::How To Meditate I - What is Meditation ::

(cont)
Compare that with what happened when the researchers took a different group of volunteers and gave them eight hours of training in compassion, then showed them the graphic videos. A totally different set of brain circuits lit up: those for love and warmth, the sort a parent feels for a child.

When we feel empathy, we feel like we’re suffering, and that’s upsetting. In the short term, it can cause us to tune out to help alleviate our own feelings of distress. And in the long term, it can cause serious burnout, as many a nurse and social worker can attest.

“A little bit of empathy is important, because we need to be able to detect another person’s suffering in order to be helpful,” Richard Davidson, a prominent University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientist who’s spent decades studying meditation in the lab, told me. “But empathy by itself can be toxic.”

Amazingly, compassion — because it fosters positive feelings — actually attenuates the empathetic distress that can cause burnout, as neuroscientist Tania Singer has demonstrated in her lab.

In other words, practicing compassion or loving-kindness doesn’t just help us make other people happier; it makes us happier, too.

“Loving-kindness also boosts the connections between the brain’s circuits for joy and happiness and the prefrontal cortex, a zone critical for guiding behavior,” Davidson writes in Altered Traits, his authoritative 2017 book on the neuroscience of meditation, which he co-authored with Daniel Goleman. “And the greater the increase in the connection between these regions, the more altruistic a person becomes following compassion meditation training.”

In fact, one fMRI study showed that in very experienced practitioners (think Tibetan yogis), compassion meditation actually triggers activity in the brain’s motor centers, preparing their bodies to physically move in order to help whoever is suffering, even as they’re still lying in the brain scanner.

Given such evidence, Jinpa believes it’s clear that we can strengthen our compassion through concrete practices, just as we strengthen our muscles through exercise. Working out of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education in 2009, he created the Compassion Cultivation Training, an eight-week course designed with input from neuroscientists and psychologists. Blending formal meditation with other contemplative practices, the course is now taught around the world.

Why thinking in terms of “moral obligation” may not be appropriate here
After I started wondering if we’re morally obligated to meditate, I soon realized that’s a very Western and Judeo-Christian way of thinking about it. Growing up, I’d had to memorize the Ten Commandments and a long litany of sins, and my mind is still conditioned to think in terms of commandments and obligations.

 

(cont)
But Eastern traditions like Buddhism or Confucianism aren’t grounded in commandments that come from a divine being. Among Buddhists, you’re more likely to hear about “skillful” and “unskillful” means for minimizing suffering and maximizing the possibility for liberation.

“The ‘everybody ought’ language — that wouldn’t be the language they’d use,” Evan Thompson, a University of British Columbia professor who specializes in Asian philosophical traditions, told me. “The idea is that in order to lead a good life, we need to engage in certain self-cultivation practices,” such as training our minds to calm down so we can pay attention to the present.


Practicing compassion or loving-kindness doesn’t just help us make other people happier; it makes us happier, too.
Getty Images
Plus, whereas the language of oughts and obligations suggests a prescriptive or proselytizing attitude, Buddhist tradition has generally been more interested in inviting people to try meditation and discover its benefits for themselves, rather than in mandating adherence. (Not all people who identify as Buddhist practice meditation.)

Jinpa said it would be naive to think someone could get everyone to meditate. “That won’t happen,” he told me. “So I’m interested in promoting the idea of compassion training that wouldn’t necessarily involve formal sitting meditation.” He pointed to his Compassion Cultivation Training as an example, saying it’s likelier to be widely adopted in part because it’s presented as secular.

Meanwhile, to Davidson, the neuroscientist, the virtues you cultivate by meditating are so crucial as to make the practice feel almost obligatory.

“I see this as a public health need,” he told me, using the analogy of brushing our teeth — something that takes only a few minutes a day, and something that virtually everyone does because we see it as important for our physical hygiene.

“I think most people would agree their minds are just as important as their teeth. If we spent such a short time on our mind as we do on brushing our teeth, this world would be a different place,” Davidson said, because our emotional well-being would be improved. “So there is some sense of a moral obligation, almost.”

But there’s a caveat: For a small minority of people, meditation can actually provoke adverse effects, like intense mental distress or impaired physical functioning. Brown University psychologist Willoughby Britton is studying these cases in a project called “Varieties of Contemplative Experience.” More research is still needed, but given that meditation practices might precipitate or exacerbate challenging conditions in some people, it would be wrong to say that absolutely everyone would do well to meditate.

Is meditation really better than other activities at making us better people?
Scientists are publishing more and more studies on meditation each year. But many of these studies are beset by methodological flaws, leading to overhyped results. Davidson calls this “neuromythology.”

Some studies fail to replicate in other labs. Others fail to include active controls — they don’t test the potential benefits of a meditation regimen against those of a different regimen, like exercise or health education classes. Still others fail to disaggregate the data of participants who are relatively inexperienced with meditation and those who’ve had enough hours of practice to be considered experts.

Even though there are methodological issues with some of the studies, others do hold up. And when you consider the hundreds of studies altogether, there is substantial evidence that meditation can help us become better people.

So, the next question is: How much better? Is it worth spending hours on meditation when you could just get out there and start volunteering?

“My response to that is, why pose it as an either/or question? I think both are important,” Davidson said. “I’d say the biggest bang for your buck would be to engage in a compassion meditation practice in your mind while you’re volunteering.”

 

(cont)
When we think about meditation, we often picture ourselves sitting on a cushion with our eyes closed. But it doesn’t have to look that way. It can just be a state of mind with which we do whatever else it is we’re doing: volunteering, commuting to work, drinking a cup of tea, washing the dishes.

In fact, the Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh is fond of saying, “Washing the dishes is like bathing a baby Buddha. The profane is the sacred. Everyday mind is Buddha’s mind.”

As for me, I’ve found that I have enough bandwidth at the end of the day to sit down and close my eyes for a few minutes. So, for eight weeks, I sat in meditation every night.

Then I went home to visit my family.

I’m happy to report that we had our best, calmest visit in years. By the end of the holiday break, the number of fights I’d gotten into was a glorious, miraculous zero.

It’s not that all of my reactive or unkind impulses magically disappeared. But whenever I felt myself starting to get snippy, I went into my old childhood bedroom and closed the door. I took a deep breath, and recalling the heaps of scientific evidence that had confronted me, I did what seemed to me like the reasonable response, a response so easy and so beneficial that it felt like a no-brainer.
:- https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/1/10/21013234/meditation-brain-neuroscience-moral-obligation

 

TAOISM | The Power of Letting Go

Einzelgänger
Feb 13, 2020
When you are anxious, you are living in the future.
When you are depressed, you are living in the past.
When you are at peace, you are living in the present.
- Lao Tzu

 

10 Minutes of Mindfulness Changes Your Reactions
Tips for avoiding rash decisions and reaching thoughtful conclusions.
Harvard Business Review |

• Rasmus Hougaard
• Jacqueline Carter
• Gitte Dybkjaer

Leaders across the globe feel that the unprecedented busyness of modern-day leadership makes them more reactive and less proactive. There is a solution to this hardwired, reactionary leadership approach: mindfulness.

Having trained thousands of leaders in the techniques of this ancient practice, we’ve seen over and over again that a diligent approach to mindfulness can help people create a one-second mental space between an event or stimulus and their response to it. One second may not sound like a lot, but it can be the difference between making a rushed decision that leads to failure and reaching a thoughtful conclusion that leads to increased performance. It’s the difference between acting out of anger and applying due patience. It’s a one-second lead over your mind, your emotions, your world.

Research has found that mindfulness training alters our brains and how we engage with ourselves, others, and our work. When practiced and applied, mindfulness fundamentally alters the operating system of the mind. Through repeated mindfulness practice, brain activity is redirected from ancient, reactionary parts of the brain, including the limbic system, to the newest, rational part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex.

In this way mindfulness practice decreases activity in the parts of the brain responsible for fight-or-flight and knee-jerk reactions while increasing activity in the part of the brain responsible for what’s termed our executive functioning. This part of the brain, and the executive functioning skills it supports, is the control center for our thoughts, words, and actions. It’s the center of logical thought and impulse control. Simply put, relying more on our executive functioning puts us firmly in the driver’s seat of our minds, and by extension our lives.

One second can be the difference between achieving desired results or not. One second is all it takes to become less reactive and more in tune with the moment. In that one second lies the opportunity to improve the way you decide and direct, the way you engage and lead. That’s an enormous advantage for leaders in fast-paced, high-pressure jobs.

Here are five easily implemented tips to help you become more mindful:
Practice 10 minutes of mindfulness training each day. Most people find mornings the best time to practice mindfulness, but you can do it any time of day. You can find a 10-minute guided mindfulness training program, a short mindfulness training manual, and a link to a free downloadable mindfulness app here. Try it for four weeks.
Avoid reading email first thing in the morning. Our minds are generally most focused, creative, and expansive in the morning. This is the time to do focused, strategic work and have important conversations. If you read your email as you get up, your mind will get sidetracked and you’ll begin the slide toward reactive leadership. Making email your first task of the day wastes the opportunity to use your mind at its highest potential. Try waiting at least 30 minutes, or even an hour, after you get to work before checking your inbox.

 

(cont.)
Turn off all notifications. The notification alarms on your phone, tablet, and laptop are significant contributors to reactive leadership. They keep you mentally busy and put you under pressure, thereby triggering reactionary responses. They cause damage far more than they add value. Try this: For one week turn off all email notifications on all devices. Only check your email once every hour (or as often as responsibly needed for your job), but don’t compulsively check messages as they roll into your inbox.
Stop multitasking. It keeps your mind full, busy, and under pressure. It makes you reactive. Try to maintain focus on a single task, and then notice when you find your mind drifting off to another task — a sign that your brain wishes to multitask. When this happens, mentally shut down all the superfluous tasks entering your thoughts while maintaining focus on the task at hand.
Put it on your calendar. Schedule a check-in with yourself every two weeks to assess how well you’re doing with the previous four tips, or as a reminder to revisit this article to refresh your memory. Consider engaging one of your peers to do the same thing. This gives you a chance to assess each other, which can be both helpful and motivating.We encourage you to give these tips a try. Although mindfulness isn’t a magic pill, it will help you more actively select your responses and make calculated choices instead of succumbing to reactionary decisions.
:- https://getpocket.com/explore/item/...anges-your-reactions?utm_source=pocket-newtab

 

Peaceful Relaxing Music LIVE 24/7: Music for Deep Sleep. Music for Relaxation, Massage, Meditation

Meditation Relax Music

 

The Amazing Power of Your Mind - A MUST SEE!

Jeremy Bennett
Apr 5, 2013
Science Of The Soul - Full Documentary

Syndicado TV
Mar 29, 2019

 

It Takes Just 11 Minutes of Mindfulness to Cut Back on Your Drinking
Monica Hunter-Hart
Research shows that drinking alcohol can accelerate cognitive decline, scar your liver, and interfere with healthy decision making. Oh yeah, and give you a nasty hangover.

So let’s say you want to cut down on your drinking, but don’t know how. A 2017 study from University College London (UCL) published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology found that it might not be as hard as you think. In fact, it may only take 11 minutes of mindfulness.

The UCL research team trained heavy drinkers in mindfulness techniques for 11 minutes and encouraged them to practice the methods through the following week. These participants ended up consuming 9.3 fewer units of alcohol that week than they had previously tended to drink.

UCL defines mindfulness as “techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga” that “help you to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings so that you can manage them better.”

The research involved 68 participants who identified as heavy drinkers but not alcoholics. Half of them were given the mindfulness instruction, in which they were encouraged to focus on their emotions and the physical sensations in their bodies. By paying attention to their cravings, researchers hoped that participants would learn to tolerate them. Mindfulness is meant to help people accept discomfort as transient so that they don’t feel compelled to immediately act upon it.

In contrast, the other half of the group was trained in relaxation strategies, which acted as a “control condition that appeared to be just as credible as the mindfulness exercise for reducing alcohol use,” explains a press release. Neither the participants nor those conducting the study were aware of which strategy each person was taught.

“We used a highly controlled experimental design, to ensure that any benefits of mindfulness training were not likely explained by people believing it was a better treatment,” says study co-author Dr. Tom Freeman.

Those who were taught mindfulness ended up drinking 9.3 fewer units of alcohol over the next week. That’s about the same as three pints of beer, five shots of liquor, or a little under five standard glasses of wine. Those who learned relaxation methods did not see a significant reduction in their drinking.

“Some might think that mindfulness is something that takes a long time to learn properly,” says study co-author Damla Irez, “so we found it encouraging that limited training and limited encouragement could have a significant effect to reduce alcohol consumption.”

This is just a single study, so its findings aren’t necessarily conclusive; but because it takes only a few minutes to test it out for yourself, why not try? UCL hasn’t released the exact mindfulness training program they used on study participants, but they do offer a free, online 10-minute program for students and faculty here, and people who aren’t affiliated with the university can check out their other mindfulness resources here.

“We’re hopeful that further studies will replicate our findings and provide more insight into how mindfulness training could be most effective in practice,” says co-author Shirley Serfaty. “Our team is also looking into how mindfulness might help people with other substance use problems.”

Monica Hunter-Hart is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn. I'm especially enthusiastic about Turkish & American politics, music, and social justice.


:- https://getpocket.com/explore/item/...ack-on-your-drinking?utm_source=pocket-newtab

 

Compassionate Ethics in Difficult Times - The Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama
Sep 22, 2010
The Four Noble Truths - Day 1 - New Delhi 2012

Dalai Lama
Tribute to Dalai lama | fun | No sister, Donald Trump, baba ramdev { rwn}

RWN. TV
Feb 11, 2018

 

Funny Dalai Lama interview on The 7pm Project (Australia) 2011

RoveOnlineClips
Jun 9, 2011
Dalai Lama Receives the Nobel Peace Prize

Pema Dorje
The Nobel Peace Prize 1989 was awarded to The 14th Dalai Lama.

 

Pilgrimage to the Mahabodhi Temple

Compassion and Technology

Dalai Lama
Dec 17, 2018

 

Dalai Lama: "Anger, hatred, fear, is very bad for our health"

CBS This Morning
Oct 22, 2013
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Conversation with Richard Gere

Dalai Lama
Sep 16, 2018
The Dalai Lama (83) reveals how he stays young | SVT/TV 2/Skavlan

Skavlan
Sep 17, 2018

 

Brahmavihara Bhavana - 60 Mins Meditation (Forestcreek)

Practice: Brahmavihara Bhavana Length: 60 Minutes Location: At a Forestcreek Speaker: Tobias Warzinek The Practice of the "Four Sublime Abidings" or "Four Abidings of Brahma" (Brahmavhara Bhavana) is a Buddhist meditation technique to invoke the 4 powers of 1 Loving Kindness (Metta) 2 Compassion (Karuna) 3 Sympathetic Joy (Mudita) 4 Equanimity (Upekkha) This technique helps particularly well with: - Depression - Anger - Physical and Psychological Healing
Read more about it on our Blog: http://blog.phuket-meditation.com
EPISODE 256: Building Quality Practice | Phuket Meditation Center - Tobi Warzinek

Phuket Meditation
Apr 20, 2020

 

Which Type of Meditation Is Right for Me?
Meditation may be an ancient tradition, but it’s still practiced in cultures all over the world to create a sense of calm and inner harmony. Although the practice has ties to many different religious teachings, meditation is less about faith and more about altering consciousness, finding awareness, and achieving peace.

These days, with the greater need to reduce stress in the midst of our busy schedules and demanding lives, meditation is increasing in popularity.

Although there isn’t a right or wrong way to meditate, it’s important to find a practice that meets your needs and complements your personality.

There are six popular types of meditation practice:

• 
  
  
  • mindfulness meditation
    
  • spiritual meditation
  • focused meditation
  • movement meditation
  • mantra meditation
  • transcendental meditation
  
  

Not all meditation styles are right for everyone. These practices require different skills and mindsets. How do you know which practice is right for you?

“It’s what feels comfortable and what you feel encouraged to practice,” says Mira Dessy, a meditation author and holistic nutritionist.

Keep reading to learn more about the different types of meditation and how to get started.
1. Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation originates from Buddhist teachings and is the most popular meditation technique in the West.

In mindfulness meditation, you pay attention to your thoughts as they pass through your mind. You don’t judge the thoughts or become involved with them. You simply observe and take note of any patterns. This practice combines concentration with awareness. You may find it helpful to focus on an object or your breath while you observe any bodily sensations, thoughts, or feelings.

This type of meditation is good for people who don’t have a teacher to guide them, as it can be easily practiced alone.

2. Spiritual meditation
Spiritual meditation is used in Eastern religions, such as Hinduism and Daoism, and in Christian faith. It’s similar to prayer in that you reflect on the silence around you and seek a deeper connection with your God or Universe.

Essential oils are commonly used to heighten the spiritual experience. Popular options include:

• 
  
  
  • frankincense
    
  • myrrh
  • sage
  • cedar
  • sandalwood
  • palo santo
  
  

Spiritual meditation can be practiced at home or in a place of worship. This practice is beneficial for those who thrive in silence and seek spiritual growth.
3. Focused meditation
Focused meditation involves concentration using any of the five senses. For example, you can focus on something internal, like your breath, or you can bring in external influences to help focus your attention. Try counting mala beads, listening to a gong, or staring at a candle flame.

This practice may be simple in theory, but it can be difficult for beginners to hold their focus for longer than a few minutes at first. If your mind does wander, it’s important to come back to the practice and refocus.

As the name suggests, this practice is ideal for anyone who requires additional focus in their life.

 

(cont.)

4. Movement meditation
Although most people think of yoga when they hear movement meditation, this practice may include walking through the woods, gardening, qigong, and other gentle forms of motion. It’s an active form of meditation where the movement guides you.

Movement meditation is good for people who find peace in action and prefer to let their minds wander.

5. Mantra meditation
Mantra meditation is prominent in many teachings, including Hindu and Buddhist traditions. This type of meditation uses a repetitive sound to clear the mind. It can be a word, phrase, or sound, such as the popular “Om.”

It doesn’t matter if your mantra is spoken loudly or quietly. After chanting the mantra for some time, you will be more alert and in tune with your environment. This allows you to experience deeper levels of awareness.

Some people enjoy mantra meditation because they find it easier to focus on a word than on their breath. This is also a good practice for people who don’t like silence and enjoy repetition.
most popular type of meditation around the world, and it’s the most scientifically studied. This practice is more customizable than mantra meditation, using a mantra or series of words that are specific to each practitioner.

This practice is for those who like structure and are serious about maintaining a meditation practice.

How to get started
The easiest way to begin is to sit quietly and focus on your breath. An old Zen saying suggests, “You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day — unless you're too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.”

All kidding aside, it’s best to start in small moments of time, even five or ten minutes, and grow from there.

“Sit consistently for 20 minutes a day and do this for 100 days straight,” recommends Pedram Shojai, author of “The Urban Monk” and founder of Well.org. “Couple that with an additional 2 to 5 minutes of meditation throughout the day to break up the chaos, and you will soon be feeling the benefits.”
evidenceTrusted Source supporting the numerous benefits of meditation.

Meditation can help:

• lower blood pressure
• reduce anxiety
• decrease pain
• ease symptoms of depression
• improve sleep

Whether the benefits are anecdotal or scientifically proven, those who follow a daily meditation practice are convinced of the benefits in their lives.
The bottom line
Whether you’re looking to reduce stress or find spiritual enlightenment, find stillness or flow through movement, there’s a meditation practice for you. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try different types. It often takes a little trial and error until you find the one that fits.

“Meditation isn’t meant to be a forced thing,” Dessy says. “If we’re forcing it, then it becomes a chore. Gentle, regular practice eventually becomes sustaining, supportive, and enjoyable. Open yourself up to the possibilities. There are so many different forms of meditation that if one isn’t working or isn’t comfortable, just try a new one.”
From the author
For me personally, I began using meditation during a difficult and stressful time in my life. I didn’t wake up one day and say, “Oh wow, I’m not stressed anymore!” But I did notice how my reactions to stress changed and how much calmer I was in the midst of chaos. Isn’t that level of peace what we are all searching for?
:- https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/types-of-meditation#takeaway

 

Happiness Frequency: Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphin Release Music, Release Negativity

Jason Stephenson - Chakra Healing Music
Jul 13, 2020
Beautiful Piano Music : Study music, Focus, Meditation, Relaxing music

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30 Min. Meditation Music for Positive Energy - Inner Peace Music, Healing Music, Relax Mind Body

Meditation and Healing
5,244,704 views
•Oct 26, 2016

 

Contentment: The Sword of Wisdom | Ajahn Khemavaro | 18-06-2010

Buddhist Society of Western Australia
Jun 19, 2010
Ajahn Khemavaro - Observing The Emotional States Of The Mind Arise & Fade

BSV Dhamma Talks
Apr 5, 2016

 

Beautiful Relaxing Music for Stress Relief • Meditation Music, Sleep Music, Ambient Study Music

Soothing Relaxation
Sep 4, 2019
Beautiful relaxing music for stress relief, composed by Peder B. Helland.