Re: Please help me get well
Meditation is something that I've practiced for about an hour a day for more
than thirty years. It has literally been a life saver. I prefer the
kind where you sit in a normal position (not cross legged) and run your earth
and cosmic energies.
We all have parasites - which are simply energies in our space that don't
belong to us. All we have to do is to meditate and return them to the real
ownsers.
At the end of the day, I can end up just totally
wacky, because I've made mountains out of molehills. With meditation, I can keep
them as molehills.
Ringo Starr
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070
Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress
Meditation can wipe away the day's stress, bringing with it
inner peace. See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you
need it most.
By Mayo Clinic staff
If stress has you anxious, tense and worried, consider trying meditation.
Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace.
Anyone can practice meditation. It's simple and inexpensive, and it doesn't
require any special equipment. And you can practice meditation wherever you are
— whether you're out for a walk, riding the bus, waiting at the doctor's
office or even in the middle of a difficult business meeting.
Understanding meditation
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Meditation originally
was meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of
life. These days, meditation is commonly used for relaxation and stress
reduction.
Meditation is considered a type of mind-body complementary medicine.
Meditation produces a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During
meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled
thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process results
in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.
Benefits of meditation
Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits both
your emotional well-being and your overall health. And these benefits don't end
when your meditation session ends. Meditation can help carry you more calmly
through your day and can even improve certain medical conditions.
Meditation and emotional well-being
When you meditate, you clear away the information overload that builds
up every day and contributes to your stress.
The emotional benefits of meditation include:
- Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
- Building skills to manage your stress
- Increasing self-awareness
- Focusing on the present
- Reducing negative emotions
Meditation and illness
Meditation also might be useful if you have a medical condition,
especially one that may be worsened by stress. While a growing body of
scientific research supports the health benefits of meditation, some researchers
believe it's not yet possible to draw conclusions about the possible benefits of
meditation.
With that in mind, some research suggests that meditation may help such
conditions as:
- Allergies
- Anxiety disorders
- Asthma
- Binge eating
- Cancer
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Pain
- Sleep problems
- Substance abuse
Be sure to talk to your health care provider about the pros and cons of using
meditation if you have any of these conditions or other health problems. In some
cases, meditation can worsen symptoms associated with certain mental health
conditions. Meditation isn't a replacement for traditional medical treatment.
But it may be a useful addition to your other treatment.
Types of meditation
Meditation is an umbrella term for the many ways to a relaxed state of being.
There are many types of meditation and relaxation techniques that have
meditation components. All share the same goal of achieving inner peace.
Ways to meditate can include:
- Guided meditation. Sometimes called guided imagery or
visualization, with this method of meditation you form mental images of
places or situations you find relaxing. You try to use as many senses as
possible, such as smells, sights, sounds and textures. You may be led
through this process by a guide or teacher.
- Mantra meditation. In this type of meditation, you
silently repeat a calming word, thought or phrase to prevent distracting
thoughts.
- Mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation is based
on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living
in the present moment. You broaden your conscious awareness. You focus on
what you experience during meditation, such as the flow of your breath. You
can observe your thoughts and emotions but let them pass without judgment.
- Qi gong. This practice generally combines meditation,
relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises to restore and
maintain balance. Qi gong (CHEE-gung) is part of traditional Chinese
medicine.
- Tai chi. This is a form of gentle Chinese martial arts.
In tai chi (TIE-chee), you perform a self-paced series of postures or
movements in a slow, graceful manner while practicing deep breathing.
- Transcendental meditation. You use a mantra, such as a
word, sound or phrase repeatedly silently, to narrow your conscious
awareness and eliminate all thoughts from your mind. You focus exclusively
on your mantra to achieve a state of perfect stillness and consciousness.
- Yoga. You perform a series of postures and controlled
breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. As you
move through poses that require balance and concentration, you're encouraged
to focus less on your busy day and more on the moment.