Tips for meditating

http://www.prairiedogcoalition.org/whats-new.php

1. Breathe naturally- do not try to control your breath
2. Count your breathes- count the inhales and exhales of your breathe. When a thought enters your mind be kind to yourself and start the counting over.  Try to get to 10.
3. Posture- keep your back straight, but not rigid.  Keep you head slightly tilted forward.
4. Create an Intention- before you begin your meditation, create an intention and focus on that during your practice
5. Mantra- repeat a word or phrase while meditating
6. Music- listen to meditation music to guide you
7. Practice- As with most things in life, the more you practice the better you become

This is your brain on meditation

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Meditation Space

It's important to create a peaceful meditation space in your home.  

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What do you keep in your meditation space?

Walking Meditation

It's spring

time to get out doors

Take in the beauty that this earth has to offer

with a walking meditation

find a park

or a beach

or a quiet neighborhood

and walk

Notice the air

the wind

the sun on your body

the grass on the ground

the smell of the flowers

the song of the birds

the rush of water

your breath

your steps

your heartbeat

turn off your cell phone

quite your mind

be present

be mindful

be aware

If you are too busy to meditate

What Meditation Really Is

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Mantras

Mantra meditation involves repeating a word or phrase during a meditation

this helps to block unwanted thoughts

and calm the mind

The repetition can also be used to create a positive quality in your life

for example,

by repeating 

I love myself

over and over

you are tapping into your subconscious mind

which in turn will change your thoughts and your habits.

Many repeat mantras to connect with GOD 

(however you wish to define GOD)

by repeating GOD's name

 you are connecting to that spirit to become one

You may also choose to have a mantra with no meaning

sometimes repeating a word or sound that means nothing to you 

can have a relaxing quality 

for a calming meditation experience.

Do you use mantras while meditating?  If so, we'd love for you to share!

For information on the history of mantras check out this site: http://www.wildmind.org/mantras

where are you now?

Photo from: Zen Meditation on Google+

Mindfulness is being fully present in the moment

why is this important?

Because this moment

right here

right now

is all you have

there is nothing else

Don't think of the past

it is gone

Don't think about the future

all there is 

is here

and now.

In the beginning

Supreme Spirit

Spring Cleaning

Spring is here and the earth is bursting with the new.  Why not roll with it and start anew as well?

A New You Meditation

Begin by thinking about the person you want to be. Visualize what future you looks like - your hair, your face, your clothes, your surroundings. Then take an everyday moment in your life and relive it as the future you. Take your morning drive for instance. Do you see things differently? Are you traveling to a new exciting place? Notice the people and places around you - are they more vibrant? exciting? energized? How do you feel inside-vibrant, excited and energized?

After going through the motions of this daily activity, slowly let the background fall away. Let your surroundings - what you see and hear - disappear while holding on to those feelings. Feel this positive energy running through your body like a golden light. Let the light consume you.

With the light all around you, know that everything is possible. That future you is present you and all things are possible.

Create your own Luck

Many see "luck" as something that you either do or don't have. Funny enough, those that "have" it- usually don't even see themselves as being lucky. The truth is "luck" is something we can all have. It is all about changing your perspective.

Try these meditations to help increase your luck:

1- Be present- Lucky people live in the moment. They appreciate what they are doing and don't look too far ahead or too far behind thinking about what has been or what could be. To do this, take this very moment and sit in your surroundings. Notice your breath, see everything around you- especially the small things you look over on a day to day basis, noises in the background, the temperature... notice it all and be present.

2 - Express gratitude- Lucky people are grateful for what they have whether it be  big or small. This sets the Law of Attraction in motion allowing more positive energy (luck) to come into your life.  To increase your positive energy, practice a gratitude meditation. Sit, eyes closed, and think of everything good in your life. If you have a hard time finding positive things in  your life, begin with the fact that you are alive, that the sky is blue and the grass is green.

3- Do things for others - Once again working with the Law of Attraction, doing good for others brings good fortune into your life.  Think about the last time you did something for someone- even something small- didn't it feel wonderful to give? Doesn't it automatically lift your spirits knowing you made a difference- even a small one- in someone's life? Doing for others doesn't have to be a physical act, meditating on one's happiness is just as effective. To do this, think of those suffering in this world and visualize beams of light covering them, washing over them like a  bath, ridding them of all the pain they have.

Try each meditation for 10 minutes and see if your "luck" changes.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Exercise

Outside of the Box

I met an amazing woman yesterday. At the age of 70 she completed an Ironman Triathlon.  An Ironman Triathlon, for those who do not know, is 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 marathon.

And she did this at 70 years of age! She said that she went to the doctors at 65 and he said that her heart and lungs were as healthy as a 16 year old, and that she was going to live for a long time. He suggested that she start getting involved in sports or some sort of physical activity to carry her through the years.  She considered this, and set her sights high.

Absolutely enthralled by her story, I began asking questions about the day of the race. As a Floridian, she said that she wasn't used to the frigid morning air the day of the race in North Carolina. She dreaded stepping a foot in the freezing ocean waters. When I asked her how she overcame this- she said that she followed the rules that she had in her training.

"When things go wrong or are hard, I put myself in a box.  Everything inside of the box are things I can control which are basically my clothes and my thoughts. Everything outside of the box I cannot control- the weather.  Knowing that I can't control what is outside of the box helps me push ahead. I change what I can change and let go of everything else."

I find this to be a great lesson in life.  When things are hard/difficult/different put yourself in a box. Know that there are things that are out of your control and let them go.

Meditation and Stress

Stress is your emotional and physical reaction to pressures in your life. I think it is safe to say that we all experience a little stress in our day to day lives. Stress, as you may already know can cause serious health problems.

I recently met someone that was experiencing extreme stomach pain on a daily basis.  He went to his doctor who ran him through a variety of exams. He went to a specialist who ran him through even more exams. We're talking a colonoscopy, cat scan, blood work- you name it- they checked it.  After 3 months of testing and doctor's visits they came to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with him. They said that his high pressure job was to blame for his physical ailments. In other words- STRESS was the cause of his illness.


In life you are going to have stresses. One way to reduce the intensity in which you experience them is through meditation. 


"Meditation helps to reduce the activity of part of the brain called the amygdala, which governs feelings of stress. Those who are more stressed and anxious have an amygdala that is overactive. Meditating reduces this," according to Mark Williams, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry and co-developer of one of the many variants, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).


He goes on to say that stressful situations lead to stressful feelings which lead to stressful thoughts. These stressful thoughts create a cycle of more bad feelings, each feeding into each other.


“Meditating breaks this cycle by reducing the links between the insula and the parts of the brain that analyse, as we have seen on brain scans. It doesn't stop a person from feeling or thinking but it uncouples these two parts of the brain, giving the patient more control." (source)


So the next time you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Don't reach for that glass of wine.. instead grab a pillow and sit in silence for 10 minutes.  It can improve your health.

Good health is a duty

Meditation for Kids Neuroscientist touts benefits of meditation for kids

I wanted to share this great article on the benefits of meditating for kids.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Simple meditation techniques, backed up with modern scientific knowledge of the brain, are helping kids hard-wire themselves to be able to better pay attention and become kinder, says neuroscientist Richard Davidson

• Research, including brain imaging studies, also shows it is possible to cultivate the mind to change brain function and structure in ways that will promote higher levels of well-being and increased resilience, said Davidson.

• To improve a child’s ability to pay attention — and also improve their studying abilities — a stone is put on a child’s belly, and they learn to focus on their breathing as the stone goes up and down.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/empowered-health/Neuroscientist+touts+benefits+meditation+kids/6158952/story.html#ixzz1o5U21blR

Meditation for Concentration

Do you find yourself easily distracted while working on projects?

With technology constantly at our finger tips-

 it gets harder and harder to stay focused on tasks at hand. 

Lucky for you,

there is an easy way to be better focused.

Can you guess what it is?

of course-

MEDITATION!

Meditation is exercise for the brain.

the more you meditate and concentrate on being in the silence and focusing on your breath

the stronger you become at doing this.

Buddhist monks who meditate regularly perform better than non-meditators on concentration tests.

Why?

Because they have flexed and increased their concentration muscles.

But you don't have to sit days on end in silence for this to happen

Just 20 minutes a day can dramatically improve your concentration with results being noticed right away.

CLICK HERE and learn how meditation improved the concentration of an18 year old shooting champion.

What is Samada Soul Meditation?

Samada Soul Meditation takes you beyond the five senses to the place that Samada Philosophy identifies as your Soul. You will find that the Samada Meditation is a powerful technique for transforming you into the person you want to be.

Unlike yoga meditation, whose goal is to empty the mind of all thought and sensation, the goal of Samada meditation is to learn to live from your immortal soul.  By living through your immortal soul you will find happiness by finding peace with the world’s karmic condition and live in harmony with the rest of creation. 

Samada Soul Meditation is a practice that will benefit you physically, mentally and emotionally for a more complete and balanced life.

    Psychological Benefit

• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Increase creativity and intelligence
• Minimized depression
• Increase learning ability, reasoning and memory
• Gain emotional control
• Reduce irritability and moodiness
• Improve self-esteem
• Alertness
• Improve relationships
• Better concentration 

Physiological Benefits

• Alleviate drug/nicotine/alcohol dependency
• Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Eliminate pain of chronic disease
• Reduce biological age
• Enhance physical abilities

Angels and Spirits

Are there angels and spirits and can we communicate with them?

This is an area of knowledge that is defined by the paranormal or metaphysical nature of our valid illusion. If a person has belief in the spiritual world, a place of a different dimension where their deceased relatives and friends actually exist, then to this person the belief in angel, spirits and this alternate dimension is a reality and is logical. For believers, communicating with spirits and angels is not only possible- it is reality.

If you believe that spirits and angels exist, then for you they do.  If you believe, as I surely do, that spirits can give you guidance and protection during your physical life, then they can. And that will provide you with comfort and peace.

Can you communicate with a deceased friend or relative? 

The spirit world can be here and now by way of Samada Tantric Meditation. Spirit seeking beings (like you) can travel the waves of life beyond death to the actual sea where the karmic life of the past exists. Here, you will be able to intervene as an audience or as a participant in dialogue.

Peace and Prosperity

To live a Samada Life means to desire peace and prosperity for all people. Once your intent is to spread peace and prosperity one person at a time, you will find your peace and you will prosper. This is a Karmic law.

Daily Inspiration

Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies. ~ Ann Landers

Meditate for Happiness

Happiness is found within. In Buddhism they say that anything that can cause unhappiness is not a true source of happiness. For example, many people think that if they had money it would solve all of their problems and happiness could be obtained.  But at the same time, having a lot of money may also cause you unhappiness- like worrying that your money will run out, be stolen or that you may not be able to tell your true friends from those seeking your fortune.  Therefore money, in and of itself, is not a true source of happiness.

You must find happiness within yourself. Meditating on things that make you happy can help you tap into this feeling. And with practice you can bring forth these feelings any time you want- creating a happy life.

Need some luck?

LOVE

UNDERSTANDING 

COMPASSION 

KARMA

During your day- remember the people you interact with deserve your LOVE. Try your best to UNDERSTAND their feelings and motivation. Be COMPASSIONATE. Remember they too have a compassionate soul and you are soul-to-soul connected. Recognize that it is the KARMA from the beginning of time that has brought you to this exact moment.

Yoga for Detox

Yoga is a great way to detoxify you body.  During yoga, each part of the body is stretched and twisted in various directions.  Much like twisting a wash cloth, this movement helps to rid toxins from the body and increases circulation. It specifically stimulates the digestive, circulatory and lymphatic system through yoga poses by compressing the organs and lymphatic glands and increasing the heart rate.Yoga can also help "detoxify" the mind. By concentrating on breath, you can rid your mind of negative thoughts and maintain focus.

CLICK HERE for great detox yoga poses

Love is all you need...

I hope to see everyone Valentine's Day at my Spirit World meditation.

11:00am at the Happehatche Center.

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Do you know what is in your food?

Watch this informative video and learn what is in your food and how it affects you.

Your Brain on Meditation

• In a study published in the journal NeuroImage in 2009, Luders and her colleagues compared the brains of 22 meditators and 22 age-matched nonmeditators and found that the meditators (who practiced a wide range of traditions and had between 5 and 46 years of meditation experience) had more gray matter in regions of the brain that are important for attention, emotion regulation, and mental flexibility. Increased gray matter typically makes an area of the brain more efficient or powerful at processing information. Luders believes that the increased gray matter in the meditators' brains should make them better at controlling their attention, managing their emotions, and making mindful choices.  SOURCE - YOGA JOURNAL

• The gamma activity, increased by meditation, remained high even after meditation had ceased. The studies indicated that meditation was an example of neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to change). Simply put, the laboratory concluded that meditation physically alters the brain. "Thirteen years ago they said it was impossible to change the brain after a certain point." Rinpoche said. "Now, they realize that the brain continues to develop your whole life. From a meditation point of view, of course, this has always been true." SOURCE - HUFFINGTON POST

• Eleven people participated in a five-week meditation training program, where they practiced focusing their attention on their breathing and cultivating awareness of their fleeting thoughts before promptly letting them go. After the program, researchers recorded the participants’ brain activity, comparing it with people who didn’t receive the training. Those who received the training had significantly greater activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, resulting in more positive emotions and a greater willingness to approach people or experiences. SOURCE - UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY

Natural Living = No more pills!

Samada Natural Living. No more pills. No more herbs in pill form.

The goal of your Samada Meditation should be to become naturally healthy in mind and body without the use of pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceutical companies allow you to abuse your body, live any lifestyle and they have an application for that. They treat every known malady.

The truth is you don't need medications to help you sleep, lose weight or lower your cholesterol. You don't need hip replacements or knee surgery. We are so crazy about drugs that now we are giving them to our pets. We are being sold all different kinds of treatments to heal the body.

You should only see a licensed medical professional if you find an one that you trust and is willing to treat the total you. One that uses medication as a way to assist your system but only if you are unable to naturally heal yourself.

Be careful when choosing your Medical Doctor remember this: A skilled Doctor who is uncaring may do you harm but a caring but unskilled Doctor may do you in.