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Meditation Benefits

You know that meditation helps you relax and improve your mood, but did you know that new research shows that it actually increases the size and functioning of our brains?

From the article “Is meditation the push-up for the brain?” by Mark Wheeler in the UCLA Newsroom:

Two years ago, researchers at UCLA found that specific regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger and had more gray matter than the brains of individuals in a control group. This suggested that meditation may indeed be good for all of us since, alas, our brains shrink naturally with age.
Now, a follow-up study suggests that people who meditate also have stronger connections between brain regions and show less age-related brain atrophy. Having stronger connections influences the ability to rapidly relay electrical signals in the brain. And significantly, these effects are evident throughout the entire brain, not just in specific areas.

Some of the meditation benefits are:

  • A bigger brain. I really like that idea 😉
  • Promotes muscle relaxation. Physically reducing muscle tension increases blood flow to overworked muscles, speeding the healing process.
  • Reduces blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol which in excessive amounts puts you at increased risk of –

    Heart disease
    Sleep problems
    Digestive problems
    Depression
    Obesity
    Memory impairment
    Worsening of skin conditions, such as eczema

  • Anxiety and stress relief. As a benefit of stress relief you enjoy –
    • Calmer, happier interactions with other people
    • An improved ability to cope with stressful situations and people. When you can stay calm in stressful situations your decision making is less likely to be a rash “knee-jerk” reaction and more likely to be appropriate to the situation.
    • Better sleep, which improves physical energy and improves decision making. Sure you could drink a lot of coffee to try counter the effects of poor sleep, but then you have to cope with caffeine jitters 🙂
  • Mindfulness meditation, when used to interrupt negative thought patterns is a great tool for releasing negative thoughts and feelings. That in turn makes it easier to keep on track with healthy habits (like diets).
This article was going to be longer, but I think I had better go do my meditation now

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Choosing A Meditation Teacher

There are so many types of meditation to choose from that it is pretty safe to say there is no ONE right way to meditate. It is a matter of choosing a type of meditation and a teacher that is right for you!

In this post I talk about some ways to recognize if a teacher is appropriate for you. In future posts I will give a small overview of some common types of meditation.

Things to look for when choosing a meditation teacher

  • A schedule of classes so you can see if what they offer is appropriate for you, both time wise and content wise. The language they use may be unfamiliar to you, but the teacher should be able to give you a rough idea of what skills you will take away from the classes.
    • Meditation “drop in” sessions often don’t have a pre-determined lesson schedule and are usually more flexible without a set curriculum. I have been to drop in sessions that were wonderful and some that were not. Try a session or two to see what you think of them or ask what you can expect from them.
  • Are you expected to do homework? Good! The more you practice the easier it becomes.
  • Do they ask you what you want to get from the classes?
    • They may be making sure you are a good fit for the class. Not all teachers ask this and that’s OK, but if a teacher pre-screens participants it can mean they are making sure the class is right for you.
    • Some teachers tailor the way they deliver their information to more closely match what the majority of the students want.
  • Many mediation practices have their roots in different religions or spiritual practices. Are you comfortable with having some spirituality mixed in with your meditations? If you are, it will give you a lot more options to choose from.
  • What do the classes cost? Where I am the cost ranges from free classes sponsored by non-profit organizations (Most of the free ones I’ve seen come from a religious or spiritual background. Some expect students to do things like help set up the room or clean up after class.), up to about 150.00 per class for private lessons. Prices depend largely on factors like –
    • How much competition there is where you live.  Generally, if there are a lot of teachers to choose from you may find more inexpensive classes.
    • The teacher’s experience as a teacher. Paying a bit more for a someone who has a lot of experience can be worth it because they likely have developed teaching methods that enhances a student’s ability to learn more quickly, or to go into deep meditation more easily.
    • Do the classes take place in the teacher’s their own home? Less expense for them can mean less cost to you.
    • The price usually goes up if they have hand outs for you like printed materials or guided meditation CDs.

Things to avoid

  • Guarantees that you will become fully “enlightened” by taking the classes.
    • Everyone progresses at their own speed and there are no guarantees.
    • What a teacher can guarantee is that she/he will teach you how to develop specific skills. How well you develop those skills is up to you.
    • Enlightened can mean anything. Personally I take it to mean someone who has attained a high degree of ability in meditation practices and has emotionally and spiritually evolved beyond the norm. Some teachers attach a meaning to that word that is specific to their practice. If someone is promising you enlightenment but you think you would like to learn with them anyways, ask them what THEY mean by that word. If the answer satisfies you go for it, but if the explanation leaves you with doubts you may want to find a different teacher.
  • I consider it to be a red flag if after a couple of classes the teacher expects you to start “giving unselfishly” either financially or of your time. A healthier approach is if the teacher tells you BEFORE you start the classes exactly what their expectations are of you.
  • I avoid teachers who insist that there is only true path. They may be perfectly well meaning, but I prefer teachers who have the capacity to see the value in what other have to offer. There are lots of choices out there. It is a matter of picking one that you works for you!

To Your Health 🙂

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Glossary

Meditation Words Phrases and Terminology:

The definitions here are simple because they are meant as a quick explanation not an encyclopedia 🙂 I’ve included some definitions of meditation words phrases and terminology that you may come across on other sites that are not used on this site as they relate to topics I don’t cover.

Aura, This is the concept that everyone (some beliefs include all animals, plants and even inanimate objects) have an energy field around them. Generally this energy is your own energy radiating outward from your body. The size, shape, intensity and colour of a person’s aura is individual to that person, and can fluctuate and change over time depending on factors like physical health, emotions and so on.

Beginner’s mind, A mind that is open to the experience of the moment, free of preconceived ideas.

Centering, Being in the calm center of the brain. Often when you are “centered” you will find you use all of your mind more fully and instinctively rather than focusing on just the analytical (thinking) part of the brain. This allows you to experience what is going on right now more fully.

Chakra, In Hindu, yogic and other belief system. chakras are energy centers in the body. According to different beliefs there may be dozens of chakras, however there are generally thought to be 7 main chakras please see https://totallymeditation.com/chakras-the-tiny-tour/ for more information.

Clairaudience, The ability to ‘hear’ sounds said to exist beyond the reach of ordinary experience or ability, such as hearing the voices of the dead.

Clairsentience, Some people are believed to perceive information (as in a “sixth-sense”) by touching or thinking about an object.  A clairsentient may be able read “auras” of people (and objects or animals) to discover their state of health or personal history.

Clairvoyance, The ability to see objects or actions removed in space or time from the person who is “seeing”. It can also take the form of a quick intuitive knowledge of people and things.

Grounding, The process of feeling connected to the earth. Practicing meditations or visualizations that focus on either drawing fresh energy up from the center of the earth or sending unwanted energy down to earth (often by what is referred to as roots or a “grounding cord”) can be used to release emotions and/or boost your energy level.

Higher-Self, See “Source” below.

Kundalini, May be “awakened” with the help of a teacher or by spiritual practices such as yoga or meditation. Sometimes it awakens spontaneously as the result of physical or psychological trauma, or even for no apparent reason. When awakened, Kundalini is said to be an energy that rises up from the first chakra to the top of the head. In physical terms, one commonly reported experience is a feeling like a mild electric current running along the spine.

Mantra, Words or phrases that are repeated as a focus of (or a part of) a meditation.

Mindfulness, Non-judgmental observation of experience. If you key the word mindfulness into this site’s search box you will find several articles that cover different mindfulness techniques.

OM, (or Aum) is a mantra sound in Sanskrit of Hindu origin (geographically India and Nepal), sacred and important in various Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism

Namaste, A common greeting of respect in India that means roughly “I bow to the devine within you”.

Psychic Intuition, Unusual mental powers and abilities (such as the ability to predict the future, to know what other people are thinking, or to receive messages from dead people) that cannot be explained by natural laws.

Mediums, A person thought to be a channel of communication between the earthly world and a world of spirits

Psychometry, The ability to divine facts about an object or a person associated with an object by simple contact or proximity to it.

Source, I see this as universal energy, an energy that infuses and connects all humans. Some people refer to this as a “higher power“. Others would refer to this energy as “God” still others would call it any one of dozens of other names. I use the word source because it doesn’t have the religious connotations that the other words have.

Spirit Guide, An entity which provides spiritual guidance. When a person says they were “guided by spirit” often they mean that they got a strong feeling about something or even saw an image in their minds or heard words.

Telepathy, The communication between people of thoughts, feelings, desires and so on involving mechanisms that are not understood by science.