Alexander C.N., et al. Treating and preventing alcohol, nicotine, and drug abuse through Transcendental Meditation: A review and statistical meta-analysis. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 13-87, 1994.

Aron E.N. and Aron A. The patterns of reduction of drug and alcohol use among Transcendental Meditation participants. Bulletin of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors 2: 28-33, 1983.

Clements G., et al. The use of the Transcendental Meditation programme in the prevention of drug abuse and in the treatment of drug-addicted persons. Bulletin on Narcotics 40(1): 5156, 1988.

Gelderloos P., et al. Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in preventing and treating substance misuse: A review. International Journal of the Addictions 26: 293325, 1991.

Gelderloos P., et al. Effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program in preventing and treating substance misuse: A review. International Journal of the Addictions 26: 293325, 1991.

Orme-Johnson D. W. Transcendental Meditation as an epidemiological approach to drug and alcohol abuse: Theory, research, and financial impact evaluation. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 11, 119-165, 1994.

Royer A. The role of the Transcendental Meditation technique in promoting smoking cessation: A longitudinal study. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 219-236, 1994.

Shafii M. et al. Meditation and marijuana. American Journal of Psychiatry 131: 60-63, 1974.

Shafii M. et al. Meditation and the prevention of alcohol abuse. American Journal of Psychiatry 132: 942-945, 1975.

Wallace R.K. et al. Decreased drug abuse with Transcendental Meditation: A study of 1,862 subjects. In Drug Abuse: Proceedings of the International Conference, ed. Chris J.D. Zarafonetis (Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger): 369-376, 1972.

Walton K. G., and Levitsky, D.A. A neuroendocrine mechanism for the reduction of drug use and addictions by Transcendental Meditation. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly 11: 89-117, 1994.

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Transcendental Meditation (TM) Technique - Central ...

Meditation has been shown to be an effective way to wind down and get to sleepsomething that's especially useful after a harried day of work. Mindfulness techniques have been shown to improve sleep quality, fatigue and insomnia in people who have trouble sleepingpossibly by helping them relax more and let go of stress.

A body- scan meditation, demonstrated at the link below, provides a way to help you tune in to the tiny tingles, throbs and thrums that you often don't even notice. It can last anywhere from one to 20 minutes, and it's easy to do while lying in beda perfect precursor to sleep. Here's how to do it: lie down or sit still in a chair with your eyes closed, and begin to take inventory of the sensations in each part of your body , starting at your toes and traveling up from there.

Jon Kabat-Zinn , a leader of modern mindfulness research and professor emeritus of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, says it's a good way for people to release tension they don't even realize they're experiencing.

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This Quick Meditation Helps You Let Go of Stress and Sleep - TIME

[Gong]

Silence. No movement. No stress. No worries. Just Silence.

My eyes are closed. I listen to the rain on the roof. A car passes by.

[Gong]

I hear the wind in the trees. Why are my shoulders shrugged? Relax them.

[Gong]

30 minutes of silence have passed, and the students of UNDs Qi Gong class is continuing their practice of mediation.

Every Monday at 4:45 p.m., this group of meditators gather at the Lotus Meditation Center just across the street from the Memorial Union. Some of those involved are university faculty, employees and students. Open to all; free from cost and stress.

Janet Rex normally leads the class and she says the almost two-hour session helps participants relax both physically and psychologically.

Its working with life-force energy, so youre working energy in your body, Rex said. The exercises are really good, because you really can feel the energy. It just improves the flow.

Physically, the exercises are meant to relax the muscles and regain and control the energy of the body. The first 45 minutes of the class consists of these physical exercises. The class follows along to a video specializing in Qi Gong meditation.

Qi Gong goes against the natural flow of society, according to the video played during the class. Try to find that balance in physical relaxation, mental vitality and emotional tranquility.

The instructors of the course try to reflect on these teachings and apply them to daily life.

The important thing with the mediation is that we are putting some focus on the body, Rex said. So often in life were not even noticing we have a body. So we want to be very present in our life; we want to notice our body present in the world.

When the physical exercises are complete, participants sit around a circle either on benches or on pillows and practice half an hour of mindful meditation in silence. Rex said she reminds the class to have a relaxed posture and to focus on the breath.

Youre not trying to control thoughts in a way thats harsh. Just say let those thoughts go by and return to the breath, Rex said. That helps to deepen concentration and it works within mindfulness and meditation.

The sound of the gong indicates the beginning and end of this section of the meditation.

The third and final segment of the night is a book circle where the class reflects on a book normally about mindfulness and mediation.

Qi Gong is more associated with Daoism where the silent mediation is more associated with Buddhism. With these two ideologies influencing the practice of the class, the books switch between the two.

The book the class is discussing now is called Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness, which is a Buddhist teaching.

The origins of the class go back to Tamar Reed, a former UND music professor. Rex said Reed was getting more into meditation for herself, but later realized the university could benefit from free sessions on mediation. She had been an instructor for the course, but has given the role to other members as of late.

So she put up the money to build the Lotus Meditation Center, so thats why we have it, Rex said.

While the class may seem small, the group does more than one may expect. The group has a regular following of participants who not only join for the Monday night session, but they also join the Wednesday noon classes that are only half an hour.

On top of the regular weekly classes, there are also weekend retreats that the class organizes. These retreats include speakers from the larger Midwest cities and Canada.

These classes are free and open to anyone who wishes to participate. While, for now, they meet in the Lotus Meditation Center, they are looking to move into the basement of Swanson Hall in the not too distant future.

[Gong]

Jacob Notermann is a staff writer for the Dakota Student. He can be reached atjacob.notermann@und.edu

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Necessary Meditation - UND The Dakota Student

Meditation is practiced by almost every religion in the world. Many people meditate in the mornings to clear their mind before going to work. Meditation only works if you truly believe in it without a doubt. There are different types of meditation and can be split into 3 categories. These categories are determined by the way you choose to meditate or the type of meditation you do, focused attention, open monitoring and effortless presence.

According to live and dare blog by Giovanni Diestmann, Im passionate about helping people develop greater self-awareness and mastery over their mind and life. This is the motivation behind this blog. I think its a great source if you are just beginning your spiritual journey. This site offers general knowledge of meditation in a variety of practices learned from masters and teachers alike overtime. This blog offers help if you need more guidance while experimenting with these practices. One of the practices that worked for me were Metta meditation, or the loving kindness meditation this comes from Buddhist traditions, more specifically Tibetan and Theravada lineages. Mett means benevolence, loving-kindness, friendliness, amity, good will, and active interest in others. It is the first of the four sublime states, and one of the ten prams from the Theravda school of Buddhism. To practice this form of meditation you must relax preferably in a meditation position. Close your eyes and imagine whole hearted feelings of kindness and benevolence. First to ones self, then towards others, and finally to the universe.

By practicing this form of meditation Mathieu Richardss has reached the largest capacity for happiness ever recorded. According to the Daily mail Neuroscientist Richard Davidson wired up the monks skull with 256 sensors at the University of Wisconsin as part of research on hundreds of advanced practitioners of meditation. The scans showed that when meditating on compassion, Ricards brain produces a level of gamma waves, linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory. According to Davidson The scans also showed excessive activity in his brains left prefrontal cortex compared to its right counterpart, giving him an abnormally large capacity for happiness and a reduced propensity towards negativity, researchers believe.

Meditation is one way you can escape all your problems and be peaceful in that moment. Through these practices I have grown spiritually and mentally healthy. I also learned to take the time needed to focus on what is important in life rather than the petty little things that often consume your thoughts.

More:

Meditation and Preparing for Final Exams - The South Texan

Businessman sitting in lotus positionNeil Webb/Getty Images/Ikon Images

The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Todays answer to the question, What's your morning routine before going to work? is written by Doug Randall, CEO of Protagonist .

My alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m. every morning. Needless to say, some days it is more welcome than others. Running a business (and a family, along with my wife) usually means that as soon as Im conscious, theres something on my mind.

Ive spent the past 15 years instilling a meditation and yoga practice, and its played a major role in helping me stay grounded as my company continues to grow. Every morning, I go to my rooftop or garden to meditate for about 25 minutes. I dont use a guided meditation, but rather try to reach complete stillness.

Meditation isnt an uncommon pastime amongst modern businesspeople, but I think many miss the purpose. When I meditate, Im not trying to force myself to be peaceful if I dont feel like Im at peace. Im quieting my mind so that I have room to understand more about whats going on beneath the surface. I think many executives make the mistake of envisioning an outcome and then trying to force it into reality at all costs. But successful leadership in todays world is more about listening and moving with the flow. I make an active effort to break out of that cycle, by breathing and bringing my focus outside myself.

There are some days when I dont feel that I can meditate successfullyI might be too angry, anxious, or upset. On those days, I lean into the emotion. If a feeling is pervasive enough to keep me from my meditation, then I want to understand it. That means that if Im not meditating, maybe Im boxing with a punching bag. Its not quite as zen as engaging in my practice, but its a lot more honest. Ive found the best way to get past anger, stress, or any of those other negative emotions is to feel them completely.

I bring a pragmatic approach to my meditation and yoga practice, and I truly believe that they make me a more consistent and reliable leader. Starting off my day by really checking in with myself gives me a foundation for confident decision-making moving forward. I identify the lens through which Im making business decisions, and can take that into account as new situations arise. The same framework helps me empathize with my employees and customers choices.

By the time I finish my meditation (or, occasionally, my boxing), I feel centered and ready for the day. This is the time for me to shower, check email, and temporarily tap back into the reality of the hours ahead.

By about 7 a.m., Im wrapping up my morning routine at home by having breakfast with my familyone last bit of calm before I head into the office. I take time to connect with my kids over breakfast every morning, which is extremely important to me. Its easy to push quality time with loved ones to the side, especially if Im entering into an especially hectic day, but Ive found that work that needs to be done at 7:30 a.m. can generally still get done at 8 a.m. Being fully present with my kids grounds me in a different way; it keeps me connected to values like generosity and joy that I try to bring to work every day.

A persons morning routine sets the tone for the rest of their day. I put such a heavy emphasis on mine because I want to be a consistently thoughtful, decisive, reliable, and happy leader.

Excerpt from:

Why Most Executives Miss the Point of Meditation - Fortune

Molly Rockey, Special to the Star Published 11:38 p.m. PT April 27, 2017 | Updated 5 hours ago

Meditation can take many forms, but is generally seen as beneficial. Wochit

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You're not alone if you have a hard time finding a moment to meditate. But all hope is not lost. Wochit

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The Dalai Lama shares how he manages to keep up his meditation habit after all these years. Wochit

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Here are some tips on how to maintain the meditation habit. Wochit

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Video: What are the benefits of meditation?

Video: How to maintain the meditation habit

Video: Dalai Lama's meditation tips

Video: How to carve out time for meditation

Contributed photo/Forrest Frields Photography Molly Rockey of Newbury Park, the spiritual leader of Unity of the Oaks Church in Thousand Oaks.

Its 5:30 in the morning, and Im sitting at a window facing east.

The sky is brightening. The birds are beginning to stir.

I see the sky burst red, pink and orange. I sit and breathe and watch.

I put on a meditation from an app on my smartphone called Insight Timer.

The soothing voice of spiritual teacher Michael Stone begins a meditation by guiding me into a relaxed, comfortable sitting position and conscious awareness of the flow of my breath, in and out, in and out.

For 30 minutes, the sky displays its magnificence, and I gently move into stillness, peace and the day ahead.

Meditation is practiced around the world by a global community of people who meditate for a thousand different reasons.

Some are working to heal heart and blood pressure conditions, while others are seeking release of anxiety and stress.

Others love making a connection to a sense of transcendental interconnectedness.

Many people simply wish to deepen their inner peace and express gratitude for their blessings in a profoundly relaxed experience.

In Hinduism, Vedic teachings state that the universal divine self resides within your heart, and the way to recognize divinity is to focus your attention inwardly in a process of contemplative meditation.

In the Jewish tradition, students of the Kabbalah meditate in order to transform their basic inner nature with the fundamental external nature by internalizing symbols and gradually absorbing their characteristics.

In the Christian scriptures, we are encouraged by the Apostle Paul to focus our attention on whatever is true, right, honorable, pure, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy.

Within Islam, a goal of meditation in Sufi practice is to prevent the mind from wandering, as the heart focuses on God. Spoken words in prayers, chants and singing actively entreat God through repetition of the holy names.

There are many forms and traditions of meditation, but the essence of meditative practice often includes five main things:

Sitting: Find a quiet placewithout interruptions. Sit in a comfortable but supportive chair. Make it a practice to sit in the same place at the about the same time each day for about 20 minutes.

Music or object: Relaxing music or a flower or scented candle to focus on can assist.

Breathe and relax: Take several deep, slow breaths. Relax your neck and shoulders, back and hips, legs and feet.

Image: Visualize a calming scene. Many people see aspects of nature, such as the surf rolling in and out at a peaceful beach or sense a stream in a beautiful forest.

Specific religious aspects: There are so many possibilities. The meditator could emphasize gratitude to God, affirmations to the divine source of all good or prayers for blessings sought for the meditator or for others.

Whatever your reason for meditating or style of meditation, make the goal to open your heart, clear your mind and rest your body.

Let this be a time to be intimate and gentle with yourself.

Know that it matters to the world that we are learning to calm and make peace within ourselves.

The Dalai Lama said, If every 8-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.

Let peace begin with me.

The Rev. Molly Rockey is the spiritual leader of Unity of the Oaks in Thousand Oaks. To find out more, you can visit http://www.unityoftheoaks.org or call 496-6901. Rockey is a member ofthe Conejo Valley Interfaith Association, which meets monthly and welcomes clergy and representatives of all faiths.

Read or Share this story: http://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2017/04/28/interfaith-meditation-practiced-around-world/101004184/

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Interfaith: Meditation practiced around the world - Ventura County Star

Do you know the basics of meditation? How do you know if you are on the right track with your practice? Jane Fox, LCSWand more at a free spiritual workshop at Medford Leas on May 10 from 10 to 11 a.m.

Among the topics Fox will cover are the essential factors for meditation, keeping beginners mind long after the beginning, helpful ethical practices, and growing patience and self-kindness when meditating. Fox said that the session is appropriate for both beginners and those familiar with meditation and will include at least two guided meditations.

Fox has been meditating for about 35 years and teaching meditation for more than 20 years.

While there is no fee for this lecture, registration is required by May 5. For a full listing of lectures and programs, or to register for a program, go to medfordleas.org or call 609-654-3588. E-mail registrations or questions to pathways@medfordleas.net

Fox is a psychotherapist at the Temenos Center for Psychotherapy and Personal Growth in Moorestown.

Medford Leas is a nationally accredited not-for-profit community, guided by Quaker principals, for those who are 55 and older, with two campuses. The Medford Campus is at 1 Medford Leas Way and the Lumberton Campus is at 180 Woodside Drive.

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Learn to practice happiness through meditation - Burlington County Times

On Wednesday, April 21, Professor of Psychology Rick Braaten discussed the relationship between meditation and wellness. Braaten first began by discussing the evolution of the mind. He explained that humans have had to adapt in the way they think about the past and present, language and symbols and their thoughts in relation to others. However, he also noted that humans have a wandering mind, which facilitates many negative thoughts, such as avarice, fear, pain and selfishness.

After discussing the human mind, Braaten shifted the focus of his talk to meditation. He explained that meditation has three main components: posture, breath and mind. Braaten described ones posture as relaxed and straight and ones mind as solely focused on his attention to breathing.

If something comes into the mind, you must go back to the attention to breath, Braaten said.

Because of the intense attention to breath, Braaten described the close relationship between mindfulness and meditation, as one must stay focused and becomes aware of the minds activities.

Braaten prefaced his discussion with the statement meditation can cure all of our problems. He elaborated more on this in his empirical explanation between mediation and wellness. He explained alterations that have taken place and immune systems of those who meditate. Additionally, some studies have shown that meditation activates parts of the brain that create feelings of contentment among certain individuals.

Braaten concluded his talk by giving the reasons mediation works for conditioning, exposure, insight and nonattachment. While exposure exposes one to unpleasant states that often reduces their effects after a period of time, insight gives individuals an understanding of their feelings. Braaten also explained that nonattachment provides the opportunity for bare attachment and the ability to set aside any preferences or discriminations. Braatens final word of advice was that one must practice to learn meditation. He emphasized that one must experience it rather than just learn about it.

Sophomore Belle Banta attended the lecture to learn more about meditation and its effects.

I was very intrigued by the relationship between meditation and contentment, Banta said. While I have only meditated a couple times, I am definitely going to do so more often after hearing its effects on wellness.

Excerpt from:

Braaten Discusses the Benefits of Mindful Meditation - The Colgate Maroon-News

Meditationprovides investors with many benefits. Below are meditation tips from the newly releasedMeditation Guide for Investment Professionals, the full version of which isavailable online for CFA Institute members.

In focused awarenessmeditation, also known as Zen, practitioners concentrate on one object. The object can be the breath, a candle flame, a white wall, the repetition of a word, a series of words or mantra etc. When awareness inevitably strays, meditators return their focus to that object.

In previous articles in this series, I shared general meditation tips and described theopen-monitoringform of meditation, which hones our natural state of consciousness known as metacognition, or the awareness of awareness itself.

Focused awareness has much in common with open-monitoring, so some confusion is understandable. But these two forms of meditation are really two sides of the same coin. Open-monitoring practitioners notice the thoughts that come into awareness. They do not scrutinize them but let them pass out of awareness. They then return to being open, aware, and non-attached.

Focused awareness meditators have a singular point of attention. They ignore distractions when they arise and refocus back on the object at the center of the meditation.

Focused Awareness Meditation

What It Is: Focused awareness meditation trains a natural capability of mental functioning: top-down control. What is top-down control? Its our capacity to choose what to think and when to think it. For many of us, top-down control is far removed from our normal, waking state of consciousness wherein random thoughts enter and exit our minds. Some of these thoughts come fully formed, but most are bits and pieces of other thoughts. Focused-awareness seeks to eradicate this noise. In a world that demands intense mental concentration and clarity from investment professionals, focused awareness is critical.

Science has identified four or five major forms of meditation. The fifth form is known as automatic self-transcending among its adherents and some researchers. Transcendental meditation is one variety of this form. Like focused awareness, automatic self-transcending requires practitioners to focus on a single thing, in this instance, a word or series of words a mantra.

Some emerging neuroscientific research demonstrates that automatic self-transcending has distinct effects on practitioners. Specifically, it engages the parts of the brain associated with verbal and motor skills. For our purposes, however, in keeping with other researchers work, we classify automatic self-transcending as a sub-form of focused awareness.

Benefits

Focused awareness meditation relieves stress and improves thinking. Experienced focused awareness meditators have better control over their attention: Their minds wander less, and they can choose when and how to think.

Steps

Focused awareness requires the most mental discipline of all the meditation styles. Its practitioners emphasize how critical technique is to achieving the intended goal of disciplined focus.

Below are steps for a generalized focused awareness meditation using breath as the singular object. For convenience, read the steps into your smartphones Voice Notes function so you can control the pacing and duration of your meditation.

Can focus on any activity lead to a meditative state? Yes, it can. Many experienced meditators find that certain pursuits that concentrate their attention on something simple household chores, exercise, or creating art, for example can also result in meditative states. What distinguishes meditation is that the meditative state is an outgrowth of the accompanying activity. In meditation, the activity is designed specifically to develop awareness and mental focus.

If you have experiences with focused awareness meditation, share them in the comments section below.

If you are a CFA Institute member and would like more information or support about meditation, then join our LinkedIn CFA Institute Members Meditation Group.

If you liked this post, dont forget to subscribe to the Enterprising Investor.

All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the authors employer.

Image credit: Getty Images/Kaligraf

Original post:

Meditation Tips for Investment Professionals: Focused Awareness - CFA Institute Enterprising Investor (blog)

If you looked at a photo of Russell Simmons 35 years ago, the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings says he looked like he was on the verge of death.

"I ate animal product. I did a lot of stuff that was, you know, hurtful to me ... I did drugs," Simmons told ABC News' Dan Harris during his "10% Happier" podcast. "Angel dust, I smoked a lot of that ... It was not very good."

Today, at 59, Simmons lives a completely different lifestyle. The philanthropist, entrepreneur, author and activist practices yoga and meditates twice a day and is a devoted vegan.

Simmons had his first experience with stillness at a yoga class -- which he fully admits he only attended at first for the girls.

"I went to class because of a lot of hot chicks. It's true," Simmons said. "It just got me from moving meditation to sitting meditation to reading scripture."

Through yoga, Simmons said he became more present and awake. From there, he moved on to practicing Transcendental Meditation.

For 20 minutes twice every day, Simmons meditates, repeating his mantra silently in his head.

"You have to learn to love yourself enough to take care of yourself," Simmons said of his lifestyle change. "Sometimes if you're lucky you get a chance to change your life."

Some of Simmons' own friends weren't so lucky. "Some are dead, some are in jail, and some survived. Most of the dead and in jail, so Im very lucky, he said.

Still, there are days Simmons says he does still struggle.

"I mean, I still carry a lot of it," he said. "I'm not enlightened. I struggle all the time, but you know, I know better."

Music, especially hip-hop, has always been at the core of Simmons' life. He says he believe yoga and music go hand-in-hand.

"Music artists always operate from the inside out especially the writers, these poets. They operate from an inside and that's what we're all seeking," Simmons explained. "Yoga is the science of quieting the mind. Anyone knows a little bit about it knows it goes right along with any artistry because artists have to operate from a quiet mind. They have to have these seconds of presence because no creativity ever happens unless the mind is still."

The practice of meditation has also been beneficial to helping him maintain success in his personal business and philanthropic endeavors.

"You want to operate from a place of needing nothing," he said.

Subscribe and listen to the "10% Happier" podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, TuneIn, on ABC Radio podcasts and under the "Listen" tab on the ABC News app.

Simmons has written several books about how hes improved his life through meditation and veganism. And two of the books included forewords written by President Donald Trump.

Trump and Simmons were good friends, Simmons said. According to Simmons, Trump had even flown Simmons and his brother Joseph "Reverend Run" Simmons to the Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida several times.

"Donald is fine," Simmons said. "He's a good friend, is very nice. He was very supportive of me in many ways and very nice to my family."

He added, "I get along with pretty much everybody ... I get along with Roger Ailes. I got along with Rupert Murdoch."

But Simmons said he and Trump haven't spoken since Trump ran for president and Simmons remarked that he'd "rather Kim Kardashian be president."

Simmons said that while he liked Trump as a friend, he dislikes him as a president.

"I don't like the choices he's made and like the people he's chosen to put in different positions," he said. "I don't like the agenda to empower the rich and cut off access to services to the poor. I don't like the war mongering. I don't like the treatment of the environment ... A lot of what he's saying -- it's so hurtful. It's unbelievable that Americans support it."

Simmons has worked to bring the practice of meditation to others, especially to schools in violent cities.

"In the most violent schools, we're turning around the level of violence. [Its gone] down dramatically," Simmons said. "Kids' ability to learn goes up dramatically, you know. So there's a lot of benefits to giving meditation to schools."

He also opened his school of yoga science, Tantris Yoga Studio, in Los Angeles, where mantra-based meditation is taught.

And if people don't know how to meditate, Simmons also provides a free mantra through his app, Meditation Made Simple.

"People should learn this compassionate practice so that it can be more than just the physical practice," he said.

Subscribe and listen to the "10% Happier" podcast on iTunes, Google Play Music, TuneIn, on ABC Radio podcasts and under the "Listen" tab on the ABC News app.

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Russell Simmons on how meditation changed his life, his ... - ABC News