About Meditation and mental health

All of us are well aware of the health benefits of meditation.  It not only is beneficial for the physical well being but our mental health as well.  Some of them include:

* It relieves us of worries, stress and tension that are prevalent in today’s competitive world.

* Meditation is the anchor in times of stress as we are able to deal with problems more rationally.  Gaining control our mind is tough but meditation will surely help us achieve this.

* Tranquility of mind and calmness is something which we can achieve.  Meditation is the right prescription for treating mental problems along with medicines prescribed

It is important to practice meditation and make it a daily routine so that we are able to experience greater benefit.

Benefits of meditating regularly

There are a number of psychological and medical benefits associated with meditation.  It not only helps in remaining calm and stress free but also improves concentration levels, reduced levels of blood pressure and cholesterol.  In all, it is a complete medicine for the soul and the mind. It goes without saying that meditation helps in achieving peace and it truly has magical effects.  Meditation helps in maintaining the right equilibrium and brings about a perfect balance between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind.

In such competitive times and in the run for money and power, we need to take time for ourselves for our emotional wellbeing.  In the race for financial security, we tend to ignore our emotional health and indirectly spend for medicines and hospitals.  Meditation is like a bank deposit for achieving emotional peace and wellbeing.  Investing about half an hour will help you achieve inner peace and good health.

Meditation can also help you to tackle everyday stress and other emotional problems of life. Emotional wellbeing is very important to have a good, successful life. Meditation can slow down aging, which has been scientifically proven. It also reduces blood pressure in people with hypertension.

Choosing the right environment for mediation

It is important to identify the right place for mediation. Ideally, you need to practice it in calm surroundings with no disturbance at all away from any noise.  If you are comfortable dimming the lights for meditation, you may do so.

When you meditate, you are able to make a connect between your mind and body and it takes you to an altogether new height and calms and relaxes your self completely.  The stress hormones are lowered considerably which helps in eliminating stress.

Even a single session of meditation has proven to be greatly beneficial.  Once you understand the magic of meditation, you will want to do it everyday as it gives you holistic benefits without having to spend thousands on medicines for curing ailments.

What is guided meditation?

Under guided meditation, your body and mind are guided to a stress release state and all you have to do is simply relax and listen to the interesting and soothing narration.

If you lead a stressful life choc-a-bloc with meetings and family responsibilities, it is possible that you need to calm the mind once in a while. The best way to do this is by practicing meditation. A lot of people think that meditation is very difficult, but it is not. Here is a meditation guide to help you.

If you are serious about wanting meditation to change the way you live, you need to be serious about meditating every day. Don’t let even a single day slip by without you giving some time to meditation. This is perhaps the most important meditation guide you will hear. It is also very important for you to understand what you expect meditation to give you. Once you have clear-cut expectations and goals known to you, you will aspire to do it every day.

It is essential that you meditate at a specific time every day, as this is the most effective. If you find yourself meditating at different times every day, you will not have a set routine, something which is important. Also, meditate in a place where you will not be disturbed. It may be your bedroom or your verandah. The reason why meditating early in the morning is the best is because it is quiet and peaceful all around at that time.

Don’t start your meditation with trying to do 45 minutes. Instead, start at 5 minutes and slowly try to increase it. This way you will save yourself from disappointment.

There a huge number of things that can make you angry. Some people lose their temper very easily, and it’s those people who need to be extra careful about controlling their anger.

Being insulted or hurt can make a person feel very angry. The same thing can be experienced if someone close to you such as a friend or sibling is hurt. This is just natural. Another thing is jealousy – If someone else has something that you do not, you may begin to resent them even if you know they didn’t mean to anger you.

Here are a few more reasons:

- If someones does something that annoys you, such as play music too loud
- Embarrassment – If someone makes fun of you, or reveals something embarassing about you
- Not getting your way. If no-one listens to what you have to say, or want to do.
- Failure – If you aren’t very good at something.
The Consequences
Not controlling your anger can have very negative consequences. For example, if someones annoys you, and you hit them, you could cause permanent damage and could even face a criminal record.

You may also lose friends if you say something whilst you are angry. By being angry at other people, you might make them angry too, which could lead to a fight.

How to control your anger

Now comes the most important bit, actualy stopping yourself becoming angry. This isn’t as simple as it seems, and depends on why you are angry. Different things will work for different people.

1. Breathe in, and breathe out. Sometimes, just taking a few deep breaths can help calm you down. It seems a bit obvious, but you’d be surprised at what a bit of air can do for you.

2. Count to 10. It sounds a bit cheesy, but like taking a few deep breaths it will help calm you down, and help you think clearly.

3. Think before you act. Always stop and think before you act. Ask yourself what the outcome of doing something could be. Thinking of the consequences of lashing will help deter you.

4. Relax. If you are angry, relax. For example, have a lie down or sit down and let your mind wander.

5. Don’t relax. For some people just being busy can help them forget, and allow their minds to concentrate on something else.

6. Have a laugh. If you’ve been embarrased, try to see the funny side of it, and pretend it happened to someone else. This can make you laugh yourself too, which helps lift your mood.

7. Music. Some people find the best way to relax is to listen to some calm music.

8. Walk. Walk around town for half an hour, just taking everything in. Who knows, you might even forget why you were angry in the first place by the end.

9. Take it out. If you go all out on a punch bag for a few minutes, you won’t have any energy left in you to be angry. Doing physical activity is a good way of releasing anger safely.

10. Focus on something else. if you are being annoyed, try to think about something else. For example, what you are going to eat, or what’s going to be on TV later.

11. Talk to someone. Chat to a friend about the thing that’s making you angry. You might even be able to talk to the person who’s making you angry and sort it out.

‘The most important question for me is not,
“How do I touch people?” but, “how do I live the word I am speaking?
” In Jesus, no division existed between what he said and what be did.
Saintliness means living without division between word and action’
Henri Nouwen

Deep Meditation

Sometimes we may not like the taste of food that we know is nourishing for our bodies.
Its similarly sometimes we may not want what we “hear”.
Reading Bible passage is like taking food into our mouth while meditation is like chewing the food.
Some of God’s address may not be sweet and we relish its refreshing savour. Some may be bitter and we will be tempted to reject it.
Some may be tough to chew and we tempted to set aside. In Deep Meditation we begin to discover what God’s saying to us at those points of our life.
The purpose of Deep Meditation is to clear one’s mental and spiritual vision of God, and let his truth make its full and proper impact on one’s mind and heart.

CENTERING PRAYER

However, CENTERING PRAYER is a popular method of Contemplative prayer. Placing a strong emphasis on interior silence. The purpose of Centering prayer is to clear the mind of rational thought in order to focus on the dwelling presence of God.

However, spirituality does not just ‘happen’ nor friendship continue or deeper without communication. We need to allow time to meet God so as to deepen our relationship with Him.

“Each morning you listen to my prayer;
And wait for your reply”
                                             (Psalm 5:3)

CENTERING PRAYER which is sometimes called Contemplative prayer, although its not tradition has always been regarded as a pure gift of the spirit, but rather it is a preparation for Contemplation. Some example of Centering Prayer in Catholic is the, say the Rosary, Novena etc.

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness meditation is a practice of focus, calm and insight which uses the resources and wisdom of our own body and mind to learn how to cope effectively with stress. By becoming “mindful,” that is, deeply aware, of whatever the present moment may hold, we free ourselves to engage more effectively in our life. Practicing the techniques of mindfulness meditation allows us to become aware of our habitual patterns of reaction, as well as to become more deeply in tune with a reservoir of peacefulness that resides in each of us. 
  
.

CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER

Contemplative Prayer is based on inner truth and spiritual enlightenment. Inner truth is within every individual, and can be realized through spiritual enlightenment. Spiritual Enlightenment is a process which is achieved by restricting the power of the mind and body, while strengthening the spirit.