Meditation – An Inexpensive Vacation : christian meditation

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Picture this. You’re lying on a sandy beach with the sun warming you and your favorite beverage close at hand. For music, you have the gentle sound of the waves washing up on the beach and a light breeze blowing through the sea grass. You’re so relaxed that you can’t quite make yourself think about the crisis you left behind at work yesterday or what you’ll be dealing with on your return. Life for you is just you on this tranquil beach — right now at this present moment.

Only a lucky few of us can escape to the beach when we want or need to. But all of us have access to an equally effective relaxation tool, meditation. Like the beach scene, meditation can produce the relaxed, serene state of mind where our thoughts are focused on the present moment.

Meditation – What Is It?

Meditation has been described as the creation of a relaxed mind-body state with focus on the present moment. The state can be entered by concentrating mental focus on the breath, a sound, a visual scene, or an object. As the practitioner improves in the ability to focus, mental chatter diminishes, worldly thoughts can be shut out and a serene state of mind is achieved.

Meditation Through the Ages

Meditation is central to many of the world’s spiritual traditions. In India, the Hindus meditated to determine the true nature of God. The Buddhists meditated as a way to understand the interconnectedness of all things in the world. And in China, meditation was recommended as a way to balance the opposites of yin and yang and to achieve unity of these elements in life. Prayer is widely recognized as a form of meditation and many of the world’s religions have their own prayer traditions.

Christianity emphasizes prayer and the study of scripture. And Islam prayer is offered several times daily as a means to focus on the true nature of Allah. Throughout thousands of years of history, meditative practices in religious traditions have commonality with the current spiritual and secular meditative techniques.

Why Meditate?

In addition to the spiritual benefits of a relaxed mind focusing on the present, meditation is also prescribed in alternative medicine, and increasingly in traditional medicine, to alleviate many health conditions. A few of these are allergies, asthma, migraines, PMS and high blood pressure. And these aren’t just folk remedies; there’s a considerable body of research to support the health benefits. There are also many reported psychological benefits such as better ability to control thoughts, improved relationships, and increased will power. So all of you smokers and dieters out there can try meditation to help you build your will power to achieve your goals.

These are just a few of the reported benefits of establishing a regular meditative practice. In as little as 10 or 15 minutes a day, meditation can help you find your own ‘inner beach’ without leaving home whenever you need to take a mental break.

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Reiki Attunement Defined

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During the 1980s, the word “attunement” was used when talking about opening someone’s pathway to universal energy. The official definition is being in harmony or the feeling of being one with another being. In order to be at harmony with anything, there must be balance within as well as existing in a receptive state. This means that you must be in receptive mode in order to be opened to Reiki energy. Reiki cannot be forced on anyone.

There are many words for a person’s energy. You may hear it called life force, ki, qui, prana or many other variations. Usui Reiki uses just one unique form of universal energy that differs from life force energy. That’s why you have to open to this particular form of universal energy. Mikao Usui was connected directly to a very strong type of universal energy but all through history people have used or connected to other forms.

Whenever you get an attunement from a Reiki teacher, there’s a shift that occurs within your body, mind and spirit because your pathway to the universe is opening to let more universal energy flow through you. If you want to be totally open so that you can be with the universe, you’ll have to study and practice for years. Mikao Usui spent years taking in all sorts of knowledge before he reached his first awakening. It was only after his second awakening following 3 years of disciplined Zen practice and deep meditation that he connected to the universal energy.

Even though the phrase “Reiki attunement” has become quite popular, many people don’t truly understand what it means. An attunement is just the first step to opening yourself to receive universal energy.

Only people that are serious about Reiki and all it has to offer can truly understand what a Reiki attunement is.

Mikao Usui never became a doctor but he did travel a path that allowed him to leave his mark on the world. While medical doctors aren’t required to study Reiki, it’s not uncommon to find trained and qualified medical doctors that are also Reiki students or masters. These doctors can apply healing in many different ways following the receiving of their attunement.

You may feel as if you’ve received the feeling of an attunement from someone that wasn’t connected to the universal energy. There are different energies inside of you that aren’t universal energies, which means they aren’t Reiki. The energy known as Reiki is unique from any other. A Reiki attunement can’t be described as any other type of energy.

Something to keep in mind is that vibrations of harmony and love that universal energy provides always feel the same. However, the person through which this energy flows can change the feeling, look and smell of the energy.If you wish to learn about Reiki and what a true attunement is like, the choice to follow this path is open to everyone. Just be aware that no all paths go to the same place.

Reiki – Learn how to become a Reiki master with Reiki training courses at TrainingReiki.Com.

Bikram Yoga : Yoga

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The most renowned style of exercise and fitness now a days is Yoga. There are many classifications f this form of exercise. Various schools have come up with their own unique styles of attaining physical and mental health. It has its origin in India culture hundred of years ago. The oldest religious scriptures of Hindu namely Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagwad Gita have mentions of this art in the ‘gurukuls’ where the ‘Guru’ (teacher) would train his ‘Shisyas’ (students) and help them to attain physical and ental strength and peace. Out of all the forms of Yoga one very famous is ‘Bikram Yoga’

Bikram or Hot Yoga as popularly known in US was introduced by Bikram Choudhury. Unlike other forms this form is not very age old. It was found towards the end of 20th century. He is an instructor in India. He taught this exercise to around 3 million aspiring students and later the American Medical Association asked him to bring this concept there in America. It is known as Hot Yoga because the postures in this form of exercise is practiced in a heated room. It basically rejuvenates and strengthens the entire body and mind.

This form of exercise has around 26 poses that are a perfect work out for the entire body in just 90 minutes. The poses involved in this form of exercise create a balance in your body. Using strength, gravity and tourniquet technique, this form of exercise builds up stamina, flexibility and energy in your body.  It squeezes and  massages the internal organs of one’s body through various poses and cleans the entire cardiovascular system of your body.

The nervous system of your body is relaxed.

As mentioned above, one session of this exercise is of 90 minutes. There are 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. The temperature of the room in which this exercise is practiced is 105F and the humidity of the room is 40%.

There are many benefits of this form of exercise, it controls the oxygen flow and cholesterol in one’s body.

· The toxins from the body are flushed along with the lymphatic system.

· It strengthens the resistance power of the body by strengthening the immune system of the body.

· It creates a control and balance on the endocrine glands of the body.

· It strengthens the heart, bones, the capacity of the lungs and tones the muscles.

· Performing these poses in a hot  room helps in better flexibility of the muscles. It is a good start of beginners.

· With the aging process the muscles and bones of one’s body gets stiff increases the pressure on joints. Stretching exercises in this form of exercise revitalizes your body.

· The energy level in one’s body increases and also makes one feel young not only at heart but also at health.

· It also helps in regeneration of tissues in your body and cure many diseases.

BikramYoga can be practiced at any age or a person on any stage of fitness level. Even the ones who do not have much flexibility in their body can opt for this style of exercise and live a healthy life. 

carmelamturner is a expart of Yoga Retreats. She provide information about Seva and Yoga Teacher Training.

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