The Art of Meditation

Meditation Positions

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 12:08:35 -0400

Many people concern themselves with meditation positions when practicing the art of meditation. The very fact that you take the time to practice on a regular basis reaps the most lasting reward - it is not so much how, but why you choose to meditate that matters. With this in mind, we would like to share an excellent post on meditation positions that shatters the illusion of the lotus position as the only way to hold your body during any particular session.

My morning meditation and stretching has me lying down most of the time, and the effect is just as beneficial as if I wanted to remain seated or hold my body in the lotus position for any length of time.

Meditation Positions

Mathieu Ricard on Happiness

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 22:10:49 -0400

Mathieu Ricard, once deemed “the happiest man in the world,” offers sound advice on cultivating happiness through mediation and compassion. See if you don’t agree…

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/29/how-to-be-happy/

Seane Corn on Critical Impact

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 01:58:46 -0400

Seane Corn is an impassioned yoga instructor and advocate for change through her teachings of vinyasa yoga and spirituality for the masses. Here Ms. Corn speaks about the “critical impact” possible through enlightened practices like yoga and meditation:

Stress Management Techniques

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:15:21 -0400

Stress is an all too frequent reality for millions of people. The harm to our physical health and sense of well-being can be profound. Often, the turning point for stress is when the mind becomes affected by repeated stimuli or pressure situations that introduce doubt and indecision into our minds. This article offers some helpful advice on how to re-focus on relaxation and bring yourself back from a stressful sequence:

Stress Management Techniques 3: Centering Meditation | Health news …

Tweets that mention Stress Management Techniques 3: Centering Meditation | Health news for americans — Topsy.com. October 2nd, 2010 at 15:13. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mark Sumpter, Tonia Wallander. …

Publish Date: 10/02/2010 8:08

http://healthnew.us/2010/10/stress-management-techniques-3-centering-meditation/

Noah Levine on Mindfulness Meditation

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 01:22:51 -0400

Noah Levine is a product of the mean streets of Los Angeles, California, where he grew up as a rebellious youth drawn into substance abuse, violence, and ultimately, incarceration as a result of anger and resentment over the perceived ills of a harsh, unfeeling world. Today, Levine is a college graduate with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, a two-time author, and and active Buddhist teacher who teaches meditation and counsels inmates at adult and juvenile prisons close to home.

In this video, Noah demonstrates a simple yet effective breath technique that encourages a state of mindfulness and enhances all forms of meditation.

Studies on Meditation Benefits

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:59:10 -0400

Need a reason to give mindful meditation a try? How about developing a bigger brain that’s better equipped at dealing with emotions? Researchers at UCLA think it’s possible. Click on the link below to read some of the details from their recent study on meditation benefits:

Meditation May Increase Gray Matter

Deepak Chopra On Meditation

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 02:07:21 -0400

All too often, people who contemplate the art of meditation get caught up in the terminology, the techniques, the formality of meditative practice. Above all, the central purpose and focus of meditation is to allow the mind to align itself with harmony, to abandon all but the here and now.

Deepak Chopra is a well-respected authority on the mind-body connection who has written more than fifty books on alternative medicine, spirituality, and positive thinking. In this video, Chopra quickly summarizes the core aspects of meditation, highlighting the concepts of what it is and isn’t, and how simply we can approach the purpose and reality of progressive meditation.

Weekly Meditation News – September 13, 2010

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:56:58 -0400

Here’s our weekly contribution of recent news and information concerning meditation benefits and incorporating the art of meditation into our daily lives:

Postpartum Depression

According to OB-GYN Dr. Kerri Parks, a majority of mothers of newborn children often experience “baby blues,” or postpartum depression within the first two weeks after their babies are born. This article discusses the clinical application of meditation as a therapeutic remedy for such negative feelings:

Postpartum meditation helping new mothers

The Inside-Out Life

Dr. Douglas LaBier, business psychologist and director of Washington, D.C.’s Center For Progressive Development, is also a contributing writer for the Huffington Post web site. This article is part of an ongoing series discussing how meditation contributes to heightened awareness, mental control, and an improved immune system:

How to Live an ‘Inside-Out’ Life

Healthy Business Strategy Includes Transcendental Meditation

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the notable cardiac surgeon and best-selling author often featured on television talk shows like Oprah and Larry King Live, is also, according to Chicago Tribune reporter Daneen Skube, a multitasking wizard. This article reveals some of Dr. Oz’s best-kept secrets for managing dozens of business associates and colleagues (which includes transcendental meditation) while remaining an astute and well-composed medical resource:

Become a wizard of multitasking!

Yoga and Healing Seminar Promotes Total Well-Being

Yet another advocate for incorporating the mind and body in a symbiotic relationship for better health is the Tennessee area health scientist and Yogi Surajit Sengupta. This news story details the results of a recent series of seminars which focused on yoga, meditation, and nutrition as vital components of a healthy lifestyle that contributes to better health:

Yoga expert advocates mind-body integration

Keeping Angels On Your Shoulder

Finally, author and regular Beliefnet columnist Susan Gregg offers a spiritual perspective on mindful meditation as her personal traveling partner in a life filled with hope and “angels on (her) shoulder.” Her unique insight into the power of meditation to consistently lift our spirits is a worthy read:

Meditating with angels

Finding Trust In An Unknown Future

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 12:56:17 -0400

Good advice, Anne. When I face moments of despair, I try to connect with others via the web, or take a moment to reflect on my connection with everything around me, physically and spiritually. The affirmations for me, like your writer friend, go something like (during meditation):

Don’t give up.
Let go.
Let life flow through you.
Be love.
Be strong.
Be free.

There are others, but these are the core concepts that always come to mind at the close of a brief session of mindful meditation. There is a universal spirit that flows through all living things, and, being disconnected from it, we suffer needlessly. My intention is to gather higher energy for myself and those within my influence from the world around me.

Pema Chödrön video on tolerance

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:26:18 -0400

Here’s a quick video from Pema Chödrön, a wise spiritual teacher, ordained Buddhist nun, and prolific author who teaches Eastern philosophy and the art of meditation from a “everyday life” perspective. Her analysis of our human tendencies in public is spot-on, and represents a primary focus of my own personal meditative practice to limit quick reactions and improve my connection with all of life. I think you’ll enjoy it:

Adyashanti Video

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 02:14:51 -0400

This is a powerful short video from Adyashanti, a 14-year veteran speaker and author of spiritual teachings originally inspired by his own Zen teacher. The California native’s Open Gate Sangha organization tours North America to present satsangs (spiritual assemblies) teaching the message that peace is possible in modern times.

This video segment sheds light on one of the fundamental concepts for the art of meditation, the sense that we need not be individuals driven by ego and isolation from others, but instead can be connected by virtue of a universal spirit that sees the possibility of beauty in all things. Give it a listen, and see what you think.