Finding Inspiration Series: Meditation

[Guest guest]

Good Morning!

 

Finding Inspiration Series: Meditation

 

My 'Finding Inspiration' series was written out of a need that comes up in my

practice, most often in Spring and Fall. I feel we all need a bit of

enlightenment now and then to help us move forward. Finding

motivation through inspiration can be the spark which sets you on your way!

 

Meditation is a time-honored technique that can take you into infinite

dimensions of consciousness. It is a simple effort that becomes effortless as we

do it more and more. One major principle to meditation is the ability to

completely quiet your mind. Quieting the mind comes as a result of meditating

over a long period of time, but any time you are looking within, you are

meditating. Meditation helps us live a healthier, less stressful life.

 

The physical and psychological benefits are wonderful and many people meditate

only for those reasons. The practice of meditation helps us temporarily let the

physical world go so that we can begin to see ourselves as we truly are -

spiritually enlightened beings.

 

Meditation can transform our lives. As we meditate and expand our consciousness

we open ourselves up to love and light. We begin to see things from a more

loving, spiritual view. We become more tolerant of others. We find more inner

peace and joy...that inner peace touches everyone we come in contact with.

 

There are endless, boundless benefits to relaxation and meditation. Stress can

often be a daily part of our lives. The fight or flight response can occur when

an individual is subjected to severe stress such as a threatening situation or a

resistant or hostile event. The response may be one of confrontation or one of

avoidance such as running. The response involves all parts of the nervous

system, as well as the endocrine system, and can be consciously or unconsciously

mediated. The autonomic part of the fight-or-flight response results in a

general increase in sympathetic activity, including heart rate, blood pressure,

sweating, muscular strength, and can trigger an adrenaline surge that quickens

your pulse, raises blood pressure, kick-starts anxiety and prepares you for

" fight or flight. "

 

The fight-or-flight response is adaptive because it enables the individual to

resist or move away from a threatening situation. can trigger an adrenaline

surge that quickens your pulse, raises blood pressure, kick-starts anxiety and

prepares you for " fight or flight. "

 

As meditation is practiced regularly, we find that we are able to handle

everyday problems in a calmer and more relaxed manner. Our problems and

difficulties are seen from a new perspective. Our coping skills are increased

and we seem to find a new inner strength. Many studies have been done which show

how our lives are enhanced by meditation. Both mental and physcial benefits have

proven to be effective through relaxation and meditation techniques.

 

Mentally such benefits as:

Increased mental clarity

Improved emotional well-being

Increased happiness

Improved memory

Increased creativity

Improved relationships

 

 

The physical benefits include:

Decrease in respiration

Decrease in heart rate

Decrease in blood pressure

Decrease in sympathetic nervous system

Decrease in body metabolism

 

 

Try this meditation:

 

Progressive Relaxation is a slow transition from a tense, immobile state to a

calmer more supple mind and body. This is a way of releasing tension in the

muscles. There are many variations of Progressive Relaxation. Here is one of

them:

 

Begin by laying on your back in a comfortable position.

 

Take a series of deep slow breaths and then focus your awareness on different

parts of the body in turn, becoming aware of any muscular tension and releasing

it.

 

One way to do this is to first tense a muscle deliberately and then relax it.

 

You can start with the top of the body, tensing and relaxing the muscles of the

upper face, then moving on to the jaw, neck, chest, front of the arms, abdomen,

thighs, lower legs, feet, and toes.

 

Then do the same down the back of the body. Finally, lie still with the eyes

closed, concentrating on your breath. Allow the whole body to relax into the

ground. Feel the floor underneath you, supporting you. Feel the earth supporting

the floor. Feel yourself now deeply rooted and grounded into the earth beneath

you.

 

Enjoying this deep feeling of peace and freedom from muscular tension.

 

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com/meditation.htm

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit