Recommended Talks. How to Meditate - Guided Meditation Techniques - Buddhist Meditations. - StumbleUpon. Spirit Vaults : Meditation - Essay. It seems everyone is interested in meditation...talking about the wonderful benefits, recommending classes and discussing the different ways to "do it". But, for a beginner, just what is "it"? And how do you do "it"? Our busy, hectic, lifestyles may seem to prohibit this peaceful practice, or provide a convenient "excuse" not to begin, or continue, to meditate...but, the happy news is, you CAN successfully benefit even if you practice for short periods.
With the simple technique described below, you will begin and incredible journey. There are 100's of styles, traditions and forms of meditation, but this simple practice has always been highly recommended. Sit comfortably, preferably upright and alert. To sit on a mat, cushion or pillow, sit cross-legged, half or full lotus, depending on your ability. You may close your eyes (unless this causes you to fall asleep) or gaze with almost-closed eyes as if looking downward and inward. The benefits of meditation.
Studies have shown that meditating regularly can help relieve symptoms in people who suffer from chronic pain, but the neural mechanisms underlying the relief were unclear. Now, MIT and Harvard researchers have found a possible explanation for this phenomenon. In a study published online April 21 in the journal Brain Research Bulletin, the researchers found that people trained to meditate over an eight-week period were better able to control a specific type of brain waves called alpha rhythms.
“These activity patterns are thought to minimize distractions, to diminish the likelihood stimuli will grab your attention,” says Christopher Moore, an MIT neuroscientist and senior author of the paper. “Our data indicate that meditation training makes you better at focusing, in part by allowing you to better regulate how things that arise will impact you.” A 1966 study showed that a group of Buddhist monks who meditated regularly had elevated alpha rhythms across their brains.