Austin Meditation

Archive for the ‘Meditation’ Category

Meditation has been known as an excellent way to help with issues such as depression or even sleep problems.  What many are not aware of is how meditation can actually help with migraine headaches.  Here is a look at the connection between meditation helping with migraine headaches and helping those who suffer from them frequently.

Meditation involves relaxing the mind and the body so it is not a wonder that some people are using it to help their migraine headaches.  One way that meditation can help ease the pain of migraine headaches is the type of atmosphere it is practiced in.  Most people meditate in a quiet, low lit room where there is little to no possibility of experiencing any distractions.  This is a huge help for migraine headaches in itself because of biggest tips for fighting a migraine is to avoid bright lights and go some place quiet.  Just being in a meditation friendly atmosphere may help relieve some of the pain and pressure.

Another way that mediation can help with migraine headaches is by causing the body to relax.  As per the KISSinsights survey site, using good breathing techniques is important when it comes to practicing meditation and is equally important when it comes to trying to keep a migraine under control.  Relaxing the body and actually making it calm down can actually prove to be a big help in reducing the discomfort felt from a migraine headache.

Meditation is also helpful for migraine headaches in the fact that it can be used as a way to prevent migraines from coming on.  One of the biggest causes for migraine headaches is stress and stressful situations.  By using meditation when you begin to feel stressed you may ward off any potential migraines from coming on.  To use it effectively, when you begin to feel stressed out, go to the place you would meditate and try to relax the body starting from the head down to the toes.  Use guided imagery if necessary and try to rid the body of any tension

One of the most important steps in being able to get the most out of meditation is to have the right kind of atmosphere.  There are certain things you can do to ensure your atmosphere is just right for meditating. Here is a look at creating a good meditation atmosphere.

The first step to creating a good mediation atmosphere is to pick some place quiet.  Many people choose to meditate in their bedroom, a guest room or even a quiet office.  If you have other people living at home, especially kids, you will want to pick a time where they are at school, napping or even after they have gone to bed.  Turn off all sources of noise such as televisions, computers and phones.  Some people enjoy having some white noise in the background such as a fan or even some light music to help them meditate. This is fine as long as it helps relax the mind and body and does not distract.

You will want to keep the lighting low.  Many people choose to turn off all their lights and instead use several candles.  The low lighting is very relaxing and if you choose a candle with a light fragrance it can really aid in relaxation.

If you plan to meditate outside, pick an area where you are less likely to come across any distractions.  Some people have small parts of their yard they turn into their own meditation areas.  Pick a time of the day where you will hear less traffic.  Some people choose to meditate very early in the morning or later in the evening when they know there is a decreased chance of being distracted.

One of the biggest complaints that is heard from those who have trouble falling asleep is that they just cannot quit thinking about the happenings of their day or current struggles they have going on in their lives.  Meditation is an excellent way to help you fall asleep and get enough rest.  Here is a look at using meditation to fall asleep and how to do it effectively.

If you want to use meditation to help you fall asleep one of the first things you will want to do is make sure your bedroom is sleep and relaxation friendly.  This means turning off all televisions, laptops, phones and anything else that can cause you to be distracted or wake you up.  If you are used to using white noise to help you fall asleep this is okay as long as it does not distract you from being able to meditate.

Keep your bedroom clutter free and clean.  When your room is cluttered or unclean you will have a harder time being able to concentrate.  Take a few minutes during the day and do some light dusting and make sure all laundry is put away, and all papers are put away.

As you lay down try to relax all parts of your body.  Start from your head and work your way down to your toes.  Take time to focus on each part of the body.  You may be surprised to see how tense you really are.  Once you have relaxed then you can start to try to meditate.  Some people find it is easier to first envision themselves somewhere peaceful or a place they really enjoy such as at the beach.  Be sure to use all your senses including touch, smell and hearing. Many people find as they learn to relax they easily drift to sleep and have better quality sleep through the night.

Image via Wikipedia

In our fast paced, ever changing world, we don’t always slow down and give ourselves or the world around us a deep, mindful look. Sometimes we feel that the pressure will break us mentally and emotionally. We find ourselves demonstrating unpleasant behaviors, but we really can’t put our finger on exactly why. Our best friend recommends therapy. Boy! That can get pricey! Is there anything else we can try? There is the option of insight meditation as an alternative to therapy. At the very least, it can be an excellent complementary practice along with therapy.

Insight meditation is the simple, direct practice of being mindful in the moment. As we meditate, we stay present, awake and aware. Through this meditation practice we are observant of our constantly changing body and mind. Through this we more directly explore our pleasure, pain, happiness, sadness, fear and satisfaction that life brings to us. By looking deeply at these normal experiences, we wake up and become mindful of our actions and thoughts. Sounds an awful lot like therapy, doesn’t it?

Certainly, no one will jump right into a deep meditation practice and solve all of their problems. That’s not the point of meditation. It is to develop greater peace in the face of adversity, and to expand our compassion towards others and the world around us. As we learn to sit in meditation, we will be instructed to focus on the breath. As thoughts come into the mind, we are reminded to let them float away. Don’t force them to go. Just let go gently. As we become more loving of ourselves and more at peace with the world around us, we may find that the things that lead us to therapy cease to cause suffering. In fact, many good therapist and doctors will suggest meditation as an alternative in medicine.

Image via Wikipedia

We are still, sitting in silence when we meditate. We do not move, yet we are impermanent in this state. Impermanence and meditation are intricately entwined. One teaches about the other. Through meditation and mindful awareness of our body, our thoughts and our space, we accept that nothing stays the same. The Buddhist teachings instruct that we will suffer, but all suffering is impermanent. In fact all things are impermanent.

During meditation, we focus on our breath. In and out. We may count as we breath. Each breath represents impermanence in our own life force. We are ever changing with every breath. There is a Buddhist story that says that anyone who claims to keep his mind completely free of thought for two minutes is a liar. Maybe some can do that, but most of us have to admit that thoughts float in and out of our mind as we meditate. If we acknowledge that they are there, and then let them go, we begin to see the impermanence of these things. We begin to see how we create our own suffering by hanging on to what should be a fleeting thought.

As we sit, we start to experience itches and pains. They will come and go as we look deeply at them. They are not lasting. When our mind strays from the breath, we know many have passed that we did not note. Since the breath is impermanent, we cannot take them back. We simply let that go. To sit mindfully, we will experience small breezes, the sounds of birds, the drifting smell of incense, the shifting of our nearby sangha members. Each is an example of the relationship between impermanence and meditation. If we are mindful of these comings and goings of the senses, we can let go and find comfort in impermanence.

Most cancer treatment centers confirm that meditation as an alternative cancer treatment is beneficial. Where no one is claiming that meditation can cure cancer, it can greatly reduce some of the symptoms of the disease. The benefits are both mental and physical. The method of meditation is sometimes different than what is practiced in a sangha but since there really is no wrong way to meditate, it is greatly beneficial to some cancer patients.

It has been proven that meditation can help with the stress, fear and depression associated with a cancer diagnosis. Certainly, an insight meditation practice would greatly reduce these mental symptoms of the disease. However, patients are sometimes taught to focus on an object or the use of a repetition of a phrase or words to help reduce symptoms. They may be instructed in deep breathing exercises or envisioning calming thoughts and scenarios. From a spiritual practice, envisioning can get quiet complex, but as an alternative cancer treatment, this form of meditation can be done in such a way that anyone can do it. Whether everyone will be open to meditation as a treatment is another thing, but forthose who are willing to explore an alternative, the results will likely be positive.

Meditation has also been reported to reduce chronic pain, lower heart rate. and decreased blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In order for meditation to work as an alternative treatment, most experts suggest that the patient will have to engage in the practice for at least seven weeks. Those willing to do it will see as much as a 30 percent decrease in some symptoms of the cancer. If a patient needs help finding a meditation expert, the American Cancer society offers a list of resources for most locations. In rural areas, health care providers may be able to help a patient find an individual in the community that can guide meditation.

In many meditation practices, bells or bowls are used to produce a pleasing tone that typically signals a change in activity. The singing bowl has been around for ages, and although its construction has changed somewhat over the years, its purpose is still the same. The multiple harmonic tones create a sense of well being, and in that way, singing bowls and meditation can be very complimentary.

There are forms of meditation that rely on tones and vibrations to reach into a practitioners beta waves or vibrations. At this level, a person becomes deeply relaxed while opening other dimensions of their own psyche. One newer technique is called Holosync. This method claims to be able to put a person in a deep meditative state without the years of practice usually associated with that. Some people claim it is a scam. Others swear by it. In a simple form, a singing bowl as part of the meditation practice, provides a similar result.

The singing bowl is like to an upside down bell. Its circumfrence is rubbed in a circular motion with a solid wooden cylinder to produce vibrations that are harmonic and multiphonic. That is to say, many frequencies come alive together to produce a continuous wave of sound that is relaxing, and even capable of producing a trance-like state. For some who meditate, the singing bowl deepens the experience. It can be used as an intermittent part of the practice, or used regularly. When stress level are high or concentration is weak, the singing bowl can help bring the practitioner back to the present and a relaxed state of well being and focus.

Today, the best singing bowls are imported from Nepal. It is said that there are superior quality bowls in Japan and Korea, but they are not currently being exported to other countries. Certainly, the quality of the alloy used to make the bowl will effect its multiphonic ability.

Image via Wikipedia

Interbeing is a concept taught by Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hahn. He is also called, “Thay,” which means teacher.  Thay instructs his students to use interbeing as a way to understand the principles of non-self and impermanence. Through meditation, we are awake and not lost in our own thoughts and desires. We are part of the greater universe, but we are also aware that each moment is passing, and therefore, impermanent.

Many practitioners of meditation have become so good at being mindful and awake, that they can find great joy in interbeing with any and all living organisms. They deeply explore their relationship with other people, animals, and even plant life. For instance, to eat with mindfulness, one would be aware of the food at many different levels. The person would observe the sight and smell of the food. He would feel the texture and taste as he ate it slowly and mindfully. He would know that the food is created from water, sun, sky, earth, the toil of a farmer, and the hands of a cook. In this way, he is interconnected with each of these things.  Thus he is part of the whole, not just an individual who eats.  As he eats, the food changes, and so does he. This is interbeing. He is impermanent in form from moment to moment, action to action, experience to experience.

Meditation teaches us that our suffering is impermanent. Through the use of interbeing, our lives seem more whole. We know that every action, thought, and feeling that we have is shared in some way. We are in the moment that is a part of the whole. It is the interconnectedness of everything in the universe.  While meditating, the practitioner can be aware of the floor beneath his cushion, the movement of the air, the smell of incense, the sound of the bell, and song of the birds outside. All are part of interbeing.

There is an irony in Western medicine. Health practitioners at every level recognize that meditation is good medicine, but there is not medical reimbursement for prescribing or providing instruction for it. In that case, it really is up to the individual to accept and explore a meditation practice on his own. One would want to start with the reasons why meditation is good for health. From there, he would need to give it a try to experience the positive benefits.

Why Meditate?
For the skeptic, this is the best place to start. The evidence is clear and supported by even the most notable Western medicine institutions. Quite simply, meditation reduces stress. Stress is at the heart of many medical conditions. It raises heart rate, causes overeating, substance abuse, emotional issues, insomnia, general aches and pains, and so forth. There is a pill for each of these, so one cost free half hour of meditation is good medicine that saves the budget and improves a multitude of health issues. A well established daily meditation practice will greatly reduce stress by improving sleep, relaxing the body, substituting for addictive behaviors, and teaching the patient to look deeply at his emotional issues.

Meditation as Preventative Medicine
For the patient who already suffers from some of the above maladies, meditation will be a supplemental form of medicine that can be used along with the doctor’s prescribed remedies. Eventually, some of those medicines may be eliminated. However, meditation is really good medicine when it is used in a preventative manner. In other words, start a meditation practice early in life. Learn to be mindful and in the moment today. Those who do this are much more capable of deflecting the suffering that comes from issues that will eventually disappear. Unfortunately, the lingering effects of the stress can effect health if a person doesn’t learn how to let go.

Image via Wikipedia

Since meditation that is something done for long periods of time, while sitting as still as possible, it is good to know how to choose a meditation cushion. There are many alternatives that can be purchased from retail outlets, online stores and catalogues. However, you choose to purchase your meditation cushion, you will need to do a little exploration and test driving before you do buy.

The first thing to understand is that there is no wrong ways to meditate. There are many different practices and classes, but the way you sit should be about comfort if you are going to be successful with the practice at all. With that in mind, if you simply cannot sit on the floor in a lotus position, don’t worry about it. Sit in a straight back chair, or sit against a wall with something supporting your back.  Just find a position that allows you to sit for twenty minutes to an hour. If you are able to sit on the floor, on a cushion, then you’ll want to try different thicknesses and shapes of cushions.

The round zafu is very common. It comes in many thicknesses to accommodate individual comfort needs. Try out many to see what is best for you. If sitting lotus is too difficult, you may want to try a cylindrical cushion that you can straddle with your knees bent behind you. Some people find this most comfortable for long sits. You may also want to look for a floor mat that will help provide extra cushion and comfort. If money is an issue, simply try folding blankets in ways that suit your needs as you meditate. Along with choosing your meditation cushion, think about knee and leg comfort. If your legs go to sleep after a long sit, you may need to use yoga blocks or rolled up blankets to support your knees, too.