An Easy Meditation Technique

Breathing through your mouth expands your chest, but if you breath through your nose you’ll notice how your abdomen extends. You see, nose-breathing causes the diaphram to pull air to the bottom of your lungs. This delivers a good dose of oxygen into your bloodstream and brain. It also tends to relax you.

Breathing through your nose is healthier, and it’s the basis of this one-minute meditation. You simply close your eyes, let the tension go out of your muscles, let go of your thoughts (to the extent possible), and take four slow, deep breaths through your nose, paying attention to your breathing.

Is Meditation This Easy?

You’re not likey to get you into a deep meditative state with this simple exercise. You will get benefits, though. These will almost certainly include a clearer mind and a reduction in stress.

Try to develop a “trigger” for your meditation. You can do your four breaths when you get into the car, for example, or right after lunch each day. A trigger is a place or time that reminds you, so your meditation becomes a habit.

Some may say this isn’t “real” meditation, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the relaxation you’ll get from this technique. You can always pursue deeper meditation later, if you wish. In the meantime, remember that not everything has to be difficult to be of value. Why not do an easy one-minute meditation right now?

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You’ll find more at http://www.SelfImprovementNow.com

Classifying skills such as precognitive event recognition alongside amusement attractions such as stage illusion have undermined the acknowledgement of etheric energy itself, impeding the acceptance of a wide spectrum of very natural, very real capabilities.

Why, then, are etheric-related abilities seemingly so rare? The answer is multidimensional.

Identifying Your Etheric Energy

All human beings have the ability to recognize, embrace, and utilize their bio-etheric energy, or the energy produced and emitted by all living organisms. Once harnessed, bio-etheric energy can allow a being to:

* Gain a broader, deeper perception of physical and/or emotional surroundings

* Achieve greater use of the brain’s traditional and extra-sensory functions

* Increase knowledge absorption by participating in conscious bio-etheric energy exchange

* Attain a working knowledge of etheric-related capabilities such as precognitive event recognition

The easiest analogy to recognizing etheric energy is that of electricity. Had mankind never harnessed the natural phenomena of electrical current, entire civilizations would have evolved in the absence of telephones, computers, televisions, and an array of other technologies that now seem second nature in our daily lives.

Though a closely integrated element of both individual and collective existence, bio-etheric energy and its uses have only begun to be identified and embraced by society. As we seek to become fully acquainted with this energy type, a new, yet common understanding of etheric energy and its properties has presented itself: the energy exists, and the ultimate question is how to make complete use of it.

Harnessing the Intangible

In seeking to gain a working comprehension of bio-etheric energy, one must be willing to adapt a new dimension of faith, both in self and in the Universe. Faith is a plain transition between the physical, and the etheric; the tangible, and intangible. In bridging the gap between science and the unexplained, faith allows for confident progression into new endeavors to gain additional understanding of the mind and body.

Because mastering the properties of bio-etheric energy includes the development of abilities or metaphysical advantages often regarded by society as paranormal, spontaneous occurrences of precognitive event recognition, remote viewing, telepathy, or other etheric-related abilities are commonly dismissed as subconscious “noise.” This misnomer can be attributed to the school of psychology, whereas the science of bio-etheric energy and its related properties are based in the field of physics.

From a physics perspective, bio-etheric energy can participate in the transfer or exchange of particle energy with other bio-etheric bearing life forms through an exchange of nanophotons, or energy particles smaller than that of ordinary photons.

In theory, nanophotons have the capacity to pass through solid matter and travel at speeds significantly greater than the speed of light, and are capable of transportation between predefined destinations through the fabric of space-time. The smallest building blocks of existence, nanophotons allow for the exchange of “information” between beings capable of utilizing the neural receptors responsible for decoding bio-etheric energy.

Brain Training

Harnessing bio-etheric energy and related abilities requires a focused effort to flex and exercise the frontal lobes, or the region of the brain associated with bio-etheric activity and interpretation. This “training” is similar to the efforts necessary to acquire control over equilibrium and motor functions when learning to walk. Later in life, frontal lobe development is analogous to learning to write with the opposite hand. Although a challenging task requiring determined effort, exercising the frontal lobes is necessary to stimulate the neural receptors responsible for interpreting bio-etheric energy.

There are a number of exercises designed for frontal lobe development, both basic and advanced, many of which are available on the Internet or in related texts. While most of these activities can be performed anywhere with little preparation, a quiet, comfortable atmosphere will provide the maximum result from each training session.

Frontal lobe exercises, such as meditation and memory retention activities, and even simplistic biochemical enhancements such as brainwave stimulators or incense will effectively stimulate the synaptic pathways and neural regions associated with etheric energy interpretation.

What to Expect

Increased stimulation of the frontal lobes will promote spontaneous etheric response. Contrary to preconceived opinion held by some individuals who have yet to achieve a strong working knowledge of the energy, increased etheric control will compliment, rather than complicate, traditional thought processes and mental activities, both voluntarily and involuntarily.

A few results of increased etheric control include:

* Knowledge is retrieved with greater accuracy and speed, with less effort

* Increased empathic ability, allowing for more precise interpretation of others’ emotions, intentions and honesty

* Advanced sense of self (right and wrong, patience, will power)

* Expanded problem-solving abilities, creativity, and cognitive comprehension skills

Recognizing the emotional and physical responses associated with controlled etheric activity will allow for increased control of bio-etheric abilities, long-term. Interpretation of etheric information has a distinct, unique flavor as compared to internal dialogue or imagination. Differentiation between these independent streams of neurological feedback will improve as focus on etheric activity improves.

It is important to note that abilities and skills associated of increased etheric control are not limited to more commonly discussed processes such as precognitive event recognition, remote viewing, or even telepathy. Just as advances in modern technology resulted from an increased understanding of the application of electricity, advanced etheric control will present new applications of the control to existing functions.

As you begin a program for increasing bio-etheric control, write down your etheric-related experiences as they become evident to you. Your abilities and their accuracy will notably increase over time. Recording your progress will provide tangible benchmarks for charting progressive development.

Advanced Techniques

Those with an existing or advanced comprehension of etheric energy will benefit most from direct employment of related abilities to maximize and increase identified potential. Recommended exercises for individuals with developed or expanded bio-etheric control include:

* Target- or beacon-based Controlled Remote Viewing (CRV) sessions

* Precognitive forecasting activities, such as previewing playing card colors, suits, and numbers

* Precognitive event recognition

* Telepathy between parties with equal or greater skill

Both independently and as a collective, as we begin to explore and cultivate a complete understanding of bio-etheric energy, the potential for application of this energy to civilization is virtually limitless. Like any skill, development of etheric energy control requires a disciplined, focused effort to achieve notable results. Accomplishment of a thorough familiarity with bio-etheric energy and its purposes may enrich mankind in ways yet to be considered.

Jim D. Ray is a parapsychologist with a diverse background in multiple subject concentrations, including business, psychology and parapsychology, physics, criminal justice, philosophy, education, internet technology, and vocal performance arts.

Jim can be reached by e-mail at: jray@web-presence.net

First you need to decide what type of meditation you want to do. There are basically two types of meditation – active and passive. Passive meditation is clearing the mind of all thoughts. You can then allow your “inner voice” or “minds eye” to speak to you. Passive meditation is good for reducing stress, increasing creativity, or just getting in some quiet time.

Active meditation is when you keep your mind active by working on a particular problem in your life or focusing on accomplishing certain goals you have set. Using affirmations while meditating are particularly helpful in this area.

There are many simple techniques to help you meditate. You may have read about them already. They include breathing techniques, repeating mantras, sitting up so you don’t fall asleep and visualizing certain objects. These are all good techniques and will help you accomplish reaching that alpha brain wave level necessary for meditation.

However, for a beginner, it can be frustrating, especially if you are not sure that you are reaching the alpha level. There are tools available that can help you. The easiest way to get started is with guided meditation cds. These recordings may have background music or binaural beats designed to help your brain get to the alpha level. Most of them will have a relaxation exercise. These are useful for passive meditation.

More advanced techniques for active meditation will have subliminal messages and/or auditory affirmations depending upon what goals you would like to accomplish. Some are called self-hypnosis cds but they really are the same as guided meditations. These are helpful in keeping you on track during your meditation. It is very easy to lose your focus when you meditate and have your thoughts drift off to other areas. Concentrating on listening to the cds will help you maintain your focus.

Where can you get these cds and how much do they cost? Believe it or not, some of them are free! More advanced cds with subliminal or auditory affirmations are usually less than $25. There are even guided meditations you can download from music sites. Some of the cds require a good set of headphones.

Remember, meditation is all about relaxing and de-stressing. If you find yourself getting stressed out about relaxing, it may be helpful to use one of these meditation aids to get started.

To find out more about these meditation tools, click on the link at the bottom of this article. You’ll be taken to a product review site which will show you where to find the tools as well as other useful reviews.

Honest reviews of self help products including books, audio, movies and software. Many free resources!

http://www.self-help-product-reviews.com/meditation.html

We are often told that to meditate is to think of nothing and clear your mind, which to me is impossible. Our minds do not stop even when we are asleep, so how do we consciously clear them when awake? The fact is that our minds are equipped with a goal serving mechanism, which means that the mind does not hear differences but only understands actions. It does not understand “do” and “do not”, “will” or “will not.” So by saying to your mind, “do not think of anything whilst meditating,” the mind did not hear the “do not” and consequently you instructed your mind to do the exact opposite of what you wanted. It will now think of everything.

So, if thinking of nothing is impossible, then logically, to focus on one thing is possible, and to me that is meditating. Ironically, meditating can be done at any time of the day and on the contrary does not necessarily require being in a quiet, dark room. To meditate is to be one with that which I am doing, and that means to be focusing on that one thing I am doing.

For example, if I am cooking, then to “become” the knife that cuts the tomatoes is to me being focused and being at one with that which I am doing. To be the knife means that my only focus is to be cutting through the fibers of the tomato. I am not focusing on my to do list, nor on the errands I need to run. My mind is clear of all other thoughts.

This way I am always meditating and reaching a higher level, and I am also going about my daily life. I am focused on that which I am doing. Therefore, meditation is not clearing your mind but focusing on one thought, one activity and being fully present and one with that activity.

This method allows me to meditate daily and be completely in the moment during all my actions.

Start with a simple exercise as indicated below. As you become more masterful in the art of meditating you will then be able to apply this method to more challenging tasks in your life.

How To Meditate

1. Pick a daily activity to focus on
2. Become one with the activity. If you are vacuuming be the vacuum
3. The key is to feel
4. The only purpose of the vacuum is to pick up dirt
5. Imagine you are the vacuum, and feel it as though you are

Enjoy this process. you most certainly can achieve enlightenment without skipping a beat!

Muneeza Khimji is a Coach and a Psychotherapist. She lives in Toronto, and currently has a practice that serves both clients interested in coaching and therapy. She works with emotional issues and traumas as well as coaches around career transitions, workplace issues, team coaching and life coaching to name a few areas.

For more information on Muneeza please visit http://www.muneeza.com or send her an e-mail on coach@muneeza.com

People who purchase a hypnosis cd want help in a specific area of their life. These areas might be stress management, alcoholic addiction, smoking, concentration, study, weight, insomnia and more. Often the hypnosis cd is being used to undo or reprogram a specific behaviour or habit. That behaviour or habit may have been in existence for many years.

In order to change that old program (behaviour) it is important to listen to the hypnosis cd on a regular basis. Although there will be people who will get instant results others will need to make a habit of tuning in to the suggestions on that hypnosis cd.

Some hypnotherapists suggest listening to a specific hypnosis recording everyday for 30 days and then to reduce the frequency to 3 or 4 times a week and then maybe twice a week. The idea behind this thought is that the suggestions contained in the hypnosis cd get compounded each and every time someone hears them. Compounding, or the repetition of the same suggestions is a therapeutic strategy that all hypnotherapists use.

So the advice is to listen to any hypnosis cd recording frequently when you first get it. Although it is not suggested that you listen to it more than once a day. You can also get around the excuse of not having the time to listen to it by playing the hypnosis cd when in bed and go to sleep to it. The beneficial suggestions will still pass to the subconscious mind even though consciously you are asleep.

Steven A. Harold
Clinical Hypnotherapist – London
http://www.hypno-therapist.com

How many times have you zoned out in front of the television, only to discover an empty bag/bottle/carton of _______ (substitute your current no-no food) sitting in front of you and you have NO MEMORY of having consumed it, let alone enjoying it?

Come on, we’ve all done it.

It’s OK – well, actually, it’s not OK, but we’ll talk about that in a minute.

Mindless eating is a favorite recreational past time. It fills time and space and those emotional holes that sometimes cry out for attention.

Mindlessness is a mindset that’s narrow, inflexible, repetitive and automatic. It blocks development.

But there’s an antidote to all this – it’s called “Mindfulness.”

What’s “Mindfulness”?

“Mindfulness,” is a Buddhist term meaning being conscious and aware of everything we think and do ~ from the food we consume to the people we associate with. It is a simple yet profound approach to relating to your food and life and aging.

What are the benefits of Mindful eating?

1. No more Cheetos bags stuffed into the couch
2. Less anxiety around food
3. Reduced amount of overeating
4. Smaller food bills
5. Increased sense of calm
6. A break from negative people and situations
7. Thinking creatively about everyday life

Here are Ten Easy Steps to Mindful Eating:

STEP 1: Make a conscious choice to eat. Eat only when you’re hungry. Sometimes fatigue or dehydration can be mistaken for hunger. Eat to fill your stomach, not an emotional hole. If you’re lonely, call a friend, or put on an old movie and have a good cry or laugh.

STEP 2: Ask your body what it’s hungry for. Be willing to experiment: eat what your body tells you it wants to eat and do it wholeheartedly.

STEP 3: Express gratitude before eating. This can be in whatever form feels most comfortable to you. For some it would be saying grace, for others a brief meditation. Breathing and relaxing the body will allow the food to enter you in a more loving way.

STEP 4: Eat with awareness. Be conscious when you eat and pay attention to all your senses. Chew food completely before swallowing. Pause before taking the next bite.

STEP 5: Listen for feedback. See how what you ate and how much you ate makes your body feel and make note of it. Remember, it takes 20 minutes before your stomach registers fullness.

STEP 6: Stop when you’re satisfied ~ not full, but satisfied. Try to learn the difference.

STEP 7: Release the meal. After the meal, forget about food or anything that has to do with eating for awhile and move on to the next activity. Avoid labeling food as “good” or “bad” depending on your weight or food choices on any given day. By letting go of such judgments, you de-escalate the importance of any one food experience.

STEP 8: Breathe. Be aware of your breath throughout your meal. Take deep breaths, filling your lungs all the way down to your abdomen. Let oxygen nourish you as well as the food.

STEP 9: Drink water. Water is the universal symbol of spirit. Let it flow through you and cleanse your body of toxins by aiding digestion. Some say that it’s better to drink before and after, but not during the meal. See what feels best to you.

STEP 10: Expand your mindfulness by practicing kindness and generosity to others and yourself. Practice mindful consumption by being aware of what magazines, books, plays, TV, and movies you consume, as well as the people you choose to have around you.

Our bodies have an intelligence that’s far superior to our brains. Sometimes the best thing to do is to stop thinking and just listen to our bodies.

Have a happy, healthy and very mindful day!!

Carol Moss, LCSW, Life Coach http://www.CarolMoss.com Sign up now for FREE e-course: “21 Days to Re-Ignite Your Inner Sparkle.”

What It Is:

Developed by Bill Harris in the late 1980s, the Holosync Solution is an audio program designed to bring your brain waves to the alpha (and lower)levels automatically just by listening to the cds. According to Bill: “Holosync is a way to create deep meditation easily, precisely and consistently.”

Beyond The Hype:

I thought it was about time someone talked about what it’s REALLY like to use the Holosync cds. I’ve been using the program for 2 years fairly consistently. That means sitting down almost every day, putting on my headphones and doing nothing else for an hour. It’s a huge time commitment and there were times I wondered if it was worth it.

In The Beginning:

Unlike the other testimonials you may have read, I did not experience profound changes after listening to the first cd. In fact, for the most part, I fell asleep! But that’s okay, because the more I listened, the less sleeping I did. Truth be told, I still doze off when I’m starting a new level. Each new level takes you into deeper meditative states and requires an adjustment.

As Time Goes By:

Here I am, two years later, still making the time and financial commitment to stick with it. Why? Because I’m amazed at the person I’ve become. Over the course of the two years:

I’m calmer
I rarely get angry.
I have a more positive attitude.
I’ve become more spiritual.
I’m happier – negative thoughts creep in, but they don’t stay.

Would I have experienced this growth without Holosync? Maybe, but I believe it would have taken much longer.

Have I reached the “nirvana” state while meditating? A couple of times I have experienced that deep all-encompassing sense of peace, but for the most part, my thoughts tend to drift. I try to start each session with an affirmation or goal statement, but often I’ll end up working out a problem or thinking about other things. It seems to work anyway and I always feel refreshed and calm at the end of a session.

What About Using Other Programs?

Absolutely! I’ve used and still incorporate other programs into my Holosync meditation. I mentioned affirmations, but other types of releasing programs work well, even different meditation techniques can work with Holosync.

Self improvement should be a never-ending quest. You can usually gain some new insights by listening to a different point of view.

If you are interested in learning more about Holosync meditation, click on the link at the end of this article. You’ll be directed to a products review site.

GiGi runs a self help products review site that includes books, audios, movies and software. Many free resources! The Holosync Solution

Meditation is commonly seen in many Yoga classes, but it has been practiced by a variety of cultures, including Roman Catholic priests, as well as Japanese Samurai, who practiced a form of Zen meditation. I mention this so you can see the full spectrum of meditation and its many facets.

There are many varieties and types of meditation, but the easiest form to learn is, “breath awareness meditation.” Compared to many other meditation techniques, this will enable anyone to experience the benefits of meditation in much less time.

At this point, let’s consider that meditation and Yoga teachers often compare the mind to a monkey. Many thoughts are running through your brain, at the same time, and it is hard to control all of your impulses – let alone, sit still and meditate. So why go through all this trouble?

Meditation has many rewards, and we will now consider one of extreme value. Through daily practice of meditation, you will release the unlimited potential of your mind. The ability to change, or alter the universe, starts as a single thought within your mind.

One human decided to harness the power of fire, and did he/she foresee the global warming effect? How could he/she imagine where we are now? This is just one of many thousands of examples of Karma – the law of cause and effect. Therefore, one seemingly small change, of any kind, will have a ripple effect on the universe.

Some of the seeds to change the universe, rests locked up in your mind, but you have the ability to shape the future by any small changes that you make. Let’s say you have a friend, family member, or associate, who cares for you deeply, but, up to now, you have always taken it for granted. Can you imagine what would happen if you take the time to groom that relationship? The answer is you would have a loyal ally and all you had to show was kindness or appreciation.

You have the ability to alter your own personality and affect the world around you. Hopefully, your personality will always continue to change for the better; if so, this will alter everyone around you for the best.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher.

You can be the creator of your own manifest destiny. Through daily meditation practice and focus on changing your life for the better. In fact, you have the ability to redefine yourself in any direction you desire. The power that you can cultivate is limited only by your own imagination.

As I have mentioned earlier, this will change the lives of people who you come into frequent contact with. Therefore, you must always be kind, trustworthy, and considerate to others. You should make a change in that direction at this very moment.

Why the sudden need for character improvement? It goes hand-in-hand with using power and influence wisely. Remember Lord Acton’s saying: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The power of your mind has the ability to alter reality. Therefore, this is a power that must be controlled.

How is this possible? Here is an example: If you had two identical twin boys, who haven’t eaten for two days, and you put an apple in front of them; what would they do?

Most likely, they would fight over it, and the winner would eat, most or, all of it. You and I know they should divide it equally, but each of them has really felt starvation, and that is a reality you and I do not feel at the moment. So we are not talking about imagination, but three legitimate points of view, that each becomes our own reality.

Meditation will allow your mind to see multiple points of view, without judgment. If you can see only one point of view, you haven’t meditated long enough. The best leaders, negotiators, and diplomats, know that you have to understand the opposing viewpoint, to move forward, on any issue. There is always justification, on both sides, in any conflict, but true compromise is meeting the opposition in a different reality, than you both started from.

If you had the ability to travel in the space shuttle, your view of earth, from within your space vehicle, would be much different from the person living in poverty, within a refugee camp. You could not see, or feel, that person’s pain, and each of you would have a vivid picture of life on earth.

You can meditate from a mountain top, but once you have seen the full picture, you have an obligation to help mankind, with acts of kindness. Once you have discovered how easy it is to help others, you are no longer struggling with; “who is right and who is wrong.”

Your new reality becomes, “how can I help?”

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher.

 http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

This was not a religious pursuit, per se, but a spiritual one. We all need to know our inner self. And the best way for us to get there is through meditation: a quiet time of some sort—contemplation. So out of that need, I saw an answer. Spreading information about basic meditation became my mission.

Almost all of the information I received about meditation over the years was through personal experience-trial and error. I did not read any books on the subject. They all seemed too deep and philosophical. And many times, the books included a whole cultural exploration. This is good for someone looking into historical information, or perhaps a religious belief. But just to know the basics of what meditation is and how to do it, there wasn’t anything.

I’ve been able to connect very well with the groups I’ve spoken to because I’ve been in their shoes. I had first hand experience looking for my own inner self. And so, the column you see here will explore for you, the personal experiences of the proverbial searcher.

I had just graduated from high school, and was looking for some kind of personal project for the summer. Since I lived in a very small town, and it was in the 1960′s, I was very surprised to find a yoga class being offered at the nearby middle school. I was always open for the new and different, and this fit the bill.

I joined the class as soon as I could and found myself in some very strange positions. But there was one position that I kept going back to. It was sitting cross-legged with my hands resting on my knees, palms up. It immediately made me sit straight, and my spine was relaxed.

While practicing this position at home, a strange thing happened. I began to feel unusual. There wasn’t any way I could describe it. But it was a kind of light-headed feeling—almost like dropping off to sleep—but I was awake.

I asked the instructor about it on the very next session. She assured me it was fine. But I had my reservations. So I stopped. I didn’t go back to the class. And I didn’t continue with the yoga practice.

I found out much later that I was beginning meditation. The instructor must have been concerned about giving too much information about yoga philosophy and the spiritual traditions of Eastern India. Our community was extremely slow about accepting new ideas. She was probably reluctant to introduce something new that could cause problems. So the yoga positions were only taught as an exercise.

I imagine many new or different ideas were stifled in the beginning. Some hesitate to share information for fear of being rejected or ostracized. And some of us hesitate to look at new information because we’re afraid of rocking the boat.

As you explore the concept of meditation, you will learn about the varied benefits that can be brought about by meditation, including health, emotional release, and self- empowerment. You will realize that meditation is about ease.

The Purpose of Meditation

Meditation is a way to connect with the inner self, or what some believe is the Divine Spark of God that we all are. It is to become quiet: to allow all outside disturbances to fade away, to be comfortable with the quiet. That quiet, or silence, which is allowed in, can calm the mind, restore the body, and define a spiritual path. Let’s take this opportunity to try a sample meditation on for size. Remember that this is a sample. It gives us the chance to practice. And in practicing, we learn.

Bringing In A Quiet Moment

Take a moment out of your busy day. Go for a five-minute walk by yourself. Pay attention to the sound of your footsteps. Let it become even with your heartbeat. When this rhythm within you overrides the sounds of the day, take a deep cleansing breath. Look at the sky. Watch the clouds. Just enjoy the moment. This is the skill of meditation. It is nothing harder than that: just taking a moment, and relaxing into it. Allow your mind to relax into it.

This is just a very quick way for everyone to get some idea of what meditation is like. There are plenty of different types of meditations, as many as there are people. It requires a few undisturbed minutes, dedication and a desire. It will open up a whole new world for you. Just give it a try.

Copyright 2003, Melissa Leath

Rev. Melissa Leath is a personal growth and metaphysical counselor and meditation instructor. Explore more about the ease of meditation by visiting her website: http://www.MeditationMadeEasy.com

And what I’ve noticed for myself is that I forget this logic when it comes to listening for my own answers. Rarely do I sit quietly and listen. Rarer still do I actually intentionally *ask* myself a question.

I’m working at increasing my practice of asking and listening for answers from within. Since I’m still a beginner, I thought I’d ask someone with more experience to speak further on this topic with us.

Karen Kofman, who co-led a workshop on “Gratitude” with me in November 2003, has a background in corporate training. She currently gives workshops of a spiritual nature involving inner serenity. Karen practices reiki, aromaptherapy, yoga and meditation.

Linda: What is your definition of meditation?

Karen: Meditation is a process to empty and calm the mind, which results in a sense of peace, serenity and calmness and eventually opening yourself to new insights and a sense of overall well-being.

Linda: How has your life changed since you’ve been practicing meditation regularly?

Karen: Meditation has come into my life very slowly, when I first started I didn’t notice much change, but over time, there have been major spiritual and emotional awakenings. I am more settled, less anxious, have more energy and am less judgmental of those around me.

Linda: What’s the best way for someone to start meditating?

Karen: The first thing I want to make clear is that meditation is not complicated, doesn’t take a lot of time, and can be done by anyone. Most of us have dabbled in meditation by participating in conscious relaxation, perhaps during an exercise class or sport activity.

Here is a meditation exercise you can try for yourself.

Start by paying attention to your breathing. The practical effect of focusing completely on your breathing leads to a sense of calmness, as it takes your mind away from the “clutter” that constantly tries to invade.

Take a few deep breaths to relax your body and mind. Begin to breath again and with each exhalation feel your body relax into a peaceful state. Let go of thoughts, worries. Feel the presence of stillness within you. Feel a softness around your heart.

If thoughts emerge, acknowledge them and go back to your breath. Continue this process for 3-10 minutes to begin and you may increase the time as you feel necessary.

With repeated efforts, the goal of clearing your mind to think of nothing will come more easily. You will have the ability to be clear and open and to welcome spaces for fresh and clean thoughts to emerge. The process of meditation will begin to take on its own energies.

Thanks so much to Karen Kofman for sharing her wisdom with us this month! It’s certainly inspired me to “stop and listen” more often.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.