meditation
Celebrating meditation guidance and gurus.
Mindfulness and Meditation . Top Story - September 2017.
Interest in mindfulness meditation, yoga, and related practices have skyrocketed throughout the Western world. Although meditation has been documented to have its origins in the Indian Vedas (1500 BCE), the oldest scripts of Hinduism, some argue that the practice could have existed as far back as 2600 BCE, where the Hindu deity Shiva is portrayed practicing Tantric Yoga (below). Only recently, with the help of medical technology, have scientists been able to discover the effects of meditation far beyond its psychological and spiritual background. We are now beginning to understand how this ancient practice effects humans and the mind on a biological level.
By Justin Gignac7 years ago in Longevity
How Can Rest Be a Threat?
After living in a super-heightened state of fight/flight/freeze for over four decades, I had to accept and acknowledge that resting was perceived as an internal threat to my brain and was as sure to activate my Sympathetic Nervous System as any mortal danger could. Theoretically, when we perceive (even unconsciously) that we are in danger, our sympathetic nervous system is activated and we fight, flee, or freeze, depending on our perceived and unconscious chances of survival. It happens automatically and the pathway to our logic, rational thinking brain is disrupted so we can act instinctively without thought. We also cannot feel emotions in that moment so that we are not overwhelmed with terror and unable to act (unless that is the reaction that will inevitably save our lives). It's a brilliant survival mechanism and, after the perceived danger has passed, our Parasympathetic Nervous System is then supposed to activate and bring us "back to earth," grounding us and putting us into a "rest and digest" state so that any and all cellular injury or upset can be reset, recalibrated, repaired, or replaced, depending on the body's needs. The brain can't tell the difference between reality and imagination so internal stressors are perceived as mortal dangers, this means that meditation can be perceived by one brain to be restorative and calming while to another brain it may be stressful and even horrifying.
By Gabriella Grace7 years ago in Longevity
Top Three Times to Practice Meditation When You Didn’t Think You Could
In the midst of turmoil, stress, or chaos, do you ever wish you could transport yourself into a peaceful, quiet meditation room? Well, I have good news for you: most of the time you totally can. Even if you are not well-practiced in meditation, you do not have to be a Sufi or a Buddhist monk to bring some mindfulness into your everyday life. Mindfulness meditation practices are used by psychologists and social workers to help treat all kinds of mental illnesses and emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. I will teach you how anyone can reap some benefits taking as little as a minute of your day.
By Kristy Loxton7 years ago in Longevity
Learning How to Breathe
I am grateful for the time that I have been able to spend breathing. It should not be a new concept, as much as it should be a well known practice. Breathing is something I was raised to believe was a practice of basic human being, for survival. Imagine my surprise when people would get upset or I would get upset, and the response of professional interventionists would be “Breathe” or “Slow down, so you can breathe.” As I continued to grow, I began to learn the value of the strength behind “air entering my lungs” and spreading oxygen through my muscles. I would feel renewed when I was able to stretch and allow my body to relax and I could take in the air to breathe, and feel the release of tension and trauma. It was like embracing stillness, which I had never been encouraged to do.
By Regina Stone-Grover7 years ago in Longevity
High Expectations
'According to Vedanta, there are only two symptoms of enlightenment, just two indications, that a transformation is taking place, within you, toward a higher consciousness. The first symptom is, that you stop worrying things don't bother you any more. You become light-hearted and full of joy. The second symptom is that you encounter more and more meaningful coincidences in your life, more and more synchronicities, and this accelerates to the point where you actually experience, the miraculous'. — Deepak Chopra.
By Alva v.Harzi7 years ago in Longevity
An Inflammation Theory for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
There are plenty of people out there who believe that PMDD can be successfully combated with mind over matter and that we should just buck up or get over whatever it is we’re feeling. They have no idea what they are talking about nor the challenges we face.
By Cheeky Minx7 years ago in Longevity
8 Tools to Break the Negativity Cycle
The more I experience and learn of PMDD, the more I think its treatment may actually be in the mind, not by altering it with prescription drugs like anti-depressants or even, necessarily, traditional “talk” therapies, but through retraining it to think different thoughts and take on new habits, to the extent we can, at any rate.
By Cheeky Minx7 years ago in Longevity
Subjective Proof
This is going to be a tricky topic to even talk about, so I commend your courage in delving into this with me. The rabbit hole is not something outside ourselves that we fall into, but rather the gateway that takes us into limitless infinity within ourselves.
By Michael Thielmann7 years ago in Longevity
How Thinking About Sriracha Sauce Made Me a Happier Person
I recently learned of a crazy concept: basking in love. Yes, I realise it sounds like the title of one of those self-help books we love to hate or some a cappella song sung on the final day of a new-age life-coaching retreat. And it’s fine if those are your things, but despite the flaky intonations of the name, basking in love is a full-on, rather radical activity (at least by today’s standards) that, like any form of meditation, can make a significant mental and emotional impact on your life. I discovered basking in love because I needed a daily practice in maintaining not just self-love (an abstract term if there ever was one) but more an awareness of that self-love. In today’s world, we’re so quick to adopt a conscious sense of fear as a primal instinct for survival; I believe doing the same with love can empower us to be brighter, lighter, happier people.
By Bryan Levandowski7 years ago in Longevity