Meditation: What it is !!!

An ordinary person may consider meditation as a worship or prayer. But it is not so. Meditation means awareness. Whatever you do with awareness is meditation. "Watching your breath" is meditation; listening to the birds is meditation. As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to the mind, it is effective meditation.

These days it is commonly understood to mean some form of spiritual practice where one sits down with eyes closed and empties the mind to attain inner peace, relaxation or even an experience of God. Some people use the term as "my gardening is my meditation" or for jogging or art or music, hence creating confusion or misunderstanding.

The word meditation, is derived from two Latin words : meditari(to think, to dwell upon, to exercise the mind) and mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit derivation 'medha' means wisdom.

Many years ago meditation was considered something just not meant for modern people, but now it has become very popular with all types of people. Published scientific and medical evidence has proved its benefits, but it still needs to be much understood.

Traditionally, the classical yoga texts, describe that to attain true states of meditation one must go through several stages. After the necessary preparation of personal and social code, physical position, breath control, and relaxation come the more advanced stages of concentration, contemplation, and then ultimately absorption. But that does not mean that one must perfect any one stage before moving onto the next. The Integral yoga approach is simultaneous application of a little of all stages together.

Commonly today, people can mean any one of these stages when they refer to the term meditation. Some schools only teach concentration techniques, some relaxation, and others teach free form contemplative activities like just sitting and awaiting absorption. Some call it meditation without giving credence to yoga for fear of being branded 'eastern'. But yoga is not something eastern or western as it is universal in its approach and application.

With regular practice of a balanced series of techniques, the energy of the body and mind can be liberated and the quality of consciousness can be expanded. This is not a subjective claim but is now being investigated by the scientists and being shown by an empirical fact.

Continued here:

What is Meditation - Health And Yoga

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Meditation - The New York Times

Meditation is a method for acquainting our mind with virtue. The more familiar our mind is with virtue, the calmer and more peaceful it becomes. When our mind is peaceful we are free from worries and mental discomfort, and we experience true happiness. If we train our mind to become peaceful we shall be happy all the time, even in the most adverse conditions, but if our mind is not peaceful, then even if we have the most pleasant external conditions we shall not be happy. Therefore it is important to train our mind through meditation.

When our mind is peaceful we are free from worries and mental discomfort, and we experience true happiness.

There are two types of meditation: analytical meditation and placement meditation. When we contemplate the meaning of a Dharma instruction that we have heard or read we are doing analytical meditation. By deeply contemplating the instruction, eventually we reach a conclusion or cause a specific virtuous state of mind to arise. This is the object of placement meditation. Having found our object through analytical meditation, we then concentrate on it single-pointedly for as long as possible to become deeply acquainted with it. This single-pointed concentration is placement meditation. Often, analytical meditation is called simply `contemplation, and placement meditation simply `meditation. Placement meditation depends upon contemplation, and contemplation depends upon listening to or reading Dharma instructions.

Since most of the problems we experience when we are new to meditation come from overstraining at placement meditation, it is important to be moderate and avoid becoming tense from exerting too much pressure. The effort we apply should be relaxed and steady, and whenever we become tired we should rest.

Read this article:

Transforming meditations - How to Meditate

A Primer On Biblical Meditation

When you truly delight (take great pleasure in or experience a high degree of satisfaction) in the Word, you will have a desire (a craving, a longing , a "hunger or thirst") to spend time in it and to meditate on it. Beloved, we do not naturally delight in the Holy Word for we are by nature unholy. Therefore when any man or woman begins to delight in the Word, they can know for certain that they are experiencing God's amazing grace (cp Php 2:13-note wherein we see that the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to delight and the dynamic to understand God's Holy Word! cp 1Cor 2:11-13. In expectant humility, always ask Him to illuminate His supernatural Word which is otherwise unintelligible to the natural mind!)

May the Father daily grant us His grace sufficient to prompt us to desire to delight in Him and to devour His Word for the sake of His Name, through Christ Jesus, the Living Word of God. Amen. (Compare [meditate upon] the prayer for literal food "Give us this day our daily bread" Mt 6:11-note with the words of Jesus in Mt 4:4 quoting Dt 8:3 - read the context Dt 8:1-3 - Notice what God's powerful purpose was in these passages! Does He have you in a humbling circumstance today? Don't try to wiggle out! Instead yield yourself like a lump of clay and allow the Potter to mold you into the image of His Son. This calls for daily death to self and daily taking up of the Cross [which also bespeaks of death!] If your Christian life is dry, dull, distant then may I suggest that you stop dutifully "trying" and start daily "dying" so that His Spirit might live through you more fully and practically. Meditate on Deut 8:1-3.)

In the following verses from Psalm 119, observe the association between delight and meditation.

15 I will meditate on Thy precepts, and regard Thy ways. (note)

16 I shall delight in Thy statutes; I shall not forget Thy word. (note)

23 Even though princes sit and talk against me, Thy servant meditates on Thy statutes. (note)

24 Thy testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors. (note)

47 And I shall delight in Thy commandments, which I love (which is why he delights!). (note)

48 And I shall lift up my hands to Thy commandments, which I love; and I will meditate on Thy statutes. (note) (Apply: Do I love His Word like the psalmist?)

77 May Thy compassion come to me that I may live, for Thy law is my delight. (note)

78 May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie; but I shall meditate on Thy precepts. (note)

If God's Word is not the desire and delight of your heart, plead with Him until He grants your request (1Th 5:17-note) so that your soul might cultivate an appetite for the pure milk of His Word (1Pe 2:2-note). If you pray this with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps 24:4-note), you can be assured God will answer it affirmatively for it is in accordance with His good and perfect will (1Jn 5:14, 15, cp Mt 7:7-note). Will you dare to pray this prayer? Will you dare not pray this prayer!

Meditation is not giving free rein to your imagination, nor is it reading your Bible for beautiful thoughts. Meditation is a discipline. -J. I. Packer

Meditation is the bellows of the affections. -Thomas Watson (Bellows = An instrument, utensil or machine for blowing fire. Bellows are used to make the refiners fires burn fiercely - cp Jer 6:29)

What made Charles Haddon Spurgeon such a powerful, Spirit anointed preacher of the Word? There are probably many answers to this question, but the following quote from Spurgeon suggests one of his "secrets"

I quarry out the Truth when I read, but I smelt the ore and get the pure gold out of it when I meditate! For lack of meditation the Truth of God runs by us and we miss and lose it. Our treacherous memory is like a sieveand what we hear and what we read runs through it and leaves but little behindand that little is often unprofitable to us by reason of our lack of diligence to get thoroughly at it. I often find it very profitable to get a text as a sweet morsel under my tongue in the morning and to keep the flavor of it, if I can, in my mouth all day!How to Read the Bible - #3318

It is an admirable plan to fix your thoughts upon some text of Scripture before you leave your bedroom in the morningit will sweeten your meditation all the day.Loving the Law of the Lord - #3090 on Ps 119:97-100

The inward meditation [of Gods Word] is the thing that makes the soul rich towards God. This is the godly mans occupation. Put the spice into the mortar by reading, beat it with the pestle of meditationso shall the sweet perfume be exhaled.The Truly Blessed Man - #3270

Read the Bible carefully, and then meditate and meditate and meditate. - C H Spurgeon

So we must, by meditation, tread the clusters of truth, if we would get the wine of consolation there from. - C H Spurgeon

A PRIMER ON MEDITATION

M. A. Rosanoff, long associated with Thomas Edison, had worked futilely for over a year to soften the wax of phonograph cylinders by altering their chemical constitution. The results were negative. Rosanoff relates how he mused night after night trying to "mentally cough up" every theoretical and practical solution.

"Then it came like a flash of lightning. I could not shut waxes out of my mind, even in my sleep. Suddenly, through headache and daze. I saw the solution."

"The first thing the next morning, I was at my desk and half an hour later I had a record in the softened wax cylinder this was the solution! I learned to think waxes waxes waxes, and the solution came without effort although months of thought had gone into the mental mill."

Rosanoff learned to think waxes. It was like unrolling a ball of string out of the unknown and night after night pulling it toward his mind, not knowing what might be attached to the other end of every thought or concept. Meditation is the art of hauling in that ball of mental thread.

This is a generation of hustle and bustle. "Time out" for anything except sleep and medical checkups is considered idling your motor when you ought to be in high gear. Reflection and deep thought in a quiet place is a thing of the past. This idea of taking time to be holy is more often a song we sing than an accomplishment. It takes time to be holy. It takes lots of time to be truly effective for God. Each of us needs time to think waxes -- this was Rosanoff's secret. He daily gave his problem a second thought. It is a mistaken idea that meditation is only for those who have time for it -- daydreamers, scientists, novelists, ascetics and cloistered saints of religion. Giving life a second thought is the need of every man.

"Meditation is the skeleton key that unlocks the greatest storeroom in the house of God's provisions for the Christian."

The men who carry this key upon the chain of their daily life come into a knowledge and relationship that the "activist" and the restless ones have never known. With the solitude of the meditation room, there is produced a quality of life that must be standard equipment for all the Master's men.

"Now come along to some quiet place by yourself and rest for a little while" (Mk 6:31 Phillips Translation).

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

A. T. Pierson -"Meditation is simply thought prolonged and directed to a single object. Your mystic chambers where thoughts abide are the secret workshop of an unseen Sculptor chiseling living forms for a deathless future. Personality and influence are modeled here. Hence, the biblical injunction: 'Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life'"

J. I. Packer says that meditation is the practice of turning each truth we learn about God into matter for reflection before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.

Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God. (Packer, J I: Knowing God)

Saturation with the Scriptures is the Secret to Satisfaction of our Souls

The Puritan writer Thomas Brooks offers an excellent description of Biblical meditation

Remember that it is not hasty readingbut serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, which makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee which gathers honey (cp Ps 19:10-note; Ps 119:103-note)but her abiding for a time on the flower which draws out the sweet. It is not he who reads most, but he who meditates mostwho will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian."

Meditation is CHEWING. Meditation is aptly depicted by the cow's process of mastication (chewing). God has so constructed bovines to bring up previously digested food for additional grinding to enable optimal assimilation of the "cud." Meditation is pondering and reviewing various thoughts (especially the thoughts/words of God) by mulling them over in one's mind and heart (our "control center" so to speak - see Pr 4:23-note). Meditation is the processing of God's food for our soul (real "soul food!) One might call it "divine thought digestion." "Chewing" upon a divine thought, deliberately and diligently, a process which (enabled by the Spirit our "Sanctifier") provides the vital link between theory and action, between God's Word on paper and God's Word in our life. What mastication is to the physical life of the cow, meditation is to the spiritual life of those created in the image of God. C H Spurgeon asks a good question

Have you a spiritual taste, dear Hearer? It is one thing to hear the Word. It is another thing to taste it. Hearing the Word is often blessed, but tasting it is a more inward and spiritual thingit is the enjoyment of the Truth in the innermost parts of our being! Oh, that we were all as fond of the Word as were the old mystics who chewed the cud of meditation till they were fattened upon the Word of the Lord and their souls grew strong in the Divine Love! I am sure of thisthe more you know of Gods Word, the more you will love it!The True Sayings of God - #3144

Meditation is ANALYZING. Literally analyzing describes the art of taking an intentional, lengthy look at a given object as the jeweler does when he puts his eyepiece on to examine the character and qualities of a flawless diamond. Indeed, "The words of the LORD are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times." (Ps 12:6-note) Meditation on the living and active (energetic) Word (Heb 4:12-note) is like gazing at a prism, which breaks a single beam of sunlight into many component colors. As we take time to steadily focus on the "diamond" of God's Word, the Spirit illumines the Son's light in His many and variegated "colors and hues."

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law (Psalm 119:18). (Spurgeon's comment)

Meditation is ACTION. Someone has described it: "Making words into thoughts and thoughts into actions." It is mental planning ahead with definite action in mind for accomplishing a job. Andrew Murray describes it: "Holding the Word of God in your heart until it has affected every phase of your life this is meditation."

Now tie these three thoughts together: chewing, analyzing and action. Reflect on each of them now before reading any further. Give God time for divine polishing in His secret place in order to more effectually reproduce His glory and beauty in public.

MEDITATION: NOT WITHOUT DIFFICULTIES

"Muse" was the name given to an ancient Greek god who spent much time in solitude and thinking. The statue of "The Thinker" is the artistic concept of deep concentration and absorption. Add an "a" to the beginning of "muse" and you have: "amuse" -- sports, games, television and a score of other tools used by the enemy to keep God's men from concentrating on man's God.

Dawson Trotman illustrated Biblical meditation by comparing the way cows get the cud on which they chew

A cow eats grass as it grazes early in the morning. When the sun gets hot, it will lie in the shade of a tree, and through the use of a unique elevator system it will bring up the grass from one stomach and thoroughly masticate it. When this is finished, it will put it into another stomach, having gotten from it everything possible in the way of nutrients.

Beware of getting alone with your own thoughts. Get alone with God's thoughts. There is danger in rummaging through waste and barren desert-thoughts that can be labeled -- daydreaming or worse. Don't meditate upon yourself but dwell upon Him -- seek God in your inner thought life. There is always danger in meditating upon problems. Develop the habit of reflection upon the Word of God and therein find the answers to your problems.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips: When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches" (Psalm 63:5-6).

Regarding Psalm 63, Spurgeon wrote (Note verse 5; verse 6) that

Lying awake, the good man betook himself to meditation, and then began to sing. He had a feast in the night, and a song in the night. He turned his bedchamber into an oratory, he consecrated his pillow, his praise anticipated the place of which it is written, "There is no night there." Perhaps the wilderness helped to keep him awake, and if so, all the ages are debtors to it for this delightful hymn. If day's cares tempt us to forget God, it is well that night's quiet should lead us to remember him. We see best in the dark if we there see God best.

And meditate on thee in the night watches. Keeping up sacred worship in my heart as the priests and Levites celebrated it in the sanctuary. Perhaps David had formerly united with those "who by night stand in the house of the Lord," and now as he could not be with them in person, he remembers the hours as they pass, and unites with the choristers in spirit, blessing Jehovah as they did. It may be, moreover, that the king heard the voices of the sentries as they relieved guard, and each time he returned with renewed solemnity to his meditations upon his God. Night is congenial, in its silence and darkness, to a soul which would forget the world, and rise into a higher sphere. Absorption in the most hallowed of all themes makes watches, which else would be weary, glide away all too rapidly; it causes the lonely and hard couch to yield the most delightful repose -- repose more restful than even sleep itself. We read of beds of ivory, but beds of piety are better far. Some revel in the night, but they are not a tithe so happy as those who meditate in God.

SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO MEDITATE

Related Resource: See Watson's Treatise on Meditation for much greater detail

Let's get started. Since we want to make this a built-in habit of daily living, start with a moment of prayer. Ask God's help in concentration, alertness of mind and that inward sense of His abiding Presence. As a means of getting under way, here are five suggestions that will make the following Bible verse extremely practical:

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My Name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (Jn 16:24)

(1). Emphasize:

One of the most helpful approaches in meditation is to emphasize different words within the verse. As you throw them out vocally, the Holy Spirit will echo them back to your heart through your ears and mind. Read the first phrase aloud several times with striking emphasis upon the word in caps:

HITHERTO have ye asked nothing in My Name.

Hitherto have YE asked nothing in My Name.

Hitherto have ye asked NOTHING in My Name.

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in MY NAME.

(2). Paraphrase:

Put this verse from the King James Version into your own words. Say it over and over, silently and aloud, until you can communicate it back to yourself in language that has meaning. Reflect slowly. Don't be in a hurry to reword it -- rearrange the words and use your dictionary to look up words you don't understand. Perhaps you will end up with something like this:

"Up to this moment you have not been asking anything in God's authority; go ahead and ask, see if God doesn't love to answer. This is because He wants you to be full of cheerfulness."

(3). Ask Questions:

Now that you have taken it apart and have paraphrased it so it is your very own, start asking questions. Use the ones the newspaper reporter starts with: who? what? where? when? why? and how? (See discussion of this interrogative mindset under Inductive Study) Here's how it works on John 16:24.

Who is Jesus talking to?

What is He saying? What does He say I should do?

Where should I pray? Where have I failed in my praying?

When should I ask? When is my joy full and complete?

Why does God say I should pray?

How should I go about asking?

Every question is not equally productive, but by asking such questions, your mind will be focused on the Word of God -- this is the beginning of meditation. When you start asking questions, you start to dissect. Not questions that just bring up facts and doctrine but also heart-feeding application. Questions and answers to the above put the Scriptures into the bloodstream of your soul.

(4). Application:

Apply Jn 16:24 immediately. 2Ti 3:16, 17 (see notes) says that all Scripture is profitable in a four-fold function: it is useful in teaching the faith, for correcting error, for resetting the direction of man's life and for training him in good living. Tackle John 16:24 once again from these four angles: (Click here for Application in Inductive Bible Study)

a. Is there some truth I should know from this verse?

b. Is there something I should stop doing in light of this verse?

c. Is there a practice in my life I should change?

d. Is there a habit I ought to begin?

(5). Persistence:

A "verse a day" can be selected during your quiet time in the morning. To begin with, it can be done within ten minutes. Try analyzing, dissecting and chewing over such a verse during odd moments of your day -- walking to work, riding the train or bus, waiting for meals or "killing time" for that appointment. Apply it that very day. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to share it with someone else. [A workable plan for busy people desiring a daily morning time with God has been written in a little brochure - for this booklet click Seven Minutes With God. As a practical exercise click and meditate on all 23 uses of "meditate" in OT. Make a list of what you learn about meditating on meditation! Then "Selah" which indicates a pause, which also implies meditation. See the 74 uses of "Selah" in the Psalms.)

TRANSFORMATION ( Ro 12:2- see note)

The crown fruit of meditation is the changed life. Without the transformed life, meditation is of little eternal value. This was the problem Jesus had with the Pharisees of His day. They knew the facts and were experts in doctrine. They were conscientious, sincere and dedicated. But the Lord called them sons of Satan -- "Ye are of your father the devil." Why this stinging indictment? Because for all their study of the Old Testament, there was no change in their lives. As D L Moody said "Every Bible should be bound in shoe leather," alluding to the importance of applying the truth we learn to our lives. These religious hypocrites continued to oppress the poor, defraud the widows and pursue doubtful business practices! In a word no repentance which signified they had no regeneration.

Beware of meditation that ends in pious words without pious practices (cf Jas 1:22-note). True meditation fuels God honoring moral actions. A changed attitude toward God and fellow man should be the result, including things like a changed work habit, a changed relationship to one's spouse or family, in short -- a changed life! Anything less means your "meditation" is little more than "pious platitudes" as they say.

"O how I love Thy law: it is my meditation all the day" (Ps 119:97-note)

Comment: This verse is very practical and very convicting for we all understand that if you truly love someone, you will want to spend time with them! And this thought in turn reminds us of Colossian 3:16-note where Paul instructs the saints at Colossae to let the Word of Christ richly dwell within them. The key word is dwell (enoikeo) which means to take up residence or make one's home, giving us a great word picture of believers being at home with the Word of Christ, living in it! Does that describe you beloved disciple of Christ?

Spurgeon's Comment regarding the phrase it is my meditation all the day "This was both the effect of his love and the cause of it. He meditated in God's word because he loved it, and then loved it the more because he meditated in it. He could not have enough of it, so ardently did he love it: all the day was not too long for his converse with it. His main prayer, his noonday thought, his evensong were all out of Holy Writ; yea, in his worldly business he still kept his mind saturated with the law of the Lord. It is said of some men that the more you know them the less you admire them; but the reverse is true of God's word. Familiarity with the word of God breeds affection, and affection seeks yet greater familiarity. When "thy law," and "my meditation" are together all the day, the day grows holy, devout, and happy, and the heart lives with God."

Bring the fruit of your meditation and offer it to the Lord for His blessing. Ask the Holy Spirit to apply the Word to your heart and enable you to live today in conformity to it.

Let the words of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, My strength, and my Redeemer Psalm 19:14-note

Spurgeon commenting on Psalm 19:14 said that this verse is "A sweet prayer, and so spiritual that it is almost as commonly used in Christian worship as the apostolic benediction. Words of the mouth are mockery if the heart does not meditate; the shell is nothing without the kernel; but both together are useless unless accepted; and even if accepted by man, it is all vanity if not acceptable in the sight of God. We must in prayer view Jehovah as our strength enabling, and our Redeemer saving, or we shall not pray aright, and it is well to feel our personal interest so as to use the word my, or our prayers will be hindered. Our near Kinsman's name, our Goel or Redeemer, makes a blessed ending to the Psalm; it began with the heavens, but it ends with him whose glory fills heaven and earth. Blessed Kinsman, give us now to meditate acceptably upon thy most sweet love and tenderness."

THE ART OF MEDITATION George Mylne

(From "Lessons for the Christian's Daily Walk" 1859)

"So I applied my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things." Ecclesiastes 7:25

We live in stirring days, when deeds are everything--when closet work is often neglected for active business, and little time is given to meditation. Yet, with more thought and prayer--wholesome activity would be greater in the end, and all our actions more successful. Time is not lost, which is spent in meditation--in searching wisdom's ways, and seeking out profound realities. There is one who often meditates--and yet accomplishes much. There is another who hastens--and yet does little.

None works so heartily, nor reaps so fully-- as he whose wits are sharpened by prayer and meditation.

Reading either Scripture or Christian books, apart from meditation, does little good. It is much the same as not digesting what you eat--this only starves the soul. How many read the Bible thus!

The art of meditation may be learned by dint of effort.

You say, "I am quite unused to meditate. How shall I begin?" Deal gently with yourself at first. Select your subject--some passage from the Word. Then fix the time you choose to give; say, five minutes at a time. Begin, and think aloud. This makes it easier, and saves the mind from distracted thoughts, the hardest task of all. The sound even of your own voice will help you; it is like speaking to a friend. And what is meditation, but communing with self (Ed: And with God through His Word)--that self may be a constant hearer.

But, more than all, make it a time of prayer--of communing with God. This helps the matter greatly. Take the words of Scripture--and ask Jesus what they mean. In doing this, the mind is exercised. A glow of thought attends the effort. You honor Jesus; and He will honor you, by pouring out a largeness of capacity--a quicker mind. The interchange of thought between you and Jesus goes on apace, and you are surprised to find how long the exercise has lasted.

See original here:

A Primer On Biblical Meditation | Precept Austin

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Please keep the discussion clean and neutral. If you are part of a particular school of Meditation/Yoga then please disclose this and keep an open mind - there exist many forms of meditation, and experience of Truth is subjective by definition.

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You often hear statements like millions of people practice it around the world. And that there are hundreds of scientific research studies on its benefits. But what is the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, really?

Here is the essence of TM in a nutshell.

SUITABLE FOR MODERN LIFESTYLE: With your eyes closed, you can practice TM either at your home or on the road, sitting on your bed or in an airplane.

In brief and contrary to what the name itself might suggest the Transcendental Meditation technique is a very simple, natural and effortless way of letting your mind settle down into an extremely calm and wise state of rest. Best effects are produced with regular practice of two times twenty minutes a day.

Well come back to the calm and wise part in a second.

But first the issue of mantras.

Though TM is not a mantra-based meditation in the sense that its main core and direction is oriented towards transcending, it does involve use of mantras.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the great teacher from India who introduced the TM technique to the wider world, said: Mantra is a specific thought which suits us, a suitable sound for us which we receive from a trained teacher of Transcendental Meditation.

By using this mantra, the practitioner experiences the thought of that sound and starts minimizing that thought to experience the finer states of that thought until the source of thought is fathomed and the conscious mind reaches the transcendental area of being.

As you can see, though the technique itself is easy to enjoy and practice after youve learned it, it is a fairly finely-tuned stuff based on traditions thousands of years old.

This is the main reason why it makes sense to play it sound and learn it from a qualified TM teacher (heres the list of contact information for teaching centers by continent and country). Its the only way to make sure that you get your moneys worth.

The fee for learning TM varies across countries, but it usually reaches into hundreds of dollars per the 4-day course. For example, in the U.S. you can take the course for around 1,000 USD with several options of scholarships and paying schedules available.

Still seems expensive, at the first glance?

GUARANTEE OF QUALITY: The official logo of the TM Organization.

However, even if it is expensive in terms of its nominal cost (that is, in terms of how many ice-creams you could buy for this amount of money, or how many classes you could take at your Pilates studio), this probably isnt the calculation which matters the most.

At the end of the day, its the worth of your deal which counts: its about what you get for your money. Buying a brand new Ferrari for a couple of grands wouldnt be such a bad deal, right?

And in this context, TM could well be the most useful investment you can possibly make in your life. Heres why.

It has often occurred to me that if Transcendental Meditation could be put into a capsule and marketed like a pharmaceutical, it would be a billion dollar blockbuster. Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, award-winning psychiatrist (Georgetown University)

As said earlier, doing TM regularly will make your mind-body system naturally calm and wise.

It will make it CALM as it has a well-proven effect of letting your nervous system settle into a state of deep rest. This will automatically turn the notch down on your level of stress.

And as you begin to feel more and more at ease in your skin, and stop fretting about all those innumerable projects and lifes little problems, everything else tends to click into place, too. Thats why TM is proven to have a positive impact on your blood pressure, immune system, eating habits, good nights sleep, etc.

A nice, healthy state of impassionate vegetation? Nope. While making you calm, TM practice will also make you WISE and EFFICIENT.

As the dust of our daily neurosis settles, our mind will naturally become more open, clear and insightful. With TM, artists will become more creative, students more able and discerning, businessmen will make smarter decisions and sportsmen reach their full potential. You can go through hundreds of such testimonials and stories.

Theres nothing mystical, religious or magical about this process, however; the wisdom of our mind simply starts to manifest itself when given a chance.

As weightlifting, tennis, and ballroom dancing strengthen specific muscles and produce different overall effects in the body, so do focusing on a candlelight, repeating mantras or trying to dispassionately observe ones mental content result in different outcomes.

MEDITATION AND BRAIN: Some of the best, most revealing research on the effects of meditation practice has involved different methods of neurophysiological brain imaging. Photo: University of Illinois.

According to research, the practice of Transcendental Meditation is unique in many a sense.

For one, TM seems to turn on the whole brain and make it function as a holistic unit. This is a common feature of those people who report peak-performances in business, art or sports.

Another peculiar feature of the TM technique is that there is no difference between brainwaves of experts and beginners one masters it quickly. In fact, the positive effects of practice are usually apparent already from the very first TM session.

If you are an auditive learner, then you may find this introductory video extremely useful.

It is recorded by Bob Roth, one of the most qualified TM teachers around and the 20-minute video covers all the most important topics like what happens during TM, how we know if it really works or not, whats its effect on the brain, etc.

Continued here:

Transcendental Meditation: A quick introduction

HappyNew Year To You & Yours From The Entire Project Meditation Team! May the year of 2017 bring you the very best life has to offer. With each New Year comes those all important resolutions but sadly most resolutions peter out after about a week, so here is a brilliant hack for greater success. Brian

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Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. William Arthur Ward I hope you are enjoying the festive spirit of the holidays! If you feel youre getting too stressed out about everything the family dramas, shopping, too much spending, too many obligations and

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Christmas magic doesnt have to be just for kids. There is no reason to abandon the joy or the mystery of Christmas just because we are adults.

Whatever your faith, and whatever your traditions expand this idea beyond Christmas its a beautiful way for us to reconnect and reaffirm what is truly meaningful

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Scientific evidence shows that the radiation from our electrical and wifi devices can be harmful to our health but that doesnt mean we have to ditch our iphones.

Heres how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from Electromagnetic field radiation (EMFs) and why you may want to

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When you are centered, its easier to see the world through a happier and more peaceful lens. You may experience greater patience and understanding, feelings of kindness and unconditional love toward all beings, unshakeable inner peace and joy that are independent of what is going on around you, and a sense of deeply knowing your true nature as a spiritual being: infinite, and eternal.

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Feeling joyful sounds wonderful something we all aspire to, every day and yet according to Dr Brene Brown, author of Daring Greatly, says that many of us are terrified at the prospect of feeling joyful.

How can this be? Joy feels good so why should we be afraid of it?

In Dr Browns interview with Oprah, she

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Is it OK to fall asleep when I meditate? I get this question a lot, and the answer is yes, and no.

In some respects, the fact that you fall asleep is good because you obviously need the rest. If you feel that you are dozing off and youve been lacking sleep, go for it. Sleep is important and if youre mindful of the times of day you meditate (at higher energy times) and youre still falling asleep, youre in sleep debt and its good to catch up. BUT dont call it meditation. Call it a nap.

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When it comes to the great pillars of health and wellbeing, getting a good nights sleep is up there with healthy eating and regular exercise. Some people who cant sleep are suffering from sleep disorders, and they require significant interventions for example, CPAP machines for sleep apnea.

For most of us though, it could just be a matter of taking better care of ourselves during the day and in the hour before we crawl into bed

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Insomnia strikes most adults at least once in their lives and for many, it is a chronic condition. While there can be many causes ranging from what you ate to late-night electronics use, most insomnia is caused by stress. Worry keeps you awake but if you can get control of your monkey mind (racing and often negative thoughts) you will be able to get the rest you need.

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Meditation retreats are a wonderful way to unplug from the hectic pace of modern life. Many people have traveled to exotic ashrams to experience a meditation retreat, but its not necessary to do that.

You have several options when you want to decompress, enhance your spiritual practice, connect with your inner self, reenergize and rejuvenate, or just experience deeper relaxation than you can normally get.

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The Most Holy Name of Jesus (Optional Memorial)

He is the Son of God. (John 1:34)

Parents-to-be often spend hours and hours flipping through books or searching the Internet for that perfect name for their child. They are looking for a name that not only sounds pleasant but has significance: Claire, for example, means brilliant, and Drew means trustworthy.

Mary and Joseph didnt have to bother with all of that. An angel told them their sons name before he was even born (Luke 1:31; Matthew 1:21). He was to be called Jesus, which means God saves. As in most Jewish families, the name of this child was seen as a sign of what kind of a man he would grow into. And more powerfully than all others, Jesus fully embodied all that his name said he would be: he literally saved us from our sins!

So why do we still celebrate Jesus name today if he has already fulfilled his destiny? Because his is the name by which we are saved. According to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, The sweet name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with noble sentiments, strengthens virtue, begets good works, and nourishes pure affections. . . . This name is the cure for all diseases of the soul.

Of course, Bernard was not implying that the name of Jesus worked like a magic spell. Like John in todays Gospel, he knew that without the Holy Spirits revelation and power, Jesus name would be like any other name. The Catechism teaches us: To pray Jesus is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him (CCC 2666).

So ask the Spirit to reveal Jesus to you today. Call on his name with faith and trust. Believe that the Spirit will reveal Jesus to you in a way that fills your heart with confidence and joy, no matter what situation you may face.

Lord Jesus, your name is my salvation! May your name, Jesus, be ever in my thoughts, on my lips, and in my heart.

1 John 2:293:6 Psalm 98:1, 3-6

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The WORD Among Us daily meditation - wau.org

By Tammy Preston, MS

Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral disorder that affects more than 4% of adults. Although it is likely that the roots of this disorder are genetic, that certainly doesnt mean that you are powerless to control your symptoms.

There are many medications that are used to control the symptoms of adult ADHD. Still, medication is not a magic bullet that will solve all of your problems. There are important aspects of ADHD treatment that supplement the relief medication provide, including counseling, support groups and even meditation.

What Does Meditation Have to Do with Adult ADHD? Meditation is a way of training your attention that increases self awareness and can help those with adult ADHD regulate their symptoms. The process involves disciplining or training your mind so that you become more aware of your ADHD-related behaviors and thought patterns, both those that are positive (creativity and enthusiasm) and negative (distractibility, stress, hyperactivity). Through meditation the adult with ADHD can gain more control over a disorder that may often leave them feeling out of control.

Can Behavioral Techniques Such as Meditation Really Help Manage ADHD Symptoms? University at Buffalo researchers have found that combining behavioral therapy with medication was the most effective way to improve behavior of the ADHD children that they studied. By teaching their subjects techniques to modify their behavior, the investigators were actually able to reduce the amount of medication required to control ADHD symptoms. Although this study did not specifically focus on meditation techniques, it did clearly show that behavior modification can have a substantial effect on the symptoms of ADHD.

The UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center has specifically done meditation studies on adults and teenagers with ADHD. Their study subjects were trained in various forms of meditation once a week, for eight weeks.

The meditation exercises used essentially focused on: subjects becoming more aware of how they were paying attention catching themselves when they became distracted then returning their attention to the present moment

The subjects were then given cognitive tests at the end of the study. The testing revealed that, after being trained in meditation, the participants had improved in their ability to focus on tasks, even when attempts were made to distract them. As an added bonus, many also felt less anxious and depressed by the end of the study.

How Do I Learn to Meditate? There are many ways to meditate and scores of books, CDs, videos and classes out there that can teach you the techniques. Engaging in active meditation is the best way to begin. Active meditation involves paying attention to your senses your body, breathing, and even your voice. Focusing on activities and parts of your body trains you to stay in the moment and helps give you something concrete to refocus on should your mind begin to wander.

You can begin by sitting quietly, closing your eyes and paying attention to your breathing. If you have too much energy to start with something this low-key, you can also meditate while you walk. If you want to try meditating while on the move, just focus on your breathing as you walk or even count your stepsanything that requires your mind to attend to one single activity.

The first few times that you try to meditate, you will probably find your mind frequently wandering. Dont worry. Meditation takes practice. Start out with short sessions, trying to focus for just a few minutes. Then work on lengthening your meditations as you develop more control.

Leaning to control your attention is a skill that will help you to become better aware of when you become distracted and eventually teach you how to keep your wandering mind on a short leash so that you can stay focused.

Sources Medication Combined with Behavior Therapy Works Best for ADHD Children

UCLA Health And Wellness ADHD Study

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How Meditation Helps Adults with ADHD

FREE GROUP MEDITATION SESSIONS

February 7th - May 11th, 2017

12:30pm - 1:30pm

Room 0142

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Room 0142

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Room 2118 A

Want to meditate now?

Do you need an individual session?

Call Edie Anderson at (301) 314-9629 to schedule an appointment today!

Individual sessions are available Tuesday through Friday.

Faculty,Staff, & Visitor: $10 per 1 hour session.

There is NO CHARGE for UMD Students.

Meditation and Its Benefits

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

Meditation is a journey inward to the authentic self, the soul that is pure and whole. It is a technology that brings health and healing to mind, body and spirit. The inward journey taken through meditation, if practiced daily, will over time awaken creativity, healing and transformation. Meditation expands our internal reference point from constricted to expanded awareness allowing us to explore our essential nature and restore the memory of our pure wholeness and inner bliss. The silence we can experience in meditation helps to establish an inner quietness in our daily lives providing access to our creativity and enabling us to make more life-affirming choices. Listening to the dialogue of our thoughts quietly opens us up to an awareness of our infinite possibilities, for letting go of thoughts not needed and for allowing our transformation of intention. Meditation is an antidote to stress and a pathway to wholeness and wellness connecting in mind, body and spirit.

WHAT MEDITATION IS NOT

Meditation is not about forcing your mind and body to be quiet but to rather allow and discover our dialogue and the stillness and quietness that is already there when we choose to just let go in mind and body. Meditation is not a religious or cult based practice. Meditation like many things in life does not work for everyone. Keeping an open mind about experiencing meditation in your unique awareness will help with finding your internal peace and allow your body and mind to relax.

HOW DO I MEDITATE?

Sit comfortably with shoes removed and a pillow under your feet if possible or just sit comfortably in a safe place. Close your eyes and just follow your breath, feeling it come into your body and leaving your body with a non-judgemental and gentle awareness.

Allow yourself to let go in mind and body by hearing the vibrational sound of SOOOO as you breathe in and HUUUUMMM as you exhale. As thoughts come up just gently repeat the sound of SOOOOO and HUUUUMMM a little louder as you breathe allowing the thoughts to disappear into the background and eventually away into space. Thoughts and ideas of importance will be recaptured after time spent meditating.

For more information or to make anappointmentcall (301) 314-9629 or emaileanders3@umd.edu

The University Health Center Group Meditation Program is a free service to University of Maryland students, staff and faculty. It is not open to the general public.

Individual sessions are free for students; the faculty, staff and visitor fee is $10 per session.

Faculty and staff Group Meditation Sessions arefee-based and available upon request. Please call (301) 314-9629 for pricing and reservations.

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Meditation Spring 2017 | University Health Center