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Benefits of Meditation Meditators report experiencing release of stress, more energy, clearer thinking, better health, and improved personal relationships. Here are some other notable benefits: · Improved memory, energy, creativity, intelligence · Relief from depression and anxiety · Relief from migraines, headaches and asthma · Relief from insomnia and other sleeping disorders · Faster reaction times · Reduced cholesterol levels · Better decision making · Relief from fatigue · Stronger immune system · Reduced risk of heart disease · Normalization of blood pressure · Improved sports performance · Reduction of biological ageing · Reduced addictive behaviours · Normalization of weight
Concentration leads to Meditation When the surface of a lake is still, one can see to the bottom clearly. This is impossible when the surface is agitated by waves. In the same way, when the mind is still, with no thoughts or desires, you can see the "Self", this is called Yoga. We can control the mental agitation by two means: by concentrating the mind either externally or internally. Internally, we focus on the "Self" or the consciousness of "I am". Externally, we focus on anything other than the "Self" or "I am". When we take up a sport or some other recreation, for example, putting the ball into the hole (golf), the other thoughts slow down and become stilled. We feel we have played a good game when we have achieved perfect concentration. The happiness we experience comes, not because we managed to put the ball in the hole eighteen times, but because we have achieved perfect concentration eighteen times. Whilst we were concentrating at that time, all the worries and problems of the world which seemed so pressing, disappeared. The mental ability to concentrate is inherent to all; it is not extraordinary or mysterious. Meditation is not something that a Yogi has to teach you; you already have the ability to shut out thoughts. The only difference between this and meditation (the positive way), is that generally we have learned to focus the mind externally on objects. When the mind is fully concentrated, time passes unnoticed, as if it did not exist. When the mind is focused, there is no time! Time is nothing but a modification of the mind. Time, Space, and causation and all external experiences are mental creations. All happiness achieved through the mind is temporary and fleeting; it is limited by nature. To achieve that state of lasting happiness and absolute peace, we must first know how to calm the mind, to concentrate and go beyond the mind. By turning the mind's concentration inward, upon the self, we can deepen that experience of perfect concentration. With practice, this concentration leads to the state of Meditation".
Meditation articles in the News For an interesting read about the subject of Meditation and it's benefits, in the press :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/health/7754632.stm
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2266220,00.html http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070625193240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/06/040617081841.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070507202029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051110215950.htm http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto061020071432269554 http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8317
Recognize the power of mind, respect the power of mind. And also recognize the Power behind the power, the ocean holding the wave. Recognize yourself as the ocean, with your stories, your feelings, as waves. Waves can be beautiful or terrifying, but always they return to the ocean. Every wave always is made up of the ocean. No wave can ever be separate from the ocean. Waves of thoughts, waves of emotions, waves of sensations, waves of events, are all made up of consciousness. And all return to consciousness, while never being separate from consciousness. And if this becomes another story, let this go, and see what is true. - Gangaji, who is of the lineage of the beautiful Ramana Maharshi and a direct disciple of Poonjaji (Papaji).
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You've
got to practice meditation when you walk, stand, lie down, sit, and work, Anchoring the mind in Silence and Stillness Awareness of Posture, of the shape and the alignment Awareness of sound - listening to each and all Breathe in and out Breath in and out - notice sensations, feelings,
images, thoughts - clouds passing over the eternal blue sky of our mind. Breathe in, breathe out, acknowledge the content
of these passing forms but without getting caught up by them. Always return to the breath… As you begin, again and again, you may notice how
hard it can be to draw the mind back home to our body, to its original silence. Sitting here our mind is skipping here and there,
from past to future, from fututre to past, inventing and imagining events, getting lost in endless scenarios, whilst
at the same time we are unaware of our present situation which is that we are here and now Sitting. We are breathing. We are always looking outside of ourselves or our
present situation for answers. We get lost in the turmoil and chaos of the outside world, the demands on our time and energy.
We get tired and confused and we forget. We forget the silence, the original silence of the breath. We have to remind ourselves, “I am sitting
still breathing.” This is not preventing the mind’s natural
function, it is not stopping the mind, it is reminding ourselves again and again of our present reality - our only reality. Breathe in, breathe out, each breath allows us to
let-go of the endless business of our imaginative mind and slip down and onto the quiet and soft ground of our being. At first these quiet, still moments may seem scarce,
punctuated by noisy colourful bursts of mental activity, sweeping us away and into the drama of our imagined lives. It can be a shock to discover there is little rest,
little stillness, and hardly any silence - but do not despair! Our minds are always like this : busy and chaotic
- we are now just noticing what has been happening all of the time. To understand this is a positive step. The surface of the lake is often disturbed by the
wind. When a storm blows the surface waters of the lake are choppy, rough waves rise up and sink down, while the deeper waters
of the lake remain as they always have still, quiet and undisturbed. The more we practice, the more we re-visit, the
more we descend down to our ground of being, the more we will become aware of and learn and understand our selves and the
more this still silence will stay with us. Just following the breath in and out - allowing
it to be - allowing all things to be - just sitting still breathing in and breathing out.
Yoga is
not an ancient myth buried in oblivion. It is
the most valuable inheritance of the present. It is
the essential need of today and the culture of tomorrow. -
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
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