Meditation: Reduce Your Stress and Stay Rested

Author: Kandace Beck, CD(DONA), CPES, CEIM

Photos provided by: http://www.yoganonymous.com/back-to-school-seven-ways-to-meditate-celebrate-life-as-a-family/ 

Being a parent, becoming a new parent, entering a new relationship, starting a new career and all of the life situations can all carry a lot of stress which has you anxious, tense and worried, consider trying meditation. Spending even a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace. Anyone can practice meditation. It's simple and inexpensive, and it doesn't requite any special equipment. An you can practice meditation wherever you are -- whether you're our for a walk, riding the bus, waiting at the doctor's office or even in the middle of a difficult business meeting.

Meditation has been around in recorded history for thousands of years. The history of Meditation dates all the way back to ancient times. There has been proof found in Indian artifacts of the history of meditation called, “Tantra,” that speaks of such practices, dating back 5000 years. Researchers suggest that primitive hunting and gathering societies may have been the ones to have discovered meditation and its many different states of consciousness while gazing into the flames of their fires. The history of Meditation has evolved over thousands of years, into a structured practice that people use daily. One of the biggest proponents in the history of meditation is the Buddha. The Buddha is also known as one of the biggest meditation icons in both current and times past and has been around since 500 B.C..  The teaching of the Buddha became popular in the Asian continent. According to the history of meditation other separate countries and cultures soon adopted many different forms of meditation creating their own special ways of practicing it. Some of the most popularly used forms today are the Buddhist and Hindu-based Easter-style meditation.

Meditation offers innumerable benefits for your body, mind and spirit. The rest you gain in meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep. The deeper your rest, the more dynamic your activity is.Meditation has two important benefits:

• Meditation prevents stress from getting in the system
• Mediation releases accumulated stress that is in the system

Both of these happen simultaneously, leaving one refreshed and joyful. Why meditation, the physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more prana (energy). This results in joy, peace, enthusiasm as the level of prana is the body increases.
On a physical level meditation:

• Lowers high blood pressure
• Lowers the level s of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
• Decreases any tension-related pain, such as, tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint problems.
• Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behavior
• Improves the immune system
• Increases the energy level, as you gain an inner source of energy

Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an Alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. With regular practice of meditation:

• Anxiety decreases
• Emotional stability improves
• Creativity increases
• Happiness increases
• Intuition develops
• Gain clarity and peace of mind
• Problems become smaller
• Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus and expands through relaxation
• A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration
• An expanded consciousness without sharpness can lead to lack of action/progress
• The balance of a sharp mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection

Meditation make you aware - that your inner attitude determines your happiness:
Emotional steadiness and harmony. It cleanses and nourishes you from within an calms you, whenever you feel overwhelmed, unstable, or emotionally shut down.
Meditation brings harmony in creation. When you meditate, you are in the space of vastness, calmness and joy and this is what you emit into the environment, bringing harmony to the Creation/Planet.
Consciousness evolves. With the assimilation of meditation into daily life, your consciousness evolves and in time, is able to experience the higher and refined states of consciousnesses. When your consciousness evolves and expands, that disturbances in your life become negligible. Anger and disappointments become fleeting emotions that occur momentarily and then vanish. You start living in 'the moment' and let go of 'the past'.
Personal Transformation. Meditation can bring about a true personal transformation. As you learn more about yourself, you'll naturally want to discover more about the mystery of life, the universe, etc. Then the questions that arise in the mind are - What is the meaning of life? What is its purpose? What is this world, what is love, what is knowledge..? Once these questions arise, know hat you're very fortunate. These questions need to be understood; you cannot find the answers in books. As you live through answering them you'll witness that life transformation to a richer level.

Cosmic Consciousness dawns in you. With the assimilation of meditation into daily life, the fifth state of consciousness, called cosmic consciousness, dawns. Cosmic consciousness - is to perceive the whole cosmos as part of oneself. When you perceive the world as part of yourself, love flows strongly between the world and you. This love empowers you to bear the opposing forces and the disturbances in your life. Anger and disappointments become fleeting emotions that occur momentarily and then vanish. You start living in 'the moment' and let go of 'the past'. The confluence of knowledge, understanding and practice makes life complete. When you grow into higher states of consciousness, you become beautiful yet strong - a soft, delicate and beautiful blossom capable of accommodating different values in life without any conditions.

Meditation is an umbrella term for the many ways to a relaxed state of being. There are many types of meditation and relaxation techniques that have meditation components. All share the same goal of achieving inner peace. Ways to mediate can include:

Guided meditation. Sometimes called guided imagery or visualization, with this method of meditation you form mental images of places or situations you find relaxing. You try to use as many senses as possible, such as smells, sights, sounds and textures. you may be led through this process by a guide or teacher. 

Mantra mediation. In this type of meditation, you silently repeat a calming word, thought or phrase to prevent distracting thoughts.

Mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation is based on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment. You broaden your conscious awareness. you focus on what you experience during meditation, such as flow of your breath. You can observe your thoughts and emotions but let them pass without judgment. 

Qi Gong. This practice generally combines meditation, relaxation, physical movement and breathing exercises to restore an maintain balance. Qi gong (CHEE-gung) is part of traditional Chinese medicine.

Tai Chi. This is a for of gentle Chinese martial arts. In Tai Chi (TIE-chee), you perform a self-paced series of postures or movements in a slow, graceful manner while practicing deep breathing.

Transcendental meditation. You use a mantra, such as a word, sound or phrase repeatedly silently, to narrow your conscious awareness and eliminate all thoughts form your mind. You focus exclusively on your mantra to achieve a state of perfect stillness and consciousness.

Yoga. You perform a series of postures and controlled breathing exercises to promote a more flexible body and a calm mind. As you move through poses that require balance and concentration, you're encouraged to focus less on your busy day and more on the moment. 

Don't let the thought of meditating the "right" way add to your stress. Sure, you can attend special meditation centers or group classes led by trained instructors. But you also can practice meditation easily on your own. An you can make meditation as formal or informal as you like - whatever suits your lifestyle and situation. Some people build meditation into their daily routine. For example, they may start and each day with an hour of meditation. But all you really need is a few minutes of quality time for meditation. Here are some ways you can practice meditation on your own, whenever you choose:

Breathe deeply. This technique is good for beginners because breathing is a natural function. Focus all attention on your breathing. Concentrate on feeling and listening as you inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Breathe deeply and slowly. When your attention wanders, gently return your focus to your breathing.

Scan your body. When using this technique, focus attention on different parts of your body. Become aware of your body's various sensations, whether that's pain, tension, warmth or relaxations. Combine body scanning with breathing exercises and imagine breathing heat or relaxation into and our of different parts of your body.

Repeat a mantra. You can create your own mantra, whether it's religious or secular. Examples of religious mantras include the Jesus Prayer in the Christian tradition, the holy name of God in Judaism, or the om mantra of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions.

Walk and meditate. Combining a walk with meditation is an efficient and healthy way to relax. You can use this technique anywhere you're walking - in a tranquil forest, on a city sidewalk or at the mall. When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so that you can focus on each movement of your legs or feet. Don't focus on a particular destination. Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as lifting, moving and placing as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground. 

Engage in prayer. Prayer is the best known and most widely practiced example of meditation. Spoken and written prayers are found in most faith traditions. you can pray using your own words or read prayers written by others. Check the self-help or 12-step-recovery section of your local bookstore for examples. Talk with your rabbi, priest, pastor or other spiritual leader about resources.

Read and reflect. Many people report that they benefit from reading poems or sacred texts, and taking a few moments to quietly reflect on their meaning. You also can listen to sacred music, spoken works or any music you find relaxing or inspiring. You may want to write your reflections in a journal or discuss them with a friend or spiritual leader. 

Focus your love and gratitude. In this type of meditation, you focus your attention on a sacred object or being, weaving feelings of love and gratitude into your thoughts. You can also close your eyes and use your imagination or gaze at representations of the object. 

Don't judge your mediation skills, which may only increase your stress. Meditation takes practice. Keep in mind, for instance, that it's common for your mind to wander during meditation, no matter how long you've been practicing. If you're mediating to calm your mind and your attention wanders, slowly return to the object, sensation or movement you're focusing on.Experiment, and you'll likely find out what types of meditation work best for your an what you enjoy doing. Adapt meditation to your needs at the moment. Remember, there's no right or wrong way to meditate. What matters is that meditation helps you with stress reduction and feeling better overall.

Slow Parenting :: Your 1 year old

Author: Deanna Norris of Earthbound Soul Birth Services

Photo provided by Ian Norris of Ian Norris Photography

One of the happiest days of your life was when you looked into your newborn child’s eyes. Squishy face, wrinkly forehead and covered in the vernix that protected him while growing inside your body. You've spent many countless hours tending to the needs of this new life. Holding when holding was needed, rocking when rocking was needed, feeding when feeding was needed.

Although you have no textbook to guide you while wandering down this winding path of parenthood, you brave the peaks and valleys with gusto. You savor the moments of triumph and you learn from the unfortunate moments of regret. As your child grows and changes physically and developmentally, you also grow and change in the way you parent. Upon arriving at your child’s first birthday, you almost feel like you know what you’re doing in this crazy parenting game.

In this great circle of parenthood, there are always going to be questions. The ones we ask ourselves in the night while patiently rocking a baby back to sleep and the ones asked of others, sometimes with an expectant tone or air of judgment. We can often silence the self-questioning by looking intently at the life we are leading. We feel good about the answer. We are confident in our ways and continue to glide seamlessly into that direction. Then there are the other times, the ones when another’s voice asks the questions. You get this feeling deep inside your belly and it washes over you like morning fog with doubt leading the way like Helios on his chariot.

Our culture is one of achievement. This voraciously applies to children. Society says that our children should have accomplished any number of things by the time they are approaching their first birthday.

“Your child should be standing alone, and may even have taken those first tentative solo steps…”

“Your child should be sleeping less during the day and more at night…”

“You can make the transition from breast milk or formula to cow’s milk…”

Listening to so-called experts instead of our own paternal intuition most often causes undue stress and uncertainty. At every stage of your child’s life, there will be some grand preset guideline that you can look to for insight on when milestones should be reached. Weighing our child’s milestone against this chart is done out of curiosity; fear of “abnormal” development and frankly, because it’s widely available to us.

The checklist for a 1 year old can be overwhelming, and to some, feel like a countdown to making their child do things you as the parent do not feel they are ready for. How daunting it must feel as a parent to look at your beautiful child and think there could be something developmentally wrong with them because they aren't pinching cheerios by their first birthday.

You begin to wonder if something is developmentally wrong with your child if they aren't hitting these check points that Google tells you are normal. Maybe you aren't doing everything you should be as a parent to help your child hit those milestones? You turn to the Internet for advice. And the uncertainty spiral begins. 

Stepping fully into parenthood relies on intuition, natural evolution and willingness to make a mistake from time to time. As parents, it is our duty to react to our children in a way that is gracious and respectful. Gently listening for and to their needs and offering to them what we believe in our hearts to be the answer. Watch your little one for clues on how this offering is received. Did it fulfill their need or was it something else they required? Make adjustments when necessary.

The truth is, parenting a child who has been on this earth 12 months is no different from parenting a child who has been here for 12 days. They look to you for comfort, security, nourishment and enjoyment. While it will look different at 12 months than at 12 days, it really is important to let the process evolve organically. With every shift in routine, there will be positives and negatives both for you and your child. Holding space for this to be okay is essential. Trust your intuition and be gentle with yourself when you don’t get it quite right.

“Earlier is not better. All children accomplish milestones in their own way, in their own time.” Magda Gerber