Transcendental Meditation - More Free Tips

The world has become a hectic place to live with fast food, fast cars and fast computers. Life moves at such a rapid pace that the elements that compose our lifestyles generate an abundance of stress that many do not know how to handle. One way to reduce stresses and create a more relaxed mind and a healthier body is through Transcendental Meditation.

The transcendental form of meditation is one in which the practitioner calms the mind in order to achieve a higher state of consciousness allowing for a greater flow of thought. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi founded Transcendental Meditation, often referred to as TM, in the late 1950’s.

The Maharishi decided to take his teachings on a world tour attracting many new people, even celebrities to take on this form of meditation. The long list of celebrities who have practiced Transcendental Meditation includes the likes of actress Heather Graham, Singer Mick Jagger, Director David Lynch, the late comedian Andy Kaufman and most notably, The Beatles.

Now what would attract such a long list of celebrities as well as over six million people to choose this form of meditation? Could it be the fact these people now live a peaceful more productive life? Could it be the vibrancy they feel day after day. Or, how about the increased stream of creativity attributed to transcendental meditation. Probably all of the above.

Transcendental Meditation not only improves your ability to focus but it stimulates creativity and works wonders for your physical health. It is proven that those engaged in regular practice of Transcendental Meditation have fewer medical problems than those who are not.

In fact, individuals in their mid-fifties who have taken on TM as their form of meditation have been known to have a biological age that is twenty years younger than their chronological age. You are now most likely wondering what it takes to learn the ways of Transcendental Meditation.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has created a seven step process of learning the proper technique of TM which includes two lectures, a personal interview with a qualified Transcendental Meditation instructor and four days of practice.

After learning the proper methods of TM you meditate twice a day for twenty minutes each session. Advanced methods include yogic flying when your energy is channeled creating a lift of your body, kind of like a frog hopping. It has been said that when 1% of the world’s population is practicing yogic flying that a greater state of peace will be felt world wide.

The ultimate goal of Transcendental Meditation is peace. Peace within ones self and peace around the globe. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has begun to construct peace palaces in one hundred US cities with 3000 more being built around the world. Here the use of Transcendental Meditation to influence cities and communities to a more peaceful lifestyle.

As chaotic as this world may seem it could be possible to eliminate the negativity in the world through a greater understanding of your own consciousness and a deeper commitment to a harmonious life. I have found that through the practice of Transcendental Meditation that path is clearly paved. Are you ready for the journey?

Robin Darch has a website at meditation-tips.com giving useful information and links about meditation and its benefits

An Introduction To Meditation

An Introduction To Meditation

The busy lifestyles of people today have paved the way for the rise in popularity of meditation. It is a pleasant way of quieting the minds of people who are constantly exposed to noise and stress.

The whole objective of meditation is to allow people to concentrate their senses on one particular element. This can be their breathing, their sight or the sounds they hear. According to Dr. Joan Borysenko, a mind and body medical specialist, meditation can refer to any activity that focuses the mind on the present. This can refer to any activity that frees a person from the fears of the past or worries of the future.

There are two basic approaches to meditation. The first is called concentrative meditation. It involves focusing the mind to one particular natural element such as sound or breathing. It can be comparable to a camera lens that has the ability to zoom in on a particular object. A famous example of concentrative meditation is breathing meditation. Here, a person tries to concentrate on his or her breathing until such a time when it becomes slow and calm. This state of breathing reflects a relaxed consciousness, one that is free from any anxieties or worries.

The second approach to meditation is called mindfulness meditation. Unlike concentrative meditation, the aim of mindfulness meditation is for the person to be able to pay attention to every detail of his or her surroundings. However, the challenge is for the person not to react to any of these happenings. The idea is to just let these things pass by the person's mind, like a wind that smoothly swifts through the air.

Meditation is known to bring a lot of benefits to an individual. For instance, it has been found that it can improve a person's breathing and pulse rate. It also sharpens people's reaction to their surroundings, making them more alert to various factors in their environment.

Meditation provides detailed information on Meditation, Meditation Techniques, Transcendental Meditation, Guided Meditation and more. Meditation is affiliated with Tai Chi Videos.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eddie_Tobey

Meditation Techniques - Transcendental Meditation Technique

Meditation Techniques - Including Transcendental Meditation Technique

If you want read more about transcendental meditation techniques, you can read more about the scientific basis of how to do transcendental meditation techniques here.

Alternativley you can read free transcendental meditation tips here.

The Benefits of Meditation: Tips and Techniques

Meditation is healthy, safe and affordable. In fact it’s free. The only expense you’ll have is a meditation mat, which isn’t especially necessary-at least from my experience. Meditation has been around for 5,000 years, and was originally a spiritual component of yoga. Through the years non-yogis adopted it, intuitively sensing and connecting the practice with greater peace of mind. Personally, I can’t say enough good things about meditation. Its use has rewarded me with less worry and much more energy. But I’ve never been one for anecdotal evidence. Let’s get to the science…

Transcendental Meditation

Recently, there’s an incredible amount of science tied into the benefits of meditation. The studies are endless and cover a variety of meditative practices. On Transcendental Meditation techniques alone (mantra repetition) there are over 500 studies. Some are more noteworthy that others. A study in the Japanese Journal of Public Health found that through Transcendental Meditation, industrial workers sleep improved and their smoking decreased. Another study conducted at the MERU Research Institute, in Buckinghamshire, England found that the length of time practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program correlated with younger biological age and younger functional age.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation, which asks us to focus on our breath to facilitate awareness of the present moment, is another widely studied meditation technique. After studying the effects of 8-weeks of mindfulness meditation on participants, a 2003 report in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine concluded: “A short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function.” Impressive, but fairly vague. To get a more committed response to the benefits of meditation we have to turn to Taiwan. In 2002 their journal Chang Gung Medicine reported that “training in MM may be a medically superior and cost-effective alternative to pain medication for the control of headaches with no underlying organic causes in highly motivated patients.”

Stress Reduction and Meditation

What causes these positive physical changes? To answer this, other research has looked at the specifics of what happens in the body during meditation. . Researchers at the Maharishi School of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, found that meditation has an enormous impact on stress reduction. When they examined a group who had meditated for four months they saw that they produced less of the stress hormone cortisol. They were therefore better able to adapt to stress in their lives, no matter what their circumstances were.

Having balanced cortisol levels is essential to mental and emotional health. Notice I say balanced rather than none. We don’t want to completely eliminate cortisol. If we did we’d be dead. Even low cortisol levels can be dangerous. Not enough cortisol is the identifying trait of Addison’s disease. John F. Kennedy had this condition, which he denied passionately during his presidency. Yet during his term he regulated his levels through hydrocortisone (synthetic cortisol). The reverse of JFK’s condition is called Cushings Syndrome.

The five most common and noticeable changes of this condition include; red face and puffy cheeks; excess fat surrounding the collar bones, muscle weakness, and hypertension. But we don’t have to have Cushing’s Syndrome to be damaged by extra cortisol. The changes we experience may be subtle variations of these. Plus, the changes caused by excess cortisol are age dependent. Young people may stop growing and teenagers can develop acne. The mature among us aren’t safe either. Since excess cortisol damages bone-tissue those over age 60 may develop fractures related to osteoporosis. So it’s evident that if we can regulate cortisol, especially through a natural process, we owe it to ourselves to try.

Other Benefits of Meditation

Regina Drueding, MD, is a meditation instructor at Life Circles in Utah, USA. She quotes the benefits of meditation as follows: “more energy, improved quality of sleep, decreased anxiety, lessened chronological aging, improved concentration, improved visual acuity, increased alertness and heightened immunity.” She writes: “Besides the benefits mentioned earlier, meditation results in improvement of hypertension, sleep disorders, headaches, heartrhythm disturbances, chronic pain – pain due to cancer, infertility and irritable bowel syndrome. Following meditation, mental and physical refreshment result – and benefits are cumulative with regular practice.”

How to Meditate

Meditation is both simple and complex. It’s like defining the color orange: When you see it you know it. Similarly, the experience of meditation is best, well…experienced. In an article in New View magazine, Shippensburg University’s Dr. C. George Boeree describes the basics of Buddhist meditation. In summary, the beginner’s technique is as follows:

1. Sit or kneel comfortably.

2. The hands are loose and open with the palms up, one atop the other and thumbs lightly touching.

3. Head is upright. Eyes may be closed or open. If open they should focus on your hands or a spot nearby.

4. Beginning meditators should count upwards to ten on each exhale. Breathe in a relaxed and natural way. Then begin again at one and repeat. Continue to breathe naturally.

5. Continue for 15 minutes.

In my personal experience, I don’t find that the specific length of time is as important as repetition and persistence. To paraphrase, 10 minutes daily beats 15 minutes once a week. This brings me to another point: We all have different personalities and as such, different meditation approaches suit some more than others. Thankfully there are many varieties of meditation. Some varieties have sub-varieties.

Mindfulness meditation is one of these versatile practices. Perhaps it’s because its essence-awareness of the present moment-is so versatile. Mindfulness in our daily life can be practiced by slowing down and attending to our surroundings. What are our 5 senses telling us? We can use mindfulness in the middle of a hectic day, such as paying attention to our breathing when stopped at a traffic light. We can also use other everyday events as triggers for mindfulness. Buckling your seatbelt? Make this a reminder to return to the present. Really think about what you’re doing and the details of the experience.

The more traditional may benefit from a more formal mindfulness practice. You may sit in the identical form as in traditional Buddhist meditation- on a chair or kneeling. However, you may also sit with your legs crossed. Your eyes are closed and your posture is both straight and relaxed while your head remains upright. Focus on your breath and allow mental chatter to float by without regard. Thoughts, emotions and sensations will come, but don’t be influenced by them. Keep focused on your breath. If you are getting involved with your thoughts don’t worry-your efforts aren’t destroyed. The key thing is to bring your attention back to breathing and continue. This can go on for 5 minutes to 5 hours. It’s up to you.

Transcendental Meditation is another popular form of meditation. Generally, this type is practiced twice daily for a period of 15-20 minutes. Again, this technique involves sitting comfortably. Yet in contrast to basic Buddhist the eyes stay closed. Each student is given a mantra and is instructed to induce relaxation through use of this mantra. Since many of either can’t or won’t go to a formal TM class, a no-fail mantra I recommend is the classic OM. In The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V Desikachar writes that repetition of "OM" enables us to maintain mental and emotional calmness, overcome obstacles and enable understanding. It is the shortest of the mantras, and is said to be suggestive of God. If you’re uncomfortable with the religious aspects of OM I suggest a word that has positive meaning for you, such as love, calm or peace. Calm is an ideal substitute, since vocally it resembles OM.

Final Word

You may never, ever choose to meditate. Yet if this is your choice it may be valuable to question why. For a long time I was reluctant because of images of the dropout hippie 60’s. Yet when I tried it the experience overcame my reservations. If you try it the same may happen to you. If it doesn’t you haven’t lost any money, and you’ve gained a new experience.

Resources:

Getting in the Gap: Making Conscious Contact with God Through Meditation (Hay House Inc., 2003)

The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh (Beacon Press, 1975)

Galina Pembroke Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Galina_Pembroke

Transcendental Meditation Free Tips

Transcendental Meditation Free Tips and Advice

This aritcle gives you free transcendental meditation tips and dicusses the background behind free transcendental meditation and identifies how it can benefit your life! To learn more about the scientific basis behind transcendental meditation click here.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) -Free

More than 500 scientific studies about transcendental meditation were carried out in the last 25 years at more than 200 independent universities and research institutions. The results show that the program of transcendental meditation has beneficial effects in all areas of life, private and professional. The research has been published for example in 'Science', 'The American Journal of Physiology', 'Scientific American' and many more. They all show that the quality of life of those practicing TM is far better than in those who don't practice it.

Transcendental meditation was taught for the first time in the West about fifty years ago by the physician and philosopher Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It soon became very popular around the world because of its many positive effects. This particular meditation technique is independent of local values, religions, faiths and political convictions.

It is basically a relaxation technique for the mind which can be learned easily. It consists of practice sessions, twice daily for about 10 to 20 minutes, where the person meditating sits comfortably and with closed eyes. Mediation is usually associated with the lotus position, which is extremely painful for the beginner. Here, a comfortable chair, a cushion, anything that provides a physical position where bones don't hurt is good enough.

People who practice transcendental meditation report deep relaxation, greater spiritual clarity, more creativity and far better stress management in difficult life situations. And they report better health.

Transcendental meditation is probably the meditation technique that has been best investigated and documented scientifically. Many scientific publications have dealt with the subject and have proven its inherent value not only for those who practice it but for business as well. Let's look at General Motors, for example.

The biggest car manufacturing company in the U.S. offers all its employees courses in transcendental meditation paid for by the company. Triggering this program was the realisation that stress on the job costs American companies 200 billion dollars annually. It has been identified as the main factor for the deteriorating health of employees and the decrease in productivity.

In the last 25 years many studies carried out in companies like GM showed that transcendental meditation programs bring with them a lot of advantages for companies and their employees. A study with 125 General Motors employees showed that their practicing of TM brought about a significant improvement in their health, productivity and morale.

In another area, the US government pays Vietnam veterans the enrollment fees for courses in transcendental meditation, as long as their physicians prescribe it. This policy of providing this kind of meditation training for the veterans was initiated when studies showed that people suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome experienced a considerable reduction in their symptoms when practicing TM.

In California, US, the bar association recognizes courses that lawyers take in TM as having curriculum value. Here as well the background for this change of attitude is the recognition that attorneys work better and more effectively when they have the possibility to liberate themselves from the stress courtrooms and trials bring with them. The regular attendance of legal training courses is obligatory in California and is being monitored through a point system. For the attendance of a basic course in TM attorneys get assigned x number of points that count toward their curriculum.

The holder of the world record in remembering numbers in the Guinness book of records considers transcendental meditation as a very effective relaxation technique. Mr. Tomoyori achieved his record in 1990, at the age of 58, by remembering the number Pi - which is 3.14, ad infinitum. He remembered 40,000 values after the point. He says: " I learned TM because I wanted to learn how to relax better and to maintain my power of concentration. Because it takes 17 hours to say this number by heart I need a certain relaxation while at the same time I must be able to concentrate. TM is great because it's so simple and it provides effective relaxation. It helps in strengthening my powers of concentration while at the same time helping me to sleep deeply.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Meditation

Scientific Research on Transcendental Meditation (TM)

How to do Transcendental Meditation

This article looks at the scientific background behing transcendental meditation, to learn how to do transcendental mediation free click here...

Scientific Research on Transcendental Meditation - How to (TM)

Scientific research has shown that the most beneficial meditation technique is Transcendental Meditation (TM). The striking reduction of stress and anxiety caused by TM are 3 times greater than the effect caused by most meditation and relaxation techniques.


How to do Transcendental Meditation has been taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi since 1958. The first articles about the beneficial effects of TM were published around 1970 on important magazines and scientific journals such as

- Science (167, 1970),

- American Journal of Physiology (221, 1971) and

- Scientific American (226, 1972).

The basic research was conducted by two medical doctors from Harvard University, Herbert Benson and Robert Wallace. This research was made on dozens of American people who used to practice this technique regularly. These people were of any race, sex, age, job, and with different personal political or religious belief.

Later, a lot of research was made about this technique by several doctors and scientists, who wrote several articles on important scientific journals such as

- International Journal of Neuroscience,

- Psychosomatic Medicine,

- Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology,

- Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,

- Journal of Clinical Psychology,

and many more.

Dr. Benson never practiced this technique himself (Dr. Wallace did). Dr. Benson created his own relaxation technique, that is described in his book The relaxation response (HarperCollins, 1975, 2000), a best-seller that sold 5 millions of copies since 1975. Dr. Benson claims that his technique achieves the same results as Maharishi's TM. However, the actual results achieved by TM are 3 times greater than those achieved by the relaxation response technique, as shown by further research (Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 1989; and Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6, 1991).

Around 1995, Dr. Deepak Chopra created the Primordial Sound technique, that is very similar to Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation (TM) and can be considered as much as effective. Unfortunately Maharishi's TM and Chopra's technique are very expensive: the price of TM is prohibitive (US$2500.00). Chopra's technique is expensive also (starting at US$325).

Further on, a mystical atmosphere has been sorrounding the TM technique for years, and the Maharishi organization deals with several peculiar and weird projects that stun common people. This has prevented TM to be appreciated as it deserves. Transcendental Meditation is a simple, precious, effective technique that can help anybody to be more intelligent and creative, to live better and to reduce or remove stress, anxiety and other disorders.

That's why former TM teachers have started teaching this precious technique for less. For example check the websites: www.tm-meditation.co.uk (TM Independent UK) and www.natural-stress-relief.com.

For more information: http://transcendental.meditation.onwww.net/

Author Bio:
F.Coppola, Ph.D. in Physics at Pisa University (Italy), has been practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) since 1983 and advanced techniques (such as TM-Sidhis) since 1989. He has studied brain wave modifications during TM sessions and collaborated in the creation of a new mental exercise, the Natural Stress Relief technique.

http://transcendental.meditation.onwww.net/

Inspiration Thoughts and Quotes on Good and Evil

If ever there has been a basis for civilization to squabble on the merits of something, it is the debate between good and evil. Here are some inspiration thoughts on the subjects from historical figures.

Inspirational Thoughts and Quotes on Good and Evil

Good and evil are the galvanizing forces of many a civilization and nation. Standing back from conflicts and debates, it is quickly apparent that definitions used by nations are often a matter of perspective. Simply put, no nation has ever viewed itself as evil and doing its work for evil purposes. In modern terms, the potential conflict between the Unite States and Iran is just such a situation. Neither country believes they are acting in the stead of evil, but both conversely feel the other is! Alas, an interesting perspective indeed.

Good and evil, of course, also is significant factor in the personal domain. Do you live your life as a good person? You probably try, but what is good and evil as a matter of living? Here are the thoughts of significant figures through time.

1. When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil.

- Max Lerner

2. Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

- Archbishop Desmond Tutu

3. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

- Edmund Burke

4. The real problem is in the hearts and minds of men. It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.

- Albert Einstein

5. Evil (ignorance) is like a shadow. It has no real substance of its own, it is simply a lack of light. You cannot cause a shadow to disappear by trying to fight it, stamp on it, by railing against it, or any other form of emotional or physical resistance. In order to cause a shadow to disappear, you must shine light on it.

- Shakti Gawain

6. In heaven all the interesting people are missing.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

7. Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

- Oscar Wilde

8. The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.

- Plato

While the nature of evil in national movements is perhaps a clearer issue, the nature of it in daily life is something all together a different subject. How you live your life and why, is obviously a personal choice. In this rush, rush world, however, one must guard against being tempted to cut corners.

Bruno Bacelli is with InspirationDaily.com - providing daily inspiration for your life with quotes updated each day

If you’re not you, then who are you going to be?

If you’re not you, then who are you going to be?

A middle aged woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she had a near death experience. Seeing God, she asked if this was it. God said, "No you have another 43 years, 2 months, and 8 days to live."

Upon recovery the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face lift, liposuction, tummy tuck, etc. She even had someone come in and change her hair color, figuring since she had so much more time to live, she might as well make the most of it.

She got out of the hospital after the last operation and while crossing the street was killed by an ambulance speeding to the hospital.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 40 Years?"

God replied, "I didn't recognize you..."

Be yourself. Think about it: Aren’t most of the discontented people you know trying to be something they are not or trying to do something they’re not supposed to do? A Congolese proverb asserts, “Wood may remain ten years in the water, but it will never become a crocodile.” The book of Jeremiah asks, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” Julius Hare advises, “Be what you are. This is the first step towards becoming better than you are.”

Nobody is as disappointed and unhappy as the person who longs all of his life to be somebody other than who he really is. The person who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away. If you don’t have a plan for your own life, you’ll only become a part of someone else’s. Never wish to be anything but what you are. There is only one life for you—your own. The person who walks in someone else’s tracks never leaves his own footprints.

Most people live their entire lives as complete strangers to themselves. Don’t let that happen to you. Leo Buscaglia counseled, “The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don’t let them put you in that position.”

The opposite of courage is not fear. It is conformity. No one ever became great by imitation. Imitation is limitation. Don’t be a copy of something. Make your own impression. Dare to be who you are.

- John Mason, from the book Imitation is Limitation (Want to purchase this book? Go to www.freshword.com/resources)

John Mason is a national best-selling author, nationally recognized speaker and book coach. You can visit his site at http://www.freshword.com/signup to receive this nugget and ones just like it in your email inbox every week. Very inspiring!