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“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”

~~~ Buddha

Back in early December, I heard about a Buddhist meditation group that would be meeting at a local Unitarian Universalist church here in Ohio. I have been studying Buddhism for several years and have been meditating ever since the 1980s — but have had very little experience with group meditation. I was delighted to hear about this group forming and didn’t hesitate to get involved. Meditating with a group — and learning and discussing Buddhist teachings has been a wonderful spiritual experience. (Note: If you live in the Dayton, Ohio area, don’t hesitate to contact me about this if you’re interested. Just add a comment here and give me a way to get in touch with you.)

With this uppermost in my mind these days, I’d like to spend a couple of weeks here talking about meditation, and why I recommend it so highly to all of you. My goal with these articles is to encourage as many of you as possible to begin a daily practice of meditation in your lives.

Even though meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, it has become more and more popular in the Western societies over the past ten or twenty years. In the Eastern societies of the world, meditation is a common practice. It was originally meant to help people deepen their understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life. These days, the practice of meditation, especially in the Western countries, has become not only a spiritual practice, but also a way for people to find stress reduction and relaxation.

Meditation is meant to produce a deep state of relaxation as well as a tranquil mind. The idea is that when you take a few moments to stop the busy-ness of your life, it becomes possible to turn off the thinking — the mind-chatter — and feel the inner peace of being in the present moment. This “in the moment” place is one of calm, peace, and emotional stability. One of the fringe benefits is that this state of mind doesn’t just turn off when you’re finished meditating, but rather it can have lasting effects on your emotional and physical well-being.

“Some people think that meditation takes time away from physical accomplishment. Taken to extremes, of course, that’s true. Most people, however, find that meditation creates more time than it takes.”

~~~ Peter McWilliams

Many people shy away from learning how to meditate because they think of it as some sort of “new-agey” thing and will often consider it to be a waste of their time. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you could see the make-up of the people in this Buddhist meditation group that I’m in, you’d be amazed. We have every age group from the young to the old — different backgrounds and lifestyles, and yet, the group feels like we’re all one.

Anyone can practice meditation. It’s not something to fear and it’s a lot less expensive than therapy or anti-depressants. It doesn’t require any special equipment and is not hard to learn how to do. You can spend a few moments in meditation most anywhere — except I don’t recommend closing your eyes while driving, please! If you’re at work, out for a walk, riding the bus or the train, doing the laundry or waiting in the dentist’s office, you can meditate.

Many healthy people use meditation as a way to relax the body and reduce stress, or to advance their spiritual life. But meditation may also be useful if you have a medical disease or condition, especially one that may be worsened by stress. There is quite a bit of scientific research being done about the benefits of meditation at this time. Some of this research has shown that meditation can help such conditions as:

* Allergies
* Anxiety
* Arthritis
* Asthma
* Cancer
* Chronic pain
* Depression
* High blood pressure
* Heart disease

As I always stress, be sure to talk to your health care professional about the pros and cons of using meditation if you have any of these or other medical conditions. I’m not advocating that meditation be used as a replacement for traditional medical treatment. However, it is possible it could be an excellent addition to whatever you’re doing now.

One of the many purposes of meditation is to clear away all the information clutter that builds up in our minds every day. While you’re meditating, you’re clearing your mind of distracting thoughts and worries. You’ll find yourself becoming more aware. You’ll learn to focus on the here and now rather than on the events of your past and the worries about your future.

“If you want to find God, hang out in the space
between your thoughts.”

~~~ Alan Cohen

While there are many different ways to meditate, the goal is the same - inner peace. You may have heard about transcendental meditation, Zen meditation, walking meditation and other forms of meditation. However, one of the reasons why so many people either don’t start to meditate — or who don’t continue once they do start — is that they’re stressing about doing it “right”. Please, don’t let this happen with you. There is no right or wrong with meditation. If you can sit quietly for a few moments and relax your mind and your body, you’re on your way. Sure, you can certainly attend special meditation centers or group classes led by trained instructors to practice such forms of meditation as:

* Yoga
* Tai chi
* Guided meditation
* Qi gong

These are all excellent forms of meditation and can accomplish what you’re seeking. But you can also learn to do this powerful practice on your own. That’s where we’ll pick this up next week. Until then, remember ….

“Meditation is the tongue of the soul and the language of our spirit”

~~~ Jeremy Taylor

Namaste!

And, as I always say in closing — remember these words …

You are the most precious gift you can give yourself. Every day look in the mirror and say, “I’m available to more good than I have experienced, realized or imagined ever before in my life!” Do this every day while you look into your own eyes.

You are special — and you are loved. You are the greatest gift you can be.

Shanti … (A sanscrit word meaning, “Let there be Peace. Peace, beautiful Peace. Peace within, Peace without. Peace in this world. Peace for all beings.”)

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

~~~ Buddha

~~~ DBL-R

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As you know, I do practice sitting, silent meditation every day in my life. Recently, I did a podcast about this for another blog that I read. Take a moment and click this link to hear what meditation means to me and what it does for me.

My Meditation Podcast

In my meditation I use what I truly believe is the most powerful personal growth and mind development tool on earth. It’s the The Holosync Solution. I knew that meditation was a vital element to nurturing my soul — to opening myself to the universe — and this tool has allowed me to achieve and receive the benefits of deep, long-term meditation — and to achieve it much more quickly. If you’re having trouble “getting meditation to work for you” - then the The Holosync Solution is what you’re looking for.

Regular, daily meditation can give you …

(1) Increased intelligence and creativity.
(2) Lower stress levels — and with that — increased ability to handle whatever the world tosses your way.
(3) New levels of self-awareness and inner peace.
(4) The healing of emotional issues at the deepest levels —

— it’s definitely worth taking the time for this powerful practice every day.

With a One-Year 100% Iron-Clad Guarantee, you can now do so with no risk whatsoever — just click any of the links that say … The Holosync Solution

— The Holosync Solution

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