Meditation

[Junior]

Thanks a ton for this info, Sheila. The more I read about the possible positive implications of meditation, the more mind-blowing it gets.

Agreed. I really must start incorporating this into my day.

[Luc]

[Sheila]

Very nice!

[Sheila]

Los Angeles Times
by Melissa Healy
22 Nov 11

The brains of experienced meditators appear to be fitter, more disciplined and more "on task" than do the brains of those trying out meditation for the first time. And the differences between the two groups are evident not only during meditation, when brain scans detect a pattern of better control over the wandering mind among experienced meditators, but when the mind is allowed to wander freely.

Those insights emerge from a study to be published next week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which looked at two groups: highly experienced meditators and meditation novices, and compared the operations of the "Default Mode Network" -- a newly identified cluster of brain regions that go to work when our brains appear to be "offline."

"I think it's safe to say this is brain-training at work," says Yale University psychiatrist Judson Brewer, who conducted the study with psychologists from Yale, the University of Oregon and Columbia University. "It makes sense," adds Brewer. "Anything you train to do, you do better."

By the definition of the latest study, mental control was defined as the ability to keep two key nodes of the default mode network from becoming active during meditation. The posterior cingulate cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex appear to be hubs of the brain's "neutral" setting--areas that come alive when we are not engaged in a task that requires more specialized attention and let our minds wander. (Not coincidentally, they are also areas that tend to become active when we remember events in our past and think about other peoples' motives and intentions.) In the 12 veteran meditators who participated in the current study, those two regions were quieter during meditation than they were in the brains of the 12 meditation novices with which they were compared.

The study also detected greater connectivity between some of the brain's key cognitive control areas and elements of the default mode network. During meditation and in the mental rest periods in between, a brain region known to be important in focusing and maintaining attention, the dorsolateral anterior cingulate cortex, was more likely to activate in tandem with the posterior cingulate cortex in regular meditators than in those who are new to the practice: that, says Brewer, suggests that during meditation and in everyday life, meditators may have more skill in reining in their wandering thoughts and bringing the brain back "on task"-- than those who don't routinely meditate.

Why would mental control over our daydreams make us more healthy? It turns out that having a well-functioning default mode network--one that lets us explore ourselves and our lives but doesn't intrude into our efforts to concentrate when that's what's needed--is critical to mental health.

Those of us who daydream more often are more likely to be depressed--either because we get caught in a cycle of rumination or because depressed people have poorer concentration (which comes first isn't clear). A study that tracked the daily activities and moods of iPhone users-published in Science magazine last November--found that those whose minds were wandering off task more often were more depressed. People who suffer from attention deficit disorder also have difficulty keeping mind-wandering at bay, which may be why many studies have found that meditation helps those with attention deficit disorder.

In fact, Brewer cites the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, who is quoted as saying “Practice doesn't make perfect: perfect practice makes perfect." Meditation, suggests Brewer, appears to be "perfect practice" in the skills that make undistracted work a possibility: the ability to detect the first signs of mind-wandering, to recognize and essentially forgive the impulse, and then gently to draw the mind back to the task at hand.


http://www.latimes.com/health/booste...,3160695.story

[Luc]

If you are at a point of WD when it is possible to do, just go for it;

[Cindy]

This is a link to the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center and the second link is of their Free Guided Meditation downloads. I used these often when I was in the throws of w/d. I still use them from time to time now.

http://marc.ucla.edu/

http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22

[Luc]

Thank you for sharing this with us, Cindy! How is it going for you these days?

[Cindy]

Hi Luc, I’m doing well with the exception my allergies are over the top...acupuncture does help. Allergy season started earlier than usual here and I didn't get a jump on it. Hope you and everyone are continually progressing with your healing.

[Luc]

10 meditation tips;

1. Choose a convenient time – Meditation is essentially relaxation time, so it should be done entirely at your convenience. Choose a time when you know you are not likely to be disturbed and are free to relax and enjoy. The hours of sunrise and sunset, while nature transitions between day and night, are also ideal for the practice.

2. Choose a quiet place – Just like a convenient hour, choose a place where you not likely to be disturbed. Quiet and peaceful surroundings can make the meditation experience more enjoyable and relaxing.

3. Sit comfortably – Your posture makes a difference too. Make sure you are relaxed, comfortable and steady. Sit straight with your spine erect; keep your shoulders and neck relaxed, and eyes closed throughout the process. That you have to sit in Padmasana (the lotus position) to meditate is a very common myth of meditation.

4. Keep a relatively empty stomach – A good time to meditate is before having a meal. After food, you might doze off while meditating. However, do not force yourself to meditate when you are very hungry. You will find it difficult because of hunger cramps or you may even keep thinking about food the whole time! In this case, you can meditate after two hours of having food.

5. Start with a few warm-ups – A few warm-up or sukshma yoga exercises before sitting to meditate helps improve circulation, removes inertia and restlessness and makes the body feel lighter. You will be able to sit steadily for a longer time.

6. Take a few deep breaths – This is again preparation for easy meditation. Deep breathing in and out as well as doing some nadi shodhan pranayama before meditating is always a good idea. This helps to steady the rhythm of the breath and leads the mind in to a peaceful meditative state.

7. Keep a gentle smile on your face – You will see the difference. A gentle smile throughout keeps you relaxed, peaceful and enhances your meditation experience.

8. Turn on a guided meditation – As a beginner to the practice, it is a good idea to do a guided meditation. This will help you get started. As an example, start with this guided meditation by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. You only need to close your eyes, relax, follow the instructions as you hear them and just enjoy the experience. You can also choose from a list of other online-guided-meditation, according to what suits you best.

9. Open your eyes slowly and gently – As you come close to the end of the meditation, don't be in a hurry to open your eyes and start moving about. Open your eyes slowly and gradually and take time to become aware of yourself and your surroundings.

10. Experience the freshness and enjoy your day – Meditation is like an instant energy booster. A few minutes off your daily schedule to charge you up for the rest of the day. Take that time out and experience the wonders of meditation for yourself.

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/med...ith-meditation

[Luc]

Meditation and Essential Oils

Meditation has many wonderful benefits. It is a healthy way to reduce stress, it can slow breathing and heart rate, normalize blood pressure and in some cases actually slow down the aging of the body. It can bring about clarity of thought. It can expand the mind and it can be a Spiritual Practice.

While there are many different forms of meditation, all types of meditation will help to quiet the ever chattering thinking mind; keep one in the ‘Now’ and enjoy what one is experiencing now and not worry about the past or the future; or bring about altered states of consciousness.

There are many different ways to meditate and there is no one right way to do this. Just as individuals are so very different, the best way for each person to get the full benefits of meditation can be so different. Sometimes people say, ‘I just can’t meditate’. This need not be the case all they need to do is experiment a little until they find the method that works best for them.

A great deal of more in depth information on meditation in its many different forms is available in many books and web sites but before we talk about essential oils that would be helpful with meditation here is a brief synopsis of some of the more common Meditation Techniques.

A Basic Mediation technique involves sitting in a comfortable position and allowing your mind to think of nothing. If thoughts materialize just let them go. Don’t focus on them, don’t follow them. Simply observe them as they pass through and don’t get drawn into them. With time and practice this can become easier.
In Focused Meditation techniques one focuses intently on something without engaging your thoughts about it. You can focus on something visual like a picture, Mandela; or on something auditory like a single sound, or a mantra, or the sound of water; or you can focus on something that is constant and even like your own breath. Some people find focusing on a single concept like ‘gratitude’ or ‘compassion’ or ‘universal love’ the easier way to go. For some it is easier to focus on something rather than nothing, however the goal is the same – quietening the conscious mind.

For some people sitting still is just something they cannot do and for them an Activity-Oriented Meditation might be the best way to go. Here you engage in a repetitive type activity which allows one to switch off one’s mind and ‘zone out’. Activities like gardening, walking, practicing yoga, knitting, vacuuming, ironing are all examples that have worked for others.

Mindfulness meditation techniques don’t always look like meditation. It simply involves staying in the present moment rather than thinking about what will happen or what has happened. This can be difficult to do. Focusing on sensations that you feel in your body is a way to stay ‘in the now’; focusing on the emotions you are experiencing and where you feel them in your body, experiencing them as sensations and not allowing the emotions to sweep you up, is another way.

Meditation can be a Spiritual practice. For many mediation is experienced as a form of prayer where they can commune with God. When the mind is quiet, it is open to experience inner wisdom. One can find solutions to a problem by quietly meditating on it. Or one can meditate to clear the mind and be open to whatever presents itself.

Much more at: http://www.westcoastaromatherapy.com...ssential-oils/