February 2009. Volume 1, Issue 6 | www.infiniteindulgence.com
Want an Inexpensive
Vacation? Try Meditation
by Ann Karcich
Picture this. You're lying on a sandy
beach with the sun warming you and your favorite beverage close at hand.
For music, you have the gentle sound of the waves washing up on the beach
and a light breeze blowing through the sea grass. You're so relaxed that
you can't quite make yourself think about the crisis you left behind at work
yesterday or what you'll be dealing with on your return. Life for you is
just you on this tranquil beach -- right now at this present moment.
Only a lucky few of us can escape to the beach when we want or need to. But
all of us have access to an equally effective relaxation tool, meditation.
Like the beach scene, meditation can produce the relaxed, serene state of
mind where our thoughts are focused on the present moment.
Meditation - What Is It?
Meditation has been described as the creation of a relaxed mind-body state
with focus on the present moment. The state can be entered by concentrating
mental focus on the breath, a sound, a visual scene, or an object. As the
practitioner improves in the ability to focus, mental chatter diminishes,
worldly thoughts can be shut out and a serene state of mind is achieved.
Meditation Through the Ages
Meditation is central to many of
the world's spiritual traditions. In India, the Hindus meditated to
determine the true nature of God. The Buddhists meditated as a way to
understand the interconnectedness of all things in the world. And in China,
meditation was recommended as a way to balance the opposites of yin and yang
and to achieve unity of these elements in life. Prayer is widely recognized
as a form of meditation and many of the world's religions have their own
prayer traditions. Christianity emphasizes prayer and the study of
scripture. And Islam prayer is offered several times daily as a means to
focus on the true nature of Allah. Throughout thousands of years of
history, meditative practices in religious traditions have commonality with
the current spiritual and secular meditative techniques.
Why
Meditate?
In addition to the spiritual benefits of a relaxed mind focusing on the
present, meditation is also prescribed in alternative medicine, and
increasingly in traditional medicine, to alleviate many health conditions.
A few of these are allergies, asthma, migraines, PMS and high blood
pressure. And these aren't just folk remedies; there's a considerable body
of research to support the health benefits. There are also many reported
psychological benefits such as better ability to control thoughts, improved
relationships, and increased will power. So all of you smokers and dieters
out there can try meditation to help you build your will power to achieve
your goals.
These are just a few of the reported benefits of establishing a regular
meditative practice. In as little as 10 or 15 minutes a day, meditation can
help you find your own 'inner beach' without leaving home whenever you need
to take a mental break.
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