Learning Transcendental Meditation

It is not difficult to learn transcendental meditation. If you are looking to escape from the whirlwind of ringing cell phones, traffic snarls and screaming kids, transcendental meditation can provide a peaceful getaway from the craziness of everyday life.

In 1958, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi formally introduced his transcendental meditation technique. Since then, he has written several books, lectured and toured extensively all over the world and trained over 40,000 teachers. Transcendental meditation is now practiced in the workplace, at home and in medical settings. In addition, doctors and health professionals are increasingly prescribing transcendental meditation as means of combating anxiety disorders and stress.

You may be wondering what is transcendental meditation and what makes it different from other forms of meditation? One of the most exciting elements of the transcendental meditation technique is that it so simple and easy to practice. With the right focus and dedication, you can learn transcendental meditation in a matter of moments.

Basically, during the meditation session, your body enters a deep and peaceful state of relaxation, while maintaining alertness and clarity. First, the person chooses a word or image to focus on, perhaps a religious or cultural symbol that has special meaning. As the person replays this word or image over and over, the body descends into a deeper and deeper state of restfulness. The session can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour and should take place in a calm and relaxed setting, with minimal noise and distractions.

No other meditation technique has been so extensively studied and researched. During transcendental meditation, the brain falls into a theta brain wave pattern (akin to sleep and deep relaxation), which then carries over to the state of wakefulness. Physical benefits include increased mental comprehension, focus, retention and creativity. Another interesting benefit is the actual reversal of the aging process. In a study conducted by the International Journal of Neuroscience, the biological age of practitioners of transcendental meditation was, on average, twelve years younger than their chronological age. Transcendental meditation also has positive effects on age and stress related conditions such as insomnia, high blood pressure, decreased visual acuity, hearing loss and depressed cerebral blood flow.

It is interesting to note that adherents from all religions choose to learn transcendental meditation. Although it has roots in Hinduism, the transcendental meditation technique can be applied to any cultural context. In fact, those who learn transcendental meditation are encouraged to adapt symbols that have meaning and depth for the individual. For example, a rabbi may choose to focus on a symbol or image rooted in Judaism to enhance the effectiveness of the session. In contrast, an agnostic may choose an image from nature such as a beautiful meadow or sunset to achieve relaxation. The beauty of transcendental meditation is its flexibility. Check out the video below for more info.


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Musical Meditation - Relax and Be Creatively Inspired

Music is a wonderful tool for inspiration as well as relaxation. If you want to get the most out of your listening experience, try musical meditation. There are many ways to do it, so find one that works best for you. If you are not sure where to begin, then consider this easy method. You may find creative inspiration or simply a way to escape the world for a short time while you relax and enjoy your favorite songs.

The Play List
The play list is completely up to you. Some people will swear by classical music or other more relaxing sounds. In reality, any music can be relaxing if it fits your preferences. Keep in mind, that certain sounds can influence your mood and creative abilities. For example, if you wish to clear your mind to come up with ideas for a new fiction novel or short story, select songs with a tone similar to what you want to write. This could be country, alternative, nu metal, or classic rock. The genre does not matter, it is all about what you get out of the sound. In terms of relaxation, even metal or heavier music can help you work out emotions. This can have a relaxing, emotional release effect in the long term.

The Position
Set up in a relaxing position. You may choose to lay on your bed or couch, or sit upright on a pillow. Make sure you are not so comfortable that you fall asleep. The idea here is you stay awake so you can truly feel the music and consciously come up with thoughts, ideas, and emotions that will be remembered. It might be a good idea to keep a notebook and pencil close by in case you come up with a concept you simply must write down.

The Setting
When you choose your setting, make sure it is a place you can listen in complete privacy. Other people may act as strong distractions and keep you from fully immersing yourself in the sound, even if you are not speaking to the person. If others are present, go to a separate room and shut the door. Blinds and curtains should also be pulled to block out anything that may draw your attention away.
You do not want to play the music so loud you go deaf, however it must be loud enough that you can focus on it. That also means other sources of noise should be shut out. Keep the television off as well as anything else that could over power your music.

Time to Meditate
You have the play list ready, a comfortable place to listen, and no distractions. It is time to get into the song. Make sure you have a play list that is long enough to give you time to really fall into the sounds. Even if you only have a few songs, you should put them on loop or random, any mode that will allow for continuous play. If you have to get up and change tracks every so often, you will not be able to maintain focus. Get into position, turn on the music and prepare to listen. It is also helpful to close your eyes to shut out your other senses as much as possible and focus solely on hearing. Pick out an undertone in the song. This should be an ongoing sound that is slightly buried under the rest. Follow it along, listen to how it shifts and changes. Let your mind ride it like a current. If you have difficulty doing this at first, try an easier to follow sound. As you practice, you will get better at following more hidden undertones within the song. If the song changes, jump to a new sound. Initially, you may opt to listen to the same song a few times to get the hang of it before switching.

Mental Separation
Open yourself up to the influences of the music. Allow your consciousness to float along, keeping a firm mental grip on your chosen sound. As you do this, you may feel less aware of the world around you. Keep going until you are fully immersed. Feel any emotions the tone conveys, and let yourself do so completely. Do not think about other things, such as real life problems or commitments. As you get better at musical meditation, you may feel inspired to write or create using whatever medium you prefer. Get the most out of the experience by harnessing the full extent of emotion your play list generates. You will feel inspired while you relax to the sounds of your favorite songs.

Try the music player below for a selection of both relaxing and inspiring tracks.  Just click on the play button.




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What is Quantum Jumping?

Quantum Jumping Your Parallel Dimension

Are you fully satisfied with your life? I wouldn' t be surprised if your answer wasn' t YES. Except for a few lucky ones, we all have something we would like to change in our lives, whether is a professional, personal or health related issue.

For anybody interested in discovering the key for a fulfilling existence, I have very good news for you. It' s called alternate universes. If you are not familiar with this concept, a parallel universe is a universe or space-time continuum that exists alongside ours, with a different story and circumstances, where alternate versions of ourselves live out their lives and make choices.

The quantum theory thus proposes a dual nature for both waves and particles, one aspect predominating in some situations, the other predominating in other situations.

Around 30 years ago, a man called Burt Goldman, decided to find the way to communicate with these alternate versions of himself to learn from their experiences, acquire their skills and improve his own life in the process. Burt' s life path was a journey toward enlightenment. He has spent most of his life pursuing self empowerment under the teaching of some of the world' s top spiritual gurus, including Jose Silva and Paramahansa Yogananda, in disciplines including Meditation, Energy Healing, Visualization, the Law of Attraction, Feng Shui and Yoga.

Determined to reveal the secret he kept for decades, and eager to help people find happiness, health and enlightenment, Burt has created Quantum Jumping, a unique breakthrough mental technique that allows anyone to tap into the power of their minds to communicate with alternate versions of themselves.

Quantum Jumping technique works through a simple but effective combination of meditation and visualization. Burt claims that it is actually based on a classic personal development tool known as the 'Board Room Technique', where the user is asked to visualize him or herself conversing with their role models in the hopes of acquiring wisdom and inspiration from them.

You can be skeptical about the parallel universe theory, but you can' t deny what Burt managed to do.
Now an 83 years old man with the energy and vision of a young and healthy person, these are only some of the things Burt managed to accomplish within the past few years:

• Published a book
• Took up photography
• Got his photographs in the International Photography Hall of Fame
• Took up painting and set up an art website
• Taught himself to sing and released a CD
• Set up a new business

He and his more than 1 million students, are the living proof that Quantum Jumping indeed works!

If you'd like to find out more click here


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11 Ways to Stop Caring What People Think

Have you ever really wanted to do something but you didn't do it because you were scared of what people would think? I'm betting that the answer is yes. You didn't do what you wanted because you wanted to be seen as a nice person. You wanted people to like you and to gain their approval.

The problem with behaving like this is that your freedom is taken away from you. That is a much worse thing than being liked by people you barely know.

So here are 11 ways to stop caring what others think.

1. Accept yourself
If you can't accept yourself for who are you then it is no surprise that you care what others think.
The first step of overcoming any fear you might have is acceptance. If you find it hard to currently accept yourself the way you are then make the effort to become the person you want to be. If you are insecure about your weight, then start going to the gym more or eat healthier. If you are shy, then start talking to more people etc.

2. You can't please everyone
"You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." | Abraham Lincoln |
It is impossible to please everyone. Some people might like you, others might not. This is just how the world works. No matter what you do, there will be at least one person who disagrees or does not like you. It is no fault of your own. It is just their opinion. They are entitled it to. It is out of your control. I'm sure you know someone who every seems to love but you can't stand.

3. Your own opinion matters the most
No one else knows what it is like to be you. You are the only one who knows what thoughts you think and what emotions you feel every day. You know your achievements, successes, what you are proud of etc. Considering you know yourself best it seems crazy to hold someone else's opinion of you above your own.

4. Make a list
Get a pen and a piece of paper and write down all your good points. This is a never ending list. Every time you think of another good point write it down. This will remind you of all your good qualities during those times you are feeling low.

5. Surround yourself with people you like
You might care what other people think because you don't know them very well. You want to gain their approval. Therefore, it is important to surround yourself with people you know and like.
The times we are least self conscious and most confident are the times spent in the company of friends. Our friends are our friends because they don't judge us, they make us laugh, and they are there when we need them most. These are the important people in life. Focus on what they say, not on what other people we think.

6. Act as if
What do actors do when they play a character? They act as if they are the person they are playing. If they have to play a confidence trickster, they act like the most confident person in the world. If they have to play a suicidal person, they act depressed. Start to act like someone who just doesn't care what others think. After enough practice you will naturally behave in that way.

7. I didn't know you were psychic
Most of the time we think we know what others are thinking but we really have no idea. I'm sorry to break it to you but you aren't psychic. It is impossible to know what somebody else is thinking.
When you're 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when you 40, you don't give a damn what anybody thinks of you; when you're 60, you realize nobody's been thinking about you at all.

8. Do what you want to do
I'm sure you've all been there; you want to do something but you fear what others will think.
Let me give you an example which sounds completely ridiculous. I never use to bring food into the cinema because I was afraid that people would be annoyed by the sound of crunching or the smell. Completely ridiculous, eh? If I was afraid of something as small as that and got over it then there is literally no stopping you.

9. Stop over analysing
You need to get out of your head to stop caring what others think of you. Meditation is a great way to silence those thoughts.

10. Keep your mind busy
If you are finding it particularly hard to get over something someone said to you then keep your mind busy. Go for a jog, do some housework, listen to music, finish some work etc. You will soon forget what it was that someone said about you.

11. Do something that is embarrassing
The best way to stop caring what others think is to become desensitized to it. Doing something embarrassing enough times soon eliminates any anxiety you once had. When you were learning to ride a bike, you might have been scared at first. What if I crash? What if I hurt myself? What if people laugh at me when I fall over? You took the plunge and soon enough, you were riding your bike with ease. Shout something at the top of your voice in the mall, walk around with your shirt on back to front, walk around in a hot dog costume. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it is something you would find uncomfortable doing. You will notice that people don't really care what you do.
They have enough going on in their own head to think about a complete stranger. Soon enough you will find it hard to believe that you ever cared what people thought of you.




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