Meditate. From Wired How-To Wiki Photo by Renee Barron/Flickr/CC Meditation isn't just something for yogis or crystal-collecting New Age fanatics.
It's also for overworked, gadget-loving geeks who need a little bit of downtime in their busy schedules. Meditation is a scientifically demonstrated method of lowering stress levels and helping your body and mind relax. And, contrary to its image in popular media, meditation isn't difficult, you don't need to be religious, and you don't need to bend yourself into a pretzel to do it. This article is part of a wiki anyone can edit. Getting started There are many different kinds of meditation, but nearly all of them share a common goal -- focusing and quieting your mind. Although it may seem like you're just sitting there doing nothing, it turns out that sitting and doing nothing is actually very difficult -- especially when you first get started. Tips for beginners. Transforming Negative Thoughts & Creating the Life You Desire. “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.”
-Lao Tzu In my quest for personal development, I’ve done a ton of processing, meditating, reading, praying, exercising, eating well, and helping other people. All of these things are amazing, and I still do them regularly, but none of it matters if I don’t guard my thoughts as though my life depends on it. The quality of my life literally depends on my thoughts. I never thought of myself as a negative person, and most people who know me will tell you I’m a bubbly, outgoing, super positive individual. This is definitely the version of me that shows up in the outside world, and this is absolutely who I want to be. One thing that’s been really difficult for me is recognizing when I’m thinking negative thoughts. I’ve decided that most of the time, it really doesn’t matter what these subconscious patterns are. It can be really easy to disempower ourselves if we have a belief system that’s set up that way.
Monk In Thailand. I spent the day before the ordination at the temple dressed in white clothes.
My room didn't have any mosquito nets or furniture so I had to sleep on a thin rice mat. As a monk you really part with comfort. The monastery was located in a small fishing village some 300 km south of Bangkok. I had been meditating for 14 years when I ordained in 2007 but my Thai-language skills were still basic, but living in the monastery proved to be an excellent way to practice the language.
The photo is from the ordination ceremony which turned out to be much livelier and more colorful than I could ever have imagined. In Thailand it's a tradition that your mother and father offer you the monk robes, the alms bowl and other necessities. No one in my family were able to make it to Thailand for this event so my girlfriend's family and friends sponsored the ordination, for which I'm most grateful. Thai-Buddhist Culture. Zen habits.
By Leo Babauta Be still.
Just for a moment. Listen to the world around you. Feel your breath coming in and going out. Listen to your thoughts. Be at peace with being still. In this modern world, activity and movement are the default modes, if not with our bodies then at least with our minds, with our attention. We are always on, always connected, always thinking, always talking. This comes at a cost: we lose that time for contemplation, for observing and listening.
And worse yet: all the rushing around is often counterproductive. And when we are forced to be still — because we’re in line for something, or waiting at a doctor’s appointment, or on a bus or train — we often get antsy, and need to find something to do. Take a moment to think about how you spend your days — at work, after work, getting ready for work, evenings and weekends. Is this how you want to spend your life? Insight meditation found to make your brain grow - National Zen Buddhism. First of all some people do not understand what insight meditation is, we have all heard about mindfulness of breathing meditation and compassion meditation.
There are so many forms of meditation it would take up half this article to list the names. But insight meditation is actually one of the easiest forms of meditations that you can do. This is a great meditation to teach to beginners or for anyone just starting out to use. It’s so simple because all you do is meditate in silence concentrating on nothing but your breathing. When you notice a sensation such as a sound, a tingling in your foot or if your leg falls asleep you focus on that. Sounds, thoughts, feelings, once you focus on it do so until it is gone. As we get older there are certain areas of our brains that usually thin out, with insight meditation those areas of the brain grow instead of shrink as we age.