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Have you ever wanted to start your own private meditation practice in your home? But you're just not sure how to get started? Well, I'm glad you're here today, I'm going to help you in this Podcast Episode #111 - 3 Easy Steps To Start Your Meditation Own Practice At Home. Let's learn how to meditate more effectively, are you ready? At first glance, doesn't it seem natural that anyone would know how to meditate or start a meditation practice without any help from someone? I can tell you that some people do, but most of us will have to learn how to meditate from a source outside our selves, either from the internet, a course or book and sometimes even a meditation teacher. Meditation is like training your mind much like exercise or going to the gym, it only works if you actively engage in your practice To be perfectly clear, when you start a meditation practice you have to meditate regularly, on a daily basis and with a lot of compassion for yourself in the beginning. Scientific research has shown that regular, daily meditation is very effective in clinically reducing depression and anxiety. You will also gain additional benefits such as increased focus, greater clarity for solving problems at home and at work. One of the biggest benefits is a significant reduction in your stress levels making your life and everyone around you much happier. Be sure and get your set of FREE Meditation Timer Mp3s below! Step 1: Set realistic expectations on when and how long you will meditate If you have never tried to meditate on a consistent and regular basis, don't come out of the gate ready to live in a cave in solitude for the rest of your life. Start by determining which part of the day you want to meditate, then you can start with a simple five or ten-minute meditation session each day. Just sit down, set a timer, do the meditation and get up and walk away. Don't forget to congratulate yourself for starting your journey to improve your life. Find a quiet place where you won't be interrupted behind a closed door. You could even meditate during your lunch break in your car or before you go to work in the parking lot. Be sure and use an mp3 meditation timer or a kitchen timer in the beginning until you have a feel for the amount of time that works for you. Remember, there is not a right or wrong way you could ever learn how to meditate. This is about you and what your needs are. Step 2: Set a realistic goal before beginning your meditation session Maybe you have never meditated and just don't know what to expect. That's completely understandable, what is important is that you simply set an intention and focus your energy towards your meditation sessions. Create an incentive of some type so that you will want to take the time each day for your meditation session. Here's a quick meditation you can do anytime or anywhere Close your eyes, take 3 deep but comfortable breaths to relax, then just sit for a short time, however long you want is fine and focus only on your breath in and out through your nose with your mouth closed. Now, just focus on your breath where the in and out of each breath through your nose will count a one breath movement. Breath in and out counting one, then in and out two until you get to the count of ten, then start over and count to ten again until you feel you're ready to stop. You just created a custom meditation for yourself that you can change in any way that suits you as you move forward with your practice. Easy, right? Now, here's the really fun part about meditation, your unconscious mind is full of inspiration, wisdom, and information that you can use meditation to tap into a greater understanding of life or any problems you may be having in your life. See, the problem is that we spend so much time thinking about the problem that our mind can't come up with a solution or gain a greater understanding of a particular issue you may be wrestling with.

Meditation for seniors using mindfulness techniques may help elders to find peace within themselves and improved memory with daily practice meditating.   Since meditation is a mental exercise that trains the mind to remain focused and aware of “drifting” into unwanted thought patterns, meditating regularly can actually improve a senior’s cognitive abilities involving concentration, memory, and attention. Research indicates that mindfulness for the elderly is an encouraging intervention that is well worth introducing. It is suitable for high functioning clients. Here's how you can help someone you love using meditation. Have you ever heard someone talking about having a "senior moment"? This usually refers to someone being forgetful or acting in some other way that is linked to impaired mental functioning. The term came to be no doubt because human beings equate a weaker mind with old age. Science backs up this belief. As we age, especially as human beings progress past the age of 50, research shows us that our mental functioning begins to decline. However, this is far from an unavoidable situation. Seniors that meditate and practice mindfulness can experience dramatic and positive improvements in their mental abilities. The following meditation for seniors benefits can help those over 50 reclaim much of their mental functioning, especially if senior moments are popping up more frequently. • Meditation stimulates the "smile and be happy" area of the brain. Your prefrontal cortex is the "feel good" region of your brain. As you age, you naturally activate this region less frequently, which is why seniors often experience depression and higher levels of stress and anxiety than they did when they were younger. A meditation practice leads to less stress and depression, as well as a greater sense of happiness. • Meditation improves mood and emotional control. A study out of Thailand supplemented a walking therapy with meditation for seniors. Those who meditated showed more positive moods regularly than those who did not. A reduction in depression and improvement in functional fitness was also noted. • Regular meditation improves memory. Meditation stimulates the hippocampus, as well as the frontal brain lobe. This means better short and long-term memory recall for seniors. The ability to store and access newly made memories is also enhanced. • Meditation for seniors improves senior relationships. Because of the stress-relieving, mood-improving nature of mindfulness and other meditation practices, seniors enjoy better relationships with their caregivers, family members and others in the senior community. A study out of UCLA shows that an 8-week meditation program "... significantly decreased rates of self-reported loneliness." Depression from a perceived state of loneliness is a significant concern for seniors, especially those over 70 and 80 years of age. Meditation for seniors and the elderly include a decreased sense of loneliness, greater longevity, better health, less mental fog, a reduction in health care costs and a slowing of the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Meditation sessions can last just 10 and 20 minutes, and several such sessions a week lead to a multitude of mental and physical advantages seniors would be wise to take advantage of. For more information on meditation for seniors and how you can help those you love please visit "A Place For Mom".

Mindfulness meditation for kids at each developmental stage can be useful for decreasing anxiety and in promoting happiness in school and at home.  Mindfulness meditation for kids and mindfulness, in general, is a simple meditation technique that emphasizes paying attention to the present moment in an accepting, nonjudgmental manner — has emerged as a popular mainstream practice in recent decades. It is being taught to executives at corporations, athletes in the locker room, and increasingly, to children both at home and in school. Meditation has been linked to multiple physical and mental health advantages. Lower stress, better longevity, lower health care costs, better emotional control, and improved physical performance have all been scientifically proven as benefits of meditation and mindfulness. With such significant rewards, you may be thinking about getting your child involved with a regular meditation practice. Part of the reason why mindfulness meditation for kids is so effective can be explained by the way the brain develops. While our brains are constantly developing throughout our lives, connections in the prefrontal circuits are created at their fastest rate during childhood. Mindfulness, which promotes skills that are controlled in the prefrontal cortex, like focus and cognitive control, can, therefore, have a particular impact on the development of skills including self-regulation, judgment, and patience during childhood. Meditation has been proven beneficial for adults, senior citizens and the elderly. It can improve the lives of men and women, so it is logical for parents, grandparents, and others who care about children to wonder, "How young is too young to introduce a child to meditation?" If you are asking this question about mindfulness meditation for kids, you are far from alone. Browse Internet meditation forums and you see more than a few questions like the following: "Is my 9-year-old daughter too young to learn meditation?" "My son just turned 6. Is that too young for meditation?" "I have heard about meditation for toddlers. How does that work?" Meditation might not be the first thought that enters your mind when you think of energetic, active preschoolers and toddlers. Many think that because these young children do not have fully formed brains, not only are they incapable of meditating properly, but the practice is a waste of time. Click Here For Mindfulness Activities for Children And Teens: 25 Fun Exercises For Kids   Science tells us differently in many studies around the world and in all cultures. Multiple studies show "immediate behavioral changes in children" once they begin meditating. The National Therapies Research Unit at the Royal Hospital for Women in Australia performed a study on 26 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between 2003 and 2012. The children were between the ages of 4 and 12. A regular practice of Sahaja Yoga Meditation took place for 6 weeks. Here are just a few results of that meditation practice. • A reduction in medication use by 50% of the child test subjects • Better parent-child relationships • Enhanced feelings of self-esteem and self-worth • A reduction in hyperactivity, and a simultaneous improvement in attention • Less impulsive activity A Baltimore, Maryland school teaches children to meditate during detention. Yoga therapist Heather Galea has seen even the youngest children benefit from being around a parent who is performing yoga and meditating. Best selling childcare author Pinky McKay has seen meditation calm and relax children younger than 2 years of age. This is happening because studies show increased attention, better grades, lower levels of stress and anxiety, better self-awareness and healthy self-regulation are all benefits from meditation for children. Kaiser Greenland is the author of The Mindful Child,

A driving meditation? Say what? After reading that title you may be thinking, "Meditating while driving? That's crazy!" You are probably envisioning someone trying to drive a vehicle with their eyes closed, seated in the lotus position and chanting mantras, while trying to form appropriate mudras with their hands. That is the typical experience most people think of when they hear the word "meditation". Driving meditation, also called mindful driving, is a totally different animal.  Many types of meditation simply ask you to be mindful of your present experience. This means open your mind and all of your senses to everything that is going on around you. Doesn't this sound like the perfect recipe for safe driving? How many hours a day or a week do you spend behind the wheel of your car? Instead of considering this as wasted, stressful time, why not use it as a chance to practice mindfulness? Notice that this "driving meditation" practice is called "mindful driving", and not road rage, judgmental driving or revenge driving. Being totally aware of everything that is going on around you while you drive is going to mean that you definitely see poor driving habits by other drivers. When you practice mindfulness, whether driving or seated comfortably in your living room, you become aware of your current experience. However, you do not judge the experience. You simply encounter it, allow yourself to experience it, only concerning yourself with truly being in the moment. This means that your vision sees brake lights popping up on a line of vehicles in front of you. Your ears alert you to a car horn. Your hands notice that there is a little movement in your steering wheel, which means you may have encountered a rougher or more difficult driving terrain. If more people would practice mindful driving, instances of traffic accidents and road rage would drop dramatically.  Mindful driving could lead to lower insurance rates. It can definitely help lower your stress level if you are heading to a job you hate and can help you de-stress after a challenging day at work. This means less stress and anxiety when you arrive home, which promotes a happier home environment. There are a lot of reasons to practice mindfulness while you drive in the form of a driving meditation. Not only do you become a safer and more aware driver, but your daily commute can actually become a stress-reliever, rather than promoting stress and anxiety. The next time you drive, practice a driving meditation and be present in everything that is going on around you. Develop an awareness of your situation, without reacting judgmentally. You will find more peace and less stress in your life, and may actually enjoy driving when in the past it was an activity you dreaded.

A simple meditation for beginners is needed when you are in different environments that can be a challenge to some and easy for others. There are people who have a good sense of focus and concentration. They have the ability to stabilize their mind no matter what kind of environment they are into. However, there are also people who seem to be always disturbed. They can hardly concentrate, thus, affecting their judgment and quality of work. Meditation is a good aid for these types of people. During meditation, mental space to conduct a simple meditation for beginners is created in order to achieve a certain degree of enlightenment. The effects of meditation on different people also vary. These could be affected by factors such as mood, character, and individuality. When a person hardly understands themselves, their confusion reflects their actions. That is why contemplation is necessary in order to achieve an enlightened consciousness. A quiet space conducive for reflection, a mantra to be recited and absolute concentration are the essentials of meditation. While sitting meditation is considered the basic and most efficient form of meditation, there are other ways to modify the process for a simple meditation for beginners. On the whole, you can only create other forms of meditation when you become habituated with the practice. When your mind has been set for meditation, it will be easy for you to stay tuned-up. Plus, you can integrate the spiritual essence and mental awareness with the physical and mental rhythms of life. As meditation becomes part of your routine, you will always find time to stop and make a connection with the process of meditation. Naturally, you will seek the blissful state that you can experience only when meditating. So what should you do for a simple meditation for beginners when the place you are into is not conducive to meditation? There are ways to establish focus and concentration. You can capture your mind to be in the meditation state when you direct your attention to a spot in the room, or listen attentively to your breathing or focus on a small object. With the help of relaxing music and tricky colors, you can employ meditation and extend such practice even beyond the meditation period. Active people such as athletes need to stay focused on their skill or art while staying grounded. However, their physical ability could be more enhanced if they are in touch with their higher consciousness. A famous female boxer revealed that in her violent and aggressive profession, she never fails to meditate and chant. She constructed her own way of escaping the gym atmosphere in order to find peace within. She listens to the sound of the speed bag as she hits it one way. There is a distinct sound for a one-way blow and the sound varies with the difference in the impact of a glove. Then all she had to do is close her eyes and meditate on the sound of the speed bag. Even a basketball player can employ meditation at the free throw line if he is able to transcend the noise of the crowd and the pressure of the play. In this manner, he can manage stress and anxiety while connecting to his meditation process. Be creative in modifying your own way of a simple meditation for beginners by practicing these ideas and techniques. Break your patterns and make your imagination work. Even as a beginner, you can create a simple meditation for beginners that can work for you and others.

Meditate for success and find the road to the top of the corporate ladder easier, faster and with much less stress and anxiety about your future in the boardroom and in your personal life. Climbing the corporate ladder in search of job security, better pay, more personal power? Business leaders tell us that there are […]

Put your headphones on and listen to this "Angelic Chakra Cleansing and Balancing Guided Meditation Mp3". Download and Subscribe For Your Mobile Device! Chakra Cleansing Meditation For Beginners And Understanding The Alignments In The Human Body A Chakra cleansing meditation and the word Chakra derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" energy, the meaning from the yogic discipline has a more direct translation of the word as a 'vortex or whirlpool'. Chakras are channels in the energetic human body through which the life force energy (prana), or vital energy moves. These seven chakras that are considered to be the most important ones according to the ancient Tantric texts. The human body includes seven important Chakra cleansing meditation parts for beginners to understand and there are many more minor Chakras. At this time, it is important for you to just focus on the primary 7 Chakras for now. The primary understanding of the 7 Chakra cleansing meditation for beginners start at the bottom of the backbone or the base of the spine known as the "Root" and finish on the top of the head and is known as the "Crown" Chakra. Basically, those Chakras represent the wheel of continuous revolving and rotating spiritual energy in which you can learn to balance within the human body. Chakra healing meditation and guided visualization are very important aspects to learn about as well. The root (1st Chakra) has the slowest revolving energetic speed while the crown at the top of the head (7th Chakra) rotates the fastest. As soon as these Chakras are unhealthy, unbalanced or clogged up, one’s lifestyle tends to be out of sync. Google "youtube chakra meditation music" to explore even further. Weariness, stress and other health issues may set in. In such cases, it’s important to unclog the affected Chakras and restores its balance. Stimulation for each Chakras come from its individual and complimentary color as well as a range of gemstones. Basically, these Chakra colors consist of the 7 colors of the rainbow; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Every thought and experience you've ever had in your life gets filtered through these extensive Chakra databases. Each event in your life gets recorded into your cells throughout your lifetime, in effect, your entire biography becomes your living biology. The primary function of the Chakras is to spin and draw in this "life" energy to keep the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical health of the body in balance throughout your life. Chakras have a clear connection among themselves as energy and are also the condition of its corresponding organ in the human body, mind, and soul. The following are the 7 Chakra Cleansing Meditation principles for beginners and their related organs in the body: 1st Chakra (Root) - connected to large intestines, anus, has some effects on kidney functioning, Emotional issues: Survival issues such as financial independence, money, and food. 2nd Chakra (Naval) – connected to the reproduction system, sex gland, testicles, urinary system, bladder, and kidneys. Emotional issues: Sense of abundance, well-being, pleasure, sexuality. 3rd Chakra (Solar Plexus) - connected to gallbladder, spleen, liver, small intestine, and stomach. Emotional issues: Self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem. 4th Chakra (Heart) – associated with the heart and arms. Emotional issues: Love, joy, inner peace. 5th Chakra (Throat) – associated with throat and lung area. Emotional issues: Communication, self-expression of feelings, the truth. 6th Chakra (3rd Eye) – associated with the face, nose area, eyes, and brains. Emotional issues: Intuition, imagination, wisdom, ability to think and make decisions. 7th Chakra (Crown) – related to the whole being, not corresponding to any particular organ. Emotional issues: Inner and outer beauty, our connection to spirituality, pure bliss.

Put your headphones on and listen to the guided hypnosis session podcast above for a deep meditation experience. Download & Subscribe! Should You Use Hypnosis or Meditation? What’s the Difference? Is a meditative state and hypnosis just different terms for the same phenomena? Hypnosis and a deep meditation experience both produce impressive results when applied properly and consistently. A meditative state of mind has been practiced for thousands of years. Hypnosis has been around as long as people have roamed the Earth. However, the idea of hypnotism wasn’t proposed until far more recently. While they may appear similar, hypnosis and a meditative state differ in several important ways. One isn’t a good substitute for the other, but both can be powerful tools. Understand the differences between hypnosis and a meditative state: 1. You’re hypnotized several times each day. Each time you’re more involved with your thoughts than you are with the outside world, you’re hypnotized. This is not the same as deep meditation experiences. You’ve experienced this while watching a movie or reading a book. Have you ever driven in the car, only to wonder where the time went after arriving at your destination? You were hypnotized. It has been suggested that people are technically hypnotized after watching only 7 seconds of television! 2. What is deep meditation in relation to the mind being hypnotized? A Meditative state attempts to be devoid of thought. In most types of meditation and meditative state of mind, the objective is to concentrate on an object, such as the breath, and create a mental state with minimal thought activity. 3. Hypnosis is dissociative. In a highly hypnotized state, the subject is unaware of his immediate surroundings. It’s akin to being in a dream that’s directed by himself or another person. Meditation is the opposite. The goal of a meditative state is a complete presence. 4. Both techniques can be useful tools for managing stress or anxiety. Both can be equally effective for dealing with mental distress: Deep meditation experiences can help by revealing the reality that stress and anxiety are self-induced. Hypnosis often uses visualization techniques to experience new ways of reacting to the same stimuli in the future. 5. Hypnosis could be viewed as experiencing something with your senses that’s not really there. When you close your eyes and imagine something, you’re hypnotized. When you relive a conversation in your head, you’re hypnotized. How much time do you think you spend hypnotized each day? 6. Hypnosis is more outcome oriented. Hypnosis is often undertaken to solve a challenge or to enhance performance. Hypnosis is used to get over a trauma, increase self-esteem, lose weight, or quit smoking. It’s directed at a specific outcome. Meditation isn’t normally applied in this way. 7. Hypnosis is aimed at the subconscious. It’s believed that hypnosis works around the conscious mind and influences the subconscious. It’s easier to address the subconscious while the conscious mind is otherwise occupied. Hypnosis is considered an altered state. Your perception of reality is flawed because your mind is in another place. On the other hand, deep meditation experiences seek to eliminate everything except the truth. All opinions, beliefs, and preconceptions are dropped. Nothing remains but mental stillness. What is deep meditation used for in everyday life? In spite of these basic differences, there are actually many kinds of meditative states, some of which could be considered similar to hypnosis. If you’re interested in learning more about either, both techniques can be learned on your own. There are many books, audio programs and video programs available. As with anything else, a great teacher can be helpful. You already spend a portion of your day in a hypnotic state. Put it to work! Take control of the trances you enter each day.

Guided Meditation For Anxiety Script - Overcome Anxiety Welcome to this guided meditation for anxiety. In this guided meditation for anxiety, we will relax to release stress and use visualization to overcome anxiety. We live in a hectic world where chaos is common and stress creates anxiety and conditions that can hold you back from living a full and enjoyable life. In order to be relieved of anxiety, it is important to understand what causes it ... anxiety may come about as a result of things that you have been doing, or thoughts that you’ve been thinking about the future ... It can be an intense and anxiety provoking memory of a traumatic past event in your life, or even a series of events ... anxiety can come from your own experiences or sometimes the experiences of others ... It can be triggered by accidents, illnesses, the death of loved ones, or results of incidents that you were suddenly thrust into... Most often it comes from our thoughts and how we see the situation. Thoughts of the future and the unknown…. Anxiety can come quickly and unexpectedly ... and leave just as mysteriously as it came. Fear seems to happen when there is seemingly nothing to fear ... and many times the panic or anxiety is simply the silly things we make up in our minds. So what we must address, is the fear associated with anxiety… after all, anxiety is the fear of things yet to happen... A guided meditation for anxiety is very helpful in both mild and severe anxiety ... You are going to now learn the art of controlling anxiety. As a result of this session, you can expect to have the ability to manage your anxiety allowing you to be in control of it at all times. Look forward to feeling happy and so confident that you are now in control. When we enter the meditative state of relaxation we achieve peace and calm relieving stress immediately and we can also learn new techniques to manage and reduce anxiety significantly. All that is required of you for this meditation is that you breathe….. remember to always breathe… deeply, slowly and fully…. Pulling fresh clean air into your body through your nostrils and lungs and exhaling the deeply…. Slowly and fully emptying the lungs every time…. Enjoy breathing……… Breathing eases and calms….. Take your time as we ease into this guided meditation for anxiety…. I will guide you through this guided meditation for anxiety so all you have to do is listen and breathe….. breathe and listen….. You can listen to this meditation at any time, night or day, or even when you sense anxiety coming on……. when you feel particularly anxious about something...you have the power to decide when is the best time for you. Allow yourself to be in a lying down or seated position where you will be alone with this meditation…... And just focus on your in and out breath, going deep into your belly - and noticing how calm and comfortable you are feeling. Let your thoughts come in, and just let them go…..listening to my voice and just relaxing…. Do not worry about anything - your only task is to breathe and listen….. listen and breathe……. Focus on your breath as you breathe in and your stomach rises and as you exhale feel your stomach fall, deep and relaxed…. And as you continue to watch your breath as you inhale fresh pure air and release all tension as you breathe out. Feel your body relaxing deeper and deeper, and allow your thoughts to just slow down…..your limbs becoming limp, and your mind being calm…. And close your eyes if you haven’t already done so…….breathing in deeply…. And exhaling fully……. allow yourself to completely relax I’m going to lead you into a visualization now….. all you have to do is use your imagination as you listen and breathe… breathe and listen and imagine….. I want you to imagine a scene in your mind ... to visualize yourself at a wonderful place ... a place where there is only calm and inner peace.

Discover Inner Bliss Guided Meditation Podcast Throughout history, meditation has been an integral part of many cultures. Records indicate that meditation was practiced in ancient Greece and India more than 5,000 years ago. In the Buddhist religion, inner peace and meditation is an important part of their spiritual practice. Different forms of meditation are practiced in China and Japan, and Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have traditions similar to meditation. The word meditation comes from the Latin ‘meditari’ which means: exercise, turn something over in one’s mind, think, consider. It is defined as “consciously directing your attention to alter your state of mind.” Meditation is one of the proven alternative therapies that in recent years have been classified under the mind-body medicine therapies. It is continuing to gain popularity, as more and more health experts believe that there is more to the connection between mind and body than modern medicine can explain. Meditation has been shown to aid the immune system and improve brain activity, according to researchers. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, improve exercise performance, for people with angina, to help people with asthma to breathe easier, to relieve insomnia, and generally relax everyday stresses of life. Many hospitals now offer meditation classes for their patients because of the health benefits. All promote physiological health, inner peace and well-being. Traditionally meditation has been used for spiritual growth but more recently has become a valuable tool for managing stress and finding a place of inner peace, relaxation, and tranquility in a demanding fast-paced world. Benefits resulting from meditation include physical and emotional healing; easing stress, fear, and grief; improved breathing; developing intuition; deep relaxation; exploring higher realities; finding inner guidance; unlocking creativity; manifesting change; emotional cleansing and balancing; and deepening concentration and insight. Meditation elicits many descriptive terms: stillness, silence, tranquility, inner peace, quiet, and calm. All counter stress and tension. Lama Surya Das in his book Awakening The Buddha Within says, “Meditation is not just something to do; it’s a method of being and seeing – an unconditional way of living moment by moment.” In other words, learning to live in this moment because this moment is all we have. Henry Winkler is quoted as saying; “A human being’s first responsibility is to shake hands with himself.” Meditation is an opportunity to ‘shake hands with ourselves’ in a safe, simple way and to balance our emotional, mental, physical, inner peace and spiritual well-being. Meditation takes many forms of inner peace in today’s society. All have one thing in common. They use concentration techniques to still the mind and stop thought. Various practices exist such as chanting (Mantra), focusing on energy centers in the body (Chakra Meditation), breathing, mindfulness (Mahamudra), loving kindness, formal sitting (Vipassana), expressive practices (Siddha Yoga), and walking to name some of the styles. Try each style and see what works for you or you may want to alternate between the techniques from time to time. For the purposes of this article, I will discuss Mahamudra and walking meditation. Practical Steps To Begin Meditating 1. Find a place where there are few external distractions. A place where you feel emotionally comfortable, safe, removed from pressure and stress is the optimal location. 2. Wear clothing that is loose and sits or lays in a comfortable position. 3. Plan to meditate in an area that is warm and comfortable.You might want to have a blanket or light covering as some people experience a feeling of coolness when they aren’t moving around for a period of time. 4. Candles can be used to focus attention on the task at hand. If you use them,

Let's discuss some essential meditation techniques for beginners and some of the challenges for someone just starting to meditate. Learning proper meditation techniques for beginners is very important for someone just starting to meditate. Each person is apt to experiencing various instances of stress. No person could prevent themselves from undergoing the sickening feeling of such pressure. However, various methods have been offered to aid a person in lessening stress. One of the most frequently used ways is through meditation. However, neophytes are often troubled by fears and apprehensions on how to start developing such practice. In addition, they are uncertain about the methods and preparations they need to increase their success in this habit. The first technique to be followed in meditation is selecting the place wherein you think you’ll achieve your inner peace. People have varying preferences in terms of which venues will sufficiently cater their needs. Make sure that you select a comfortable place, wherein you can easily organize your thoughts and achieve extreme silence. Do not meditate at public places. You should also avoid reflecting in places that remind you of stressful events that took place in the past. Second, undergo meditation regularly. Have the drive to continue your contemplation, because it will nourish your inner soul. This means that you allow sufficient time for personal reflection. It helps whenever you remind yourself that maintaining this habit has numerous mental and emotional benefits. Third, among the meditation techniques for beginners, practice the perfect breathing pattern. During this process, you have to focus your whole attention on your breath. This will block out unwanted ideas from formulating in your brain. This may be difficult for beginners because some ideas tend to suddenly pop into your head. However, constant practice will help you develop this skill, and as soon as you master the appropriate breathing intervals, it will be easier for you to focus on your meditation. Fourth, try your best to not sleep while meditating. It would be very difficult for you to appreciate the art of meditating if you fall asleep in the middle of your contemplation. As comfortable and quiet as your venue is, you have to keep yourself awake in order to fully grasp the happiness and lightheartedness that arise after meditation. Fifth, learn to be patient. You cannot attain the positive results of such form of relaxation right away. It is normal to experience difficulties at the beginning of your meditation. However, if you learn to be patient, you will learn to develop meditation techniques for beginners that will help you in your future reflections. As time passes, it becomes easier for you to budge mental distractions.

Choose the right meditation music for relaxation that works for you... It has been proven that meditation music for relaxation keeps the body and mind are relaxed, the body's natural ability to heal itself is greatly enhanced. By listening to deeply relaxing music, you can assist your body to release its healing powers. By listening to relaxation music, you can create a zone of peace that allows you to experience each day from a place of alignment with your true nature. For people who are into meditation, one of the most crucial factors for their practice of meditation is to hear some meditation music. Depending on the form of meditation you are practicing, meditation music plays a very big role in achieving the success of any meditation session. What Meditation Music For Relaxation Should Be People who have been practicing meditation for so long would definitely agree that the hardest thing to distract them from meditation is noise and ambient sounds. This is because even a tiny sound can penetrate the mind and distract it from whatever it has been doing. Meditation music for relaxation while meditating is a way to isolate you from the outside world so you can focus your mind on your breath. Using meditation music mp3's are very effective for beginner meditators who are having trouble focusing their minds in the beginning. Here are some guidelines for choosing meditation music for relaxation for you: 1. Make sure that it doesn't have lyrics. In choosing meditation music, it is always best to choose music that has no lyrics because it will distract your concentration. If you find plain rhythm boring, try to play something that has lyrics that you don’t understand so you don’t have to think what the song is saying. Aside from distracting your thoughts through the words you understand, music with lyrics will also encourage you to sing along which will totally shatter your concentration. 2. Relaxing music with soft rhythm is always advisable. For starters, this type of music will help you good because it will help you clear your mind to focus on the music. But, if you are already at a higher level of meditation, you can choose music that has faster rhythm. 3. Try to experiment with different types of music. Although soft and relaxing music is always advisable, try to play other types of music. Who knows? You might find better meditation music for relaxation by playing something that you truly enjoy. 4. Simple and soothing music is best to focus your attention. If you don’t have the luxury of time to experiment with different types of music to be played during meditation, then try a different type of meditation music on Youtube until you find what works best for you. Some of these may include classical sounds, sounds from nature such as clapping of thunder, sounds of ocean waves, sounds of insects, and the wind. Other alternative options may also include simple instruments including a Tibetan singing bowl, flute, sitar, and tamboura which are known to have meditative inducing qualities. When choosing meditation music for relaxation, it is very important to keep in mind that the type of meditation music for relaxation you should play must induce you to deep concentration and not into a deep sleep. If you are the type who practices meditation in just one place, then it is best if you play the same meditation music all over again. But if you are the type who changes places when you meditate, then it is best to bring along several types of meditation music to help you adjust to your surroundings. You can download the meditation music that you like from various meditation sites on the Internet and burn a CD. But if you have a portable MP3 player, it is best to upload the music there so you can listen to it anytime you want to practice your meditation music for relaxation.

Guided Meditation Script - Be sure and download this meditation above to your phone or mp3 player. For this guided meditation, find yourself a comfortable position in a location where you will not be disturbed and can have the time and privacy to completely explore meditation without the external pressures of everyday life invading your time and space for the next 30 minutes The guided meditation process can make meditating seem achievable and can help the user to feel more grounded and in touch with themselves rather than feeling lost while trying to quiet their mind. In the next few minutes with this guided meditation script, you will delve into the practice of meditation with me as your guide. Meditation is the practice of finding peace, stillness, and silence in the midst of a hectic world. It is personal and you will develop your very own practice. So as we move into the practice of meditation, simply release any existing ideas or thoughts and suspend any beliefs you have about meditation and let us begin. Now once you are comfortable either seated or lying down, pay attention to your breath, inhaling and exhaling and feeling the air fill your lungs and releasing negative energy on the exhale Continuing to focus on your breath and as you do so notice how your body is feeling… Are you experiencing any tension in your body, perhaps in your neck or shoulder, back or jaw…? Just continue to focus on your breathing allow your breath to go to these places of tension and release the tension on your exhaling Bringing your attention to your breathing is the easiest and quickest way to bring your awareness to the present moment. And feel your body relaxing now and as you continue to observe your breathing feel the tension leaving your body, leaving your hands and feet, your jaw and eyes, your neck and shoulders all relaxing now… The Process Of Guided Meditation There are many different methods of guided meditation. Since each person has a different goal when starting the meditation process, there are several ways to achieve these goals with diverse guided meditation programs. There are a few steps that the meditating person must go through in order to achieve a complete meditative state. Most of these steps in the process focus mainly on relaxation and the clearing of the mind. Since clearing the mind can be a difficult task to achieve, people who find interest in meditation turn to guided meditation to help them to center their minds and bodies. The guided meditation process can make meditating seem achievable and can help the user to feel more grounded and in touch with themselves rather than feeling lost while trying to quiet their mind. There are many different ways to achieve a meditative state but most of these processes start by instructing the person to sit in a comfortable position. It is also very important that the person is in a quiet space with no distractions or sounds around that could divert the concentration that is needed. Guided meditation generally instructs the person who is meditating to quiet and stop the mind. This means that the person should release any thoughts from his or her mind and concentrate on nothingness. The meditating person should also make sure that his or her body is completely relaxed and there is no strain on any body part while sitting in the position. The goal of a guided meditation session is to achieve a completely empty mind and a clear conscious. This moment of complete silence and peacefulness allows the person to experience what a feeling of whole calmness is throughout the body. This calm feeling usually makes the stress of everyday life melt away for many people. Once this feeling of calm has been experienced by a meditating person, he or she focuses on achieving this feeling throughout the day and not only during a meditation session. Many guided meditation processes also include a mantra.

What are Contemplative Practices? Contemplative Practices cultivate a critical, first-person focus, sometimes with direct experience as the object, while at other times concentrating on complex ideas or situations. Incorporated into daily life, they act as a reminder to connect to what we find most meaningful. Contemplative practices are practical, radical, and transformative, developing capacities for deep concentration and quieting the mind in the midst of the action and distraction that fills the everyday life. This state of calm centeredness is an aid to the exploration of meaning, purpose, and values. Contemplative practices can help develop greater empathy and communication skills, improve focus and attention, reduce stress and enhance creativity, supporting a loving and compassionate approach to life. The primordial ‘sounds of silence’ cannot be over-emphasized ~ whether it is in deep meditation; a retreat of silence; simple time alone; the space between one’s thoughts; allowing quiet after someone has spoken to allow their sharing to be really felt and heard; sensing the soft stillness of nature or the hum of the cosmos. You can touch upon this profound and important element. It is where and when you feel, sense, and silently hear Source within yourself and outside of yourself ~ all reflected in the beauty and the mystery of nature, others, all of life, and the entire cosmos. Contemplative practices are widely varied; for an illustration of just some of the many types of practices, please see the “Tree of Contemplative Practices” for more information. They come in many forms, from traditions all over the world. Examples of contemplative practices include various forms of meditation, focused thought, time in nature, writing, contemplative arts, and contemplative movement. Some people find that active, physical practices, like yoga or tai chi, work best for them. Others find nourishment in still and silent practices, like mindfulness meditation. Some people find that rituals rooted in a religious or cultural tradition soothe their soul. And not all practices are done in solitude–groups and communities can engage in practices that support reflection in a social context. We encourage you to discover for yourself how contemplative practice, in whatever form is best for you, can enrich your life and work. Attribution:ContemplativeMind.org

The subject of the benefits of meditation can be confusing and even be intimidating to some people. Meditation is an art form that dates back thousands of years. It is well known for being a practice that monks and other religious people participated in for the many benefits of meditation. Today meditation is associated with many health benefits for the mind and the body. It is being used more widely, and what most people don't know, is that there is more than one form of meditation. The best way to describe meditation is by this; it is a practice that allows a person to train their mind to a better way of thinking. This could be to stop focusing on the past and let things go or to develop a more positive mindset. The practice of meditation allows you to learn how to relax your mind and your body. It can help you develop a new life force, also known as gi, ki, and prana. At the same time, you can learn how to love again, have compassion, improve your generosity and to forgive things are just some of the benefits of meditation. Buddhist monks used meditation on a daily basis and it helped them perform all of their rituals. They would use things like prayer beads to help them keep track of things that needed to be accomplished. As well they would touch their beads while saying mantras. Many religions incorporate some form of meditation into their beliefs. It is often used to help clear the mind and to sync your body and mind together. Mantras were often performed while in a sitting position and helped a person develop a calm state of mind. The goal is to relax your mind and become totally aware of your thoughts and feelings. This can be done by clearing your mind and only thinking about one thing at a time. You may wish to focus on things like losing weight or forgiving someone for a recent action they took. Today it is recognized that meditation can be done in many ways with tons of benefits. Taking part in yoga is one way to experience the benefits of meditation. Kneeling or sitting and repeating phrases or quotes, is yet another way. It is even possible to meditate while walking, and numerous people actually perform it this way. While at one time there may have been strict guidelines and expectations for meditation. Today how you meditate and where is more of a personal choice. You want to choose a location and position that is comfortable for you and one that allows you not to be disturbed to realize the greatest benefits of meditation.

A Candle Meditation can be used to help clear your mind and increase your ability to focus. You can do this is by lighting a candle and focusing directly on the flame. You can download and use the guided meditation audio mp3 above to learn how to perform a guided candle meditation. A candle meditation can also help to create a relaxing environment to aid in meditation. To use candles for meditation, you will need to choose a candle, create a relaxing environment, and position the candle for meditation. Then, light the candle and begin to clear your mind and focus on the flame. Many beginners find it much easier to clear their mind when focusing on an object like in a candle meditation. Warnings For A Candle Meditation Don't fall so deep into your meditative trance that you wouldn't notice the house burning down. If you think you're going to be in an unresponsive state while meditating, have a friend or relative come check on you. Choosing a Candle For Your Meditation Select a non-toxic candle. Many candles are made from toxic chemicals, such as paraffin. These release harmful vapors while the candle is lit and should not be used for candle meditation. Instead, select a candle made from a non-toxic or natural substance, such as beeswax or soy wax. Choose a white, blue, or purple candle for spirituality. While meditating you will be looking at and focusing on the candle. Some people believe that certain colors can have symbolic meaning and can enhance your candle meditation experience. If you want to meditate for protection, purification, inner peace, spirituality, or intuition, you should use a white, blue, or purple candle. Use a red or pink candle for love, passion, and power. If you want to focus your meditation session on love, romance, passion, power, or happiness, you should use a red or pink candle. Select a green candle for fertility and wealth. Perhaps you want to use your candle meditation session to focus on prosperity and wealth. If this is the case then you should use a green candle. Green candles can also be used for fertility. Determine if you want a scented candle Some people find that scents help them reach a deeper level of relaxation. Others; however, may be allergic or sensitive to certain scents and prefer to use a non-scented candle. Experiment with both options and choose the one that helps you focus and relax. Some scents to consider for meditation include lavender, vanilla, pine, peppermint, cinnamon, or jasmine. Creating a Relaxing Environment Choose a quiet room. Meditation is a relaxing experience, and you want your location to match your inner state. Find a place where you won't be disturbed for the duration of the session, typically 15 to 30 minutes. Pick a room that is free of household traffic and loud noises. Dim the lights. Before you begin meditating, dim the lights in the room and pull down the window shades. It will be much easier to focus on the candle in a dimly lit room. If the room is too bright you may experience eye strain. Remove any distractions from the room. When you meditate, you want to clear your mind and focus solely on the candle. Turn off your phone and/or other technology that may disturb your candle meditation and relaxation. Wear comfortable clothing. You should try and be completely comfortable while you are meditating. If you are wearing uncomfortable clothing, your mind may stray and focus on your discomfort. Instead, wear flowing clothes that are loose around the waist, chest, and hips. Positioning the Candle for Meditation Place the candle at eye level. When using candles for meditation, you are supposed to keep your eyes open and look at the candle. For maximum comfort, the candle should be positioned at eye level, or just below eye level. This way you will not have to strain your neck to look up or down at the candle. Situate the candle 20 inches (50 cm) away from you. Place the candle approximately 20 inches (50 cm) in...

This method of meditation refers to an actual method that you can easily practice in the comfort of your own home. Transcendental is often used in conjunction with some organizations, in the context of this podcast we are referring to the method. Transcendental meditation is one that should be practiced twice daily, for twenty minutes at a time. It is best done when in a sitting position with your eyes closed. It is a widely used method for anyone wishing to improve or self-develop any aspect of their life. Meditation works when you allow your mind to stop racing and thinking different thoughts. Instead, you slow your thinking down and start to become aware of your body and your mind. This is known as finding your inner self. When you can get your body into the correct state you will find that you are more aware, your body begins to relax and rest more, and that your brain works more sharply. Transcendental meditation is extremely popular and is practiced by approximately 5 million people around the world. This method of meditating is known as a natural method and is used across all age groups, cultures and religions. Due to its popularity, there have been over 350 research studies done on this method of meditation. Even medical schools such as Stanford and Harvard have conducted studies. While this method of meditation may be new to many people, it actually stems from an ancient Indian method or tradition known as Vedic. This tradition was handed down over the years and was recently introduced as the Transcendental methods by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, about 50 years ago. The instructors and teachers that teach this method today, still use the same procedures and principles that were used thousands of years ago. This method is very simple to implement as it requires no major use of concentrating, as other meditation methods do. The only effort that is required is for you to find a comfortable sitting position in a chair. The process involves you transcending into a state of natural awareness. While your body becomes restful, your mind stays alert. This state is a natural response, which is why it is so easy for people to achieve. If you have never tried any form of meditation and would like to, transcendental meditation could be a great starting point for you.

Does your mind chatter or talk almost nonstop at you? This is something that millions of people are dealing with. This chatter can literally drive you crazy and make your stress levels reach new peaks. One of the best reasons for learning how to meditate and deal with mind chatter is to start incorporating a meditative practice into your life. Meditation can help many different aspects of your life as we will discuss below. Learning How To Meditate 1) It can help you to overcomes issues such as; anxiety, depression, mood swings, and feelings of confusion. Dealing with these feelings is a major problem for thousands of people around the world. Sometimes these thoughts can be detrimental to your life and can have devastating effects on your life. If you are dealing with any of these issues check with your doctor about the benefits of how to meditate. 2) Meditation also helps you build healthy outlooks when it comes to achieving things like losing weight. By learning how to meditate you are reinforcing a positive attitude. If you use motivational quotes you can easily improve your mindset. If your goal is to lose weight, congratulate yourself each day on your effects. Or you may want to focus on how fantastic you will look in those skinny jeans! 3) Meditation can help boost your creative streak. When you clear your mind and reduce all that chatter your ability to focus and concentrate increases. When your mind is free you can allow it to wander and dream up all types of new things. 4) Meditating helps you feel re-energized. Your sessions do not have to last that long at all. A 20-minute session can help clear your mind and thoughts and leave you feeling refreshed and re-energized. 5) It also helps you deal with stress. This is achieved by reinforcing positive thoughts and by allowing you to focus on the tasks at hand. You will develop the skills need to deal with your stress more efficiently. 6) Meditation helps to improve your focus and your attention span. Participating in activities such as yoga or Tai Chi can help you learn how to meditate in these areas. As can repeating motivational quotes or listening and focusing on sounds such as waves crashing on the beach. 7) Meditation benefits cardiovascular and immune health. Learning how to meditate induces relaxation, which increases the compound nitric oxide that causes blood vessels to open up and subsequently, blood pressure to drop. One study, published in 2008 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, showed that 40 of 60 high blood pressure patients who started meditating could stop taking their blood pressure medication. Meditation also improves immunity. Meditation may make you less likely to get sick by improving your immune system, the network of cells that protects your body from disease. In a study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, test subjects who were learning how to meditate were 25 percent less likely to get sick than those who did not meditate. Doctors are now recommending learning how to meditate to more and more of their patients. This can be a helpful way to deal with many health issues and it really doesn't cost anything! To date, the results that have been seen from meditating are extremely positive, so it is something that is well worth looking into in more depth.

No doubt when you first hear the word 'meditation' a picture of a monk appears in your mind. While monks were certainly big practitioners of this art, meditation is more popular today than you might think. Learning the art of meditation is a skill that anyone can learn. Meditation techniques don't have to be complicated or difficult to understand. Just a few basic principles can get you started on a much more fulfilling life with less stress, more focus and the ability to create the life you want to live. People from all walks of life use meditation today. Business executives, athletes, stockbrokers and lawyers all incorporate meditation into their lives. Even large corporations such as Google, Target and General Mills advocate the use of meditation to their employees. Meditation can be used for several reasons. Understanding and learning the art of meditation includes improving your spirituality, decreasing your stress levels and increasing your power of concentration and focus. The basic concept behind meditation is that it allows you to control your own thoughts, instead of letting others control them for you. People who regularly practice meditation find that their self-discipline improves. In addition, scientists are discovering that meditating can help improve your health by lowering your blood pressure and boosting your memory functions. There are five basic components of learning the art of meditation: Mindfulness How many times in the day do you find your thoughts wandering? Probably dozens of times at least and this wandering process can be totally distracting. Mindfulness allows you to stop all these thoughts from popping into your head. This is achieved by quietening these thoughts by concentrating on just one thing for about 10 minutes. Many people like to focus on the sounds of a waterfall or birds chirping in the background. Or you could just concentrate on your own breathing by coming aware of each breath that you take. Active Meditation This is where you use physical activity to help sync your mind and body. To perform this type of meditation technique you can simply walk or take part in a yoga class. Affirmations This is one type of meditation technique in the art of meditation that you may have heard of. It is done by repeating a phrase or quote over and over. Select a phrase that holds meaning to you and repeat several times during the day. Insight Meditation With this form of meditation technique, you simply focus on one thought or feeling. Choose a topic such as love or anger and then meditate on what this means to you. Guided Meditation These types of meditation techniques use some form of guidance. It could be a person in the same room with you or it can be done by listening to an mp3. During the process you actually let your thoughts run away with you. This can be a very enjoyable and liberating experience. If you have never meditated before, why not give it a try? Learning the art of meditation might seem awkward at first, but if you stick to it, you will find yourself enjoying it more and more. The art of meditation only requires for us to try to concentrate and enquire in every moment of our experience. There is nothing that we cannot use in order to meditate.  We do not need anything special; the only requirement is just ourselves and a lively and investigative mind. The art of meditation has just a few requirements, the ability to concentrate on the moment to moment of our daily experience in our lives. We don't need anything special: we just need ourselves and the desire for a better life. Give yourself permission to have a better life, learn any form of meditation and enjoy the process and adventure of personal empowerment.

The best thing about meditating at home is that it doesn't require a lot of time. All you need is to set aside 20 minutes per day for this beneficial exercise. Use the following steps to set up your own routine for meditating at home and aim for at least once, if not twice, per day. Select a Time That Works For You When meditating at home you want to choose a time that is convenient for you. During this time period ensure that you will not be disturbed. You need to feel relaxed and your mind should be free of worry. Many people enjoy meditating either as the sun comes up or goes down. If possible you could even meditate outside by doing a walking meditation. Find A Quiet Secluded Location This is very important as you don't want to have your spouse or children interrupt you. A quiet room in the house would work or even a secluded spot in your garden. Your Position While Meditating You need to sit comfortably while meditating. While sitting cross-legged, or in the lotus position, is recommended it is not always necessary. You can sit comfortably on a chair and still receive the same benefits. It's Best To Meditate Before Meals If you eat a large meal you often feel tired and lethargic. This is why it is best to meditate before you eat. But, do not try and meditate if you are on the verge of getting really hungry, otherwise, your concentration levels will be disrupted. Warm Up, Get The Blood Flowing As with any type of exercise you want to warm up, even if you are just going to be sitting down. This helps to get your blood flowing to all areas of your body and your brain. Plus it helps to make you feel more alert and ready to meditate. Smiling Will Help You Relax Just the act of smiling can help you feel more relaxed and comfortable. Remember you are going to learn how to relax and allow your mind to wander. Feeling happier is one easy way to make this happen. Your Eyes During the meditation process, you will be sitting or standing with your eyes closed. When your 20 minutes are up, you don't want to rush to open your eyes. Instead, give yourself plenty of time to become aware of your surroundings. In the same way, you don't want to jump up and run for the phone! Allow your body to return to its conscious state again. By following these simple steps, you can easily reap more benefits from your meditation sessions by learning how to do meditation at home. Remember, the more often you meditate, the easier the entire process will be for you.