Meditation Monday: Moving Meditations

Hello and Happy Monday! This week I'd like to talk about moving meditations. I've written before about the fact that I have trouble with traditional still meditations as I am a mover. I find it easier to go to that quiet place of contemplation in my mind when I'm doing repetitive movements of some kind: swimming laps, jogging, walking, or even doing dishes. That's why I thought I would concentrate on various kinds of moving meditations today and give you links to videos of those meditations also. Below I've given you a brief overview of three different kinds of moving meditations. I hope that if you're like me and you prefer to move while meditating, you find one that works for you. Remember though that if you try these meditations and they don't feel right to you, simply take the movement of your choice and if you're consciously aware the entire time you're doing it, it becomes a meditation in itself.

Lightwork: Moving Meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptsq5Ur5yQ0 Almost 7 minutes long, filmed on a beautiful beach. Easy, standing postures.

Mahasati Meditation: Moving With Awareness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow4ffdfw0BI
Tibetan monk sitting by the side of a lake, walking and sitting postures, concentrating on moving only one body part at a time.

Qigong Meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUtRnDdDsPc  Qigong is a practice with roots in Chinese medicine, martial arts, and philosophy which allows access to higher realms of awareness and develops human potential. It aligns body, breath, and mind and is viewed as a practice to cultivate and balance qi (chi) or life energy. It is now practiced worldwide and throughout China for recreation, exercise and relaxation. Qigong involves slow flowing movements, deep rhythmic breathing, and a calm meditative state of mind.

Meditation Monday-Moving into Visualizaton

    Hi and Happy Monday once again! I skipped the Meditation Monday post last Monday because I've been adding to my meditation practice by exploring visualization podcasts lately. I do meditate each day but have been moving into visualizing what I'd like for my life also. I don't feel I can devote more than about 20 minutes a day to the practice of meditation and visualization combined (because you have to have time to DO the things you're visualizing!) but I find this new practice has made my awareness of the present moment much stronger and made me feel generally more calm and focused. I am no stranger to creative visualization--in fact, I have many books on the subject from years ago, but I made the mistake of letting impatience take over and when things didn't materialize when I thought they should, I gave up. I feel no small amount of shame in saying that, but there's no value in living in the past either so I'm focusing on today. One of the speakers I've been listening to lately is David Neagle. His program is called "Art of Success". He does come at visualization from the viewpoint of making a success of your business but all the principles can also be applied to any facet of your life from relationships to finding the right job or running your own business. He has a series of free podcasts on iTunes which can be found here: http://bit.ly/1n4Tt3M

   Although I have to say I'm not crazy about the announcer's voice at the beginning of the program, when David begins to speak I feel he's very relatable and the things he teaches have really spoken to me in my life. One of the biggest changes that I needed to make (but didn't even realize it) is my self-talk. David's rule is to "never, ever, EVER speak or think in any way but a positive one about yourself."

   I never realized how many times I put myself down inside my own head, or actually visualized BAD things happening and then wondered why they came to pass. This really turned my head around and made me get out of my own way. I hope it does the same for you. Give a listen and have a great Monday!

Meditation Monday: Reviewing the new "Ananda-Living In Love" Meditation App from Chopra Enterprises

Hello and Happy Monday once again! This week I received an offer to download a new meditation app from Oprah and Deepak Meditation called Living In Love. The initial app is free and comes with one basic breathing meditation led by Deepak Chopra but if you want to experience any of the other 22 guided meditations in the app you'll need to purchase them for $2.99 each. As with my previous meditation posts, I am reviewing only the free version of this app so that it's an even comparison. In this first meditation, Deepak Chopra leads this meditation and it is called the SoHum meditation because this word becomes a mantra that you repeat with each breath in and out.

  When you download the app and open it, you'll see that you have a choice of different music tracks that can accompany your meditation. These are only accessible if you purchase one or more of the meditations.

Next, you can choose the length of your meditation.

You can also choose the balance of the volume between the guide's voice and the music you hear with one slider bar.

The titles you see below relate to the title of the music selection on the left and the guided meditation title on the right.

For comparison, here is the free app Simply Being that I reviewed in an earlier post. You can see that you have separate slider bars and can choose between music, nature sounds, and voice. You can also choose to have the music continue at the end of your guided meditation for a certain amount of time.

Speaking for myself, I prefer the Simply Being app because it gives the listener more choices without having to purchase anything. I love the option of listening to nature sounds also instead of music. Also, I find the guide's voice to be more soothing and conducive to deep meditation than in the SoHum mantra meditation in the Living In Love app. Don't take it from me however-I encourage you to experience it for yourself. Here's the link to download it:http://bit.ly/1mlDhvA

                 Enjoy your Monday and your entire week. I wish you peace and happiness!

Meditation Monday: Prana Meditation-Meditation for Increased Energy

Happy Monday! Are you starting out your week feeling energized and ready to go? Or are you feeling like you're already lacking some energy before you've even gone out the door (or sat down at your desk if you work at home)? Well this week I'm going to talk about the practice of Prana meditation. There are many interesting and thorough articles on this type of meditation practice but I am going to give you the beginner's viewpoint, as I had never done Prana meditation prior to a few weeks ago but once I tried it, I'm hooked!

   The word Prana is a Sanskrit word meaning "breath, considered as a life-giving force" and the practice of Pranayama comes from Hindu yoga, meaning "the regulation of the breath through certain techniques and exercises." Certified yoga teacher Dawn Angerame of Nava NYC gives a brief explanation of Pranayama here:http://bit.ly/TJm42X

  Speaking for myself, I found Prana meditation really helpful for feeling grounded and energized and I've begun to practice it in the afternoon when my energy or attention is waning but it's also really beneficial first thing in the morning too. I found this 18 minute Prana meditation by Brian Anderson that adds a visualization to the meditation that I enjoyed and found helpful also. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t_MeMFdABQ

  Remember: You don't have to be a yoga practitioner to do a Prana meditation. You just have to have a few moments to spare and a desire to increase your energy. I hope you'll find it as helpful as I did!

Accidental Meditation: You Mean I'm Already Meditating?

   I have a confession: I'm a terrible meditator. I want to be good at it, I TRY to be good at it, but I find it very hard to sit still for even a few minutes without all these thoughts going through my head like "You should be working, think of all you could get done right now, you should go for a run, you need to do the laundry today..." on and on--the list is endless. Here's the thing: I thought I was the only one or one of a minority of people, who find it hard to sit still. I'm a mover-I love moving around throughout the day so even sitting in front of a computer is really a struggle for me. I know it's good to take frequent breaks anyway, but my breaks become longer and longer while I find more things to do away from my Mac and my work. When I go on a walk or run or when I swim laps at the gym, I find it so much easier to just be mentally quiet and really observe my surroundings and just BE in the moment. Are you like this also? If so, you need to read the article below by J.C. Peters entitled "Accidental Meditation: You're Already Doing It."
If you prefer to listen to this in podcast form on your phone or laptop, medium Laura Evans reads it on this free download here: http://mediumlauraevans.podomatic.com/entry/2013-11-09T06_23_15-08_00

   This article explains in an easy-to-understand format the way our brains are built to wander and how we are already meditating sometimes whether we realize it or not. She talks about repetitive activity being the perfect conduit for meditation because it frees up our right brain to have a physical, present moment experience. As she says "We all need moments where the mind can wander, and if we don't sit still in mindful meditation the brain will figure out a way to zone out."
So if you're like me and find it hard to sit still but you feel like you should be meditating, take heart--you probably already are.  Or, as J.C. Peters says "You're not bad at meditating, you're just human with a brain."

      

Wed, October 30 2013

Accidental Meditation: You're Already Doing it

By: 

JC Peters

Most people think they are bad at meditating. Can’t sit still and turn your thoughts off for at least 20 minutes? You’re not bad at meditating, you’re just a human with a brain.

Actually, most of us already meditate—we just do it accidentally. You know that feeling when you are taking a shower, and the warm water pours over your body, and you forget what you were rushing to get ready for? Time disappears for a moment, and when you step out of the shower you snap out of it. Maybe you’ve driven down a long empty road with no traffic, and suddenly you’ve hit the next town. This feeling of time lapsing and your thoughts tumbling freely like dryer sheets happens all the time: on walks or runs, in the moments before you fall asleep, when you are staring out a bus window, or daydreaming in a waiting room.

We all need moments where the mind can wander, and if you don’t sit still in mindful meditation, the brain will figure out a way to zone out. Meditation doesn’t have a standard definition because it’s something different depending on which tradition you are working within. Most meditations are essentially techniques for releasing the hold of the moment-to-moment crush of daily life so we can slip into a quieter place where we can connect to our bodies, our intuitions, or perhaps some form of spirituality. 

One way of thinking about this (greatly simplified) is that most of the time, we are very active in the left brain hemisphere, which governs language, analysis, rational thought, and planning for the future. The right brain doesn’t have language, and governs our experiences of sensation, image, intuition, and energy. We live in a world that privileges our left brain, and we feed our information addictions constantly through our smartphones. We need to balance that with moments where we can slip off to a space where time stops its incessant tick, and we can access our subconscious, emotional, and creative selves.

When accidental meditations happen, the left brain is occupied with a repetitive task that’s familiar enough that it doesn’t require a full engagement. Showering, walking, or figuring out where to put your foot in a yoga class can give your analytical left brain something to do, which frees up the right brain to have a physical, present-moment experience. Even forms of classical meditation, like repeating a mantra over and over in your mind, are essentially techniques for occupying your left brain so that you can slip into a different state.

This different state often means your brain is in an alpha brainwave rhythm, a relaxed, open-minded experience where creativity is at its most potent. When we are stressed and over focused, we can’t see any new ways of thinking. Alpha state blurs our sense of boundaries and rationality, so new ideas and connections can appear. That’s why we often get our best ideas in the shower.

You know, then, that you are already a great meditator, whether you mean to be or not. Creating more opportunities to enter into this creative state is as easy as incorporating more light, repetitive, physical activity, like walking, into your day. Next time you are sitting on a bus, resist the urge to check your phone: just stare out the window. Knitting, cooking, and cleaning can also be very effective accidental meditations. The more mindful these meditations become, the less accidental they are. Soon enough, you may notice yourself getting stuck worrying about the future or trying to think out a problem, so you stop and try one of these activities instead. You may even decide to sit still for 20 minutes, and find out that meditation on purpose isn’t so bad, after all.

- See more at: http://spiritualityhealth.com/blog/jc-peters/accidental-meditation-youre-already-doing-it#sthash.pxGU7JFL.dpuf

Meditation Monday-Comparing Guided Meditations Part 2

Today I'll be talking about two meditations that are both free but very different than the meditations from two weeks ago. The first is a meditation that you can download through the Oprah.com Spirit Channel. It's by Kim Eng and is part of the Eckhart Tolle New Earth series. It can be downloaded for free on iTunes. There are many different meditations within this program like Breath Awareness, Object Awareness, Inner Body Meditation, Rising Meditation, etc. I chose the Inner Body Meditation to review today.

1. Relaxed Awareness Meditation: Inner Body Meditation by Kim Eng
Cost: free

There is no interface per se for this meditation because it's part of a podcast series. Kim's voice begins after the prayer bell sounds. There is no other background music. The entire length of the guided meditation is about 7 minutes, but she does instruct you to continue it for 5 or so more minutes longer. Her voice is very even and calming and I like the fact that she begins with awareness on the outer sounds and sensations around you before directing your focus inward. She directs you to move your attention through each part of your body, which is both very calming and also helps you to become more aware of how you are actually feeling. One thing I like in particular is that she says that if you have pain, be it mental or physical, notice the pain but don't associate a certain story with that pain. When you do this, I think the pain lessens and you feel like a burden has been lifted that you don't have to think about anymore. We all have our stories that we carry around about what's happened to us in our past and this helps you release those.


2. Laura Evans Spiritual Medium: Meditation For Your Higher Mind
Cost: free

This is a podcast that I also downloaded for free from iTunes. I had never heard of Laura Evans but I was drawn to all the different podcasts about both hypnosis and meditation. She has MANY to choose from so look her up. Here are just a few of the hypnosis subjects:Become free of worry and anxiety, A.D.D. Better concentration, Drawing love to you/self love hypnosis, Trusting your intuition, Self-esteem for young adults, Authentic power, etc. Laura's voice begins and there is background music but it's very light. She also has a calming voice and I noticed that she will speed up or slow down her cadence depending on the meditation or hypnosis. This meditation is also around 6 minutes long. She says this meditation comes from Sanya Roman, who is another medium, and her two spirit guides. This meditation is a listening one rather than an internally quiet one, where it's more about focusing on those qualities that you want to pull toward you: love, clarity, intent, abundance, serenity, enthusiasm, commitment, peace, creativity, etc. and you repeat them as a mantra. Although it's not at all like Kim Eng's meditation, it's a good meditation to help you start out the day focusing on the positive within you. I could see listening to this meditation when you just need a short break in the day or when things aren't going so well. I really did feel lighter and more positive overall when it was done and I find myself repeating those good thoughts to myself afterwards too.

Meditation Monday-Comparing Guided Meditation Apps

I know I haven't done the Meditation Monday post for quite awhile but I'm attempting to make it my Monday "thing" again now that I'm past the Stationery Show and have some of my orders filled for the moment.
I thought I'd re enter the meditation discussion by comparing a couple of guided meditation apps: the two I'm comparing this week are Simply Being and Headspace. I tried the free (or almost free) versions of each of these so that's what I'll be reviewing here.

First: Simply Being
Cost: $ 0.99

Nice calming graphic interface with simple button choices for options to meditate with music, with music and voice, with nature sounds and voice or just with voice. For time options, you can choose from 5, 10, 15, or 20 minute sessions. There are slider bars to regulate the volume of each sound individually. The guide's voice is a female one and it's mild and soothing in my opinion. After using this app for several weeks, I didn't feel the need to have the voice on anymore as the different programs weren't that varied plus I realized how much I missed just meditating in silence and hearing whatever sounds were around me instead. It seemed a bit silly to me to listen to pre-recorded nature sounds and drown out the actual nature sounds that were right outside my window!

Secondly: Headspace
Cost: Free for 10 day intro

I've heard this app described as "Type A Meditation" and I have to say I agree with that description. With fun, graphic illustrations on the interface I really was drawn in to the Headspace Take10 program-this is the introductory program that lasts 10 days and is meant to encourage you to purchase the full year of the program for $6.28 a month. The guide's voice is male and he speaks in an easy-to-understand Australian accent. I really like a lot of his techniques in this program--he uses some visual cues that really did help me to get in the meditation mode--the only problem was, every time I felt that I was really relaxed and into it, he would speak again and it would distract me. Some people may really like this approach and if so, you should definitely try it out as his program is varied each day plus he has different programs that I haven't tried like Headspace Motivate and Headspace Active. I felt that I didn't really want to pay $6.28 a month for this type of guided meditation but if you like lots of verbal cues while you meditate, this may be the program for you. Also there is an entire website/blog devoted to this app so you can read a lot about the various meditation options before you sign up for the paid version.

That's all for this Meditation Monday. Next week I will compare two other guided meditation apps.
Happy Monday!

Meditation Monday-speak your truth......

Happy Monday! Today's chunk of Desiderata wisdom is about speaking your truth, but in a peaceful way, not in a defensive or aggressive way. I think it's all in the delivery, especially if you have something that you're really struggling to say...speaking unapologetically but calmly will often have the same effect in return-you'll get honesty back (which you'll have to be ready for) but not anger. At least that's been my experience so far. Have a great week!

Meditation Monday--be on good terms...

Happy 6th of August--today's meditation post is another wise saying from Desiderata that I love and try to do, but again, it can be somewhat hard sometimes. I remember thinking about this phrase once when dealing with a very unsympathetic trade show person who, no matter how calmly I tried to state my case, would not listen to me. I didn't end up flying off the handle and saying what I was actually thinking which was a good thing because 1.) I may see that person again and 2.) it NEVER pays to burn bridges. I can't think of a time I've regretted not responding in anger, but I just hope I can remember that in the future too!

Meditation Monday-remembering peace....

Happy Monday. Today's Desiderata phrase is one of my favorites. And if you ever have a bit of trouble with silence, as I do from time to time working at home alone, try looking at this website for some helpful habits on enjoying the quiet time:http://zenhabits.net/solitude/

Meditation Monday-going placidly...

Good morning. I haven't done my meditation Mondays here for a few weeks but would like to get back to it as I meditate every day but don't always write about it. I realized a short time ago that when I have problems or issues, phrases from Desiderata often pop into my head. If I'm fearful, I hear the "many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness"part and it helps me. I decided that I love this writing so much that I'm going to break it down piece by piece and feature it each Monday as a meditation. It's a lot of wisdom to take in all at once for me, so if I just focus on a part of it that helps. I'm not taking lots of time to do each phrase perfectly as far as the lettering goes, just trying to be spontaneous and get the meaning of the words conveyed. "Going placidly" is not always easy, but I hope that just focusing on this part for a few minutes sometime in your day may bring you peace and joy. Happy Monday!

Doing It Anyway

 Today I didn't feel like running. Most days I win the battle with my Lazy Inner Self, the one who wants to just lounge awhile and start the day slowly. Most days this summer, even with all the humid heat here in Kansas, I can motivate enough after one cup of coffee to "just do it". And today it's actually a bit cooler than it has been so I really have no excuse, plus there's someone in the room with big brown eyes cautiously watching my every move, hoping that I'll get my running shoes on and take the leash off the doorknob to take him out for a spin.

In the end, I did actually go out for my run--but not before indulging my LIS a bit first....or maybe I shouldn't call it lazy at all, because I meditated. I meditated on the way I was feeling without trying to change it. It helped that I was listening to a guided meditation by Kim Eng, who works in conjunction with Eckhart Tolle. Though it only lasted 15 minutes, I felt worlds different when I finished. I decided I'd go out for a mile walk with Lucky, just to get him out of the house. When I got outside though, the morning was beautiful and we actually have some clouds over the sun today (which I'm celebrating as we've had our fair share of hot, sunny days). I started out walking but then tried to pay attention to how I was feeling in the moment, rather than how I felt when I left the house. I felt like running, so I picked up my pace and ended up running/walking  for 2 miles, much more than I thought I could've done just an hour before. Also, to alleviate boredom from running the same routes, we reversed our 2 mile route which made it seem somewhat newer and fresher. That also helps with calorie burning, by the way, as our muscles get used to the same routes and same exercises (aka muscle memory) and whether you feel it or not, you'll burn fewer calories and expend a bit less energy. So while I have often wished that I came up with the Nike slogan above, I think the one that works for me is "Do It Anyway". I am going to try to apply it to some of the other things in life I may not always want to do, but know deep down that I will feel better after I do. What words or things motivate you?