existence: Meditation

"There are really only two things you need
to be able to do to meditate; become aware
of yourself and stay there for a while." - Diana Lang

Meditation training promotes positive psychology and better cellular health. Researchers have discovered a link between the positive psychological changes which occur as a result of meditation.

The Shamatha Project is the most comprehensive longitudinal study of intensive meditation yet undertaken. Participants within the studies attained numerous psychological benefits from meditation training, while decreasing negative emotionality. The effect appears to be attributable to psychological changes that increase a person’s ability to cope with stress and maintain feelings of well-being.

Positive psychological changes from meditation training linked to cellular health associated with greater telomerase activity, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of California, San Francisco.

The study is the first to link positive well-being to higher telomerase, an enzyme important for the long-term health of cells in the body. And meditation helps rebuild and lengthen telomeres which increases a person’s health and promote longevity in those cells and increases a person’s sense of well-being. This may have a profound effect on the most fundamental aspects of their physiology.

An intensive meditation retreat took place at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, Colo. That study included 30 participants each in the retreat and control groups. Participants received ongoing instruction in meditation techniques. They attended group meditation sessions twice a day and engaged in individual practice for about six hours a day.

A control group of 30 people matched for age, sex, education, ethnicity and meditation experience was assessed at the same time and in the same place, but did not otherwise attend meditation training at that time.

The Shamatha Project has drawn the attention of scientists and Buddhist scholars alike, including the Dalai Lama, who has endorsed the project.
Saron and his colleagues are now analyzing and publishing other findings from the project. In a paper published this summer in Psychological Science, Katherine MacLean, a recent UC Davis Ph.D. graduate now at Johns Hopkins University, reported that meditators were better at making fine visual distinctions and sustaining attention over a long period.

There is something about the quality of attention and intention, that you can develop through contemplative practices, that changes how you experience difficult moments in life." Kelly McGonigal

Yoga Nidra is an an ancient form of meditation that has been proven effective to reduce stress, tension, anxiety, sleeplessness and many other psychological disorders.

Sometimes referred to as 'yogic sleep' is a guided meditation that guides you into conscious awareness of each part of the body for deep and effortless relaxation like a progressive relaxation technique.

Yoga Nidra induces the mind to transition from the waking state, through the "hypogonic" state (between waking and dream), into dream and deep sleep states. This transition however is not done unconsciously. It can be used to fall asleep but usually as a quick stress relief.

The practitioner to access layers of the subconscious mind will clarity and mindfulness. This allows for the release of many negative patterns in the mind to unravel and ultimately dissolve.

It is a way to help you relax deeply and touch a place of deep stillness, peace and insight within. It is deeply nourishing and an essential practice to help us slow down and unwind in the often fast paced modern world.

There are various free downloadable ones of various lengths. Busy people often habitually use this technique for a few minutes of stress relief session to heal and restore the body, quiet the mind, and bring compassion and love into your heart.