Patients in many hospitals in the UK who have suffered a heart attack receive an after care package. Included in the after care package is information on diet, exercise, and stress. The main way they teach you how to manage stress is by including CDs on mediation and relaxation.
The power of meditation has been clinically proven to reduce blood pressure by as much as 10 points. Furthermore it is claimed that Transcendental Meditation is the most effective form of meditation.
Many of the other benefits of meditation are less easy to measure but never the less, from the anecdotal evidence, there are many benefits both in health as well as spiritual. Some of these include a higher level of contentment and inner peace, improved creativity, improved concentration and improved immune function.
It is easy to make meditation a part of your every day lifestyle and all you need to do is to set aside half an hour a day away from all distractions. To get started go along to your local library and pick up a few books on yoga or meditation. You will also find that there are a lot of websites devoted to the topic of meditation. The main problem you might encounter is that among the few good sites there are a few sites specifically dedicated to lightening your wallet and furnishing you with little information in return.
It is not essential, but it can often help if you choose a mantra as part of your meditation practise. A Mantra is a chant which helps you focus, concentrate and empty the mind. It makes your senses sharper and eases you into a state of deep meditation. An easy way to start is to choose a simple Mantra like the sound "OOOOOOOOOOOOM", repeated over and over.
The next step in meditation is to find a quiet place to sit, where you will be undisturbed. Sit down either on the floor or a chair try to choose a seated position which allows your spine to be almost straight and erect with your pelvis tilted slightly forward. You may also use a cushion, and sit on the edge of the cushion, tilting your pelvis. Relax each part of your body in turn starting with your toes and working all the way up to your head.
Once you are sitting comfortably, close your eyes, breath deeply allow your diaphragm (tummy) to expand as you inhale, and contract as you exhale. As you do this repeat your Mantra out loud. Continue doing this for a few minutes.
Continue mentally repeating your Mantra and try not to force your concentration on your Mantra. It should come easily and without effort. Soon your mind will become empty
To be really effective you should meditate twice a day, once in the morning before breakfast and in the afternoon before dinner.
