What is meditation? This simple question is very difficult to answer, simply because there are many different meditation techniques which span so many traditions. Over the years I have read accounts of the meditative traditions in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sufism, Judaism, Christianity and in Shamanism.
My experience has been that, after a little time of reading or study trying to learn how to meditate, my eyes glaze over as I find myself slipping beneath the waves of obfuscation that advanced scholars, either advertently or inadvertently, create for the swimmer in their rarely charted waters. Much of the writing about the benefits of meditation in different traditions is so obscure for the naive reader that it becomes almost impossible to understand the nature of the practice, the purpose of meditation and how it relates to the broader spiritual context within which it is taught.
Consequently, confusion rather than understanding, and turmoil rather than stillness, are created. One has a sense, sometimes of scholars so enamored of their own understanding of a particular tradition that they mystify this understanding to maintain their ascendancy over the naive reader or aspiring scholar. None of these accusations can be leveled against the authors in this enlightening website.
The site is a guide which takes the reader gently by the hand and walks him or her through vast traditions of complex knowledge. It provides clear and simple directions for routes ahead, and is written in a language which is immediately accessible without being either condescending or simplistic. It is a tribute to the authors' writing that I, who have practiced and studied meditation from a psychological orientation for more than twenty years, felt that I had learned far more by reading through this one site about meditation, than I had from most of the others put together. The complexities of different spiritual traditions are clearly outlined, and the place of meditation simply explained. Repeatedly throughout the site, straightforward instructions on how to meditate using the practice of different kinds of meditation techniques within those different traditions are presented.
Showing posts with label meditation techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meditation techniques. Show all posts
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Meditation Techniques to Reduce Stress
Learning how to meditate can be one of the best things you can do to regain some control of your life, and start to reduce your stress and anxiety levels.
People encounter stress everyday, some do at work or school, others at home. While they are usually able to cope with stress, sometimes the burden simply becomes too much that people break down because of it.
The Science of Stress
In the General Adaptation Syndrome model designed by Hans Selye, he identifies three stages that people undergo when stressed.
During the first stage, the body goes on a state of alarm at the realization of a threat. In this stage, cortisol is released by the body.
The second stage is where the body becomes unable to cope with the strain until its resources are depleted.
Finally, the body breaks down which include the exhaustion of the immune system. Because of this, the body is unable to fight of sicknesses which then expose the person to illnesses.
How Meditation Helps Reduce Stress
Meditation is one method which can help reduce the stress levels of a person. By calming the mind and giving the person a sense of control over things, the things that are considered threats (the things which cause stress) become easier to manage.
But the reduction of stress isn’t the end of the exercise. Since stress can make people prone to illnesses, reducing stress can help in keeping the person healthy.
The practice of meditation techniques, therefore, can result in improved health and resistance to illnesses.
So the next time you feel stressed out, try to calm yourself down by practicing meditation. While your problems won’t exactly go away, you at least become mentally prepared to face them.
People encounter stress everyday, some do at work or school, others at home. While they are usually able to cope with stress, sometimes the burden simply becomes too much that people break down because of it.
The Science of Stress
In the General Adaptation Syndrome model designed by Hans Selye, he identifies three stages that people undergo when stressed.
During the first stage, the body goes on a state of alarm at the realization of a threat. In this stage, cortisol is released by the body.
The second stage is where the body becomes unable to cope with the strain until its resources are depleted.
Finally, the body breaks down which include the exhaustion of the immune system. Because of this, the body is unable to fight of sicknesses which then expose the person to illnesses.
How Meditation Helps Reduce Stress
Meditation is one method which can help reduce the stress levels of a person. By calming the mind and giving the person a sense of control over things, the things that are considered threats (the things which cause stress) become easier to manage.
But the reduction of stress isn’t the end of the exercise. Since stress can make people prone to illnesses, reducing stress can help in keeping the person healthy.
The practice of meditation techniques, therefore, can result in improved health and resistance to illnesses.
So the next time you feel stressed out, try to calm yourself down by practicing meditation. While your problems won’t exactly go away, you at least become mentally prepared to face them.
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