The Mantra - A Powerful Means To Self Realisation When Used In Meditation

The MANTRA is a mystic formula - a sound, a syllable, a word or phrase containing special powers, they are chanted aloud to create force fields or repeated within to quieten and harmonise the mind. The inner bodies are calmed and purified through the powerful subtle emanations of the inner mantra.

The mantra is bestowed by an Initiated Master who has been entrusted with the responsibilities and powerful mysteries which must be performed when bestowing such a mantra, given otherwise the mantra has no power and is useless.

There are only a few mantras in the world the power and selection of the mantra are chosen by the bestower, who works in accordance with the Universal Laws and cannot and will not go against these laws.

Usually when one comes forward for initiation a lot of work and energy goes on behind the scenes, actually the bestower must work within the Laws of Karma to modify the vibration of the aspirant so that they are able to receive 'the vibration of the mantra' in what I call embryo form. The vibration is different for all aspirants although the mantra or words may be the same. When the aspirant's vibration is ready the mantra is bestowed at an initiation ceremony.

The mantra should be repeated along with the inhalation and exhalation of the breath. The most used and famous mantra is one you were born with, it is your heritage to assist you in your physical life it is 'SO HAM'.

I would like you to stop reading for a moment and listen to your breath. Now concentrate on the inhalation and exhalation. I believe that you were not aware of your breathing before you begun to concentrate on it, but you would have heard the sound it makes.

On the inward breath it was sucked in and the sound was SO, as you exhaled you relaxed and the sound was HAM. At the time you were concentrating on your breath you were not thinking of anything else. 'Think about that' you had become and attained what yogis call one pointed concentration.

One pointed concentration is the requirement necessary for the soul to gain control of the physical mind and body, which is Self Realisation a point where the soul or your higher consciousness is in control. You will no longer act and react through the primordial faculty of instinct, but with a mature instinctive understanding of the world around you and its requirements both on a Karmic and Spiritual level.

The mantra may be used in different ways, aloud as Japa, quietly with the breath to enhance and if necessary change the vibration of the breath to allow the body, mind and deeper conscious levels to come into harmony so that the soul state can begin to wake up and take control. It is known as the vehicle to meditation, repeated prior and during meditation it balances the vibration. Only then can the ego begin to mature allowing the essence of the ego the 'I NESS' to develop bringing you into a different mind set, your discerning faculty becomes stronger, you will also begin to think and act within the sphere of your higher consciousness.

It's not today the Mantra tomorrow I am realized, it takes many years and a lot of work. Perseverance, self discipline and humility are required but the rewards mentally and spiritually are enormous.

Many branches of Lineage Yoga use the mantra 'SO HAM' only, and have reported that no other mantra is necessary for Self Realisation, with that in mind you should begin now. 'SO HAM' translated means I AM, the SO meaning 'that' or God / Universal Consciousness, HAM meaning 'me' signifying the union between you and your Creator.

Yogis believe the breath is the closest physical vibration to the Universal Consciousness as it contains the essential vibrational building ingredients of the universe. As you inhale you draw in positive life force containing the vibration of Akasha (the memory vibration of all that was, is and will be). The repeated mantra 'SO HAM' is asking you to remember you 'the breather' are only the physical body the 'I' is your soul, and the 'I NESS' is the Godhead.

There are some who believe that the mantra above should be repeated as 'HAM SO', pronounced Hum Za, but I believe that this is too hard in sound, giving it a somewhat negative vibration. If you stop reading and repeat the mantra 'HAM SO' then you will understand the vibrational difference, then try repeating the 'SO HAM' mantra as I have already described you will understand the difference. 'SO HAM' is much softer in vibration, the subtle emanations from this mantra are able to help you transcend the bonds of Samsara, the continual cycle of birth and death.

Find a place where you can sit quietly, make it your refuge, make sure you will be comfortable and your spine is erect. Don't lie down unless you can't sit comfortably as the supine position will make you sleepy. You may sit in a comfortable chair but have your shoes off.

Now begin on the inward breath and repeat the words 'SO' then as you breathe out release the breath with the sound 'HAM'. Very soon you will relax, letting go of your physical mind and slowly as your meditation deepens it will allow you to join with the Universal Consciousness. At this moment you will understand that you have overcome duality of your God being outside of you, finally you will have joined that God and you have become I AM THAT - THAT I AM.

Swami Durgananda - Spiritual leader of Samata Yoga and gifted healer has been teaching yoga, meditation and philosophy around the world for over 40yrs. Swami has a profound understanding of the universe and the human condition through her articles and books she shares her knowledge with compassion and humour teaching us how to bring balance and harmony into our lives. Visit http://samatayoga.com/ for more about Swami Durgananda and Samata Yoga.

Original article

3 Tips for Beginners Looking to Start Meditating

A lot of people often say that because of their busy schedules, they succumb to a lot of stress. However, this isn't something that can't be fixed with just a bit of meditation. Then again, there are those individuals who claim that they can't find time to do so. Either that, or they simply cannot discipline themselves to effectively meditate. As a matter of fact, all it takes is just a few tips to get started. Making use of the pointers provided below will definitely contribute to a rather easy process in meditating. As long as you keep an open mind, you can simply get better at it, thus allowing you to be free of worries whenever troubles haunt you.

Tip #1: Simply start off by educating yourself on the art of meditating. There are many people who often have misinformed or confused views of the facts simply because they never did the appropriate research on matters, which then leads to ignorance. If you're a beginner in meditating, you will need to learn all about it simply by reading on articles, books and publications that help you understand more about it. Spiritual practice is an essential need for the human body, and one should truly understand what it's all about. You can even acquire information from someone who is knowledgeable on the matter.

Tip #2: You will need to set some time in your schedule in order to begin the process of meditating effectively. Of course, it would be best to pick a schedule where you are at your most calm. For the most part, it would be advisable to engage in some meditating at the very start of the day. Your body has just recovered from rest and you are quite tranquil. Of course, you can choose to meditate at night as well. However, the key element in this to work is that you find a time where no distractions can get in the way.

Tip #3: Refrain from thinking about your worries. Of course, when you're doing something, you might want to take care of it first so that your mind won't be bothered by it while in the midst of meditation. It is essential to have a clear mind when meditating. This can be achieved, however, by making use of breathing techniques. One effective way to do so is by breathing not from your chest, but from your abdomen.

BH Yao invites the online community to read more articles on personal & professional development, building leadership, success skills, and helping people to unlock their true potential at Self Empowering Tips. Check out other articles on Stress and Anxiety.

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Guided Meditation CDs Are More Effective When The Intention Behind Them Is Real - Is Yours?

It's very easy to find guided meditation and guided imagery CDs and downloads on the internet today. That's because it's very easy to make a recording, and call it a guided meditation. But what kind of quality are you getting when you buy one?

That depends a great deal on the intention of the person making it. Aside from factors like talent, skill, training, production values, and professionalism, there is one magical quality that can not be learned or faked: The intention behind the product. What's the bottom line for the person doing the writing, narration, music, and production? Are they mainly interested in making money, or are they mainly interested in helping people?

We've all been around people who have a sort of undefinable nurturing quality. When you talk to someone like that, you automatically start to relax, feel better, and for some reason want to tell them all your troubles. That's because they care, and it comes across on a subconscious level. Truly caring about other people can't be manufactured -- it's either there or it isn't. And when it's there, it comes across.

The same is true for the person narrating a guided meditation. If they have a connection with the material, and if they have a natural compassion for others, their caring will come through their voice. Even if they are not a skilled reader, the listener will get more out of a recording made from someone with genuine caring and compassion than they will from someone who's a great dramatic artist but doesn't connect inside to their heart.

This is certainly true in situations where you're being guided through a meditation by someone there with you in the room. But it's just as true when it's a recorded piece. Musicians know all about this, because they will often reject a recording that sounds "clean and perfect" but doesn't have the right feeling. Most musicians will prefer the track with the feeling to one that's perfect every time.

If you happen to be in the position of doing a guided imagery or guided meditation voice recording yourself, make connecting to the material -- and connecting to the listener -- a priority. Imagine your listener is right there in the room with you, and their happiness, health, and their life depends on your sincerity. Think about the words you're saying, and think about how they will effect the listener. Imagine healing energy coming out from your heart to everyone who will hear your recording. Then you'll have the kind of connection to the material that can make a difference.

Max Highstein is the author and producer of a highly successful series of guided meditation programs, and offers his work at a website called The Healing Waterfall. Follow this link to hear guided meditation samples and purchase downloads and CDs.

Original article

Mindfulness Meditation: When You Don't Have 10 Minutes and Can't Sit Still for 2

The last time I'd tried meditating, it gave me back aches so unbearable it took me decades to even think of trying again. Unless I'm reading or watching tv, sitting still is excruciating. And boring. There has to be a billion more useful or fun things I could be doing with my time, I decided. Then, a few years ago, I hit a low point in my life. Not rock bottom, not depression, but I wasn't happy. Persistently, I was doing what I could, I got into therapy, made some life changes, but in the end I still felt this low-level bad. Around this time I started hearing about all the benefits of meditating and about a meditation technique called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in particular. It seemed like every day the news covered some study which had discovered some great thing that meditating was good for; it was effective in managing pain, anxiety, and depression; it was found to increase grey matter in the brain and neuroplasticity; and it increased the body's immune response. Although just the word "mindfulness" made my eyes roll, what got me was the idea of pain management. I wasn't in physical pain, but sometimes you can't do anything about a bad spot you're in, and if meditating could help manage physical pain, maybe it could help with disappointment and any one of a number of emotional aches and pains I was feeling. I also read that MBSR was useful in alleviating hot flashes, and that year I was generating enough heat to get all of Manhattan through the winter.

When I types "MBSR" into the Google search box, I learned that it was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The medical school website also listed people around the country who were trained to teach MBSR to others. I found a person in New York City and signed up for eight sessions over eight weeks.

The problem was I still hated the very idea of meditating and sitting still for extended periods of time. I had to made a decision and a commitment. I went with the same commitment I made twenty years ago when I signed up for a program to stop smoking after repeatedly failing to quit smoking on my own: I would do everything I was told to do regardless if it sounded stupid, painful, time-consuming, whatever. (I haven't had a cigarette since.) When I signed up for meditation classes I made the same commitment. For eight weeks, I would do everything the meditation teacher suggested. If in the end it didn't do anything for me except give me back aches, I would have lost nothing, I told myself. But at least I would have the peace of mind from knowing I had given my all.

At the first session I learned we were expected to meditate every day. "Wait, what? Every day? EVERY SINGLE DAY?" For a minimum of twenty minutes a day, the teacher recommended. "Just shoot me now" I thought. But the MBSR teacher said we could meditate in any position we wanted, even laying down, so that is what I did the entire first month. The second month I started meditating in a sitting position. That was four years ago. I've been meditating every day since, although I do miss days from time to time, and sometimes I only meditate for ten minutes. Also, I did, in fact, get back aches at first, and to this day I occasionally get them - I'm just not a naturally relaxed person - but the back aches usually go away in a minute or two, and if they don't I change my position. I just do it mindfully.

What does it mean to do something mindfully? You know how sometimes you're acting like a complete idiot you know you're acting like a complete idiot and yet you can't stop yourself? Mindfulness is like an enhanced, friendlier version of that. The part of yourself that can watch yourself is more thorough, and it watches with dispassion. You are aware that the behavior is idiotic, but your attention is not in critique-mode. Instead, you're simply observing everything going on in that moment, what you're thinking, what you're feeling physically and emotionally -- think of it as a hi-definition version of awareness. If you're being hard on yourself about the behavior you're observing, i.e., "God, I am such a jerk, why am I always a jerk," the fact you're judging yourself in this way is added to the list of things you're observing. This is such an important point I want to spell it out: when you are being mindful, not being an idiot or changing your self in any way is not the point. The idea is to be aware of everything that is happening in the moment that you're observing. You may stop being an idiot in those moments, that sometimes happens, but it turns out that being present for whatever you are going through, good or bad, is just simply better. The act of observing while simultaneously removing the stress of needing to fix or change yourself all the time is a relief and quite soothing. Beside, life often throws you into situations you can't change or do anything about, and I've found it terribly useful to have another way of experiencing them.

For me, the hurdle was getting to that first class. The teacher once sent us a Goethe poem that I believe is helpful in this respect. "The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would l have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now." I also like this Eleanor Roosevelt quote, because I am often stopped by fear. "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

I woke up this morning feeling good. The window by my desk was wide open, the air smelled of a recent rain and falling leaves, and the sound of cars going by in the distance was almost lulling. When I sat down at my desk to write this a cat was curled up next to my computer purring, and my coffee was wonderfully strong. I was more there at those moments thanks to MBSR. Now, tomorrow might be a terrible day, the cat might get sick and a storm could blast in my window and destroy my desk. But as someone once said at our monthly MBSR meeting, "good, bad or indifferent, it's life and I don't want to miss any of it." Life is better when you're more here to live it.

I know how roll-your-eyes all of that sounds, but mindfulness worked for me. It's been useful for all the things I'd read it would be useful for, and other things I hadn't, like the recent onset of tinnitus.

Original article

Choosing A Guided Meditation

Just about anyone can make a guided meditation recording. That's great, unless you're looking for a good one to use, and then there's a lot of stuff to sift through. Here are some things to look (listen) for when choosing a guided meditation that will ring your bells (softly, of course).

Samples. There's no reason to purchase an audio recording from the web at this point without hearing a sample. And you're best bet is to find a vendor who gives you a generous sample of a minute or more, so you have a good idea what you're getting. If the sample is 30 seconds or less, you'd have to wonder what it is they're trying to hide. Of course, if you're searching on sites like Amazon or iTunes the publisher is limited by the web site's 30 second standard. But on the publisher's website those rules don't apply.
Voice. Being comfortable with the narrator's voice is essential. How do you feel when you're listening? Does the sound of their voice draw you in and make you comfortable? Does it engage you, or make you simply want to nod off? There's a tendency for guided meditation, hypnosis, and guided imagery voice artists to drone on in a kind of monotone, because some artists think that's the way to get you into a deep trance. In fact, that's the way to get you to lose interest. There's no reason the speaker can't add a dramatic element to the reading, almost as if they were telling you a bedtime story. The softness of the delivery is the part of the vocal quality that will help you go deeper. The narrator should sound like they're interested and engaged in what they're saying, otherwise, why should you be?
Background Music. As with the sound of the narrator's voice, you should enjoy the sound of the background music, and feel drawn into it. It shouldn't sound "weird", or hokey, it should be warm, pleasing, and inviting. Unfortunately, when sythesizers became affordable, the world opened up to millions of would-be new age recording artists, and the overall quality of music on the market went downhill fast. Holding down a chord on a soft pad for 20 minutes is not an effective way to make a music background. A good music background for a guided meditation should be an emotional fit for the theme of the script. Ideally, it should be composed specifically for the program.
Script. The story, and the writing, should draw you in, and make you feel comfortable, secure, and well supported through the journey. Again, it's easy to write a meditation, but it takes some creativity and effort to write and rewrite until the script is a polished work of art that will make people want to listen over and over.

One of the most famous guided meditations of all time is called The Healing Waterfall. You can hear a sample, purchase a download, and even download a free guided meditation at the website of the same name.

Original article

Tips for Creativity Meditation

How would you like to start every morning on the beach? Or sitting in front of a blazing fire? Or standing at the top of a mountain on a brisk winter day? With a creativity meditation, you can. Focusing on a calming scene for just five minutes every day will help you to clear your mind and prepare for the day ahead. Meditation is also a great tool to use for those days that are stress-filled. Sneak away for a few minutes to ease your nerves and rest your mind.

Posture

The first step to meditating is to steady your body. The most common way that people meditate is by sitting down. Find a quiet, serene place to meditate. Sit on a sturdy, comfortable surface either with your feet planted on the floor or crossed underneath you. Keep your spine straight and your body erect. Place your hands on your knees with your palms facing up. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. The first few times you try to do this, your mind will be jumping from thought to thought. Continually bring it back to focusing only on your breathing, and remember that this will get easier the more you practice. Start by sitting like this for only 5 minutes a day. When you're ready, practice creativity meditation by focusing on particular scenes.

Mountain Meditation

Mountains are known as sacred places in a variety of cultures. While meditating, focus on the image of a mountain that you've seen before or one that you've made up. Focus on the overall shape of the mountain, the mountain peak, where the mountain meets the ground, and the angled slope of the mountainsides. You can sprinkle snow on the top of your mountain, line it with bushy green trees or add several peaks to a wide, sprawling mountain. Build the mountain the more you envision it and focus on every minute detail of it. Picture the mountain during sunrise or sunset and pay attention to how the sun hits the mountain and the color of the sky behind it.

Lake Meditation

Some people may be more comfortable imagining a lake for their meditation instead of a mountain. When a mountain feels too abrasive and overwhelming, water is more soothing and enchanting to some people. Picture a lake in your mind and give it a definitive depth. Envision the surface of the lake as either clear or muddy, and assign a specific color to it, like green or blue. Take note of what's reflected in the lake, such as hills, trees, clouds or rock. Watch the lake as it ripples when the wind blows. Picture the way the sunlight reflects off the lake or how the moon rises over the water.

"Waking Up" from Meditation

While you may think that coming out of meditation should be quiet and peaceful, it's actually tradition to make a loud, sharp sound at the end of meditation. This will bring you out of the meditation completely so that you don't have a dreamy feeling for the rest of the day. Set your alarm clock to sound loudly after five minutes.

Original article

Radiate Love To The World

Many people ask what they're supposed to do when they meditate:
silence the mind, be aware of the thoughts,visualize an outcome, orfocus on an object?

The truth is, there is no right or wrong.

Sometimes, it feels right to have an empty mind; other times, you have questions or problems to deal with, so you need to focus your attention on them and then step back and allow answers to come.

And... meditation might begin with you intending to do one particular thing, and it evolves into something completely different - something that is just right for that moment. Let your intuition be your guide.

Listening To Your Intuitive Guidance

One way to learn to listen to your intuitive guidance and meditate in the way that is most helpful to you at the moment, is to begin your meditation by consciously radiating love to everyone.

This amazing technique will transform you!

You can visualize a person, or just name them silently, and radiate positive, loving feelings toward them. Send them love, thanks, blessings, happiness, prosperity - all the good intentions. The important thing is to do this with EVERYONE you know... not just the ones you love.
Send love to people you're having conflicts with, people you're angry or annoyed with, and especially people you hate or have any ill feelings towardSend love to people you haven't even met, but would like to meet (especially effective if you're single and you're looking for the ideal partner)Send love to people you have frequent interaction with but barely notice, such as the checkout clerk at the convenience store or the people at the gym you see on your way to aerobics classSend love to your employer, employees, clients, friends, casual acquaintances, fellow commuters, prospective employers or customers, your auto mechanic, president, doctor, etc., etc., etc., and yes, even (especially) your mother-in-law.

Do this in a stream-of-consciousness way.

Allow people to pop into your awareness, and send them love.

You'll Be Fascinated By What Happens

As you do this, you'll spontaneously come up with names of people you hadn't thought of in years.

This is important... energetically, these people need your love, at this moment - or they wouldn't have come into your awareness.

Send more love. More and more.

The more you do this, the more you feel that loving energy coming back to you, permeating every cell in your body, every energetic quark of you...

Don't Limit Your Love

And don't put a time limit on this. There IS no time when you meditate anyway, so if it feels good to keep going, by all means, keep going! You have the potential to raise the energetic vibration of so many people by doing this! Your connection to everyone and everything will strengthen.

We all desire this one-ness, whether we're aware of this need or not...

Be A Source Of Pure Love

When you're at this 'place' of being a source of pure, loving energy, you can decide where you want to take your meditation. Now that you're in that loving place, answers come easily to any problems or questions you have. If you desire something, or some better situation in your life, ask from this place of love and light. Feel that your desire is in alignment with your loving, energetic self.

From this place of love and light, you can dare to dream big, imagine the best...

And of course, meditation is all about simply 'being' - so if you want to just be in that loving energy, do it!

You don't need to 'do' anything. Be a human being, not a human doing.
Drop the agendas and to-do lists.Don't stop sending out love just because you feel you should accomplish something in your meditation session.Let that feeling go right away!Do what feels right, not what you tell yourself is right.If you want to do nothing but send love for 15 minutes or 15 hours, then do it.

Starting Your meditation

When you start your meditation with the intention of radiating love, you are creating an indescribably wonderful, powerful way of opening yourself to the blessings that you may unconsciously be blocking!

Sending out loving energy with honesty and purity - especially to people who have hurt you - liberates you from that energetic burden. This lightness of being is accompanied by deep inner peace and happiness.

Send love.

Send more love... and the love, abundance and wonderful things and experiences you want, will come right back at you.

Try this, the next time you meditate. You will love the results!

Julie Lewin is a world renowned authentic Medical Intuitive and Meditation Teacher and has created a unique healing system by using creative and spontaneous visualization. She teaches these meditations on her website - http://www.besthealingmeditationonline.com/. To find out more about her medical intuitive work go to http://www.julielewin.com/.

Original article

Spiritual Meditation - A Closer Look

If you are new to meditation, or if you have been meditating all your life, I am encouraging you right now to really question the exact meaning of words, especially when you are talking about meditation. The reason for this will become obvious when you see what the words 'spiritual meditation' means to different people.

Some people believe that all meditation is a 'spiritual experience'. Others believe that Spiritual Meditation is a practice that involves meditating on a deity, or statue or some other icon. Still others believe that meditating on a technique that creates some out of the ordinary experience, is a spiritual meditation.

Spirit, if it exists at all, needs defining. Spirit is general considered to be an aspect of a human being that is infinite, that goes on forever. Fair enough. So, something that is infinite, would by definition, have no edges. So if it has no edges, how would you ever be able to perceive it? You see, everything in your life, including your body, your emotions, your thoughts, all have edges, that is how you perceive or experience them. So it is impossible, to have a spiritual experience in the normal sense of the word.

Am I saying that spirit does not exist? Not at all. What I am saying is that if you are looking for answers to the deepest nature of yourself and life, then you will need a form of meditation that will take you beyond the limits of mind, body and emotions.

Most peoples experience of Spiritual Meditation involves them having, at most, an experience within the outer confines of their aura. This may include experiences of guides, angels and other entities. As these are not 'normal' experiences for most people, there is no common language for these experiences, so they are called 'spiritual'.

If you are a person who experiences guides, angels or other beings, I have something very important to say to you.

Consider this. Everything in creation has been created, which includes your guide, angel, etc. If you did not create yourself, and presumably, your guide or angel which is in a finer level of creation did not create itself, then both you and your angel or guide, are trapped.

You may think that your guide or angel is there to help you, (hence the term 'guide'), but the truth is completely 100% opposite. To discover complete freedom, to go beyond limits, you need a physical body to complete the journey, through every level of creation- and beyond.

Your guide or angel exists within your aura, otherwise, how else would you be able to perceive them? If you wish to be of the greatest service to your guide or angel, then it is up to you to take yourself, along with your guide/angel, through every level of creation and beyond. It is up to you to set yourself, and your guide or angel, free.

This can only be done by gaining access to the very cause of creation, which includes the cause of yourself and your guide. This access can be got through Spiritual Initiation, which begins with the opening of the third eye chakra. You will then have direct access to the cause of creation, this is known as spirit. By letting go into spirit, you will discover the greatest secret that can be known. It is then, as you let go into spirit, that you will truly enjoy spiritual meditation.

Spiritual Meditation is a journey home, for you and your angel or guide. This opening of the third eye is a permanent gateway into spirit, where you can meditate on the light and sound which actually creates the creation. As you let go, you will eventually become one with spirit. This a permanent state of BEING.

Francis Taylor has been teaching meditation all over the world. He believes that it is possible to find the light in this lifetime rather than only when you pass on.

Finding the light will allow you to live a more joyful life. Through meditation and being initiated you will expand and grow to new heights that you never dreamed possible.

It all starts with letting go, being still and observing. You can experience Francis Taylor's enjoyable guided mediation absolutely free of charge by visiting http://www.meditationclassathome.com/

Original article

The Health Benefits of the 7 Chakras

Chakra is a word from the Sanskrit language meaning wheel. These wheels are energy centers in the body that allow movement of energy. Each chakra is believed to be associated to a particular set of body parts. On addition to that, each of them is represented by a unique color and has specific gemstones. It is always advisable to have all the 7 chakras balanced because imbalance can lead to health problems.

Let's have a look at each of the 7 chakras and their health responsibilities.

Root Chakra: This particular chakra is given the red color and is situated at the lower end of the spine. This is linked with the kidney, blood, muscles and lower part of the body. Among its gemstones are the red jasper, ruby, bloodstones, smoky quartz among others and are responsible for the treatment of anemia and depression.

Sacral Chakra: The orange color is used to represent it. It is above the root chakra just in the lower abdomen. Some of the parts it is associated with include the bladder, the reproductive organs and the stomach. This chakra's gemstones are orange carnelian, fire opal and the orange jasper. The stones are used to eliminate urinary problems, sexual problems and any lower back pain.

Solar Plexus Chakra: The yellow color represents this chakra and is found in the upper abdomen just above the navel. The gemstones associated with the solar plexus include the yellow zircon, citrine, golden calcite, topaz and amber. The health responsibilities are to treat diabetes, ulcers, adrenal dysfunction and constipation.

The Heart Chakra: This chakra is represented by green and located above the heart. Some of the gemstones associated with this chakra are rose quartz malachite, jade, peridot, emerald, kunzite and aventurine. These gemstones are responsible for the well being of the nervous system and the heart.

The Throat Chakra: The color associated with this chakra is blue and is responsible for the lung and the respiratory system. The use is to treat internal bleeding, nervous system problems and throat blockages. The gemstones include blue topaz, lapis lazuli, aquamarine and sapphire.

The Third Eye Chakra: This chakra is located between the eyes and associates with the nose, eyes and ears. Indigo is the color used for the third eye and the stones are azurite, indigo and sapphire.

The last of the 7 chakras is the crown chakra situated on top of the head. It deals with the brain and central nervous system. Violet represents this chakra and the stones help treat insomnia and mental disorders.

Suzanne Eltink is a professional spiritual and personal development trainer. Her Angel Meditation has shown thousands of people the wonderful gifts of new information, re-connection, appreciation, clarity, acceptance and awareness which ultimately helped them to truly know themselves and to transcended these experiences and come to a place of Understanding and Higher Consciousness. Her aim is to focus on using your: inner feelings, Wisdom, Faith, Courage, self acceptance, confidence, Forgiveness and Unconditional Love through Guided Meditation.

Original article

What You Need To Know About Guided Meditation

When you are thinking while focusing your mind for quite a long of time, silently or chanting for a spiritual or maybe religious reason, your act can be termed as meditation, or just simply a method of relaxation. When one meditates, one gets peace of mind. For example, if one were stressed, meditation can help greatly to reduce the stress level, as it is about positivity and not negativity. Here I mean the positive thoughts will overshadow the negative thoughts, thus changing your perspective for the better.

For beginners I would recommend a guided meditation. A guided meditation is one whereby the person practicing meditation is guided by a professional. One may wonder where to get a professional, but the answer is simple. Just look out for CDs and DVDs either at your local video store or online. I believe you will get exactly what you need. Or if you can effort you can consult a professional.

One thing you need to know about this kind of meditation is that it helps you to save time. When I started meditating, I only had the idea of sitting in a silent place, relaxing and trying to visualize things. I never had an idea of what posture I must sit in, how to relax or even how to breathe. It took me lots of time to get everything correct, as I had to depend on free online resources.

Meditation basically works in an imaginary way. Normally one sits down with the legs crossed over and breaths deeply to enable relaxation of the mind. The person generally lives life in an imaginary way, so at a certain time you feel yourself in a different place. You don't even have to force it, it comes when you are automatically taken to another planet (though not in real life), but at least you feel that way. This is what you experience if you are meditating on good wishes.

You do not necessarily have to sit down like I do, or the way other people do, as it is also possible with other ways like just being relaxed with a settled mind in a quiet environment while alone.

A lot of people have benefited from guided meditation as some have used it to overcome ailments and diseases like back pain, the common cold and even asthma. You can also use it to change your attitude towards your relationships, economic status and job.

Suzanne Eltink is a professional spiritual and personal development trainer. Her Angel Meditation has shown thousands of people the wonderful gifts of new information, re-connection, appreciation, clarity, acceptance and awareness which ultimately helped them to truly know themselves and to transcended these experiences and come to a place of Understanding and Higher Consciousness. Her aim is to focus on using your: inner feelings, Wisdom, Faith, Courage, self acceptance, confidence, Forgiveness and Unconditional Love through Guided Meditation.

Original article

What Are The Uses Of The 7 Chakras?

Chakras are vertically arranged energy points in human beings. The word chakra in the Sanskrit language means wheels. There are 7 chakras that are considered to be the most important. These chakras are arranged from the top of the head to the base of the spine and are identified by different colors. Each of these chakras is responsible for different parts of the body and is useful to those parts with which they are associated.

There is abundant energy in our bodies. This energy is supposed to have a smooth flow throughout the body but, due to imbalances, this energy flow is blocked and this sometimes leads to illnesses.

Below is a list of the 7 main chakras and their uses:

The crown chakra. This is also known as Sahasrara. Its location is on top of the head and it is used for mental control and it treats insomnia.

The third eye chakra also known as Ajna and is located just above the eyes on the forehead and is used to solve problems with the ears, nose and eyes.

The throat chakra also known as Vishuddha. From the name you can tell its location. Its use is associated with problems of throat blockages and internal bleeding.

The heart chakra, also identified as Anahata, is located in the middle of the chest above the heart. It helps to deal with heart problems and the nervous system.

The solar plexus chakra has another name, Manipura. It is located in the stomach area in the upper abdomen. Its uses include treatment of diseases like diabetes, ulcers and constipation.

The sacral chakra. This chakra is also called Swadhisthana and, unlike the solar plexus chakra, is based in the lower abdomen. This means it is responsible for all the surrounding organs like the bladder, appendix, large intestines, the hips, the reproductive organs and also the stomach. The problems it deals with include sexual dysfunctions, urinary problems and also lower back pain.

Last, but not least, is the root chakra which is located at the base of the spine. It is responsible for the lower body, kidneys, blood and muscles. This chakra is mostly used to eliminate depression.

Using your chakras is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to have a healthy life. These 7 chakras are activated through meditation and if you are a beginner, I would recommend you get access to guided meditation.

Suzanne Eltink is a professional spiritual and personal development trainer. Her Angel Meditation has shown thousands of people the wonderful gifts of new information, re-connection, appreciation, clarity, acceptance and awareness which ultimately helped them to truly know themselves and to transcended these experiences and come to a place of Understanding and Higher Consciousness. Her aim is to focus on using your: inner feelings, Wisdom, Faith, Courage, self acceptance, confidence, Forgiveness and Unconditional Love through 7 chakras Meditation.

Original article

How To Mend A Broken Heart

Healing a broken heart takes more than time, more than keeping busy, and much more than putting on a happy face and getting on with your life. Well-meaning friends and family sometimes make the situation worse by urging you to do things that are supposed to help, even if the timing is all wrong for you, or you just can't stomach the thought of dating again when all you want to do is curl up in a ball and melt into a puddle of tears.

Ultimately the journey of mending a broken heart is a journey of coming into the light of love, and meditation can be your greatest guide. Meditation can be the gateway to renewed happiness.

Emotional Healing Remedies

There are several powerful emotional healing remedies that you can perform during meditation.

The first is to begin your meditation by sending out the healing energy of love. You may think that you've got nothing left to give because your grief is all-encompassing but truly, if you concentrate on radiating pure love and light out to everyone - including (especially) the one who broke your heart - that loving energy will also come back to you, and it will come back to you very quickly.

Nothing is more healing and more comforting than love... and now, you are receiving the love of the entire universe.

As you feel the warmth and light of love radiate through you, visualize your heart. If it appears broken, then visualize it being not "broken" but "open" and you can allow the love and light to enter, and to fill it completely. Every little dark corner can be filled with love and light, until the sadness and anguish disappears.

Heal Your Emotional Wounds

If you do these two simple meditation exercises every day, you will heal your emotional wounds and your heart much quicker than if you close yourself off from love by giving in to the strong pull of sadness, loneliness and anger.

Deep meditation is a state of timelessness and energy. There is no time, only the present.

And right now, in the present moment, you can allow love to enter your opened heart. In deep meditation, you lose the sense of yourself as a physical being that may feel lonely or needy. You become aware of your energetic being-ness that is not separate from anyone or anything - for where does energy end, and where does energy begin?

This will help you feel the loving energy of the entire universe... the energy that created you, and the energy that IS you, both as your physical and nonphysical states.

Dealing With Anger and Resentment

Many times, when our hearts are broken we feel wronged and hurt, and there can be a lot of anger and resentment. Meditation takes you outside yourself and allows you to see the situation from the other person's perspective.

You really have to get outside your own limited perception of reality to begin to empathize and feel compassion for the other person - so you can understand that even the person who does the leaving is hurting too. This doesn't make the person come back, but it is healing for you to not get caught up in the extremely powerful negativity of blame, bitterness, guilt, resentment, anger and sadness.

Allow Your Feelings To Pass Through You

Meditation is also the perfect time to allow feelings to pass through you, without hopping aboard the train of tears. This may be one of the most important things for you to master.

You can learn to do this during meditation when there are less distractions, and then apply the technique to any situation that triggers strong negative emotions in you... which probably happens often after a relationship has ended.

Every time your brain generates a certain emotion in response to a thought you have, it takes 90 seconds from the time the chemicals are released, course through your system, and become reabsorbed or flushed out.

Just 90 seconds.

So for those 90 seconds, focus on the emotion itself - say to yourself, "I feel angry" or "I feel sad" and DO NOT attach to the thoughts that generated the emotion. Just feel the emotion, and in a minute and a half, the emotion will have passed!

If you still feel angry, or sad, after those 90 seconds, it's because you are choosing to attach to the thoughts that preceded the emotional response.

Can you see how powerful this is?

When you master the art of choosing to let emotions pass through you, you can also choose to quickly return to a state of happiness. This takes a bit of practice but it's well worth it because feeling happy is so much better than feeling sad!

You don't have to spiral downward by thinking about the situation! It's important that when you feel your emotions, you DO NOT say, "I am angry" or "I am sad". An emotion is just like a physical sensation. We say "I am hot" or "I am cold"... but that is not really correct.

What Are We Really?

Are we hot or cold, or are we just feeling the temperature in our environment and our bodies? Are we just feeling the physical sensations, or ARE we the sensations? YOU are not hot, or cold, or angry, or sad, or depressed... you FEEL these things, but they are not you. You are only experiencing these things! You are not these things and they are not you.

So allow these feelings to pass through you and subside... and then radiate outward what you wish to receive - LOVE.

Julie Lewin is a world renowned Medical Intuitive and Meditation Teacher and has created a unique healing system by using creative and spontaneous visualization. She teaches these meditations on her website - http://www.besthealingmeditationonline.com/.

Original article

What Does My Favorite Color Say About Me?

What's your favourite colour?

That's a question we've all been asked since we were very small. Certain colours resonate with each one of us. Some people love pink; others don't have a single pink thing in their home.

Most of us wear the same few colours most of the time. Have a look at your wardrobe. What are your dominant shades? Colour has a very powerful impact on our emotions - and since emotions are critical to healing, you can lift your mood and create a more positive outlook, by surrounding yourself with the right colours.

You know how important colour is, even if you don't consciously think about it
Have you ever been in a room that was painted a certain shade of something you hate, that agitated you to the point where all you wanted to do was leave as quickly as possible?Have you ever been in a room painted in a colour that made you feel so warm and cozy that you wished you could stay forever?Have some places inspired the artist within you just because they were a certain shade of your favourite colour?Have some colours changed your mood from bad to worse, or from terrible to happy?

Colours do indeed have the power to change moods, and to heal

It is a well-known fact (since the dawn of medicine, and confirmed by modern science) that the mind is the greatest healing instrument known to mankind. Countless patients have been told that they would never recover, or never walk again... only to prove the doctors wrong. And countless others have taken a turn for the worse, or even died, when everyone thought they were on the mend.

The mind is powerful in dictating whether you heal or not.

Patients suffering from chronic illness, or a traumatic injury, are often very depressed, fearful and even angry. Those are highly destructive energies. The power of thought and emotional energy is undeniable - quite literally, what you think about, comes about - so if your thoughts and emotions are negative during an illness or injury, they must be made more positive.

One way to do that is with colour therapy

Stress is a major factor in keeping people from healing, and one of the most uplifting and de-stressing colours is... blue! Of course the shade of blue matters, as well as its tone - and it's quite personal as to which particular tones and shades resonate with the individual. We associate the color blue with water, the ocean, and the sky - and with peace, tranquility and openness. Some blues are vibrant, dynamic and energizing; others cooling and soothing.

When you're choosing colours to use as healing therapy, don't automatically discount a particular colour because you believe it is not a "healing colour"; there are a great number of variations within the colour itself: different strengths, shades and tones will elicit different emotional responses.

Follow your intuitive guidance!

Colour perception and resonance with colours are individual things.

In general, you can follow these guidelines for using - or avoiding - certain colours to heal your particular ailment, whether it be physical, emotional or mental:

Red: Associated with heat, the blood, energy, fire, anger, passion, love, courage and heroism. Many people find red to be energizing, but others find it agitates them. Red is the healing colour of the heart and is used to improve circulation.

Orange: Creates balance. Boosts immunity and sexual potency. Helps heal chest, digestive system and kidney ailments. Many people feel happier, warmer and uplifted when they see orange. Orange can be very intense, warming and energizing.

Yellow: Associated with the intellect and mental clarity, age and ageing and used to heal the spleen. Linked to the sun. Most people feel happier when they see the color yellow.

Green: Associated with Nature and youth, creative intelligence, healing and alchemy. Soft sage or light greens can very soothing and comforting. Green is used to heal the liver.

Blue: Soothing to the body and mind; associated with harmony, truth and serenity. Blue is cooling, calming and has reconstructing properties. Its cooling properties are useful for lowering fevers and healing the kidneys.

Purple is associated with nobility or royalty. Purple is useful in treating emotional problems, epilepsy, bone ailments, and rheumatism. Purple is useful in the treatment of pain and for deep tissue work.

White: Associated with purity, consciousness, peace, health and spiritual transformation. Used in healing the lungs. Many people feel uplifted in spirit when they are surrounded by white - but white can also be sterile and cold, so introducing a subtle shade of warmer colours into it can have beneficial effects.

Brown: Associated with the Earth. Calming, comforting and welcoming. Most people prefer lighter browns with a subtle purplish or reddish tint that is reminiscent of hearth and home, which represents comfort.

Black is not used for healing as it has a strong association with death, power, sadness, grief and negative psychic energy.

Gray is associated with extremely old age, depression, death and sadness, so it is not a suitable healing colour.

Meditate On A Colour

You don't have to completely redecorate your home to speed up healing when you're sick or injured, or even wear specifically coloured clothing or jewelry. You can meditate on a particular healing colour!

When you're meditating, bring your attention to your ailment, and visualize colours permeating your body with each breath - flowing through you like wisps of smoke.

Some colours will elicit positive emotions; others will make you feel negative emotions. Allow the 'negative' ones to pass through, and welcome the colours that make you feel good - in other words, those that resonate with you and your particular ailment.

Allow your visualized colours to permeate you and "work" on the affected parts.

For example: you may feel blue tones cooling your fever or you may feel the heat of red stimulate your circulation.

Remember, you're using the incredible power of your mind!

Whatever colour resonates with a particular need you have, use that imagery to lift your emotions and make you think positive thoughts. Then you'll really speed up your healing!

Julie Lewin is a world renowned authentic Medical Intuitive and Meditation Teacher and has created a unique healing system by using creative and spontaneous visualization. She teaches these meditations on her website - http://www.besthealingmeditationonline.com/. To find out more about her medical intuitive work go to http://www.julielewin.com/.

Original article

What Are the 7 Chakras?

According to the Wikipedia website, chakra is derived from the Sanskrit language. In the traditional Indian medicine, it is believed that the living being's body contains wheel-like vortices. These vortices can also be called energy centers through which energy flows in our body. The body's energy is supposed to be flowing all the time; failure of energy flow leads to illnesses. To keep the free flow of the body energy, one will need to have a proper understanding of chakras.

The main 7 chakras that you need to know are:

The first most important chakra is the Root chakra. This chakra is highly rated on the list because it is responsible for survival and basic needs. This chakra is found at the base of spine. When this chakra is not in balance you feel insecure, unsupported, unsafe and unhappy.

Then the Sacral chakra follows. This one is located in the lower abdomen just under the navel. It deals with issues of sexuality, abundance sense, accuracy, well-being and pleasure.

The Solar Plexus chakra comes third. This chakra is found in the upper abdomen around the stomach area. It gives us the ability to take control of our lives. It deals with issues of self-worth, self-confidence and self-esteem. The negative characteristics associated with the Solar Plexus chakra is greed and fear.

In the fourth place is the Heart chakra. The heart chakra deals with the ability to love which includes gentleness, joy, adoring and healing at the same time. Though love is on the positive side, its negative side includes laziness and passivity. This chakra is situated just above the heart at the center of the human chest.

Throat chakra is the fifth and is above the heart chakra. The throat chakra is right in the throat. It deals with our communication abilities which include expression of our feelings and telling the truth.

The Third Eye chakra is the second last. This is also known as the brow chakra due to its location. It is located in the forehead, between the eyes but slightly above the eyes. It deals with the ability to think and make decisions, wisdom, concentration and imagination. It is also responsible for arrogance and pride.

Crown chakra comes last though not the least. This represents our spiritual connectivity. It is found on the head top. It is responsible for both the inner and outer beauty.

These 7 Chakras can be used to balance your life in order to live a more peaceful, relaxed and happy life.

Suzanne Eltink is a professional spiritual and personal development trainer. Her Angel Meditation has shown thousands of people the wonderful gifts of new information, re-connection, appreciation, clarity, acceptance and awareness which ultimately helped them to truly know themselves and to transcended these experiences and come to a place of Understanding and Higher Consciousness. Her aim is to focus on using your: inner feelings, Wisdom, Faith, Courage, self acceptance, confidence, Forgiveness and Unconditional Love through Guided Meditation.

Original article

What Is Chakra Meditation?

Meditation is something we all should do on a regular basis. Owing to the fact that we lead a hectic lifestyle, we all need something to calm us down and keep us energized, fresh and relaxed. Every person in the world has those days during when they feel down, during which they feel like all they want to do is crawl into bed and sleep, which is basically not their usual selves. Well, there are a lot of reasons for this kind of feeling and these reasons may include problems at work, problems with family, money problems, and health issues and so on. However, chakra meditation is something that can definitely help you avoid this feeling and make you feel as good as new again.

There are seven chakras in your body. They are named the solar plexus chakra, throat chakra, heart chakra, sacral chakra, root chakra, crown chakra and third eye chakra. All of these chakras represent different things, such as wisdom, love, sexuality, communication, creativity and so on. In order for you to feel complete, happy and relaxed, all of your chakras have to be clean. Cleansing your chakras is something you should never ignore, as this can lead you down the path of success, health and happiness; and it can make you a whole different person than you were before.

Chakra meditation is used to clean your chakras and to balance them. Whenever you feel like there is something wrong with you but you cannot exactly put your finger on the problem, you will benefit from this type of meditation. Through chakra meditation, there will be a lot of benefits that will reach you and manifest themselves in your everyday life. For instance, by cleansing your chakras, you will start feeling better soon after you have been doing it for a short period of time - sometimes even only after a week or so. When you first start cleaning your chakras, you should try to do it every day, or at least three or four times a week, as this is needed in the beginning of the cleansing process. After some time has passed, you will probably be able to do it once or twice a week.

In a nutshell, chakra meditation is a type of meditation that will result in cleaning your chakras and in making you feel relaxed, fulfilled, happy and generally better than ever before.

Suzanne Eltink is a professional spiritual and personal development trainer. Her Angel Meditation has shown thousands of people the wonderful gifts of new information, re-connection, appreciation, clarity, acceptance and awareness which ultimately helped them to truly know themselves and to transcended these experiences and come to a place of Understanding and Higher Consciousness. Her aim is to focus on using your: inner feelings, Wisdom, Faith, Courage, self acceptance, confidence, Forgiveness and Unconditional Love through Guided Meditation.

Original article

Writing A Guided Meditation

Here are some general suggestions and guidelines for writing a script for a guided meditation, or guided imagery program. No matter what the subject of your meditation is, following these points will help you connect with your listener, and give them a positive experience.

To begin, help your listener get comfortable and prepare for their journey within. Suggest they begin to tune into their body, and feel themselves relax. If you like, you might lead them through a body relaxation from head to toe. Then, a good way to take them deeper is by going step by step through the color spectrum, or a countdown from ten to one. Repeat the suggestion that the listener is going deeper and deeper on a journey within, and getting more and more comfortable as they go.

To your listener to let in what you have to offer, talk about opening to new ideas, and letting go of old ideas, patterns and behaviors. Suggest that the listener is ready to receive new suggestions and input, and is ready to change now -- perhaps more than they ever have been before.

Keep your messages or suggestions positive, and avoid words that might trigger discomfort. For example, if you're trying to help someone lose weight, talk in terms of meeting their "ideal body image" as opposed to "getting rid of fat". In a similar way, avoid asking questions, or having the listener intellectualize. That way you'll help to keep them out of their head, but moving deeper into a relaxed, free flowing space instead.

If the purpose of your meditation is to solve problems, have your listener envision ideal scenes, and help them to fill in the details by noticing the colors, sounds, feelings, and even tastes and smells. Always include sight, sound and feeling. People process information differently, and including all three helps to provide a more complete experience.

Work spaces into your script, by suggesting periodically that the listener take some time to allow things to unfold, to experience what you've just put forward.

If you can make your suggestions open ended, not too specific, you'll have a better chance of connecting with a wide variety of people. The more specific you are, the more likely you'll run into possible triggers that can bring people out of the meditation. And by avoiding saying something people might disagree with, you're more apt to appeal to a wider audience.

When it's time to bring the meditation to a close, include a few sentences that sum up the experience, and let the listener know they can feel free to take as much time as they need to return to their fully awake state. I like to suggest that they'll feel "awake, alert, and refreshed".

You can find examples of some great scripts, hear samples, and even download a free guided meditation at The Healing Waterfall website.

Original article

What If You Could Find a Meditation Retreat That Would Change Your Life?

There are several different types of meditation retreats. There is the usual sort of meditation retreat, which is a quiet place, like a monastery or secluded quiet place, where a person can 'retreat' to for a bit of peace, quietness and reflection. This type of meditation retreat is usually associated with' or affiliated to' some kind of belief system.

There are many Buddhist meditation retreats around the world, and these are usually quiet, out of the way places, where the meditator can enjoy the tranquility of meditation, along with some Buddhist teachings.

The other common type of meditation retreat is the yoga meditation retreat. Again, this is usually a quiet location, where the meditator can enjoy the benefits of meditation, along with the practice of different yoga techniques.

But, let me ask you a question. Why would anyone want to go to a meditation retreat? When I ask this question to people, the answers are few, and almost always the similar. Invariably, they want somewhere to go for a bit of peace and quiet. Somewhere away from the world, where they can escape to. Away from the stresses and strains of everyday life. Sounds fair enough to me.

But I have another question. What is the biggest cause of stress and anxiety in your life? You could say your work, or your partner, or your loneliness, or your financial situation, the list could go on and on. But I would suggest that the biggest cause of stress, anxiety and despair in your life is the nature of your mind.

You see, by practicing simple meditation techniques, you can observe for yourself that your mind is continually moving. No matter how much you try and still it, it never quite shuts up.

This is why meditation retreats and yoga meditation retreats are so popular, they teach you meditation techniques and yoga techniques that will help you to reduce the chatter of your mind, and so give you some form of respite from your mind.

So, how can your experience of a meditation retreat be enhanced? My suggestion would be to avoid anything that involves a belief system, as any belief, by definition, is not provable, thus causing a deep uncertainty or insecurity, which in turn causes anxiety.

The second bit of advice about meditation retreats is this. What kind of meditation techniques do they teach or offer? If they allow you to do your own thing, then fair enough. But many meditation retreats expect the meditator to attend some form of social gathering, which usually involves you partaking in some form of ceremony. If that is your thing, then that's fine.

However, our lives are full of assumptions, expectations, ceremonies and traditions that actually are a source of anxiety. For example, many people are invited to thank a 'God' for the blessings they have received. If the good fortunes of life have been bestowed on you by this God, then after thanking him/her for your blessings, how about asking this God to explain the pain, suffering, misery and despair that makes up the existence of billions of lives. And tell him/her that you want to know the answer now, not after death or in some future incarnation.

When you think of the position that a human being is in, that they are acutely aware of their own mortality, and their own vulnerability, that they are being shafted and being fed a heap of lies by politicians and religious leaders alike, on a daily basis, then it is no wonder that the mind won't calm down.

I have run several meditation retreats in the past. They usually involve the meditator meditating for approximately 8 hours per day, for 7 days, on the light and sound that is given at Initiation. Sounds difficult? It is. But it can be the most profound and beautiful thing that you could ever do in your life.

The purpose is to allow your sense of self to let go completely out of the mind. As far as I am aware, these are the only meditation retreats that enable you to do this.

If you would be interested in learning more about a meditation retreat that will take you deeper than you ever thought possible, then I encourage you to contact me through my website, and I will be here for you when you are ready for that step in your life.

Francis Taylor has been teaching meditation all over the world. He believes that it is possible to find the light in this lifetime rather than only when you pass on.

Finding the light will allow you to live a more joyful life. Through meditation and being initiated you will expand and grow to new heights that you never dreamed possible.

It all starts with letting go, being still and observing. You can experience Francis Taylor's enjoyable guided mediation absolutely free of charge by visiting http://www.meditationclassathome.com/.

Original article

Exploring the Benefits of Meditation

It is widely accepted that Meditation is a relaxation and spiritual growth practice that leads to a great sense of well-being for those who practice regularly. But just how does meditation do this? And what are the benefits that meditators can expect? This article seeks to explore these questions, so that you too can realize the many benefits of meditation and perhaps start using this simple and positive therapy that has been practiced for thousands of years.

One of the eventualities that have been observed to be caused by high levels of stress in the body is chronic infections. The effect of stress in your body is therefore not just limited to your mind feeling tired. Stress has been linked with the inhibition of the body to create new white blood cells, which are important in our body's defense of opportunistic infections.

Through meditation, the effects of stress are reversed and patients suffering from chronic infections are seen to respond better to medication and they also enjoy a greater sense of wellbeing. The effects of lower stress levels in a healthy individual are observed by an increased level of alertness, which ultimately leads to increased productivity in the work that is performed in a person's daily endeavor.

Following regular meditation practices, people have been shown to experience lower blood pressure, as the calm conditions when the meditation is performed leads to a decrease in the heart rate. In doing this the bodies use of oxygen is more efficient and thus more cells are fully nourished - leading to a body state where you feel rejuvenated.

If you are worried by the ageing process, particularly in regards to the mind, then the practice of meditation is highly recommended as people who undertake regular meditation have been shown to age less quickly, and have their minds working with higher capacity even in their later years. The reason to this is because the regular practice of meditation lowers Cortisol, a hormone that is associated with increased ageing of the brain.

If you practice habits that are regarded as life-damaging; such as drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and using other drugs, then you can employ the use of meditation as it has been observed that people who practice meditation on a regular basis quit these habits easier than people who do not practice meditation.

It should be noted that the above outlined effects of meditation are not seen immediately - and patience should be employed for the progress you expect to achieve. You should also not be worried by practice sessions you might find difficult, as growth comes from challenge, and these hurdles will become smaller in time.

Author Nigel Coates has also written numerous Spiritual Stories which he offers free on his Explore Meditation website. He also offers Guided Meditation Scripts to read and download, to help you walk your spiritual path with confidence.

Original article

So You Think You Can't Meditate

A lot of people are turned off from meditation because they think it's hard to focus and quiet their minds. It can be... but here is a way that is so easy, and so fun, that you'll come to treasure your meditation!

What is meditation, anyway?

Meditation can be described as a heightened state of consciousness and awareness, free of distraction and earthly concerns.
We feel a connection with all of creation.We feel peace.A stillness of the mind.Sometimes we have flashes of insight, or we feel intuitive knowledge about something.We allow ourselves to imagine, without the constraints of time, space or logic.

OK - so how does one enter this blissful state?

The easiest way is with fire!

Have you ever stared into a campfire?

Have you ever gotten completely lost in the flickering, sensually hypnotic dance of the flames?

What happened? Your mind went still! Distractions vanished; time ceased to exist; there was only the present, and the flames.

You were meditating!

Not necessarily on purpose, but the result was the same! Perhaps you found that when a fellow camper spoke to you, you were startled out of your reverie. You may have found it difficult to "come back to reality." You may have felt a strong urge to go into your own world again...

You're not alone.

Humans and fire go way, way back and staring into the fire is a very primal thing. Humans feel secure and comforted around fire. We enjoy the trance-inducing quality of fire. It's something that's deeply ingrained in our psyche!

And without ever consciously deciding to meditate, anyone who has ever stared into a fire has meditated!

Even small children, even the most Type A personalities!

So throw out the notion that you have to be some sort of yogi or Zen monk to be a successful meditator. If you can light a fire, whether it's a campfire, candle, or a cozy fire in your fireplace or wood stove, you can pull up a chair, and let your mind dance to the rhythm of the flames.

This meditation technique has been part of humanity probably since the time man discovered how to use fire. Prehistoric cave art shows shamans gazing at the fire or lying on the ground in a trance - meditating. Altering our consciousness and connecting with a higher power is as old as our relationship with fire, and fire is a natural way to enter that state.

Clear Your Mind

When you clear your mind of its persistent chatter, you become open to intuition and connection to something greater than your "self".

If you are religious or spiritual, you may have a name for this - God, Creator, Source, Higher Power, Spirit, Force, Soul, etc., etc.; and if you're not religious or spiritual, you simply connect to the energy of creation - the omnipresent, creative, intelligent energy that is the creator of everything in the universe.

Meditation also helps us to just 'be'.

In our fast-paced, immediate-gratification multitasking society, it's important for your emotional, physical and mental health to unplug and just BE. Modern lives are incredibly prone to stress; meditation is the antidote to stress.

Use Fire To Experience The Many Benefits of Meditation

You can experience the many benefits of meditation without ever having to commit to a dedicated practice - just by lighting a flame. Even if you have no clue about "how" to meditate, you can light a candle, or a larger fire. Like our ancient ancestors, you can learn the secrets of meditation just by staring into the fire.

Of course... once you get a taste for how good meditation feels, you'll want to make meditation a treasured part of your daily routine.

Added bonus:  if you like scented candles, you can transport yourself into meditation through a very sensual, fragrant experience!

Julie Lewin is a world renowned authentic Medical Intuitive and Meditation Teacher and has created a unique healing system by using creative and spontaneous visualization. She teaches these meditations on her website - http://www.besthealingmeditationonline.com/. To find out more about her medical intuitive work go to http://www.julielewin.com/.

Original article

Guided Meditation Audio Is The Best Way To Meditate

Try to buy a guided meditation audio; at the same time feel meditated at the comfort of your own home and save your time, money and effort from getting an appointment from a meditation instructor. Repeating the same process over and over again can be minimized and an assurance for you to meditate consequently.

Using prayer beads and other objects intended for rituals are used during meditation. You can easily do meditation if you want to achieve concentration and if you want to have a good sleep. Meditation can also be called as the stage as to where your concentration will focus and all of the many procedures and actions you will do to sink in to the state of meditation.

The guided meditation audio is a helpful material for those who prefer meditation as their relaxation recreation. Audios are available and will be able to guide you in all the process and procedures, most importantly if you are on your first time.

Higher Self Channeling, Distance Reiki Session, Foundation Meditation and many more are some choices you can choose from the guided audio meditation. Affordable and easy to follow guided meditation audio is the best to have if you want to meditate.

Here are some of the factors you should know about purchasing a Guided Meditation Audio:

1. If you are planning to buy a guided meditation audio, make sure that is has the good audio quality. The format and the output of the audio will guide you all throughout the process and avoid skipping this factor in order to follow the instructions flawlessly. You don't want to bother yourself replaying the audio many times. It would be a total waste of money and time.

2. The most important factor that you should not forget is the voice of the audio. It sets the mood of the guided meditation audio along with the background music that is engineered to produce a real meditation aura. With the help of a good narrator that has a good pronunciation of words.

Tips when listening to Guided Meditation Audio:

1. Distractions are banned if you want to perform meditation. You don't want to get tired of meditating back and starting all over again. Considering that you want to have a good night sleep or want to improve and get rid of your sleeping disorders, you do your meditation before sleeping. When you want to boost your energy level and be highly concentrated at work, you can meditate first day in the morning.

2. Relax yourself to get better result from your meditation. There are options: if you want to the "lotus" position it is okay and also you can just sit in a comfortable chair to increase you concentration state. You can lose some of your tension before meditating through exercising daily or in the morning. In meditation you need to be comfortable as you are, so you can have higher concentration. Wearing loose-fitted clothing can be a great idea. Never drink alcohol or any other substances that may affect the reality of your mind.

3. Concentration is main keyword for meditation, you should not listen to the audio guided meditation if you are in the middle of driving your car or doing anything that may disturb your focus.

4. It most recommended seeing your doctor on or before meditation especially if you have illness such as epilepsy, having seizures and if you are pregnant.

5. Having the purpose of solving some of your problems through meditation should also mean that you should focus on the early stages of your meditating sessions. Help yourself focus on your particular goals in life in order to achieve full success.

Spiritual Downloads is the perfect source of different kinds of guided meditations. Teachers, students and anyone will benefit by simply downloading the audio guides like the Foundation Meditation, Breathing Meditation, Higher Self Channeling and more. Learn more about guided meditation audio by visiting our site or Click here.

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Using Abundance Meditation to Acquire Happiness and Health in Life

Poverty and regular financial crisis have left millions of people wondering whether the universe is in a position to efficiently support its inhabitants. Abundance meditation popularizes the notion of creating a life of plenty for individuals. Some human beings have been able to improve their lives by using meditation but others have failed.

Good life is not as a result of an accident but a product of positive subconscious mind. For individuals to change their lives they should change their thinking to have a successful life. To attract a life of plenty a person should put out positive energy by having a mentality that the future is characterized by abundance.

Poverty and misfortune should not be viewed as normal if life have to change for the better. If a person subconscious mind accepts despair as a way of living it works against progress towards a life of plenty. People should not harbor the conviction that they do not deserve better things and they are better in destitution.

By using an abundance meditation, individuals can change their futures by communicating to the universe their hopes and wishes. In some cases, when the change desired is very great the negative thinking impedes achievement. Scientific research has proved that the subconscious mind needs to be reprogrammed for a person to be successful.

When the subconscious mind recognize that life can change for the better this marks the beginning of receiving an individual's desires. Many people belief that joy and healthy living are brought by material things forgetting that happiness can be from the within. Individuals can learn to improve their lives either by luck or by accident using the law of attraction.

To be successful people should first consider what they have in their lives and be grateful. Individuals who show gratitude always tend to be blessed and have a better life. Having a positive attitude towards life is essential in building a foundation for a successful life.

To attract abundance in life people have to get rid of negative emotions inside them. These emotions are a great hindrance towards a life of plenty. Pessimistic thoughts and feelings should be turned into positive energy to be able to have a happy life.

To change from the pessimistic to an optimistic way of thinking is challenging, but succeeding in doing it is rewarding. Optimistic thinking guides a person's values, beliefs, emotions and the mental state in the right direction. Change is a process that is progressive and it is not achieved overnight as it calls for preparation and patience.

People who are working towards a life of plenty should acquire skills that will enable them utilize the opportunities that comes their way. This can be through education and other forms of training that increases a person's knowledge base. A past full of challenges should not discourage a person from abundance meditation because it is possible for things to change for the better. Every person can achieve opportunities in plenty if they are able to awake their inner being toward a more satisfying life.

Original article

Spiritual Existence

As days pass by, the expectations in life change. We often indulge in new situations and sooner these seem boring. Our interest doesn't remain in things which have already been used for the longtime. Sometimes it seems like to suicide, end the worldly race. We always demand for some new things which keep our interest and should never feel boring with them.

It is not so rare when we feel like to give an end to current situation and change the scenario, because the things in life are unable to provide an everlasting happiness. All our expectations are linked to the dark side which we fear not happen in our life, when these expectations are not fulfilled we become sad and despair surrounds us. We all want to fulfill all the desires and remain happy throughout the life, which is indeed impossible.

Actually life was not our choice, likewise death will not be the same. Even the family members who all we love are also not the permanent passengers of this life train. We all try to find happiness in the outer world which concludes in sadness any day. This proves that there is no source in the outer material world which can be the solution to our despair. The root cause of this sadness is giving birth to the desires which never end.

One can never understand the mysteries of this life until he turns-on his Spiritual button. Spirituality is nothing but the course of realizing the spirit or the soul as in real Existence. Today it has become very difficult to raise above the materialistic world which clings us and never allow to come out of its cage.

One can find his space in independent version of life, not bound to any relation, like a hermit. We have to give time to realize our True Existence, by sitting alone at a place and spend some time in forgetting all the tie-ups, by losing all the desires of life. Being selfish in other manner, like to give more and more time to yourself, to feel as if you expect nothing in life, forget all your dreams and just feel free to Live the moment where you are. Take this life as a surprise and enjoy all its moments, because when you expect nothing from life, the thing you get by-chance will undoubtedly please you, cheer you, like wise this whole life can be spent cheering and unexpected living.

This practice is the base and the top of Meditation which all the world find interesting to know about. This is also the process of Healing from all the grieves. Some may find themselves diving deep inside the sea of their inner world and in the other way follow Spirituality.

Name: Akshay Bhatnagar
Age: 21
Sex: male
Country: India
Profession: Student Of Arts, writing as a hobby.
email id: akshayidontlie@gmail.com

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Meditation: How to

Meditation is a kind of discipline by which someone attempts to go beyond exactly what the mind is thinking and proceed to a deeper state of awareness or perhaps relaxation. Its primary focus is the mental aspect of the mind that has the aim of leading the focus to one healing element maybe a sound, word, image or breath. Meditation is under the category of mind-body medicine and one of the proven alternative therapies many different health conditions. It is a non-invasive and also secure way to create a balance between just about all aspects of life - physical, emotional and also mental state - that fill the mind with real peace and also calmness.

The work of meditation begins when you are able to focus as well as empty your mind of thoughts and also prevent them from coming in again. It is an simple concept but it's difficult to accomplish due to the fact of the range of stimulus in the outside world and inside your self. To experience this, generally there are several things which you require to take into consideration. Firstly, look for a quiet and also clean area to practice meditation. Comfort could be an issue so make sure that you feel complacent and also you like exactly what you're wearing. Prior to starting to meditate, do not forget to stretch a little bit and limber up to be able to prepare the physical body. Lastly, make sure that you feel relaxed at the beginning of the session to ensure that it is simple for you to empty the mind and continue throughout the entire session.

Meditation has several physical and also subconscious benefits. In terms of physical advantages, it decreases the speed associated with metabolism, minimizes the workload of the heart that leads to a reduced heart rate and puts the body into deep rest. It reduces the amount of stress related chemicals which is cortisol and also lactate. It can potentially allow you to look youthful due to the fact it minimizes the levels of free radicals that are generally unstable molecules that will cause aging and tissue damage. It drops the cholesterol levels which cause cardiovascular ailments and also decreases the blood pressure for those with hypertension. It increases air flow to the lung area which is extremely helpful for anyone with asthma. Furthermore, it enhances the DHEAS levels which is considered to be a sign of a younger body and increases skin resistance. In terms of psychological advantages, it reduces the levels of anxiety, depression, irritability, moodiness, anger and also negative feeling. It enhances your learning ability, memory and moral reasoning. It accelerates your own creativity, vitality or rejuvenation, happiness, emotional stability as well as IQ. In addition to this, it enhances brainwave activity to link almost all the other systems of the body.

Apart from this, health conditions whether acute or perhaps chronic, are generally additionally benefited by this form of discipline. Substance addiction is considered to be certainly one of the several health related conditions which uses meditation to heal a person through an effective control of the immune system in a specific means often referred to as psycho-neuro-immunology. It has additionally been utilized to manage pain in certain circumstances such as giving birth preparations, patients experiencing signs or symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and also cancer patients having therapy.

Enlightened Mind is a company owned by Trevor Shaw who is dedicated to researching and developing mind altering sessions for altered states of consciousness that allows ordinary people like you and me to experience things like Meditation without the years of practice normally needed.
For more information please visit the website at http://www.enlightened-mind.co.uk/

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Third Eye Chakra Meditation

If you are interested in the third eye chakra and you would like to open and activate it, then you may want to try this simple guided third eye meditation.

The Third Eye

The Third eye chakra, also known as Ajna chakra, is the sixth chakra and is located in the middle of the forehead just above the eyebrows. This chakra is associated with our spirituality and psychic connection and with meditation and focusing on it, we are able to stimulate it and maybe even open it and be more connected to our spiritual site.

The third eye has the colour purple or indigo, which can help you when you work with it as colours help your visualization.

Third Eye Opening Exercise

Choose a comfortable way to sit. The posture must be one of your preferences and one that allows you to relax. You may want to try the lotus posture, but if your legs are not that flexible, you may want to try the Seiza Posture instead.

Take a minute to calm your mind and body before you start. Take a couple of deep breaths to remove all tension and worries from your body so that you will be able to focus on the third eye with positive energy.

Now close your eyes and become aware of your third eye in the middle of your forehead. Take a deep breath and imagine that the air you are inhaling is entering your body through your third eye chakra. You most use your imagination and visualize the air coming through your forehead as a bright purple/indigo colour full of positive and healing energy.

The purple energy that you are inhaling stays at the third eye area and gets brighter and stronger for each inhalation that you take. It is a bright ball of positive and loving energy that heals your chakra. Take your time and do not rush it. Inhale powerful energy and exhale the dark polluted energy filled with worries and negativity. Remember to keep your focus on your third eye and allow it to open. Send only love to the area. You may even be able to feel a vibration during the meditation.

Do this exercise for 10 to 15 minutes and remember to keep a relaxed mind through the entire meditation.

Opening the third eye is not something that happens over night and do not have too high expectations as you may get disappointed if nothing happens or if you do not feel anything. Just like with any other type of meditation, you must keep a positive mind and practice on a regular basis. Maybe you want to vary your meditation a little and practice different types of meditation and not only third eye meditation.

Jessica Tanner.
My interest in meditation and spiritual work is something I have had for quite some time now. I am no expert in the field what so ever, though I do believe I have some knowledge to share, and hopefully it will help you.
I provide information and different guided meditation that will help you through the meditation in an easy step-by-step practice. If you want to learn more go to my website at:

Guided Meditation

Meditation for Beginners

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Learn How to Meditate for Beginners And Those That Have Been Meditating For Years

If you want to learn how to meditate, there are a few questions you would be better asking yourself first. In the same way that, if you wanted to learn how to exercise, there are many types of exercises that would be suitable, depending on your age, fitness, time available and just what are the benefits you would be looking for.

When wanting to learn how to meditate, you could ask yourself

(a) what do I actually want to meditate for?

(b) Is it for stress relief?

(c) Is it to reduce anxiety?

(d) Do I want to discover deeper aspects of myself?

(e) How committed am I to learning to meditate?

These are just a few of the questions that you could ask yourself if you want to learn to meditate. Once you have got a clearer understanding of your own desire for wanting to learn how to meditate, then you are in a better position to decide what form of meditation to undertake, as there are literally hundreds of forms of meditation.

Many beginners to meditation are looking for some peace in their lives, less stress and anxiety, and any other benefits that they experience are often seen as a bonus. However, I have run many 'How To Meditate For Beginners' courses, and from my experience, you will have a much more enjoyable and fruitful experience of meditation, if you sit back and really consider why you are wanting to learn to meditate.

If you are looking for less stress in your life, then virtually any form of meditation, if practiced correctly, will reduce your stress levels. Simple breathing techniques are excellent for calming the mind and reducing mental and emotional anxieties.

However, I have noticed over the last twenty years of teaching meditation, that an increasing number of people are looking for more from meditation. If you are one of these people who want to learn how to meditate for reasons other than stress reduction, then the type of meditation that you choose is extremely important.

As I have already said, most meditation techniques will reduce stress. However, if you are looking to explore the possibilities of spirituality or explore aspects of your deepest nature, or are looking for answers to the deepest questions about the nature of life, the nature of death, the nature of love, etc., then your choice of useful meditation techniques is very limited.

Many meditation teachers claim to offer meditation techniques that will reveal to you your deepest nature. Upon further questioning, (and I would always encourage you to question your meditation teacher), you will probably discover that there is some kind of proviso or limit to what they can teach you. For example, a Buddhist meditation teacher can teach you meditation, but can only offer you Enlightenment in another lifetime. So you are expected to buy into the unproven idea of reincarnation, ie; you will discover the whole truth in some future lifetime, that you may or may not ever have. The sheer uncertainty of relying on 'faith' or 'beliefs', is a cause of anxiety in itself.

My advice, if you are a beginner, wanting learn meditation or have been meditating for the last 50 years, is this. Follow the meditation techniques that I teach. If you are not getting what you are looking for, then keep looking and find another meditation teacher.

The benefits of learning to meditate cannot ever, ever, be overstated. It will change your life. You can learn to meditate by simply watching my 5 free meditation class videos.

Francis Taylor has been teaching meditation all over the world. He believes that it is possible to find the light in this lifetime rather than only when you pass on.

Finding the light will allow you to live a more joyful life. Through meditation and being initiated you will expand and grow to new heights that you never dreamed possible.

It all starts with letting go, being still and observing. You can experience Francis Taylor's enjoyable guided mediation absolutely free of charge by visiting http://www.meditationclassathome.com/

Original article

How to Use the 7 Human Chakras?

Every single day more and more people get to know about the chakras. Though the science of chakras was previously associated with Indian traditional medicine, it is now noted that almost all races and people from different backgrounds are using them to improve their lives. It can simply be defined as energy points in the body of human beings.

If you have just come across the word chakras and want to know what they are, you must ask yourself how on earth they work. I asked myself the same question when I first heard of them. I could not recall any word like chakras in my biology lessons. Now you know what they are, but the big question still remains about how to use the 7 chakras.

There are various ways of using these chakras. Some people make use of them through performing yoga, others by mantra chanting, while still others use them through meditation. All these acts can help you to start using your chakras. One thing you need to take note of is that the 7 chakras all have different responsibilities. Activating the wrong chakra to solve a particular problem will not yield any results.

The first thing you will need to do is to identify your problem. You need to know if your problem is physical, emotional or mental. With this in mind you will evoke the right chakra for the job. For example, if you physically cause pain to yourself all the time, you may need to work with the root chakra, or if you have sexual problems like impotence, the right chakra to use is the sacral chakra and so on.

Before using any of the chakras, the first chakra to be opened is the root chakra. This is simply because of the fact that it is the foundation of the system. The reason why it is the most important is because it deals with survival, purity and the physical body.

Even though meditation is useful to increase ones concentration, concentration is the most important part when it comes to meditation. To have an effective meditation, you need full concentration. For starters you may find this very difficult, but remember that nothing is easy. Always try to give it your best shot and within few days you will realize that you can concentrate easily and quickly. You can save yourself some time by buying guided meditation DVDs to help you use your 7 chakras.

Suzanne Eltink is a professional spiritual and personal development trainer. Her Angel Meditation has shown thousands of people the wonderful gifts of new information, re-connection, appreciation, clarity, acceptance and awareness which ultimately helped them to truly know themselves and to transcended these experiences and come to a place of Understanding and Higher Consciousness. Her aim is to focus on using your: inner feelings, Wisdom, Faith, Courage, self acceptance, confidence, Forgiveness and Unconditional Love through Guided Meditation

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