Meditation - Reduces stress

A picture of Winter in Tehran, taken from the window of a place where I stayed. Good for meditation......

There is an interesting article in The Sun Weekend today July 30 on Meditation and I wish to record it in this blog of mine. I have always wanted to learn the art of meditation. Have been to a few places and learn a few methods. Some of it seems to work while some of it is just a waste of my time, maybe because I do not understand the method itself or was doing it wrongly.

Here are two meditation techniques that are based on those used in research studies. For maximum benefit, try to meditate for 20 minutes to half an hour before sleeping, using the technique that feels more comfortable for you.

Mindful Meditation

• Find a quite and comfortable place. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck and back straight but not stiff. Try to put aside all thoughts of the past and the future and stay in the present.
• Become aware of your breathing, focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body as you breathe. Pay attention to the way each breath changes and is different.
• Watch every thought come and go, whether it be a worry, fear, anxiety or hope. When thoughts come up in your mind, don't ignore or suppress them but simply note them, remain calm and use your breathing as an anchor.
• If you find yourself getting carried away in your thoughts, observe where your mind went off to, without judging, and simply return to your breathing.
• As the time comes to a close, sit for a minute or two, becoming aware of where you are and then get up gradually

Relaxation Response

• Find a quite place and sit in a comfortable position. Try to relax your muscles.
• Choose a word or phrase that has special meaning to you and that makes you feel peaceful.
• As you breathe in, slowly produce the sound "hammmm" as if you are sinking into a hot bath. As you exhale, slowly produce the sound "saaaaah" which should feel like a sigh.
• Breathe slowly and naturally. Inhale through your nose and pause for a few seconds. Exhale through your mouth, again pausing for a few seconds.
• As the time comes to a close, continue to be aware of your breathing but sit quitely. Becoming aware of where you are, slowly open your eyes and get up gradually.

People who meditate have long known tha this practice has positive health benefits that include improved energy and calmness of mind. Research also shows that meditation also increases levels of melatonin, an important hormone that supports the immune system, promotes deep and restful sleep, slows cell damage and ageing, improves energy and may even inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Regular meditation can also help to reduce high blood pressure. It remains unclear how meditation lowersw blood pressure but the researchers believe it had a positive effect on narrow blood vessels. During meditation, the person's breathing slows down and hence his body metabolism, heart beats and blood flow. Generally, the purpose of breathing meditation is to calm the mind and develop inner peace.

This feeling of contentment and well-being helps one to cope with the busyness and diffculties of daily life. So much of the stress and tension one normally experiences comes from one's mind, and many of the problems one faces, including ill health, are caused or aggravated by this stress. Meditating 10 or 15 minutes daily will reduce the stress.

My comments : I have some information that OXYGEN has been known to KILL cancer. My guess is, by meditation, the intake of oxygen into the blood stream increases thus killing the cancer cells which live and grow in a very low or non-oxygenated environment of the body.

My suggestion : I will try the above methods and hope that you guys would do the same and if it works for you then please pass it to everyone around you.

A note before signing off, have a great weekend and be prepared for the week to come. Stay healthy and happy always.