Meditation Benefits

If you've ever wanted to pursue a hobby, diet, or exercise plan and struggled to complete the course, meditation is the solution to your success.


Recent clinical studies have compared what is happening in the brain during the thought process and during meditation. Using fMRI's, they have been able to see the parts of the brain that are involved when you think and when you meditate.

Basically, habits of any kind follow a specific neural pathway within the brain which becomes easier to traverse with each repeated action. This is a good thing otherwise we would all have to re-learn how to dress every morning!

The downside is when a thought or action becomes outdated or is based on fabricated truths where your present experiences continually add to a past experience by telling yourself, "see I knew ... would happen, or so-and-so would be like that."

You are reinforcing past beliefs which have changed over time and are not in fact true any more.

What this means is that your existing habits are well-ingrained and tough to change without assistance. Meditation is the easiest method to use if you are serious about wanting to make a difference in your life.

Brain cells (neurons) switch on and off depending on their specific use, so that your body can successfully function with each body part knowing its role. New thought patterns can be formed, but just like a little-used country path that is covered in undergrowth, it is challenging to walk through at first.


With repeated use it becomes easier to traverse until you can walk through it without any obstacles in your way.

Meditation actually facilitates a new way of thinking.

Rather than rehashing the same experiences, you begin to acquire a different understanding of who you are and what you want based on new and more accurate knowledge of your thoughts and habits.

Meditation promotes relaxation and peace, which the brain likes and wants to return to. When you associate meditation with a new behavior, you actually make it easier to stay on track and not fall back into old habits.

Meditation alleviates struggles and is your very own tool to making life more enjoyable and easier.

Making meditation part of you everyday not only brings peace, but helps you lead the life that you want.

If you have any suggestions for meditation articles please write to me from the website (there's a place at the end of each posting to do this) and I'll be happy to write on this subject.
New meditation information is added to the site every week with links to my additional articles on how to meditate, reduce stress, and gain inner peace.

Expanding Your Possibilities

When you think of meditation, the concept of someone sitting in quiet contemplation comes to mind. That individual is seen as being someone who is at peace with their Self and the world.

Meditation offers many possibilities beyond Self peace though.

We all have a finite amount of energy to see us through the demands of daily life.
If we don't rest, consume proper nutrition, and breathe correctly, we literally run out of fuel and eventually come to a grinding halt.

Likewise, our time here on planet Earth is limited and yet all too often we throw away our thoughts, words, and actions in wasteful activities, in arguments, or in thinking negatively about a person or situation.

If we're not careful, or mindful, we end up frittering our precious energy on matters that do not lead us and the world around us to a better place.

When teaching yoga asanas (poses) and synchronizing the activity with the breath, students are encouraged to deepen and lengthen the breath in order to "expand the mind and body in all directions." This means that the student will no longer cling to the limitations of the physical body, but release thoughts, feelings, and emotions in order to allow the mind to expand and create space within for love and peace to grow and knowledge to emerge.



When the mind is too blocked by lists, anxiety, comments from other people, and internal discouraging remarks there is a limit to how you can use your energy.

Just as a car engine and its filters need to be cleaned, serviced and filled with gas and oil, you also need to to use meditation in order to clean out the mind of clutter that you don't need, to replenish your will, and allow your Self to shine through.

Then You, as the silent witness observing all that goes on in the mind, can finally allow your mind to be open to receive wisdom and allow intuition to flourish.

Your mind then, will know no boundaries or limitations.

Meditation is your golden key to unlocking wondrous possibilities that are contained within you. Use meditation every day to free your mind and expand your possibilities.

THE DAILY EDGE
Helping You Expand Your Possibilities
TODAY'S EDGE: Watch Your Thoughts

For today's meditation I wanted to leave you with the following words taken from The Upanishads; a major work from India that discusses aspects of philosophy and spirituality.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.

Watch your words; they become actions.

Watch your actions; they become habits.

Watch your habits; they become character.

Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny.

All photos by Katarina 2353, on Flickr">

Meditation is for Life. Practice it daily.