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Meditation is to dive all the way within, beyond thought, to the source of thought and pure consciousness. It enlarges the container, every time you transcend. When you come out, you come out refreshed, filled with energy and enthusiasm for life.
David Keith Lynch - An American director, screenwriter, visual artist, musician, actor and author.
In a world gone mad, meditation keeps me sane...most of the time anyway.
My meditation practice is a grounding force in my life and something I look forward to every day. Initially, taking the time to put down the never-ending to-do list, even for just twenty minutes, seemed impossible and I was anxious about what I viewed as "wasting time". Meditation does not mean taking a nap or just "vegging out". It is an active process. While meditating I am present in the moment, aware and awake and I am not being controlled by random thoughts or circumstances outside of myself. As the benefits of meditation began to materialize in my life I quickly got over my anxiety
about it.
When I meditate I am telling the universe that I have time, not a lack thereof. I have built meditation into my daily schedule. I meditate at the same time every evening and it is just part of what I do now. I begin with some breath work which quiets my system and as I get connected to universal life force energy I can feel my being expanding. For me, meditating is an allowing or yielding to. I am not trying to do anything or get anywhere, I just am. When my mind wanders or I start to follow the thread of a thought, I don't resist it. To resist it would be to give it more energy. What you resist, persists. I simply allow the thought to drift through my mind like a cloud passing by in the sky. I am not attached to the cloud and I remain unattached to my thought. I find at the end of the meditation I am calm, focused and grounded. I feel much more expansive so the rest of my evening tasks generally flow very smoothly and effortlessly. Meditation serves to help me unwind from the day, relaxes me and helps the creative process.
As part of my practice I listen to a meditation CD every night at bedtime. It is a CD meant to be used in this fashion as it works on a subconscious, subliminal level. I find it very helpful in promoting a good night's rest as it stops the "monkey mind" from chattering and keeping me awake. I also find that whenever I am putting my focused attention on a project or activity it is a form of meditation and the "monkey mind" is again quieted. For instance, walking, gardening, painting or even riding my bike feel like a moving meditation to me.
My advice regarding meditation is to keep it simple. Don't worry about doing it perfectly. There are many books, CDs, online guides and YouTube videos available on the subject. Find a practice that works for you and then
"Just Do It". Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you and the benefits will astound you.
Peace
It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. -Unknown
Liesha
Ps. Look at the end of this newsletter for a special offer
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According to Wikipedia meditation is a practice where an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness, either to realize some benefit or for the mind to simply acknowledge its content without becoming identified with that content, or as an end in itself.
The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force ( qi, ki, prana, etc.) and develop compassion, love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. A particularly ambitious form of meditation aims at effortlessly sustained single-pointed concentration meant to enable its practitioner to enjoy an indestructible sense of well-being while engaging in any life activity.
The word meditation carries different meanings in different contexts. Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as a component of numerous religious traditions and beliefs. Meditation often involves an internal effort to self-regulate the mind in some way. Meditation is often used to clear the mind and ease many health concerns, such as high blood pressure, depression, and anxiety. It may be done sitting, or in an active way - for instance, Buddhist monks involve awareness in their day-to-day activities as a form of mind-training. Prayer beads or other ritual objects are commonly used during meditation in order to keep track of or remind the practitioner about some aspect of that training.
Meditation may involve generating an emotional state for the purpose of analyzing that state - such as anger, hatred, etc. - or cultivating a particular mental response to various phenomena, such as compassion. The term "meditation" can refer to the state itself, as well as to practices or techniques employed to cultivate the state. Meditation may also involve repeating a mantra and closing the eyes. The mantra is chosen based on its suitability to the individual meditator. Meditation has a calming effect and directs awareness inward until pure awareness is achieved, described as "being awake inside without being aware of anything except awareness itself."
In brief, there are dozens of specific styles of meditation practice, and many different types of activity commonly referred to as meditative practices.
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Meditation - from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
When you hear the word "meditate" what images come to mind? Sitting cross-legged on a pillow, eyes closed, possibly chanting? A religious group engaged in deep and mindful concentration?
While these are forms of meditation, the practice comes in many other varieties:
- Prayer/chanting
- Breathing
- Ritual/exercise
- Viewing art/listening to music
For beginners, the simplest form of meditation is breathing. Breathing can be done each day for only a couple of minutes at a time. The goal of breathing meditation is to allow the mind to rest from thoughts, which means allowing thoughts to pass through, rather than tending to each one as it enters the mind. Learning to "be" with the present is the goal of meditation.
In a breathing meditation, find a comfortable seat and allow the spine to be tall. Simply concentrate on the breathing, both the inhale and exhale, bringing each to the same length. Breathe from the stomach, rather than the chest, and allow the belly to go soft, rising and falling with each breath. If a thought enters into your mind, acknowledge it, and let it go. Allow your mind to grow still.
There really is no right or wrong way to meditate. In the beginning, you may find it difficult to slow your mind and tap into your inner consciousness so it may be beneficial to begin your meditation first thing in the morning, before you're distracted with the tasks of daily life. Once you've strengthened your meditation routine, experiment with practicing at other times, such as at your desk before a long meeting, after a workout, at bedtime; whenever it is safe to close your eyes and allow your concentration to move inward.
In addition to mental health and emotional benefits, meditation may help with:
- Allergies
- Anxiety Disorders
- Asthma
- Binge Eating
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Heart Disease
- High Blood Pressure
- Chronic Pain
- Sleep Problems
- Substance Abuse
Meditation works most effectively when practiced every day, so start simple but stay consistent. It is more effective to meditate for just five minutes a day, at the same time every day than for 20 minutes once or twice a week. As you experience the benefits, experiment with new meditations. Meditation will help to slow your mind from the fast-paced nature of today's environment, allowing your intuition to show itself more strongly and aligning you more with your intentions.
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Thank you to Dr. Colette Hayes who presented an informative and enlightening February webinar. She gave us some great, easy to understand take-away tips regarding Homeopathy, as well as providing her top 12 remedies for common health ailments.
One of the registrants from Dr. Hayes's webinar had this to say:
"Just the best explanation of homeopathy I have ever heard; please bring Dr. Colette back! "
Click here for the archive As you know, your confidence in us is our highest compliment.If you find value in our webinars and in the services we offer at TDI/Health through Awareness please leave a positive Google or Facebook review.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Click here to leave a review
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 Please join us on Wednesday, March 23, 2016
at 7 P.M. DST
Our presenter is Elsie Kerns, who will be discussing the "Relaxation Response".
The "Relaxation Response" was researched by Dr. Herbert Benson, author of the book by the same title and currently Director Emeritus at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Benson also created the Mind-Body Medical Institute at Harvard. This simple self-care technique has been shown through Dr. Benson's research to lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduce muscle tension and increase slow brain waves for whole body rejuvenation.
Learn how to turn the fight/flight/freeze response into the
"relaxation response."
Help your body "remember wellness" through the daily practice of the
"Relaxation Response". In addition to describing the "Relaxation Response", Elsie will be guiding participants through an actual "Relaxation Response" meditation.
The presenter, Elsie Kerns, an Energy Intuitive and Wellness Educator, has been teaching self-empowering mind-body wellness for over 22 years. Elsie graduated from the 4-year healing science training with Barbara Brennan, author of Hands of Light, and recently completed the 4-year training with Donna Eden, author of Energy Medicine & Energy Medicine for Women. Her other training intensives include the 5-day training on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat-Zinn. Elsie is also co-founder of Wellness Workers successfully serving the tri-state community since 1995. She offers private sessions, educational workshops, teleseminars and work site wellness.
Click here to register for the webinar
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Just in time for Spring cleaning
March Product Special - due to the overwhelming response to our January detox/cleanse webinar we are going to extend our offer of a
15% discount on the Designs for Health 14-day cleanse kits.
This offer ends March 31st.
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Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information in this newsletter is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The contents of this newsletter are based upon the opinions and research of Liesha Getson and Health Through Awareness, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information in this newsletter is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Liesha Getson and Health Through Awareness. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
If you are interested in any of the services at TDI/Health through Awareness or an individual holistic health coaching session, either in person, via Skype or by phone please contact me at the number listed below.
Liesha Getson, BCTT, HHC
TDI/Health through Awareness
856-596-5834
856-596-0200
100 Brick Road, Suite 206
Marlton, NJ 08053
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