Thursday, December 11, 2008

Maria Duval - Your Energy Body

Your Energy Body
Your body is energy. Energy is absorbed through the air you breathe. It flows in your nervous system, like electricity flowing through wires, to all your extremities and vital organs. It flows in streams through channels of low resistance and high conductivity called chi, or ki. Your central nervous system conducts it like a bar magnet, with the positive charge on the top of the head and the negative charge at your tailbone. Arching fields of bio-magnetism flow out from the top of your head, encircle your body and come up again at the negative pole at your tailbone in what is called an “aura.”

Your thoughts are energy too, literally a movement of energy flowing through streams of neurons, or brain cells, in your head. Emotions are a combination of neurological discharges and secretions of brain chemicals whose discharges create the moods you feel. All your senses are picking up energy: Light is energy, sound is energy, taste and smell involve energy discharges in your brain as well. Movement is energy, gravity is a form of energy, every state perceived is something changing…energy; perception itself is energy.

Even the physical mass of your body is energy. Shrink your awareness down into the cellular level and you find the cells of your body are in constant communication with each other energetically; each cell receives and conducts energy. Shrink yourself down even further to the molecular level and you find systems of organizing intelligence conducting the energy to create the patterns we call molecules, elements, compounds-the building blocks of life. Shrink your awareness down even smaller to the world of atoms and you find that the ultimate constituents of your body are latent potential and realized manifestations of positive and negative energy, which we call protons, electrons, and neutrons.

Your body is both receiving and transmitting energy. What you think, and feel, is what you are creating. Create happy positive thoughts and those thoughts are transmitted into the fields of awareness that link us all together, like cells in the body of God. Negative thoughts are also transmitted into the field of collective consciousness and will cause you to attract the people, circumstances and situations that enable you to see whatever is diminishing the light of your own indwelling spirit. Spirit is consciousness in expression, or Shakti. That which causes life within you is you. You are the light. Realize this.

From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

Proven Mind Control Techniques �" How to Control Minds By Asking For More
Are there any proven mind control techniques to get someone to do what you want, even if you have that feeling that you’re asking too much? Fortunately, there is. It’s called “asking for more.” Ironic as it may sound, this is one of the most potent and proven mind control techniques you may use. Here’s how it works. Let’s say you want your friend to donate $10 to a charitable cause you’re involved with. For him, $10 might already be a big amount. Instead of asking for less, you asked him for $25 because you imply that’s what most people are giving. If he doesn’t want to give you the $25, tell him, “In that case, we’ll just have to be contented with $10.” He’ll feel so relieved to save $15 and will gladly give the $10 to you. You won’t believe how often kids apply proven mind control techniques. They simply want to go to a movie, but they ask their parents to take them to expensive vacation spots. When their parents say that such trips are too expensive, their children would ask, “Could we just go to a movie then?” The kids get what they want, while the parents feel that the pressure has been taken off them. The power of this persuasion technique comes from the feeling of obligation to reciprocate the concession you initially gave. People will be more receptive to grant your true (and smaller) request after they declined the first (and bigger) one. They will feel embarrassed to turn down the second favor, especially if it’s much easier to comply than the first request. The second request gives them the freedom of choice. It’s like they’re given an escape route. They will feel like a special favor has been given to them because they’re given room to negotiate and reject the first offer. Using this proven mind control technique, they will feel a sense of contentment and at the same time, a sense of responsibility to fulfill the secondary (and even other future) requests. Remember that people feel a sense of guilt if they refuse your request. If your second favor is something they can afford to do, then they'll grab the opportunity to make it up to you. The great thing about this is that they might even give you the larger request. This is one of the most effectively proven mind control techniques because you give them the chance to negotiate, and at the same time you make them feel that they got the better end of the deal because you “gave in”.

Discover proven mind control techniques and be an expert in the art of persuasion and conversational hypnosis in just a few short days! Get a FREE course that reveals groundbreaking persuasion secrets at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/secrets.htm

Epiphany at the Portola
Last month I took a group of students, primarily high-powered businessmen and women, to China and Tibet for a meditation retreat. I was amazed at how much China had changed from the late eighties. Back then almost everyone wore a drab uniform and very few people looked happy. What I remembered most were all the guards carrying machine guns and being watched very carefully wherever I went. Now, in Shanghai and Beijing anyway, I was happy to see thoroughly modern cities. People were wearing bright colors and had happy, hopeful faces. Evidence of prosperity was everywhere. Even the guards at the Great Wall would sit and laugh with us. Tibet was even more amazing. It is such a beautiful country, with majestic mountains and magical temples filled with brilliant murals and golden beaming Buddha's. We were quite taken aback when at every temple and every statue we would be met by a monk who would inform us of the fee for taking a picture. Ten Yuan for this room, twenty for this Buddha, forty to videotape it. Of course, we were happy to make some donations to help restore the temples and delighted to support the ongoing work at the monasteries. But the gift that was given to us, perhaps by the Prosperity Buddha, was the idea of being open to receive and how money served as a means to help people. In my early years of meditating as a "yogi in training," I adopted the notion that money was un-spiritual. My mind had created a division between my business life and my spiritual life. As a result I lived in lack because my mind thought it was a more spiritual state to be in. Teaching yoga and meditation in the eighties I would always teach on a donation basis but rarely received enough to pay for the overhead. For years SAI remained a meditation backwater in Orange County. Then, in the early 21st Century, my friend, student and teacher Matthew Ferry, pointed out to me that my lack of prosperity consciousness was keeping my work from being enjoyed by other people. Once I was open to receive, others began to receive more too. Once my consciousness shifted from lack to value, The Self Awareness Institute grew from a few hundred people to tens of thousands all over the world in just a few years. This same shift may be helpful for you too. Are you living in lack? Do you deny yourself prosperity, happiness or peace of mind? Later this month I am conducting a Prosperity Consciousness workshop that I encourage you to attend. Prosperity is a state of consciousness, and your prosperity contributes to global prosperity. Lack serves nobody. This epiphany occurred at the Portola Palace in Lhasa. God bless the people of Tibet. Check out the photos visit: www.selfawareness.com/VideoPhotoGallery.html. From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

How to Find Peace of Mind in a Crazy World
Have you noticed that life appears to be speeding up? We are trying to "fit" so many things into our schedule, trying to keep up, stay on top, working harder and harder to get ahead. The whole world is stressing out. The recession is creating a fear of survival; a "lack" consciousness is begetting more lack and, then, if we watch the television, listen to the news on the radio, or read the paper, our minds are filled with even more dismal information. There is a vortex of negative energy that we feed, collectively, and unconsciously, that perpetuates this cycle and keeps us from being at peace and being happy.

This chaotic energy is endemic in our world culture now, and we are all feeling its affects. As the energy keeps spinning faster and faster, like a hurricane, we can easily get caught up in it with all its negativity and that's why so many people don't feel at peace. We have gotten caught up in the negative energy vortex, and the mind just goes on and on as if we had no control of our lives. We allow our minds to run out of control. The good news is there is a time tested proven solution to this mass chaos: unplug from it.

By first realizing that you have a choice what state of mind to be in, no matter what is happening in your life, then you begin to shift your energy. By stepping back from the energy vortex and "disengaging" it, you stop feeding it. There is a thought momentum that will pull you back in again if you go unconscious and you likely will (you'll be tested). You then just need to remember to step back again and watch your mind as if you were watching a show...which you are. Our habit is to get sucked in, again and again, and that just reinforces and perpetuates these cycles causing the chaos. At some point, you need to decide you are stepping out of it and reconnect with that place of peace that is innate to your being. This is where meditation comes in.

Most of the time when I mention something like this, people's kneejerk reaction is either "I can't meditate, my mind is too active" or "I don't have time to meditate." If your mind thinks this way it is only indicating that you have lost control of your life and well being. It's making the conscious choice to disengage from that very thinking that opens you up to new possibilities. We see this every day. We work with thousands of people who start with this "too busy" or "can't" attitude, and then watch them shift, almost overnight, into states happiness and peace. You only need to be shown how, it's learned. When you shift your state of consciousness, by intending to, your life also shifts. Not only will you find increasing joy and peace from life, but you will receive the inner guidance to fulfill your life purpose and create greater prosperity too. I guarantee it. The choice is up to you. What are you choosing?

From the heart, Steven S. Sadleir

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

How To Change Your Life In Just 15 Minutes
Meditation is a powerful process - very powerful. It has the power to transform your life but many people never try it because they don't know how to begin. The truth is that meditation is a simple, easy and natural process. And, to prove it to you, I’m going to teach you an easy meditation technique. Ready? Let’s get started. Every day for 10 or 15 minutes, sit quietly by yourself somewhere peaceful. Maybe under a tree, maybe in your car, maybe in the bathroom, just someplace where you are not going to be interrupted. Now, for this particular meditation technique, do your best to shut down your physical senses. Draw the curtains if it is bright and close your eyes. Put yourself in a place where there is not much sound. Some people play music in the background but even that can be distracting. However, something like the ticking of a clock, or the dripping of a faucet, or the trickling of a waterfall can be very soothing. And some music, it has to be said, does fall into that same category. But even then it must be something that does not stimulate your thoughts. Now focus inwardly, perhaps on your breathing. Be consciously aware of the air flowing into your lungs, and be consciously aware of air flowing out again. Concentrate on long breaths in, and then concentrate on long breaths out. When you breathe in and you think it is all your lungs can hold then try breathing even more air in until your lungs feel like they are almost ready to burst. Then, at a place of full expansion of lungs, take a long, slow, relaxing, breath to let all the air out again. Let your intention be nothing more than being in this moment right now, and just being consciously aware of breathing. Don't think about cooking breakfast, or combing your hair, or wondering how someone is doing, or thinking about yesterday, or worrying about tomorrow, or focusing on anything else in this moment except air in, and air out. Now, during this process, within a few days of doing it, you're going to begin to feel a kind of physical detachment from your body. A very common thing that you will feel is a sort of numbing sensation. Some describe that they cannot tell their toe from their nose. Some, if their eyes are closed, may begin to see movement of light around under their eyelids, or even flashes of color. There is no right or wrong in this meditation technique. There is nothing that you should be reaching for. This is a state of peace. This is a state where, for just a few moments, you stop running the show. You stop trying to make anything happen. This is a time when you just let everything go. Fifteen minutes a day of this will change your life. This is because it will put you in the state of letting your natural energy flow more strongly through you. You'll feel better in the moment. You'll feel more energized when you come out of it. This meditation technique is far more powerful than it might at first seem. In just a few days of consistent practice, you’ll begin to notice the powerful effect it is having on your life. So there you have it. This method will transform your life but there's one catch. It will only work if you do it!

For more Free Mind Power Knowledge, visit http://www.PsiTek.net/index2.html

Is Science Spirituality? Is Spirituality Science?
It would seem that these two aspects of human life have little in common - as Kipling’s well-known saying has it ‘East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet’. But the latest developments of modern science show us that at the most fundamental level the spiritual aspect of life is not only compatible with, but inseparable from, the scientific aspect, like opposite sides of the same coin. This turning point in science and in history comes from the discovery by Quantum Physics of the Unified Field of all the laws of Nature, described as a field of pure consciousness where subjectivity and objectivity co-exist in a state of singularity. Most people, including some top scientists, seem to be unaware of this discovery and its momentous implications: that peace, fulfilment and joy are available for everyone. It is an extraordinary time we live in at the beginning of the 21st century �" even more extraordinary than most people know! It is unique in the history of our world and mankind and can never be repeated: the transition from a long history of darkness to the Age of Enlightenment. Everybody knows that our present world is confronted with the gravest threats that have ever faced us: for instance the danger of nuclear destruction and climate change, causing rising sea levels. But most of us perhaps are so bound up with our work or vocation and family life that time is hardly left to think seriously about the future of mankind. Even some scientists who know about these threats are also so caught up in their personal lives and specialised work to realise the possibility of positive transition through the subjective technologies of consciousness cognised within the ancient Vedic Tradition of India. These have been brought out to the world for over 50 years by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and have now been confirmed by the objective knowledge of the Unified Field and extensive scientific research on their practical effects for society and the individual. For instance, at the time of writing, Holland and the USA are the only countries with permanent groups of Yogic Flyers of sufficient size (the square root of one per cent of the population) to reap the full benefits of these Vedic technologies in their national life, as is currently being reported in their media. Also other European countries as well as some in the Americas are rapidly approaching the necessary numbers, and remarkable effects are being reported already. In all these countries introducing these technologies to students in schools and universities is being applied for the future well-being of their nation and the world. Article written by Veronica Hatten, author of the book "Science, Spirituality and the Future". She was Principal Flute in the BBC Midland Light Orchestra. To learn more about Veronica's book, visit: http://www.veronicahatten.com

Veronica Hatten is author of the book "Science, Spirituality and the Future". She was Principal Flute in the BBC Midland Light Orchestra. To learn more about Veronica's book, visit: http://www.veronicahatten.com

Meditations: Overcoming Those Distractions During Meditation
I was sitting in a class today talking to some of my computer training students. We discussing how to absorb the material being learned and in particular we discussed how using meditation can help in their learning process, how meditation can help them learn more effectively and more so how they could overcome any distractions that might happen during their meditation session. See distractions are not just those that happen externally to you, they also happen internally and those internal distractions are tougher to overcome than the external ones. Let me share with you some of the techniques I use to overcome those distractions during meditation … During a meditation session there are two clear types of distractions you are going to be faced with and they are - 1. External Distractions and 2. Internal Distractions External distractions come in the form of sounds, family members running in the area where you are meditating, police cars going past, earthquakes, volcanoes and many many more. That last few were a little out there, but in reality they are potential distractions. All in all the only way of trying to address these issues with external distractions is to find a location to meditate where these distractions are not going to be an issue. One of the issues of sound we will also address as an internal distraction as well. Once you start to get a sizeable experience meditating you will find sounds like planes going over, ambulances going past and the screech of breaks by cars, will affect your meditation less and less, and in fact you will actually learn to block out those noises and ignore them. However, I have to stress that it will take time before you develop those meditation skills. The number one challenge you actually face when meditating is the internal distractions you will create in your mind and these include both valid and invalid distractions. Valid distractions are those in which you really do not have a lot of control of such as pain in the knees or an itch. However, one thing you will learn as you get more experienced meditating, is that unless you have a real issue you will be able to meditate out, the pain in your knees, an itch on your head or your bottom going numb. You just get better at it as time goes on. Depending on the meditation type that you are using, you can easily move in a slow way to address the valid distraction issues I mentioned before without disrupting your meditation session. The distractions that cause most people hassle or frustration are those that are brought about from your own mind or what we call invalid distractions, for example you might be meditating and then your mind quietly starts thinking about what you are doing tomorrow or you might start thinking about spending time with the kids and so forth. When you are first trying to meditate it is natural that you become easily distracted but the worst thing you can do during a meditation session is to become angry or frustrated. If you do this, you will make meditating a lot more difficult. There are some basic things we can do to get back on track during the meditation session, the first step in dealing with a distraction, is to realize that you have been distracted. Once you have done this, take in a really deep breath, usually on its own this helps you to get focus back. Hold this deep breath for 5 counts and then slowly exhale gently as a mouse. Do this same process five times. Now if you find after this period that your mind is still distracted then the next thing you need to do to achieve focus you need to use the number meditation technique. If you find that you continue to have distractions start by visualizing in your minds eye the number one. Now, convert that number from one to a number two, then convert the number in your minds eye to the number three and continue this till you get to 100. I should add one point that you visualize the number changing on the breath out. Here is the catch though, if at any time you start to think about something else, then you just simply start back at the number one. You will find after a period of time that you are back on track and will feel relaxed and ready to move on to the meditation technique you were trying to do before you were distracted. Look the bottom line is this, if you do become distracted do not indulge the distraction or try to fight it. As the distractions occur simply follow the technique I have outlined before. When you return to a situation where you have control over your distractions then simply continue your meditation session. Essentially, be patient, as meditation takes practice and remember that it took you time to learn to crawl and then to walk and then to run and meditation is no different. Here is a point to remember, many Buddhists have taken hundreds of lives to learn the path to enlightenment, what makes you think you are going to master it in 5 minutes. To finish off, remember this, meditation is like a sport, it takes practice, practice and more practice. Meditation should be fun and enjoyable and if you are getting stressed and frustrated that your meditation is not working then it defeats the whole point of meditating.

Meditation is a great way to enhance your mind and become successful. You can use meditation to Think and Grow Rich and we have a book and audio files by Napoleon Hill that teaches you 13 secrets to becoming successful. To help you meditate on this material why not try out our High Performance Super Learning Meditation Music from our website.

Yoga and the Age of Magic and Information
The Age of Magic and Information We live in a magical universe. Every facet and function and nuance of life is miraculous, mysterious and, to use a very overused adjective these days: Awesome. We associate the term magic with sleight of hand showmen, who create entertaining illusions, clever deceptions. But real magic is the magic of reality, the magic of nature and the universe. For instance the magic of a flower, the magical transformation of a seed into a plant, then into a flowerChildren see the world as magical, and they are right, it is. Adults stop noticing the everyday miracle of life as our accumulation of facts about the world replaces the awe that once filled our hearts and minds. The child may ask, “How does a plant grow from a seed?” And we would tell the child of water and soil and sunlight, careful not to confuse him with big words like “photosynthesis” and other advanced concepts that we adults understand. We equate the viewpoint of children with the viewpoint of the uninformed and uneducated. But I wish to start off this book with a question. Do we really understand what we think we know? For instance, if I was a child and asked the question, “How does blood circulate throughout the body? You would probably answer patiently, “The heart pumps the blood throughout the body, ” charmed and seduced by my natural curiosity. However, being an inquisitive sort, I would not be satisfied by that answer, “HOW does the heart pump the blood throughout the body,” I would insist. “The heart is controlled by a part of the brain that automatically sends an electrical impulse to it,’” you would say. “How does the brain do THAT” I would ask, “and how does the brain know HOW MANY times the heart should beat” At this point you would probably be looking for a piece of candy to give me or trying to find some other way to distract me or divert my attention. Any 5 year old child can bring the curtain down quickly on our mental arrogance, on our thinking we really understand how things work. The truth is no one understands HOW these things happen. Just because we have been able to isolate and observe the areas of the brain that control autonomic functions, for instance, does not mean we understand HOW they happen. What is the origin of the electrical impulse that is sent forth from the R-Complex of the brain? From where does the spark of life originate? How does an entire plant grow from a small seed? HOW or WHY does photosynthesis work? Just because we know how to grow the plant does not mean we understand how it happens. We have observed cells and how they function, we have split atoms and recently even finished the human genome project which maps the entire human DNA sequence. Yet we have no idea why or how it happens. Life is just as great a mystery now as it has always been, in fact more so now, as we have the technology to see and comprehend how incredibly complex life is. Sub atomic particles appear, disappear then reappear and behave in ways we do not begin to understand. The ever expanding universe reveals deeper and deeper mysteries all the time. And yet even the simple miracle of a flower opening at sunrise, or fish who return to the same river to spawn or crustaceans that mate only at certain full moons every year, how do they know? How does it all work, and WHY any of it? We are more impressed by magicians, the showmen type, who seduce us with their trickery than we are in awe of the majestic natural universe. In simpler times, there was more reverence for the magic of nature. There was not as much intellectual stimulation as today. What was learned and observed was done so with great depth. There was time to ponder and encounter the truth directly, through the heart. To understand a flower, one would sit with the flower and observe it, feel it. Just like with a person, we must get to know a person through the heart and experience them in order to have a chance at understanding them. To understand the flower one must share its being with the flower and allow the flower to share its being too. Flowers are people too! If tomorrow you were to sit with a plant or a flower for a couple of hours, I bet your ideas about plants and flowers will be different than what they were beforehand. Yoga and The Vedic Sciences show the simple yet profound connection to an ancient heart centered wisdom based on direct experience of and reverence for the cycles and magic of nature. They exists beyond surface explanations and dry intellectual data that dominate our thinking and ultimately leave us feeling empty and disconnected. The type of thinking that explains a flower as the natural product of soil, water, sunlight and photosynthesis. The truth is, a flower is a mystery and a miracle to be experienced. That is only possible when our being is merged with it’s being, through communion. Wisdom is a by product of experience not of information.

Sadasiva (Sam Geppi) is a Vedic astrologer, writer and Yoga Instructor in San Francisco. He has over 20 years of Vedic Study and experience. He is a certified Vedic Astrologer and Teacher through the American College of Vedic Astrology (level 2) as well as author of "The Ascendant-108 Planets of Vedic Astrology."

Find Your Purpose, Fulfill Your Destiny
We are each being guided to fulfill our life purpose. Collectively and individually we are all following our intuition to evolve ourselves to higher levels of consciousness. You witness evidence of this inner guidance as you read these words. You are here because spirit guided you to be here. You are being invited to take that next step and fulfill your destiny. So, what is your destiny? What lies awaiting for you to realize? First you must find yourself. Connect with the part of you that knows your calling and how to fulfill the purpose of your existence. To realize your full potential you must realize your Self, you must attain Self Realization.

Everyone reading this essay is enlightened to some degree or you would not have the inclination to read this. Start by acknowledging that part of you that seeks enlightenment. Let it be clear in your own mind that you are seeking to raise your calibrated level of consciousness and attain conscious control over your mind, and feel the full profundity of God’s love as you realize the Kingdom of Heaven within you. To think we go through so much of our life ignorant of this Divine presence. It’s a wonder how we could deny the very love that sustains our own existence, but we do. We suffer out of ignorance.

When your mind realizes the true nature of your Self, the bliss is indescribable. If you are not intoxicated on God, what are you doing? Why would you choose to live a life of trials and errors when you could walk with Him? God never left, open your eyes and see. The Kingdom of Heaven lies within. In the Gospel of Thomas the apostles ask Jesus, “When will the Kingdom come?” To which Jesus replied, “It will not come by waiting for it. You cannot say that it is here, or that it is there. For the Kingdom of Heaven is spread out before man, but he sees it not.” Those that have eyes let them see.

Brothers and sisters, your destiny is to enlighten. Until to commit to this mission you are straying from your path and that might be why it seems difficult at times. When will the time come that you commit yourself whole heartedly to your enlightenment? Through Self Realization you truly do find greater prosperity, happiness and peace. Let me show you the way to find the answers that already lie within you. Let us create peace on Earth by first finding peace within ourselves. Your destiny awaits.

From the heart,
Steven S. Sadleir

Steven S. Sadleir is the Director of the Self Awareness Institute and is recognized as a Shaktipat Master in two lineages. He has developed powerful distance learning programs for people of all cultures and faiths, trained thousands of people from all over the world, and welcomes all of you who are ready for full Self-Realization. Visit http://www.SelfAwareness.com for FREE guided meditation mp3s and ebook!

Meditation is Free Medicine
Meditation for health purposes is a mind-body practice. Meditation is practiced both on its own and as a component of some other therapies, such as yoga, tai chi, and qi gong. Mindfulness meditation and the Transcendental Meditation technique (also known as TM) are two common approaches to meditation. They are also two types of meditation being studied in research projects.There are many types of meditation, most of which originated in ancient religious and spiritual traditions. Generally, a person who is meditating uses certain techniques, such as focusing attention (for example, on a word, an object, or the breath); a specific posture; and an open attitude toward distracting thoughts and emotions. Meditation can be practiced for various reasons--for example, with an intent to increase physical relaxation, mental calmness, and psychological balance; to cope with one or more diseases and conditions; and for overall wellness. The term meditation refers to a group of techniques, most of which started in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. Today, many people use meditation outside of its traditional religious or cultural settings, for health and wellness purposes. In meditation, a person learns to focus his attention and suspend the stream of thoughts that normally occupy the mind. This practice is believed to result in a state of greater physical relaxation, mental calmness, and psychological balance. Practicing meditation can change how a person relates to the flow of emotions and thoughts in the mind. Most types of meditation have four elements in common: * A quiet location. Many meditators prefer a quiet place with as few distractions as possible. This can be particularly helpful for beginners. People who have been practicing meditation for a longer period of time sometimes develop the ability to meditate in public places, like waiting rooms or buses. * A specific, comfortable posture. Depending on the type being practiced, meditation can be done while sitting, lying down, standing, walking, or in other positions. * A focus of attention. Focusing one's attention is usually a part of meditation. For example, the meditator may focus on a mantra (a specially chosen word or set of words), an object, or the breath. * An open attitude. Having an open attitude during meditation means letting distractions come and go naturally without stopping to think about them. When distracting or wandering thoughts occur, they are not suppressed; instead, the meditator gently brings attention back to the focus. In some types of meditation, the meditator learns to observe the rising and falling of thoughts and emotions as they spontaneously occur. Mindfulness meditation originated in Buddhism. It is based on the concept of being mindful, or having an increased awareness and total acceptance of the present. While meditating, the meditator is taught to bring all her attention to the sensation of the flow of the breath in and out of the body. The intent might be described as focusing attention on what is being experienced, without reacting to or judging that experience. This is seen as helping the meditator learn to experience thoughts and emotions in normal daily life with greater balance and acceptance. TM originated in the Vedic tradition in India. It is a type of meditation that uses a mantra (a word, sound, or phrase repeated silently) to prevent distracting thoughts from entering the mind. The intent of TM might be described as allowing the mind to settle into a quieter state and the body into a state of deep rest. This is seen as ultimately leading to a state of relaxed alertness. An example of mindfulness meditation would be based on this simple question, ask it of yourself, and WAIT for the answer: "I wonder what my next thought will be?" The silent pause, brief as it may be, is the desired result, and can be extended with practice. During that silence, you experience that "relaxed awareness" sometimes referred to as "comsciousness". Meditation is generally safe. There have been a small number of reports that intensive meditation could cause or worsen symptoms in people who have certain psychiatric problems. Individuals who are aware of an underlying psychiatric disorder and want to start meditation should speak with a mental health professional before doing so. For More Information on Meditation, Tai Chi, Qigong, and Reiki as a means of relieving stress and anxiety visit the author's website: http://www.starfarmtaiji.com

Laddie Sacharko retired from military life more than 10 years ago, after serving for 25 years. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, with a Masters Degree in Education Counselling. While studying, Laddie interned with drug and alchohol rehab programs, in order to understand the psychology of addiction. Laddie currently operates Starfarm Tai Chi and Qigong Search Center, where his activities are directed at helping others discover the mind-body connection, and move towards acceptence of their lives. Laddie is also the author of several articles and "e-Books and e-Manuals", which are enjoying success world-wide over the web, and publishes under the name Starfarm Publications visit http://www.starfarmtaiji.com

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