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Several weeks ago I decided to have a routine dental check-up, maybe get a filling done or some teeth cleaning. One hour later I had one filling on the left side of my jaw and the beginning of root canal therapy on the other!
And so the therapy began.
My next appointment was the following week for more root canal and the week after that also. Not only that my newly filled tooth was now even more painful than before so more work on my filling ensued (as well as more root canal). To cut a long story short I then chose to have a crown in place of a filling that may, or not, have lasted very long.
By now I was helping myself to their filtered coffee and newspaper on arrival.
So today, as I again sat in the dental chair I was prepared. I made sure I was sufficiently relaxed, centred and in the present moment before I turned up.
What did I do? I meditated before my appointment and then meditated through my appointment!
As the shrill piercing sound of the drill reverberated through my head and my face sprayed with water, I simply drifted away to somewhere else – somewhere peaceful. The dentist and the assistant continually asked me if I was okay – I’d slowly nod then zone out again, drifting away and closing the door to the sounds and movements of where my physical body was.
And then it was all over!
The next time you visit your dentist, it really pays to zone out during your procedure (if possible even before you get there) - especially if you’re nervous about any dental procedure at all like I am. 7 Steps to help you Zone out 1. Get a meditation session in before you arrive for your appointment. If you’re not sure how to meditate, do some slow, deep breathing exercises. I generally take around 4 to 5 slow deep breaths, focusing on the outward breath.
2. Be in the present moment. This is when you’re not thinking anything about the future – even 3 minutes into the future! Nor are you thinking about the past – not even 3 minutes ago. The present moment is now whilst you’re sitting in the dental chair, staring at the ceiling becoming aware of and concentrating on the rhythm of your breathing.
3. Once the procedure starts close your eyes and take your mind within. Focus straight ahead – wherever you perceive straight ahead to be once you have your eyes closed – and think of nothing – just blank – the void – staring at the colours and patterns you can see as you sit in the chair with your eyes closed.
4. If you’re about to receive an injection – as the needle goes in, breathe into that area and continue to concentrate fully on your slow breathing until the injection is over.
5. Once that’s over, resume staring into the blank void that is the inside of your eyelids!
6. If you find it challenging to think nothing, focus on a visual image that makes you feel really, really good about yourself then have a look around and see where you are.
7. Whenever you sense you’re starting to again focus on the drilling or whatever else is happening in your mouth, breathe in slowly and deeply focusing on the rhythm of your breathing and allow every single muscle you become aware of, to deflate and relax.
Meditation is a great ‘self help’ tool and when applied during a visit to your dentist – it makes the experience if not enjoyable, at least bearable!
Michaela is a Transformational Coach, certified practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), writer, and Metaphysician who is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives.
Michaela is the author of several e-books and publisher of a monthly newsletter called From My Desk; an engaging, inspirational, and often humorous newsletter which offers 'real life' tips aimed towards achieving a more peaceful, spiritual and fulfilled 'real' life.
Visit Michaela at http://www.michaelascherr.com.
Married to David, Michaela has two children and a grandchild and currently lives in Brisbane Australia.
Despite all the positive results that are known to happen with meditation, many people still avoid taking advantage of the health benefits and sense of well-being that come with a regular meditation practice.
It's not that they don't believe the literature and claims. Well, in most cases it's not that. It may seem a little far-fetched to the average person to believe that sitting still and breathing quietly a couple of times a day can lower blood pressure, calm nerves jangled by modern society, aid in the solution of problems, increase creativity...the list goes on.
Then they realize that it's not JUST sitting still and breathing quietly. These meditating people must be DOING something to get all those results...if they really do! And if they're doing something, and getting such great results...well, then, they must be doing something difficult! It's difficult to imagine just sitting still and being alone with yourself for several minutes in our modern society, much less doing it properly AND getting great benefits!
Nope! It's too tough for me. I wish I could learn mediation techniques, but I don't think I could do it properly, or else I wouldn't like crawling around in my head. No telling what's up there!
It's really the fear of the unknown, the fear of having to learn some complicated technique, and the fear of failure that keeps many from trying the pleasureable experience of meditation.
WELL, I'VE GOT SOME GOOD NEWS FOR YA, BUNKY!
You don't have to travel to India, study under masters, or even light a candle and sit in the corner by yourself to get many of the benefits of meditation.
SOME NON-MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
1. Prayer. I'm not much into prayer these days, but I remember another time in my life when I was. During the moments that I was praying, I felt somewhat safe and separated from the rude world. Actually, prayer is a form of meditation. Meditators achieve many of the beneficial results by, in a way, praying. They may not be praying to a god, but they are repeating old familiar sounds, and are flowing with those utterances. Say OM enough times, or say the "Hail Mary" enough times, and you can achieve a lot of meditation. In fact, a study I read about many years ago seemed to indicate that many Catholics could achieve a meditative state by saying the Rosary.
2. Exercise. Now, I'm not talking about trying to lift a cow up over your head. Anyway, that's been done by Milo of Kroton, and see where it got him. Devoured by wild animal, you betcha! What I am talking about is a nice long walk, bicycle ride, or swim...or something like that! Just an aside here, most people who start out walking, riding, swimming or whatever tend to overdo it at first. If you haven't been walking regularly, just walk to the mailbox an extra time or two at first. Then walk down to the corner for a few days. Then walk around the block...get the idea? Get to the point where you are taking a 15 or 20 minute walk, and, in addition to the execise benefits, you will experience many of the reactions experienced by someone meditating.
3. Breathing. Did you know there are good ways to breathe and not so good. Not breathing at all is the worst. Breathing properly can produce excellent relaxation results, and is much too broad a topic to be covered here. You might want to visit your library or do a google search on "breathing exercises" in order to find a website or book which will provide instruction in this area.
4. Yoga. This is actually a combination of meditation, exercise and breathing. If you think you can't practice yoga because of your weight, age, or physical condition, think again! DO get a doctor's clearance before beginning any exercise program.
5. Go out in the woods. Stroll by yourself in the woods, or sit by a stream (if you can find one), and just watch the water. A few minutes of that can come pretty close to matching the effects of a few minutes meditation.
6. Read a book. Something a lot of us don't do much any more. When you find a book you really like and get absorbed in it, you're pretty close to meditation. In fact, did you ever have a time when you had been reading for what you thought was a few minutes, and it turned out to be an hour or more? Gotcha! You were meditating.
7. Go out on the porch. Don't take anything with you. Just hunker down in a comfortable chair and let your mind wander. You might be surprised what pops up! Here's the secret....let it. You might start thinking about that time 40 some odd years ago when you kissed your first girl..or guy. Geez! I haven't thought of that in years. There you go!
Well, you get the idea.
To get the maximum effects of meditation, the bottom line is that you have to ACTUALLY MEDITATE! sorry, didn't mean to shout. What a concept. Got some more good news for you. It's not really that hard to do. Oh, you will have a little difficulty concentrating (or, really, not concentrating) at first, but even the most effective meditators get distracted from time to time. If you give it a try, you will find that with time and non-effort, you will be meditating like a pro. It is so easy to learn, that I learned how to do it at the age of 15 (1960, since you asked), after reading a book in my high school library. By the way, if you want to get a non-meditating mind set, I really recommend "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living", by Dale Carnegie. That should kick start you if you've been procrastinating.
What's that?
No, I'm sorry, we don't GIVE prizes to the best meditators, but they do GET some awfully big prizes in the form of the effects they experience. Those are the sort of prizes that you carry around with you all day long every day. And you know what? Nobody ever sees that bowling trophy on the mantle at home, but boy, will they notice the positive changes in you. You'll be pleasantly surprised and so will they.
Now get out there and meditate!
The author is retired from the Army after 21 years of service, has worked as an accountant, optical lab manager, restaurant manager, and instructor. He has been a member of Mensa for several years, and has written and published poetry, essays, and articles on various subjects for the last 40 years. He has been an active internet marketer since 2000, and now makes his living online. For more information on the subject of meditation, please visit http://meditation.businest.us For health and weight loss articles, please visit http://nodiet4me.com
Maybe you’ve heard about the wonderful benefits of meditation; “It will relax you, center your thoughts, allow you to escape from your stressful day”. Why wouldn’t you want to take part in such an activity?
After a few unsuccessful attempts, these individuals give up and conclude “meditation doesn’t work”. If you don’t believe meditation can work for you, I’d like to offer you a bit of perspective via the following exercise:
Go to a music store that sells pianos (if you can play piano, substitute this instrument with one you’ve never played before). Sit down at a piano and play some beautiful music. What, you can’t……? But I’ve heard that a person can play beautiful music on a piano. Maybe try a few more times. No doubt, if after three or four attempts you are not producing exquisite sounds from this instrument, you will come to the conclusion that “pianos don’t work”.
We all know that the piano is capable of producing music, so why are you not able to get it to work? It’s because, in order to play the piano successfully, you must take the time to learn how to the instrument works, and then spend many hours practicing.
Meditation is not a practice that will “work” the first time you try it. It took you awhile to learn how to ride a bike. You probably couldn’t catch a ball the first time you tried. Most likely, your first few meditation sessions won’t be very successful either.
Instead of giving up, read some literature on meditation, research the subject on websites, and try to practice once a day for a month. Your local library probably has some meditation audio recordings or videos that you can borrow. Try a variety of meditations to find an approach that works well for you. With a bit of effort, you will get results from your meditation sessions.
Mark Altman's website, free relaxing music - http://www.soundsleeping.com, contains sleep-aids, stress reducing tools, relaxation advice, free relaxing music, and an active discussion.
We all have psychic abilities. For many people this ability is dormant or asleep. It’s a bit like the person who sits at a piano for the first time and discovers that they have a natural talent for music. The ability was always present it just takes the right circumstances for the talent to become apparent.
Most of us have times in our lives when we notice something at work that can be considered psychic. Usually this psychic ability is in the form of intuition, hunches or gut responses that seem to defy reason or logic. These uncanny hunches and sudden insights can sometimes leave us feeling bewildered, but the truth is that they are a perfectly natural ability. And like any other talent, psychic abilities can be trained and perfected.
There are any number of tools and methods available to the psychic any or all of which may help to increase or focus intuitive skills. Most psychics use some form of meditation to enter a frame of mind that heightens intuitive awareness. Some read palms or tea leaves, tarot cards or rune stones or use a crystal ball; some may involve intricate rituals. Regardless of the tools used to assist a psychic reading they each serve to aid the psychic in entering a form of focused meditation which greatly enhances the natural intuitive sense.
Focused meditation provides the frame of mind that is most receptive to intuitive information. Meditation quiets the mind, filters out the noise and chatter of the conscious. This filtering of conscious noise allows the sub-conscious mind to voice its thoughts, as well as enable the mind to tune in to the environment. Some have called this a heightened state of awareness or altered consciousness. The attention is drawn inward with a kind of detached awareness. Developing your ability to enter into this heightened state of mind plays the important role in increasing your intuitive senses.
If you’re unfamiliar with the practice of meditation then the following exercise should help to gain a better understanding of the methods used. This exercise focuses on breathing and visualization. Controlled breathing provides an area of immediate connection with the mind and body and also increases the supply of oxygen to the brain.
Begin by finding a comfortable place to perform your meditation. This can be any place of your choosing, provided that you find it comfortable and relaxing. It is not required for you to sit, though you may, if you choose. Many people find it difficult to sit still for any length of time. Standing or even walking slowly is perfectly acceptable for the sake of this exercise.
Focus your attention on your breathing. Notice the air as it enters your body. Try to breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Take slow, deep breaths.
Inhale slowly through your nose and hold the breath in for nine seconds, then exhale slowly for another nine seconds, count out the seconds steadily, not rushed and not sluggish, try to find a pace that feels comfortable, just remember to relax your breathing.
Inhale for nine seconds, exhale for nine seconds, and repeat this process nine times. With every breath, imagine that you are inhaling precious life giving air and exhaling any unwanted energies. After you have repeated this cycle nine times you can begin your visualization. Try to maintain the rhythm of your breathing without counting it out in your head.
At this point you may notice random thoughts popping into your head, simply dismiss them as they enter your mind, let them slip away easily.
Imagine that you are walking across a dry and sandy landscape. The temperature is comfortable, the air is easy to breath and you feel at ease.
As you walk along you notice a shape on the horizon. As you near the shape you see that it is a stone building, a round, stone building with a single door. You are facing the door and now you see that this door is slightly open and a light is coming from inside.
Now, you are standing at the door and decide to push the door open. You open the door and enter the stone building.
Inside you see a round room with a table in the centre. The room is well lit, warm and comfortable. You approach the table and notice a small wooden box, paper and a pen.
You form a question in your mind that you would like answered, an issue that you would like resolved, it does not take you any time to form this question. You write this question on the paper before you and place the paper in the box. You see the box has a lid and you close it.
After a moment you open the box, you see that the question is no longer written there, instead an answer has appeared. You take the answer with you as you leave the building and return to your present space.
You may see immediate results with this exercise or it may take several attempts before the answers found within the box make any sense to you.
Over time this visualization becomes much easier to enter into and you may be tempted to treat this exercise as some sort of oracle. This is not the true intention. Instead what we are trying to accomplish is entering into the receptive mode of meditation that was spoken of earlier. The easier it is to enter into this state the more likely it is that you will become tuned into receiving intuitive information.
Author, Syndicated Columnist and Thought Energy Consultant Jeffry R. Palmer Ph.D. is the author of
"The 7 Day Psychic Development Course"
http://the-psychic-detective.com/Seven-Day-Psychic-Development-Course.htm
Mr. Palmer’s articles and columns have been featured in several popular international magazines. A lifelong interest in spirituality, metaphysical, paranormal and esoteric studies has culminated in a series of new e-books by the author available now at: http://the-psychic-detective.com
Meditation is a bit of a buzz word these days. For some it is a requirement and a respite from life’s hectic pace. For others it may be misunderstood, overwhelming, too new age, too difficult, or completely feared. Yet, meditation, if practiced with commitment, will inevitably lead to the successful quieting of the mind. It does not stand alone, however, as it needs to be first nourished with concentration and focus. If someone is willing to make meditation a daily practice, the benefits will unfold and create a life lived in clarity and with a purpose aligned with the higher self. The common phrase, “The answers are within,” cannot be attained without clearing the mind of all the daily clutter. Meditation leads the way.
If one wants to be successful in meditation, one must understand that it is an ongoing process. It is a discipline, just as physical exercise, that reaps benefits only from concentrated and continual effort. Meditation needs to be cultivated; and a dedicated practice is essential. That being said, just like exercise, some is better than none. A student may start with small increments and gradually increase his/her practice with time.
Meditation may sound like a complex assignment, especially for a beginner. The mind is used to wandering, and focus does not come easily for most. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras share that yoga poses, breathing exercises, and relaxation all contribute to the preparation of a mind space that is open to receive meditation. It is a mind-body experience, and therefore, the body needs to also be strong for the prolonged periods of meditative sitting. There are several sitting postures the body can assume although the classic is seated comfortably on a mat or a pillow with spine erect and legs folded, hands resting on the knees.
The best time of day for meditative practice is in the early morning upon rising or in the evening just before bed. The unconscious mind is at its strongest at the edge of sleep and when waking up, and therefore, the meditation is more likely to work in harmony with the mind. It is recommended that one meditate for at least ten to twenty minutes one or two times per day, but five minutes is certainly a place to begin.
There are many different types of meditation. Each individual has a unique experience with each one. One example is that of a witness meditation. In a witness meditation, the individual will only observe how the mind/body is reacting in the silence, without judgments. The individual will allow the mind to lead them in the meditation, as they quietly follow. Anytime the mind wanders off, and it will, the individual would recognize the mind wandering and gently bring it back to the moment and the silence. Some other examples are following the breath, repeating a mantra, or gazing at a candle. The important thing is just that the individual sit down to do it, no matter what comes up or how the experience plays out. If one just keeps coming back to practice, results will begin to present themselves.
There are both psychological and physiological benefits of meditation. Some psychological benefits are focusing of the mind, remaining in the present, allowing clutter and worry to fade away, clarifying the purpose of self, and developing a peaceful mind. Physiologically one of the biggest benefits is the calming of the nervous system and release of stress-induced physical symptoms. Rarely is there a reason not to meditate.
My own experience with meditation began back in my early twenties. In my quest for personal peace, I picked up a few books about meditation that offered suggestions for getting started. I attempted many meditations, but my attention neverlasted longer than a minute. I was not prepared at this time to quiet my mind, and my life was in utter chaos. I gave up on the concept then, figuring I just was not capable. I realize now that I was reluctant to get quiet, because I was afraid of what I might learn about myself. In the past few years, meditation has become extremely important in my routine, in whatever form I choose; and it is a time that I look forward to and embrace. It’s “my time for me, “and it is usually after I meditate that my “answers from within“ appear. My meditative journey brings me closer to living my life with clarity and keeps me present in my true authentic self.
Meditation is said to be a universal requirement for everyone. The highest joys can be attained during the meditative process. I often wonder what our world would be like if everyone carved out some sacred time for meditation. If everyone had the courage and personal motivation to get quiet would we still see the prominence of such things as lying, stealing, “road rage”, rampant disregard for human emotions and life, self-inflicted suffering and illnesses, wars between nations, terrorism, and the list can go on and on? I see meditation as a vital tool enabling me to experience the life that I was meant to live.
Have you got five minutes?
Deborah Shipley is a registered yoga teacher, publisher of a free monthly e-zine on self-esteem, and an e-book author. http://www.TipsForInterpersonalSkills.com
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Free Relaxing Music - The dentist and the assistant continually asked me if I was okay – I’d slowly nod then zone out again, drifting away and closing the door to the sounds and movements of where my physical body was.
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