For a lot of people going through cancer, meditation and relaxation are key to coping with the emotional strain of the disease. Cameron Mathison,50, who starred as Ryan Lavery on the soap opera All My Children for many years, is one of them, using meditation as he recovers from surgery for kidney cancer.

Actual data on the benefits of integrative medicine is often hard to pinpoint. In the case of meditation, there is a good deal of high quality scientific research demonstrating the benefits of meditation for people with cancer.

Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Maryland, told SurvivorNet theres a lot of research to support the positive effects of meditation, Herb Benson [a professor of mind/body medicine at Harvard Medical School] and his team worked on research for about 20 yearsto show the effects that [relaxation response meditation] has oncreasing the parasympathetic tone,decreasing the sympathetic nerve totally, putting youinto a very relaxed state, which has powerful other effects.

RELATED:All My Children Star Cameron Mathison Says Pet Therapy Helps Him Heal After His Surgery For Kidney Cancer

When it comes to meditation, a lot of survivors tell us that theyre incorporating mindfulness into their cancer recovery experiences. Shannon Masur, who took on colon cancer and Lynch Syndrome, says she had never meditated before she was diagnosed. I thought it would be such a challenge, she says. But it really wasnt because [my guide] has taught me how to when a thought comes in, to feel it, feel the fear, but let it go after a few seconds.

Colon cancer and Lynch syndrome survivor Shannon Masur on the importance of meditation during cancer

Getting negative thoughts and energy out of your mind can make a real difference during a cancer journey.

RELATED:A Guided Meditation for the SurvivorNet Community

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, there is data showing that meditation creates reductions in psychological distress in patients with lung cancer, improves mood and general well-being in patients across several cancer diagnoses, as well as enhances psychological functioning and mindfulness in partners of cancer patients.

Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at University of Maryland, leads a guided mediation for the SurvivorNet community

In this video, Dr. Brian Berman, takes us through a guided meditation.Ideally, Dr. Berman recommends using this relaxation technique once or twice a day or for 10 to 15 minutes a day in order to really begin experiencing the benefits that come from meditation.

Cameron Mathison and meditation during cancer

Mathison first announced he had kidney cancer on The Hallmark Network, and then revealed the diagnosis on Instagram less than a month ago. From there, he and his doctors have moved quickly into treatment, andMathison reported that he had a partial nephrectomy, which means that doctors removed part of his kidney in order to treat his disease. After his surgery, Mathison says hes been using meditation to get through his recovery.

RELATED:I Get To Keep 80% Of My Kidney! All My Children Star Cameron Mathison Reveals Hes Back Home After Surgery For His Kidney Cancer

A healing weekend of meditation and relaxation [prayer emoji] Meditation completely changed my life 13 years ago [grateful emoji] So grateful to be able to use it as a valuable tool to help me through this challenging time. #compassion #thinkaboutothers #healing #meditation, he wrote alongside three photos of him relaxing and staying centered and calm one of him lying in a hammock, one of him sitting upright in meditation, and one of him on a deck. All of them them seem to find Mathison amidst a lot of trees and nature.

And supporters were excited to relay their stories about going through cancers and some of the difficulties that came their way,I am also a 10 year renal cell carcinoma survivor and was lucky enough to keep 2/3rds of my kidney,wrote one survivor, who identified a lot with Mathisons experience, I have been watching and praying for you sense we found out about your cancer. I have watched your recovery and in complete awe how quickly you have recovered. You are so full of joy and love.

Others focused on the importance of nature, and how it can help you feel grounded and safe, Im sending you healing vibes and peace Cameron,Your being out in nature is the best thing you can do.always stay connected to the earth.ground yourself everyday to the earth. [prayer emoji].

While some connected to him by talking about their own experiences meditating, I just began to learn meditation to cope with my anxiety. Baby steps for me May the calming of meditation help to complete your recovery. Sending prayers. [prayer emoji].

Mathisons cancer journey

After initially announcing his diagnosis on TV, Mathison wrote an emotional Instagram post to let his followers know what was happening with his health.

I have a health situation that I want to share with you all [prayer emoji]. There are many reasons I love social media, staying connected with you all, sharing fun experiences well this time Im asking for your help, he wrote int he post alongside a photo of him with his wife, Vanessa, and two children, Leila and Lucas.

RELATED:A Cancerous Tumor Growing For Ten Years Outpouring of Support for All My Children Actor Cameron Mathison Who Says He Has Kidney Cancer

In a more recent post, Mathison wrote,Unbelievably grateful to be back home after a successful partial nephrectomy surgery. It was an eventful 4 days in the hospital, and doing well at home now.@inderbirgillmdis a miracle worker, and my whole family is indebted to him and everyone at@keckmedofusc [prayer emojis], alongside a photo of himself holding a photograph framed with poster and signed with lots of loving wishes, and surrounded by gifts, flowers and comforting objects.

He also talked about how much it means to him to have so much positive energy around him during this time, Thank you to everyone sending prayers, positive thoughts, flowers, cards, stuffed animals, food, love[heart emoji] and kidney beans[laughing emoji] Love you guys[loving emoji]#1.8kidneysleft #cancersucks #cancerfighter #feelingloved.

Mathison said his surgery was performed at USC, which is a major, high volume cancer center in Los Angeles.

And his supporters commented their praise of his attitude, and sent their love his way, You are a WARRIOR! We are here for you every step of the way [hearts] sending love and light and strength.

Aw how sweet is this? Youll be back to normal in no time, Cameron. Blessings, love, speedy healing, & loads of prayers & good thoughts sent your way! Always!

Mathison also posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed with his two kids on either side of him, holding his hands. He expressed his gratitude for their love and support,Feeling loved and supported by my family and friends, including each and everyone of you. Ive been very overwhelmed and so grateful for all of the supportive comments and prayers.

And offered a few more details as to the details of his surgery, The surgery went very well. The tumor is gone and I even got to keep 80% of my kidney[smile emoji] We are all optimistic. Keep you updated. So grateful for all of you [heart emoji].

Supporters responded by offering words of kindness and hope, That is awesome news so glad to hear keep positive and hope you have a speedy recover and your not in to much discomfort [heart].

Im so thankful your surgery went well. Im continuing to pray for a speedy recovery. Ive just started watching the Hallmark channel and love seeing you in each and everyone of the movies. God bless you!! [hearts]

Information and treatment options for kidney cancer

Kidney cancer can develop in adults or children. There are two main types of kidney cancer that occur in adults: renal cell cancer, and transitional cell cancer, according to theNational Cancer Institute.

Renal cell canceris a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in tubules of the kidney.Smoking and misuse of certain pain medicines can affect the risk of renal cell cancer.Signs of renal cell cancer include blood in the urine and a lump in the abdomen. Other signs of the disease may includepain in the side that doesnt go away, loss ofappetite, weight loss for no known reason, and anemia.

Treatment for renal cell kidney cancer usually includes some combination surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.

For renal cell cancer, surgery is a common treatment practice. Types of surgery include:

Transitional cell cancerof the renal pelvis and ureter is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the renal pelvis and ureter. A personal history of bladder cancer and smoking can affect the risk of transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter.Signs and symptoms of transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter include blood in the urine and back pain.

Kidney and renal cell pelvic cancers make up about 4.2 percent of all new cancer cases per year in the U.S., with and estimated 73,820 in 2019. These cancers account for about 2.4 percent of deaths from cancer in the U.S. with an estimated 14,770 deaths from this cancer in 2019. The five year survival rate for kidney and renal pelvis cancer is about 74.5 percent.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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A Healing Weekend Of Meditation Actor Cameron Mathison From All My Children Says Meditation Helps Him Recovery After Cancer Surgery - SurvivorNet

Antonio Banderas and Leonardo Sbaraglia in Pain and Glory(Sony Pictures Classics)Pedro Almodvar counts his and our blessings.

Pedro Almodvar has mellowed into wisdom. His new movie Pain and Glory (Dolor y gloria) recounts that battle by leaving behind the old transgressive mischief of Almodvars early up-from-underground films (Law of Desire, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) for a display of graceful sagacity.

Salvador Mallo, a middle-aged Spanish filmmaker played by a sensitive, charmingly grizzled and gray-haired Antonio Banderas, is celebrated for his folk-punk audacity. The poster for Mallos best-known film, Sabor (Taste), boasts a strawberried tongue sticking out of lubricious lips like the Rolling Stones logo. Mallo is from the counterculture generation, yet he has risen to respectability. Note that in Chinatown, John Huston averred, Im old. Politicians, public buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough. Almodvar taunts that truism with Mallos rebel tendency toward recreational drugs and lassitude whenever possible.

Not simply autobiographical, this portrait of personal indulgence points toward honesty, benevolence, and forgiveness virtues missing in most counterculture egoists who look back on the indiscretions of their halcyon past as merit badges. Mallo remembers the people who graced his life and agitated it: old lovers, first desires, a sacrificial mother who becomes judgmental. He also confronts his own vain egotism. (The title must nod to John Boormans Hope and Glory. If so, then an Almodvar version of Boormans follow-up, Queen and Country, will be exquisite.)

With Pain and Glory, Almodvar has made a self-critical film in an era lacking self-awareness. No wonder some critics dismiss it as soft. They never understood Almodvars bemused permissiveness. In 1987s Law of Desire, it was buoyantly humane. In that film, Almodvars perspective on a promiscuous gay filmmaker, his transsexual sibling, and a psychopathic lover made the ingenious mix of sex farce and thriller joyful, not merely shocking. In the era of soft power, Almodvars humanity avoids pushing a political agenda. In Pain and Glory, compassion and forgiveness are more important than any radical progressivism for understanding Mallo.

Pain and Glory dramatizes the battle of experience of despair versus perseverance and triumph. Mallo keeps looking back, comparing fond memories with regret, while enduring the infirmities of aging. Some of Almodvars funniest devices here detail the machinery of modern medicine colorful clinical procedures shown as psychedelic wonders, proving Mallos own tough resilience. These contrast with memories of growing up poor in exurban caves with his mother (first played sensuously by Penelope Cruz and later magnificently by Julieta Serrano, who was the wronged, vengeful housewife in Women on the Verge) and then achieving high-toned class and the appurtenances of sophistication.

Always a rascal, Mallo is honest about his mediocrity and luck. He describes his Catholic upbringing as On days when I suffer, Im only half an atheist. Yet his past recall and later life are full of blessings.

Almodvar does his finest filmmaking when young Mallo (Asier Flores) realizes the thrill of teaching a good-looking worker (Csar Vicente) to write: Two innocent hands touch, and Almodvar imbues their innocence with ecstasy. Terence Davies would blush at the simple ecstatic image. Seeking relief, adult Mallo chases the dragon (smokes heroin) with Alberto (Asier Etxeandia), an actor-antagonist and amoral sensualist who is hip to his tricks. And, in the films finest, existential moment, Mallo encounters an old flame, Federico (Leonardo Sbaraglia).

The face-to-face, mirror-like image of romantic Federico and reckless Mallo defines the essence of homosexual attraction, something even Almodvars hero-genius Jean Cocteau barely did. All these performances (Pain and Glory is the best-acted film of year) idealize complicated human relations. Cinematographer Jos Luis Alcaine presents Almodvars vision with pellucid imagery. The clarity of the films lighting sees life experience with depth and beneficence. Almodvar and Alcaine admit to cinematic make-believe and soulful confession, and then achieve pure visualized emotion.

Read more:

Pain and Glory Is a Profound and Joyful Meditation on Life - National Review

Having lived with anxiety pretty much all her life, Features Editor Tess Schlink had often been suggested meditation as a cure for its often debilitating symptoms. Sceptical that it would help but still curious, she dabbled with a few apps that promised calmness and clarity, only to be deterred by the fact that try as she might, she could never completely clear her mind from thoughts, and the resulting conclusion that she'd failed - a feeling doubtless shared by those who feel they just cant meditate for this very same reason. So when Sigourney suggested Tess learn Vedic meditation, explaining it was a practice shed begun years ago and that had improved her life endlessly, she was open to the idea.

I completed a course with Vedic meditation teacher Anna Young-Ferris, and the location could not be better suited to the task at hand. Situated on Sydneys idyllic Northern Beaches, her studio is perched above an expanse of lush green forest. Even the most frazzled of souls would feel their shoulders drop on stepping inside an oasis of calming cream and oatmeal shades, theres a rattan mandala adorning the wall, and houseplants are dotted artfully throughout the space.

Anna herself is pretty much serenity personified a very promising start. She welcomes me warmly for the first day of my four session course, with Sigourney joining me for days two and three. This first session is my initiation to the tradition of Vedic meditation. I come bearing fruits and flowers for an ancient ritual that Anna performs beautifully, after which she gives me my mantra a sacred sound that gives my mind something to focus on throughout the meditation practice.

The next day after arriving on the Northern Beaches, session two begins: a refresher course for Sig, but an introduction to the world Vedic meditation for me as well as explaining how Vedic meditation differs from other forms of meditation we might have tried in the past. One of the most fundamental differences and the one that hit home most for me was how Vedic meditation deals with thoughts. Anna explains, I have seriously tried many meditation techniques over the decades and also once held the misconception, like everyone, that meditation is about clearing the mind of thoughts. As one of her teachers says: We learn that asking the mind to stop thinking is like asking the heart to stop beating (impossible!)

And actually, Anna explains we should welcome thoughts, not fight them. When there are thoughts in meditation, it is actually a sign that stress is being laundered out of our nervous system, she says. This can be accumulated stress from superficial day-to-day situations to more significant stress situations, like relationship break ups, buying and selling a house, illness, and death that have been layered into our nervous systems over the years. And the busier and more thought-filled a meditation is, the more stress is being released.

Hearing this is a bit of an epiphany for me no longer did I feel that I was one of those people who was incapable of meditating. In fact, my busy mind was actually rinsing out its stresses from the frustration of missing my bus and misplacing my keys last week, to more serious events that had cluttered my nervous system for years.

We sit down to our first meditation of the day, keeping in mind what Anna had shared about thoughts. Thoughts pop up but I reframe them as a release as opposed to a distraction not unlike clicking out of a thousand tabs in your mind.

In fact, Anna explains that a lot of creatives practise meditation to pull up their best ideas that might have been buried in their subconsciousness. And after each thought pops up, we are to gently return to our mantra its simple and frankly really easy to do. Over time when there are fewer thoughts to wash out of my mind, Im told Ill reach a state of bliss while meditating a deliciously addictive feeling Im very excited to experience.

After a few practice meditations, were instructed that we are to continue the practice twice daily for 20 minutes each. Carving out an extra 40 minutes from our already overstuffed days seems tricky although Anna and Sig are quick to point out that Im at an advantage compared to them, as I dont have small children that need my time and attention. And as Anna is quick to point out, 40 minutes is less than 3% of our day: It seems like it subtracts but it actually adds, even multiplies, in terms of the benefits it gives in all the other areas of your life.

And its not just an arbitrary number, either. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (of The Beatles fame), who trained one of Annas teachers, brought the technique to the West and adapted the traditional practices accordingly because what worked for monks living in solitude, meditating for hours on end, might not be an easy fit in our non-stop, tech-filled lives. He found that 20 minutes twice per day was the optimal practice for householders like us. Anna explains: If we can only fit in one meditation, 35% of the benefits of the technique will be reaped but if we practise twice per day, the benefits are cumulative and we can enjoy 100% of the benefits of the technique. Sig and I commit to making each other accountable and put a daily 3pm alert in our calendar to make our second daily meditation happen every single day.

Over the next few sessions were schooled in the benefits of Vedic meditation and there are many. The tidiest way to sum it up is that its the mental equivalent of having a shower a fundamental daily ritual few would do without. As a society, were generally very good at caring for our physical health but tend to neglect the wellbeing of our minds. Meditation can profoundly impact how you think and feel, and improve your relationships with yourself and others, Anna shares. Scientific studies have validated the benefits of meditation such as improving sleep quality; reducing stress, anxiety, depression and migraines; bolstering immunity and heart functioning; regulating emotional reactivity; and even slowing down the effects of ageing. (As a beauty obsessive, Im always seeking out the aesthetic benefits of everything I do, so this was pleasing to learn).

Other benefits we can expect? Anna cites a greater sense of clarity, being less snappy with those in their lives, and just simply moving through life with more, as she puts it, elegance (she is certainly a perfect example of this). You start to make decisions from your place of intuition and higher self rather than the place of monkey mind, she says. Its a really beautiful way to live and be in the world.

We wrap up the course and Im feeling optimistic. The twice daily sessions slot neatly into my daily routine and while theyre a bit of a time commitment, the payoff is certainly worth it in terms of feeling more serene and upping my productivity levels. Six weeks in, my anxiety and monkey mind havent disappeared completely (although this doesnt surprise me, I think its just part of my nature to be always somewhat nervy) but is certainly much alleviated. During the course, Anna shared that her students often feel a bit off if they skip a session and Im starting to feel like Ive reached that point now. Its an addiction Im happy to maintain.

Story by Tess Schlink.

Anna teaches regularly from her gorgeous meditation studio set amongst the rainforest by the Pittwater in Newport (next course is is 2-4 November), at KAI YOGA, Mosman and other locations. Follow her on Instagram @annayoungferris or head to http://www.annayoungferris.com.

Excerpt from:

I Learned Vedic Meditation And This Is How It Changed My Life - Beauticate

Demi Moore went to a meditation retreat with her 'Corporate Animals' co-stars to bond before filming.

The 56-year-old actress plays an arrogant CEO in the new movie and since Demi joined the project late after another actress dropped out, she did everything she could to bond with her new castmates.

Dan Bakkedahl told Variety: "She was incredible. Really. She couldn't have been more personable and friendly. "We all had lunch together and dinner together. We went to a meditation retreat, like all sorts of just crazy team building stuff. She's a real team player. So there was team-building out like in real life. She was like, 'Hey, we're all in here together. Let's get to know each other and appreciate one another.'

"When we got back...we all went to her house for lunch one day. There was no occasion. It was just 'Come to my house and let's have lunch.' It was great."

And Demi admitted she was surprised that her co-stars were so open to her team-building ideas, including meeting Hindu spiritual leader Amma.

She said: "I think that was the most surprising experience stepping in. I didn't know everybody. Another actress was originally going to do this and got ill and then I stepped in. So, I was really behind the curve. And the fact that everyone jumped in and was game with the first event, which was actually going in and meeting Amma, the hugging saint, was awesome.

"Everybody came. I thought for sure somebody would go, 'ah no', but everybody came. It was awesome, and we really chose to spend all of our time off together. We're still on a text thread that we all connect on."

Originally posted here:

Demi Moore's meditation retreat bond with co-stars - Rheaheraldnews

Summer is reaching its end, and youre probably catching your breath after weekends of dashing to the beach, concerts and festivals. This weekend, conclude the season by taking a trip inward.

Murray Hidary is ending a nationwide tour of SilentHikes with a free meditative experience at Los Liones Trail this Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. Hidary will guide hikers up the trail while they wear wireless headphones playing his MindTravel piano recordings. At the summit, Hidary will perform on a real piano as participants continue meditating silently.

SilentHikes provide an opportunity for people to work through their emotions and forge deep connections with others, Hidary said.

Something really wonderful happens when you look around and you see hundreds of people having this personal alone experience and sharing that together, he said. This beautiful balance of the individual and the collective comes into play.

Hidary, a former web developer who studied classical music composition at New York University, created MindTravel six years ago when he started playing improvisational compositions to groups of a few dozen people in his New York City apartment.

Since then, he has brought MindTravels meditative experiences to thousands of people in concert halls and parks, on hikes and beaches, and at landmarks and museums. One of his most regular venues is

Santa Monica State Beach, where he first brought MindTravel outdoors.Hidary, a Santa Monica resident, chose to conclude his yearlong, 21-city SilentHikes tour on his favorite hike in Los Angeles.

Los Liones has such dramatic views of the ocean and a beautifully diverse landscape, he said. It provides enough of a challenge for a physical and emotional and spiritual experience all combined.Hidary describes his contemporary classical music, which is inspired by minimalist composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich, as the soundtrack to the human story and soul.

Its really about expressing through music the journey and the ups and downs of life, he said. I also look at the patterns in nature and reflect that in the music.

In addition to playing his music for participants, Hidary will also perform improvised spoken word and poetry inspired by the landscape through a microphone connected to their wireless headphones.After he finishes performing on the piano at the summit, he will bring the participants into a circle to share a word, phrase or sentence about what they are feeling and want to create in their lives.I do this at the end of each experience, and the usual sentiment people share is one of belonging and deep connection, he said.

Hidary said participants often share personal stories of how the experience helped them work through life transitions, such as divorce or loss of a loved one. He became a licensed grief counselor to better connect with those participants, he said.

They find some kind of solace and connection within the music, he said. Music is such a wonderful language for processing grief and pain its the language of feelings and emotions, especially profound feelings we dont have words for.

Hidary will also host a MindTravel experience at Santa Monica State Beach on Oct. 6 and perform with Santa Monica Colleges symphony orchestra at the El Rey Theatre on Nov. 2.

For more details, visit http://www.mindtravel.com/experiences.madeleine@smdp.com

View original post here:

Music for meditation - Santa Monica Daily Press

I was waking up too many mornings feeling lethargic and anxious, so after listening to a million wellness podcasts, I decided that it was time to try meditation again. I say again because I tried it a few years ago. I used Headspace, a meditation app, but the mistake I made was that I would do it first thing in the morning, as in before I even brushed my teeth. I would stay in my bed, which more often than not meant that I was falling asleep mid meditation. So, in order to actually feel like I was getting something out of my meditation practice, I knew I needed to change up a few things. I created a little meditation corner in my living room, and it's how I was able to truly commit to my practice.

What's in my corner, you ask? A little floor pillow, so I can sit comfortably but not in my bed, is a must. I also change my clothes because not being in pajamas shifts my mindset. I love aromatherapy, and that's been integral in keeping me calm and focused. Plus, I've gotten a couple of books that help keep me encouraged. Meditation is a practice I'm really committing to, and I can already feel more centered and calm when I wake up, because I have my 20 minutes to look forward to. If you're trying to meditate for the first time, set up a little dedicated space for it, and thank me later.

Read the original post:

Here's How I Set Up a Meditation Corner in My Studio Apartment - POPSUGAR

Early in his book, Biography of Silence, Pablo dOrs notes some of the many experiences he cultivated in his life as a young adult travelling, reading voraciously and having numerous romances. Like many of my contemporaries, I was convinced that the more experiences I had and the more intense and stunning they were, the sooner and better I would become a complete person.

But he concludes that the quantity and intensity of those experiences only serve to bewilder a person and leave them estranged from themselves. Better to stop having stunning experiences and devote oneself to simply living ones life.

I wondered about that. I have long been cool to the bucket list mentality toting up all the experiences one desires to have and setting out to check off as many of those items as possible.

For one thing, it is too contrived and self-centred. It is an extension of the consumer mentality, only now we consume experiences rather than things. For another, bucket lists usually involve substantial air travel which pours evermore greenhouse gases into an already over-carbonized atmosphere.

However, I dont think insularity is a great accomplishment either.

If humanity is to live in peace in a globalized world, we need to understand other cultures and meet people with experiences much different than our own. Such encounters must be much deeper than wallowing on a beach in Bora Bora while the locals bring you food and drink.

I also thought of how my trips to Bolivia, France and Spain had enriched my own life.

Walking the Camino de Santiago four years ago was an experience which seemed to open a mysterious new dimension in my heart, something I am still living and discerning.

But dOrs, now a priest and well-known writer in Spain as well as a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture, is asking more of us than to explore the question of insularity versus the cosmopolitan lifestyle. Rather, he wants our experience of the ordinary to be more than ordinary, to be transformative.

He describes his own efforts to meditate and how, through meditating, one can live more fully in the here-and-now. We normally live scattered that is to say, outside of ourselves. Meditation concentrates us, brings us back home and teaches us to live together with our own being.

Enter into silence, stop dreaming of yourself and see the many distractions which attack your silence. Let them go, if you can.

Yes, it is demanding. You may be beset by physical pain, uncomfortable memories, boredom, mental restlessness and a desire to do anything but sit and meditate.

DOrs says it was his personal tenacity which kept him faithful to the practice. Tenacity and the call of the silence itself. Once undertaken, the practice of meditation takes hold of a person and keeps drawing them back to the silence.

Some maintain that meditation is the key to world peace, an extravagant claim. That if each person allows themselves to be formed by silence, they will come to know themselves and to develop empathy and compassion for others.

Maybe there is something to this. Western society is spiritually asleep; we need to wake up. When more people adhere to spiritual disciplines, perhaps the alarm bells will ring so loudly that they cannot be ignored.

I do not know whether dOrs buys that notion. But he is clear in maintaining that the fruits of meditation will be seen not during the time of meditation, only in ones life afterwards. One may begin to encounter God more and more in ordinary life, not so much during meditation itself.

Meditation is not a form of self-absorbed navel-gazing, although admittedly, it can become that. But arent we most self-absorbed when we daydream about ourselves and our pie-in-the-sky desires and ambitions? Arent we most self-absorbed when we are bathing in some new, stunning experience? Our thoughts and ideas distance us from ourselves, leading us out of the moment into a fantasy world.

Meditation, whether Christian, Buddhist or whatever, begins with putting our thoughts to the side. The more we do that, the more open we will become to the love of God and the suffering of others.

Meditation and contemplation then are challenges to the contemporary world and its project of turning human beings into human doings. Anything human, let alone divine, starts by withdrawing from the perpetual steeplechase after nothing and becoming rooted in the silence.

(Argan is program co-ordinator at Star of the North Retreat Centre in St. Albert, Alta.)

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Glen Argan: Meditation 'brings us back home' - The Catholic Register

September 18, 2019

DALLAS The following new books have been added to the shelves of the Back Mountain Memorial Library, 96 Huntsville Road, for the month of September 2018.

EXPRESS

The Iceman by P.T. Deutermann

The Spymaster: A Thriller by Brad Thor

Walking Shadows by Faye Kellerman

Texas Free by Janet Dailey

Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb

In His Fathers Footsteps by Danielle Steel

The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz

Juror #3 by James Patterson

Shadow Tyrants by Clive Cussler

Safe and Sound by Fern Michaels

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

Overkill by Ted Bell

FICTION

The Iceman by P.T. Deutermann

The Spymaster: A Thriller by Brad Thor

Walking Shadows by Faye Kellerman

Texas Free by Janet Dailey

Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb

In His Fathers Footsteps by Danielle Steel

The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz

Juror #3 by James Patterson

Shadow Tyrants by Clive Cussler

Safe and Sound by Fern Michaels

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Echoes in the Walls by V.C. Andrews

Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

The 49th Mystic by Ted Dekker

The Golden State by Lydia Kiesling

NONFICTION

Fodors Bermuda

Climate Change by James Collins

Liars, Leakers, and Liberals by Jeanine Pirro

Calypso by David Sedaris

My iPhone for Seniors by Brad Miser

iPhone: The Missing Manual by David Pogue

Macbook for Dummies by Mark L. Chambers

Georgia OKeeffe: visions of Hawaii

American Firefighter by Paul Mobley

Roadtrip America 25 Scenic Side Trips in Arizona and New Mexico

Fodors Essential Scotland

Fodors Vienna and the Best of Austria

Eyewitness Travel Poland

Eyewitness Travel Great Britain

The Total Inventors Manual by Seam Michael Ragan

BIOGRAPHY

My Lost Brothers by Brendan McDonough

LARGE PRINT

FICTION

The Librarian and the Spy by Susan Mann

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Would-be Wilderness Wife by Regina Scott

Texas Free by Janet Dailey

Leverage in Death by J.D. Robb

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

Feared by Lisa Scottoline

Shadow Tyrants by Clive Cussler

BOOKS ON CD

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott

The House at Saltwater Point by Colleen Coble

More:

Introduction to Zen meditation set for Oct. 1 at Mercy Center in Dallas - The Dallas Post

I always say that I'm going to meditate more. Not just sit there cross-legged hum-whispering "om" under my breath, but being still and calm no matter how loud my mind races. What I've learned from trying to meditate daily in the past is that I'm not particularly good at shutting off my thoughts and zoning in on my breathing in a quiet room. But, as Casey Urban, a yoga teacher of 10 years, said in a previous interview, that takes time and a lot of it. "People wake up early to meditate and they get frustrated when they can't quite focus on the breath the whole time," she said. "But it takes years and years and years to build a strong, steady practice."

I need moments of pause that aren't overcome by jarring silence. That's why Wave, a newly-launched guided meditation experience that lets you rest against a pillow and not only tune into beats of your choice, but feel the music as it plays, seemed like a great idea to test out. Studies claim that meditation in general can reduce anxiety, stress, and pain. It can also lower blood pressure and aid in better sleep. These proven benefits have always been in the back of my mind, and the fact that Wave includes music and an actual pillow made me all the more excited to give it a try. Ahead, check out everything you need to know about Wave and my thoughts on using it.

Originally posted here:

How Music and a Special Pillow Turned Guided Meditation Into Something I Actually Enjoy - POPSUGAR

Parents and teachers in several states, including Colorado, are pushing back against schools requiring kids to perform Buddhist-like meditations in schools.

The American Center for Law and Justice is looking to end these mindfulness sessions that are happening in public schools.

Students are instructed to close their eyes during these mindfulness sessions. An audio recording is then played that tells the kids to empty their minds, float away on clouds and feel their connection to the universe around them.

ACLJ first began this journey last year when they discovered that a Colorado school district was implementing these mindfulness sessions into elementary schools under the name Inner Explorer.

ACLJ is calling the Buddhist meditation sessions the beginning of a slippery slope.

Going a step further, imagine that the only opt-out resolution the school offers is to place your child in the hallway unattended until the mindfulness session has finished. This is the new reality for parents across the country. The ACLJ is already working to protect your child from the unconstitutional religious influence of state-funded schools, the group said in a public statement.

The group has also made it clear that they arent just trying to protect students rights. They are also trying to protect teachers from being required to take part in the sessions.

As the mindfulness revolution continues to sweep our nation, students are not the only ones whose rights are being infringed. Teachers and other public employees, alike, are being forced to attend mindfulness and meditation training and/or are under significant pressure to participate in such practices despite their stated religious objections, the group said.

We have received inquiries from public employees who want to know whether it is within their rights to opt-out of or refuse to participate in mindfulness and meditation trainings and practices, they continued. Forcing a teacher to participate and be trained in the mindfulness curriculums, when it is against his or her religious beliefs, violates federal law.

Though the sessions are pitched as secular in nature, ACLJ argues that they are clearly aligned with Buddhist philosophy. If they can successfully make that argument, then the sessions would violate a law prohibiting religious discrimination in the workplace.

Generally, teachers who are required to attend a mindfulness training program may go to the human resources department and find out the curriculum for the program. After reviewing the program, they may inform the employer of any parts that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. Legally, if the training or practice violates an employees sincerely held religious beliefs, employers must allow the employee to opt-out. And public schools are no exception, ACLJ said.

Colorado being at the center of this controversy is no surprise. The state is home to some of the oddest legal battles around. One city in the state just ended its legal battle to defend a ban on female toplessness. Other cities in Colorado allow for female toplessness in public, and Fort Collins joined the list after spending more than $300,000 defending themselves from a discrimination lawsuit.

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Parents, teachers revolt over Buddhist meditation pushed in schools - BizPac Review