The key, the secret exercise, is called one-pointed concentration. In the ancient Yoga Sutras one-pointed concentration was written about as the key to achieving relaxation, siddhis (psychic powers), and enlightenment. Each step along the way leads to the next: concentration-meditation-samadhi (enlightenment).

Here is how you do it:

First, focus on one thing. This can really be anything but often people choose a flower, a symbol such as a black circle on a white background, a color such as violet or yellow, or a candle flame.

Keep focusing on it for awhile. Then close your eyes and hold your attention on it. At first you will focus and everything will be fine… then you’ll suddenly snap to attention realizing your mind has shot off in another direction altogether, wandering for the last 3 minutes.

Bring your attention back to the object of your attention. And again hold it there. Again your mind will wander. Bring it back. This is the training. Train yourself to again and again bring your mind back. Realistically, just like with sports training, you won’t achieve this right away. Set a timer and start with only a few minutes a day. Gradually increase the time you spend doing this each day.

Over time you can increase the time you spend on this practice, which will soon lead to a meditative state. Of course I am making this sound so easy. Most people will quit in just a few days. But if you stick with it you will find yourself becoming more and more aware of how your attention is not under your control. It wanders like a wild, untrained horse.

Train it, have patience, allow it to do what it must (you won’t have any choice anyway), and keep bringing it back. Over time you will realize you can control your attention. As you control your attention in this specific way you will find you will notice things.

It may seem minor at first but over time your abilities will grow. You will find you are not plagued by endless, pointless thoughts and worries. Your body will release beneficial hormones, your mind will clear, and you will be following in what the Yoga Sutras say awakens intuitions and insights and psychic powers and enlightenment.

I know, it sounds so simple. But it is one of the hardest things to do. So that’s it. Too easy? Try it. It’s all you need to know to become enlightened.

Luke Griffyn is a writer in the fields of health, mind, and spiritual development. You can read more information about guided imagery at his blog at http://www.energybodyways.com/blog and get a FREE guided imagery introduction at http://www.energybodyways.com.

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Both of these questions are very good ones, yet often require a very complex response. First, I will acknowledge that I do not know the exact answer to either of those questions that would satisfy everyone, particularly the medical (clinical) or scientific community.

To the best of my knowledge there has yet to be a great deal of research into this subject from either the medical and/or the scientific community. In particular a lack or research, regarding how sound affects the physiological systems of living organisms. While there has been some research, no conclusive reports have been published, to my knowledge, where healing has become the “norm” as an excepted response due to any sound and/or music.

However, there has been a great deal of research regarding relaxation and how the body responds to act of relaxation. Relaxation has been proven to have positive effects on the health of a person when the body is more relaxed and less stress placed on the mind and body. I would go as far to add the spirit of the person becomes healthier and clearer with relaxation as well.

There have been studies regarding how and why people respond to familiar sounds, smells, tastes etc. such as memorable music from the past, or a favorite meal or food type etc. However, that is based upon memory and does not account for physiological healing or changes in the body, mind or spirit.

So, if a person requires scientific proof of healing due to Sound Therapy, they may be disappointed. You know, even in the medical community there are many things they do not “know” the answer to, but have accepted a particular method of treatment as the “norm”. They just “know” it works. While today there is a great deal about the body we understand or think we understand, there is so much about the body we do not understand and much we just accept as true.

As for “The Chase Carter Method, Tones for Healing, I have seen and have been made aware of the effects it has had on many people and groups around the country from all walks of life and various situations.

While there is no empirical evidence of benefit of any sound therapy, there have been those who have reported positive changes in their lives with the use of “The Chase Carter Method, Tones for Healing.”

Remembering, while using any type of therapy or self-help devices, the person, has a responsibility to do his/her part in the process as well. There are very few if any “self-help” programs that do not require the individual’s participation, “self-help” says it all.

Having said all of that, the following is a brief on my theory and mine alone.

All life forms are bio-electro-magnetic living entities (this includes ALL life forms, not just humans). Bio-electro-magnetic energy creates a sound and energy field. The method of transportation for this energy and sound is vibration. Each life form has it’s own specific signature bio-electro-magnetic energy field, sound and vibration. This signature field is much like a fingerprint or a snowflake; no fingerprint or snowflake is the same or bio-electro-magnetic energy field, sound and vibration. However, much like the fingerprint there are groupings or clusters that have similar and familiar traits to the signature fields.

To me, our body is much like an antenna. The body naturally seeks out vibrations that resonate with our signature vibrational energy field. Ergo, each person enjoys various types or collections of sounds, put together to form music. That is why some people like, prefer or enjoy classical music, some enjoy pop, others country and so forth.

While life forms enjoy listening to the familiar or similar vibrations and sounds as their own signature vibrational field it is likely they matching if you will to some extent. This could be very similar to why we like someone’s company more than others. Much like when we go into a room and we see someone we just know we won’t get along with and/or those in a room we feel a common connection with, a different form of human vibration, but similar to music. The body’s antenna is picking up vibrations and determining if they are a match or at least close enough to explore.

This connection to the familiar or music that is fitting to our signature vibration/sound makes us ‘feel’ good, comforting and a host of feelings depending on the level of connection. On the basic level these familiar sounds and vibrations can only make us feel good for a very short period of time. This of course depends on the level of interaction with the person whom the connection is made. If one gazes across the room without any communication or acknowledgment, the memory or lasting effect will be minimal. However, if we talk with and become involved with the person then the connection grows as well as the memory. This is much like when we go to a movie and we feel connected to the movie, we walk out with all these feelings, be it sadness, happiness, anger, a light feeling, depression etc. Or, when we go to the symphony, nightclub, or a concert, or listen to easy listening music, it helps put us in a ‘mood’. As the movie or musical event such as the concert, nightclub or symphony comes to a close, that ‘mood’ only lasts a short period of time. So, our ‘mood’ and for a short period our physiology might shifted. But the ‘mood’ will eventually return to it’s ‘normal’ state, as the sounds, songs and notes (chords) are short lived and the memory dissipates. Even regular music can change a living form but without regular or systematic use, it is short lived. Relaxing for an hour once a week does help, but will not necessarily save a person from serious clinical issues i.e. stroke, heart attack, serious illness or disease, if relaxation is not a regular part of one’s life.

How does this happen?

As mentioned before, the body is like a huge antenna picking up vibrations from all around us. The sounds of traffic noise, people in a lobby, TV in the back ground, people talking in the background, the wind, rain etc. Our antenna picks up what ever is happening around us. The body reacts to these sounds appropriately based on regularity. The cellular structure of the body acts as the receptors for the body as well as all orifices on or within the body. One of the orifices that is particularly sensitive to sound and vibration, other than the largest organ; the skin, is the ear canal which leads to the brain stem, spinal column, and nervous system. Additionally, the ear, according to some neurologists and acupuncturists, contains all the nerve endings in the body (another topic for another conversation). The nervous system extends through out the entire body carrying this sound and vibration.

The body has a wonderful way of holding on to sound and vibration, such as trauma, happiness, sadness, joy etc and the body remembers those ‘feelings’ and stores them in the body. Remember when we hear a song we enjoyed 20 years ago, and hear it again, it brings memories forward and transports us back to a time in the past and our body often feels happy and a host of other possible emotions. The same can be said for unpleasant experiences. The point being, the body, mind and spirit remember. This reaction would be cause for a three way automatic bio-magnetic-electrical response. This reaction would be the strong emotion (spirit), a time and place (mind) and stored in the bodies memory causing, chills, goose bumps etc. (body).

Each living form stores these sounds and vibrations somewhere in the body where it eventually accumulates. When this area is full it goes to an overflow location, thus metastasizing. Then when we hear a soothing sound or a sound that puts us in a “mood” it is healing on some level, again, how much. This is often like repeating trauma re-traumatizes a person over and over putting that sound deeply in the cellular system or body parts.

As mentioned above, regular music or combinations of cords reach a limited distance within the body as the sounds are short and the chords are not consistent enough to travel throughout the body to cause any long lasting physiological difference in the memory of the cellular structure or body memory, body part.

I cannot speak to all types music, but I can address what “The Chase Carter Method, Tones for Healing was designed to achieve.

With today’s technology, I created sounds and vibrations with chords that match or are similar to most signature vibrational systems, but it does not stop here. In the midst of this technology I have layered sounds, which create vibrations that lasts for a long period of time. Thus, the body can remember them and process them easier which is so much better and faster than the quick fix ‘mood’ music, regardless of genre. These chords are picked up by the cellular structure or body antenna and help re-program the body memory.

Using sound therapy or vibrational therapy is much like when we gain weight and attempt to lose those extra pounds. It takes a bit of reprogramming and a different outlook toward ourselves. One normally cannot go to the gym one time or two times and expect to lose all the gained weight. Vibrational sound healing uses the same principle as healing the body, spirit and mind; use with regularity or systematically.

I try to be cautious while using the term ‘cellular structure’ as clinical science is still out on many of the concepts of vibration as a healing tool, yet we use vibration for many other medical procedures such as the bursting of a tumor or kidney stone, or ultrasounds, using ultra violet rays to quickly dry dental fillings or while hardening finger nail polish, or using vibration to clean engine parts or freeing the gunk on brakes etc. The ultra violet waves or ultra sounds quickly change the form of the substance it comes in contact. But, this concept is not very advanced, at this time as to how vibration of any kind has a clear healing effect on the body, that I am aware.

It is my contention that when we position the mind, spirit, and body together we can create a wonderful physiological change and/or shift in a living organism or in this case a person.

Mind (Intention, Brain Wave) + Spirit (Trust, Faith, Hope, Love, Peace) + Body (Antenna, Receptors) + Resonating Vibrational Sounds + Time (Regularity) = Healing

Or

We can take a more simplistic approach and simply say that music helps us relax and relaxation helps us free up our body so it does not contract causing illness or disease such as cancer, heart attack, strokes etc.  Either way, it works!

How Does Meditation Slow Aging?

The healing power of meditation does not confine itself to only spiritual and emotional benefits. Over the years, one eminent effect of meditation was its ability to slow aging. How? Through the fortification of the telomere.

You might now be asking yourself what is a telomere. Telomeres are the ends of a person’s chromosomes that determine life’s longevity. Research has proven that meditation reinforces and strengthens a person’s telomeres therefore prolonging the age of one’s cells. Healthy cells mean healthy living and longer life.

Although meditation can help slow a person’s aging, there are some other tips that a person can observe in order to further strengthen telomeres on top of meditation:

Sleep

Getting enough sleep is important to supplement meditation. This will eventually aid the enhancing of the telomeres that can leave a person looking younger. The suggested amount of sleep a person should get every night is eight hours although research shows that four hours of sleep daily can be adequate for some people.

Socialize

Spend time with people you love being around. Another factor that slows aging is happiness and laughter. By being with friends and family, you are having a good time and making cherished moments that will make not only your heart young but also your face.

Exercise

Exercising, as many know, helps a person maintain a healthy heart and is ideal for overall good health. However, exercising also keeps a person’s heart young. Increased blood flow means a good rate of metabolism, and a good rate of metabolism is a sure way to burn fat. Fat, when accumulated can cause effects that speed up aging.

Activities that calm

Participating in activities that have calming effects may also slow the aging process. Yoga, reading, poetry, only to mention a few are excellent activities that will boost the telomeres of the human chromosomes.

Aging is something that one should not fear. What is more concerning about getting older is the many health issues that await the human body. It is, therefore, a more reasonable concern to be mindful not only of one’s outer looks, but also in one’s health practices that will be responsible for long years of fruitful living. Meditation along with some healthy habits such as resting well, socializing, exercising and keeping calm will not only promote good health, but will keep you looking and feeling young.

By: Emily Taggart

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Whenever someone asks me, “What are the main reasons to meditate?” or “Why should I bother with meditation?” I love to surprise them with the simple reply, “Because it makes you feel fantastic!”

Meditation has a reputation for being a bit mysterious, a bit difficult, and perhaps even a bit boring. Most people never stop to consider that it might actually be enjoyable…even pleasurable! In fact, I can think of few other activities that are as rewarding, as healthy and as life-enhancing all at once. People who meditate know exactly what I’m talking about. Once you start meditating, it’s hard to imagine ever living without it. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to no longer have “serenity on tap”.

If you do not currently meditate, then you probably don’t even know what you’re missing out on. Well here are just a few of the benefits that you’ll begin to enjoy just as soon as you start…

Goodbye Stress
Meditation reduces stress better than anything else I know of. Not only does it give you much needed “down time” to rest physically and mentally, it also has a very direct effect on your entire nervous system by reducing your body’s production of stress related chemicals like cortisol. On the flipside, it increases your production of natural mood enhancing chemicals like serotonin. That’s why some people refer to meditation as a “natural high”.

Improved Health
Meditation will improve your health by strengthening your immune system, reducing your blood pressure and lowering cholesterol levels. People with debilitating or life threatening medical conditions like cancer will sometimes turn to meditation as a means to enhance the process of healing and recovery. While meditation should never be used as a substitute for proper medical care, in some cases it can lead to healing breakthroughs, even when traditional medical treatments have been unsuccessful.

Of course, you do not have to be terminally ill to benefit from the healing effects of meditation! Even if you have just come down with a case of the flu, meditation will enhance the function of your immune system and help to you to rest more deeply, leading to a speedier recovery. Meditation also happens to be a wonderful way to alleviate headaches and to prevent them from recurring.

Improved Sleep
Sleep is a totally natural human function, and it’s something we need every day. But if you have a busy mind or if you are stressed then you may find that your sleep is not as restorative as it should be. Meditation dramatically improves the quality of your sleep, and it is one of the most powerful natural treatments for insomnia. A great reason to meditate.

Slowed Aging
Studies into the effects of meditation have shown that the regular practice of meditation can slow the aging process. In fact, the biological age of long term meditators is generally less than those of people who have never meditated. It is believed that the physiological cause of this is due to the fact that meditation helps to reduce the body’s production of free radicals – organic molecules that are responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some diseases.

Emotional Stability and Positive Thinking
Meditation is a very powerful natural prescription for people who suffer from anxiety and/or depression, and it is also taught to people who have difficulty controlling their anger. However, you do not need to have a serious psychological condition for meditation to be of benefit to you! Every-day people who meditate generally enjoy a lot more…

Happiness!
People who meditate are less stressed, healthier, they sleep better, and they have a more positive outlook on life. Simply put, meditation makes you a happier person!

Success and Quality of Life
Think about this for just a moment…

• Everything you achieve in life is the result of your actions.
• The actions you choose to take are the result of your decisions.
• The decisions you make are the result of your thinking processes.
• Your thinking processes are completely dependent on the quality of your mind.

If you really dwell on this you will begin to see how the entire course of your life is affected by the quality of the thoughts that circulate in your mind. Sometimes the difference between a great success and a monumental disaster in life is a seemingly insignificant little moment in which you give birth to a thought, and make a decision. It happens in that moment when you decide to turn left instead of right…in that moment where you choose between a peaceful response to a situation, or an angry one…in that moment when you notice the attractive smile of the person across the room, or the moment when you miss that smile, that chance meeting, that new love. All of life if filled with these “opportunities to choose”. Some are more significant than others, but all of them add up to the path that you will one day call “my life story”.

Meditation will help you to make wiser, more peaceful choices on a consistent basis. This inevitably leads to a life that contains more positive opportunities and fewer problems. Of all the reasons to meditate, this one is perhaps the least obvious, but it is also one of the most significant.

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!
Unfortunately, even though meditation has so many wonderful benefits to offer, many people still view it as a mundane task, or as “something I should do, but don’t have the patience, time or energy to get around to.” To many people, it’s kind of like dieting. Heck, we could probably all benefit from eating a little better and from doing a little more exercise, but who has the time these days? Who wants to put in all that effort? Besides, I LOVE chocolate cake WAY too much!

But the fact is, meditation requires almost no effort, it doesn’t take a lot of time, it doesn’t involve restriction or self-denial, and it certainly doesn’t involve sweat! Meditation is relaxing, effortless, pleasurable, healthy, life-enhancing, and it makes you feel great!

So what’s your excuse?
Give meditation a try and soon enough you’ll be wondering, “How on Earth did I ever live without this?”

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Christopher_Lloyd_Clarke,_D._M.Sc.

Meditation on God’s Word turns our minds away from the everyday affairs of life and toward Him. Blessed are those who discover and tap into the abundant divine power available in the living Word of God!

Our Place By The Father

There is a place by the Father God for every believer. We need to find our place and live in it. The Word of God tells us who we are, where are place is, and how to live in it. In the presence of God we can be shaped and transformed into His image.

“He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” — Psalm 91:1

Through meditation in God’s Word we are able to dwell in the secret place of the most High God.

Christian meditation is at the heart of the Gospel and should also be for every believer. We were created for relationship and love, not only with each other but supremely with God. As believers we are one with the Lord, just as Jesus said “I and the Father are one.” (John 17:21-23)

A Spiritual Connection to God

Christian meditation is way of experiencing God beyond what the mind can grasp. Meditation allows the nourishing richness and revelation of God’s love to flow into the deep places of our heart.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10

Meditation provides a way to connect into the heart of God’s love and acceptance. It is our spiritual connection to the One who is our heart’s true home. When we meditate on the Word of God, we are able to step into the blessings He has provided for us and experience spiritual refreshment and intimacy with Him.

In meditation, God deepens our relationship with Him. And as we rest in our relationship, He works His love in our heart, drawing us deeper and closer to Him. As His light shines on us, we become more and more the person we were created to be.

It is no secret: Christian meditation on the Word of God strengthens our relationship with Him and has the power to transform our lives. Begin meditating on God’s Word today, and start strengthening your relationship with Him.

Are you ready to move yourself into the secret place of the most High God through Christian Meditation?

Go Now and Get Your Free Christian Meditation Guide: http://www.meditation-christian.com/christian-meditation-guide/ and Discover Biblical Answers to the Top 20 Questions About Christian Meditation!

B.K. Smith seeks to provide resources to help you prosper in all areas of life – including your spirit, soul, body, finances, and relationships. Enjoy Christian and Self-Improvement Resources along with Free Motivational Videos and Meditation Podcast at: http://www.GrowingProsperity.com.

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There are tons of different ways to meditate. But to get you started, lets keep it simple and start out by focusing on breathing. It is important to understand there is no right or wrong way to meditate. Some ways are more effective for some and not for others. Explore and find the right technique for you with no worries and no stress.

The following is a variation of a technique I learned some years back. It is an effective meditation and also a grounding exercise:

1.) Find a quiet comfortable place to sit down where you are able to place your feet on the ground.

2.) If your muscles are tense, wiggle around a little bit to loosen up, shake it off.

3.) Visualize roots growing out of your feet, deep into the earth. Envision the earth’s energy being drawn up through your feet and revitalizing your body.

4.) Envision a string attached to the top of your head. This string is gently being pulled upward, lengthening and straightening your spine. Be mindful not to become stiff or rigid.

5.) Begin by inhaling through your nose filling your lungs with fresh, clean oxygen. Visualize “peace” filling your lungs and being distributed to all cells in the body.

6.) Exhale through your mouth. Visualize “love” being exhaled from within. Envision a pathway or walkway in front of you and this love filling the path.

7.) Allow your breath to fall into a consistent pattern and allow it become natural and rhythmic.

8.) Take about 10 minutes to solely focus on your breathe, continuing the rhythm of “peace” and “love”. It becomes a mantra of sorts…”peace (inhale)… love (exhale)”… repeat.

It is all about breathing, energy flow and oxygen intake, this is your ultimate goal.

Take a little or as much time as you need to perform this meditation. Only you will know when you are ready to conclude the exercise. Before you finish, make the decision to be present and conscious during your day. To live in the moment.

The effects sometimes are immediate and sometimes they take roughly 20 minutes or so. Make no mistake, if you take as little as 10 minutes out of everyday to meditate, your life will improve in ways you didn’t know were possible.

This is a great place to start and now that you have started meditating it is up to you to develop the old fashioned discipline to do it everyday.;) A great way to start your day is to add an extra 15-30 minutes of meditation time to your normal morning routine. Just like physical exercise, the more you constantly do it, the better results you will see.

Slán is ádh mór ort, a chara (Good bye and good luck my friend)

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When you meditate, you go beyond your stress and limitations of the mind. It allows you to become more present and ‘tap into’ your full potential. And, as you relax your mind, you also relax your body, which is why meditation can also improve your health and vitality tremendously.

Scientific research states the average person in the world is thinking approximately 90,000-120,000 thoughts a day, and most of these thoughts are about the past or future; very few are about what we are doing right now. A lot of these thoughts are negative and constrictive, not expansive and uplifting, and consequently they affect our nervous system and our health.

If you have a busy life it doesn’t mean you have to have a busy mind, on the contrary. A mind that is charmed with meditation will be much more clear and effective. It will allow you to be more present, more focused and more at peace. From here, you are able to create and enjoy a positive and fulfilling life for yourself with much more ease.

Meditation is the key that opens the door to you experiencing your full potential. People from all walks of life are experiencing the benefits. Some of the common benefits include:

* Reduce and Eliminate Stress

* Improve Sleep Patterns

* Improve your Health & Well-Being

* Clarity of Mind

* More Positive Attitude

* Experience your Full Potential

Meditation is not a complicated or difficult practice. It does not require you to sit in any special posture. It is something that can be done by everyone. It doesn’t require a large time commitment and can easily be fit into your day. Why not experience the positive benefits of meditation for yourself?

To receive a free report on the keys to living your life fully (which includes a meditation exercise that you can start right away) please visit http://www.thehappymonks.com.

After a profound spiritual experience in 2002, Kevin committed his life to Enlightenment. During the years that followed, meditation became the main tool to experience the simplicity and ease of the present moment. Kevin is co-founder of Happy Monks. A company dedicated to helping people experience their full potential and enjoy a life of Peace, Joy and Well-Being. Kevin teaches a simple, effortless and powerful meditation practice called Ascension that includes a series of techniques that can be used with the eyes closed (to clear the nervous system of stress and relax the body/mind) and with the eyes open (to be fully present and live life fully).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Seyler

Zen meditation is the path of awareness. It uses concentration techniques to pull your attention out of your thinking to be present in the moment.

The normal state of a human being is to be completely identified with your thinking. So if you are sitting by a pond and you are thinking about having to go to work tomorrow, you are not really aware of yourself sitting by the pond, you are more involved with work tomorrow. You are thinking about driving to work, what your boss might say to you, the tasks you have to perform and the worries around it, what you might have for lunch etc.

All of these thoughts are very real to you. You could say you are living in a “dream world.” Because although you are sitting by the pond, your experience is of going to work tomorrow. You have a second or two where you are aware that you are sitting by the pond and then you get lost again in your thoughts about work.

Thinking always takes you away from the present moment. So by using a simple Zen meditation technique, you can learn how to bring your focus away from your thinking into the present moment.

And when it comes to what is here when you are present, your experience of sitting by the pond is just the tip of the iceberg. You can experience yourself beyond the body, beyond the mind as awareness itself. What the Zen teachers would call “Buddha Nature.” And this experience is one of incredible peace and inner joy.

So to learn how to meditate using a Zen meditation technique, first find yourself sitting comfortably without back support. You do not need to sit in a tough yoga position. You can simply sit on the edge of a chair with your back straight. Your can use a rolled up towel underneath the base of your spine to help keep your back straight.

Now close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Allow your belly to gently rise and fall as you breathe, as though you are breathing the air into your belly. Do not force your breath in any way. Allow yourself to breathe naturally.

Now count your breaths. First silently count to yourself “1″ as you inhale and “1″ as you exhale. Then “2″ as you inhale and “2″ as you exhale.” Continue this way until you reach 10.

What will happen is you will lose your focus and get lost in your thinking. When this happens, just gently bring you focus back to your breathing and start counting the breaths starting with “1″ again. Do this until you can easily count 10 breaths without getting caught up in your thinking.

After you can do this for 10 breaths, do it again but this time we will move to a more advanced Zen meditation technique. Count the inhale starting at “1,” but then on the exhale, let yourself relax into stillness. Then count “2″ on the inhale and let yourself rest in stillness on the exhale. Again, practice this until you can count your inhales up to 10 without losing count.

When you can do this, go to 20. Then 30. Then 50.

Now an even more advanced Zen meditation technique. Count every other breath. So you count “1″ on the inhale, and then rest in stillness for the exhale. Then rest in stillness for another inhale and exhale. And then count “2″ on the next inhale. Do this again until you can count to 50 without getting lost in your thinking.

Don’t beat yourself up if it is harder than you thought. It is not something that can be perfected in 5 minutes.

Once you reach 50, you should be deep in meditation. You should be able to let go of the counting and simply be present, allowing your experience to be as it is and watching. You are no longer concentrating on a certain object, but witnessing your experience in the moment, without trying to control it or change it in any way.

Here you allow whatever is here in the present moment to be and you simply watch. Without pushing anything away, without holding on to anything. You watch what arises and you let it go, remaining present and aware.

But you can still keep your attention on your breathing if you feel the need.

Eventually, you will not need to use counting. You will learn how to meditate without needing a technique. You will naturally rest in awareness, free from the mind.

So now you know how to meditate using a simple yet very powerful Zen meditation technique. To make your meditation practice 10 times more effective, check out the link below.

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Kip Mazuy – EzineArticles Expert Author

Tolle is right. Each of us has ready access to one of the most transformative tools available-breath awareness. Most of the time we neglect this valuable resource. Instead we look to our careers, families, dream homes, relationships, upcoming vacations or some indistinct time in the future for fulfillment. Sure, these things can make us happy; but only for a short while. Sooner or later they will change or come to an end, and some degree of dissatisfaction will return. There is no doubt about it: as long as we seek happiness outside of ourselves, we will be disappointed.

This information is nothing new. The Buddha knew this more than 2,500 years ago when, after much diligence, he successfully found lasting happiness by extinguishing the root of all suffering within himself. The Buddha then dedicated the rest of his life to teaching and spreading a non-dogmatic, systematic method to inner liberation, which he called Vipassana Meditation (Vipassana means “Insight” in Pali, the canonical language of Southeast Asia’s Theravada Buddhism). During the time since, this method has since proliferated drastically; today its presence spans around the world.

Vipassana Meditation can be divided into two stages: mindfulness of breathing (or anapanasati in Pali) and insight. In the first stage one simply sits and observes the breath. When the mind wanders-which it invariably does-one continually returns to watching the breath. It only takes a few moments of sitting in meditation to realize that one’s inner world consists of relentless mental chatter. One aims not to quiet this chatter (although that may happen at times on its own). Rather, one aims just to stay sitting, aware and accepting of all arising phenomena, whether they be a mind busy making plans, back pain, negative emotions, or the sound of a jackhammer outside. When one allows each moment to be as it is, without trying to cling to, reject, judge or change it in any way, inner freedom takes root.

This first stage, anapanasati, can be outlined and succinctly instructed, as this is the part of the practice that one can actually do, practically and willfully. The second component, insight, arises out of the firm foundation of anapanasiti like an act of grace. Insight into the true, unwavering nature of reality happens spontaneously over time when the mind settles into deeper states of acceptance and concentration.

Even if one does not turn to meditation for self-realization, the practice holds innumerable benefits. Meditation can reduce stress and therefore fortify the immune system. It also improves mental concentration and memory. In addition, one may notice an increased capacity to stay calm, peaceful, relaxed for oneself and others, even under trying circumstances. With practice, one attains a balance of mind to face the ups and downs of life with ever-increasing skillfullness. We all want to be happy and to reduce suffering. Over time, one discovers that meditation makes this possible.

But don’t take my word for it. Take a seat and close your eyes. The Buddha himself invites you when he said, “Ehi passiko,” meaning, “You need not believe what I tell you. Practice and find out for yourself. Then you can accept or reject. Come and see.”

Basic Meditation Instructions:

Allocate a special space, seat, and time of day just for meditation. Although you can meditate anywhere and at any time, consistency ensures a greater likelihood of success. Begin with sitting for 15 minutes a day. First thing in the morning or just before bed are good times when external disturbances are likely to be minimal. You decide what works best for your life. If it feels appropriate after some time, you can gradually increase the duration of your practice to 30, 45 or 60 minutes.

Meditation practice is a rich journey best approached with patience, persistence, curiosity and no expectations! Over time, meditating with a group on occasion and seeking guidance from a skilled teacher can greatly support your practice.

1. Sit on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed. If this is not possible, sit on a chair. In order to have good concentration, it is important not to be in pain. However you sit, be sure that your spine is straight.

2. Place your hands either palms down over your knees, or the more traditional way is to cradle the back of your right or left hand in the palm of the other hand, with both palms up and resting on the feet. The tips of the thumbs touch below the navel.

3. Close your eyes and first bring your awareness to the sensation of sitting. Feel your seat and your legs. Feel the support beneath you. Don’t try to visualize anything. Just notice what is there. Do this for a few minutes, until a feeling of physical and mental steadiness and presence arise.

4. Next, bring your awareness to your lower belly, just below the navel. Notice the sensation of the breath, the rise and fall of the abdomen with each in and out breath. Notice the length and depth of your breath without judgment or manipulation. After several minutes you can also bring your awareness to the natural gaps between the in and out-breaths. If you can, stay alert to the entire cycle of the breath.

5. If the mind is very distracted and you are finding it difficult to follow the breath, you can count your breaths until the mind becomes more focused.

6. When a thought arises, label it “Thinking.” When a sensation arises, label it “Feeling.” When a sound arises, label it “Hearing.” Notice how the act of labeling something decreases its power to distract you. Do this and gently, relentlessly bring your awareness back to your breath. There is nowhere to go, nothing to do. Just sit, watching your breath. The key to greater inner freedom is your unwavering commitment to return to awareness, again and again.

7. At the end of your allotted practice time, slowly open your eyes. Stand up when you are ready. At some point you may notice that the mindfulness that you have cultivated on your cushion has seeped into all that you think, do and say.

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Before you start to meditate, dress in comfortable clothing and find a quiet place to sit or lie down. Once you are positioned comfortably, close your eyes. Focus all your attention on your breathing. Make sure to breathe from your diaphragm. To be sure, that you are breathing from your diaphragm take in a deep breath through your nose and with your hand on your stomach, make sure it fully expands. Then lightly push down with your hand on your stomach while you breathe out through your mouth.

Meditation is all about concentration. Try to concentrate on happy thoughts. It may help you to use a mantra when meditating. A mantra is simply a few words that help you relax. Repeat these words repeatedly in your mind until you start feeling calm. You could try a single word mantra like relax, or you could say I am relaxed, I feel calm. Say this several times to yourself in your mind while you are relaxing.

If you find yourself wondering off in your thoughts, and may help to say I am relaxed, I feel calm aloud in order to get your mind back in focus. If it helps, why not try adding some soothing music and aromatherapy candles to keep you, feeling relaxed.

Try meditating for 10 to 20 minutes a couple of times a day and you can relax your breathing, lower your blood pressure and make it easier to think clearly. You can also meditate in the middle of the day if you start feeling stressed out. This will help you to get going again. Meditation to reduce stress and is an effective way to help lessen anxiety, which can help you to remain calm in stressful situations. By adding meditation to your daily routine, you’ll actually find that you have more time to do other things. The reason for this is, that once you become stressed out, you become dysfunctional and everything seems to take twice as long to accomplish. Start meditating and within a couple of weeks, you will notice a reduction in your stress levels.

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