5 Techniques to Help with Physical Pain

Initial  


It is always useful to begin with conscious breathing, which you pay attention to the physical sensation of the breath as it goes in and out of your body. Find a comfortable position, sitting or lying down and begin to breathe the spirit completely. Make a quick scan of your body from head to toe. If you feel all the muscles that are tense, try to relax. After a few minutes of this breathing, try these five techniques to see if they help relieve your physical pain. I recommend experimenting with each to see which ones work for you. Some of the techniques are adapted from what is called MBSR: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. I'd say it's Mindfulness-Based reducing pain!


Techniques


Focus first on the pain itself, and be aware of sensations that compose it.


And 'burning? And 'stabbing? And 'tingling? Heat? Cold? You hear the waves when the pain becomes more intense and less intense? This triggers the sensation known as "division of the senses." It helps us to understand what you're thinking of a permanent pain in the area of ​​uniform color is actually many different types of feelings are constantly evolving.


By separating the feelings this way, the pain is no longer a "thing" and making it much less likely to get carried away by thoughts full of stress in the field, such as, "This pain will not ever. "You can even delete the word" pain ", and just notice the sensations that arise from the experience and move on in your body. Doing this helps you see the ephemeral nature of this set of physical sensations we call "pain."


Final brings an attitude of kindness toward the feelings, even if they can be unpleasant. Your body is not targeted to make you suffer. Treat it as you would with a child in pain.


2. Rest your attention on the part of the body painlessly.


At first you might think that there is such a place, but with perseverance, you can find it. It could be your toes, your face, your chest. Relax in the sense that no pain can be the predominant feeling, if you can, even if for a moment. This allows you to see that you are not just painful, because there is at least one place on your body that is pain free.


You can use this technology further and to engage in any movement without pain. I will reveal the secret because at least you will see me running. Sometimes you are on my back in bed and move my hand ballet movements. I like to watch my hands and fingers imitate the grace of a ballerina (fingers that can not possibly be considered as a ballet, as they folded arthritis!).


I got this idea from a teacher at a meditation retreat, several years ago. During the retreat, we alternated periods of sitting and walking meditation. In the latter, is the instruction to go very slowly, remaining reduced Fully aware of the physical sensation of a foot touches the ground the other foot comes off the ground. I had terrible back pain and found it too difficult to engage in walking meditation. I felt my whole being was "back pain", so I enlisted the help of a teacher.


She told me to lie down during the walk and just to maintain full awareness of the physical sensation of moving your hands in the air. I did not know the joy that I was playing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" for the rest of the course of retirement-with care! I doubt that is what the teacher had in mind but, more fun, I learned that my body was not only back pain.


3. Conscious attention to other sensory data are less than pleasant or interesting in the present moment.


Find as much as possible, watch and feel the sun shining through the window, the sound of cars passing, fleeting idea of ​​what you eat for dinner, the hum of the refrigerator motor, physical, emotional buffer in the hair on the cheek, the smell comes from the kitchen. Pay attention to sensory input as many as you can often relieve the pain, it leaves the back of it just one of many sensory experiences in your life is right now.


4. Try to picture


Bring to mind a place in the past when you were without pain. To the living image. My place is to the beach on horseback Molokai. I can imagine the sight of the waves, the sound of them on earth, the warm sand, smell the air. No matter where your place is, transport you there. Use pictures to take your mind off your pain, relaxes the body, including muscles around the site of pain. This can reduce your total pain management.


5. Describe your experience of the moment.


The basic technique is to land oneself in the present moment, shifting attention away from stressful thoughts and feelings of the past or the future, what will happen to you physically right now. To do this, you must describe in concrete terms what you are doing right now: "A woman in bed, reading a book", "A man is sitting on his chair waiting room".


To use this technique to help with the pain, describe what you feel in your body, but leave out the adjectives. In expressive writing, adjectives powerful tools to enhance the meaning of a word, but we do not want to improve our pain through our description of the living word! (The words of life often bring emotional punch.) So, if your shoulder is in pain, instead of saying "Woman in excruciating pain in the shoulder" or "Man of persistent shoulder pain," leave out the adjectives and simply say, "Woman in shoulder pain" or "man lying in bed with shoulder pain. "


Removing the "loaded" descriptive words, you are less likely to cause a lot of stressful thoughts and feelings about pain, such as "I hate this pain and I'm sure that will never go away."


When you repeat the adjective-less sentence several times, try the other techniques that I mentioned. Who knows? Perhaps you find yourself doing ballet moves her toes!


One final note. Be patient with yourself to try these techniques. If you try them and do not help relieve pain, take a deep breath, send not to judge the thoughts of compassion for yourself "is difficult to try these techniques and not to work immediately," and set the intention to try soon.

Meditation & Panic Attacks

People who suffer from panic attacks start off by having extreme fear of whatever thing they are anxious about. It normally starts without notice, reaches a peak within minutes and subsides again. How sufferers feel during attacks and how long the panic attacks last mostly depends on the cause of the attack. The causes of panic attacks have been traced to various things. Some may be due to hereditary, fear, phobia, medications, personal loss and many other causes. 


Panic attack sufferers normally have shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, heart palpitations, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, difficulty breathing, a sense of feeling smothered, tingling or numbness in the hands, hot flashes or chills, trembling and shaking, sweating, trembling, a feeling of choking, chest pain, nausea, and dizziness. Meditation has been known to assist in panic attacks in various ways. Some types of breathing exercises - pranyama go a long way to combat panic attacks as you would will soon discover. You will find out why meditation helps in panic attacks and the role of diaphragmatic breathing in solving panic attack problems.


Why Would Meditation Help Panic Attacks


Meditation normally allows sufferers to experience panic attacks with less fear so that they can see their way through the problem. This is why meditative practices like visualization where people are guided to visualize things is encouraged for people who suffer from panic attacks. Images that look disturbing during attacks can now be viewed with ease. With this new perception the image will pass through the mind without disturbing the victim. Regular meditation will enable the victim to get used to how panic attacks should be seen and handled.
Apart from this, meditation also plays an important role in easing the nervous system, the brain and the glands responsible for reacting to fear and panic. This is the main reason why experienced meditators don’t suffer from panic attacks. Some of the meditation techniques that are used for controlling panic attacks are guided meditation, muscle relaxation, yoga and diaphragmatic breathing. Techniques like yoga offer a wide range of stress-reducing tools. Now that you have seen why meditation would help panic attacks, let’s find out more about diaphragmatic breathing.


Here is a free audio to end anxiety & panic attack click here to download for free

What is diaphragmatic breathing?


Diaphragmatic breathing is a popular breathing technique because of the meditative and health benefits it gives to people who practice this form of breathing. This breathing technique is also called belly breathing, deep breathing, abdominal breathing or costal breathing. Though this type of breathing has been called various names this breathing technique is simply the act of natural breathing that allows you to contract your diaphragm during breathing. This allows your lungs to expand downwards without increasing the size of your rib cage.


Diaphragmatic breathing uses the diaphragm muscle (a strong dome shaped muscle) located under your ribs and above your stomach. Your abdomen expands rather than the rib cage in your chest when breathing.
It is generally considered a healthier and better way to intake oxygen, and is often used as a therapy for disorders like panic attacks. People who panic will find that diaphragmatic breathing not only calms the effect of arousal at the time of panic, but also provides an way to focus attention on their breathing, instead of on their panic symptoms. As diaphragmatic breathing becomes a habit, the nervous system is less susceptible to panic in the first place.
The main benefits of diaphragmatic breathing are to;

·                              Strengthen your diaphragm

·                              Reduce the effort you put into breathing by slowing down your breathing rate

·                              Reduce your oxygen intake during breathing

·                              Use less energy during breathing

This breathing technique can be practiced while lying on your back or sitting on a chair. These are the steps to follow while lying down.


Steps to Follow:


1.      Lie down facing upwards either on a flat surface or bed. You can raise your knees by supporting them with a pillow.
2.      Place your two hands on two different parts of your body. One on your upper chest and the other one on your abdomen. This will enable you to monitor the movement of your breathing.
3.     As you breathe in through your nose, feel your hand on your stomach move upward. Keep your shoulders relaxed. The hand that is on your chest should not move at all..
4.      Exhale slowly and gently through your mouth, as if you were going to whistle or blow out a candle. The hand on your stomach should move in as you breathe out.
5.      Rest and repeat.


Learning diaphragmatic breathing takes patience and practice. As you become more comfortable breathing with this technique, you will notice that you will be using it all the time. It is the natural way to breathe. It usually takes about two weeks to become accustomed to the feeling of diaphragmatic breathing, and about six months of regular practice to make it a habit.


Meditation can help panic attack victims a lot. You have seen the reasons why meditation helps people who suffer from panic attacks and what diaphragmatic breathing is all about. This knowledge can help you to find a solution to your panic attacks.

Here is a free audio to end anxiety & panic attack click here to download for free

Meditation and Depression

Stress and depression are some of the problems that make people seek out meditation as a way out of their problems. There are two major types of depression - one is the type that is caused by external forces such as the way people treat you, circumstances around you, hardship, illness and other causes. The second type is caused by chemical imbalance in your body. No matter the cause of your depression, we all know that it affects mind. In other words, it is something we cannot see physically. Since depression manifests as a mental experience, one of the best ways to eliminate it is by meditating.

Not all meditation can be used in managing depression. People who suffer from extreme bouts of depression may not use meditation for two reasons. The first is that meditation takes practice. If you find yourself not doing it right the first time, you may revert to feeling that you are a failure. This feeling will not solve your depression problems. Secondly, you may also find yourself turning over issues in your mind over and over again. This also will not help you out. Extreme depression cases need professional guides in meditating. Guided meditation will go a long way to help. As you continue to read this article, you will learn about the major symptoms of depression and whether meditative practices can relieve negative thoughts.


What are the Major Symptoms of Depression?


How do you know that you or someone is depressed? This is a question some people would like to find answers to. Before answering this question, we need to clearly distinguish between grief and depression. This distinction is necessary so that you don’t confuse grief with depression since they share many similar symptoms. Grief is an entirely natural response to a loss while depression is an illness. Grief has an identifiable cause and is usually a relatively short situation.


A person who suffers from a major depressive disorder (also referred to as clinical depression or major depression) must either have a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently for at least 2 weeks. Doctors normally classify depression according to the symptoms. These may be mild, moderate or severe depression. In mild depression, there is some impact on your daily activities. In moderate, there is significant impact while in severe depression, your daily activities can be completely crippled.

The symptoms of depression include:

1.    Constant feelings of sadness, irritability, or tension

2.    Decreased interest in usual activities or hobbies

3.    Loss of energy, feeling tired despite lack of activity

4.    A change in appetite, with significant weight loss or weight gain

5.    A change in sleeping patterns, such as difficulty sleeping, early morning awakening, or sleeping too much

6.    Restlessness or feeling slowed down

7.    Decreased ability to make decisions or concentrate

8.    Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or guilt

9.    Thoughts of suicide or death

Can Meditative Practices Relieve Negative Thoughts?


One of the best types of meditative practices that can relieve negative thoughts is guided meditation. You may either follow a laid down structure or script or use any form of media like recorded videos or CDs that have been organized by a professional for that purpose. Once you follow the simple guidelines of sitting comfortably on a chair or cushioned floor, wearing lose clothing, focusing on your breathing and replaying each negative thought one after the other in your mind; you can relieve your mind of such thoughts if you intentionally allow them into your mind and do away with them. When you do this continually, you will totally relieve your mind of negative thoughts. Mediation has various benefits  that will greatly reduce depression and bring peace of mind.

Meditation combats depression if you know exactly how to go about it. Once you notice the symptoms, try to do away with depression by meditating. You can do this by actively reviewing and throwing away negative thoughts. This will help you to come back to your normal self as fast as possible. If, however you are suffering from extreme bouts of depression, you need to enlist the services of a professional who can help to identify the best meditative practice for you.


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The Basics of Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation is a simple, natural, effortless procedure practiced 20 minutes twice each day while sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. Transcendental Meditation is not a religion, philosophy, or lifestyle. It’s the most widely practiced, most researched, and most effective method of self-development.

The Transcendental Meditation technique allows your mind to settle inward beyond thought to experience the source of thought — pure awareness, also known as transcendental consciousness, or the unified field. This is the most silent and peaceful level of consciousness — your innermost Self. In this state of restful alertness, your brain functions with significantly greater coherence and your body gains deep rest as the mind is quiet and stops thinking.

The Transcendental Meditation technique is based on the ancient Vedic tradition of enlightenment in India. This knowledge has been handed down by Vedic masters from generation to generation for thousands of years. About 50 years ago, Maharishi — the representative in our age of the Vedic tradition — introduced Transcendental Meditation to the world, restoring the knowledge and experience of higher states of consciousness at this critical time for humanity. When we teach the Transcendental Meditation technique today, we maintain the same procedures used by teachers thousands of years ago for maximum effectiveness.

There are many forms of meditation, with many goals. Other practices most often involve some concentration or control of the mind and others involve contemplation—thinking about something. These practices keep the mind engaged in some way, for example, by focusing on an object or on something like your breath. Others keep us aware of thoughts, or images. These practices keep the mind active in some way on the surface thinking level. TM allows the mind to simply, naturally and effortlessly transcend thinking and to experience a deep state of restfully alert consciousness. The holistic benefits that have been found to result from the practice of the TM technique are the automatic result of this unique experience.

Transcendental Meditation is one of the easiest meditation techniques to learn. When you learn TM, an instructor gives you a word or phrase-your personal mantra-which you promise not to divulge. You are told to sit quietly with your eyes closed and repeat the mantra over and over again for 20 minutes at a time once or twice a day.
The mantra functions to focus your mind on a single idea, representing the "oneness" of the universe. You're instructed to assume a passive, accepting attitude while repeating your mantra. When distracting thoughts intrude, you're instructed to simply observe them, accept them and gently return your mental focus to repeating your mantra.





Benefits of Transcendental Meditation

The Transcendental Meditation technique is the most widely researched of all meditation techniques. Over 600 research studies have been conducted at more than 250 universities and research centers (including Harvard, UCLA, and Stanford). These studies have been published in more than 100 journals.

Physiological research shows that during TM, the body gains a deeper state of relaxation than during ordinary rest. EEG (electroencephalogram) changes indicate a state of heightened awareness and coherence. Regular practice of TM has been found to produce a state of increased stability, adaptability, and integration during all phases of activity. Also, Transcendental Meditation has been found to increase intelligence, creativity, and perceptual ability and to reduce high blood pressure and illness rates by more than 50 percent. Analysis of large numbers of research studies on Transcendental Meditation have found that it is one of the most effective techniques known for reducing drug and alcohol abuse, decreasing anxiety and increasing self-actualization.


So start Transcendental Meditation today!

Om Yoga

Yoga combines the stillness of the mind through meditation, along with physical poses to achieve energy balance in the mind and body. Chanting "aum" or "om" while practicing yoga helps one to connect with the self, while connecting with a divine reality. The symbol of om lends itself to supreme consciousness. OM or AUM is the most important and significant word of Mantra tradition. It is considered as the root mantra of all mantra. In a majority of Mantra, you will find OM. 

OM is the most often chanted sound among all the sacred sounds on earth. This sound is considered as the sound of the existence. 

 it is believed that the whole universe, in its fundamental form,  is made up of vibrating, pulsating energy. Om is considered as the humming sound of this cosmic energy. 

OM is said to be the original primordial creative sound from which the entire universe have  manifested. It is also known as the 'Anahat Nada', the "Unstruck Sound". This means the sound that is not made by two things striking together. 

If you observe the nature of sound you'll find that all ordinary audible sound are produced by the striking of two objects : bow and strings, drum and stick, two vocal cords, waves against the shore, winds against the leaves, bat against the ball, tyers against the road etc. In short all sounds within our range of listening are produces by things visible or invisible, striking each other or vibrating together, resulting in pulsating waves of air molecules which  we interprets as sound. 

In contrast to the above, OM is the sound which is not the result of the striking of two objects. It, rather emanates on its own. It is the primal sound of the universe that contains all sounds in itself.  

The meaning of OM 

 Well unlike all other mantra, there is no meaning of OM. It is actually not a word, it is a sound. As per Hindu tradition, OM is the purest name of God. It is the sound of the supreme consciousness. So when you reapeat OM, you actualy take the name of God. 

Now without going into the further philosophical explanation of OM, let us learn how to meditate using OM. Repetition of OM or AUM dissolves the mind it its divine source. The chanting of OM several time loud, purifies the atmosphere. 

Sit in a comfortable undisturbed place. Take some deep breath. Now chant at least 7 times OM in succession. Make each breath last as long as possible. Teak deep breath and chant Oooooooo~~~~~hhhhhhhhhh~~~~~ Mmmmmmm~~~~~. Then again repeat this chanting of OM.

 Do this for 7 times. After this, stop chanting and sit for a moment of silence. You will be amazed by the inner peace you'll get in such a small chanting of OM. 

Listen the sound of Universe :  Let us listen the sound of OM. 

You are requested to   listen carefully. This sound of OM produces instant positive vibrations and takes the listener to a state of mental stillness. 

Chanting the OM mantra for 15 minutes daily can produce remarkable effect in you. This mantra will help you to calm the mind, settled the thought process and realize the self. 

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The Idiot's Guide To meditation Explained

Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one area. The practice comes with a myriad of well-publicized health benefits including increased concentration, decreased anxiety, and a general feeling of happiness.

Although a great number of people try meditation at some point in their lives, a small percentage actually stick with it for the long-term. This is unfortunate, and a possible reason is that many beginners do not begin with a mindset needed to make the practice sustainable.

The purpose of this article is to provide 20 practical recommendations to help beginners get past the initial hurdles and integrate meditation over the long term:

1) Make it a formal practice. You will only get to the next level in meditation by setting aside specific time (preferably two times a day) to be still.

2) Start with the breath. Breathing deep slows the heart rate, relaxes the muscles, focuses the mind and is an ideal way to begin practice.

3) Stretch first. Stretching loosens the muscles and tendons allowing you to sit (or lie) more comfortably. Additionally, stretching starts the process of “going inward” and brings added attention to the body.

4) Meditate with Purpose. Beginners must understand that meditation is an ACTIVE process. The art of focusing your attention to a single point is hard work, and you have to be purposefully engaged!

5) Notice frustration creep up on you. This is very common for beginners as we think “hey, what am I doing here” or “why can’t I just quiet my damn mind already”. When this happens, really focus in on your breath and let the frustrated feelings go.

6) Experiment. Although many of us think of effective meditation as a Yogi sitting cross-legged beneath a Bonzi tree, beginners should be more experimental and try different types of meditation. Try sitting, lying, eyes open, eyes closed, etc.

7) Feel your body parts. A great practice for beginning meditators is to take notice of the body when a meditative state starts to take hold. Once the mind quiets, put all your attention to the feet and then slowly move your way up the body (include your internal organs). This is very healthy and an indicator that you are on the right path.

8) Pick a specific room in your home to meditate. Make sure it is not the same room where you do work, exercise, or sleep. Place candles and other spiritual paraphernalia in the room to help you feel at ease.

9) Read a book (or two) on meditation. Preferably an instructional guide AND one that describes the benefits of deep meditative states. This will get you motivated. John Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are is terrific for beginners.

10) Commit for the long haul. Meditation is a life-long practice, and you will benefit most by NOT examining the results of your daily practice. Just do the best you can every day, and then let it go!

11) Listen to instructional tapes and CDs.

12) Generate moments of awareness during the day. Finding your breath and “being present” while not in formal practice is a wonderful way to evolve your meditation habits.

13) Make sure you will not be disturbed. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not insuring peaceful practice conditions. If you have it in the back of your mind that the phone might ring, your kids might wake, or your coffee pot might whistle than you will not be able to attain a state of deep relaxation.

14) Notice small adjustments. For beginning meditators, the slightest physical movements can transform a meditative practice from one of frustration to one of renewal. These adjustments may be barely noticeable to an observer, but they can mean everything for your practice.

15) Use a candle. Meditating with eyes closed can be challenging for a beginner. Lighting a candle and using it as your point of focus allows you to strengthen your attention with a visual cue. This can be very powerful.

16) Do NOT Stress. This may be the most important tip for beginners, and the hardest to implement. No matter what happens during your meditation practice, do not stress about it. This includes being nervous before meditating and angry afterwards. Meditation is what it is, and just do the best you can at the time.

17) Do it together. Meditating with a partner or loved one can have many wonderful benefits, and can improve your practice. However, it is necessary to make sure that you set agreed-upon ground rules before you begin!

18) Meditate early in the morning. Without a doubt, early morning is an ideal
time to practice: it is quieter, your mind is not filled with the usual clutter, and there is less chance you will be disturbed. Make it a habit to get up half an hour earlier to meditate.

19) Be Grateful at the end. Once your practice is through, spend 2-3 minutes feeling appreciative of the opportunity to practice and your mind’s ability to focus.

20) Notice when your interest in meditation begins to wane. Meditation is
hard work, and you will inevitably come to a point where it seemingly does not fit into the picture anymore. THIS is when you need your practice the most and I recommend you go back to the book(s) or the CD’s you listened to and become re-invigorated with the practice. Chances are that losing the ability to focus on meditation is parallel with your inability to focus in other areas of your life!

Meditation is an absolutely wonderful practice, but can be very difficult in the beginning. Use the tips described in this article to get your practice to the next level!

Control Blood Pressure

Control  Blood Pressure by  Meditation!

The ability to control blood pressure and other body processes naturally is the holy grail of alternative health practitioners. Now some of their claims once dismissed as preposterous are gaining mainstream respect. In particular, it seems they’re on to something with abdominal breathing and "chi-kung" - exercises that use breathing to heal and strengthen the heart and entire body.

Some of this should be no surprise. We all recognize that our respiratory rate increases in sync with our heartbeat (and blood pressure, although this we don’t feel) in response to fear, anger or other severe stress. The respiratory and circulatory systems are inextricably linked. So it seems only logical that heartbeat and blood pressure should also decrease in response to slowing the rate of breathing.

Of course, things that simply "have to be true" have a habit of turning out to be wrong but, luckily, this is a case where logic proves out. Clinical research confirms that breathing, among its many other benefits, does indeed influence the circulatory system and helps to regulate blood pressure.

How it does this is where science and alternative or Eastern medicine part ways. According to Eastern principles, breathing slowly and deeply into the abdomen strengthens the heart by stimulating "chi", the mysterious energy said to be the life force. But despite the compelling effects of acupuncture, also said to be due to chi, there is no scientific evidence for its existence.

While chi remains a mystery there are several concrete physiological processes that can account for the effect of slow breathing on blood pressure:

• Our tension level is reflected in our breathing. When stressed we breathe quickly and shallowly, which builds up muscle tension, especially in the chest area. This constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure.
  Therapeutic slow breathing relaxes muscles deep into the chest, allowing major blood vessels to open and relieve pressure on the heart. The result is lower blood pressure.
• What is often called abdominal breathing also promotes circulation and can reduce blood pressure by taking some of the load off the heart. This should more correctly be called “diaphragmatic breathing”.
  The diaphragm is a large sheet of muscle separating the thorax or chest cavity from the abdomen. What happens in diaphragmatic breathing is that the diaphragm expands downward to draw the breath deep into the lungs. This rhythmic expansion and contraction of the diaphragm, the largest and most powerful muscle in the body, acts as a membrane pump to aid the circulation of blood, especially venous blood from abdomen to thorax or upper chest area. With its large surface area the diaphragm can move a surprising quantity of blood.
• The third way that slow breathing can lower blood press and benefit the heart is chemical, not mechanical, but stress again plays a role. Dr. David Anderson, a researcher with the National Institutes of Health, explains that under chronic stress people tend to take shallow breaths and hold them without being aware of it. He calls this inhibitory breathing. Breathing in this way knocks the blood chemistry out of balance, increasing its acidity. Acidic blood makes the kidneys less efficient at pumping out sodium and this in turn raises blood pressure.
  Dr. Anderson believes that slow breathing may be able to reverse this effect. He says that people practicing slow breathing "may be changing their blood gases and the way their kidneys are regulating salt."

The remarkable thing is that each of these processes mimics the action of one or more blood pressure medications, but in a totally natural way without side effects.

Here's more good news: you don"t need to become a chi-kung master to take advantage of slow breathing. Simple breathing techniques have been developed that anyone can use to help reduce and control their own blood pressure in just minutes a day.

Although there are programs available that can make learning faster, easier and more effective, anyone can benefit from these techniques on their own almost immediately. The basics are simple:

• First, simply relax. Listening to slow, soothing music can help. Plus, music can actually help regulate your breathing as it wants to synchronize with the music's slow beat and tempo.
• As you relax, slow your breathing as far as comfortable. Don't go beyond your comfort threshold.
• After becoming comfortable with a slower rate of breathing start to extend the length of your exhale. Relax totally into it when exhaling. Shoot for gradually extending your it to about twice the length of your inhale.
• Don't use any form of counting or other timekeeping; it will only disturb your relaxation. As long as your timing is in the ballpark you will feel the benefits.
• Continue for 15 minutes and repeat several times a week. Your breathing rate will gradually decrease a little each time while your benefits increase.

That's all it takes; just 15 minutes a day. If this seems hard to believe it's important to know that experience with artificial heart pumps has shown that resting the heart, even a diseased one, for just short periods can have amazing healing effects.

What's more, clinical trials reveal that blood pressure reductions from slow breathing are cumulative. At first, they tend to be only temporary, like the effects of simple relaxation. But over the course of several weeks they build up, lasting longer each time until blood pressure remains lower around the clock. Isn't that worth a pleasant 15 minutes a day?

Mantra Meditation

Mantra Meditation- When people read the word mantra, many things may come to mind. Whatever your experience is, there is real power in the repetition of a mantra as a form of meditation. That power has no other source than God, and you can trust in that power. The power of mantra repetition can quiet the mind, provide a refuge in trying times, and unlock great virtues within. It may even help you develop fearlessness.

What is Mantra Meditation?

Mantra is a word or phrase that you repeat to yourself again and again for a specific effect. We could replace the word mantra with ‘positive affirmation’ and it would have the same meaning. Although positive affirmations can be powerful, mantra repetition for spiritual purposes often entails repetition of God’s name. Many people use this as a form of waking meditation, since it’s easy to repeat a mantra to yourself either verbally or mentally throughout your day, and despite what’s going on around you.

How Mantra Meditation Works

The mantra you use is meant to represent the quality you wish to infuse into your consciousness. For example, many people say or think to themselves, “I am not very beautiful; nobody loves me.” And so, this is their mantra, which they repeat to themselves every day and wonder why their life is miserable. But if they changed their mantra to say, “I am beautiful; I love myself,” then perhaps they would notice a change. This is an example of an uplifting mantra, which can be used for the betterment of their life.

On the spiritual path, mantra repetition takes on a significant meaning. Through the repetition of God’s name, we come to know the meaning of that name. God in Her ultimate form is unknowable, but the mystics of various religious traditions knew that we had to have some way to describe God. So they came up with different names of God, to represent various aspects of God that could be described, and experienced. By connecting to a piece of God, you connect with the entirety of who He is. This experience leads you to a deeper understanding of yourself and God.

Examples of Mantra Meditation

Any phrase may be used for mantra meditation. Usually, a mantra is used for some specific effect, to either create a positive quality, or free yourself from a negative one. For example:

* I am present now
* I love myself
* I am free from anger
* I am free from sadness
* Love is my experience

These are just a few. If you wish to utilize a name of God for Mantra meditation, you may choose one from whatever religious tradition best fits your beliefs.

mantra meditation

OM Mantra 

According to Hinduism, OM is the primordial sound from which all creation arose. Consequently, many people use the sound of OM as a focus for their meditation. The sound of OM has four distinct aspects to the creation of the sound.

1. ah sound
2. a long o sound
3. mmmm sound
4. Silence

As you tone each of these, try to feel the place in your body where the sound is vibrating. This might be your chest, or your throat, or your third eye. My personal experience has been that each unique sound of OM vibrates in a different area of the body. If this is difficult at first, try plugging your ears when you make the sound of OM, and you’ll experience it inside yourself.

The Name of God as a Mantra

In the case of the Hebrew tradition, there are 72 names of God, each representing some aspect of God. In the Islamic tradition, there are 99 names of God, which again represent various aspects of God. Many people believe Hinduism has many gods, but again, each individual god in Hinduism represents some aspect of the ultimate reality which is beyond thought or conception.

Here are some examples of spiritual mantras:

1. Om Namah Shivaya – sanskrit for: “I honor the God within.”
2. Soham or Hamsa – sanskrit for: “I am That.”
3. El Shaddai – A Hebrew name for God, translated as “God Almighty”
4. Elohim – Another Hebrew name for God, translated as “to whom one has recourse in distress or when one is in need of guidance”
5. Allah – The Islamic name for God
6. Govinda – One of the Hindu names for God, which refers to God’s power as he pervades everything

There are many, many more. The idea to keep in mind is that each name represents a particular quality or aspect. By focusing on that aspect, you come to know it in a deeper way.

Mantra Repetition for Developing Virtues

There are so many great virtues: patience, compassion, kindness, humility, fearlessness. Whatever virtue you wish to embibe, use a mantra to invoke it’s power in your life. It may sound like this:

“I am filled with compassion for others,” or…

“I experience patience when working with others,”

Or, you might just repeat the word to yourself over and over: Kindness… kindness… kindness…

Whatever you’re developing, mantra gives you something tangible to hold on to when you find yourself in a trying situation or an unknown place. If you find yourself forgetting to be kind, repeating the word reminds you to be kind. If you want more humility, repeating a mantra reminds you to be humble throughout your day.

Developing Your Own Mantra

If none of the mantras above meet your needs, you may develop your own mantra. To do this, follow these guidelines:

1. Your mantra should be short and easy to remember
2. Your mantra should be positive. In the case of wanted to free yourself from something, avoid the word ‘not.’ Use ‘free from’ instead. For example, instead of saying, “I do not crave cigarettes,’ you might say, “I am smoke free.”
3. Choose words that have personal meaning to you. The more they evoke emotion, the better
4. Repeat it often, even if you don’t see any changes taking place.

The Secrets to Mantra Meditation

There are a few secrets to Mantra meditation. The first is repetition. Your mantra won’t work if you don’t repeat it. This may seem obvious, but so many people repeat a mantra 20 times, don’t notice a difference, and quit. This does no good. In order to experience the power of mantra, you have to repeat it at least 100,000 times to yourself, and believe it each time you say it. This leads to the second secret of mantra repetition, and that is belief…

Belief is the most important aspect of mantra meditation. You have to really believe what you’re saying, or have the feeling of belief in what you’re saying for it to really work. This gets really tricky when people see things happen that contradict their mantra. For instance, I’m repeating, “I am happy,” but I don’t really feel happy. Or I’m repeating, “I am smoke free,” and I go smoke a cigarette. In times like these, it’s important to practice letting go of our self-judgments. One mistake doesn’t subject you to a lifetime of misery. If you run into issues, let go of it. Whatever happened happened in the past. Now is a new moment, so continue repeating your mantra with the feeling, intention and belief that it is real for you now.

In the case of repeating God’s name, try to ‘feel’ the name of God and the aspect it represents. For example, I love the name Elohim, because I can really imagine and feel that aspect of God that I can rely upon when I’m in distress or when I need guidance. That’s very real and very tangible to me. So when I repeat the name Elohim, I feel the meaning of the name inside and God feels very present.

Mantra - a tangible method for imbibing divine qualities, changing habitual patterns and knowing God in a deeper way. As you develop your relationship with a mantra, you will experience how it naturally pulls you into meditation, quieting your mind and shutting off the constant chatter (and sometimes negativity) we all have a tendency to experience. It also provides a way for us to remember what’s important to us during trying moments in our life. If we can just remember our mantra when we’re in that moment of anger, sadness or fear…the experience of these emotions often dissipates, and their power over us is replace by a power of our choosing–like happiness, patience or compassion.

May you experience the power of mantra in your life. And until next time, may all be happy, may all be well.