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7 Reasons to Start Meditating Now
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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.
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