1 : to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over 2 : to plan or project in the mind
Try these Tips for Stress Reduction!
*Take a Warm Bath
*Read a Good Book
*Listen to Soothing Music
*Take a Walk in the Park
*Sit in the shade
*Hug a family member or pet
*Laugh...or at least smile
*Take life a moment at a time
Meditation for Personal Growth
Many people use meditation as a method of getting in touch with their inner selves. By pulling away from the outer senses of sight, and hearing they are better able to hear what their hearts are saying.
Take a few moments to listen to your heart. Begin with a basic breathing exercise. Sit or lay in a comfortable position. With your eyes closed begin to breathe slowly and deeply until you feel your body relax. When you feel that you have reached a level of serenity, ask yourself what you want.
It may feel silly to talk to yourself, but in moments of complete relaxation, the subconscious mind is capable of making itself and it's wants known. Try to understand that the subconscious does not always answer in words. You may get a visual image or even just a feeling.
Armed with this information you can make changes in your life to make it happier!
Music and Meditation
Music speaks to us on a level beyond what our ears hear. Have you ever been having an absolutely rotten day, turned on the radio, and found yourself happily nodding along? One of the two main approaches to meditation is Mindfulness, which calls for unfocusing and achieving a non-judgmental awareness. Listening to classical music is considered meditating, as the listener is focusing on something outside of themselves for a period of time.
It has been shown that music can both slow down and speed up body rythms. Through a process called entrainment, which is the tendency for two oscillating bodies to lock into phase so that they vibrate in harmony, heart rate and breathing can be slowed. Conversely, syncopated music can cause excitement and physical stimulation by having the beat come in before it is expected. Musically, dance beats are syncopated.
For stress relief, music speaks directly to our brains even as our bodies respond. Investigators have observed that melody appears to act on the brain's emotional core which moves us to joy, awe, peace, fear and sadness. By combining music with meditation,relaxation is deeper and the results longer lasting.
Meditation and Martial Arts
Many martial arts recommend meditation. The technique of visualization is a focus that can add to the power of a strike. Being able to enter a medatitive trance can allow a warrior to reach depths of himself beyond the limits he sets for himself.
From Bruce Lee's 1" punch to the fire walking of primative tribes, the ability to focus one's concentration on doing something entirely and blocking out anything extraneous, has allowed mankind to push the limits of what they are capable of.
