Meditation and related practices

This includes meditation practices as well as music, song, dance, poetry and laughter as medicine.

Meditation and related practices

Postby Judith » Sun Oct 13, 2013 7:44 pm

You may not be a religious person, but the values of meditation are now ‘scientifically proven’—spend time if you can each day sitting quietly, being at peace with yourself, and focussing on something which is away from day to day concerns. Whether you label this a ‘spiritual’ practice is up to you.
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There are literally hundreds of methods out there, under different religious umbrellas or points of view. ‘Quieting the mind’ may seem like an impossible goal when you’re in turmoil. But practice does help. It’s vitally important not to beat yourself up when you feel you’ve ‘failed’—I’ve found having a structure to the process is easier than the more free-flowing Buddhist meditation such as Vipassana which I did try-again this is a personal choice and you may have to try a few methods before you find something which suits you-for now. You may then change again! Buddha himself is worth quoting here: apparently he was asked what he had gained from meditation, and he replied, Nothing! But, he added, ‘let me tell you what I lost: Anger, Anxiety, Insecurity, Fear of Old Age and Death’

My own current practice focuses via imagery, natural sounds and ‘binaural beats’ which entrain brain frequencies, and I listen to a 20 minute session each morning.

There’s a book called Meditation for Beginners by Stephanie Clement (2002 Llewellyn Publications) that does what it says in the title, giving a range of techniques for mindfulness, relation and awareness.. good if you’re new to the idea and has good thoughts on how to start.

Amd here is another e book which may give you many good ideas:

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and this guy has three words for a mantra which might help you manage your scars and let them go...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTCzpsgv5Vs
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BONE BREATHING

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I did this for a time (Michael Gearin Tosh-see library section for a review of his book)-did this for a time too. I used to do it in bed in the morning before getting up, but now do meditation and lymphatic drainage exercise instead—good to have a structure to the start of the day . There are various ways of doing it, all on the web, but here’s just one: http://www.healingtao.org/deutsch/artikel1.htm
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Re: Meditation and related practices-alive in 5?

Postby Judith » Thu Nov 07, 2013 3:13 pm

Alive in Five?

Try this for energy and focus:-

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There are a lot of practices out there- this is the flier for just one of these, but it's short & has some good imagery to focus on--imagery is an important part of this process..

http://www.totallypresent.com/w/12/alive-in-five.php

And here the inimitable Eckhart Tolle takes you on a half-hour's meditation which does NOT involve anything special apart from PRESENCE- try it if you are a beginner-
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foU1qgOdtwg
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Re: More on Meditation and related practices

Postby Judith » Thu Nov 14, 2013 3:46 pm

AllTooSimple.com/meditation/meditation-101-how-to-get-comfortable-using-props

[quote][/quote]This is a quote from this site:

There’s nothing better than knowing and feeling the beauty and truth of the present moment. It heals us and gives us great clarity and insight. Meditation is one avenue we can take to present ourselves with this truly blissful experience.
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Meditation can offer immediate and life-long results. The more one invests in their meditation, the deeper and richer the experience becomes. Don’t worry, you don’t have to shave your head and move to the mountains. Meditation can be personalized to suit your schedule and lifestyle. Through willingness and intention, you can bring good health, peace, wisdom, and unity to your life.
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Re: Meditation and related practices

Postby Rosa_M » Sun Nov 17, 2013 9:51 am

http://www.getsomeheadspace.com
http://www.lbc.org.uk/

Get some head space is a free app with ten, ten minute 'time out' sessions. It's great for beginners to 'mindfulness'. After you've trialled the ten sessions, I think you pay a pound a month or so.
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The Bethnal Green Buddist Centre was recommended to me by a friend who goes to meditate once a week. I haven't actually been myself yet but plan to try it out so I'll post my thoughts on it when I finally get round to it. I don't consider myself to be particularly spiritual but I have found that just doing these short mindfulness sessions is a good chance to really stop, breathe and just be calm.
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Re: John Taverner & Towards Silence...

Postby Judith » Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:59 pm

http://www.musicmindspirit.org/new_silence.html

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Re: SATNAV FOR THE SOUL: got 15 minutes to spare?

Postby Judith » Tue Mar 11, 2014 5:36 pm

http://alltoosimple.com/energy-healing/ ... ise-guide/

If you haven't settled on 'one way' of meditating each day yet, try this one: it's a bit like the bone breathing mentioned earlier but it is energy breathing up and down the spine-

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so for 15 minutes peaceful sitting you 'tune up' your body- you're the driver here, your body is the car, and you can do this body maintenance with the use of your brain and visualisation...linking up the three parts for future directions... a global positioning satellite par excellence...SATNAV FOR THE SOUL
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Re: Meditation and related practices

Postby Mkran Ihan » Wed May 14, 2014 10:28 am

Meditation is really very good for health and fitness. It deals with healthcare matters, stress, and depression by way of belief, consideration, and expression. The objective of meditation is to make our minds calm and peaceful.
If our mind is relaxed, we will be totally exempt from worries and psychological discomfort, and so we will encounter real happiness; but if our mind is not relaxing, we will find it very challenging to be satisfied, even if we are residing in the very best circumstances.
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Re: Meditation and related practices-the proof

Postby Judith » Tue Jun 10, 2014 10:46 am

Meditating leads to lower stress levels,and also lowers levels of the kinds of inflammation that are linked to health issues (like cancer for instance)-

Mindfulness leads to better vagal tone which regulates the heartbeat as well as increased social connectedness and empathy (Kok et al, 2013, Meditation and Health: the search for connectedness and empathy, Social & Personality Psychology Compass,7 (1) ,PP 1-33)

Even the prefrontal areas of the brain to do with empathy and self-regulation get strengthened (increased grey matter!) when you meditate ...
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so it's a must if we can manage it--try it and it grows on you; I would hate to miss a day now--and I got this research from Graham Music's excellent book The Good Life (Routledge 2014)--worth a read generally but nothing about our particular issues...
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Re: You could be a vagal superstar! Keep on meditating...

Postby Judith » Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:34 am

An interview with Graham Music author of The Good Life: Wellbeing and the new science of altruism, selfishness and immorality
http://www.ecohustler.co.uk
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Really interesting interview, Graham, thanks so much for all your wise words! I shall post this link on http://www.cansurviving.com as we function as a growing community of people aiming to live vibrantly after the trauma of cancer diagnosis, taking the time to slow down and think, to live with uncertainty, and to smile and laugh- we may not be 'vagal superstars' but aiming high is no bad thing...

Want to improve the world? - Slow down... and hear the science of kindness as outlined so potently in Graham Music's interview here...
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An interview with Graham Music author of The Good Life: Wellbeing and the new science of altruism, selfishness and immorality
http://www.ecohustler.co.uk
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Re: Meditation and related practices-- being guided...

Postby Judith » Tue Oct 09, 2018 9:31 am

A guided meditation uses the sound of a person's voice to direct you through an inner process of relaxing your body and shifting your mind's focus. The voice may be a person in the room with you or a recording--even something downloaded from the internet--and it is generally spoken in soothing, soft tones. You may be guided to focus on aspects of your physical body, such as on your breathing, relaxing your muscles one-by-one, or on an area in need of healing. Sometimes it might involve visualizing a journey through the beauty of the natural world. Other times, you may be led to envision yourself working with light or energy, accomplishing your goals, or repeating positive thoughts in your head. Your guide may walk you through relaxation or motivation to help you change a habit, access untapped potential, or perhaps merely to find the silence within you.

Whether you are familiar with meditation or you are a beginner, being guided gives you the opportunity to benefit from the insight of others.
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There are numerous meditation and visualization techniques based in various spiritual philosophies and psychological applications. You may want to try several techniques to see what appeals to you the most, or just to gain a fresh perspective.

Guided meditation allows you to learn from others in a way that is similar to ones used by ancients the world over. Once learned, meditation is a tool that will always be available to you. Like having a tour guide while traveling in a foreign country, a guided meditation takes you on an inner journey. But this tour allows you to see and experience your own inner world, a place that truly only exists within you. The scenes created in your mind's eye
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can be revisited at any time, without a guide, because once you have seen the fascinating landscape of your own inner terrain, there will always be more to explore.
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