Mindfulness Meditation

Not like this is big news. Researchers have now known for years that meditation can be helpful in reducing stress, but I found this interesting in how it can affect memory as well. I got away from meditation and decided to start again in a couple weeks on my birthday. I figure it's a great way and a great gift to give to myself for my 63rd bd! You don't need to be depressed or even anxious. I find it's great to help focus as well.
http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseas...reduce-anxiety-and-depression-new-study-finds

I will say that meditation has been extremely helpful to me in the past for reducing stress and for helping me with pain and other issues as well.

While I am not the master of meditation, nor was I ever trained by any masters, I can see a huge change in my own health as a result of it. Meditation has helped me to lower my high blood pressure and to get off the medications completely. Something my doctor told me I'd not be able to do and I'm just going to have to learn to accept that and live with it. Unfortunately, that doctor, left the practice before I was able to get off the medication and lower my bp significantly. Darn it.

I have also been diagnosed with many different health issues that damage my joints and cause incredible pain. While I do have medications to help with that--I rarely take them--because 99% of the time, I can manage the pain with meditation. I also have recently changed my diet to a gluten free one, which has also helped with the pain--but meditation helps a great deal as well. Unfortunately, I tend to also be lazy and so I don't meditate as much as I would really like to.

I can't even begin to tell people how much meditation has helped me. I wish I was more driven to meditate more each day then I currently do--and perhaps one day I will.

good article, GD! I wonder just how much meditation is able to really help with medically? It'll be interesting to find out as they run more tests on this subject.

True, Celticnoodle

I think they are really just at the beginning of seeing how much meditation can really do. I have been interested in meditation a long time, and yes, even doctors, researchers would say it was helpful with stress. But when I saw the effects of mri's on monks who were long term meditators, it was especially illuminating. I look at it this way, it's free, it's easy, and there are no bad side effects . There are definitely cases where people needs meds, but I think they're prescribed so easily these days. A little stressed? Here's a pill. Having trouble sleeping? Here's a pill. YES sometimes they ARE necessary, but meditation, relaxation cd's, yoga, more natural supplements, these would seem like they should be the FIRST step and yet so often doctors go right to....here's a prescription med with a ton of side effects. If meds are necessary, if other resorts have been tried, fine. But I think so much can be accomplished for so many at least as a complementary treatment, even if meds are needed too. I'm sure we will find out more and more about the pluses of meditation, but even with the what we know now, hard to beat free, easy and safe!

so true, GD, so true!

I'm fortunate in the fact that my young doctor (I'm not sure she is even my daughters age! )-is open to all this and will listen to me and my thoughts. She finds me "interesting" she says. She will also tell me that while as a medical professional, she cannot prescribe my sometimes discussed natural remedies, she will ask questions about it to make sure it won't interfere or cause more issues (generally my herbal remedies) for me. But as for my meditation, my gluten free diet and my jello tea remedy -(which she copied down to share with some other patients ) she is most agreeable with.

My therapist suggested a specific Meditation CD. I downloaded it from Amazon and plan to start using it later today.

I think the Dalai Lama said that it can affect memory because you are constantly aware of your surroundings. But I think keeping it up over the course of a day has tremendous results also

Tibetan Buddhism has many meditation techniques and broadly distinguishes between tranquillity meditation and insight meditation. I am no expert meditator but I definitely feel more at ease and ready to cope with the day after my Friday morning yoga (physical) class which always finishes with 5-10 minutes of tranquillity lying relaxed listening to some quiet meditative music.

I like this quote from an aspiration prayer I'm learning. "Shamata" is Sanskrit for tranquillity meditation:

Not sullied by by the meditation that is conceptual thought
Nor stirred by the winds of ordinary distractions
May we know how to rest naturally and freely, not altering
May we be skilled in and sustain the practice of the mind

May the subtle and coarse waves of thought be naturally calmed
May the river of mind, unceasing, come to natural rest
Free from the polluting stains of torpor and dullness
May the ocean of shamata be unmovingly stable

Lord Rangjung Dorje, His Holiness the Third Karmapa

Click to expand...

I don't think there is a right or wrong way to meditate. Whatever works for you, makes you feel better, you're doing it right . I just wanted to share some things I thought others might like to look at. Basically, I just focus on my breath. In Out In Out. I neither try to just focus on one thing nor fight to keep any thoughts away. I just focus on my breath. As thoughts pop into my mind, like oh you need to go to the store or do this or that, I just release it and go back to In Out In Out. There are so many different types of meditation from so many religions.

That prayer reminded me of something:

Sometimes I think this may be a 'natural' state ?

At times, when I have been in nature, 'in the zone' with Aboriginal friends, one can sit and observe ... or just be ... together in a place . Often there is no need for talking ... we just ..... 'be' ???

I find that often when in my own space and environment ... then I will receive a different sort of visitor ... full of chit-chat and human dynamics gossip and trivial complaints about this or that, that IMO, dont really matter ....

http://wallpoper.com/images/00/45/07/19/the-ocean_00450719.jpg

Ahhhhh !

I really believe in Mindfulness Meditation. I had therapy a while ago and they made everyone go to classes of it. for my severe anxiety which goes up and down, it's really is a good distraction. I go to the past or to the future but forget to live the present! Being 'present' is probably really important for everyone!

However I discussed this once with a friend who was training to be a family counsellor and she said her personal problem with Mindfulness is remembering it all or to do it. The clients she worked with whilst training seemed to really struggle to actually put it into practice. The failure rate to keep doing it was really high. She thought it was a skill that was hard to learn.

I am trying it at the moment. I have struggled in the past to practice it but recently downloaded a mindfulness relaxation and suddenly found a great way of bringing myself to the present. I just have to ask "how am I feeling?" because personally I worry a lot about how I will be feeling in a situation in future but it seems to pull me down to the present by checking things in the present. I am continuing with this

There is some great apps that help with mindfulness and many free. buddhify is for ios and android. they all take the mindfulness concept into small meditations 'on the go' or when meditating.