Thursday, September 30, 2010
Meditation Helps San Quentin Prisioners Come to Terms With Themselves and Their Crimes
Riots, overcrowding, death row ... there are serious challenges to navigating life behind prison bars. But at San Quentin, there are ways to turn those challenges into opportunities for personal growth.
San Quentin offers more than 70 self-help programs - far more than any other prison in the state. And the majority are run by volunteers, according to San Quentin press officer Lt. Samuel Robinson.
SAM ROBINSON: Currently, we have about 3,000 volunteers here at this facility, people who annually come in here, whether it's one time or several times over the course of a year. They try to help steer guys in a different direction than what led them here ultimately in the first place.
The legacy of volunteer programs goes back to Warden Clinton Truman Duffy. In the 1940s, Duffy cleaned up San Quentin's rough outlaw culture and also established the prison's first chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. Over the decades, the number of volunteer programs has grown, encouraged by progressive wardens who believed the programs served both the inmates and the communities they'll return to. (MORE)
San Quentin offers more than 70 self-help programs - far more than any other prison in the state. And the majority are run by volunteers, according to San Quentin press officer Lt. Samuel Robinson.
SAM ROBINSON: Currently, we have about 3,000 volunteers here at this facility, people who annually come in here, whether it's one time or several times over the course of a year. They try to help steer guys in a different direction than what led them here ultimately in the first place.
The legacy of volunteer programs goes back to Warden Clinton Truman Duffy. In the 1940s, Duffy cleaned up San Quentin's rough outlaw culture and also established the prison's first chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. Over the decades, the number of volunteer programs has grown, encouraged by progressive wardens who believed the programs served both the inmates and the communities they'll return to. (MORE)
Source: SFgate.com
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Mindfulness Meditation vs. Multiple Sclerosis
Mindfulness Meditation Helps Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Researchers Say
Learning a mind-body technique called “mindfulness meditation” seems to help people with multiple sclerosis cope with the depression, fatigue, and anxiety associated with the disease, a new study indicates.
Researchers in Switzerland signed up 150 people with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis and randomly assigned them to receive usual types of care for the disease or to take part in an eight-week mindfulness meditation training course.
Patients in the training program focused on mental exercises that were aimed at developing non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, or mindfulness. Classes of 2.5 hours were held weekly, along with an all-day retreat and 40 minutes daily of homework assignments.
Meditation Technique Works
The researchers say people who took the meditation training managed to reduce fatigue, depression, and anxiety and report improvements in overall life quality, compared to people who received usual medical care. And the positive effects of the training, the researchers report, lasted for at least six months. (MORE)
Learning a mind-body technique called “mindfulness meditation” seems to help people with multiple sclerosis cope with the depression, fatigue, and anxiety associated with the disease, a new study indicates.
Researchers in Switzerland signed up 150 people with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis and randomly assigned them to receive usual types of care for the disease or to take part in an eight-week mindfulness meditation training course.
Patients in the training program focused on mental exercises that were aimed at developing non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, or mindfulness. Classes of 2.5 hours were held weekly, along with an all-day retreat and 40 minutes daily of homework assignments.
Meditation Technique Works
The researchers say people who took the meditation training managed to reduce fatigue, depression, and anxiety and report improvements in overall life quality, compared to people who received usual medical care. And the positive effects of the training, the researchers report, lasted for at least six months. (MORE)
Source: WebMD
Monday, September 27, 2010
Things Are Looking Up With Yoga
Keeping the central nervous system (our spinal cord) supple and toned is essential to enhancing optimum communication between the brain (mission control) and all other organs and systems in the body.
The weight of the head causes it to sit heavy on the neck, which puts pressure on the cervical vertebrae and can collapse them over time. Consciously extending the head skyward will lengthen and strengthen the muscles of the neck which will help to keep the vertebrae spacious and the energy flowing between brain and body.
HOW TO DO IT
Stand or sit with a straight back and actively press the crown of your head to the ceiling. Maintaining the length in the neck, begin to lift the chin, dropping the base of the skull toward the top of your shoulders. At the same time, lift up through both sides of your jaw. (MORE)
The weight of the head causes it to sit heavy on the neck, which puts pressure on the cervical vertebrae and can collapse them over time. Consciously extending the head skyward will lengthen and strengthen the muscles of the neck which will help to keep the vertebrae spacious and the energy flowing between brain and body.
HOW TO DO IT
Stand or sit with a straight back and actively press the crown of your head to the ceiling. Maintaining the length in the neck, begin to lift the chin, dropping the base of the skull toward the top of your shoulders. At the same time, lift up through both sides of your jaw. (MORE)
Source: SILive.com
Sunday, September 26, 2010
The Healing Power of Mindfulness
Google the word 'mindful' and you'll find about 24,900,000 entries. Google the word 'mindfulness' and there are around 13,600,000 entries. Ever wonder how these ancient, distant, and diverse Asian practices known as mindfulness have made their way into our living rooms today? Quite simply it is thanks to some noteworthy people who clocked hours, days, weeks, and years on a meditation cushion. They saw something important and then they showed it to us.
In the United States we have had the benefit of extraordinary Eastern teachers coming west to teach us their native practices. But without a doubt, those who have had the greatest impact translating classical Eastern practices for Westerners, without dumbing them down, have been our own Western teachers. Many of them are Americans who were drawn to Asia fresh out of college in search of meaning and who came home to share what they learned with the rest of us. (MORE)
In the United States we have had the benefit of extraordinary Eastern teachers coming west to teach us their native practices. But without a doubt, those who have had the greatest impact translating classical Eastern practices for Westerners, without dumbing them down, have been our own Western teachers. Many of them are Americans who were drawn to Asia fresh out of college in search of meaning and who came home to share what they learned with the rest of us. (MORE)
Source: Huffington Post
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Benefits of Yoga: How Different Types Affect Health
Whether Bikram or Iyengar, yoga does the body—and mind—good
Perhaps it's a testament to the power of yoga that so many spin-offs have emerged—dozens since it originated some 6,000 years ago. There's laughter yoga, which turns humor into a healing power, AcroYoga, which revolves around flying, and hot yoga, taught in a 105-degree studio. Even naked yoga is catching on, described by followers as a therapeutic way to burst out of the confines of clothing.
Research bolsters the claims made for the trend: Yoga protects the brain from depression, an August study found; three sessions per week boosted participants' levels of the brain chemical GABA, which typically translates into improved mood and decreased anxiety. "People who have disorders like depression and anxiety can definitely benefit from yoga, because it returns [GABA] levels to the normal range," says study author Chris Streeter, an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at Boston University School of Medicine. Streeter says yoga can be used to complement—not substitute—drug treatment for depression. (MORE)
Perhaps it's a testament to the power of yoga that so many spin-offs have emerged—dozens since it originated some 6,000 years ago. There's laughter yoga, which turns humor into a healing power, AcroYoga, which revolves around flying, and hot yoga, taught in a 105-degree studio. Even naked yoga is catching on, described by followers as a therapeutic way to burst out of the confines of clothing.
Research bolsters the claims made for the trend: Yoga protects the brain from depression, an August study found; three sessions per week boosted participants' levels of the brain chemical GABA, which typically translates into improved mood and decreased anxiety. "People who have disorders like depression and anxiety can definitely benefit from yoga, because it returns [GABA] levels to the normal range," says study author Chris Streeter, an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at Boston University School of Medicine. Streeter says yoga can be used to complement—not substitute—drug treatment for depression. (MORE)
Source: US News
Friday, September 24, 2010
Mindfulness Meditation Aids Individuals To Stop Smoking Cigarettes
For anybody who is a long-time chronic smoker, task to stop smoking cigarettes is often extremely challenging.Out of all the individuals who attempted to stop smoking cigarettes and who were successful, quite a few of them will have a relapse. In order to be able to stop smoking cigarettes an individual must also learn to apply their mind as another useful tool to stop smoking cigarettes.
Mindfulness meditation can be used to help smokers to stop smoking cigarettes.It can help in two distinct ways.
People who are trying to stop smoking cigarettes experience nicotine withdrawal and cravings, by applying mindfulness meditation these individuals may notice a reduction in their stress level, the urges and the discomfort that are associated with trying to stop smoking cigarettes.
There is growing evidence that mindfulness meditation when used consistently over a period of time will help to weaken the powerful mental habits in individuals trying to stop smoking cigarettes. Mindfulness meditation helps to control compulsive forms of behavior that can make individuals trying to quit smoking cigarettes resistant to change. (MORE)
Mindfulness meditation can be used to help smokers to stop smoking cigarettes.It can help in two distinct ways.
People who are trying to stop smoking cigarettes experience nicotine withdrawal and cravings, by applying mindfulness meditation these individuals may notice a reduction in their stress level, the urges and the discomfort that are associated with trying to stop smoking cigarettes.
There is growing evidence that mindfulness meditation when used consistently over a period of time will help to weaken the powerful mental habits in individuals trying to stop smoking cigarettes. Mindfulness meditation helps to control compulsive forms of behavior that can make individuals trying to quit smoking cigarettes resistant to change. (MORE)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
How Meditation Techniques Compare -- Zen, Mindfulness, Transcendental Meditation and More
Meditation shopping? Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Yet millions of Americans are seeking tools to turn within. As a nation we've tried to fix our problems with everything from psychotherapy and Prozac to positive thinking and politics. Now people everywhere are ready to close their eyes and take a dive -- not to escape, but to more fully be.
Having lectured on meditation for 25 years, I find that audiences no longer need to be convinced of meditation's practical benefits. But people do often ask, "Aren't all meditation techniques basically the same?"
Experts in the venerated traditions of meditation have always marveled at the mind's subtlety, appreciating its keen responsiveness and sensitivity to different mental procedures. Great master teachers of meditation have recognized that the various techniques engage the mind in different ways and naturally produce different results. With advancements in neurophysiology, scientists are now identifying distinctions among varieties of meditation practices. (MORE)
Having lectured on meditation for 25 years, I find that audiences no longer need to be convinced of meditation's practical benefits. But people do often ask, "Aren't all meditation techniques basically the same?"
Experts in the venerated traditions of meditation have always marveled at the mind's subtlety, appreciating its keen responsiveness and sensitivity to different mental procedures. Great master teachers of meditation have recognized that the various techniques engage the mind in different ways and naturally produce different results. With advancements in neurophysiology, scientists are now identifying distinctions among varieties of meditation practices. (MORE)
Source: Huffington Post
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Do it Now: The Perfect 10 Minute Meditation
We tend to spend a lot of time worrying about the future or ruminating about the past. When I work with people in my therapy practice, I see it a lot (and I’m guilty of it myself). It can make us feel disconnected — and no doubt the people around us feel it too. We don’t always need to be “present,” but sometimes it helps to dial back into the moment to reduce stress or feel grounded.
I’m not a big meditator, (in the quiet-room, lotus-position kind of way), but I think weaving certain exercises into daily life can really help people with focus, emotional regulation, and more.
I loved reading Kelly McGonigal’s (she’s a health psychologist at Stanford) short but sweet on-the-go mediation today. So I’ll share it with you, along with another short mediation I learned recently and have been trying to practice myself. (MORE)
I’m not a big meditator, (in the quiet-room, lotus-position kind of way), but I think weaving certain exercises into daily life can really help people with focus, emotional regulation, and more.
I loved reading Kelly McGonigal’s (she’s a health psychologist at Stanford) short but sweet on-the-go mediation today. So I’ll share it with you, along with another short mediation I learned recently and have been trying to practice myself. (MORE)
Source: Babble
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Walking Meditation: The Perfect 10-Minute Willpower Boost
Walk your way to more willpower
If you're looking to multitask your willpower training, try walking meditation. A 2009 study by researchers at the University of Exeter, UK, found that walking for 15 minutes decreased cravings among smokers, and a 2010 at the University of Virginia study found that two weeks of regular exercise induced brain changes that suppressed cravings, and reduced drug-seeking behavior, in cocaine-addicted rats. Many studies have shown that meditation has a similar effect, reshaping the brain to have greater attention, emotion regulation, and self-control.
The following walking meditation is one of my students' favorite willpower training techniques because it can make you feel so much better immediately, even as it supports long-term changes in the body and brain. (MORE)
If you're looking to multitask your willpower training, try walking meditation. A 2009 study by researchers at the University of Exeter, UK, found that walking for 15 minutes decreased cravings among smokers, and a 2010 at the University of Virginia study found that two weeks of regular exercise induced brain changes that suppressed cravings, and reduced drug-seeking behavior, in cocaine-addicted rats. Many studies have shown that meditation has a similar effect, reshaping the brain to have greater attention, emotion regulation, and self-control.
The following walking meditation is one of my students' favorite willpower training techniques because it can make you feel so much better immediately, even as it supports long-term changes in the body and brain. (MORE)
Source: Psychology Today
Monday, September 20, 2010
Spiritual Seekers
Meditating and chanting have gone from being hippie, to completely mainstream
I happened to watch parts of the film Eat Pray Love online, based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s stupendously successful memoir of self discovery after divorce. Julia Roberts is luminous and delicate, despite her weird Indian wardrobe and Javier Bardem is charmingly disheveled though miscast as a loser, because it’s hard to imagine women leaving him. I enjoyed the book and I can’t wait to watch it properly, on a big screen a few weeks from now.
After Gilbert’s account of Bali in her memoir, the island has seen a revolution of sorts, and it’s become a sought after destination for people looking to redevelop their spirituality. There are Eat Pray Love tours and Trip Advisor is full of reviews for yoga and meditation lessons and packages where you can learn to “go inside yourself” like Gilbert did. Unfortunately, Gilbert’s large section devoted to learning to pray in India hasn’t really paid off for tourism here the way it has for Bali ; there are very few hits for the ashram in the South where she allegedly experienced enlightenment. It would require a more imaginative and quicker-witted bureaucrat than what we have to capitalise on the India section of this book: the potential is huge, considering the book has sold more than 7 million copies. (MORE)
I happened to watch parts of the film Eat Pray Love online, based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s stupendously successful memoir of self discovery after divorce. Julia Roberts is luminous and delicate, despite her weird Indian wardrobe and Javier Bardem is charmingly disheveled though miscast as a loser, because it’s hard to imagine women leaving him. I enjoyed the book and I can’t wait to watch it properly, on a big screen a few weeks from now.
After Gilbert’s account of Bali in her memoir, the island has seen a revolution of sorts, and it’s become a sought after destination for people looking to redevelop their spirituality. There are Eat Pray Love tours and Trip Advisor is full of reviews for yoga and meditation lessons and packages where you can learn to “go inside yourself” like Gilbert did. Unfortunately, Gilbert’s large section devoted to learning to pray in India hasn’t really paid off for tourism here the way it has for Bali ; there are very few hits for the ashram in the South where she allegedly experienced enlightenment. It would require a more imaginative and quicker-witted bureaucrat than what we have to capitalise on the India section of this book: the potential is huge, considering the book has sold more than 7 million copies. (MORE)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Color Yourself In Light: A Guided Meditation
Whether it’s watching the aura borealis, an artist’s interpretation of sun and shade in a painting, or a candle flickering, light is captivating. We use light to enhance our surroundings so we can feel differently: invigorated in bright light, soothed in subdued light.
In today’s meditation, we’re going to color ourselves in light. The color or colors you use is up to you. First, find a comfortable meditation posture, and close your eyes. Take a deep breath, hold it for a short pause, and then release it slowly. Again, take a deep breath, hold for a moment, and let it out slowly.
Return your breathing to normal. Notice your body begin to relax more. Scan your body, and allow your imagination to create color around different parts of your body. Bring in the perfect hue to support your meditation. You may find that green is healing, blue soothing, red enlivening. Depending on your state of mind and what you want to achieve with your meditation, create the palette that brings out the qualities you desire. (MORE)
In today’s meditation, we’re going to color ourselves in light. The color or colors you use is up to you. First, find a comfortable meditation posture, and close your eyes. Take a deep breath, hold it for a short pause, and then release it slowly. Again, take a deep breath, hold for a moment, and let it out slowly.
Return your breathing to normal. Notice your body begin to relax more. Scan your body, and allow your imagination to create color around different parts of your body. Bring in the perfect hue to support your meditation. You may find that green is healing, blue soothing, red enlivening. Depending on your state of mind and what you want to achieve with your meditation, create the palette that brings out the qualities you desire. (MORE)
Source: Annarbor.com
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Vinyasa Yoga For Better Health
Vinyasa yoga is a flowing style of yoga, and is characterized more by variation than consistency. Anna Oklinuora, a certified Yoga teacher conducts classes in Hatha Yoga, with flowing Vinyasa style at Mother Tree in Indiranagar.
Vinyasa yoga is a flowing style of yoga. Photograph: Google
Vinyasa Yoga is characterized by a focus on vinyasa, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. Vinyasa translates as linking and the system also implies the linking of the movement to the breath. Essentially the breath dictates the movement and the length of time held in the postures. Unlike some Hatha yoga styles, attention is also placed on the journey between the postures not just the postures themselves.
In other words, the teacher will instruct you to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. This technique is sometimes also called Vinyasa Flow, or just Flow because of the smooth way that the poses run together and become like a dance. A Cat-Cow Stretch is an example of a very simple Vinyasa, because the spine is arched on an inhale and rounded on an exhale. (MORE)
Vinyasa yoga is a flowing style of yoga. Photograph: Google
Vinyasa Yoga is characterized by a focus on vinyasa, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. Vinyasa translates as linking and the system also implies the linking of the movement to the breath. Essentially the breath dictates the movement and the length of time held in the postures. Unlike some Hatha yoga styles, attention is also placed on the journey between the postures not just the postures themselves.
In other words, the teacher will instruct you to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. This technique is sometimes also called Vinyasa Flow, or just Flow because of the smooth way that the poses run together and become like a dance. A Cat-Cow Stretch is an example of a very simple Vinyasa, because the spine is arched on an inhale and rounded on an exhale. (MORE)
Source: mybangalore.com
Friday, September 17, 2010
Real Men Do Yoga: The Growing Trend for Guys
When 77-year-old Casper Henselmann took his first yoga class 10 years ago, he was one of only two men of a certain age. "I remember the instructor telling me not to compare myself to the 20-year-old pretzel standing next to me," he recalled. But over the years the class, held at Chelsea Piers Sportscenter in New York City, has grown to attract at least a dozen regulars over 50. "I guess yoga is no longer associated with old ladies and sissies," said Henselmann.
That's for sure. Yoga studios all over the country are experiencing an influx of men who are past their prime. "Yoga's become so mainstream that a lot of older men know about its mind-body benefits, and they think, 'I should try that,'" said Andrea Marcum, owner of U Studio Yoga in Los Angeles. Just five years ago, she had a couple of guys over 40. Now her classes average 15 or more. "Many baby boomers know they're at a point when they can't take their health for granted anymore. Then they observe these incredibly fit contemporaries in a class and think: I'll have what they're having," she said. (MORE)
That's for sure. Yoga studios all over the country are experiencing an influx of men who are past their prime. "Yoga's become so mainstream that a lot of older men know about its mind-body benefits, and they think, 'I should try that,'" said Andrea Marcum, owner of U Studio Yoga in Los Angeles. Just five years ago, she had a couple of guys over 40. Now her classes average 15 or more. "Many baby boomers know they're at a point when they can't take their health for granted anymore. Then they observe these incredibly fit contemporaries in a class and think: I'll have what they're having," she said. (MORE)
Source: thatsfit.com
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Alternative Wellness Approaches
The cold and flu season is on its way. There are natural, safe alternative treatments and activities available that can strengthen the immune system, relieve stress and provide protection from illness or insure milder symptoms.
Alternative and complementary treatments have increasingly entered the mainstream. More and more doctors refer their patients to alternative therapies that complement the traditional medical care they provide. Many hospitals have staff members, a few whole departments that provide services or make referrals related to alternative treatments. Services might include herbal therapy, vitamin and nutritional education, Reiki or other types of healing touch, yoga, tai chi, massage and various meditation techniques.
Anyone with a serious medical condition should, of course, consult with their doctor before participating in alternative treatments, especially if taking prescription drugs that might interact with some herbs and vitamins.
There are a number of reputable resources to be found locally. The examples in this story are only a few of those available, and their suggestions for flu and cold season are brief summaries. For more information contact them.
Alternative and complementary treatments have increasingly entered the mainstream. More and more doctors refer their patients to alternative therapies that complement the traditional medical care they provide. Many hospitals have staff members, a few whole departments that provide services or make referrals related to alternative treatments. Services might include herbal therapy, vitamin and nutritional education, Reiki or other types of healing touch, yoga, tai chi, massage and various meditation techniques.
Anyone with a serious medical condition should, of course, consult with their doctor before participating in alternative treatments, especially if taking prescription drugs that might interact with some herbs and vitamins.
There are a number of reputable resources to be found locally. The examples in this story are only a few of those available, and their suggestions for flu and cold season are brief summaries. For more information contact them.
Source: Gaylord Hearld Times
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Exercise, Meditation Merged to Ease Pain
An ancient form of Chinese exercise mixed with meditation is helping people deal with chronic pain and improving their energy levels and moods, its disciples say.
Kevin Thoren of Ankeny, a certified Spring Forest Qigong teacher, said his disposition has brightened since he began practicing the discipline (pronounced chee gong) more than a year ago.
"My general mood has improved. I am happier, more calm since I have been doing qigong," he said. "Before I started this I never would have described myself as unhappy, but I guess I was more angry and stressed than I realized."
Qigong is an ancient Chinese form of energy healing, which includes breathing exercises, gentle movements and guided imagery. The Spring Forest technique focuses on positive energy flowing through the body and clearing blockages, Thoren said. He likened it to straightening out a kink in a garden hose. Once the blockage is removed, water can flow freely. It's the same with energy in the body, he said. (MORE)
Kevin Thoren of Ankeny, a certified Spring Forest Qigong teacher, said his disposition has brightened since he began practicing the discipline (pronounced chee gong) more than a year ago.
"My general mood has improved. I am happier, more calm since I have been doing qigong," he said. "Before I started this I never would have described myself as unhappy, but I guess I was more angry and stressed than I realized."
Qigong is an ancient Chinese form of energy healing, which includes breathing exercises, gentle movements and guided imagery. The Spring Forest technique focuses on positive energy flowing through the body and clearing blockages, Thoren said. He likened it to straightening out a kink in a garden hose. Once the blockage is removed, water can flow freely. It's the same with energy in the body, he said. (MORE)
Source: Des Moines Register
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
It's Yoga Month: Give Yourself a Break and Stretch Your Mind
September is National Yoga Month, the brainchild of Los Angeles resident and yoga enthusiast Johannes Fisslinger, who calls it an awareness campaign "to educate about the many benefits of yoga and inspire our fellow citizens to live healthier, happier lives." It's a good opportunity for anyone unfamiliar with the ancient system to find out what all the fuss is about. If you've been wondering what the 16 million Americans who go to yoga classes are up to, the official website, www.yogamonth.org, will guide you to nearby studios that are offering free classes, free weekly passes or special events this month. And if you have sampled some yoga, this might be a good time to take it deeper.
There are any number of excellent reasons to take a yoga class. Motivations range along a continuum from looking fabulous and meeting hotties, on one end, to attaining spiritual enlightenment on the other, with a host of mental and physical benefits in between. My advice to yogic neophytes is: any potential reward can serve as your starting point, but don't ignore the depth of meaning in the yogic tradition. (MORE)
There are any number of excellent reasons to take a yoga class. Motivations range along a continuum from looking fabulous and meeting hotties, on one end, to attaining spiritual enlightenment on the other, with a host of mental and physical benefits in between. My advice to yogic neophytes is: any potential reward can serve as your starting point, but don't ignore the depth of meaning in the yogic tradition. (MORE)
Source: Huffington Post
Monday, September 13, 2010
Meditating With Angels
I love meditating. I started meditating on a regular basis back in the 1970's when the Beatles did. I do it because it feels good, not because I have to or I should or ___________. I find when I meditate on a regular basis life is just more pleasant. When I add connecting to the angels to my meditation it is like meeting an old friend at the local coffee shop.
Meditation is easy or at least it can be. A lot of people think it means totally quieting the mind and it isn't really. Meditation is having the intent to connect with the divine or at least that is how I think of it. It is simply a matter of focusing your attention on your breath and when your mind wanders once again focusing on breathing.
Why meditate with angels? Angels are after all messengers. If we aren't listening how can we hear the message? If we don't listen to the message we miss out on the guidance and the elegant ease angels can bring into our life.
Elegant ease, doesn't that sound delicious? Imagine a life filled with elegant ease. A life that is filled with happiness, joy, abundance, love and plain old fun.
Did you ever wake up on a summer's morning, perhaps as a young child just excited about what the day held? Just excited to start the day? (MORE)
Meditation is easy or at least it can be. A lot of people think it means totally quieting the mind and it isn't really. Meditation is having the intent to connect with the divine or at least that is how I think of it. It is simply a matter of focusing your attention on your breath and when your mind wanders once again focusing on breathing.
Why meditate with angels? Angels are after all messengers. If we aren't listening how can we hear the message? If we don't listen to the message we miss out on the guidance and the elegant ease angels can bring into our life.
Elegant ease, doesn't that sound delicious? Imagine a life filled with elegant ease. A life that is filled with happiness, joy, abundance, love and plain old fun.
Did you ever wake up on a summer's morning, perhaps as a young child just excited about what the day held? Just excited to start the day? (MORE)
Source: Beliefnet
Sunday, September 12, 2010
In Small Doses: Ganja or Cannabis-Assisted Yoga Pairs Marijuana With Meditation
Ganja or cannabis-assisted yoga is not just something from "Cheech and Chong". It is a type of yoga that combines marijuana with meditation to create and experience that allows one total bliss and in-focus breathing. It has gained popularity in Toronto, Canada, but issues of legalization still dog the U.S.
What is ganga or cannabis-assisted yoga?
First of all, it is not something just for yogis; it can be practiced by anyone seeking to have more clarity and focus on the mind-body connection.
Picture a room with a several yogis or yoga-lovers. The conversation could be mere chats about world peace, healthy living, the proper way to smoke cannabis, all while blissfully taking in the effects of vaporizer tokes. Ambient music could be playing, the new age variety that takes you into another dimension.
Then, you dreamily begin a guided session of deliberate, rhythmic movements while a looming haze tickles the nape of your neck, bathes your senses, and relaxes your train of thought. An instructor beckons you to allow your mind to be free as your movements are guided by the music, ganja, and breath.
Pros and cons of ganja or cannabis-assisted yoga (MORE)
What is ganga or cannabis-assisted yoga?
First of all, it is not something just for yogis; it can be practiced by anyone seeking to have more clarity and focus on the mind-body connection.
Picture a room with a several yogis or yoga-lovers. The conversation could be mere chats about world peace, healthy living, the proper way to smoke cannabis, all while blissfully taking in the effects of vaporizer tokes. Ambient music could be playing, the new age variety that takes you into another dimension.
Then, you dreamily begin a guided session of deliberate, rhythmic movements while a looming haze tickles the nape of your neck, bathes your senses, and relaxes your train of thought. An instructor beckons you to allow your mind to be free as your movements are guided by the music, ganja, and breath.
Pros and cons of ganja or cannabis-assisted yoga (MORE)
Source: news-gather.com
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Ganja Yoga – Exercise or an Excuse to get High?
The newest craze in Toronto, Canada is ganja yoga. About a dozen yoga enthusiasts gather to smoke marijuana and then do yoga. Dee Dussault, who runs the sessions from her home, nicknamed ‘Follow Your Bliss’, say “When you’re high, you can focus on your breath”. Ganja yoga follows other new trends in yoga, such as ‘hot yoga’. ‘circus yoga’ and ‘hip-hop yoga’.
Dussault adds that there are benefits to smoking cannabis before doing yoga. “For some people, it makes them uninhibited and open to the idea of the heart chakra, for example.” Chakras are part of Indian medicine. Typically, many ‘gurus’ focus on seven chakras, parts of the body that affect your overall health and well being, including spiritually as well as physical. The Heart Chakra Dussault refers to is also known as the Anahata and influences the thymus and immune system, along with blood circulation and emotions of love and romance.
Marijuana s gaining in popularity as more U.S. states legalize it for medicinal purposes. A study by McGill University shows that smoking cannabis does help significantly in dealing with chronic pain. But not everyone is in agreement with combining pot with yoga. Monica Voss, also a Toronto-based yoga instructor with 30 years of experience, thinks it could be dangerous. “Some people might not be aware of their body when they’re high and maybe they would injure themselves.” (MORE)
Dussault adds that there are benefits to smoking cannabis before doing yoga. “For some people, it makes them uninhibited and open to the idea of the heart chakra, for example.” Chakras are part of Indian medicine. Typically, many ‘gurus’ focus on seven chakras, parts of the body that affect your overall health and well being, including spiritually as well as physical. The Heart Chakra Dussault refers to is also known as the Anahata and influences the thymus and immune system, along with blood circulation and emotions of love and romance.
Marijuana s gaining in popularity as more U.S. states legalize it for medicinal purposes. A study by McGill University shows that smoking cannabis does help significantly in dealing with chronic pain. But not everyone is in agreement with combining pot with yoga. Monica Voss, also a Toronto-based yoga instructor with 30 years of experience, thinks it could be dangerous. “Some people might not be aware of their body when they’re high and maybe they would injure themselves.” (MORE)
Source: Rightjuris.com
Friday, September 10, 2010
Tai Chi: Meditation In Motion
Tai chi is an ancient martial art which paradoxically promotes inner calm with a signature of deep breathing and fluidity of motion. Tai chi has been translated as "the grand ultimate fist", "supreme boxing" and "the root of all motion".
The Oriental belief that life is based on qi (pronounced "chee") is integral to tai chi. Qi is considered to be the energy that moves through us and when our qi is flowing freely, we live in health and balance.
Tai chi is gentle enough that even the frail, the ill, the injured and the convalescent can do it. And if they continue on, health benefits often follow.
Gerry Steinberg of Windsor, Ontario fell and broke his back 23 years ago. When his brother told him about a tai chi class at the local Senior Centre, Steinberg stopped by and met Master Henry Lee. (MORE)
The Oriental belief that life is based on qi (pronounced "chee") is integral to tai chi. Qi is considered to be the energy that moves through us and when our qi is flowing freely, we live in health and balance.
Tai chi is gentle enough that even the frail, the ill, the injured and the convalescent can do it. And if they continue on, health benefits often follow.
Gerry Steinberg of Windsor, Ontario fell and broke his back 23 years ago. When his brother told him about a tai chi class at the local Senior Centre, Steinberg stopped by and met Master Henry Lee. (MORE)
Source: EmpowHER
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Making Meditation Accessible
Meditation looks like the simplest thing in the world. After all, what could be easier than sitting on a cushion and doing nothing? For many who try meditation the simple answer is: anything. Why? Because when people begin to meditate and park themselves on their meditation cushions, their brains often hit Mach 5. They're often unable to stop from thinking about every little worry in their lives. In my early years of meditation, I would frequently rise from my cushion with a fresh to-do list. I was reminded of this recently when a group of yogis who hadn't had much luck in adult meditation classes asked if I could give their kids lessons for 40 days. I agreed, and now the yogis, along with a couple hundred people in our mindfulness together online community, are practicing mindfulness four minutes a day twice a day for 40 days.
How, then, to make meditation easier when you're starting out? (MORE)
How, then, to make meditation easier when you're starting out? (MORE)
Source: Huffington Post
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Fresh Ideas: Meditation Can Improve Mental, Physical Health
Years ago friends and colleagues began to meditate. At the same time, in my professional journals and at conferences, I learned how psychologists were teaching meditation and mindfulness to their clients to help treat depression, anxiety and self-destructiveness.
I thought I should learn: seminars, retreats and several books later I declared myself a meditation-flunky. Nonetheless, I persevered for my clients, regularly suggesting they meditate and diligently teaching them mindfulness skills. It wasn't until I found myself in a long stretch of painful emotions that I finally realized I needed to practice what I preach.
Meditation has its origins in Eastern religions; it has been practiced for thousands of years. There are different forms, but, basically meditation involves sitting quietly, with your eyes closed, slowly repeating a phrase or prayer over and over. Or, simply focusing on your breath as it flows in and out.
Typically, people begin practicing meditation much like I did: Looking for more emotional balance, to cope with illness, or to enhance overall health and well-being. Some people are searching for how to feel “more present” or “awakened” in life. (MORE)
I thought I should learn: seminars, retreats and several books later I declared myself a meditation-flunky. Nonetheless, I persevered for my clients, regularly suggesting they meditate and diligently teaching them mindfulness skills. It wasn't until I found myself in a long stretch of painful emotions that I finally realized I needed to practice what I preach.
Meditation has its origins in Eastern religions; it has been practiced for thousands of years. There are different forms, but, basically meditation involves sitting quietly, with your eyes closed, slowly repeating a phrase or prayer over and over. Or, simply focusing on your breath as it flows in and out.
Typically, people begin practicing meditation much like I did: Looking for more emotional balance, to cope with illness, or to enhance overall health and well-being. Some people are searching for how to feel “more present” or “awakened” in life. (MORE)
Source: Nevada Appeal
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Mindfulness: Beyond The Science
Scientific studies show the effects of mindfulness, but can they do justice to the transformation felt by many who practise it?
Each month, a digest of the latest research on mindfulness meditation lands in my inbox. The volume of studies has mushroomed in recent years – the most recent round-up (pdf) alone cites 35 new papers detailing effects on people with conditions such as heart disease and borderline personality disorder, the results of an innovative new mindfulness curriculum for schools, and the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction courses on the structure of the brain (it seems to reduce density in the amygdala).
If practising mindfulness can help people – and it appears to – then all this evidence can only be a good thing. Whereas for years meditation's public image was stuck in the 1960s, tainted with hippie self-indulgence or new-age flakiness, now it's being taken seriously by everyone from top academics to US congressman and government departments. (MORE)
Each month, a digest of the latest research on mindfulness meditation lands in my inbox. The volume of studies has mushroomed in recent years – the most recent round-up (pdf) alone cites 35 new papers detailing effects on people with conditions such as heart disease and borderline personality disorder, the results of an innovative new mindfulness curriculum for schools, and the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction courses on the structure of the brain (it seems to reduce density in the amygdala).
If practising mindfulness can help people – and it appears to – then all this evidence can only be a good thing. Whereas for years meditation's public image was stuck in the 1960s, tainted with hippie self-indulgence or new-age flakiness, now it's being taken seriously by everyone from top academics to US congressman and government departments. (MORE)
Source: The Guardian
Monday, September 6, 2010
Play Meditation Like a Video Game
Meditation requires a balance of effort and relaxation. Too much effort makes meditation tiring and unsustainable, while too little effort causes you to lose your grip on your attention. The classical analogy for this balance is having just the right tension on the strings of a sitar. If the strings are too tight, they break easily, but if they are too loose, they cannot produce beautiful notes. So the strings need to be in the "Goldilocks zone" of being not too tight and not too loose.
A very common question among people learning meditation is how to find and maintain this balance. I suggest one fun way of doing it is to play it like a video game. When playing a game on the XBox, it is most fun when the difficulty setting makes the game just difficult enough to be challenging, but not so difficult that you'll lose every time. So I like to start a game at a "beginners" setting and increase the difficulty as I get better at it. We can play the same way in meditation, especially since we get to control the difficulty setting. Initially, we can make the game easy. For example, we can tell ourselves, "If I can sit for just five minutes, and I can maintain a solid attention on my breath for ten continuous breaths anytime during these five minutes, I win!" If you can beat the game at this difficulty setting say ninety percent of the time, you can increase the difficulty setting for more fun. Once again, the key is to create just enough difficulty to be challenging, but not enough to discourage you. (MORE)
A very common question among people learning meditation is how to find and maintain this balance. I suggest one fun way of doing it is to play it like a video game. When playing a game on the XBox, it is most fun when the difficulty setting makes the game just difficult enough to be challenging, but not so difficult that you'll lose every time. So I like to start a game at a "beginners" setting and increase the difficulty as I get better at it. We can play the same way in meditation, especially since we get to control the difficulty setting. Initially, we can make the game easy. For example, we can tell ourselves, "If I can sit for just five minutes, and I can maintain a solid attention on my breath for ten continuous breaths anytime during these five minutes, I win!" If you can beat the game at this difficulty setting say ninety percent of the time, you can increase the difficulty setting for more fun. Once again, the key is to create just enough difficulty to be challenging, but not enough to discourage you. (MORE)
Source: Huffington Post
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Food Meditation Helps Kids Eat Healthier
With the fast pace of the American culture, more times then intended, our nutritional intake takes a hit. We rush around from activity to activity, errand to errand, forgetting to slow down and truly take care of ourselves and our nutritional needs.
I may go as far as saying we are the generation of "Grab and Go." Too many times, we grab what we can and then eat on the run. When I asked the Alluem Kids how often they take time to sit around the table and eat dinner together, the consensus was they do more eating on the go. My challenge to the kids was to bring back mindful eating. Take time with your food.
Orange Meditation:
Handing an orange to each child...they held it with both hands, simply being grateful for having that orange. We recognized that there are people in the world without food and that we are lucky to have such an abundance in our lives.
We then thought about where that orange came from...how it grew...who picked the fruit...cleaned it...brought it to the supermarket for us to buy. We recognized that a lot goes into getting food from the land it came from to our very hands. Then we smelt the orange - taking deep breaths in and out. Rolling it between our palms, intensifying the scent, we took the time to actually enjoy the yummy citrus scent.(MORE)
I may go as far as saying we are the generation of "Grab and Go." Too many times, we grab what we can and then eat on the run. When I asked the Alluem Kids how often they take time to sit around the table and eat dinner together, the consensus was they do more eating on the go. My challenge to the kids was to bring back mindful eating. Take time with your food.
Orange Meditation:
Handing an orange to each child...they held it with both hands, simply being grateful for having that orange. We recognized that there are people in the world without food and that we are lucky to have such an abundance in our lives.
We then thought about where that orange came from...how it grew...who picked the fruit...cleaned it...brought it to the supermarket for us to buy. We recognized that a lot goes into getting food from the land it came from to our very hands. Then we smelt the orange - taking deep breaths in and out. Rolling it between our palms, intensifying the scent, we took the time to actually enjoy the yummy citrus scent.(MORE)
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Meditation the Key for Increased Well- Being in Teen Boys: Study
It’s always been a known fact that meditation is good for health for it keeps the mind calm and balanced.
And a new study has further added a new dimension to it that claims that ‘mindfulness’ meditation enhances the mental health and overall well being in the teenage boys. The concept of ‘mindfulness’ meditation has been defined as the process of becoming more aware of the nearby surroundings.
Confirming the outcome of the study, Professor Felicia Huppert said, “Calming the mind and observing experiences with curiosity and acceptance not only reduces stress but helps with attention control and emotion regulation - skills which are valuable both inside and outside the classroom”.
In the study undertaken by the researchers from the University of Cambridge, concepts like awareness and acceptance were encompassed in the meditation classes. Further, the 14 and 15 year-old boys, by noting their contact with the chairs or the floor, they were taught to observe bodily consciousness. Further, emphasis was laid more on their breathing, and also on all the sensations, which entailed in walking.
(MORE)
And a new study has further added a new dimension to it that claims that ‘mindfulness’ meditation enhances the mental health and overall well being in the teenage boys. The concept of ‘mindfulness’ meditation has been defined as the process of becoming more aware of the nearby surroundings.
Confirming the outcome of the study, Professor Felicia Huppert said, “Calming the mind and observing experiences with curiosity and acceptance not only reduces stress but helps with attention control and emotion regulation - skills which are valuable both inside and outside the classroom”.
In the study undertaken by the researchers from the University of Cambridge, concepts like awareness and acceptance were encompassed in the meditation classes. Further, the 14 and 15 year-old boys, by noting their contact with the chairs or the floor, they were taught to observe bodily consciousness. Further, emphasis was laid more on their breathing, and also on all the sensations, which entailed in walking.
(MORE)
Source: Top News
Friday, September 3, 2010
Yoga Deals With Anxiety And Depression
Practicing yoga may help relive one’s anxiety and depression.
In humans, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is directly responsible for the regulation of muscle tone. Low GABA levels are associated with depression and other widespread anxiety disorders.
To study the association between yoga and changes in mood and anxiety, researchers followed 34 Americans with no significant medical / psychiatric disorders, who were randomised to yoga or walking for an hour thrice a week for three months. Mood and anxiety scales were taken at weeks 0, four, eight, 12, and before each magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan. Researchers compared the brain gamma-aminobutyric acids (GABA) levels of yoga participants with those who spent time walking.
It was found that those who practiced yoga had a significant decrease in anxiety and greater improvements in mood than those who simply walked.
The study suggests that yoga can be effective in improving mood and relieving anxiety.
In humans, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is directly responsible for the regulation of muscle tone. Low GABA levels are associated with depression and other widespread anxiety disorders.
To study the association between yoga and changes in mood and anxiety, researchers followed 34 Americans with no significant medical / psychiatric disorders, who were randomised to yoga or walking for an hour thrice a week for three months. Mood and anxiety scales were taken at weeks 0, four, eight, 12, and before each magnetic resonance spectroscopy scan. Researchers compared the brain gamma-aminobutyric acids (GABA) levels of yoga participants with those who spent time walking.
It was found that those who practiced yoga had a significant decrease in anxiety and greater improvements in mood than those who simply walked.
The study suggests that yoga can be effective in improving mood and relieving anxiety.
Source: NDTV
Thursday, September 2, 2010
‘Mindfulness’ Meditation Helps Teens
'Mindfulness' meditation, the process of becoming more aware of one's surroundings, improves mental health and well being in teenage boys, says a new study.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that after meditation, 14 and 15 year-old boys were found to have increased well-being, defined as the combination of feeling good (including positive emotions such as happiness, contentment, interest and affection) and functioning well.
"Our study demonstrates that this type of training improves well-being in adolescents and that the more they practice, the greater the benefits. Importantly, many of the students genuinely enjoyed the exercises and said they intended to continue them," said Professor Felicia Huppert.
"Another significant aspect of this study is that adolescents who suffered from higher levels of anxiety were the ones who benefitted most from the training," she added.
The meditation classes covered the concepts of awareness and acceptance, and taught the schoolboys such things as how to practice bodily awareness by noticing where they were in contact with their chairs or the floor, paying attention to their breathing, and noticing all the sensations involved in walking. (MORE)
Researchers from the University of Cambridge found that after meditation, 14 and 15 year-old boys were found to have increased well-being, defined as the combination of feeling good (including positive emotions such as happiness, contentment, interest and affection) and functioning well.
"Our study demonstrates that this type of training improves well-being in adolescents and that the more they practice, the greater the benefits. Importantly, many of the students genuinely enjoyed the exercises and said they intended to continue them," said Professor Felicia Huppert.
"Another significant aspect of this study is that adolescents who suffered from higher levels of anxiety were the ones who benefitted most from the training," she added.
The meditation classes covered the concepts of awareness and acceptance, and taught the schoolboys such things as how to practice bodily awareness by noticing where they were in contact with their chairs or the floor, paying attention to their breathing, and noticing all the sensations involved in walking. (MORE)
Source: Times of India
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
7 Tips Inspired By Monasteries to De-Stress Your Home
What does a monastery have that your home doesn't? A lot less stress, for starters. Take a look at some basic monastic practices and see how easy it is to steal some serenity for yourself.
Not long ago, a tour bus stopped in front of my house and two dozen visitors disembarked. They'd come to view the 100-year-old Japanese garden in my backyard. Without a word of instruction, they spontaneously merged into a single file and advanced soundlessly along the suburban sidewalk like an order of monks, albeit monks in khaki shorts and ball caps with cameras strung from their necks.
It happened by itself, an autonomic response to the pervasive calm of the environment. When these guests leave, they might attribute their sudden state of reverence to some unseen spiritual power. Maybe the place is sacred, they might think. Mystically endowed, holy.
I thought about this recently when I was asked to come up with some simple tips for de-stressing a home. If I live on hallowed ground, I might have an unfair advantage in handling stress. Except I don't. I stress out just as easily as anyone, but by managing my environment, I de-stress easily too. (MORE)
Not long ago, a tour bus stopped in front of my house and two dozen visitors disembarked. They'd come to view the 100-year-old Japanese garden in my backyard. Without a word of instruction, they spontaneously merged into a single file and advanced soundlessly along the suburban sidewalk like an order of monks, albeit monks in khaki shorts and ball caps with cameras strung from their necks.
It happened by itself, an autonomic response to the pervasive calm of the environment. When these guests leave, they might attribute their sudden state of reverence to some unseen spiritual power. Maybe the place is sacred, they might think. Mystically endowed, holy.
I thought about this recently when I was asked to come up with some simple tips for de-stressing a home. If I live on hallowed ground, I might have an unfair advantage in handling stress. Except I don't. I stress out just as easily as anyone, but by managing my environment, I de-stress easily too. (MORE)
Source: Huffington Post
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