Meditation And Meditation Benefits

Broadly speaking meditation can be defined as a self induced change of state of mind for the purpose of heightening certain awareness or attention, or for emotional well being.

However, the narrower definitions vary according to the beliefs surrounding them.  As beliefs differ among different people, so the understanding and practice of meditation differ just as greatly.

Some of the more commonly known types of meditation tend to be the legacies of the Eastern religions, but there are aspects of it in many of the Western beliefs as well.

From prehistoric times, ritualistic repetitive movements and chants were discovered to induce a state of conscientiousness which was believed to appease the supernatural that they worshipped.  It usually went alongside offerings and sacrifices to the gods.

When it became apparent that these spiritual rituals seemed beneficial to the people who performed them, they began to change and develop them in order to realise the self, but generally still for religious purposes.

The Oriental religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism refined meditation as a means for achieving a higher state of spiritual growth and goodness.  The word for ‘meditate’ is ‘dhyana’ in Hinduism and Buddhism and is derived from the Sanskrit root word ‘dhyai’.

The Western religions were divided in their approach to meditation.  Those that included repetitive words or actions formed one school of thought, while those that didn’t formed another.

The English meditation comes from the Latin ‘meditari’ which means ‘to think, contemplate, devise, ponder, meditate’.

The original Western Christian meditation was merely an aspect of worship that included reading, pondering, prayer and contemplation.  Although a deep calm and concentration was induced, no repetitions, specific postures or rituals were included.

Later in some branches of Christianity, there was a movement away from the more pragmatic type of Christianity towards an attempt at a mystic communion with God. This led to rituals, chanting, repetitive prayers and a euphoric state.

A modern and far more emotional approach in some churches has brought about deeply rhythmic music, clapping and swaying.  Supremely hypnotic states, such as ‘talking in tongues’ have emerged from the emotional states induced.

The Jewish and Islamic religions tended more towards the original Western style of prayer and meditation, but here also there were some groups such as the Jewish Kabbalah and Islamic Sufism that branched off towards the more Oriental form of mind control and meditation.

Today meditation is a world wide phenomenon and found in many forms.  It is practised less for religious purposes and more for the practical applications that it offers.

Most of us live in stressful environments.  In olden times stress came and went in small spurts throughout life.  Today it is just a steady day to day stream of stress pouring on most of us without let up.

This can be a disaster for our blood pressure, cardio-vascular systems, and just about everything else concerning our physical and mental health!   Wherever you find great stress pressures, there you find a desperate need for an island of peace and calm.

People are turning more and more towards meditation for a way to find that oasis in life.  There is ample medical evidence that prayer and meditation benefits have healing and soothing properties.

The tranquility and peace that you find in nature have much the same effect, but it is just not often available to people living in crowded cities, as most of us do.  The alternative as a newbie to meditation is to find out how to meditate for beginners, especially loving kindness meditation.  The world will be a better place for us and for everyone who knows us.

https://secrets2meditation.com/goto/?url=http://www.meditationbenefits.us includes sites related to meditation beneifts you can access from here and also How to Meditate For Beginners

Find More Trascendental Meditation Articles

Yoga, Yoga Benefits, Yoga Types

Yoga is a health science being practiced since thousands of years by yogis as tool to unite the mind, body and spirit. It is a peaceful, energizing practice that will make an individual will feel more fit and energetic all the time. By practicing yoga a person gets more aware of his body posture, alignment and movement. It offers more flexibility to one’s body and helps to relax even in the midst of stressful environment.

To get the best of yoga one should practice the right yoga asanas to find harmony of mind and body and strength of body healing. When done with appropriate yoga postures, breathing techniques and meditation, there are a number of psychological, physiological, health benefits of yoga.

There are different types of yoga which can either be practiced at home or at yoga centres providing yoga training for those who wish to learn different styles of yoga for bring in a positive energy in life. Learning yoga from experienced yoga teacher or yoga instructor can be the best way to learn yoga with perfection.

For intial yoga starters, Hatha yoga is the best. It is the foundation for all the other yoga styles. As yoga for beginners, it is easy to learn yoga exercise that requires people to go through a series of poses beginning with sun salutation for body warm up. The main aim of this yoga practice is to condition the body, so that mind can be prepared for its spiritual path. For building stamina and strength practicing power yoga or Ashtanga yoga is great as the pace involved with this will give you an intense aerobic workout as there will be no pausing between poses because each move flows into the next. More comprehensive form of this is Raja yoga which is today’s most complete, all-round yoga process for development of body, mind and soul. Based on the eight limbs called yama, niyama, yoga asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi this yoga leads one to “self-realisation. Every kind of yoga whether it is bikram yoga or vinyasa yoga or sivananda yoga has its own benefits and hence should be practiced regularly for all round body and mind fitness.

Himalayan Yoga Institute is a yoga and wellness institute offering yoga retreat holidays in India, yoga retreat holidays UK, yoga retreat holidays in Croatia for enjoying benefits of yoga while holidaying. It also offers yoga training certification and yoga teacher training to become certified yoga instructor. SEO services provided by Jigney Bhachech, CEO, Opal Infotech, India.

More Yoga Articles

Healing Meditation

Allow your body to relax naturally and easily. As you begin to rest and drift into peace, image yourself in a beautiful white room with a white healing table in the center. Everything around you feels soft, warm, safe and nurturing. The room is lit with a soft, glowing white light, and the window is open bringing in a warm summer breeze. Everything smells fresh like nature. You can hear the gentle sounds of a waterfall outside and a stream moving nearby.

Lie down comfortably on the soft, fluffy cushions of the healing table, and start to anticipate a powerful healing. Open yourself to receive. The room fills slowly with a light mist carrying a minty scent. Breathe it in and be refreshed. As the minty green mist enters your lungs, it charges your blood, skin, heart and brain , and internal organs with oxygen and life-giving energy. Continue to breathe it in and feel the peace that it brings.

The body is malleable. That is it can be changed and reconstructed easily through the direction of the mind as well as its innate ability and nature of continuously shedding and constructing new cells. The mind can mold the body in its continuous process of change and renewal. Expect positive change!

Let go now, and place your body in the hands of the Divine spirit within you that can do miracles. Allow your body to be re-formed, re-patterned, and healed. Get a mental picture of yourself in excellent health. Rest in this picture and notice how natural it feels. Allow angelic healing hands to touch your body soothing, healing and instantly transforming areas of pain or congestion. Feel any discomfort reduce and gradually disappear.

Feel the light pressure of the angel’s fingers; feel them massaging your body, light in spots, deep in other areas.

Now feel detached from your body, and observe it being healed.

What’s taking place? These healers are real. The healing energy and power of the divine are real. Trust it to do its work. Intend for your body to be changed, healed. New colors are entering your body from above specifically to heal areas of stress and pain. Feel electrical currents sparking through your body and brain adjusting your nervous system to perfect balance and harmony. Allow your body’s chemistry to alter and change as toxins are removed, and your blood and body are cleansed. Experience this in your own unique way. New shapes and patterns are forming within your DNA, bringing you peace and strength. There are powerful symbols of healing coming into your awareness through these designs. Enjoy them.

Now, look up and see an angelic being holding a lit candle moving toward you. Look into that candle flame and see illuminated there a deep part of yourself. What do you see? What is it telling you? Listen to the meaning.

The angel sets the candle down on a table by your bedside. All is very quiet, and the flickering flame dances across the walls. Be still. Go deeper. Someone is calling your name. Who is it? She or he has healing words for you. Listen to them carefully. Now, a song begins to play. What is it? How does it apply to your healing?

A woman walks up to your bedside and places her hands on your head. She moves it gently from side to side, rolling it rhythmically. She touches the center of your forehead and says, “See what you need to see, understand what’s important now.” “Get your answers.” Be open and receptive to knowing. It will come naturally to you now.

Now feel a bright, shiny, glittering gold liquid come into the bottom of your feet and move up your legs, into your torso and arms, and higher into your neck and head. This liquid has an accelerated frequency and intelligence that brings you higher awareness, new insights, rejuvenation, elimination of the old, and deep healing change in your body and mind. Enjoy it as it penetrates your cells and DNA.

Realize that your cells, tissue, organs, are being made new and better, healed. Glow with the golden color of spirituality and triumph. Focus the gold on a particular part of your body that needs attention. Let it go deep, to the root of the problem. Experience the shift, the change.

Give thanks and return to this room when you’re ready.

Healing Meditation © by Carole Cravath

Carole Cravath (B.A.) is a counselor and teacher, and does private consultations on Somatic Visualizing. She teaches the Perceptive Awareness Technique Workshops which link the Intuitive and Conceptual Minds for rapid control of higher awareness in 3 days. Visit https://secrets2meditation.com/goto/?url=http://www.perceptiveawareness.com and https://secrets2meditation.com/goto/?url=http://www.tiptopwebsite.com/carolecravath She also teaches the powerful new healing technique called Soma Pi, originated by gifted spiritual teacher Consuella C. Newton. Call Carole at (507) 287-0884 for details.

Find More Healing Meditation Articles