Meditation is often misunderstood by those who do not practice it. Very often, I hear meditation referred to as producing “altered states of consciousness.” To some this may sound more like a mind-altering substance than a daily practice to bring clarity to a cluttered mind.

Without going too deep into what meditation is, or is not, let’s focus on one of the many things a daily meditation practice can do for you – unlocking the unlimited potential of your mind.

Meditation unlocks your brain's unlimited potential.

One human, long ago, must have been the first to harness the power of fire. But did she foresee one possible effect – global warming – that would occur many thousands of years later? How could she imagine such a change from where she was? Or realise that a seemingly small change can have a ripple effect in the Universe, creating a profoundly different reality at some future time or place?

And so it is with your thoughts, your mind. You contain within you the seeds of great change, the ability to change our world for the good of all. But at the moment those ideas are locked away – locked away in your mind. Hidden by the clutter of a thousand mundane, daily thoughts

But there is a way to sort the wheat from the chaff, to free your mind from its chains and let your fabulous ideas free. You do have the ability to shape the future by the small changes that you make now.

Meditation is a way to find the space between your thoughts.

You have the ability to alter your own personality for the better and positively affect the world around you. And just like a pebble thrown into a pond, or the discovery of fire, the effects of your small actions can ripple outwards, becoming a tidal wave of positive change. If you can find the time to quieten your mind and examine your thoughts. So how do we do that? Enter meditation.

I like to think of meditation as a way to find the space between your thoughts (thanks to my yoga teacher Kym for this insight!). As you sit or lie meditating, you feel your thoughts slowing down. Getting slower and slower. And slower. Until…..they…..stop. Until you, as an impartial observer, are looking at the space between one thought and the next. Your mind is still. Almost frozen. Between thoughts.

And as you maintain that space with concentration and awareness, something beautiful happens. You touch the rapturous ecstasy of the Divine. A feeling of unlimited potential fills your mind and your body, and you connect to all that there is, was and will be – you have entered what some used to call “The Great Silence”. The Universe. God.

Meditation allows you to connect to the Universe.

And while you there, connected, you might feel things. Or see things. Or just know things. Or channel something back into this space-time. And when you finish your meditation, that something that you touched or saw or channeled is still there within you, waiting to burst forth for the good of all. Cutting through the clutter of your daily thoughts, ready to start a revolution of love and peace and compassion for all.

Click here to discover how you can experience ultra-deep levels of insight and relaxation with meditation.

Image credit: flickr/joshfassbind.com

Women with fibromyalgia experience reduced symptoms and improved function

Yoga reduces symptoms of fibromyalgia

following an eight week yoga program, according to research published in the medical journal Pain earlier this month.

Many fibromyalgia patients find standard medical care ineffective for reducing their symptoms including pain and fatigue, according to lead investigator and study author James Carson, Ph.D (Oregon Health and Science University – Portland).

Exercise is often prescribed for fibromyalgia, but for many patients it is hard to find an exercise program that is tolerable for them. Yoga poses done in a gentle way may be a good option.

The study allocated 25 women to an eight week “Yoga of Awareness” program, and compared their progress to 28 women randomised to standard care. The yoga program consisted of gentle yoga poses, modified as needed to accommodate conditions such as knee osteoarthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

The average age of the participants was 54 years, and 68% had been symptomatic for more than 10 years. Patients who were already engaged in a yoga practice, those who were too disabled for meaningful participation in the yoga program, and those who were scheduled for elective surgery were excluded from the study.

“The most surprising finding for us was that most patients became so fully engaged in the home yoga practices they were assigned,” Dr. Carson said. On average, the patients spent 40 minutes practicing yoga at home, including about 19 minutes of postures, 13 minutes of seated meditation, and 8 minutes of breathing exercises. Those who practiced more had better results on several of the study outcomes, he noted.

Yoga practices, if taught in a tailored, accessible manner, are not only well tolerated and effective; they are practiced with an unexpected degree of enthusiasm.

The results also showed that patients in the yoga group were more likely to use positive pain-management strategies such as problem solving, religion, acceptance, and relaxation, and less likely to resort to negative pain-management strategies such as self-isolation, disengagement, and catastrophizing.

Dr Carson says that he is next planning to study important changes that yoga may cause in abnormal pain pathways and functioning known to play a key role in fibromyalgia.

Reference: (Pain 2010;151:530-9)

Photo credit: flickr/leoprieto

Mindfulness meditation may ease fatigue, depression in multiple sclerosis
Learning mindfulness meditation may help people who have multiple sclerosis with the fatigue, depression and other life challenges that commonly accompany the disease, according to a new study.

Meditation has many health benefits.

Meditation reduces the emotional impact of pain, study finds
People who meditate regularly find pain less unpleasant because their brains anticipate the pain less, a new study has found.

Meditation Provides Hope For People With Depression
People with severe and recurrent depression could benefit from a new form of therapy that combines ancient forms of meditation with modern cognitive behavior therapy, early-stage research by psychologists suggests.

Meditation May Be An Effective Treatment For Insomnia
Meditation may be an effective behavioral intervention in the treatment of insomnia, according to new research.

Meditate To Concentrate
Researchers say that practicing even small doses of daily meditation may improve focus and performance. Even for those new to the practice, meditation enhanced performance and the ability to focus attention. Performance-based measures of cognitive function demonstrated improvements in a matter of weeks.

Meditation Training Program
The world’s first no hassle ultra-deep meditation program.

Image credit: flickr / rmgimages

There are many tools you can use to help you live the life of your dreams. Opening your mind to different techniques can help you make big changes in how you approach your future and reach your goals.

Many people use visualization to inspire and motivate them. More than just thinking about what you want, visualization is an effective tool that harnesses the power of your subconscious mind to help you achieve your wildest dreams.

Your mind has an amazing ability to create your reality, and visualization is a key to creating the reality you desire. Our thoughts, like everything, are made up of energy, and that energy sends a certain vibration into the universe.

Visualisation helps you achieve your goals

As vibrations are sent out, they attract similar energetic vibrations and draw them to us. The more positive energy you put out, the more positive energy you’ll receive.

This universal law of attraction is at work in your life, whether you believe in it or not.

By understanding how universal laws work, you can choose to work with them and manifest great changes in your world.

Follow these steps to effective visualization:

1.    Make sure you’re in a quiet environment without distractions.

2.    Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Breathe in slowly through your nose to a count of five, then exhale through your mouth to a count of five or more. As you breathe in, your diaphragm should expand, and as you exhale, it should flatten.

    Take at least three to five breaths like this to slow your heart rate and calm your mind.

3.    Picture a clear mental image of what you desire. Focus on the details. Notice the colors, textures, sounds and smells within your vision. See yourself touching the things in your vision and tasting the air.

    Let it play like a movie in your mind, with you as the director and leading star.
    Picture yourself already doing or having the things you want to manifest.
    See yourself accomplishing your goals with ease.

4.    Practice visualizing the thing you want at least two times each day. In order for visualization to work to its highest potential, you must be consistent with your new habit and use the practice every day.

If you start to experience negative thoughts during your day, stop them and replace them with your vision and the positive thoughts connected to it.

Follow each step of the process through to completion. Let yourself feel the emotions connected to achieving your goal. Avoid any feelings of doubt or questioning. Visualize the outcome as though it has already happened.

Don’t rush through your visualization. Allow yourself enough time to experience the vision fully; about ten minutes or so is usually sufficient.

Visualization can be very powerful in helping clarify your desires. However, it’s important to remember that you may not receive the answers you’re seeking in the way you expect. Remain open minded to different manifestations of your desires.

If you desire money, for example, don’t expect to win the lottery or receive a check in the mail. Instead, you may be offered a new job, a promotion, or some other opportunity to earn extra money.

You may find your desires answered immediately or they may come to pass gradually. By keeping an open mind, you’re more likely to see opportunities that can bring your visualizations to fruition.

Visualization can lead you to greater peace of mind, serenity and contentment. Begin using visualization techniques today to help you achieve your goals and desires, and reap the rewards!

Photo credit: flickr/ Abby Lanes

Everyone has times in their life when they feel inadequate and incompetent, but some of us feel that way more often than others. Many people are so busy putting themselves down they fail to thrive in life. They stop trying to learn and better themselves. They become discouraged and depressed. Do you feel like you may be one of these people?

Maybe your self-doubt stems from some negative experiences early in your life. For example, if people made fun of you when you were a child, you might doubt your abilities even today.

Overcome your fears by trusting yourself and the Universe to lead you in the right direction.

Traumatic experiences can cause a vicious cycle of self-doubt in your mind.

Parents, teachers, and other children can sometimes unwittingly say things that have a powerful impact for both good and bad. So, how do you turn things around and stop that nagging voice in your head that says you’ll never be good enough?

Here are some tactics to help you erase that doubt and become more confident:

Let Go of Negative Criticism of Yourself

This applies to both past and present. Don’t let a jerk of a boss ruin your day by simply adding his voice to the tape player in your head. Realize that he may be taking his anger out on someone else because of his own inadequacies. People’s negative attitudes speak volumes about them, not about you!

>>>Stifle your tendency to criticize yourself. By agreeing with those who criticize you, you’re giving them all the power.
>>>Pay no attention to that voice in your head that’s saying you’re going to fail. If you stop listening, it will get quieter and eventually disappear.
>>>Reclaim your life by believing that you CAN succeed.
>>>Surround yourself with supportive people who believe in you.

Prepare Yourself and Do Your Best

It’s not enough just to think positively; you have to actively pursue success as well. Visualizing your end goal can help you make the right choices, but no one can do the work except you. One way to overcome self-doubt is to write down your positive qualities.

>>>Make a list of at least 5 good things about you. Every day when you wake up read the list. Reading aloud will also help you to believe the items you’ve listed.

The positive thinking will help prepare your mind to succeed, but there are other ways you can help yourself achieve your goals as well:

>>>Set reasonable goals. Decide what you want to do within a set amount of time. Keep your goals realistic so you can meet them. If you set unrealistic goals that you can’t meet, you’ll quickly become discouraged.  Start out small and get bigger with your dreams.
>>>Get busy. Inactive people easily become depressed. To avoid this unpleasant situation, immerse yourself in achieving your goals. Hard work will always pay off in the end.
>>>Revel in your success. Self-doubters tend to think they don’t deserve to succeed. But you do! You deserve a reward for conquering your self-doubt and becoming more confident. You deserve to be honored for your hard work and perseverance.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Just remember you can’t reach the top of a mountain in one giant leap; it takes many steps along the way to reach the peak in due time. The same is true of success and achieving your goals.

Taking baby steps and attaining many small successes will bring you the confidence to reach your dreams. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the journey to becoming the self-assured person you know you can be. It’s a wild ride, but it’s well worth it in the end.