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Meditation 101: The Neuroscience of Why Meditation Works 

Meditation 101: The Neuroscience of Why Meditation Works 
As yogis have known for centuries and scientists can now prove, the benefits of meditation are profound. Meditation is perhaps the most crucial instrument to harness the power of thought, cultivate more peace, clarity and happiness. Learning to train the brain and focus our attention is crucial to thriving and cultivating a peak performance in any endeavor. Long-time psychotherapist Dr. There are five major categories of brain waves, each corresponding to different activities. Slower wavelengths = more time between thoughts = more opportunity to skillfully choose which thoughts you invest in and what actions you take. 5 Categories of Brain Waves: Why Meditation Works 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. How to Meditate: A simple meditation to use to begin the transition from Beta or Alpha to the Theta State is to focus on the breath. To begin the meditation, sit comfortably in your chair with your shoulders relaxed and spine tall. Watch your breath. Silently repeat the mantra: "Breathing In. Consistency is key.

A Neuroscientist Explains How Meditation Changes Your Brain Do you struggle, like me, with monkey-mind? Is your brain also a little unsettled, restless, capricious, whimsical, fanciful, inconstant, confused, indecisive, or uncontrollable? That’s the definition of “monkey mind” I’ve been given! If you need more motivation to take up this transformative practice, neuroscience research has shown that meditation and mindfulness training can cause neuroplastic changes to the gray matter of your brain. A group of Harvard neuroscientists interested in mindfulness meditation have reported that brain structures change after only eight weeks of meditation practice. Sara Lazar, Ph.D., the study’s senior author, said in a press release, “Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day.” Britta Hölzel, the lead author on the paper says, Sarah Lazar also noted,

Meditation and Neuroplasticity: Five key articles | Meditation Research Meditation not only changes our mind but also our brain – this is what more and more neuroscientific research suggests. Neuroplasticity – the change of brain structures as a result of experience – is considered to be one of the most important discoveries of neuroscience. Over the last 10 years evidence has been growing that not only the acquisition of navigational knowledge by London Taxi drivers (see video) or learning a new motor task like juggling (see article), but also meditation practice can lead to significant changes to brain structures. Here I respond to a recent request and list five key articles on that topic. Article 1: Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness To my knowledge this is the first study showing differences in brain structure between meditators and non-meditators. Lazar, S. doi: 10.1097/01.wnr.0000186598.66243.19 Article 2: Long-term meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the brain stem Luders, E., Toga, A.

Expanded Consciousness: The Six Phase Guided Meditation Part of our #PurposeFairyMeditation – Saturday, here is your Six Phase Guided Meditation by the wonderful Vishen Lakhiani. This is by far one of the most beautiful and most powerful meditations ever. I did a 30 day challenge once with this meditation. That’s how much I love it Remember to first, find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed for the next 16 minutes. P.S. 1. With all my love, Like this post?

Think That Meditation Is A Waste Of Time? Watch This! Meditation has quickly become one of the most talked about and used conscious practices in the modern world. Various religious leaders, spiritual gurus, professional athletes, celebrity figures and probably a number of your family and/or friends all swear by it to being a key part in their lives. As a person who practices meditation somewhat regularly, I can personally understand not only its benefit but also why it continues to grow and be adopted by more and more people worldwide. Despite its continued growth and popularity, meditation -like so many other practices -is not without ridicule, as a large portion of the world’s population are still happy to classify it as pseudoscientific, or a waste of time. The other element that the video offers, that I particularly enjoy, is a reminder about the many misconceptions that surround what meditation should entail for it to be legitimate -misconceptions that I believe play a big part in turning a lot of people away from trying it out.

Meditation Resource: How-to, Music, Books, Films and More! Meditation is an ancient practice that has been – and still is being – used in many ways. There are physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual reasons for practicing meditation. In the recent years, mediation started drawing more serious attention in the scientific field and a lot of research has been conducted into its benefits, showing the significance of meditation on the human mind and body. The purpose of this page This page is meant to provide anyone who is interested in meditation with an extensive overview of resources to use and get back to. It is for those who are new to meditation, the experienced meditators, practitioners, researchers, as well as anyone who has a general interest in meditation. This resource page contains information on: Meditation techniques While there are many different (literally thousands) of techniques of meditation that spreads across several traditions, they all could generally be classified as belonging to one of five types: 1. Eisler, M.

Alternate Nostril Breathing | Fiona Childs Alternate Nostril Breathing, also known as Nadi Shodhana, is an extremely effective stress relief tool. Emphasis: …an extremely effective stress relief tool. It might sound a bit woo woo, but it is in fact a breathing technique that is scientifically proven to reduce blood pressure, increase focus and reduce cortisol (using the gold standard for scientific studies — randomized and placebo-controlled). Not only that, but nadi shodhana is totally free, easy to do and available any time. This breathing exercise is a life hack that will reduce your stress level and your cortisol in a jiffy. (And we all know that cortisol is our best frenemy… When we have high cortisol, a plethora of symptoms arise, including fat around the tummy. You can use this technique any time you want. My children love this breathing practice too and utilize it throughout their days — especially right before homework time. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) Steps 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

How to Use Meditation to Help You Out of a Depressive State By Robert L. Rupp Guest Writer for Wake Up World We live in interesting times. On the exterior, we live in a vastly advanced society with impressive social structure and the ability to innovate. Depression is a formidable opponent for millions. From a neurological standpoint, most people effected by depression show reduced alpha activity in the frontal lobes. It should be understood that meditation, although simple, has been proven to offer moderate relief in addressing psychological stress. Knowing that meditating causes an increase in alpha brainwave activity and that those with depression show reduced alpha wave activity in the frontal lobes helps many to place belief in their meditative practice. In order to use meditation to help bring you out of a depressive state, the first thing you must do is believe it will work. Once you have the desire to improve your mental health and mood with the aid of meditation, you need to simply start practicing. Reference: About the author:

Mudras: The Healing Power in your Hands “In this respect, Kundalini Yoga assumes that every area of the hand forms a reflex zone for an associated part of the body and the brain. In this way, we can consider the hands to be a mirror for our body and our mind.” ~ Lothar Rüdiger Lütge, Kundalini yoga expert Practiced since antiquity in combination with pranayama, asanas and meditation, Mudras or Hand Gestures is a practice to improve your physical, mental and spiritual well-being. The subtle hand and finger movements make important connections in the nervous system and stimulate specific energy pathways or nadis. Yogis believed if one wants to cure any disease, they can tap into the energy of the elements and rectify the imbalance with the practice of suitable mudras. Mudras redirect the energy flow to the upper Chakras, and gradually establish a link between all the Koshas (layers) of the body. Gyan mudra is the mudra of knowledge 1) Gyan (Knowledge) or Jnana Mudra: Vaayu mudra balances the air element within your body

7 Powerful Relaxation Techniques The stress of modern life can make real relaxation an elusive dream. Yet there is no reason life has to be filled with anxiety and stress. If you take some time to learn the art of relaxation, you can easily rediscover the enjoyment in life. The secret of relaxation is a controlled state of mind. For example, you could spend a whole hour in a health spa; but, if you spend the whole time worrying about what will happen tomorrow, how can you relax? Relaxation Techniques 1. 2. These constant subconscious reminders are a heavy weight on the mind. 3. 4. 5. This doesn’t mean we’re indifferent to the views of others; it just means we won’t allow ourselves to lose our inner peace because of their opinions. 6. 7. Relaxation is as simple as gentle Breathing If you feel stressed take a few moments out. Tejvan Pettinger is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre. Photo by: Tejvan Pettinger

How to Use a Mala A mala is a string of beads, used to chant the names of God. It’s the same thing as prayer beads, or a rosary. A Hindu mala typically has either 108 beads (108 being considered a sacred number in Hinduism) or 27 beads (which is one-fourth of 108). A Hindu mala is usually worked with by using the right hand. Now for those of you who are left-handed (as I am): In India, you would be inclined to use the right hand anyway, because of certain cultural traditions. Doing a mantra doesn’t require using a mala; the mala is just there to add another dimension to the practice. Help Support These Teachings If you enjoyed How to Use a Mala, please support our efforts to continue making teachings from Ram Dass and friends accessible to all. I would like to make a contribution of: Please do not use the back button or click submit more than once while your order is processing. LSRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

How One Simple Breathing Technique Can Induce Better Health By Lorraine Ereira Guest Writer for Wake Up World We all do it, all day, every day. It is the simple act of respiration. I would like to share with you an extract from my latest book Sports Pattern Releaseâ„¢. “Breathing is something that is all too often overlooked but is of the utmost importance in correct biomechanical function. “There are many different yoga breathing exercises. So by simply working on our breathing technique we can induce better health both physiologically and mentally. Try this exercise for a few minutes each day Either lie down or sit with a lengthened spine, to open the airways fully. The more you practice the deeper your breathing will become and the more benefits you will achieve. Sports Pattern Release A message from the editor… Lorraine Ereira is a writer and a Sports Therapist with a keen interest in nutrition and natural healthy living. Sports Pattern Release is now available on Amazon and Amazon.co.uk. Previous article by Lorraine: About the author:

What Is Meditation? Cool "If you go to Catholic, Jaina, Buddhist monks you will find them very nervous – maybe not so nervous in their monasteries, but if you bring them out to the world, you will find them very, very nervous because on each step there is temptation. "A man of meditation comes to a point where there is no temptation left. Try to understand it. Temptation never comes from without: it is the repressed desire, repressed energy, repressed sex, repressed greed that creates temptation. Temptation comes from within you, it has nothing to do with the without. It is not that a devil comes and tempts you, it is your own repressed mind that becomes devilish and wants to take revenge. "People live with cliches – 'Hello, how are you?' "A man of meditation has learned how to be full of energy, at the maximum, optimum. Osho, Dang Dang Doko Dang, Talk #5 To continue reading click here

How to Meditate "If there is something you truly want to know, then you truly want to listen to your own wisdom. You know, meditation is learning how to listen with your own wisdom, so that you can see. I think why meditation is amazingly important, is that somehow our unconscious world is much bigger. It is huge, universal, and we don't understand that one. "The most important thing is practice in daily life; then you can know gradually the true value of religion. I would strongly advise everyone to make an effort to start with a serious course in meditation in a centre or group under the guidance of an experienced teacher, preferably with at least a few days in silence. Many people discover it quickly becomes more essential and helpful than a good breakfast or 'the first cup of coffee' in the morning. Before starting meditation, ideally we need to take care of a few things: - a quiet place (using music is nice for relaxing, but not really meditation), switching off the phone will help

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