Meditation Articles

There's a lot of talk about Eckhart Tolle's breakthrough book 'The Power of Now'. It is very profound. But to a lot of people it just seems too idealistic, too impractical, too out of touch and not directly applicable to our 'ego'-based and driven daily Western lives. How can we stop wanting or having goals in a world driven by them? I have a different take on this in that we can truly use our good ego as well as develop our non-ego and get even more value out of our (Western

The temple was crowded; the Indian stick dance about to begin. I stood chatting with a meditation teacher, formerly an engineer. His own practice, he complained, was heavily burdened by a wandering mind. He wasn’t alone here. The same complaint echoes down through the centuries. “Restless man’s mind… How shall he tame it? Truly I think the wind is no wilder.” We’ve always assumed this problem had no solution, but we’ve been wrong.

Being fully present to any single moment, truly being HERE NOW, is as easy as being aware of the next breath, and as difficult. Try a small experiment. As soon as you finish reading this paragraph, sit comfortably and begin to watch your breath coming into and going out of your body for ...

Vipassana Journey nBy Ben Pauley nnMy spiritual life began a few years back while backpacking around Canada – an unusual place to discover a high spiritual path which was to change my life forever for the better. I went there seeking fun, excitement and adventure and after many highs and lows I discovered I was searching for the wrong things in all the wrong places. Canada is a land of extreme beauty and after six months I had seen it all; the amazing wildlife, the stun

Meditation is a way of training the brain just as fitness is a way to train the entire body. As there are a lot of meditation methods exist -- so how can you learn how to meditate? As we know that there are different types of meditation so how could you know which one is better. Below I will mention some of the common meditation methods and I hope you will understand them in a more easy way. Types of Meditation It is extremely tough for a newcomer to sit down for hours and co

We will never succeed at changing ourselves by trying to change ourselves directly. We must do it indirectly. By indirectly means merely watching our anger instead of trying to rid ourselves of it, because attempts to aggressively change ourselves into something we wish ourselves to be results ...

I was over at my friend Dave’s house when I noticed he had a book called 8-Minute Meditation. I had to take look at it. Since I think meditation can be experienced instantly and this fellow says you can do it in eight minutes, I was curious to see what he’s up to. In a nutshell, he was offering your basic Buddhist meditation instruction while leaving out most of the Buddhist theory.

My admiration for Ariya was growing; this diminutive being that took me under her wing. And as I listened to her strange voice that appeared in my mind, her words became even stranger. She said that some believe that when life ends, there is nothing, just an unconscious, ete al sleep. Others ...

As we go through life, sometimes we have beautiful experiences. They are so wonderful that we are filled with a desire to hold onto them for as long as possible. But why we can’t hang onto them and why they go away is because we can only remember them in the mind. The mind itself is not stable; it isn’t consistent. We can’t hold onto those experiences because the mind often changes. The question to ask ourselves is: “What is consistent? What is stable?” We have to go beyond the mind to find that which is stable and always is. But, how is it possible to move beyond the mind?

One of the biggest complaints men give to me quite often when it comes to attracting women is that there simply isn’t that many available women where they currently live. While this rarely is the case, what is true is that where they currently live there aren’t that many available ...

Values could be defined as beliefs in which we have an emotional investment. If we study the values of rural areas throughout the world, we see that a pastoral, agricultural life naturally propagates ethics and ideals that create harmony between people, such as thrift, honesty, quietness, ...

There are many ways to meditate. Because meditation has been around for so long, a wide variety of meditation systems are available. The first technique I will introduce is simple and easy to use. It’s effective for both those who are new to meditation and those who have been meditating for years. This technique is popular all over the world. You will find it a very easy way to enter into meditation.

It is helpful to be aware of the relationship between the Elements in our lives. Present situations or stories may inhibit the flow of energy which can create stress. Using the cycle through the Elements, it is possible to observe where there may be a resistance in the flow and create the opportunity for liberation through awareness. It can be applied internally to empower an intention in the Five Elements as well as exte ally to bring an idea or project into manifestation.

Living in Peacen There is an old rule: The one who stays silent is criticised. The one who talks too much is also criticised. Even the one who speaks only a little is criticised. There is no-one in the world who is never criticised. Dhammapada: verse 227n Free from the world Criticism is ...

Most experts agree that most people have extra sensory perception or are able to develop it. Many of us have already experienced ESP. For example: Have you ever gotten the feeling the phone was about to ring…and it does? You are singing a song to yourself when you turn on the radio and the song you are thinking about is playing. nnSome may attribute these events as coincidence, but then again perhaps there is something more taking place. Maybe there is no such thing as coin

Love can be experienced in all five elements: We think about love We act with love We share the love We manifest love We are love The intention of Love is set in the essence, in the Ether Element. To set this beautiful intention in the Air Element, you will take some time for reflection to clarify what love means to you. You can also create your own mantra to remind yourself to focus your mind on loving thoughts and perceptions. In the Fire Element, you observe what sparks love within you. Which actions, which role trigger this beautiful warm feeling of love.

The causes and origin are truly unknown; it is twice as common in women as in men, but panic attacks are the same for everyone. Some of you might recognize it as those chills and cold sweats that start to form during those social situations. Others might associate it with an outright fear of dying! All-in-all people that suffer from panic attacks all share the same inevitable feeling of helplessness that is not only painful to endure, but outright traumatizing. Even the mere

The spiritual awareness unfolds selfishness in the mind control state. Few are people who live with pure consciousness, rest simply proceed with its collection. The spiritual awareness in me is always seeing the internal controls. When the spiritual consciousness is identified with selfishness, it becomes the power of selfishness in me to see and understand the meaning of the world and carry his memory in the form of thoughts in mind. Power of spiritual awareness in me, is the knowledge of internal controls and now works in the subtle world wide.

By Mother Clare Watts Though many people every day all over the world sit on floors, on cushions, on their heels or on chairs in an attempt to enter into some level of inner stillness or broadened consciousness, very few actually ever manage to go very far into that sought-after state. Most people do feel more relaxed after the quiet times in which they chose to meditate. That is in itself a worthy result. But most wish that they could go further into the stillness, further

What is spiritual growth? What are the techniques for spiritual growth? What are the paths of spiritual growth? As many people are so understanding about it. Most of them are empty on spiritual growth. Others call their perception of the spiritual growth of the experience of spiritual growth. Inner Self of all is full of spirituality. Spiritual growth is not something to be taken outside. It is already there.

In recent times, competition has increased to a great extent. As a result of this, the people suffer a lot mentally. They are in a rush of reaching the peak of success, which seems difficult as everyone seems to be better than the other. With meditation techniques, the individuals are given a chance to get rid of their tensions. It is a natural way of getting out of the depression stage and entering into the stage of relaxation. Meditation has remained in practice since a ver

“Jesus Christ knew he was God. So wake up and find out eventually who you really are. In our culture, of course, they’ll say you’re crazy and you’re blasphemous, and they’ll either put you in jail or in a nut house (which is pretty much the same thing). However if you wake up in India and tell your friends and relations, ‘My goodness, I’ve just discovered that I’m God,’ they’ll laugh and say, ‘Oh, congratulations, at last you found out.” ~ Alan W. Watts Spiritual Awakening. Finding out. I remember the day I found out.

You might not realize it now however her cheating on you can be on of the greatest things that ever happened to you if you learn and grow from it. After she cheats you are going to be challenged both mentally and emotionally and at the same time finding yourself having to make some decisions ...

Meditation does not discriminate betwee Religion, Race, Age, Status and Intelligence of the person. Meditation equally belongs to everyone. But one should be ready to lose Misery, Shallowness, Jealousy and Hatred as the price of admission in world of meditation. Meditation is not meant only for spiritual purpose or we have to leave the world and go to mountains for practicing meditation. Meditation simply means to do the things in a right way and Meditation actually adds gra

Some say that moms are the most important people in the world, after all; where would we be without moms? And dads too. We wouldn’t be at all!! Sisters and brothers can be very important in our lives, and in many ways create the foundations of what we are by testing us throughout our life’s ...

On a Christmas Eve, not so long ago, I was driving around with friends, looking at Christmas lights. They "oohed" and "ahed" in the front seat while I sat in the back staring out the window, wondering out how the commercial extravaganza starring Santa Claus got scheduled on the same day as the celebration of the birth of Jesus - who, by all accounts, was not at all materialistic(although he had quite a way with loaves and fishes). I recalled that, as a child, I had started wondering about my parents’ religion when I found out that Santa Claus was make-believe.

Labyrinths are walking meditations that go way, way back in time. Archeologists can date them all the way back to 1500 BC but they are probably much older than that. We can find them all over the world, in churches, cathedrals, old ruins, and now many spiritual retreat centers have them. Perhaps the most famous labyrinth is Chartres Cathedral just south of Paris. It’s a beautiful labyrinth that dates to over 800 years ago. I suggest anyone that goes to Europe visit Chartres Cathedral. It’s beautiful and the labyrinth is right inside the cathedral.

Buddhism’s crucial axiom is that the world is a place filled with suffering, and as sentient beings we should strive to escape its cycle and transcend it. The two guiding principles that allow one to achieve this are wisdom and compassion. Wisdom is a deep understanding of the world and others attained through dedication. Compassion in this sense means taking concrete steps to lessen the suffering of ourselves and others, not just a non-committal empathetic position that st

We all have faced this common problem of constant chattering that goes on in our mind for hours. Human Mind is a chatter box. We don’t need anyone else to do the talking. We can talk to our own self for hours. We talk when we are awake, we also talk when we are asleep – in dreams also. Dreams are the pictorial manifestation of the chattering that mind does during sleep.nnA constant monologue is happening. Mind is neurotic and this habit of the mind does a lot of harm to u

If you are seriously interested in taking a Flow class at Yoga Pura on Wednesday nights then keep on reading in order to get a taste of what Yoga is really about. Currently, the Wednesday night Flow classes at Yoga Pura are being led by the talent and imagination of Jen Brooks. One of the first things that you’ll notice about Jen Brooks Wednesday night Flow class at Yoga Pura is how she starts each class off by having us all honor our teachers that came before us thousands of years before.

t's no big surprise that meditation isn't always accomplish-able. Family, friends, work and even strangers can get in the way of working on relaxing. Thoughts, sounds, too much coffee, anxiety and even fear are some other culprits.The list goes on and on. So what are you to do when sitting down to meditate just isn't happening? Here's something I discovered. It's called, "The 'Shut it Up' Method." (I'm sure you see where this is going.)

Why should you try meditation breathing? Breathing is the essence of life. It contains many mysteries. We enter into life with our first breath and on our final breath we depart. Breath is what connects our inner life with our outer life. Breath is the link which connects one person with another and space between people doesn’t matter once connection with the breath is made.

As we go through life things happen to us to get us off course. Things that make us wonder about the true benevolence, kindness and love of life and the universe. The beauty of meditation is that when you meditate you truly get grounded with life and you are able to see how everything is really well and going the way it’s supposed to. You are doing your part, others are doing their part and together the world is a beautiful place for everyone to live in.

As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, we give thanks for the abundance which we have in our lives and send wishes for peace to the world. But how much peace do we, ourselves, experience? It is my heartfelt wish to assist you to cope with the flurry of activity and the unconscious need to do, ...

Clinical trials are put in place to test existing medications and also new drugs as a way of developing new kinds of treatments for different kinds of conditions and diseases. There are clinical research units working together with biotechnology companies and pharmaceutical companies to make the trials possible. The trials are done on volunteers both healthy and suffering from different diseases. The trials mainly look at how the drug under observation gets absorbed in the bo

What if it suddenly became clear that Love, Joy, and Peace was within you even though at times outside circumstances attempted to draw you away from that Love, Joy, and Peace? Just begin to imagine feeling challenged by life’s circumstances or being overwhelmed by your responsibility in order to get a sense of what it is like to be drawn away from that Love, Joy and Peace that is within you. And as you do read the following words from the Bible very carefully…

At this age, many intellectuals falsely claim to be experts in spiritual knowledge. Some believe that knowledge of scientific thought from religious texts to guide the religion or the scriptures as spiritual knowledge. Others continue to discuss with his knowledge of the experience or scientific knowledge of religious texts taught in some universities.

War is the opposite of peace. When we say that we wage war in order to secure the peace, this is delusion, this is being ignorant of the truth of the moment, which is war, and replacing it with an ideal for the future, which is peace. It is a shell game. If we believe and confuse ourselves with ...

When we desire something, we first have to work for it. Often we find ourselves spending a large amount of mental energy thinking about it, wishing for it and wanting it to happen. But after working for it, we should let go and just be.

The good thing is that there are no specific ways to meditate: no specific posture or breathing rhythm is necessary. Of course if you want to sit in the lotus position or breath rhythmically by all means do, but there is no need to. Because once you have gotten the hang of it you can meditate anywhere during almost any activity except of course when working with machinery, or driving a car, for obvious reasons. Meditation can help you understand the secrets of creation if you

Appearances can be deceptive. Sitting meditation looks like restfully doing nothing at all. Meditation is, however, a task of extreme difficulty, and chances are the sitter is not performing well. Meditation’s task is paying attention. All forms of meditation involve attention focused on various things (mantras, movements, breaths, etc.). Good attention is necessary for success. Most meditation benefits follow from enhanced awareness attention creates.

A tremendous exhilaration began rising inside of me, as I watched Ariya disappear into the treetops. All of my unanswered questions now faded into the background. The appearance of this mystical being, whatever she was, liberated me to the point that I was ready to forge ahead with reckless ...

With life experiences, we notice that change is a constant factor and there are different ways to move through the cycles of impermanence. Yet we are also aware that some behavioral patterns are very difficult to change. How many times have you wished for making a change in your diet, in your routine and noticed that as inspiring and healthy as it would be for you to make that change, as clear as it may be, as simple as it may look, it will be very challenging to make the shift?

I began meditating almost thirty years ago. I think at first I began just out of curiosity. I had been studying meditation in my academic training and learned how science has shown that meditation is very beneficial to us. When I started meditating I found it to be a very relaxing, peaceful experience. Over time as I grew and discovered that meditation is really helpful for our spiritual growth, I really dived into it. I now consistently meditate every day, usually once in the morning for about an hour and then in the evening for about half an hour.

Just picture this for a second, what if it was impossible to Love one person without loving all people. I invite you to know in your mind now that we all are one in God. And as you do so, begin to become aware of the fact that every time one heart is lifted, all hearts are lifted. Each time a life is blessed, all lives are blessed. Learn to trust your subconscious mind because each time you enter into the presence of Love, Joy, and Peace that is the silence within you; begin to realize this truth about yourself and all those you Love.

Constant snoozing of the alarm clock, kids crying, toast getting burned, cursing the traffic, stopping at red lights, blaring noise from TV or taking a quick shower is an extremely familiar scene for an average American. This is how days start! People say, breakfast is a must for staying healthy but Americans substitute hot, healthy breakfast with a star buck’s coffee and some cornflakes. The joys of having an early dinner and going to bed early is not just forgotten but if

I always swore that I would never garden. When I was a teenager, my parents used to make us weed in the garden as a punishment. Every time I was sentenced to a couple of hours of gardening (which was pretty much every week), I would dream of the day I would be a grown up and never have to garden again! (Don't even ask me how I feel about ironing - shudder.) Funny how things change because a few months ago, I got the idea to try growing some tomatoes from seeds. I loaded up o

This book review is part of a series that covers the topic of Meditation . Meditation is the practice of focusing and turning attention inward to the mind. Jeanie Marshall is the Official Guide to Meditation . 8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life , by Victor Davich, is a valuable resource for people interested in Guided Meditation and it is available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble . n In recent years, mainstream Americans have begun to come around to me

Meditation is a group of mental training techniques. You can use meditation to improve mental health and capacities, to improve your motivation for your goals and also to help improve the physical health. Some of these techniques are very simple, so you can learn them from a book or an article; others require guidance by a qualified meditation teacher. nnnWHAT IS MEDITATIONnnMost techniques called meditation include these components:nn1. You sit or lie in a relaxed position.n

One of the qualities of spiritual progress is balance. This is achieved through the establishment of a calm and peaceful centre. Actually, this centre is not acquired by doing anything special, or by developing any particular talents or abilities, but by simply letting go of the minds natural tendency to operate in extremes.r