Full Description
In today's hectic world we all need a way of countering the stresses and strains of modern living. Meditation holds the answer: it is the process of centring the mind and achieving a calm, balanced state of consciousness. Not only can it provide the clarity needed to cope with everyday challenges, but it can also help improve conditions ranging from anxiety to pain.
This easy-to-follow introductory guide tells you everything you need to know to get started. Covering the basics of posture, breathing and other practical considerations, as well as guided visualizations, single-point meditation and the power of light, sound and silence, the exercises and techniques will help you develop meditation skills and find your own oasis of calm.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
Meditation as the gaining of a calm yet alert mind - the centring of consciousness, for physical, mental and spiritual health
How it can help you cope better with the stresses of daily life and add clarity of thought in decision-making
How it de-stresses both body and mind for improved overall well-being
CHAPTER 1: MEDITATION IN ANCIENT TRADITIONS
Meditation as part of human experience going back untold generations (examples include Hinduism, Buddhism, Zen,Taoism)
Meditation as part of the mystical side of global religions (including Judaism, Christianity, Sufism, Islam)
Secular Western approaches to meditation
CHAPTER 2: MEDITATION AND SCIENCE
Scientific evidence of both physical and mental benefits, including improvement in sleep patterns and reduction in the need for medication such as tranquillizers
How modern monitoring techniques allow us to understand what takes place in the body and how
it is positively affected by meditation
Overview of academic studies, including how meditation has been shown to have a direct effect on the patterns of electrical waves in the brain
CHAPTER 3: PRACTICAL MEDITATION: THE BASICS
Posture: some traditional postures and simple alternatives, and the importance of keeping the spine erect
Location: tips on setting up an appropriate meditation space for regular use (including outdoor locations)
How to prepare body and mind for meditation - diet, clothing, time of day, and so on
The importance of regulating your breathing pattern, including techniques to aid in meditation
CHAPTER 4: GUIDED VISUALIZATION - STARTING THE INNER JOURNEY
How guided visualization is the best way to start reining in the mind, due to its image-rich nature engaging the mind more readily on inner focusing
Guided visualization themes, including: The Walled Garden (based on the powerful ancient psychogram that is the Kabbalistic Tree of Life), Taking Wings and Going with the Flow
CHAPTER 5: SINGLE-POINT MEDITATION
Introduction to this more minimalist visualization technique requiring greater mental focus (with experience, you will become able to hold it for an extended period of time)
Meditation themes, including: Star Bright and Bini (a little-known Tibetan Buddhist technique)
How to use external objects for single-point meditation (such as a candle flame or a dot drawn in a circle)
CHAPTER 6: THE POWERS OF LIGHT, SOUND AND NATURE
How meditation can be helped by environmental factors such as light and, especially, sound
Light as a springboard for meditation (for example, sunlight sparkling on water shimmers light into the eyes, inducing alpha brain rhythms and a sense of reverie)
Sound as a strong stimulus for meditation; white, pink and brown noise - using nature's sounds for meditation (for example, the roar of a waterfall, rain falling on foliage, or wind in the trees)
CHAPTER 7: THE POWER OF SILENCE
Use the fading ringing resonance of a Tibetan-style `singing bowl' to lead you into silence
Meditation with the famous Tibetan mantra Om Mani Padme Hum, and the silence that follows
Advanced meditation techniques for spiritual meditation
APPENDIX
Guarding against dozing off!
The power of Kundalini energy
