February is Heart Health Month. While a heart-healthy diet like the Ornish Diet and daily exercise are the most important steps we can take to support cardiovascular health, adopting a daily meditation practice has also been shown to be very helpful. When a healthy lifestyle is suggested, we usually think of watching what we eat and becoming more active, but we tend to think that there is not much we can do to reduce our daily stress levels.

Excess stress may promote a heightened inflammatory response, which could in turn negatively affect the cardiovascular system. We all know that high-stress situations can cause an increase in blood pressure. Compounding a not-so-great diet with heightened stress levels may eventually lead to a chronic condition.

Removing the stressors sounds like the easiest and most effective plan of attack, but many of our daily stressors are things that are not so easy to remove. Over time, the little things can add up, like running late to work, being behind schedule on a task or helping the kids with their homework. Before we know it, we are worked up and stressed out and sometimes may not even remember why. Many doctors recommend stress-reducing techniques and many are suggesting a daily meditation.

A daily meditation practice for as little as five to 10 minutes can be a great way to take a step back from our stressors and racing thoughts. Many people think that meditation is an impossible task of stopping our thoughts or trying not to think. That is not the case. Trying to clear the mind can actually lead to more stress when we get frustrated that we can't do it. I think of meditation as stepping back and watching our thoughts. With time, we can develop a tiny amount of time between our thoughts to decide if or how we react.

Try this. Sit down and get comfortable. Now count every in and out breath until you get to 10, then start back at one. If you get distracted by a thought, no big deal. Start back at one. If you make it to 10 without getting distracted by a thought, good job. Now start back at 10. Using this practice for five to 10 minutes once or twice a day may just be the way to change how you relate to stressors and help you keep your stress levels in check.

Travis Lemon is a certified herbalist at Healthy Life Market who has worked in the natural health and wellness industry for more than 12 years. He can be contacted at travislemonmh@gmail.com.

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Travis Lemon: Calm your heart with meditation | Features ... - Huntington Herald Dispatch

Hakuins Song of Zazen

All beings by nature are Buddha, as ice by nature is water; How sad that people ignore the near, and search for truth afar, Like someone in the midst of water crying out in thirst, Like a child of a wealthy home wandering among the poor. Apart from water there is no ice, apart from beings, no Buddha. Lost on dark paths of ignorance, We wander through the six worlds, from dark path to dark path. When shall we be freed from birth and death? Oh, the zazen of the Mahayana! To this the highest praise! Devotion, repentance, training, the many paramitas, All have their source in zazen. Those who try zazen even once wipe away beginningless crimes; Where are all the dark paths then? The Pure Land itself is near. Those who hear this truth even once, and listen with a grateful heart, Treasuring it, revering it, gain blessings without end. Much more, those who turn about, and bear witness to self-nature Self-nature that is no naturego far beyond mere doctrine. Here effect and cause are the same; The Way is neither two nor three; With form that is no form, going and coming, we are never astray; With thought that is no thought, Singing and dancing are the voice of the Law. How boundless and free is the sky of samadhi! How bright the full moon of wisdom! Truly is anything missing now? Nirvana is right here, before our eyes. This very place is the Lotus Land; This very body, the Buddha.

(translated by Norman Waddell)

The ReverendJiun Josh Bartok, a long time student of Zen, my dharma successor, and guiding teacher of the Greater Boston Zen Center, is seen by many as one of the rising stars of the younger generation of Western Zen teachers recently gave a wonderful talk on the practice of Zen meditation. I recommend it to anyone interested in the Zen life, meditation, or, just for a pointer or two on how to meet this life were given. The talk itself runs twenty-five or twenty-six minutes. It is followed by another twenty or so minutes of dharma dialogue, which is also worth listening to.

The Mechanics of Zazen.

Interesting?

Well, I think so. The path of Endarkenment. The great way of our lives plainly presented for our consideration. Nothing less.

At no extra charge, for further reading on the Zen way heres a pretty comprehensive bibliography compiled out of my forthcoming book on Zen meditation and the Zen life.

And, finally a lovely little video on the mechanics of Zen meditation. It misses some posture possibilities and makes some categorical statements Id present differently, but, nonetheless worth watching.

Read this article:

A Song of Endarkenment: Zen Teacher Josh Bartok on Zen Meditation - Patheos (blog)

Your heart is a muscle, and just like any other, you have to work it out to keep it strong. (And by that, we don't mean heart rate-boosting cardio, though that helps too.)

Whether you're "training" your heart for romantic love, #selflove, or food love, he best way to flex those heart-warming muscles is with meditation. (And if food-love is your jam, this guide on how to eat mindfully is key.)

Though there are several different types of meditation, this open-heart practice utilizes mindfulness meditation, which is all about focusing on the physical sensation of the breath, says Lodro Rinzler, author ofLove Hurts: Buddhist Advice for the Heartbroken andco-founder of MNDFL, a meditation studio in New York City. "It's all about coming back, over and over again, to the present moment." (Here's why everyone is hyped up about mindfulness.)

This practice is beneficial to all the relationships in your lifeeven those that fly under the radar. Open-heart and loving-kindness meditations can help you develop vulnerability, patience, and empathy, and have a humanizing effect on everyone you cross paths with, says Patricia Karpas, founder of the Meditation Studio app. (Check out these 17 other magical health benefits of meditation.)

The more you train your mindfulness, the more you're able to show up for all the people in your lifeand befully present and authentic when you're with them (whether that's a first date, dinner with our long-time spouse, or at work with a complete stranger), says Rinzler. "It's a bit like taking the heart to the gym; you experiment with opening our heart to people you like, people you don't know very well, and even people you don't get along with."

And while it has benefits for your everyday life, this kind ofmeditation can help you prep for big moments, toolike having difficult conversations or surviving a fightsays Karpas. "An open-hearted conversation sometimes means just radically accepting another's point of view and moving on." (Kind of like when you're sitting at the dinner table with your uncle who is a "yuuuge" Trump supporter.)

Here, Rinzler guides you through an open-heart meditation that not only explores your relationship with someone you love, but also with someone you may have a conflict withwhether that's an ex, a family member, or a boss you butt heads with on the regular. (Need some auditory guidance? Try the audio below for an Opening the Heart meditation by Elisha Goldstein and the Meditation Studio app.)

1. Take three deep breaths. In through the nose and out through the mouth.

2. Bring to mind the image of someone you love dearly. Make it visceralthink about how they normally dress, the way they smile, and the way they do their hair; all aspects about him or her.

3. Soften your heart toward this person and repeat a simple aspiration: "May you enjoy happiness and be free from suffering." As you repeat this phrase, you might contemplate, "What does that look like for this person?" "What would make him or him happy today?" Keep coming back to the aspiration itself, and at the end of five minutes let the visualization dissolve.

4. Bring to mind the image of someone you don't necessarily get along with. Sit with that image for a minute, letting judgmental thoughts go. Then begin to list positive things that this person desires. At the end of each thing, add three magic words: "just like me." For example: "Sam wants to be happy...just like me." or "Sam wants to feel desired...just like me." Hopefully that will illicit some form of empathy for this person.

5. Then, move on to other areas that might be less easy to accept: "Sam lies at times...just like me," or "Sam was totally arrogant...just like me," or "Sam slept with someone he shouldn't have...just like me." Maybe you haven't been arrogant for weeks or slept with someone inappropriate in years. But if you've ever done these thingsor something else you aren't necessarily proud of, just own that fact for a moment. Sit with it. After a few minutes of contemplating ways that this person is just like you, drop the contemplation, raise your gaze toward the horizon, and rest your mind. Rest with whatever feelings have emerged. (Need to let out some anger? Try this NSFW anger meditation that makes it okay for your mind to have zero filter.)

If you're just learning how to meditate, it might take some practice to calm your mind and focus on just one thing (because, let's be honest, our brains usually have about 10,000 tabs open). But the best part is that you literally can't do meditation wrong. According to Rinzler, the only possible mistake you can make is "judging yourself harshly. That's it."

Continue reading here:

How to Meditate for an Open Heart - Shape Magazine

Ideal For: Students struggling with schoolwork or are having trouble focusing, who cant find an easy solution to escaping negative thoughts, and who like to be reminded to take a Mindful Moment by a pop-up notification on their phone.

Philosophy: Its easy to get overwhelmed with never-ending homework deadlines, tests, extracurricular activities, friendships, a complicated love life and other drama. When youre overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious on a regular basis, its hard to keep your head up and become your best in school and with the people around you.You dont need to struggle to meditate for 10-30 minutes every day; the consistency of a 3-5 minute practice is more important than the length of any practice.

Favorite Features: Aura sends you 3-minute meditations every day so you can clear your mind, create peace, and find comfort and confidence in yourself, free from stress, anxiety, and sadness. It also helps you take mindful breathing breaks for just a few seconds throughout the dayyou can set it for the frequency of your choice.

Whats Free & Whatll Cost You: 3-minute meditations, mindful breathing exercises and reminders, an unguided meditation timer with nature sounds, a gratitude journal, a list of daily goals list, Google calendar integration, and intelligent meditation personalization, which means that Auralearns your preferences. Premium is $11.99 per month ($7.92 per month if you choose an annual subscription) and gives you unlimited access to over 200 meditations, customized meditations based on mood tracking after check-in, as well as the option for longer, seven-minute meditations.

From the Founder: Teenage years are full of soul-searching, finding out who you are and what you stand for in this world. WithAura, you can make meditating a habit and learn more about yourself every day. Having the ability to focus on yourself and the present moment gives you the power to understand your identity, and in turn, build self-confidence and security. Become an even better person, friend, and student by understanding who you are and being comfortable with your mind and body. Daniel Lee, Co-Founder

Ideal For: The visualizers the insomniacs, those who like the structure of working a 7-day program.

Philosophy: In our accelerated, always-on culture, weve forgottenhow to just be calm, but it's a very valuable state of mind for many reasons, and we need to figure out how to bring ourselves back to that.

Favorite Features: Calm features special Sleep Stories, (because, hey, youre never too old for a good bedtime story), 7-Day programs for specifics like Loving Kindness, Gratitude and Self-Esteem, (everyone knows daily practice makes perfect) and the Breathe Bubble that guides your breath from inhale to exhale. Also, really pretty videos of nature-scapes with calming sounds as the backdrop to their home screen and meditation experiences.

Whats Free & Whatll Cost You: The 7 Days of Calm guided meditation program, Body Scan Meditation, timed meditation, Loving Kindness meditation, Breathe Bubble and three sleep stories. Also, the app is 100% free for every K-12 teacher on earthnice! For additional guided meditations, 7-Day programs and sleep stories, its $12.99 a month or $59.99 for the year.

From the Founder: Once we notice what the mind is doing, we have the opportunity to pull ourselves away from distractions and back to our focus. And for that first millisecond that we notice weve drifted away, we can observe what the mind is doing. Perhaps were worrying about something later that day, perhaps were ruminating about a past conversation. Regardless of whats pulled us away from the breath and broken our concentration, the act of noticing allows us to return.

Ideal For: The New-Age girl who is new to meditation and likes a lot of guidance.

Philosophy: INSCAPE was created for those who are seeking balance, calmness, and overall health. It's the same if you are going to a cardio class or a yoga session: you have to dedicate yourself to being healthy, and the same goes for meditation.

Favorite Features: Sleep library and sound baths, futuristic and carefully curated soothing sounds that accompany detailed guided meditations that get very specific when it comes to what to focus on and how to guide your breath. When you open the app each day, Todays Inscapes, a curated list of five different suggested meditations for morning, afternoon, evening, and late night.

Whats Free & Whatll Cost You: The app is free to download and certain parts of the content library are unlocked, including a focus, mindfulness and mantra series, a new session each afternoon and a dream journey.To access the library of over 200 meditation sessions, the cost is $12.99 per month or $89.99 per year.

From the Founder: Research shows people have an average of 50 thoughts a minute. So, even if youre calming your mind down to 40, youre doing great. We were very thoughtful about the design, and how it had to be easy to use, beautiful, and accessible. We know your life is busy and theres pressure of school, sports, social life,working towards college, so meditation shouldnt feel like another to-do, it should be more of an empowering experience. Khajak Keledjian

Ideal For: The girl who has a variety of very specific needs and not a lot of free time.

Philosophy: Mindfulness meditation practice does more than simply help you regulate your emotions and attention; it also can impact your thinking. These meditations are designed for dozens of different situations and moods so you can find meditations for just about any moment and any feeling. Top meditation teachers from around the world contribute to the apps five-minute tracks, which make daily meditation accessible and doable.

Favorite Features: Simple Habit features super-specific meditations like getting ready for a test, interview, or public speaking, your commute home (on the bus, train, or car are all options you can select from) taking a break (specifically, taking a bath, a work break, or eating lunch) or even dealing with PMS. The meditations are also pretty short and sweet.

Whats Free: & Whatll Cost You: The app is free to download, and offersseveral months worth of free content such as On-The Go meditations, Study Break Boost, and Deep Sleep. Access to additional meditations such as Self-Love, Relieving Pain, and others are $11.99 a month, $99.99 a year, or, if you fall in love, $299.99 for alifetime.

From the Founder: One of the biggest obstacles for teens is that they feel like they dont have time to meditate or they don't know how. Studies show that brief meditation, even if it is just a few minutes, if practiced consistently, can have powerful benefits within a few weeks. Research has shown that mindfulness can not only reduce stress but also boost focus and creativity.Yunha Kim

Ideal For: Those who need help managing the stress of school or finals, coping with a breakup or a loss, dealing with anxiety or depression, and who want to use the app in combination with other therapies. It is also ideal for those who like to check-in, as there are dozens of different moods and states of mind to check in with before you start.

Philosophy: Stop, Breathe, Think allows you to chart how you are doing mentally, physically, and emotionally, then suggests meditations that will reinforce the positive. The app was actually initially created with teens in mind, surfacing out of a collaboration with through nonprofit Tools For Peace, where it was found that teens had a hard time going straight into meditation directly from class or extracurricular activities. So, each session started with a check-in, giving everyone the chance to reset. By recognizing and labeling emotions first, teens got one step closer to being present for the mindful or meditative activity, effectively bringing attention from out in the world to focusing inward.

Favorite Features: When you check in, the app recommends meditations personalized to how you are feeling. Theres a great Walking Meditation, Drop the Storyline (detaching from thoughts about something your anxious or worried about) Body Scan, and even yoga videos. It also takes you through the basics of mindfulness through its Learn to Meditate feature.

Whats Free: and Whatll Cost You: The ability to check-in emotionally and get recommendations for guided meditations, access to over 20 guided meditations, sticker rewards for progress, tracking your meditation streak, measuring your mental and physical state over time, a basic meditation timer, and yoga and acupressure videos for stress are all free. If you want to add additional guided meditations, its $4.99 a month or $41.99 a year for iOS, and for Android, there are three in-app packages between $0.99 and $2.99 that give access to 10 additional guided meditations.

Words From the Founder: Our goal is to continue to build on this personalized emotions based approach, to help everyone to gain insight into their mood, understand what impacts it overtime; and try recommended activities that support their resilience and ability to manage their emotions. Our users under 24, especially women, report the lowest mental state, with stress and anxiety as the top emotions chosen in the check in. We have over 6 million emotional check-ins to date, which gives us incredible data that we use to improve the app and make it even more helpful and effective for each individual user. Jamie Price, Co-Founder

Ideal For: The spiritualist, the nature lover, the girl who embraces a Wholistic approach to life.

Philosophy: Akasha is built around the five natural elements, each representing an area of your life: Fire represents the role of Love and Desire; Earth represents Success and Accomplishment; Water represents Flow and Productivity; Earth represents Harmony and Balance; Wood represents Innovation and Creativity. All of these areas interconnect, so the app integrates a way for you to work with yourself to help create the kind of life that you want.

Favorite Features: There is a short lesson and a meditation for each element and meditation within that element. Also, they have teenage girls covered. Theres the Hurt Love module, which explains why each of us has been hurt and how to love ourselves, Transforming Heartache into strength, and meditations for defining what success means to you, and how to stop being so self-critical.

Whats Free and Whatll Cost You: Free to download and experience one free track, Hurt Love: in Fire Element, one-time fee of $3.99 for access to everything else.

Words From the Founder: Stop holding yourself back, learn how to use concerns about yourself to be supportive to yourself.Transform your inner critic into your inner advisor and work with yourself, not against yourself. Tina Chadda, MD.

Ideal For: The music lover, the sound mixer, the aspiring DJ, the big kid who misses lullabies.

Philosophy: The ability to easily mix sounds and create your personalized ambiances helps teach you how to use sound & meditation to calm your brain, achieve better sleep, have more energy, better focus, decrease anxiety and enjoy your intense teen life.

Favorite Features: With Relax Melodies, you basically mix and match as many different sounds and melodies as youd likethere are hundredsto create a calming track, with the option to add a meditation. Some sounds are direct, like Rain and Cat Purring while others are a bit more obscure, like Eternity and Music Box.

Whats Free and Whats Not: Dozens of these sounds and meditations are free. For 122 sounds and melodies and additional coaching and meditation sessions, it costs $9.99 per month, or $19.99 for a full year.

Words From the Founder: - We approach meditation from an everyday life perspective, as an ordinary, natural and simple activitymuch like walking, practicing a sport or having a conversation with a friend. Simon Alex Brub, Co -Founder

Insight Timer is entirely free, and offers nearly 4,000 guided meditations (and chants, and guided movements, and nature sounds) from nearly 1,000 teachers, some of the most renowned of our time, like Eckhart Tolle and Tara Brach. You also have the option to join groups and leave comments on everything you watch or listen to, and read other peoples feedback, too.

Want more Teen Vogue ? Make sure to Like us on Facebook to stay in the know!

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8 Meditation Apps to Try Now - TeenVogue.com

When we think of brain health, few of us consider meditation, yet meditation can be surprisingly effective to boost brain health. Thats because this simple act is effective for reducing stress and the resulting stress hormones that can have a negative impact on your brain.

Research published in the journal Psychiatry Research found that meditation improves blood flow to the brain and that these changes last long after the meditation is over. Scientists at the Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center at UCLA studied the effects of meditation on the stress circuits of the brain. Ten experienced meditators performed two types of meditation: a focus-based meditative technique and a breath-based practice. The meditators brains were scanned using MRI technology before starting, during the meditation practices and following meditation.

Researchers found that four regions of the brain were affected during meditation and that the two types of meditation states cause different patterns of blood flow to the brain; however, both techniques improved blood flow to the brain. Some of the brain changes continued even after meditation stopped.

While research in this area is still in its infancy, the positive impact of meditation on blood flow to the brain may have applications in treating brain disorders or stroke and in keeping your brain healthy for the long-term.

Related: 8 Ways Meditation Can Change Your Life

Meditation has also been linked to mood improvements, pain threshold increases, increases in immune system activity and improved bronchial and arterial muscle tone. Other research at the University of Wisconsins Center for Healthy Minds found that meditation can improve attention in children. While the studies show a wide variety of health improvements linked to meditation, they consistently show a reduction in stress hormones and a reversal in the effects of chronic stress.

While many people associate meditation with religion, its actually a simple technique that transcends religious beliefs. It is a mental vacation from the stresses of daily life whereby you center your mind and create a sense of peacefulness. The rewards are worth the minimal effort

Meditation is easy to learn, requires no expensive equipment and can be done almost anywhere. All you need is commitment and a small amount of time. While participants in the study practiced for one hour a day, even a few minutes daily will be helpful.

There are many different types of meditation. Dont get bogged down in finding the ideal one for you; that sort of quest is often just an excuse for procrastinating anyway. There are a million or more reason for not meditating, starting with I dont have time or Im too tired, but they are all simply excuses for not making your health a priority. No one has the time. How you spend your time is up to you.

Here is a simple, yet effective, meditation exercise. You can play peaceful background music while performing this meditation or you can have silencewhichever you prefer.

1. Sit in a comfortable position where you will not be disturbed. Close your eyes. Keep your head upright and shoulders relaxed.

2. Begin by breathing deeply and steadily. Do not force your breathing. Simply breathe as deeply as you comfortably can. Observe your breath.

3. Begin to allow your breath to expand your abdomen. Comfortably expand your abdomen with each inhalation, and then release your abdomen with every exhalation.

4. Continue breathing deeply for at least 10 minutes. The longer you can meditate, the better.

Meditation gets easier with practice. Take some time each day to meditate and your brain and your body will thank you.

Related:Dont Believe in Herbal Medicine? 10 Things to Change Your MindThe 5 Best Herbs to Soothe Your NervesShould You Actually Starve a Fever?

Dr. Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, DNM is the publisher of the free e-newsletter Worlds Healthiest News, president of PureFood BC, and an international best-selling and 20-time published book author whose works include: Boost Your Brain Power in 60 Seconds: The 4-Week Plan for a Sharper Mind, Better Memory, and Healthier Brain.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

The rest is here:

Meditation Improves Blood Flow to the Brain - Care2.com

Connie Britton likes to keep her morning routine as simple and peaceful as possible. That means waking up with her 6-year-old son, indulging in a healthy and delicious breakfast , and taking a little time to focus on herself. The Nashville actress and Friday Night Lights alum tells SELF that since she has such a jam-packed schedule, she relies on those quiet A.M. hours to set the tone for her whole day.

My mornings are really about bringing things in that are going to be truly nourishing, she tells SELF. Thats not to say that the first part of her day is glamorous. Rather, she makes sure to practice self-care while also taking care of businessthat means feeding the dogs, her son, and herself, and fitting in a workout when she can.

While promoting her partnership with Quaker for American Heart Month , Britton spoke to SELF about the little things she does in the morning to make sure she feels energized and focused all day long.

Britton has been meditating for years20, to be exact. [Meditating] is something that Ive found to be really effective for so many different things, she says, but certainly for my health, stress levels, mental clarity, and general well-being.

Between working and taking care of her son, Britton doesnt have much time in the morning to meditate these days, especially if she and her son wake up at the same time. But shes found that since she has been meditating almost daily for 30 minutes or an hour through the years, she feels the effects even when she cant practice as regularly as she used to. A lot of times I think that young women think that [meditating] is not something to worry about, but if you start taking care of yourself at a young age, youll feel the effects of it as you get older, she explains.

Most of us dont have time to dedicate a full 30 minutes (let alone an hour) each day to meditation. But experts say doing it for just 5 to 10 minutes can be beneficial .

I think part of eating healthily for yourself is eating things you like, Britton says, and Ive loved oatmeal my whole life. Aside from the fact that she cant resist a good bowl of oats (topped with maple syrup, almond milk, and coconut oil), this breakfast is one of her favorites because her son loves it, too. I feed my son in the morning, and then I have some, and then boom, were both taken care of.

One thing Britton and her son differ on when it comes to oatmeal? Every now and then my son will go for raisins, she says, but Im not a raisin girl.

For Britton, finding time to sweat in the A.M. can be tough. Thats one thing thats tricky as a single mom, because any workout I do has to be at my house before my son wakes up. Thats why she saves the majority of her morning workouts for her days off. If I have a day where I take him to school and Im not working, I try to work out right after I drop him off, she says.

Because Britton loves being outside, she tries to exercise outdoors as often as possible. My favorite workout is any time I can get outside and go on a long walk or a hike.

Like most other meditation fans, Britton is big on yoga specifically the hot variety. I did yoga for years and loved it, but I actually injured myself so now I go with the hot yoga because it feels very healing, she explains.

Thirty minutes to an hour before she exercises, Britton fuels up with oatmeal. That protein- and carb-packed breakfast fave gives her the energy she needs to slay her workout, and leaving a little time to digest afterward keeps her from getting an upset stomach. After shes finished sweating, she reaches for a green smoothie to rehydrate. Thats a pre- and post-workout breakfast routine we can get behind.

You may also like: 3 High-Protein Breakfasts That Take Less Than 5 Minutes to Make

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Connie Britton on Why Everyone Should Start Meditating Daily - SELF

The recent vote by the Senate to confirm Betsy Devos as Secretary of Education bothered me and not just because I felt she is grossly unqualified for the job. It reminded me that we are in a state of polarization, in partisan or left/right silos, where social media enables us to hear only voices that amplify our feelings. Fear of the other side is festered, along with an inability to achieve balance or promote pluralism. To find that equanimity, I realized that I needed not only to unplug from technology and the world, but to withdraw into myself, and to practice meditation.

Hindus are not the first or only people of faith to encourage meditation and reflection; but it is the Hindu concept of self-realization, with the goal of merging ones self into the [Divine] Self, that I am most familiar with. Whether identified through Greek words id, ego and superego, or Sanskrit words jivatma, atma and paramatma, human consciousness has multiple layers that we must penetrate to get to the Divine as part of our spiritual growth. The mind can be considered dual in nature with one lower and one higher, which are sometimes at odds with one another. Through mindfulness, we can merge the wisdom of the higher mind with the rationality of the lower mind, to reach enlightenment.

Paramahansa Yogananda

As Paramahansa Yogananda, a great Hindu monk, said, Self-realization is yoga, or oneness with truth the direct perception or experience of truth by the all-knowing intuitive faculty of the soul. Paramahansa Yogananda, founder of the Self Realization Fellowship, was born Mukunda Lal Ghosh in 1893, to an affluent Indian family. He became a monk in 1915, gave many lectures and taught people how to attain direct personal experience of God and eventually wrote his life story, The Autobiography of a Yogi. According to American Veda author Phil Goldberg, Published just after World War II, this book remains the most influential memoir of a genuine master of the Vedic tradition ever written. It still inspires tens of thousands of new readers every year. But Yoganandas legacy extends beyond that iconic book. He arrived in 1920 and made America his home, establishing the world headquarters of his Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in Los Angeles, the Benares of America. For the next 32 years, his universal spiritual teachings and his Kriya Yoga practices reached millions.

Paramahansa Yoganandas description of Kriya Yoga is in his autobiography. According to the Self Realization Fellowship website:

The actual technique is given to students of the Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons after a preliminary period of study and practice of the three preparatory techniques taught by Paramahansa Yogananda.

Taken together as a comprehensive system, these meditation techniques enable the practitioner to achieve the highest benefits and divine goal of the ancient yoga science.

Decades later, another Hindu guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, also came to the West, and brought with him another path to enlightenment: Transcendental Meditation, or its popular short form TM. Mahesh Yogi, who arrived in America right before the cultural and political revolution of the 1960s, said:

The goal of the Transcendental Meditation technique is the state of enlightenment. This means we experience that inner calmness, that quiet state of least excitation, even when we are dynamically busy. we have a natural and effective means to dissolve even deeply rooted fatigue and stress. This is the way to unfold full value of life.

Even in the first days of meditation we find that our eyes seem to be a little more open, our mind seems a bit more clear. Our feeling towards our friends seems to be more harmonious.

And then, as the practice continues every day, a time will come when we will start living life free from all stresses. We cleanse the awareness of all stresses and strains, leaving the conscious mind completely free in its pure value.

However, I found my path to meditation through the Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 6 is fully focused on Krishnas explanation of Dhyana Yoga, or the yoga of meditation. And so I turned to the translation of the Gita that my father gave me when I started college, by Swami Swarupananda of the Advaita Ashrama. In Chapter 6 The Way of Meditation, verses 20-23 provided the essence of what I need to practice.

When the mind, absolutely restrained by the practice of concentration, attains quietude, and when seeing the Self by the self, one is satisfied in his own Self; when he feels that infinite bliss which is perceived by the (purified) intellect and which transcends the senses, and established wherein he never departs from his real state; and having obtained which, regards no other acquisition superior to that, and where established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow; let that be known as the state, called by the name of Yoga estate of severance from the contact of pain. This Yoga should be practiced with perseverance undisturbed by depression of heart.

Just as a good nights sleep, a nutritious meal or a good workout can benefit your mind and body, a good meditation practice can also provide a good foundation to counter lifes daily challenges. It is something I have had to practice sitting down and emptying your mind of all the days stressors does not happen at the flip of a switch. Rather, it is something that happens over time, with persistance and sometimes it takes a little longer to get to that space where you are free from pressure. The benefit? Being able to come back to deal with the news of the day, however depressing, and react and respond from that place of equanimity. And through a more sustained, deeper meditation practice? The hope is to reach a state of bliss, of self-realization.

See the original post:

A Hindu's Practice: Education, Meditation and Self-Realization - Patheos (blog)

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By | Morgan Brizee

HSU staff psychologist with a residential life focus, facilitating the One Breath meditation with students. Photo by Morgan Brizee

A long light grey table split the Recreation and Wellness Center room in half. Students and a staff member were on one side and the facilitator on the other during the One Breath meditation group class on Feb. 1.

Every Wednesday at 5 p.m., Craig Beeson teaches those who want to learn to destress and wind down. The group is run by Counseling And Psychological Services and is open to the HSU community including students, staff and faculty.

Beeson is a staff psychologist with a residential life focus and does workshops like One Breath in the resident halls on HSU campus.

I noticed when this [One Breath Meditation workshop] was on my mind, preparing for it, I was getting stressed about it, Beeson said. This is counterproductive, Im getting really stressed about a mindfulness presentation.

With a new semester starting up again, and most students being far from home, it can be easy to get overwhelmed.

Karen Zurdta, a 23-year-old English grad student, talked about how coming to this class has taught her to love herself more.

I was going through a tough time with school last semester and I got really sad and emotional, Zurdta said. I was having problems showing myself love and that I am worthy of good things.

Beeson is using the book, The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion by Christopher Gerner, to teach the class about not fighting the feelings you have but instead accepting them. The class goes over how to cope with issues from anxiety to insomnia that many students can relate to.

Matt Cunningham, a 25-year-old senior English major, has been meditating for five years and even went to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah, Calif. last spring to help with his practice of mindfulness.

Its kind of taught me to think of my thoughts and feelings as senses and to react to them like I would to any other sort of negative stimuli, Cunningham said. Mindfulness has helped me address those things more directly in a lot of ways.

The class begins with a group discussion of feelings and how to address them in a positive way. After about 30 minutes, Besson directs the group to close their eyes and focus on their individual breathing. He then moves on to telling the group to focus on one body part at a time, relaxing each body part individually, until the group feels their body and mind is calm. Beeson ends class by checking in with each member of the group on how they feel afterwards.

We talk about things like how to connect to yourself and live a more present, relaxed life, Beeson said.

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Mellow out with meditation - The LumberJack

After a brief pause during which it vacated its Sag Harbor quarters, Kadampa Meditation Center has reopened at 720C Montauk Highway in Water Mill.

Another change at the center, which offers weekday guided meditation instruction, a Friday evening class on Buddhist wisdom followed by a vegetarian dinner, and Sunday morning teachings, is the arrival of a new teacher.

On Sunday, Elizabeth Muzyka, who had previously been the centers primary teacher, delivered the first instruction at the Water Mill location, a talk, guided meditation, and question-and-answer session on karma, often called the law of action or the principal of cause and effect. She will offer a workshop on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the topic of love. The workshop is free for members, $15 for nonmembers.

Ms. Muzyka succeeds Gen Kelsang Norden, a Buddhist nun who served as Kadampa Meditation Centers teacher for the past five years. A native of Bath, England, who has taught Buddhism and meditation for more than 20 years, Ms. Norden has relocated to Houston, where she continues to teach.

Read more:

Meditation Center Reopens - East Hampton Star

On Sunday, the Portneuf Sangha and Meditation Center will show part 2 of a filmed talk by renowned Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. This 30 minute segment of the film, entitled The Practice of Peace, includes teachings by Nhat Hanh on mindfulness meditation and compassion. Thich Nhat Hanh has been actively teaching about peace and reconciliation for over 40 years, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. for his efforts to end the Viet Nam War. He was exiled from his mother country for 40 years. This remarkable talk was given in 1991.

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The morning begins at 10 a.m. with a thirty-minute silent meditation period with guidance offered for those who would like it. After the meditation, the filmed teaching will be shown, and a brief discussion will follow. Light refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome, regardless of meditation experience, and chairs are available, or you may bring your own cushion. There is no charge, and donations are welcomed.

For more information, contact Paula and Tony Seikel at 775-3183 or seikel@ida.net or visit the website at portneufsangha.org to learn about all of the programs offered at the Sangha.

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Portneuf Sangha and Meditation Center to show film on Sunday - Idaho State Journal