Get Curious About You

7 Reasons to Start Meditating Now

Share photo credit: Joel Bedford I have always wanted to meditate. I read many self-help books that suggest meditation as part of everyone’s spiritual practice. However, my attempts to sit still whilst thinking nothing proved to futile. I could no more get my mind to shut up than I could shepard a herd of cats. Frustrated with my lack of progress, I stopped. Until I heard of a new meditation programme that promised I could meditate like a zen monk Huh? And how, exactly, was I going to do that? I couldn’t get my mind to sit still; it was as restless as a four-year old child on a sugar high. How was I going to achieve that impossible goal? Enter Holosync In late 2008, I found Holosync. I read and read the website at least seven times before I ordered the free demo. I was impressed enough with the demo to order the first programme in the Holosync series, Awakening Prologue. The Holosync programme uses binural beats to slow down the brainwaves to the Alpha levels where, it’s believed, that the mind is in a more resourceful and relaxed state. Free of the clutter and shatter of the wakening state; aka, the Beta level. And, I’ve got to say, that I am loving it. First of all, my busy bee of a mind can buzz all over the place without me resisting it, and I still feel myself gradually relaxing to the point that I feel my mind let go. Brilliant! And wicked, besides! That was about 2 years ago, and I have progressed to the next level, Awakening Level One. Which is also wonderful! However, I am not writing this post as an endorsement for Holosync. Because I believe that Holosync is not for everyone. Any more than any other system of meditation is for everyone. Whether you choose to work in your garden, take walks on the beach, surf in the early morning hours, or just take a walkabout round the neighbourhood. Meditation takes as many forms as there are people populating the Earth. Please do not feel the need to force yourself to sit in the lotus position for hours while chanting some mantra, if you don’t feel any joy at all doing it. Meditation is supposed to be restful. And if you are not feeling relaxed and peaceful then you are practicing a form of meditation that’s not for you. I encourage you to cease and desist right now, if you like. Explore and discover other form that might appeal to you more. Transcendental Meditation, Holosync, Mindfulness meditation, or Japa meditation (a form of mantra-based mediation) are all great starting points. You can even tool about in your garage, fixing things if it quiets your mind and lets you hear the voice of your spirit, intuition, or Inner Authority. Or whatever you desire to call it. The point is, that meditation has many wellness benefits that are helpful on all levels from the physical to the spiritual. 7 Reasons to Meditate Decreases the negative effects of stress. In a University of Massachusetts study, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D recorded the brain waves of employees of a Madison, Wisconsin high tech firm. These employees were highly stressed. The employees were split randomly into two groups with 25 of them being trained to meditate for eight weeks. Whilst the other group of 16 were left alone as the control group. The participants had their brains scanned three time during the experiment; in the beginning of the study, at the eight week mark (the end of the study), and four months after that. The researchers discovered that the mediators were calmer and happier. (Psychology Today, April 2003, Colin Allen). Leads to greater physical relaxation. Did you know that when you are in a state of enhanced stress all of the blood in the body tend to flow towards the arms, legs, heart and lungs; whilst a bit less to the digestive system? This is because the body believes there is danger, and you need to run away when in danger. Decreases muscle tension. A reduction in muscle tension means more blood and oxygen flow to the muscles, making them more relaxed. And creating a happier body experiencing less pain due to muscle tightness. And when the muscles relax so do the joints, ligaments, and bones. Lowers heart rate. Meditation slows down the brain waves Alpha (the relaxed brain waves) from Beta (the more stress-inducing waves, depending on how high the Beta waves are). Lower heart rates (in healthy people) can result in less adrenaline and cortisone hormones in the blood stream. With less of these hormones in the system, you don’t over eat to medicate yourself. Or run down your immune system. And a lower heart rate (in healthy people) can be beneficial to the cardiovascular system; for example, an athlete in peak physical condition (such as Lance Armstrong) can have a resting heart rate of 47 beats per minute. This is helpful because it means that the heart doesn’t have to work so hard to circulate blood, nutrients, and oxygen to the body. Gives your immune system a boost. The immune system get repressed sometimes when we maintain overly stressful states of being for long periods of time. This sometimes the reason why you might be prone to catch a cold more easily when you are experiencing more stress. Produces beneficial changes in brain activity, harmonising the endocrine and nervous systems. This is because the brain switches over from the busy right frontal cortex to the calmer left frontal cortex resulting in calmer and happier brains and emotional states. When you are relaxed and calm, your body’s systems tend to work more in harmony than in more stress-inducing states. Increases creativity, focus, and concentration. Have you ever been fixing a car, planting in a garden, walking along the beach or your neighbourhood and noticed all the really wicked ideas that occur to you during these times? While the mind is occupied consciously doing another activity, your subconscious mind gets a chance to come out, talk to you and play. 10 Minutes Per Day to Increased Creativity, Focus, and Concentration, etc.. As you can see, you don’t have to retreat to a Buddhist monastery and devote 30 years of your life to the solitary pursuit of enlightenment while meditating facing a bare wall. You can just go to your garden or other sacred place (even if it’s your favourite meditation chair) and reap the benefits of meditation. It only takes about 10 minutes per day to enjoy increased creativity, focus, and concentration. You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain by taking the first step. Start right where you are. Go out in the garden. Go to the beach. Get out in nature and take a walk. Let your mind clear. And I’ll see you right back here to tell me what you got out of meditating. Let me know about your meditating experiences in the comments. Vibelicious comments: Be excellent to each other. Only kind and respectful comments are welcome. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "7 Reasons to Start Meditating Now", url: "http://seanstargazer.com/?p=917" });Related Posts:Embracing Your Shadow Selfthe Gift of Anger the Wacky Magickal Power Of Being Yourself5 Creative Things for the New Yearthe Blessing of Uniqueness

Posted by Sean Stargazer | Posted in Creativity, Inner Growth, Inspiration, Self-Actualisation | Posted on 30-10-2009

Tags: authenticity, awakening, change, creating change, Creativity, Inner Growth, learning, Self-Actualisation, self-love, transform your mind, transform your story

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photo credit: OakleyOriginals

“This one question – ‘What do I know for certain?’ – is tremendously powerful. When you look deeply into this question, it actually destroys your world. It destroys your whole sense of self, and it’s meant to. You come to see that everything you think you know about yourself, everything you think you know about the world, is based on assumptions, beliefs and opinions – things you believe because you were taught or told that they were true. Until we start to see these false perceptions for what they really are, consciousness will be imprisoned within the dream state.” Adyashanti, The End of Your World

It was on one of those self-reflective days on my daily walking meditation that it suddenly occurred to me that I have no definitions for success and authenticity and spirituality that were self-defined.

And it was causing me alot of pain and suffering.

I realised, as I revisited my past selves in my mind, that I often allowed the definitions and judgements of others define me, my level of success, and level of authenticity; whether it be family, friends, or other peers. In fact, it never occurred to me to question what success, authenticity and spirituality meant to me. I was too busy looking at the externals in every situation. And coming up short in my estimation.

Also, I don’t know anything for certain about me, or my point of view. I never took the time to self-reflect to the level that I do now. I preferred to make others responsible for me self-esteem, my past and current choices, and current place in life. It was quite frightening, honestly.

All of this happened because I wasn’t particularly curious about me. Perhaps I was afraid of what I might discover. Or, more truthfully, I thought I knew what sort of person I was. And I saw no reason for further exploration. I believed I was being self-accepting.

Then something within me changed. I attended hypnotherapy school, and became quite fascinated with how I saw the world. I wondered how I formed my perceptions and beliefs in the first place. And my journey did not lead me back to my family, friends, or peers. It lead me straight back to me; the originator and instigator in my life story.

Sideways:

The first inkling I had (this was before hypnotherapy school) that I was the one in control of my mind, emotions, and life was while I was dining at my favourite thai/vegan restaurant on my lunch hour. I had always defined myself as an independent loner type who had few friends because I wouldn’t let others close to me.

However, was this the truth? Or a story I told myself?

Answer: it was a story.

I believed that I was powerless to change the story because this was just who I was.

That is, until the small still voice within me weighed in on the internal dialogue. It was you who created the story, and the labels you come to know yourself by, it whispered, and you are the only one who can change them. No one else.

This knocked me sideways. I was responsible for causing myself pain. Not my mum, my family, my past lovers and friends. You mean it was me all along? And it wasn’t written in stone, as I had believed, I could change it at any time?

I wish I could say the journey was always pleasant, filled with joy. But it isn’t. I wish I could say that the journey is over and I have landed in Enlightenment-ville; a place where enlightened souls live. But I didn’t. In fact, as of this writing, I am still learning about myself. Every day, I question assumptions I have made about me and my place in the world.

Full tilt:

It wasn’t until I attended hypnotherapy school (hypnosis is a wonderful tool that allows people to understand well what their beliefs are, how they are formed, and if they serve them in any way) that I got very curious about me. Instead of assuming that I knew all I needed to know about me, I began to question my assumptions.

I believe it’s not always possible to know for certain about anyone, including myself. But what I do know about me is that I enjoy the process of discovering all about me.

Discovering about yourself is rather like building a house. You have to first start with the foundations. Core beliefs are those foundations formed in the early childhood. An unexamined belief is like a flu virus; it can be dangerous to you if left unchecked. Getting curious about yourself is like a antidote.

Here’s a question or two or three to get you started on your very own Get-Curious-About-You Journey:

Who were you before the world decided who you were? Everyone of us had hopes and dreams that we may have innocently shared with our families with all of the awe and wonder of a child. Only to have those desires wrested from our grasp by people who believed they knew how the world worked. Here is your chance to reclaim those lost hopes and dreams.
What dreams and hopes did you have as a child? And what made you give them up? Did you grow and change in unexpected ways? Or did you decide that you were being unrealistic?
What was the characteristics that those around you most noticed? Were you shy, quiet, the showstopping extrovert? I believe these labels are keys to sorting out who you really are and, even better, who you want to be.

This journey begins with you. You are the creator, the architect, the engineer of your beliefs, point of view, and dreams. Isn’t it time that you become acquainted with you so you can make wiser choices that are in integrity with who you desire to become?

When you get curious about you, you throw off the shackles of externally defined limitations. You can then become more open to the opportunities that are presenting themselves to you now instead of making choices based on your history.

Knowledge may not always be power, but it can be a helpful tool in getting unstuck and navigating change.

Enough from me. It’s your turn. Share your thoughts.

Peace & Healing, Fellow Travelers

the Bend Your Reality Project

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7 Reasons to Start Meditating Now