Steve Pfaff asked:

There are many great reasons for practicing meditation and many methods available to learn. Here is a clear and concise list you can use when shopping for a style to learn or to evaluate the mediation practice you already have.

1. Only 20-25 minutes long.

If some is good, more must be better, right? Wrong. It is much better to have short focused effective sessions that leave us both relaxed and energized. If we invest too much time, excuses to skip this time become more likely. And in the long run, we eventually stop meditating. It is okay for the advanced meditator to have longer sessions, but only if the entire session is productive.

2. Begin with relaxation and deep breathing.

During your meditation you will eventually forget about your breathing and it will become slow and shallow as your become more relaxed. Beginning the meditation with imaging blowing out the stresses of the day combined with deep breaths out is a great way to relieve tension. Both the imagination and the deep breaths send the signal to our subconscious to slow down.

3. Music without words.

Some teachers advocate silence or using mantras to reach a sort of trance state. In truth you can reach a much deeper and much more clear place by not having any words in your brain. With some practice, it is much easier to achieve this state if you have headphones on and are listening to music. The music provides a sort of "mental bubble gum" for your brain. It keeps your brain occupied so it doesn't feel the need to fill the silence with words. Also to prevent feeding the need of your brain to have words present, the music can't have any words. At least any words in a language you understand. Also the type of music; the beat, the style, etc, can create an emotional response in you making your meditation much more effective. Upbeat music can leave you energized. Slower relaxing music can take you to deeper states of relaxation.

4. Binaural audio and headphones.

Listening to music on headphones with embedded binaural beats of the proper frequency enhances meditation. The binaural beats will naturally start to slow your brainwaves down and cause the hemisphere of your brain to start to synchronize. Unfortunately this is only an advantage for the beginning meditator. These audio tracks are not recommend for advanced practitioners and will actually keep them from reaching more profound states of consciousness.

5. Touch and focus on chakras.

Focusing on the bodies chakra points is an ancient and important part of meditation. Older system of meditation often required focus on each of the seven main chakra points in sequence. More and more often, modern styles have reduced this to three specific chakra points; Chi chakra, heart chakra and mind chakra. Nearby chakras are affected nearly as much as the chakra of focus and a lot of time is saved. Creating a more repeatable and focused experience. Missing from most teachings is the fact that you actually need to touch the chakra point with your hand; specifically the tips of two fingers. The high nerve density in your hand serves to increase your focus and keep your mind from wandering.

6. Both guided and unguided versions of the music.

The best meditation music tracks also need to have two versions. The first version includes voice instructions over the music for learning proper technique. The guided version should be used by the advanced student once per week to make sure their form stays sharp. The second version has no instructions and is for daily use. The unguided version is where really deep states of mind are reached.

7. Twice per day.

I hate to say it but improvement takes effort, just mastering at any other skill. If you want to be a great author, you have to write, write, write. If you want to get in better shape, you have to consistently go the gym and work out. If you want to become a great surgeon, you have to continually practice your skills by performing surgeries. One meditation per day is good and you will improve if you only meditate once per day. But the optimum number is twice per day. This still is a small investment of time, but reaching this state of mind twice per day for day 20 minutes each works much better than one 40 minute meditation. And the more often you reach these deeper states of mind during meditation, the more likely the skills you learn from meditation will bleed over into the rest of your day.

For more information visit Higher Balance.

Meditation Goods

Winsome Coutts asked:

Why Meditate?

Scientists and doctors study meditation and recommend it. Meditation is now proven to be more than just a 'warm and fuzzy' feeling. It works. So there are many reasons why people begin to meditate. Some learn meditation to become more relaxed, for improvement in health, to reduce stress, for clearer thinking, to become more creative, to sleep better and to improve mental strength. There are physical, emotional and spiritual Benefits of Meditation. It's safe, it's simple and it's free.

People who are not familiar with meditation may consider it to be prayer or worship, but this is far from the truth. Meditation can be described as concentrated awareness, so as you overcome distractions and focus your mind on something you are becoming aware; you are meditating when you maintain a continued state of awareness. There are a wide range of disciplines taught for bringing your attention on to some object or thought or awareness. In fact what happens in the process is that meditation moves your brainwaves into an alpha state. This is a relaxed state with a level of consciousness where you are still aware. In the alpha state learning and healing are promoted.

Brainwaves Brainwaves are electrical activity emanating from the brain. There are four categories of brainwaves as shown below: Beta (alert/working): 15 to 40 hertz, Alpha (relaxed/reflecting): 9 to 14 hertz, Theta (drowsy): 5 to 8 hertz, Delta (sleep/dreaming): 3 to 4 hertz, Delta (deep dreamless sleep): 1.5 to 3 hertz *Hertz = cycles per second.

In the alpha state your brainwaves run between 9 to 14 cycles per second or hertz, compared with your normal waking state beta: of 15 to 40 hertz. Deeper states of relaxation move through theta, delta to the deepest delta, which is a highly creative state of relaxation.

In fact you are meditating when you focus on birds singing, to the exclusion of all other thoughts, or staring into the fire, just focusing on that, or concentrating on your breath coming in and out, thinking of nothing else.

Traditionally Eastern cultures have practiced meditation for centuries as part of their spiritual teachings, and until recently, say the last 30 or 40 years, Westerners viewed meditation with a bit of suspicion. Now, the benefits are so well documented and experienced by so many that it has become common practice for many doctors and health practitioners to recommend meditation as part of their healing plan.

There are two basic techniques of meditating and the different practices fall in to either of these two categories, with some variations possible. In mindfulness meditation the meditator sits in a comfortable position and focuses his attention and awareness on an object or activity; such as a candle, breathing, a visualization or a mantra, keeping an open focus and awareness of the present moment as he does so. This method allows for free flowing and observing of his thoughts while using the focus as an 'anchor' he constantly brings his mind back to the focus, when he starts to wander off in to different thoughts.

With concentration meditation which is used by most spiritual and religious traditions, the meditator keeps his attention on a particular object like repetition of a prayer or a mantra to minimize distractions, and continually brings his mind back to the chosen object. Lawrence LeShan defined meditation in 'How to Meditate' as "doing one thing at a time with your whole being".

In some traditions both mindful and concentration meditation are combined.

It is possible to practice meditation even while walking or doing simple repetitive tasks. It is in moments when your mind is clear that you get that 'realization', 'inspiration' or 'BFO' (blinding flash of the obvious). "AHA" you say, as something miraculously pops in to your head.

Learn How to Meditate You can attend sessions somewhere in your city, usually free, to learn how to meditate. There are many books and tapes to help you, most of them excellent aids. It is easy and simple to learn. There are many tools to help you move into a meditative state. The one I absolutely love is the Holosync audio tapes from Centrepointe (centerpointe.com) (I don't lightly recommend products, but this advanced Neuro technology is light years ahead of anything else I have tried and read about. I use it daily).

When you practice meditation regularly you begin to liberate the energy in your mind and the quality of your consciousness will expand. You will become more relaxed and happy, experiencing a sense of control of your life. You tend to approach life in a much more peaceful manner, not stressing in ways you might have done previously. This is not just a generalized statement, but is now being proven by empirical research.

I maintain wholeheartedly that meditation is truly beneficial. Do try it.

MP3 Meditation

MIKE SELVON asked:

Learning how to meditate has recently become quite a popular trend in the US and other Western countries. Although there was a time when meditation practice was associated more with hippies, beatniks and nonconformists, today it has found wide acceptance, and meditation techniques have become quite sought-after. While various forms of meditations have been practiced for thousands of years in other parts of the world, it seems that the West is finally catching on to the many positive benefits.

In recent years, an increasingly expanding list of professional athletes, celebrities and business leaders have been learning how to meditate for themselves. These high-profile people have also been more and more willing to speak up and share the benefits they have received from meditation techniques. In some instances, coaches of professional or college sports teams, leaders and owners of businesses have introduced meditation practices to their teams and/or employees to help improve performance.

There are a number of different ways that people can learn how to meditate these days. For many years, the only real option was to attend a retreat that featured a staff of instructors who would lead the group through the basics of meditation techniques. Such retreats were often expensive and limited in the number of people who could attend.

Many different books have been published over the years to teach meditation. But, somehow trying to learn meditation through a book was a challenging task for many. As a result, many people were not able to experience the full benefits of meditation and in some ways were even left with a negative experience, simply because they were not utilizing the best learning method.

These days there are many guided meditations on CD, as well as MP3 downloads. These mediums are an easier and more effective way to introduce people to mediation. Most of the time, once they become familiar and comfortable with this practice, they are able to expand and meditate on their own or with special meditation music.

Another popular way to learn how to mediate is with DVDs or online videos. For many people, it really makes more sense to stick with the guided meditations that they can receive as an audio file, because many of the DVDs are simply an introduction to the meditation practice. In most forms of meditation, the person's eyes are closed and so they will not be watching a video, although the DVD might include a section of meditation music for the person to use.

Once a person learns the basics of how to meditate, they can customize their practice to suit their own needs and to support their own spiritual journey. They may move on to learn Zen meditation, transcendental meditation, or some other form, and in many cases they will develop a practice that borrows elements from various meditation techniques.

Meditation Books for Beginner

MindMusicandMeditation asked:

arn meditation is not difficult.

You sit in a quiet place for 10 - 40 minutes and focus on your breathing, a sound, a chant or mantra. Whether you use a mantra or chant or not is entirely up to you and what you’re comfortable with.

What is a mantra?

The Sanskrit word mantra comes from the root “man” - which means “to think” (or, in manas “mind”) and the suffix “tra” - which means “tool.” Literally, a “mantra” means an “instrument of thought”.

When you repeat a sound, such as OM (rhymes with home) or Ara Kara (AH-ruh KAH-ruh) there is a vibration you'll feel from the sound if you say it out loud. Mantras are effective whether you say them out loud (soft verbal chanting) or whether you repeat them mentally, silently in your mind. That’s the simple part.

When You Learn Meditation, Quieting the Mind is More Difficult Than Quieting the Body

If you’ve tried meditating, you know what often happens. You turn off the phone. Dim the lights. Perhaps you light a scented candle or incense if you find scent to be calming. For the first few minutes, all goes well. Then the mind chatter starts. And your foot goes numb. And your arm gets itchy. So now you’re squirming and wondering how long it’s been. Ooops. You start the chant again. Quieting your body is easy. Quieting the mind is not quite as easy. That’s the hard part of trying to learn meditation.

Tips For Learning Meditation

There are so many benefits to learning meditation that it’s worth your while to persist. These tips will help you learn meditation successfully;

Don’t meditate on a full stomach. Wait an hour or two after eating before meditating. Don’t meditate with candy or food in your mouth. Choose an uncluttered area for meditation. Surroundings affect state of mind. Turn off the phone and eliminate any potential distractions Dim the lights if possible. If you find scent to be relaxing, light a scented candle or incense. Learn meditation gradually. Start with 10-15 minutes and work up over time. Meditation Music & Brain Entrainment

Many people find that meditation music helps clear the mind. Gentle tracks without lyrics, such as nature sounds or music specifically for meditation can help you train your brain to relax.

In addition to relaxation meditation, there are audio tracks that will help you entrain your mind to achieve different responses from deep relaxation to improved concentration, and intense focus. It’s as simple as putting on an audio track and just listening. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

Meditation Books for Beginner

Marti Self asked:

Make no mistake, the stressors of everyday life are overwhelming for everyone. Because we need to relieve these stressors to be everything we can be, it is important to turn to resources to help us achieve what we cannot do alone. Conventional medicine is not the answer; rather, the ability to go within for peace of mind is the preferred method on the road to mindfulness and inner healing. Meditation is the “quiet answer.”

Don’t be confused by the jargon of meditation from the ‘60s. Meditation is merely going within, but this is a practice that none of us can accomplish without direction and help. Today’s world moves too fast and we are products of a society which ignores the practice of “quiet time” to go within.

With meditation, the things that we view do not change; it is our mind that changes – and when our mind changes, we can see fullness and connectedness, as well as individuality and separateness, in all things we view. Healing comes from within and is often a product of attitudinal and emotional transformation, accompanied by major reduction in physical symptoms and improvement in our physical condition.

Meditation is, quite simply, conscious relaxation. We start by paying attention to our breathing. Counting our breaths from one to ten, while clearing our mind of all other "clutter," enables each of us to manage the daily concerns that crowd our lives. Everyone deserves this kind of personal attention! Through meditation, we are empowered to be capable of having the life we love. The world is simply a better place when we practice meditation. Through meditation, we come to "live on purpose."

Meditation techniques involve a transformation process through which we recognize negative thoughts and change them to peaceful and positive thoughts. By using this self-healing process, we can avoid chronic stress that often leads to disease of the body.

We must remember to be very patient when we meditate, as the mind does not always want to focus. A sense of expectation can create pressure and interfere with the enjoyment of the experience of meditation. Practiced regularly, meditation provides a wonderful sense of the self and embraces the positive attitude that makes all things possible in our lives.

My personal favorite meditation program was developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. This amazing approach rescues us from the damage of stress. In “Full Catastrophe Living,” Dr. Kabat-Zinn has created a practical guide to mindfulness meditation and healing. He explains the power of paying attention and increasing awareness.

The title is adopted from “Zorba the Greek” in which Anthony Quinn’s title character proclaims he has experienced “the full catastrophe” of the ups and downs of family life. In “Full Catastrophe Living,” Dr. Kabat-Zinn reminds us of Zorba’s philosophy that all things are extraordinary, even miraculous.

This program was developed to help people cope with chronic pain, both post-surgical and traumatic, for which there is no medicinal relief. In his stress clinic, Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s clients often have sudden and dramatic experiences during meditation that lead them to new ways of seeing the stressors – and pain sources – in their lives. Out of this shift of perspective comes an ability to acutely deal with our issues with greater balance and inner security.

Tapes are included that provide guidance for a body scan that allows us to separate from our physical selves and relate to the more spiritual essence which we all share. Laying still and concentrating on relaxing our entire body – and staying awake in the process – allows us to see both ourselves and our problems from a perspective of wholeness. This practice allows us to change our perspective from feeling out of control to a sense of acceptance and inner peace and control.

Another favorite is "8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind, Change Your Life" by Victor Davich. Offering a simple no-nonsense approach to help reduce stress and experience increased focus, this program teaches the basic principles of meditation on a simplified basis for the beginner.

Davich has practiced meditation for more than 25 years and has studied with some of the finest teachers, bringing the full spectrum of his knowledge in this work for those of us who may have been swayed by the many myths surrounding meditation.

For those who wish to manifest changes in our lives, I recommend "Meditations for Manifesting: Morning and Evening Meditations to Literally Create Your Heart's Desire" by Wayne Dyer. This audio CD, complete with background music, propels the meditation without overwhelming the primary focus of the breathing and necessary affirmations for bringing about positive results in our lives.

Wayne Dyer is a true "renaissance man," creating a medium for all of us to change our lives through the power of meditation and focus. You must be prepared to suspend all your disbeliefs and be assured that whatever you are manifesting will come into your life. Be careful, though! Use this with caution and prepare to be amazed. The Universe responds and gives us what we tell it to. Once your intention is clear, things that you meditate upon will come into your life instantly. Change the way you think and you change your life!

Meditation Goods

Michael McGrath asked:

Deep meditative states can be created eaily through the power of the Holosync Solution. Holosync is a cutting-edge self improvement tool that uses the latest scientific discoveries in sound technology to slow your brainwaves.

Meditation and mastering your brainwaves is the key to realizing your dreams, ambitions and achieving your goals in life. If you can master your brainwaves you can master your life!

Traditionally the only way to slow down your brainwaves was through meditation. There have been many studies and much research conducted into the benefits of meditation. People who regularly practise meditation are healthier, more emotionally balanced, less stressed and to a greater or lesser degree they are happier.

After many years of practise it is possible to meditate and program your brain with your specific goals. Re-programming the subconscious mind in this way can have dramatic positive effects on your life.

Experienced meditators can bring themselves, quickly, into the alpha brainwave state and use affirmations or visualizations to program their mind for success. Many studies and a lot of research data supports the belief that using visualization and/or affirmations as part of goal-setting dramatically increases your chances of achieving that goal.

Fortunately though, you do not need to learn meditation or spend years perfecting it anymore. With Holosync you can, within a few short minutes, enter into deep meditative states and start to reap the rewards. This means Holosync can give you all the benefits of meditation without the years of effort learning how to do it!

If Holosync is used daily, as prescribed, the health, mental and physical benefits you receive will be identical to those you would receive if you learned how to meditate the traditional way. However, Holosync gets results much quicker.

If you were to learn meditation it may take you many years to perfect the deeper states. Knowing how to enter these deeper states, where you dramatically lower your brainwave frequenies, can take a life-time to learn. However, with Holosync you enter these states on the very first listening.

This means that using Holosync allows you to bypass the years of toil and struggle you must dedicate to learning the art of deep meditation. Holosync instantly provides the necessary stimuli to create the specific brainwaves needed to enter deep meditative states.

Some of the benefits of Holosync, that users have reported, include:

1. Deep meditation.

2. Deep relaxation.

3. Increased calmness.

4. Decreased Stress.

5. More Creativity.

6. Increased Focus.

7. Better Problem Solving.

8. Better Retention of Learned Information.

9. And More Confidence

10.And many more.

However, Holosync does not just slow down your brainwaves or produce specific brainwave frequencies. Although this, in itself, is highly beneficial to your health there is another positive by-product of using holosync which is extremely important.

Using Holosync you will align both hemispheres of your brain to create whole-brain synchronization. Both hemispheres of the brain become aligned, harmonious and function as one unit. Under normal circumstances one or other of the hemispheres of the brain is predominant. Either the right hemisphere or the left hemisphere is dominant. To simplify this we can say you are either more creative or more analytical.

With whole-brain functionality, created by Holosync, you can unleash the side of you that has been dormant.

In addition, using Holosync, allows you to be creative and analytical at the same time. You can tap into your intuition while also being able to make practical analytical decisions.

The whole-brain functioning produced by Holosync also makes you much more productive as both hemispheres of your brain work together in harmony.

These benefits are also produced by sustained, regular meditative practices. However with Holosync you can do it in a fraction of the time.

The power behind the Holosync recordings is binaural beats. However unlike other recordings that use this technology, Holosync uses binaural beats in a very specific way to deliberately entrain the brain through a series of deepening audios that gradually entrain the brain to its highest functionality - this approach is unique to Holosync and it seems to be the only binaural beats program the continuall increases the benefits of its meditations.

This means that sustained use of Holosync means you retain all the benefits of its use for life! Now as I previously mentioned you can get the same results from practising meditation but, if you are like the average person, the time it takes to learn this ancient art is in years if not decades. Holosync does it instantly.

How to Meditation

Bertil Hjert asked:

With meditation attaining a lot of popularity these days, many people have expressed their curiosity to learn this unique form of art. However, people are confused on how to go about it.

The reason is that with so much of commotion existing in our lives and the stress we face on a daily basis, it has become extremely difficult for an individual to practice meditation through self help and obtain benefits out of it.

This is the reason that several experienced and those who have been practicing meditation for years have come forward and offered help to people who are really serious about learning meditation. They have started meditation classes so that students can visit these classes, experience and learn different techniques.

Those who want to meditate and are unable to find support, a meditation class will be the best opportunity to learn meditation.

- Here are certain options of meditation class if you want to learn it seriously:

For neophytes the best option is to attend a meditation class or purchase a guide audio course. This will provide you a full fledged idea about what meditation actually is. It is very easy and comfortable to learn under the guidance of a teacher, especially if you are a beginner. This is because meditating in the beginning is extremely difficult.

Most people find it impossible to focus on a particular thing. This is because several thoughts, problems and bad memories keep hitting their mind. You would be simply amazed to know that on an average, a normal individual cannot stay still and focused for more than one minute. It is surprising but true. The reason is that we are so engrossed in our problems and the commotion that we face in our daily lives, that we don’t realize the stillness, calmness and peace residing deep within us.

You can even prefer group meditation classes. These classes are very important when it comes to finding solitude and peace outside home.

Group meditation classes help in enhancing collective consciousness. It is a kind of process that appears when people in collection with their minds function together and aim for a common purpose in meditation. Now, this is possible only if the environment allows you to do so. The environment should be peaceful enough for a group of people to be able to meditate together without any hustle bustle or commotion.

When it comes to a good meditation class, you need to find out a good coach. Make sure that the coach is experienced and well known. Teaching meditation is not easy, one needs to acquire a lot of experience and skill for this art.

Try to visit many of the institutions that hold meditation classes prior to deciding on enrolling yourself into one. Meet the coach personally and try to ask certain questions and doubts that you have regarding meditation and learning meditation. This will allow you to judge the skill of the coach.

Join a meditation class today if you want to understand the true meaning of life.

Brain Wave

alex asked:

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, you find yourself with a few minutes to spare and the time to contemplate your surroundings. Carrying a cool glass of water and wearing your most comfortable sandals, you retreat to your back porch and take a moment to sit and admire the scene.

As you comfortably sit in your lounge chair and listen to the birds, you feel the breeze brush your skin, and little by little you allow yourself to take deeper breaths and release any and all things that were burdening you just moments before.

After a few minutes, you “wake up” from this conscious vacation to discover that more than ten minutes have passed and you were not even aware of the ticking of time; let alone your removed mental state. While this scene may not seem unfamiliar to you, the name for what you experienced during that time may surprise you.

This experience was the act of being in a meditative state.

Stereotypical barriers.

Due to popular media avenues such as film and television, the act of meditation has long been associated with distant lands and individuals living in seclusion and with minimal material possessions. These ‘characters’ are portrayed as people who sit for hours, their eyes closed, their beards overgrown, and most often, speaking in riddles. And while the media has successfully implanted these images, the word itself usually triggers thoughts of devoted Yogis, monks, and other religiously affiliated personalities. And yet, every day, to some degree, average people engage in private meditation; breaking the stereotype of what meditation should look like.

What is meditation?

Rob Nairn, author of “What is Mediation” (Shambhala Publications, 1999), defines meditation as a state of “bare attention”, he goes on to explain that while in meditation, a person remains “present” and aware; neither adding nor subtracting to the experience. The individual takes a moment to exist and experience the moment without placing thoughts or judgments on that which may be happening around them.

On a scientific level, meditation increases the emission of alpha state brainwaves which bring about feelings of relaxation. Alpha brainwaves are similar to the feeling one could experience while in the midst of a daydream. It is no wonder that those who meditate claim to experience a decrease in anxiety and depression.

How do you meditate?

The manner in which an individual meditates depends on personal preference. To assist in the development of this preference, a number of tools and practices are available to assist in reaching the coveted relaxation and alpha state.

The easiest avenue and method of meditation is to allow your mind to wander freely while contemplating a beautiful scene, listening to calming music, or hearing uninterrupted nature-focused recordings. Sitting in a quiet space that is free from distractions offers a great start to this process.

For those that have difficulty relaxing in silence, or are unable to cease their mind from thoughts, guided meditations, such as Serenity (available from http://meditationsolution.com ) provide an audio guide that incorporates sounds, visual instruction, and the utilization of binaural beats to assist and enhance the meditative experience.

What are binaural beats and how do they help in meditation?

Binaural beats were discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove in 1839, and provided insight into how the brain ‘hears’ and focuses on sounds. By bringing both parts of the brain to focus on the binaural beat, the consciousness is directed towards the sound and not the extraneous environmental occurrences. Further, by utilizing binaural beats in guided meditations, such as the Serenity meditation CD, listeners are aided in reaching an alpha state within a shorter period of time and to experience the slow moving delta state (the state experienced during dreamless sleep).

For a free sample of the far-reaching effects of binaural beats in a guided meditation, visit (http://www.hypnoticyogi.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=6&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=21&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=28 ) and download Meditation Solutions’ Serenity meditation CD.

What are some of the benefits of meditation?

In an article published by Psychology Today Magazine (The Science of Meditation; May/June 2001), it states that some of the findings involving the benefits of meditation include:

· Aids in the reversal of heart disease.

· Reduction in pain and enhancement of the body’s immune system.

· Reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression.

· Aids in anger management.

· Encourages self-reflection.

· Assists in creating more loving approach to relationships and life as a whole.

· Aids in positive outlook and potentiality.

These are just a few of the numerous benefits that meditation can offer you in your day-to-day.

Putting it all into to practice.

In conclusion, it’s time to retire the media-generated stereotypes on meditation. Having a better understanding of what a meditative state is and how you can attain and enhance your life by way of utilizing simple tools and your surroundings could not only bring you an inner balance, but also extend your life experience.

For more information, and to download or purchase the Serenity Meditation CD, please visit our site at: http://meditationsolution.com.

HowToMeditation.Net

Peter Williamson asked:

With our busy lives, it is hard to get the time to even try simple meditation. This is where the idea of Guided Meditation comes in. Guided Meditation is having someone assist you to gain a meditative state. Meditation is a mental discipline by which someone attempts to get beyond the conditioned, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness. Having someone assist this process is 'Guided meditation'.

Guided Meditation involves turning attention to a single point of reference. There are various authors that have produced Audio CDs that provide guided meditation.Dr Sarah Edelman is an Australian psychologist that specialises in CBT (cognative behaviour therapy). Sarah Edelman worked for many years as a research psychologist at the University of Technology Sydney, and has published several articles on the use of CBT with cancer patients. Dr Sarah Edelman has produced several CDs designed to help people relax using guided meditation techniques. One of Sarah Edelman's most popular CDs is "Letting go of Anxiety". She also conducts workshops for mental health practitioners and employees in industry, and provides training for psychologists at the Black Dog Institute, Sydney. In 2002, Sarah published a book, now in its second edition, titled ‘Change your Thinking – positive and practical ways to overcome negative emotions,stress and self defeating behaviour using CBT.

Ian Gawler is is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected authorities on mind/body medicine and meditation. Ian Gawler produces a wide range of audio CDs including Guided Meditation. Also, Ian is well known as an advocate of self-help techniques and a healthy lifestyle. A long-term cancer survivor, he was diagnosed with bone cancer and his right leg was amputated in 1975. However, the disease recurred later that year. Drawing upon a truly integrated approach, Ian was fortunate to experience a remarkable recovery. Ian Gawler runs workshops to help cancer patients.

Jon Kabat-Zinn is a very well know advocate for Mindfulness Meditation, He produces several Audio CD of guided meditation. Jon Kabat-Zinn is Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

MP3 Meditation

Gerald Solfanelli asked:

Since 1997, Herbert Benson, of the Harvard Medical School, has reaffirmed that "Sixty to ninety percent of [doctor-patient] visits are prompted by conditions related to stress." Especially in today's world, stress management is truly vital to emotional, relational, and overall physical health. As a psychologist, I understand that most tend to consider meditative exercises as too difficult to learn; and too time consuming to practice.

Although activities like watching television and listening to music can be relaxing, they do not elicit the relaxation response that is most beneficial for managing stress. In order to de-stress, people need to do something that sounds contradictory, namely engage in activity that is not passive. The Surgeon General recommends physical activity for stress management. One can also manage stress by engaging in self-meditations.

I have had much personal and professional success from my use of audio meditations, many of which can be downloaded off the Internet for free. I recommend a search for "free hypnosis downloads," "free progressive muscle relaxation," "mindfulness," and "free light and sound machine."

Most people are familar with the availability of self-hypnosis. These hypnotic programs are guided exercises in deep meditation.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a systematic method of tensing and relaxing most of the major muscles of the body. When a muscle is tensed beyond its current level of tension and released, it rebounds to a more relaxed state. This phenomenon helps to create penetrating relaxation, throughout the entire body, within 15 minutes.

A Light and Sound Machine is a relatively new technology that assists its users in achieving near effortless levels of deep meditative states. Relying upon a process known as brainwave synchronization or entrainment, a Light and Sound Machine (or Mind Machine) purportedly uses light and/or sound to alter the brainwave frequency of the user, resulting in altered states of awareness that have been compared to those obtained from transcendental meditation.

Similar to the effect of watching the flicking flame of a fireplace, but more pronounced, the specifically timed flicking pattern of a Light and Sound Machine will surprisingly help to induce its effect, within just a few minutes. Despite their beneficial use, most people also consider Light and Sound Machines to be too expensive. Nonetheless, you can sample the positive effects of these devices, by conducting the aforementioned Internet search. The available freeware actually creates a "virtual" Light and Sound Machine, via your computer monitor.

I also recommend complementing the effect of Light and Sound Machines with soft music or one of the free audio hypnotic downloads that can be found online, as previously discussed above.

How to Meditation