Research Behind Mindful Meditation

September 25th, 2009 By: Brittany

This research was done by Psychosomatic Medicine researchers found that people who did eight weeks of meditation training produced more antibodies to a flu vaccine.

OBJECTIVE: The underlying changes in biological processes that are associated with reported changes in mental and physical health in response to meditation have not been systematically explored. We performed a randomized, controlled study on the effects on brain and immune function of a well known and widely used 8-week clinical training program in mindfulness meditation applied in a work environment with healthy employees.

METHODS: We measured brain electrical activity before and immediately after, and then 4 months after an 8-week training program in mindfulness meditation. Twenty-five subjects were tested in the meditation group. A wait-list control group (N = 16) was tested at the same points in time as the mediators. At the end of the 8-week period, subjects in both groups were vaccinated with influenza vaccine.

RESULTS: We report for the first time significant increases in left-sided anterior activation, a pattern previously associated with positive affect, in the meditators compared with the non-meditators. We also found significant increases in antibody titers to influenza vaccine among subjects in the meditation compared with those in the wait-list control group. Finally, the magnitude of increase in left-sided activation predicted the magnitude of antibody titer rise to the vaccine.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that a short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function. These findings suggest that meditation may change brain and immune function in positive ways and underscore the need for additional research.

I am a huge believer in the power of meditation. It is probably the most valuable tool that anyone can have. However, I have noticed that meditation has received some  scrutiny from people simply for the fact that it seems way to easy to make any health benefits. It is true that it is very simple, but it is always a free way to stay healthy both physically and emotionally. All is takes is a little time and a drive to stay healthy.

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Meditation For The Heart

September 17th, 2009 By: Brittany

This heart chakra meditation is a simple technique to release sadness and fear and to bring compassion and love into your life.

Sit in a comfortable position either on the floor or in a chair. Sit up tall with the spine straight, the shoulders relaxed and the chest open. Inhale the palms together and lightly press the knuckles of the thumbs into the sternum at the level of your heart (you should feel a little notch where the knuckles magically fit). Breathe slowly, smoothly and deeply into the belly and into the chest. Soften your gaze or lightly close the eyes. Let go of any thoughts or distractions and let the mind focus on feeling the breath move in and out of your body. Once the mind feels quiet and still, bring your focus to the light pressure of the thumbs pressing against your chest and feeling the beating of the heart. Keep this focus for one to five minutes.

Next, gently release the hands and rub the palms together, making them very warm and energized. Place the right palm in the center of your chest and the left hand on top of the right. Close the eyes and feel the center of your chest warm and radiant, full of energy. See this energy as an emerald green light, radiating out from the center of your heart into the rest of your body. Feel this energy flowing out into the arms and hands, and flowing back into the heart. Stay with this visualization for one to five minutes.

After you feel completely soaked with heart chakra energy, gently release the palms and turn them outwards with the elbows bent, the shoulders relaxed and the chest open. Feel or visualize the green light love energy flowing out of your palms and into the world. You can direct it towards specific loved ones in your life or to all sentient beings.

To end your meditation, inhale the arms up towards the sky, connecting with the heavens, then exhale and lower the palms lightly to the floor, connecting with the earth. Take a moment or two before moving on with the rest of your day.

When I do this meditation I use a rose quartz. I simple place it in my hand and give it the intention of providing love and stability.

This great meditation is from yogabasics.com.

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10 Ways You Can Reduce Karmic Foot Print

September 5th, 2009 By: Brittany

I am an absolute believer in yoga and meditation. I believe that there is nothing better to add to our daily lives then these two practices. I never was interested in yoga until I broke down and borrowed a DVD of Ana and Ravi’s Kundalini yoga. They are a great team that have nothing put empowering techniques to change your life. As a part of my personal meditation practice I like to incorporate their Kundalini yoga. I recently got their July 2009 newsletter about reducing karmic energy. As you may know karma is the effects of a person’s actions that determine his destiny. I believe that there list is very effective. So, with out further to do.

Top ten ways to reduce your karmic foot print (AnaRavi.com)

1. Practice Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. Kundalini is known as the yoga of awareness. Awareness is the key to the direct experience of how everything is connected.  When you practice Kundalini Yoga, especially the meditative practices, you are literally burning off karma, incurring new blessings, cultivating compassion, and paving the way for a brighter day, and life for you and all!

2. Know that most everything has a back story. Feeling rage against the person that just cut you off in traffic?  Maybe they’re distracted because earlier that day their boss went off on them and they just had to sit there and take it. When we give people the benefit of the doubt the Universe is very forgiving with us too!

3. Make conscious decisions as a matter of course. If you are reading this you are a yogi. Wean yourself off of that ‘just one more time,’ mentality. Everything counts: every moment, every breath, every action. But don’t equate discipline with the kind of self-denial which makes you a martyr to your self. A life of spirit is the perfect balance between celebration and discipline!

4. Consider gravitating towards a vegan lifestyle. If you’ve been practicing Kundalini Yoga then the idea of giving up animal products is probably already percolating in you, but maybe your old habits have precluded that leap. Diet and lifestyle are not ends in themselves or the “answer,” but how you live makes a huge difference. Humanity is evolving and picking up speed! Animals are evolving too, they always have been. If something has a mother, as the argument goes, we shouldn’t kill it. There is no taste sensation that you you will miss on a vegetarian diet!

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What Should Be In My Meditation Space?

August 26th, 2009 By: Brittany

Q: I have made space in my attic for a meditation space and yoga studio. The thought behind this is to get me motivated to continue on a regular meditation schedule as well as a place to de-stress at the end of the day. My question is, what should be in my meditation space? Should I leave certain things out? Should I paint?

- Franky A., Oregon

A: The number one thing to keep in mind in any meditation space it make sure there is no distractions or noise. If there is computers, TV, or lots of out door noise it makes it really hard to concentrate and relax. Also, make sure there is no clutter. Otherwise, there is no set meditation space. Surround it with things that make you feel secure. This can be through colors, lots of pillows and blankets, essential oils, or even plants. In my space I have set up a darker room that helps keep me relaxed. I personally find to much light can make it hard to keep meditating. This is always a personal preference for everyone. I have included some great meditation spaces to get your mind thinking.

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How To Meditate Video

August 20th, 2009 By: Brittany

If you want to have an understanding of what happens when you meditate this is a great 3D video that simply explains meditation.

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Do You Have Time To Meditate?

August 9th, 2009 By: Brittany

A question I get quit often is, how do I find the time to meditate? The answer is never easy because sticking to a meditation routine is just as hard as sticking to eating healthy and exercising regulary. However, the advantage of meditation is that you can practice it anywhere at anytime. I tell people they can start first thing in the morning before they get out of bed. This is super convient and requires little practice. I know some that take meditation to work. They download a meditation cd or script that they can listen too. This is convient way to de-stress your self as well as learn techniques at a very busy time of your day. Others take meditation to the shower or during baths. I often run a bath, pour some tea, and take half hour to unwind. You can practice all your normal meditation technqies just about anywhere; even during stressful days.

Tips for meditation on a busy schedule:

1. Keep your focus on something. This can simply be focusing on your breathing or soft music in the backround.

2. You can always keep it short. Don’t stress about how much time you need to meditate. Meditation has no time limit or maxium. If you can squeeze 3 minutes a day then that is a great goal.

3. Meditate were you can. Like I mentioned above it does not matter where it is, as long as you have time to sit and be with your self in a quiet place. If you take the bus or other forms of transportation to or from work you can try putting meditation music in your cd player or ipod and playing it on your way home.

4. Be patient. Don’t rush the process. If you feel like it is always a rush you will feel less apt to continue.

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Research On Meditation

August 1st, 2009 By: Brittany

I recently read an article from ABC News, ” Say Om: Doctors Find Meditation Affects Your Body.” This article has good research to suggest some wonderful finding about how great meditation is for us. It is written from allopathic view, which I find very inspiring.

Researchers for the study, published in the Public Library of Science, took blood samples from a group of 19 people who habitually meditated or prayed for years, and 19 others who never meditated. The researchers ran genomic analyses of the blood and found that the meditating group suppressed more than twice the number of stress-related genes — about 1,000 of them — than the non meditating group.

The article is a great testament to show that our minds are more effected by what we think then we originally realized.

Indeed, fellow mind-body researchers are finding more evidence that meditation and spiritual practices can influence the body in elemental ways. “In the old days, we thought the mind didn’t affect the body,” Benson said. “In truth, it’s breaking down the very old rule.”

To read the full story please go here.

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