I am traveling right now, so I thought I would share some articles and tidbits about meditation from elsewhere on the web. Enjoy!

Meditation may allow brain to process information faster:

Earlier evidence out of UCLA suggested that meditating for years thickens the brain (in a good way) and strengthens the connections between brain cells. Now a further report by UCLA researchers suggests yet another benefit.

Eileen Luders, an assistant professor at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and colleagues, have found that long-term meditators have larger amounts of gyrification (“folding” of the cortex, which may allow the brain to process information faster) than people who do not meditate. Further, a direct correlation was found between the amount of gyrification and the number of meditation years, possibly providing further proof of the brain’s neuroplasticity, or ability to adapt to environmental changes.

From a tumblr:

This one is from ted.com. I have been a fan of Eddi Reader since a friend introduced me to her on my England adventure. Her voice is beautiful, and the words are very wise – great meditation inspiration!

More from ted.com - It’s hard to always show compassion — even to the people we love, but Robert Thurman asks that we develop compassion for our enemies. He prescribes a seven-step meditation exercise to extend compassion beyond our inner circle.

Blessings and Happy Easter!

Mary

This past week was pretty stressful for me.  I didn’t really realize it so much in the midst of it, but by the end of the week, I was done.  Fried.  Stressed out!

I had a first aid class that was in the evenings for four days, right after work.  This meant wolfing down my dinner in the car on the way to class.  I was getting up and exercising in the mornings, and then going directly to work.  I also had to read the first aid book before my last class.  We also put our house up for sale last week, and I got my moon time.  By Friday, I was way behind on my sleep, and I was becoming very sensitive to every little percieved slight.  And most of them were all in my head.

Because I was out late at my class, and then reading the text book when I got home, my meditation practice got shoved to the side.  This definitely did not help my mental state! So on Saturday, when I had an event to run after work, I was not at my best.  I was irritated that I had to make dinner, AND pack the vehicle for the event, BY MYSELF, AND clean up the kitchen, AND… well, you get the idea.  My mind was running away on the “poor me, I have to do everything myself, and no one helps or appreciates me” track to misery.  All of this is completely untrue, yet this was the tape that was playing in my mind.

Thankfully, my husband drove to the event.  I could tell I was not in the right frame of mind to lead this event, which was about spiritual growth.  So I closed my eyes, and breathed slowly and deeply.  I dropped out of my mind, and into my center.  I observed my mind playing the tape, and I let the emotions flow.  Yes, I cried. I meditated the whole way to the event.

I’d like to say that by the end of the 15 minute drive I was all better.  There was still a little residue and sensitivity there.  But I was now the one in control (not my mind and some outdated program), and the frustration was flowing out of me.  By the time I had everything set up, and everyone had a chance to chat for a while, I was fully in my center, in the moment, and ready to facilitate the event.

Meditation is a wonderful tool for de-stressing.  You can do it anywhere, and within a relatively short amount of time.  Of course, getting enough sleep, exercise, or a relaxing bubble bath help, too!

What’s your favorite method of de-stressing?

Blessings,

Mary

Saturday morning my back yard was calling me.  So I decided to change up my morning meditation routine.  I went out into the middle of the back yard, sat down, closed my eyes and listened.

I heard the crows and the blue jays, and the other little birds that I can’t identify by their calls.  I heard several different dogs in the neighborhood announcing their presence.  I heard the wind whispering to me in the trees.  I heard two different sets of wind chimes on the house down the hill – one high and metallic, and another low and wooden, both musical in their own way.

I heard traffic on the highway half a mile away.  I heard conversations from several different directions, and my husband and eldest son waking up inside the house.  I heard my son ever so quietly cross the lawn and sit down next to me for a morning snuggle.  And I heard a child (not mine!) crying.

In amongst actively listening to all these sounds, my mind was quiet.  The random thoughts were stilled.  Why?  Because I gave my mind a specific job to do: Listen.  Giving your mind a job to do is a great way to get it off of something your worried about, or to get it off of creating more worries.

The great part is, you can do it anywhere.  At your desk, or go outside on your lunch break, or just before you drift off to sleep.

Close your eyes for a moment (once you’re done reading).  What sounds do you hear?

Blessings,

Mary

My husband likes to do it lying down.  I prefer to do it sitting up.

I’m talking about meditation positions.  What were you thinking?

There are several common positions that people use for meditating:

• Crossed legs
• Lying down
• Kneeling
• Seated in a chair

Crossed legs

There are several variations to this position.  In all of them, make sure your spine is straight, with your chin tucked slightly in.

Lotus Meditation Position

The most challenging for many people is the lotus position.

Half Lotus Meditation Position

In the Lotus position, your right foot rests on your left thigh, and your left foot rests on your right thigh.  An alternative if you are not able to do this is to put one foot on the opposite thigh, and rest the other foot on the floor in front of you.

A much simpler variation is what my kids call, “criss-cross applesauce.”  This is your traditional crossed legs pose.  You know, the one you sat in at circle time in kindergarten.

Crossed Legs Meditation Position

Lying Down

Laying Down Meditation Position

Lay flat on your back, with your legs out straight and your arms at your sides.  You can put a pillow under your head, and one under your knees if it bothers your back to lay flat.  As I mentioned above, this is my husband’s favourite meditation position.  I find that I am more likely to fall asleep than meditate laying down!

Kneeling

Kneeling Meditation Position

This pose is not recommended if you have knee problems!  Sit on your knees, with your butt on your heels and your toes stretched out behind you.  You can use a meditation cushion to sit on to cushion yourself.

Seated in a chair

Choose a chair with a straight back.  Sit all the way back in the chair, with your feet flat on the floor.  Ideally, your legs will form a 90 degree angle at the knee, and at the hip.

Sitting Meditation Position

Those are the most common meditation positions.  What’s your favourite?

Blessings,

Mary

I read this article by Stacia Topping last week, and it really affirmed my choice to use meditation and guided meditation in my life.

A Soul’s Code insider asked herself, “Can enlightenment happen through meditation or practice?” Drawing on examples like Eckhart Tolle, her personal experience and science, the answer is: Yes

I began meditating about two and a half years ago, at the urging of a then-friend (translation: a fellow I was very briefly dating.) I was an avid journal-writer, and felt that was enough for clearing the detritus-of-the-day from my mind.

But a couple weeks later, when someone came into my office and was handing out flyers for beginning meditation classes, I decided to take up the invitation. My work ’situation’ was super-stressful, and I thought that meditation might help ameliorate the effects more than what I saw people around me using to cope — from Ambien to alcohol.

Continue reading the article here…

Blessings,

Mary

There’s a new meditation available for you. Download for free here…

Posted by Julie Griffin in Hypnosis on January 17th, 2010

Scores of books and articles have been written on the benefits of physical relaxation. There are many things that you can do to prompt your body to relax, including spending time outside in nature.

If you enjoy self-hypnosis and guided meditation, the following steps will help you get the most out of any time that you spend in nature. You can add your own thoughts and imagery to these steps, to make the process more personally meaningful.

You can read the 12 steps here…

Blessings,

Mary

If you haven’t tried it yet, you can download Creating Sacred Space for free!
And keep your eyes out for another meditation available for download soon!

My recommendation for this week: Project Meditation’s free LifeFlow sample.

LifeFlow is a product designed by Michael Mackenzie to increase relaxation and help you move into a meditative state faster and easier.

LifeFlow® has been specifically designed using extremely precise frequencies that resonate and impact the body at a cellular level. You can truly feel your deep relaxation or meditation on a physical level, in surges of positive energy and a flow of deep heartfelt emotions.

I listened to it the other night before bed, and I had a good night’s sleep.  And I turned it on underneath my yoga DVD this morning, and it was wonderful, especially for the meditation at the end. I was able to stay more focused.

Listening to it sounds like pleasant nature sounds, but underneath the sounds are Isochronic, Monaural and Binaural tones that lead to brainwave entrainment.  What exactly does all that mean?  Stay tuned for next week’s post, as I’m doing the research to break it down.

For now, give the sample a try.  You will need to enter your name and email address, which will sign you up for another list.  The whole system is a bit pricey, but he gives away other freebies from time to time!

Blessings,

Mary

If you haven’t tried it yet, you can download Creating Sacred Space for free!
And keep your eyes out for another meditation available for download soon!

The Peaceful Woman has recently begun Meet-Ups throughout the US and Canada.  The premiere meet-up theme was, “When you can’t access Peaceful, reach for Chocolate!”

At first this sounds like a sales pitch for Hershey’s, but when you get past that, it is really a metaphor to remind us to slow down and access our center.

Rachel Flower, a fellow Peaceful Woman, created a special Chocolate Sensory Meditation for the meet-ups, and it is available to download and experience for yourself.  You will never eat chocolate the same way again!

Blessings,

Mary

Get your free full-length guided meditation here.

As 2009 winds to a close, so many of us eat way to much over the holidays, and make resolutions for the coming year to get physically fit.  But what about our mental fitness? Patt Lind-Kyle offers an easy way for us to strengthen our “mental muscle.”  And yes, it involves some meditation!

It’s time for the annual “Fitness Resolution.” (Or should it be “Fitness Delusion”?) If you’re like most Americans, you’re fantasizing about a 2010 characterized by thrice-weekly gym visits, early morning jogs, veggie-centric meals, and-of course-a sleek new body by summertime. Yes, it’s a nice goal. But according to Patt Lind-Kyle, it’s an unrealistic one. First of all, you (at least the current you) are probably not going to do those things. But more to the point, you’re focused on the wrong problem.

Instead of JUST making physical fitness your New Year’s Resolution, why not ALSO aim for mental fitness?
“You can change your life in any way you want to change it,” says Lind-Kyle, author of Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain: Applying the Exciting New Science of Brain Synchrony for Creativity, Peace and Presence (Energy Psychology Press, 2009, ISBN: 1604150564) and mind training guide whose voice appears on the book’s companion CDs. “That applies to getting fit or quitting smoking or strengthening your marriage or whatever. But first you have to understand what’s at the root of your problems: your mind and the way it directs your brain to function-basically, where you place your attention.”

Lind-Kyle makes two critical points. One, the lifestyle habits that brought you to your current level of pudginess have carved neural pathways in your brain that can’t be changed by sheer willpower. (That’s why resolutions so often fail.)

The rest of the article is located here… Or jump right in and get her book!

Blessings,

Mary

Get your free full-length guided meditation here.

Did you know the simple act of walking can be a form of meditation?

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD. explains how in the following article from EVliving.com

Many people have been indoctrinated to believe walking is a chore, therefore, it is something to be avoided. People look for the closest parking space in any parking lot, take elevators to the second floor and generally avoid walking as much as possible.

Some people recognize walking as the most beneficial activity that is a natural course of living.  Walking can be an easy multitasking effort. Walking a few blocks has unlimited benefits-not only for your health, but your spirit as well. As you walk, connect with your inner thoughts. If you are walking outside; walk on grass or bare dirt so that your feet connect with mother earth. If you walk on concrete; the earth is still beneath you, supporting you-simply visualize the earth’s nurturing energy coming through the concrete into your feet and body. Walking allows your body to remember simpler times, when life was less complicated-when walking was the only mode of transportation.

Finish reading the article here…

Blessings,

Mary

Get your free full-length guided meditation here.