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Meditation Information.... from Heart-Links.com |
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Meditation: Time to Stop & ListenAs a co-active coach, one of the underlying principles that I subscribe to is that everyone has their own answers within. Most of what I do as a coach is to give people the time, space and permission to find these answers (and sometimes I provide a question or two to get things going). So, outside of a coaching session, how can we learn to access these answers that we all have? One thing that I'm learning is that the answers can't come to me if my head is always busy figuring things out, working, talking, or reading. If I'm doing those things, I'm actually blocking myself from hearing my own wise answers. One sure way to get an answer to a question is to ask the question and listen for an answer. We're all quite well-versed at this practice, "Have you seen my briefcase?", "What would you like to do for dinner tonight?", "When is that report due?". And what I've noticed for myself is that I forget this logic when it comes to listening for my own answers. Rarely do I sit quietly and listen. Rarer still do I actually intentionally *ask* myself a question. I'm working at increasing my practice of asking and listening for answers from within. Since I'm still a beginner, I thought I'd ask someone with more experience to speak further on this topic with us. Karen Kofman, who co-led a workshop on "Gratitude" with me in November 2003, has a background in corporate training. She currently gives workshops of a spiritual nature involving inner serenity. Karen practices reiki, aromaptherapy, yoga and meditation. Linda: What is your definition of meditation? Karen: Meditation is a process to empty and calm the mind, which results in a sense of peace, serenity and calmness and eventually opening yourself to new insights and a sense of overall well-being. Linda: How has your life changed since you've been practicing meditation regularly? Karen: Meditation has come into my life very slowly, when I first started I didn't notice much change, but over time, there have been major spiritual and emotional awakenings. I am more settled, less anxious, have more energy and am less judgmental of those around me. Linda: What's the best way for someone to start meditating? Karen: The first thing I want to make clear is that meditation is not complicated, doesn't take a lot of time, and can be done by anyone. Most of us have dabbled in meditation by participating in conscious relaxation, perhaps during an exercise class or sport activity. Here is a meditation exercise you can try for yourself. Start by paying attention to your breathing. The practical effect of focusing completely on your breathing leads to a sense of calmness, as it takes your mind away from the "clutter" that constantly tries to invade. Take a few deep breaths to relax your body and mind. Begin to breath again and with each exhalation feel your body relax into a peaceful state. Let go of thoughts, worries. Feel the presence of stillness within you. Feel a softness around your heart. If thoughts emerge, acknowledge them and go back to your breath. Continue this process for 3-10 minutes to begin and you may increase the time as you feel necessary. With repeated efforts, the goal of clearing your mind to think of nothing will come more easily. You will have the ability to be clear and open and to welcome spaces for fresh and clean thoughts to emerge. The process of meditation will begin to take on its own energies. Thanks so much to Karen Kofman for sharing her wisdom with us this month! It's certainly inspired me to "stop and listen" more often. (c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services. Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, is the author of "The Everyday Self-Care Workbook". To receive one of her free monthly newsletters, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/newsletter.html
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Meditation - Google News | | | | RELATED ARTICLES Understanding Meditation It is impossible to overstate the importance of daily meditation. The benefits are enormous. What Would Plato Think of Prozac? Each person is unique and it is that individuality that we as a whole draw strength from. We should use such advantages to our benefit. Meditation: How to Enter a Deep State of Relaxation There are many methods of meditation that can lead to channeling, mediumship, or simply a greater spiritual awareness. Here is the method I use: Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down. A Forty-Five-Second Meditation Is Meditation Too Much Time And Trouble?If you haven't meditated before, you might think it's too much trouble to learn. If you do meditate, you know it can be difficult to find the time to do it consistently. Parapsychology: Harnessing Your Etheric Energy It is an unfortunate reality that society has inadvertently categorized the natural abilities associated with bio-etheric energy as a form of entertainment.Classifying skills such as precognitive event recognition alongside amusement attractions such as stage illusion have undermined the acknowledgement of etheric energy itself, impeding the acceptance of a wide spectrum of very natural, very real capabilities. The Art Of Meditation: How Easy Is It? Meditation is a form of relaxing and a method to spiritual enlightenment that has been around for centuries. Yet with all the different types of meditation as well as the varied methods, how do you know you are truly meditating? Which one is right for you?We are often told that to meditate is to think of nothing and clear your mind, which to me is impossible. Meditation - What is It Good for Anyway? Meditation is an age old healing and stress relieving modality practiced throughout the world, in virtually all cultures and all religions, although it may go by different names - prayer, visualization, relaxation techniques, and hypnosis; they are all forms of the same practice.Meditation refers to "taking a break" from real life. Tips for Better Meditation Meditation students often come to me and ask what they can do to improve their meditation. Success in meditation is not the result of any one single factor but depends on sustained and systematic effort over a period of time. You Can Meditate Right Now Why Should You Meditate?What if you could close your eyes, then open them a few minutes later and be relaxed, alert, and able to think clearly? Meditation can do that for you, and it's easier than you might think.Documented Benefits of MeditationLess anxiety. How To Meditate Without Even Trying I remember when I started trying to meditate. I would sit down, close my eyes, and try to be really calm (my definition of meditation at the time). Mastery Through Meditation Are you still looking? For Love? Self-Worth? To know, truly KNOW, that you are of value to others and the Universe as a whole?What is it that eludes you? That seems to elude so many of us?For many, the part that's missing is the KNOWING. The Knowing that we are worthy, are worthy of love of others, of self-love, of Life itself. Quieting the Mind Opening the Heart To put it simply, the act of meditation involves quieting the mind so you can open the heart. That's it in a nutshell. How You Can Unite Meditation, Divine Essence, And Personal Tenacity to Serve Your Highest Purpose 1. Meditation:Meditation is a sacred practice. Meditation - Easy Tools for Success Do you want to learn how to meditate? Have you tried to meditate but you keep falling asleep? Or you're not sure you are doing it right? Do you keep thinking about other things while you are trying to "clear your mind"?First you need to decide what type of meditation you want to do. There are basically two types of meditation - active and passive. Active Meditation For Surges In Energy Levels! When I first started learning about deep breathing exercises and meditation I had this pre-conceived notion of sitting very still for long periods of time, my body like a statue, my breathing hardly discernable to an onlooker.Little did I know that this was not the only way to achieve a meditative experience. Yoga Meditation For Pain Relief The purpose of this article is to provide information on methods and techniques on how to cope with pain, or in some instances, possibly even overcoming pain with the use of techniques derived from Yoga meditation.Chronic pain sufferers spend millions of dollars to find ways of relieving their pain. Full Body Awareness Now that you're comfortable working with your breath it's time to bring the rest of the body in. Continue breathing as I've outlined in my article on Breathing. Subconscious The subconscious is a scarey thing to comtemplate for some people. We have been taught that it is a dark place that keeps deep dark secrets about ourselves that could destroy our peace of mind at the very least, and our lives at the very worst. Meditation also Gave Me Something else Some of the greatest benefits for me have been my ability to tap into 'my well of inner peace' whenever I need to, my connection with, and to, spirit, achievement of greater clarity and balance at the end of each session, and overall wellbeing. Meditation also gave me something else. Basic Meditation Exercises (Authors Note: Before reading this you should see my other articles on Breathing and Full Body Awareness)Now that you've begun to develop the ability to move energy around in your body there are some things that you can do with it. The following exercises range from pretty simple to pretty complicated, but as you develop your abilities you'll eventually find that you can do them all at once and effortlessly. |
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