Ashley Wray never thought she'd be the CEO of a modern meditation brand.

Ashley Wray never thought she would be the founder and CEO of one of the most popular meditation companies. A few years ago, she was an award-winning journalist covering one of these least zen topics: murder trials. But after a chance encounter with a woman on a plane from Bali to Thailand, that all changed.

"Meditation was new to me and something I was incredibly curious about but felt I was doing wrong," Wray told me. "We bought mala beads, crystals and took classes and lessons while in Bali. And on the flight from Bali to Thailand, we had a serendipitous encounter on the plane, sitting beside a woman whose mission was to spread mindfulness and meditation to the West something her guru asked her to do through mala beads. They were the very same mala beads we had purchased that week. It was a chance encounter that has forever changed my life."

That meeting got Wray curious about new ways to bring meditation into her daily life and led her to India, Nepal, and Bhutan. There she worked on her practice and was drawn to designing the products that supported it, knowing that these tools made it easier for a meditation novice. Wray startedMala Collectivein 2011, by offering Mala beads, then designing meditation cushions, crystal kits, and more.

"Mala Collective's pieces and tools are meant to support you in starting, deepening, or returning when you fall away from your practice," said Wray. "In all honesty, you don't need any products to have a meditation practice. All you need is your breath. But if you find that a mala helps to hold your focus, or the crystals help you set an intention, and the cushions help inspire you to take a seat then that's what we are there for."

Now it's clear Wray wasn't the only one who needed these tools. In the last 10 years, she's developed a massive following with a list of celebrity fans like Justin Bieber, Molly Sims, Haylie Duff, Whitney Port, and more. The company also offers free online content from guided meditations to videos on starting a practice to paid classes. "I truly believe in the education of meditation. I want to help inspire people to meditate. To breathe. To slow down," said Wray.

She also recently startedcoachingwomen on how to start and scale their own purpose driven businesses, which is a huge passion for her.The Canadian's next mission? Bring mindfulness to children.

This spring, she is launching a kid's line that came to her in a vision during a meditation two years ago. "The vision was to create fun and playful pieces to help kids to slow down, connect to their breath, and have a "positive time-out," she said. "The goal of the line is that it will help kids' thoughts float away like clouds, which inspired our cloud cushion. It's a fun and playful introduction to meditation."

With so much success, it's hard for Wray to imagine what her life could have been if she hadn't traveled to South East Asia and sat next to that woman on the plane. "It was a chance encounter that has forever changed my life. Serendipity can truly change our lives if we are open to it," she said. "It's been a beautiful journey all sparked by one trip to Bali."

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A Chance Meeting In Bali Sparked This Celebrity-Favorite Meditation Brand - Forbes

It is as easy as breathing, apparently, but experts have told how meditation is helping the world cope with the stress of lockdown.

The pandemic has promped a huge surge in interest in the holistic Eastern practice most associated with Buddhism and hippies searching for Enlightenment.

But the calming mindfulness is, it turns out, exactly what we need to keep an even keel during the stress and strain of Covid and is fast becoming as mainstream as yoga, backed by celebrities such as Russell Brand and Fearne Cotton, and now even prescribed by the NHS for stress and anxiety.

Described by meditation practitioner Ken Jamieson as a mental break from your worries and stresses, meditation puts the focus on something else so our minds have no space to think about the grind and churn of everyday life.

And in the past 10 months a time where we have been unable to escape waves of bad news meditation has been a mental escape for millions of people worldwide. Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, meditation app Headspaces courses have had a 1,000% spike in users.

In the UK alone, 10 times more people are following Headspaces Reframing Anxiety At Home course, and it now has 65 million users worldwide. Now the app is on TV with Netflix streaming Headspace Guide To Meditation, fronted by co-founder Andy Puddicombe, bringing a whole new concept to the phrase Netflix and chill.

Scottish meditation organisations like Glasgow Transcendental Meditation have also seen an increase in their online service users throughout lockdown and Glasgow Meditation has launched its very own app, MindGem.

So what exactly is meditation, and how can it help us? Meditation is simply about training the mind to become more aware of the present moment in order to gain perspective, explained Ken Jamieson. Its not about trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings, but being able to recognise them for what they are just thoughts and feelings.

It works for stress and anxiety by calming the mind enough to deal better with worry or anything that is overwhelming us, and being present fully in the current moment.

With origins in Buddhism going back around 2,600 years, meditation has long been thought of as a religious practice, similar to prayer. Although stemming from a religious faction and related to spirituality and enlightenment, its impact on our physicality has now also been proven.

Scientific studies have shown regular and sustained meditation alters the brains physical make-up, and medical professionals now take it far more seriously as a treatment. Meditation can decrease respiratory rate, decreases heart rate, decreases blood pressure, and decreases muscle tension, said former nurse Angela Landers, director of Glasgow Transcendental Meditation.

Having taught transcendental meditation for 20 years, I find that people no longer need to be convinced of meditations practical benefits. Meditation is now more mainstream. It is being taught in schools and businesses and prescribed by doctors as well as being popularised by lots of celebrities. People are now meditation shopping and often want to know the difference between different types of meditations for different problems.

As well as helping improve mental wellbeing, meditation can also be used to alleviate physical maladies worsened by anxiety. Meditation has been shown to help with skin conditions like eczema and even cancer, because a lot of our ailments are accentuated by stress, said Jamieson.

It can also really help with insomnia, which is largely in part due to the worry of not being able to sleep. With mental health issues so high, meditation is one of the most under-utilised and free tools we have to help our brains.

As social activist and Buddhist Mahatma Gandhi said, If you dont have time to meditate for five minutes, then meditate for an hour.

A lot of meditations benefits stem from simply taking time out of our hectic and busy lives and spending 10-20 minutes for ourselves to just be, to stop doing anything.

And, as Puddicombe puts to us at the beginning of his new Netflix series when you really think about it when was the last time you took time to just breathe?

Headspace Guide to Meditation, streaming now on Netflix.

Like many things in the last 12 months, it was all triggered by coronavirus.

I was in New Zealand about as far away from Scotland and home as I could be when lockdown hit and the world as we knew it was no more.

With money going fast and unsure whether to stay put or try to fly home in the midst of the pandemic, severe anxiety started to take over and before I knew it I wasnt sleeping at night.

Eventually, when sleeping pills and remedies just werent doing the trick and I was feeling completely overwhelmed, I decided to try meditation as Id read it could help and had friends who swore by it.

I downloaded Headspace app and a 30-day programme specially designed to help with sleep and anxiety. I lay down for 20 minute intervals once or twice a day and listened to the instructions provided including relaxing visualisation and breathing techniques.

Within just a couple of days, I slept normally again. I wasnt sure if it was a fluke, but the longer I continued to meditate teamed with a bit of exercise the sleep just kept coming and the calmer I became.

Any other worries were quashed by the fact that when I was focussing on the visualisations within meditation, I had no room to think of anything else. I started to look forward to my daily meditation. It was like pressing a reset button on my brain a mental massage for my knotted mind.

With tips and advice also relaxingly narrated in the programme, I learned it wasnt that the meditation had made me sleep, it was that it had calmed my mind down enough to not really care whether I slept or not. This in turn meant I was far more relaxed when it came to bedtime and so then nodded off easily.

Now, I dont need to meditate every day, but as soon as I find myself getting a little overwhelmed with lockdown worries or I cant sleep, I simply do the meditation exercises I have learnt, and let the anxiety melt away.

Find a comfortable and quiet place where you wont be disturbed and lie down or sit in a comfy position.

Breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth ten times, and with the final out breath, close your eyes.

Let your breathing return to normal, and then scan down your body, visualising your head to your feet.

Next, turn your attention to your breathing, counting each one as it passes until you reach 50.

Now, imagine a strong ray of warm, gentle sunlight beaming down on your body.

Watch it with your mind, as it slowly fills up each part of you, beginning with your toes and working its way up.

If your mind wanders, dont get frustrated this is normal just allow yourself to bring your focus back to the visualisation.

Let your mind wander for a few moments, then bring your attention back to the body, slowly becoming aware of the room and your position once more.

Open your eyes and relish in how relaxed you feel.

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Just breathe: How meditation is helping the world keep calm and carry on through lockdown - The Sunday Post

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has added many challenges to our everyday lives, and at times it can seem overwhelming.

With so much stress, it can be difficult to find relief. But an increasing number of people are turning to meditation to get their stress under control.

Allie Henderson, wellness consultant for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah says, Meditation is a great way to just be more comfortable and to just be in control while also feeling calm and at peace while were living in a world that is very out of control."

Henderson says the principles of meditation, while basic, can have broad, far reaching and life changing effects.

The benefits are more focused on being in control of our thoughts and emotions. We also see improved psychological benefits , improved self-esteem, there can be help when coping with illnesses and even decrease in pain.

The meditation trend is growing. In the last decade, the number of those practicing some form of meditation has tripled. Henderson says the current world health crisis is fueling the rapid uptick.

This is something that people are turning to because of the pandemicwhich they should, because during this year were feeling a lot of difficult emotions."

There are many ways to meditate, and technology is making it easier than ever. Downloads of apps like Calm, Headspace, and Meditopia along with others have seen a 25 percent increase from one year ago. Not surprising says Henderson.

"Things like fear, anxiety, stress, frustration, anger, depression, loneliness. All of these things that sometimes we label as bad. We feel like we shouldnt be feeling this way and we try to shove them aside."

Experts caution shoving deep, personal discomforts aside, as it can often lead to bigger problems.

"We want to remove judgment, remove those labels and understand what these emotions are trying to tell us, so that we can respond rather than react.

Henderson says anyone can make significant gains through meditation, and stresses it's a gradual learning curve with overall benefits that can last a lifetime.

"Remember, your mind is going to wander, but this is a practice and even those whove been doing it for years, are still learning. So, give yourself grace and just enjoy the process.

Tap here for more Healthier Together stories to help you live your best life. And if you want more information or have a health questions, send us a message at healthiertogether@fox13now.com.

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Healthier Together: meditation for stress relief - fox13now.com - fox13now.com

Samantha Akkineni shared a picture of herself glowing and looking happy post her meditation session.

South beauty Samantha Akkineni, who is fitness freak and makes sure to hit the gym daily, is also practicing meditation. She has made this simple yet powerful routine a part of her life. The Majili actress recently shared a picture of herself glowing and looking happy post her meditation session. The actress took to Instagram and wrote, "post meditation bliss...#shambhavimahamudra...make meditation a part of your life...it will transform you." One can see, Sam lying on the floor and is smiling for a happy picture post her meditation session.

Earlier, Sam practised Isha Kriya meditation for 48 days and promoted its benefits. The Oh Baby actress took to Instagram and posted a picture of herself trying a new form of yoga and meditation. "Today i begin my 48 days of the Isha kriya journey I invite you to join me ... Isha kriya brings health, prosperity and well-being. It is a powerful tool to cope ... and is meant to empower us to live life to our fullest potential ... it is a free guided meditation ... I wish you peace," wrote Samantha on Instagram.

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On the work front, Samantha Akkineni is making her Hindi web series debut and is playing an antagonist in The Family Man season 2. It features Manoj Bajpayee in the lead role.

She will be seen in Vignesh Shivan's Telugu-comedy Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kadhal, co-starring Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi.

Also, there is no stopping, Sam is also playing Shakuntala in director Gunasekhars Telugu mythological drama Shakuntalam.

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Samantha Akkineni enjoys bliss post her meditation session; Tells fans to make it a part of their life - PINKVILLA

Join the Woodbridge Public Library as long time meditator Arvind Naik, MBA February 16 at 7PM as he offers this engaging workshop on how to use the practice of meditation to transform the heart. The workshop will include how to incorporate more love and peace in your life which will have a profound transformation on your overall well-being. Learn how to let go of anger, fear and worry in order to create more harmonious relationships, improve work and home environments, and experience a deep sense of personal peace and love. The workshop will include a short meditation session.

This program will be presented virtually over Zoom.

Register online here--https://bit.ly/3iai8or or call 732-634-4450.

Arvind Naik, MBA in Global Business Management from NYIT, is educated as an Electronics Engineer and works as a Data Architect and Business Professional in Information Technology.

He has been giving lectures and workshops on the topic of meditation, where he discusses how incorporating meditation into our daily routine can be life changing. In his programs Arvind, explores how this practice can help each of us develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. Arvind led a meditation program at Target and regularly speaks at libraries all across the country and local community centers. Most recently he spoke at Boston Scientific to introduce meditation as a tool for stress reduction in the workplace and he was invited by the Columbia Heights Police Department to give talks on the many benefits of meditation and how it can help the Officers with their day to day stress. Arvind lives in Minnesota and is married with two teenage sons.

On the day before the program you will be sent the Zoom meeting information by email. Please note that if you are using Zoom on a tablet or smartphone you will need to download the Zoom app.

Woodbridge Library

7326344450

ngrimes@woodbridgelibrary.org

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Filling Our Hearts with Love Through Meditation - TAPinto.net

Jennifer Wallis explores the theory behind the physical and mental benefits of daily meditation

Meditation is a tried and tested tool used by many across the world to help improve their overall mental health and wellbeing. According to research from Bupa, 26% of UK adults say they have meditated as a way to improve their mental wellbeing in the past five years[1].

Figures from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) revealed that 828,000 workers were suffering from work-related stress, depression and anxiety in 2019/2020[2]. And that's before the pandemic hit. Even by 2020, the ONS had revealed that instances of reported depression had doubled from pre-Covid rates - from one in 10 to one in five[3].

On a personal level, my life is infinitely better now that I have developed a daily meditation practice. I am able to notice when anxiety taps on my window and attempts to scare the living daylights out of me. I am able to acknowledge it and sit with it. I am better equipped at dealing with most of the stresses of day-to-day life. When someone says something that I might perceive as out of turn', I don't find myself bubbling up with red hot anger and nor do I find myself sulking - or ruminating for hours - if someone doesn't do something in the way that I expected them to (I'm by no means perfect, but I'm certainly calmer and for longer periods these days). I also am able to react to people with more empathy and more compassion. And I can say with conviction that meditation has been key to all of this.

Improved quality of breath leads to improved physiological functions... and helps to improve symptoms of chronic pain and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress and depression.

Why? Because over time we learn to bring awareness to our breathing; taking slower, fuller and deeper inhales and exhales. Not only does this improve our quality of breath, but in turn this improved quality of breath leads to improved physiological functions, such as cognitive function - our ability to learn and concentrate on tasks - and it helps to improve symptoms of chronic pain and mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress and depression.

According to a study by Harvard University, the physiologic benefits of meditation - in this instance the relaxing form of transcendental meditation - relate to quieting the sympathetic nervous system and the activation of the parasympathetic branch - otherwise known as rest and digest'. Medical studies have shown that individuals who practice transcendental meditation daily had lower blood levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol.[4]

Brainwaves

When we meditate, we experience particular brainwave states. Brainwaves, which happen when we experience thoughts, emotions or behaviours, are the result of the neurons in our brains communicating with each other. Each type of brainwave will lead us to a certain state of being, such as being alert or being asleep, and these can enhance our mental state or increase our productivity. There are five main types of brainwaves - beta, alpha, theta, delta and gamma - and they are measured using a device called an electroencephalogram, or EEG, and are measured in hertz (Hz). They range from low frequency (delta) to high frequency (gamma).

Beta waves range from 12-38Hz and are the brainwaves that we experience in our normal waking state when we are active, alert and focused. High-beta waves measure at around 20.5Hz and these are experienced during high levels of stress. Perhaps many of us are experiencing this state right now. Alpha waves range from 8-12Hz and this is the frequency that occurs when we are in a wakeful, resting state, when we are daydreaming or in light meditation. Theta waves - 4-8Hz - happen during cycles of sleep or when we reach deeper, meditative states. When we are in the theta state our focus is inward and we are better able to tune into our inner voice. Vivid imagery may occur. We may have great flashes of inspiration. Theta waves are also used during healing and hypnosis. Delta waves come in at 0.5-4Hz and these happen during deep, dreamless sleep. During this state, healing and regeneration occurs within the body. A good reason to make sure you're getting enough quality sleep.

Gamma waves are the highest frequency of brainwave ranging from 38-100Hz, the highest of these is known as hyper-gamma. Gamma waves are produced by the brain when we are intently and deeply focused on a task or project, or engaged in problem solving. During gamma activity our brain is simultaneously processing information from different areas of the brain. People with higher gamma activity are said to be able to learn other languages more easily. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle used EEG technology to measure participants' language learning ability at different intervals throughout the study. It found that those who were more easily able to pick up a language had higher gamma (and beta) activity in the right temporoparietal regions, the areas of the brain involved in language processing.

These particular waves are also found in individuals who frequently experience feelings of happiness and joy for no specific reason. Gamma is associated with the state or feeling of compassion and unconditional love. Practicing the Buddhist meditation metta bhavana, or loving-kindness' meditation, can help increase gamma and cultivate this loving state. The practice involves feeling metta in our heartspace and then bringing people to mind and feeling this metta, or love, for them. Including people we may class as enemies'.

Brain-heart coherence

Practicing this type of meditation can also lead us to having greater brain-heart coherence, which is when the communication between the brain and the heart is synchronised. You might be aware that our brain sends signals to other organs in our bodies, but did you know that our heart has 40,000 neurons that communicate directly with the brain? More communication actually happens from the heart to the brain than it does the other way around. Incredible. The heart also has a measurable electromagnetic field, just as the brain does, and it is 5,000 times stronger than that of the brain and influences our environment and reality.

The Heart Math Institute has been studying coherence for many years and has found that these heart signals have a significant effect on brain function - influencing emotional processing as well as higher cognitive faculties such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving'[5]. Other benefits include improved immune, nervous and digestive systems, the release of the anti-aging hormone DHEA, reduced cortisol - the stress hormone - and improved sleep and overall energy levels. Non-coherent states exhibit emotions such as anger and frustration. A simple technique to bring coherence to our hearts is by breathing in for a count of five and out for a count of five, deeply and slowly. As we do this, we can focus on feelings of love, joy and gratitude.

How to do it

If you're new to meditation you may be wondering where to start. It's really important to establish a routine. Make sure that you set aside the same time each day and, ideally, meditate in the same place. After a few weeks (it's said that it takes 21 days to create a habit) you'll find that taking the time to sit in meditation will be something that happens naturally. Some people like to create an alter'. This could simply be having a plant and/or candle set on a table or even on the windowsill next to you.

What's important is committing yourself to a regular practice. But it's equally important that we don't berate ourselves for missing a day! Have a look at the different types of meditation and see which one resonates with you. There are some great apps out there that can get you started such as Calm, Insight Timer and Headspace. Once we create a routine and incorporate meditation into our lives, we will soon reap the rewards as will others around us.

Jennifer Wallis is a reiki practitioner, meditation teacher and writer. Follow her @Intothewildhealing

Sources[1]https://www.bupa.com/newsroom/news/meditation-brits-favourite-wellbeing-therapy#:~:text=The%20research%20shows%20that%20meditation,in%20the%20past%20five%20years. [2]https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress.pdf [3]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/coronavirusanddepressioninadultsgreatbritain/june2020 [4]http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2009/issue61/ [5]https://www.heartmath.org/science/

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The science behind meditation - COVER - COVER - COVER

By Sven Groeneveld

Last night I started my new course which runs for 3 months and has a commitment of a daily session with http://www.friendleyes.com with #JackieReardon this is a free course (or donate what you can) to experience meditation.

I am a beginner and will need all the help I can get so I use pillows underneath my knees and sit comfortably with my back against the wall and start my meditation!

Laughing so hard from the @10sballs_com team who have been so creative and making me look great with helping me to get my daily story out to the tennis community!

@tennisAustralia offering our daily dose of spinning! The before and after is classic! Great support from the Team! Team Work makes the Dream Work

Check out my video for the other room work out with the Toalson #PowerShotMaker for accuracy and resistance. https://m.facebook.com/ToalsonUSA/posts/2838547029524168

My tweet of the day.

As always I have to finish my day strong! This was the gift I received today!

Sven Groeneveld

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Sven Tennis Day 9 Hard Lockdown at the Australian Open Meditation, Spin Class and the Power Shot Maker - 10sBalls

A new paper published in theJournal of Neural Engineering shows the successful first application of self-supervised learning, a very promising recent approach to train deep neural networks, to directly learn what EEG looks like, without using any labelled data

TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Interpreting the results of electroencephalogram (EEG) graphs, which are used to visualize brain activity of everything from meditation to neurological disorders, is one of the greatest challenges facing brain researchers. Machine learning has the potential to relieve some of this burden, but EEG data is extremely multidimensional and can be expensive, and time-consuming to annotate. It also requires the deep expertise of neurologists and sleep experts. This means there are typically not enough labelled examples for supervised deep neural networks to learn from in order to create an efficient AI.

While labelled-EEGs identifying sleep stages and brain activity are scarce, there is ample unlabeled data that exists. In his new paper, Uncovering the Structure of Clinical EEG Signals with Self-supervised Learning, Interaxon Inc researcher Hubert Banville and researchers at Universit Paris-Saclay, University of Helsinki, and Max Planck Institute applied self-supervised learning to extract features from unlabeled EEGs. Banville found that when limited numbers of labelled data were available, his self-supervised learning approach outperformed traditional supervised learning methods that rely purely on labelled data. These results were obtained on two very different EEG classification problems: identifying sleep stages in overnight recordings, and detecting EEG pathologies. Moreover, without access to any labelled data, his approach also uncovered a fascinating structure in the data that relates to clinical information such as sleep stages, pathology and age.

Put into practice, these intelligent new approaches will allow the scientific community, including researchers at Interaxon Inc., the developer of Muse headbands that has one of the largest brain data (EEG) collections in the world, to leverage, mine and utilize large amounts of unlabelled EEG data to efficiently discover relevant information in EEG. This has potential to improve the performance of algorithms used in everything from consumer sleep and wellness support tools like Muse S, to swifter diagnosis of neurological disorders.

Read the full paper, methodology and results here. For interviews and more information, contact Talia Noya at [emailprotected].

About Interaxon Inc. (aka Muse):

Our team of neuroscientists, meditation teachers, and engineers develop state-of-the-art experiences using research-grade EEG technology. Our goal is to help individuals build a rewarding meditation and sleep practice to live healthier, happier, more connected lives through human-centered technology. Our award-winning neurofeedback devices, and premium content offering of guided meditations with responsive learning functionality, help users meditate and improve sleep hygiene by providing real-time audio feedback on their meditative state through the Muse companion app. We make the intangible, tangible.More information about Muse is available at http://www.choosemuse.com.

Milestones we're excited about:

SOURCE Muse by Interaxon Inc.

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New Deep Learning Discovery Paves Way for AI Interpretation of Brainwave Data - PR Newswire India

There are several different types of meditation, from zen and chakra to yoga, and they all have their benefits. But, theres one that you probably wont find on meditation apps and that is the unique practice of orgasmic meditation, otherwise known as OM.

Orgasmic meditation involves a partner stroking the upper left quadrant of the clitoris (as this part is supposedly the most sensitive) for 15 minutes, gently and with a lubricated finger. Sounds pretty familiar, but how exactly does it work as a form of meditation?

Despite its name, the practice isnt solely for women and people with vulvas to reach the end goal of an orgasm. While a more intense orgasm is a bonus, during this 15-minute session, the focus is on removing any other distractions and prioritising the process of pleasure itself.

It may sound a lot like regular sexual stimulation, give or take a few minutes, however sex and relationship psychotherapist, Miranda Christophers, explains the difference. Orgasmic mediation is to do with the mindfulness aspect. Its being aware that other thoughts may come in, but moving them to one side and then going back into focusing purely on the sensation. It's about focusing within the body rather than within the mind and really noticing the feeling.

Essentially the meditation aspect comes from being present in the moment, rather than focusing too strongly on how long its taking you to reach orgasm, saying the right things or looking at pornography, or your partner.

Orgasmic meditation is a practice that was adopted and made mainstream in 2004 by co-founder of OneTaste, Nicole Daedone. Daedone claims she was introduced to this practice by a Buddhist monk in her 2011 TEDx Talk. During Daedones leadership of the company, she marketed orgasmic meditation as an opportunity for people to reclaim their sexuality, improve their sex lives and even help with recovery from sexual trauma.

Quite a lot of power and pressure to put on such a simple method, but with these claims in mind, its not surprising that orgasmic mediation became so popular.

OneTaste was a US business that taught orgasmic mediation workshops, including dozens of women OM-ing together. It got really popular, but faced a great deal of controversy over the price of its workshops and the way it ran its operations, particularly when Bloomberg published an expose on the company in 2018. "Many whove become involved in the upper echelons describe an organisation that they found ran on predatory sales and pushed members to ignore their financial, emotional, and physical boundaries in ways that left them feeling traumatised," the investigation found.

The company was also described by former community members and staff as similar to a "prostitution ring". OneTaste responded calling the claims outrageous and denied that employees were ecnouraged to engage in sexual acts with each other. Shortly after this, OneTaste closed its US locations.

Orgasmic meditation wasnt exclusive to the US either, TurnOnBritain brought this practice to the UK, also with in-person classes, coaching and events but has since stopped providing these offerings, according to their website. Instead, they are offering private consultations.

There are a range of OM meetup groups worldwide, either no longer running classes or with postponed classes due to COVID-19. So, while OneTaste as a company name may no longer be around, OM affiliates still exist.

Orgasmic mediation centres female pleasure, which is naturally alluring to most. But on a deeper level, and with the alleged benefits in mind, it speaks to those who seek a more profound experience with their bodies.

Miranda says, There is a lot of benefit to focusing the body on sensations and can include genital touching. This can progress into mindful self-pleasure or mindful masturbation. If they're experiencing sexual dysfunction such as vaginismus, its a way they can go into really being present in their body, feeling the sensations, and then allowing arousal to build through that.

Although orgasmic meditation is sold as a partnered experience, somatic psychologist and sex therapist, Dr Holly Richmond, says a woman or person with a vagina can perform this act by themselves too.

This practice creates an intention around sexuality to really focus on how you can feel best in your body, she says. The best sex starts with knowing ourselves, our own bodily exploration and what feels good to us without the projection of what feels good for other people.

While Miranda and Dr Holly see the benefits of orgasmic mediation, they both say it wouldnt be their go-to recommendation for their own clients.

As mentioned, the founding company, OneTaste, had its controversies, but even if you separate the company from the act of orgasmic meditation, it isnt a flawless practice. For Dr Holly, her issue with orgasmic meditation largely lies in the name.

I love that its a practice about presence, and I think all women would benefit from that, but because of the nature of the name orgasmic, it feels like a goal-oriented process, she says.

In my practice, I would work on developing a sexual template with a woman and figure out what turns her on and what her buttons for desire and arousal are. This would be a few weeks or months into her self-pleasure protocol.

It could hurt if she just went for orgasmic meditation with the goal of this is definitely going to help me reach orgasm. But if this practice doesnt work for her, I wouldn't want to put any more shame or blame, [or aid in] someone feeling broken or incapable, so that's why I like to start with just self-exploration and pleasure.

As a result, focusing on the mindfulness aspect of orgasmic meditation is the priority here, but even with that, Miranda states that this practice shouldnt be seen as the be all and end all of all things pleasure in attempts to be one with your body.

Mindful pleasure is great, but there's nothing wrong with also enjoying more eroticised pleasures and orgasms. Nothing needs to be one dimensional, she says.

You could try different things and the important thing is that nothing becomes too narrow. The wider the lens and interests, then the more enjoyable and healthier somebody's sex life may be.

Whatever you might think of orgasmic meditation, if we strip it down to its simplest form of just combining mindfulness and elongated pleasure, its fairly harmless. But, relying on it as a DIY or partnered experience to resolve all of your sexual issues or awaken your sexual wellbeing, isnt recommended by certified therapists - and understandably so.

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Databridgemarketresearch.com Present Meditation Market Industry Trends and Forecast to 2027 new report to its research database. This Meditation Marketreport is structured with the thorough market analysis carried out by a team of industry experts, dynamic analysts, skilful forecasters and well-informed researchers. And not to mention, the report is amazingly characterized by using several charts, graphs and tables depending on the extent of data and information involved. Businesses can achieve complete knowhow of general market conditions and tendencies with the information and data covered in this report. What is more, influencing factors such as market drivers, market restraints and competitive analysis is studied with the SWOT analysis which is the most established tool when it comes to generate market research report.

Meditation Market report comprises of all the crucial parameters mentioned above hence it can be used for your business. Furthermore, systemic company profiles covered in this report also explains what recent developments, product launches, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions are taking place by the numerous key players and brands in the market. This report also endows with company profiles and contact information of the key market players in the key manufacturers section. The report is provided with the transparent research studies which have taken place by a team work of experts in their own domain.

Meditation market is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Data Bridge Market Research analyses the market to account to USD 9.0 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 10.40% in the above-mentioned forecast period. The growing awareness amongst the individual and world population about the hidden power of meditation and its unconventional outcomes for the health benefits to lead a healthy life is driving the market growth exponentially in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027.

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Competitive Landscape and Meditation Market Share Analysis

Meditation market competitive landscape provides details by competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, global presence, production sites and facilities, production capacities, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product width and breadth, application dominance. The above data points provided are only related to the companies focus related to meditation market.

The major players covered in the meditation market report are Simply Better Apps, Smiling Mind, Inner Explorer, Inc., Committee for Children., Stop, Breathe & Think PBC, Breethe. Life , Simple Habit, Inc., Calm. HEADSPACE INC, MINDSET Brain Gym Toronto Inc, Inscape among other domestic and global players. Market share data is available for Global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America separately. DBMR analyst understands competitive strengths and provides competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

Manners and channels driving the germination of mediation market are, with the progressing pace of anxiety and mental strain and narrowing ratio of concentration, customers are actively relying on the measures provided by the meditation market. The up-and-coming tradition of thoughtful awareness is serving in inclination of organizations endeavoring mindfulness meditation. The swelling predominance of subconscious health dysfunctions, such as mood complications and anxiety troubles, over multiple age assemblies are rising in an extensive shift to the meditation market, during the forecast period of 2020 to 2027.

Some of the factors may act as the restrain for the meditation market growth is dearth of familiarity among the people and low penetration of the meditation market in the emerging economies. In coming future the heightening level of work and personal lifestresswill act as catalyst to maintain the equilibrium of market growth.

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Global Meditation Market Scope and Market Size

Meditation market is segmented of the basis of products, disorders, meditation type, and information sources. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyse meagre growth segments in the industries, and provide the users with valuable market overview and market insights to help them in making strategic decisions for identification of core market applications.

Meditation market has also been segmented based on the information source into books, newspapers, Internet, DVDs, and articles.

Meditation Market Country Level Analysis

Meditation market is analysed and market size insights and trends are provided by country, products, disorders, meditation type, and information sources as referenced above.

The countries covered in the meditation market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America.

North Americadominates the meditation market due to the high prevalence ofmental disordersand flourishing yoga centers and meditation programmes. The United States meditation business stayed determined to be evaluated at $959 million in the years of 2015, increasing to $1.21 billion in 2017, medium year-long revenue germination is calculated to exceed above 11.4%, to $2.08 billion by coming 2020. Thus, catering a potential foothold for the meditation market during the

The country section of the Meditation Market report also provides individual market impacting factors and changes in regulation in the market domestically that impacts the current and future trends of the market. Data points such as consumption volumes, production sites and volumes, import export analysis, price trend analysis, cost of raw materials, down-stream and upstream value chain analysis are some of the major pointers used to forecast the market scenario for individual countries. Also, presence and availability of global brands and their challenges faced due to large or scarce competition from local and domestic brands, impact of domestic tariffs and trade routes are considered while providing forecast analysis of the country data.

Healthcare Infrastructure growth Installed base and New Technology Penetration

Meditation market also provides you with detailed market analysis for every country growth in healthcare expenditure for capital equipments, installed base of different kind of products for meditation market, impact of technology using life line curves and changes in healthcare regulatory scenarios and their impact on the meditation market. The data is available for historic period 2010 to 2018.

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