meditation Archives

How Vedic Meditation Can Help You Manage Your Life

Vedic meditation is a simple technique with powerful results. Learning to focus one’s mind makes it possible to melt stress away and reduce anxiety. The word “Vedic” is from Sanskrit, an ancient language. It means knowledge in the original tongue and symbolizes what’s accomplished during meditation. Here are several benefits associated with a Vedic practice, to get you motivated as you strive to achieve unalome.

Beneficial to Your Health

If cortisol exceeds healthy levels, it can create long-term damage to the body. Long-term increases in cortisol levels can even lead to burn-out, depression, and anxiety. We can learn techniques to tame thoughts and emotions by adopting a Vedic practice.

Learning how to manage the mind gives us another chance at achieving stillness. Working with an experienced Vedic Meditation teacher would help if you’ve never meditated. They’ll show you the basic steps of the process and help you stick to a schedule.

Enter a Deep State of Relaxation

There lies a stillness at the center of each of us, readily accessible. We only have to train our minds to access this state to experience it whenever we’d like.

If you’ve studied the Veda, you know it teaches us about our natural state. Let your mind enter this natural state of bliss and feel the relaxation overtake you.

Today, we’ve had the opportunity to study practitioners using brainwave devices. These measure the frequency of brainwaves during meditation to mark any changes. Believe it or not, meditation does seem to change its frequency. So, we have measurable evidence of the power meditation has over the mind.

Deepen Mental Clarity by Reducing Stress

Have you been struggling to focus on what’s important lately? More often than not, that’s partly due to an issue with anxiety. Anxious thoughts tend to distract us from whatever is at hand, putting us into our heads.

As part of meditation, we learn to navigate intrusive thoughts and disregard them. Let them pass over you as if they were clouds drifting by a mountain. We are not our thoughts, but they are part of us.

Flexible Enough to Fit Into Busy Schedules

If you ask people whether they’d like to feel less anxious, they’ll always agree. However, most of them don’t rush home and start meditating, either. That’s because people believe it would take too much time for them to fit into their daily schedules. In the modern world, most people work full-time, plus other responsibilities.

Thankfully, a Vedic session takes less than half an hour. Above all, the most important thing is consistency in mediation. We can actually see the difference if we look at the brains of lifelong meditators. Under examination, their brains have thicker cortices if they’ve practiced a long time.

Strengthen Your Neuron’s Interconnectivity

Another way Vedic mediation changes your physiology is by affecting your neural transmissions. Usually, neurons operate in a pattern called the default mode network.

Entering a meditative state disrupts the default mode network. If you put on an EEG while meditating, we can watch it happen in real-time. This is associated with our normal way of thinking, distracted and habitual. Disrupting it can help stop intrusive thoughts from becoming a problem.

Develop Resilience and Fortitude

For beginners, developing a consistent practice takes a little effort. This effort is what makes you stronger after adopting the practice, though. Where our thoughts go has much to do with our intention.

By building a regular practice, the mind must learn how to overcome resistance. You’ll become a more resilient individual by following Vedic techniques. Plus, life feels like it’s more of an adventure when it’s not tinged with anxiety.

Why You Should Adopt Vedic Meditation

There are so many advantages it’s hard to pick our favorite. Each builds on top of the rest, creating a cumulative effect. Ultimately, the point of meditation is to learn how the mind works and how to control it. From a scientific perspective, it helps reduce stress and improve concentration. Either way, there are plenty of reasons to start meditating daily. The easiest way to start as a beginner is to reach out to an experienced teacher and schedule a session.

Simple Ways to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Your days can now be highly stressful, whether you are in the United States or elsewhere in the world. Who knows what will happen next at work or at home, let alone in the fields of medicine and economics? We’d be walking around with grins on our faces if we could just relax our muscles and thoughts. It would be simple to go asleep at night since one’s thoughts would be worry-free. Improved sleep would be beneficial to that person’s energy level and cognitive abilities throughout the day.

Stress is an inevitable aspect of life, from little setbacks to severe emergencies. While you may not always have control over your circumstances, you do have power over how you react to them.

When stress becomes severe or persistent, it can have a negative impact on your health. That is why it is critical to have stress relievers that can both soothe your mind and body.

Fortunately, there are simple techniques for dealing with stress in everyday life.

Meditate

Short-term stress alleviation and long-term stress management are both provided by meditation. There are many various types of meditation to explore, each with its own set of benefits.

You could come up with a mantra to repeat in your head while taking calm, deep breaths. You might also spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness, which is being present in the moment. Simply focus on what you see, hear, taste, feel, and smell.

You won’t be able to obsess on something that has already happened, and you won’t be able to be concerned about something that will happen in the future if you are focused on the present. Meditation and mindfulness take effort, but they can help you reduce stress by bringing you back to the present moment.

Stay away from news overload.

It’s one thing to keep up with breaking news like a pandemic or a presidential election, but it’s quite another to check for updates every 5 minutes. Avoid such pages throughout the workplace, whether it’s a respected publication or a friend’s social network profile. Otherwise, searching for the most recent update will become obsessional. What you need to do is set aside some time each morning or evening to keep up with current events. If you don’t want to miss an important occasion, rely on friends, family, or even internet notifications to keep you informed. Ignorance isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Get some exercise.

Working out your body and mind is always beneficial to one’s mental health. You don’t have to bench press 300 pounds, but you should do a few sets of push-ups and lift a little weight. Before you spend an arm and a leg on a nice treadmill or gym subscription, start in your bedroom and around your neighborhood. Exercising is an excellent method to release all of the adrenaline in your body. Stretching and breathing activities, such as yoga, can also help to relax an individual.

Get Supplements

Some individuals like munching on chocolate bars, delighting in the ideal balance of sweet and salty flavors. Then there are the candy addicts who can’t get enough of anything chewy, gooey, or gummy. Gummy candies appear to be gaining in popularity, and there’s now a gummy candy in almost every shape you can think of.

CBD products have risen in popularity in recent years, so you’ve definitely heard of them. It makes sense, given the availability of a high-quality CBD product. These medicines not only completely calm the user’s body and mind, but they also eliminate the euphoric effects of THC. If you’re new to CBD, try a variety of products, such as colorful Delta 8 Gummies and a quick-acting CBD oil tincture, as well as CBD vape oil, capsules, droppers, topicals, and bath bombs, to find your favorites. You may rest confident that cannabidiol will help you relax fully.

Don’t wait for others to encourage you.

Sure, getting a little comfort and a pat on the back from others is always nice. However, you can take solace in the fact that your efforts will yield long-term benefits that you may be proud of. You will sell yourself short if you are constantly concerned about pleasing others. To put it another way, rather of attempting to make others happy, do the right thing. Think like a philosopher: It’s better to take the long, winding route to get ahead than the short, straight path. You’ll sleep like a baby if you have a clear conscience. And we’re all aware of the beneficial advantages of enough rest on our bodies.

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About The Author

Esmé Gelder has dreamed of being a pediatrician since she was a little girl making rounds with her mother. She grew up in St. Louis and then she received her medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center.

Staying Productive and Creative at Home

Like many others, I’ve spent more time at home this year than ever before, and it’s taken some adjusting. Home used to be a place I slept and drank my morning coffee. Most days I would even opt for a midday shower at the boxing studio I frequented, and almost always ate out. For a creative type living in New York, this is pretty standard.

With layoffs and the plague ravaging the land, I was given all the time for creativity that I’ve desired all these years. It was the silver lining in an otherwise horrifying mess. All too often, I found myself at my desk with the pressure of, “NOW CREATE! SOAR! DO ARTIST THINGS!” and suddenly, I just didn’t know how. I was distracted…Hungry, then thirsty, then hungry again, then on my phone, then is it time to read or watch a movie? I know I’m not alone. It’s taken me a while to find my groove and figure out what helps me focus. Never fear, non-creatives, these tips can help you stay focused while working from home as well.

Start your day with gratitude.

This has been an important part of my day for a while now. It started with reading “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson which I highly recommend to anyone looking for a mind-shifting read. Every morning, by writing down three things you’re grateful for, you start your day by thinking about what you have, and not what you don’t have or what you want, which is naturally our first thoughts out of bed in the morning.

“I NEED coffee,” “I’m running LATE,” “I DON’T WANT to go to the dentist later,” “I have NOTHING to wear.” All negative, negative, negative. Remember: Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it. By starting your day with gratitude, you’re training your mind to think differently for the rest of your day, and you’ll be more aware of reasons to be grateful.

Put the phone away, seriously.

This is a tough one because we’re all in a relationship with our phones and it is for better or for worse, ’til death do us part. It took me a while to figure out how to manage my time with my phone during all these hours spent at home. My simple trick is to put it away, not within reach, and leave it. I toss my phone in a dresser drawer and don’t touch it until I’ve accomplished what I’m working on.

This especially works if you have an Apple Watch, as I do. We all know how easy it is to lose precious time scrolling. One dog video leads to two leads to 10 and poof! Gone goes an hour and you’ve accomplished nothing except for fueling the fire of desire to adopt a french bulldog. A golden retriever perhaps? I’ll take one of each.

The Apple Watch helps because it takes the curiosity out of what you think you could be missing. It also makes you “reachable” without having your phone in reach, so you can keep up with work or emergencies without the temptation to mindlessly wander. You’re seeing the texts that come in, emails, DMs, etc., and you know that it’s nothing urgent. If there’s an email and you’re working on your computer, it’s easier to just open up your browser and respond than it is to get to your phone, which leads to more distractions.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked up my phone to send an email, got distracted by my horoscope, watched Hilary Duff’s Instagram story, and checked to see if I’ve won the Powerball, only to forget why I picked up my phone in the first place (I still haven’t won the Powerball). If I do get a text that I want to answer right away, I simply don’t sit down while I’m texting back. This ensures I don’t get too comfortable. Alas, I have found myself scrolling while standing, but it didn’t take long before I said, “What the hell are you doing!?” and put it away.

If you don’t have an Apple Watch, there’s also the function on a Mac to get your texts on your computer, which could provide a similar benefit. No, I don’t have a deal with Apple to endorse their products, but they are welcome to contact me at any time.

Stay hydrated.

When I work on my computer I always have to be drinking something. I don’t know why, I just don’t feel like I’m working unless I have a coffee next to me. Like, am I even an adult? While coffee is a given, it’s important to remember to also have water with you. A hydrated mind works far more efficiently than a dehydrated one. The brain is about 80% water, after all. It also keeps whatever coffee you may be consuming balanced so you don’t go straight into a panic attack, or the “What am I doing with my life?” jitters.

Remember, caffeine dehydrates the body just like alcohol, and if you’re not drinking water while you work, chances are you won’t get enough a day. The daily recommended water intake is half of your body weight in fluid ounces. For example, I weigh about 130 pounds. Half of 130 is 65, so my daily recommended H20 intake is 65 fl oz. Most people don’t drink enough water, which can affect you in ways you don’t even realize. Do the math and be diligent about staying hydrated!

Make time to move.

I’m an avid fitness junkie and I stand strongly with the belief that making time for movement every day can drastically alter your being physically, mentally, and emotionally. While I love the idea of “working out,” I know it can make others bubble up with dread. I challenge you to let go of the “I have to workout” mindset and step into the “making time for movement” frame of mind. It sounds more approachable, and while working out can seem like a chore, movement sounds more like an opportunity. After all, isn’t the ability to move something to be grateful for?

I strive to do at least 45 minutes of movement a day, but it’s important to do what you can. Getting your blood and endorphins flowing can really center your mind and make you more productive. Getting outside for a run is a wonderful way to hit reset, release anxiety, feel more focused, and stay in shape. For home workouts, I follow Melissa Wood Health. Her memberships are just $9.99 a month and are really easy to follow. With workouts ranging from five minutes to an hour, she focuses on how important it is to get some movement into your day and take time for yourself, even if just for a few minutes.

At the risk of sounding like a TOTAL actor, I can’t fully be immersed in the creative process if I’m not 100% in my body, and the way I get into my body is through physical movement. You’ll either understand this because you went to art school or you’ll think I’m totally crazy, either way, you’re probably right.

Meditate.

I know some people are turned off by this because they think it has to be some whole ‘to-do,” or that you simply can’t do it. The thing is you’re halfway there now. You’re probably sitting and you’re definitely breathing. Just take a moment for yourself to close your eyes and check in. Forget about everything you have to do or everything that’s happened today up to this point, and just feel your breath coming in and out of your body.

There are some fantastic books on meditation including “Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World” by Mark Willman and Danny Penman. Melissa Wood Health also offers guided meditations on her platform. The important thing is that you do it and let go of the judgment of it. A good way to make sure it happens is to make a habit of ending your movement sessions with meditation. Whether it’s a minute, or three, or 30, there’s always time to practice some mindfulness in your day.

Honor thy workspace.

Lastly, there’s nothing more inspiring than an aesthetically pleasing workspace. It’s just like how buying cute workout clothes makes you want to work out more; as silly as it seems, it’s true! I know science says that a clean workspace is better for productivity. However I am going to challenge them and say that a clean and cute workspace is where the magic actually happens. I don’t know if any psychologist will back me up on this. But I can assure you that I get much more work done with my walls painted mocha. And my dried roses in bourbon bottles. With a color-coordinated book collection.

I hope this helps; now go drink some water!

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About the Author

Kaitlyn-Renee Urban is an actor and writer with a passion for highlighting feminism in the arts. She hosts an IGTV show (coming January 2021) called “What We Know Now” centered around supporting local, women-run businesses while picking their brains for advice they’d give their younger selves. She lives in New York City, but it’s easier to find her on Instagram.

How to Care for Ourselves in Uncertain Times

By now you might be tired of the “home-improvement” mantras that are flying around.

“Now you have time, how about you lose some weight, start a new workout routine, get a degree in meditation or how about clinical psychology?”

Yup, we can forget that we are in forced quarantine and not on a voluntary extended vacation. I can understand the desire to make sense of the craziness we are collectively experiencing right now to be productive despite the change of workflow and to use the new-found time that some are experiencing for something of value. But we are also experiencing a lot of loss around this quarantine. The loss of our routines, our freedom, perhaps weddings or other events, maybe even our health or the health of loved ones. It is a time that has brought up all sorts of emotions- fear, sadness, frustration and boredom. To pretend that all this is not happening would be to deny our real emotions and human experience.

And yet there is something to be said for the importance of keeping ourselves safe and sane during this time. And part of keeping ourselves safe is keeping ourselves healthy. There may be much that we cannot control right now but thankfully this is something we can control!

Eat clean–

It’s not about your weight, it’s about nourishing yourself mind and body. Our food choices not only impact our weight, but impact our health and just as important right now, our mood!

Opt for lots of colors- eating a variety of fruits and veggies will provide you with all the different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help keep you healthy. Also studies show a higher consumption of fruits and veggies have a lower incidence of depression.
Consider 2 servings of fatty fish like salmon in your diet per week which is a lean source of protein and has omega fatty acids that can boost mood
Opt for good carbs like grains and beans that help stabilize blood sugar in place of processed carbs that give you a short term energy boost followed by a crash.

Remember that this is not an all or nothing proposition. You don’t need to do everything all the time in order to reap its benefits. Do your best, when you can, knowing it is the best thing for you.

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I Am A Better Person Because I Meditate

In today’s crazy busy world, many people seek a sense of peace, calmness, and serenity in their lives. In fact, for most of us, finding a balance between order and chaos is seemingly impossible. Now, what if there was something you could do to cultivate a little more balance in your life? Intrigued? The solution is meditation. I know it sounds a bit out there, but stay with me! Meditation is a simple tool that we can all use in our everyday lives to reduce the stress and anxiety that we feel on the regular. Here are just some of the ways that meditation helps me be a better human being and why you should try it out for yourself!

Reduces Stress And Anxiety

One of the first things people notice after adopting a meditation practice is a significant reduction in their stress and anxiety. In fact, numerous researchers have scientific proof that meditation activates and deactivates certain brain regions, leading to a significant decrease in your stress levels. Repeating a simple mantra, concentrating on your breathing, and ignoring any and all distractions is a great way to find some peace and relaxation within your hectic life.

Much Better Concentration

Struggling to focus on a simple task at work? Meditation can help! Developing concentration skills is necessary for all of us. Meditation is an excellent tool to strengthen your concentration skills. By literally focusing on your breath, you allow your mind to pay attention to one single thing. These days, as a society we are so busy trying to multitask, we can become severely stressed and overworked. Meditation allows us to give our minds a little break from all the commotion and energy of everyday life.

Get Those Creative Juices Flowing

As a writer, cultivating creativity is essential. However, everyone has some part of them that breeds creativity. Meditation fosters this part of us and allows us to tap into our creative minds. As a result, tapping into our imagination via meditating can really do wonders for our lives.

Breeds Compassion

Looking to be a better human being? Try meditating! Meditation is a surefire way for anyone to cultivate more compassion in their lives. In fact, meditation helps people realize where they have been selfish in their lives and allows them to get in touch with themselves and course correct their behavior.

Better Sleep

It’s safe to say that people who are stressed have difficulty falling asleep. Although sleeping pills and sedatives are available, wouldn’t it be great to find a more holistic approach to better sleep? Meditation is an excellent way to foster better sleep. A regular bedtime practice can allow your brain to relax, releasing all the worry and negativity while simultaneously giving space for you to peacefully find that slumber you’ve been seeking!

Highly Productive People

While we all want to be successful in our careers and get to the top in our respective industries, all that hard work can put a lot of strain and stress on us. Meditation has been recognized as a gateway of energy. As a result, it has a substantial impact on the right side of the brain, which is associated with creating new things. In fact, meditation has been known to recharge and soothe people with regular practice.

Excellent Memory Skills

Meditation is a wonderful way to increase your memory skills. In fact, by practicing meditation on a daily basis, you have the ability to harness your energy storage center and use it to better your mind and make it stronger.

Harmony And Balance

It’s safe to say that having a positive attitude towards life is something we all crave. No one likes a negative Nancy. Meditation offers practitioners immense harmony within. Learning to better adapt to change and love oneself is crucial for a happy and healthy life. Meditation is an excellent tool for everyone to gain a more positive attitude toward their own lives.

In the end, meditation is an excellent tool that everyone can practice at any time of day. All it takes is a focus and stillness. Harnessing that positive energy is bound to bring you clearer thoughts and more self-love.

Meditation and its Benefits for Those Recovering from Drug or Alcohol Addiction

Addiction: A Worldwide Condition

Addiction is a disease of the brain, and can be found all throughout the world. Anyone, rich, poor or in between can be at risk to develop an addiction to substances such as drugs and alcohol. There have been many methods of treatment for people with substance use disorders over the years, with some more effective than others. One of the newer methods in the treatment world includes mindfulness and meditation activities, in addition to talk therapy and support groups.

What is Meditation?

The word meditation comes from the Latin word Meditatum, which means “to ponder.” Meditation requires focusing the breath into slow, controlled breaths and calming the mind to focus on the present moment. It encourages the letting go of negative and harmful thoughts and the judgment of self and others.

It’s believed that Meditation began several thousands of years ago in India as part of the Hindu and Buddhist religions. As it spread to India’s neighboring countries, many religions adopted it into their belief systems, and it became a common practice among them. Most religions took aspects of meditation and used it as part of their prayers, such as Judaism, which developed what is now known as Jewish Meditation. As time moved on, it eventually became popular within the Western hemisphere in the 1800’s, and the rest, as they say, is history.

What are some of the Benefits of Meditation?

In the Hindu religion, meditation is used to connect with the source of everything in the Universe. In Buddhism, the goal is to quiet the mind of all thoughts, and in secular practices, it’s a way to focus the mind and reduce the stresses of everyday life. Learning about Buddhism, which is a religion and way of life, can be helpful for those in addiction recovery who are looking to discover or rediscover a spiritual connection.

Studies have shown that meditation not only reduces stress, but also increases the gray matter in the brain that manages learning, self-awareness, introspection and memory while decreasing the gray matter that has to do with anxiety and stress. This means that some of the benefits from practicing meditation include being better able to handle stressful situations and increasing your learning ability and memory. It’s also been shown to boost one’s mood to be happier and more positive and, on brain scans, has shown to help people achieve slower and calmer brain waves.

How is Meditation Used Today in Recovery?

Many rehab centers for drug and alcohol recovery now include yoga and meditation as part of therapy, and mindfulness techniques such as controlling the breath and focusing one’s thoughts are common techniques taught to help people through stressful situations or anxiety attacks.

Yoga combined with meditation has proven to be one of the more effective practices, as it combines the introspection and thoughtfulness of meditation with the physical acts of stretching, balancing and learning to trust one’s own body.

Meditation has shown to be very beneficial to those in recovery from drug and alcohol addictions by calming the mind and teaching new coping mechanisms for stressful situations. It should not take the place of talk therapy, but it can act as a supplement to it. If you find yourself wanting to experience more peace of mind in life, or are looking for new ways to better manage stress, daily meditation may be just the thing.