice.
Energy Cleaning Exercise
Now that you are grounded, it’s important that you cleanse this personal space. Often we collect other people’s energies and are not aware of it. We do this both through interaction with others and basic activities of daily living.
• To remove all foreign energies from your space, imagine holding a brush and sweeping away the debris.
• Allow the debris to fall to the ground and become washed away. Let the light from the previous exercise envelop your body and spread its healing energy to the edge of your space, forming a protective force field around you.
Cleaning out the area surrounding your body will keep you grounded, define your personal boundaries and declare your space. Then choose who and what you wish to enter you space, keeping disease and illness out.
Breathing Exercise
• Follow your breath as you slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Count with each exhale until you reach 10 then begin again at one.
• If you find yourself past 10, acknowledge this and begin again at one from wherever you are.
• Imagine your body’s cells being replaced with fresh, pure oxygen and positive healing energy from this power source. Picture yourself exhaling old cells, stress, illness and worries.
• Let your thoughts pass through your mind like drifting clouds. Let them in and gently let them pass through. If the mind should harbor a negative thought, refocus on the breath.
• Thank any persistent negative thoughts for coming into your mind then gently let them go.
• Listen only for the positive, pronounced voice; the voice of your body.
Retrieve Your Energy Exercise
Since foreign energy often resides in your space, let’s also assume that you leave energy in other places. After completing the preceding exercises it is necessary to re-energize and call energy back.
• Imagine you have an energy magnet used to attract your energy back to you. Visualize energy flowing back to you, filling your body with light, health and empowerment.
• Allow a few minutes for the process.
Journal Questions:
1. Record in your journal any problem or trouble you may be having – emotional, physical or otherwise. Let problems go and give them over to your meditation.
2. Do you notice solutions coming to you throughout the day? Do you notice with regular meditation that your body and mind are becoming calmer and clearer?
Ideas To Consider:
1. Make time for your spirit daily. Exhibit behaviors and self talk that show your reverence for yourself.
Meditation Defined
Meditational exercises primarily use the experience of the body and thought as a means to reconnect with the environment and its healing power. Meditation, when practiced frequently, has been proven to promote inner peace and wellness. Meditation is also a mental practice in which the mind is directed to one area, often the breath. It draws its energy from the human connection to nature and creates a sense of unity or one-ness with it.
This unity has been shown to increase communication with the spirit of the body. It has also been known to allow positive thoughts in and to stimulate positive physiological and psychological effects. Meditation techniques are easy to learn and can easily be incorporated into any lifestyle. If practiced regularly, meditation will bring balance to your body and mind.
General benefits of meditation and breathing exercises include:
• Deep inner peace
• Improved self-esteem
• Increased creativity
• Physical health/healing
• Reduced medical care
• Slowing/reversal of aging
• Reversing of heart disease
• Stimulation of the body’s immune system
• Reduced stress
I have found there is really no one right ways to meditate. Here are a couple of my favorite meditational exercises that will get you started. Remember, there is no wrong path here. Try these, or simply sit in silence for 20 minutes, daily. You’ll be glad you did.
Meditative Grounding Exercise
• Sit with your legs crossed in a comfortable (Indian-style) position with your hands relaxed on you lap. Close your eyes and imagine a beam of light dropping from the base of your spine through the earth and connecting you to its center.
• Allow this beam of light to expand in width until it is wider than your own body and envelopes it. This is your personal space.
This exercise places you totally in your body and reminds you that you are anchored to the earth. Remember, the more grounded you are, the more aware you are. Sense the presence of your higher self: listen to its voice.
Energy Cleaning Exercise
Now that you are grounded, it’s important that you cleanse this personal space. Often we collect other people’s energies and are not aware of it. We do this both through interaction with others and basic activities of daily living.
• To remove all foreign energies from your space, imagine holding a brush and sweeping away the debris.
• Allow the debris to fall to the ground and become washed away. Let the light from the previous exercise envelop your body and spread its healing energy to the edge of your space, forming a protective force field around you.
Cleaning out the area surrounding your body will keep you grounded, define your personal boundaries and declare your space. Then choose who and what you wish to enter you space, keeping disease and illness out.
Breathing Exercise
• Follow your breath as you slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Count with each exhale until you reach 10 then begin again at one.
• If you find yourself past 10, acknowledge this and begin again at one from wherever you are.
• Imagine your body’s cells being replaced with fresh, pure oxygen and positive healing energy from this power source. Picture yourself exhaling old cells, stress, illness and worries.
• Let your thoughts pass through your mind like drifting clouds. Let them in and gently let them pass through. If the mind should harbor a negative thought, refocus on the breath.
• Thank any persistent negative thoughts for coming into your mind then gently let them go.
• Listen only for the positive, pronounced voice; the voice of your body.
Retrieve Your Energy Exercise
Since foreign energy often resides in your space, let’s also assume that you leave energy in other places. After completing the preceding exercises it is necessary to re-energize and call energy back.
• Imagine you have an energy magnet used to attract your energy back to you. Visualize energy flowing back to you, filling your body with light, health and empowerment.
• Allow a few minutes for the process.
Journal Questions:
1. Record in your journal any problem or trouble you may be having – emotional, physical or otherwise. Let problems go and give them over to your meditation.
2. Do you notice solutions coming to you throughout the day? Do you notice with regular meditation that your body and mind are becoming calmer and clearer?
Ideas To Consider:
1. Make time for your spirit daily. Exhibit behaviors and self talk that show your reverence for yourself.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
How Meditation Can Change Your Life in 2006
Are you stressed out? Do you worry about your physical health? Your mental health? Your spiritual health? Do you wish you had less stress and anxiety in your life and more peace and harmony?
Well, I felt all of these things a few years ago and I thought I was going to go crazy or die. I was working 10-12 hours a day, 6 days a week at a very stressful job. I had a wife and two kids at home who wanted, and deserved, my time and attention. I had a mortgage, two car notes, tuition, medical bills, overdue taxes, and credit card debt coming out of my ears!
I was running nonstop through my days trying to take care of everything and make everybody happy but I never had enough time to take care of myself. In bed at night, my heart would pound from stress and anxiety. I worried about my job, my marriage, the kids, the bills, the house, my heath, and even my sanity.
My health was of particular concern. I felt tired all the time. I was gaining weight. My back was always hurting. Climbing even one flight of stairs left me breathless and dizzy. I felt like I was falling apart physically, mentally, and spiritually.
I was really worried about myself but I didn’t know what to do. I tried the gym, several fad diets, home exercise machines, and even time management programs. I had about the same results with each new thing I tried. They all seemed to help at first, but I just couldn’t stick with any of them for very long. I now realize that they didn’t work because they were all short term fixes to a long term problem. I had to change my life.
I knew I had a lot to learn, but I couldn’t afford to buy a bunch of books and everything at the library seemed to be outdated. So I made a habit of stopping at the local Barns and Noble on the way home from work each day. I read everything I could find on stress, anxiety, health, diet, and self-improvement. I felt like a cheat just sitting there reading the books without buying them but nobody seemed to mind. I usually bought a cup of coffee or tea just to ease my conscience a little.
I read a lot of great books with wonderful insights on improving one’s life. Not surprisingly, one subject came up over and over; meditation. I had tried to meditate several years earlier but had gotten frustrated and quit before really giving it a chance. But, I was desperate and determined to try anything that might help.
One book in particular said, “Start right now!” I was too embarrassed to sit in the book store and meditate, but I didn’t want to waste another moment. So I went out to my car, adjusted the seat into a comfortable position, set my watch alarm for 30 minutes, then closed my eyes and started counting my breaths.
That turned out to be a defining moment in my life. Of course, I didn’t have instant success. Mediation takes practice and can be very difficult at times. But making the decision to incorporate meditation into my everyday life changed everything for me.
I continued to stop at the book store each night for a while and split my time between reading and meditating. Nothing else had changed in my life. I still had a stressful job, my marriage, my kids, my house, and bills but, somehow, I was feeling better—less stressed—even more energetic!
No, it didn’t magically solve all of the woes in my life. But once I started feeling more relaxed and less stressed, I was better able to focus on the other things I needed to do to become mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy.
I soon started a daily meditation practice at home. I also began a reasonable exercise plan that included walking, a light workout, and yoga. These things combined with eating right (most of the time), have literally changed my life. I’m now happier, healthier, and at peace with the world around me.
I hope this story inspires some of you to take that first step and begin incorporating meditation into your own life. This is the perfect time to make the decision. What better New Years resolution than to change your life for the better? There are numerous meditation methods and practices out there and a myriad of resources available to you in book stores and on the web. I’m sure you can find something that works for you.
In fact, I’ve compiled a host of information on mediation, relaxation, yoga, and other related subjects at my website: www.imcalmer.com. I would also be very happy to share my own experience. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at mikes@imcalmer.com if you have any questions or comments.
In peace,
Mike Suzuki
Friday, March 5, 2010
Become Your Own Relaxation Expert
Meditation has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. It is a techiniqe used to quiet the mind and body, and release stress. It can also bring focus and clarity, and often, after meditating, problems that you have been struggling with, miraculously become solved. Meditation has also been known to inspire people to write, and to spur lucrative business ideas, as your subconscious comes to light.
One simple form of meditation, requires you to sit in a quiet room, either on a pillow, or cross-legged on the floor, or in a comfortable chair, making sure your spine is straight. It is advised that you use the same place every day. It is also suggested that you personalize your spot, by beautifying it with candles, flowers, and pictures of the people that you love.
The idea is to sit quietly, with your eyes closed, and focus on a point inside of your forehead. Try not to think of anything in particular, but don't try 'not' to think either, allowing your mind to become calm, and peaceful. If you find that your mind is 'chattering', don't try to control it, just let it finish what it is that it is working on, it will eventually quiet down. It is also recommended for beginners to begin with ten to twenty minute sessions, each day. After awhile of doing this, you will start to feel deep relaxation and joy during these sessions.
The first step to this self-hypnosis is to sit in a quiet, comfortable spot, making sure you are facing a wall about eight feet away from you. Pick a spot or object on that wall, and make that spot or object your focal point. Looking at your focal point, begin counting backwards from 100, one number for each breath you exhale. As you do this, imagine yourself floating, and feeling very relaxed. You will begin to feel your eyelids getting heavy, and may begin to blink. Let your eyes slowly close, and as you continue to count backwards, imagine yourself as limp as a ragdoll, totally relaxed, and floating in a safe and comfprtable place. Stop counting, and just float in your space. If any disturbing thoughts should come while in your space, just let them flow out again, and allow yourself to continue to feel safe and relaxed. This technique can help you to cope with stress, and discharge the tension that accumulates during stressful situations.
When you are ready to come out of this self-hypnosis, you can either let yourself drift off to sleep, or you can count from one to three and exit. First, count one, and get yourself ready to exit. At two, take a deep breath, and hold for a few seconds. At three, exhale and open your eyes slowly. As you open your eyes, continue to hold on to that relaxed and comfortable feeling.
You may then want to increase the length of your sessions to thirty minutes, or maybe even an hour. In our highly active lifestyles of today, it is imperative that we include a brief time for meditation in our daily schedule. For more self-help techniques and tips, please visit my website.
One simple form of meditation, requires you to sit in a quiet room, either on a pillow, or cross-legged on the floor, or in a comfortable chair, making sure your spine is straight. It is advised that you use the same place every day. It is also suggested that you personalize your spot, by beautifying it with candles, flowers, and pictures of the people that you love.
The idea is to sit quietly, with your eyes closed, and focus on a point inside of your forehead. Try not to think of anything in particular, but don't try 'not' to think either, allowing your mind to become calm, and peaceful. If you find that your mind is 'chattering', don't try to control it, just let it finish what it is that it is working on, it will eventually quiet down. It is also recommended for beginners to begin with ten to twenty minute sessions, each day. After awhile of doing this, you will start to feel deep relaxation and joy during these sessions.
The first step to this self-hypnosis is to sit in a quiet, comfortable spot, making sure you are facing a wall about eight feet away from you. Pick a spot or object on that wall, and make that spot or object your focal point. Looking at your focal point, begin counting backwards from 100, one number for each breath you exhale. As you do this, imagine yourself floating, and feeling very relaxed. You will begin to feel your eyelids getting heavy, and may begin to blink. Let your eyes slowly close, and as you continue to count backwards, imagine yourself as limp as a ragdoll, totally relaxed, and floating in a safe and comfprtable place. Stop counting, and just float in your space. If any disturbing thoughts should come while in your space, just let them flow out again, and allow yourself to continue to feel safe and relaxed. This technique can help you to cope with stress, and discharge the tension that accumulates during stressful situations.
When you are ready to come out of this self-hypnosis, you can either let yourself drift off to sleep, or you can count from one to three and exit. First, count one, and get yourself ready to exit. At two, take a deep breath, and hold for a few seconds. At three, exhale and open your eyes slowly. As you open your eyes, continue to hold on to that relaxed and comfortable feeling.
You may then want to increase the length of your sessions to thirty minutes, or maybe even an hour. In our highly active lifestyles of today, it is imperative that we include a brief time for meditation in our daily schedule. For more self-help techniques and tips, please visit my website.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A Cure For The Age Old Problem Of Hair Loss
Men aren't the only ones looking for a cure for hair loss. Some women are also affected. One solution is delving into the Internet for answers. Cyberspace will provide you with a number of solutions to this confidence-breaking problem. You can even sift through a variety of reviews posted by individuals who have tried specific products.
Depending on what you're willing to spend, there is surely a cure for hair loss suitable to you. I recall when my older brother began losing his dew toward the end of high school. I felt awkward about this I must admit. Why do some guys start losing their hair at such a tender age? Much actually depends on genetics and stress. I'm guessing it was stress in this case since my mother's father has a full head of hair.
If you watch television, then you've most likely spotted a hair loss commercial or two. Those sometimes quirky, yet cheesy ads don't offer much solace when we start going bald up top or the forehead starts to expand. Luckily there are quality solutions at hand. The first step you should take concerning a cure for hair loss is consulting a family doctor or possibly a trichologist. He or she will be able to present you with some decent options.
The good news is many of these products are effective, but not so expensive these days. You can get your hair back. You just need to exhaust your resources in order to pinpoint that perfect cure for hair loss.
This certainly is the simplest choice, but it doesn't have to be your only option. You can find an effective cure for hair loss if you do your homework. In the cosmetically advanced world we currently reside in, there's no reason why you have to take your hair loss like a man.
Are you in desperate search of a cure for hair loss? Many men across the world are going through a daily struggle with hair loss. The inevitable affliction sadly becomes a reality for many of us. Although most men do not prefer a bald scalp, some are taking this route and avoiding the struggle altogether.
This can be helpful in your search for the right and ideal cure for hair loss. You've simply got to love the Internet. If you discover an over-the-counter cure for hair loss, you can likely pick it up at any corner drug store.
Depending on what you're willing to spend, there is surely a cure for hair loss suitable to you. I recall when my older brother began losing his dew toward the end of high school. I felt awkward about this I must admit. Why do some guys start losing their hair at such a tender age? Much actually depends on genetics and stress. I'm guessing it was stress in this case since my mother's father has a full head of hair.
If you watch television, then you've most likely spotted a hair loss commercial or two. Those sometimes quirky, yet cheesy ads don't offer much solace when we start going bald up top or the forehead starts to expand. Luckily there are quality solutions at hand. The first step you should take concerning a cure for hair loss is consulting a family doctor or possibly a trichologist. He or she will be able to present you with some decent options.
The good news is many of these products are effective, but not so expensive these days. You can get your hair back. You just need to exhaust your resources in order to pinpoint that perfect cure for hair loss.
This certainly is the simplest choice, but it doesn't have to be your only option. You can find an effective cure for hair loss if you do your homework. In the cosmetically advanced world we currently reside in, there's no reason why you have to take your hair loss like a man.
Are you in desperate search of a cure for hair loss? Many men across the world are going through a daily struggle with hair loss. The inevitable affliction sadly becomes a reality for many of us. Although most men do not prefer a bald scalp, some are taking this route and avoiding the struggle altogether.
This can be helpful in your search for the right and ideal cure for hair loss. You've simply got to love the Internet. If you discover an over-the-counter cure for hair loss, you can likely pick it up at any corner drug store.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
A Family Affair for Hair
Out of the hundreds of procedures he performs each year, the last thing hair-transplant surgeon Dr. Robert Dorin expected to do was perform surgery on his father.
Robert M. Dorin Sr. had been losing his hair for many years, but few people knew how much it bothered him. Then, one day at a family function, the elder Dorin casually mentioned to his son that he was considering treatment.
"It surprised me because my father knew what type of work I do and he never said anything," Dorin said.
Caught unawares, Dorin was nevertheless delighted that his father was taking matters into his own hands. "My father's hair loss finally reached a point where most of the hair in the frontal area had fallen out," he said.
So Dorin decided to come up with a surprise of his own.
"Given that it was a week before my dad's birthday, I figured it was a great opportunity to give him a gift that he would enjoy for the rest of his life," he said. "I scheduled a procedure for my father for the very next week."
On the day of the surgery, the two discussed the details of the procedure and what to expect.
"I could feel and see my dad's excitement grow as things took shape," Dorin said. "He realized just how much hair he had lost over the years and how much I would be able to put back in just one procedure."
The procedure required 1,571 hair-transplant grafts and took about 7 hours. Three weeks later, there are no telltale signs of the hair transplant. He should begin enjoying his new look in three to six months.
"Working on my dad was something extra special for me," Dorin said. "It was an honor to be able to do something that would have a lasting, positive impact on his life. It is very similar to the way his actions and support have shaped my life."
Robert M. Dorin Sr. had been losing his hair for many years, but few people knew how much it bothered him. Then, one day at a family function, the elder Dorin casually mentioned to his son that he was considering treatment.
"It surprised me because my father knew what type of work I do and he never said anything," Dorin said.
Caught unawares, Dorin was nevertheless delighted that his father was taking matters into his own hands. "My father's hair loss finally reached a point where most of the hair in the frontal area had fallen out," he said.
So Dorin decided to come up with a surprise of his own.
"Given that it was a week before my dad's birthday, I figured it was a great opportunity to give him a gift that he would enjoy for the rest of his life," he said. "I scheduled a procedure for my father for the very next week."
On the day of the surgery, the two discussed the details of the procedure and what to expect.
"I could feel and see my dad's excitement grow as things took shape," Dorin said. "He realized just how much hair he had lost over the years and how much I would be able to put back in just one procedure."
The procedure required 1,571 hair-transplant grafts and took about 7 hours. Three weeks later, there are no telltale signs of the hair transplant. He should begin enjoying his new look in three to six months.
"Working on my dad was something extra special for me," Dorin said. "It was an honor to be able to do something that would have a lasting, positive impact on his life. It is very similar to the way his actions and support have shaped my life."
5 Healthy Benefits of Following a Mediterranean Diet Plan
The Mediterranean diet has been around for centuries, but if you don't live in countries where this diet is prevalent such as Greece or Italy, you may not realize the many benefits of eating healthy foods "Mediterranean" style. According to studies, the Mediterranean diet encourages healthy weight loss and helps to reduce risks of many life-threatening diseases. Below are five of the top benefits of following this diet.
1. Fast Weight Loss
One of the key benefits of the Mediterranean diet is fast weight loss. This is not from the results of a diet pill or a crash starvation diet, but from healthy, portion-controlled eating. Weight loss rates will vary, but some have reported losing an average of 10 pounds per month. Delicious diet recipes are often provided when following the Mediterranean diet that help to speed up the weight loss process without depriving you of much needed vitamins and nutrients. Losing weight alone can offer many health benefits.
2. Good Heart Health
The delicious diet recipes provided while following a Mediterranean diet are all designed to promote good heart health. The Mediterranean diet consists of healthy doses of olive oil, fruits and vegetables, and oily fish. With some participants, a moderate amount of wine is consumed with meals. All these help to lower cholesterol and keep the blood flow to the heart at a normal level, thus, reducing the risk of heart disease tremendously.
3. Lower Cancer Risks
Having too many toxins in the body can cause some types of cancer, such as breast cancer. Eating the types of healthy foods promoted in the Mediterranean diet such as fruits and vegetables will lower the amount of toxins in the body because these foods are natural antioxidants.
4. Prevent Gallstones
Those who have fallen victim to gall stones realize how painful they can be. With around 639,000 people being hospitalized per year with gallstones, many studies are being conducted to help find a cause and cure. The Mediterranean diet is rich in nuts, vegetable oil, and fish. Though gallstones are not always diet-related, consuming these foods can help to reduce the risk of gall stones or eliminate them altogether for some according to recent studies.
5. Lower Blood Pressure
The healthy foods in a Mediterranean diet can also work to lower and regulate blood pressure. Blood cholesterol levels can return to normal when eating less fatty foods and salt, and more healthy vitamins and minerals. Cooking procedures on a Mediterranean diet usually involve roasting or grilling rather than frying, so more nutrients are retained in the food during preparation, and there is much less fat consumption.
These are only a few of the benefits. The Mediterranean diet also offers many other benefits such as reducing the risks of blood clotting, diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and other life-threatening diseases. Don't deprive yourself. Start eating delicious diet recipes on the Mediterranean diet for healthy weight loss today.
1. Fast Weight Loss
One of the key benefits of the Mediterranean diet is fast weight loss. This is not from the results of a diet pill or a crash starvation diet, but from healthy, portion-controlled eating. Weight loss rates will vary, but some have reported losing an average of 10 pounds per month. Delicious diet recipes are often provided when following the Mediterranean diet that help to speed up the weight loss process without depriving you of much needed vitamins and nutrients. Losing weight alone can offer many health benefits.
2. Good Heart Health
The delicious diet recipes provided while following a Mediterranean diet are all designed to promote good heart health. The Mediterranean diet consists of healthy doses of olive oil, fruits and vegetables, and oily fish. With some participants, a moderate amount of wine is consumed with meals. All these help to lower cholesterol and keep the blood flow to the heart at a normal level, thus, reducing the risk of heart disease tremendously.
3. Lower Cancer Risks
Having too many toxins in the body can cause some types of cancer, such as breast cancer. Eating the types of healthy foods promoted in the Mediterranean diet such as fruits and vegetables will lower the amount of toxins in the body because these foods are natural antioxidants.
4. Prevent Gallstones
Those who have fallen victim to gall stones realize how painful they can be. With around 639,000 people being hospitalized per year with gallstones, many studies are being conducted to help find a cause and cure. The Mediterranean diet is rich in nuts, vegetable oil, and fish. Though gallstones are not always diet-related, consuming these foods can help to reduce the risk of gall stones or eliminate them altogether for some according to recent studies.
5. Lower Blood Pressure
The healthy foods in a Mediterranean diet can also work to lower and regulate blood pressure. Blood cholesterol levels can return to normal when eating less fatty foods and salt, and more healthy vitamins and minerals. Cooking procedures on a Mediterranean diet usually involve roasting or grilling rather than frying, so more nutrients are retained in the food during preparation, and there is much less fat consumption.
These are only a few of the benefits. The Mediterranean diet also offers many other benefits such as reducing the risks of blood clotting, diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and other life-threatening diseases. Don't deprive yourself. Start eating delicious diet recipes on the Mediterranean diet for healthy weight loss today.
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