In its most basic form meditation is the most natural and inspired state we can be in – the beginning point for any mind and body. Animals and birds do it, insects do it, fish and most likely flowers and trees as well. Everything in nature moves in and out of the restful and alert stillness that is the core of a meditative state. It is one of the most necessary parts of their life – a constant source of wellbeing.
Meditation is stillness.
That’s all it is. And everything you’ve ever heard about meditation, arises out of this stillness.
Look at your family cat or your dog when they’re at rest. When there’s nothing to do, they do nothing. They sit, or lie still. And though their eyes might be closed, more often than not they aren’t asleep. They are aware of each passing moment, contemplating whatever arises in a state of tranquil readiness that knows everything that’s happening around them. In this restful but alert awareness they are not worrying or fretting, or regretting or planning, or needing. They’re simply resting without sleeping. Aware without needing to think.
In stopping for however little time they create a small space in their lives in which things settle. Their body metabolises unused hormones left over from the day as their mind clears itself of the mental detritus left over from the recent past. These things happen naturally because in the space that’s been created their mind and body, being naturally self adjusting mechanisms, take the opportunity to adjust, heal and clear themselves. Unlike us humans the rest of nature doesn’t need deep breathing exercises to relax, or visualisations, or positive thinking, or tapes, or music. When there’s nothing they need to do they simply stop – and until they start again th...
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...ing that absorbs our attention in such a way that we forget ourselves and, as the cliché goes, we just ‘be’ without trying.
But as intoxicating as these moments are they remain chance occurrences for most of us because in the culture we’ve created the value of being still is not acknowledged, spoken to or valued. Unfortunately we have learnt to only value things involving physical activity, thinking, talking, analysing, planning and so on.
After all, these are the survivable tools we need in the cities and towns where most of us live. But in the process we’ve lost touch with the most nurturing and essential skill that nature ever gave us. To be able to be still if we want to.
And that’s why we use meditation methods – to help us learn how to create the conditions for stillness to appear when we want it - so we can get to know it and build a relationship with it.
seen as a meditation on nature. Nature is being portrayed as the main influence and
that it not only hides its own existence, but makes us want for it to be there and
being able to respond to them. Those whom have practiced mindfulness are aware of its
Mindfulness, as described by Langer, is “the continual creation of new [categories]” (Langer, 2014). In other words, mindfulness is the use of critical think in which people engage in creative solutions for everyday stresses. Throughout the novel, she summaries the results of numerous experiments she has conducted over the years. Each one offers insight into how one can become more mindful and how mindlessness can
Over twenty-five hundred years ago, Buddha Guatama practiced meditation and came to what is known as “The Four Noble Truth,” an important principle in Buddhism (Elder, 2010). This principle informs the reader of what suffering is and how affect is. This is a great example of how valuable meditation is- on the very first session ever recorded, the awareness that came from it would later be the foundation of a new religion. This proves how powerful meditation can be. Furthermore, some form of meditation can be found in various religions. Although the styles, techniques, and ideology behind the meditation can vary per religion, personal transformation is the key goal (Modi, Singh, 2012). Today, in Western society, mindful meditation (a form of meditation) has grown in popularity, used for relaxation and to help treat those who suffer from mental illness’ and mood disorders. Viewed as alternative medicine for the mind and soul, it is beneficial for our emotional and mental
05 May 2014. Barbor, Cary. " The Science of Meditation.
OK. So you’ve heard, that meditation is beneficial for you, maybe you’ve read lists about the advantages of meditation. A ton of different kind of meditations are on-line, and you found several resources, articles, blog posts about the theme to select from. These articles state, that the meditation has countless benefits, which are also proven by scientific research. You can believe them, since eminent scientists carried out extensive research on this subject. And they suggest, you should try them, and of course you should practice it each day. Every day - or you won’t have those benefits.
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
that they sidle on their going downward, hesitating in that which is not void to
As human beings we are very active creatures. It is very rare we sit absolutely still with no movement at all, in fact to do so would be considered strange in most social contexts. These movements are not however sporadic, they are in fact highly controlled, practiced skills. Even when remaining relatively still, for example, to rest or sleep, we have still been taught the required skills to do so, whether it’s how to sit on a chair or lay on a bed, these are very ordinary, everyday techniques that we take for granted and perceive as something natural, but often they are technique’s we have been taught to do.
begins to practice these techniques, there is a noticeable change in behavior for the better. Studies have shown that in partaking in mindfulness there are positive cognitive effects on oneself such as, reducing life stress, positive benefits on rehabilitation, and anxiety. These researches all provide consistent and valid evidence supporting the claim that mindfulness does have positive effects on athletes.
It encourages transcendence through or in spite of limitation, while simultaneously decentering the concept of absolute transcendence. To this end, it encourages the development of a heightened sense of self in relation to itself and the world around it.
Meditation is not a time devoted to thinking or reflecting about oneself, but a time to redirect one’s thoughts and emotions away from the outside world and onto something simple, such as the wind or one’s own breathe. By learning how to meditate, an individual can learn how to react appropriately to “the circumstances one finds oneself in, i...
For the wise people like the saints who meditate in isolation in the woods or the people who create aims, targets they want to ful...