| Despite all the positive results that are | | | | Not breathing at all is the worst. Breathing |
| known to happen with meditation, many people | | | | properly can produce excellent relaxation |
| still avoid taking advantage of the health | | | | results, and is much too broad a topic to be |
| benefits and sense of well-being that come | | | | covered here. You might want to visit your |
| with a regular meditation practice.It's not | | | | library or do a google search on "breathing |
| that they don't believe the literature and | | | | exercises" in order to find a website or book |
| claims. Well, in most cases it's not that. | | | | which will provide instruction in this |
| It may seem a little far-fetched to the | | | | area.4. Yoga. This is actually a |
| average person to believe that sitting still | | | | combination of meditation, exercise and |
| and breathing quietly a couple of times a day | | | | breathing. If you think you can't practice |
| can lower blood pressure, calm nerves jangled | | | | yoga because of your weight, age, or physical |
| by modern society, aid in the solution of | | | | condition, think again! DO get a doctor's |
| problems, increase creativity...the list goes | | | | clearance before beginning any exercise |
| on.Then they realize that it's not JUST | | | | program.5. Go out in the woods. Stroll by |
| sitting still and breathing quietly. These | | | | yourself in the woods, or sit by a stream (if |
| meditating people must be DOING something to | | | | you can find one), and just watch the water. |
| get all those results...if they really do! | | | | A few minutes of that can come pretty close |
| And if they're doing something, and getting | | | | to matching the effects of a few minutes |
| such great results...well, then, they must be | | | | meditation.6. Read a book. Something a lot |
| doing something difficult! It's difficult to | | | | of us don't do much any more. When you find |
| imagine just sitting still and being alone | | | | a book you really like and get absorbed in |
| with yourself for several minutes in our | | | | it, you're pretty close to meditation. In |
| modern society, much less doing it properly | | | | fact, did you ever have a time when you had |
| AND getting great benefits!Nope! It's too | | | | been reading for what you thought was a few |
| tough for me. I wish I could learn mediation | | | | minutes, and it turned out to be an hour or |
| techniques, but I don't think I could do it | | | | more? Gotcha! You were meditating.7. Go |
| properly, or else I wouldn't like crawling | | | | out on the porch. Don't take anything with |
| around in my head. No telling what's up | | | | you. Just hunker down in a comfortable chair |
| there!It's really the fear of the unknown, | | | | and let your mind wander. You might be |
| the fear of having to learn some complicated | | | | surprised what pops up! Here's the |
| technique, and the fear of failure that keeps | | | | secret....let it. You might start thinking |
| many from trying the pleasureable experience | | | | about that time 40 some odd years ago when |
| of meditation.WELL, I'VE GOT SOME GOOD NEWS | | | | you kissed your first girl..or guy. Geez! I |
| FOR YA, BUNKY!You don't have to travel to | | | | haven't thought of that in years. There you |
| India, study under masters, or even light a | | | | go!Well, you get the idea.To get the maximum |
| candle and sit in the corner by yourself to | | | | effects of meditation, the bottom line is |
| get many of the benefits of meditation.SOME | | | | that you have to ACTUALLY MEDITATE! sorry, |
| NON-MEDITATION TECHNIQUES1. Prayer. I'm not | | | | didn't mean to shout. What a concept. Got |
| much into prayer these days, but I remember | | | | some more good news for you. It's not really |
| another time in my life when I was. During | | | | that hard to do. Oh, you will have a little |
| the moments that I was praying, I felt | | | | difficulty concentrating (or, really, not |
| somewhat safe and separated from the rude | | | | concentrating) at first, but even the most |
| world. Actually, prayer is a form of | | | | effective meditators get distracted from time |
| meditation. Meditators achieve many of the | | | | to time. If you give it a try, you will find |
| beneficial results by, in a way, praying. | | | | that with time and non-effort, you will be |
| They may not be praying to a god, but they | | | | meditating like a pro. It is so easy to |
| are repeating old familiar sounds, and are | | | | learn, that I learned how to do it at the age |
| flowing with those utterances. Say OM enough | | | | of 15 (1960, since you asked), after reading |
| times, or say the "Hail Mary" enough times, | | | | a book in my high school library. By the |
| and you can achieve a lot of meditation. In | | | | way, if you want to get a non-meditating mind |
| fact, a study I read about many years ago | | | | set, I really recommend "How to Stop Worrying |
| seemed to indicate that many Catholics could | | | | and Start Living", by Dale Carnegie. That |
| achieve a meditative state by saying the | | | | should kick start you if you've been |
| Rosary.2. Exercise. Now, I'm not talking | | | | procrastinating.What's that?No, I'm sorry, we |
| about trying to lift a cow up over your head. | | | | don't GIVE prizes to the best meditators, but |
| Anyway, that's been done by Milo of | | | | they do GET some awfully big prizes in the |
| Kroton, and see where it got him. Devoured | | | | form of the effects they experience. Those |
| by wild animal, you betcha! What I am | | | | are the sort of prizes that you carry around |
| talking about is a nice long walk, bicycle | | | | with you all day long every day. And you |
| ride, or swim...or something like that! Just | | | | know what? Nobody ever sees that bowling |
| an aside here, most people who start out | | | | trophy on the mantle at home, but boy, will |
| walking, riding, swimming or whatever tend to | | | | they notice the positive changes in you. |
| overdo it at first. If you haven't been | | | | You'll be pleasantly surprised and so will |
| walking regularly, just walk to the mailbox | | | | they.Now get out there and meditate!The |
| an extra time or two at first. Then walk | | | | author is retired from the Army after 21 |
| down to the corner for a few days. Then walk | | | | years of service, has worked as an |
| around the block...get the idea? Get to the | | | | accountant, optical lab manager, restaurant |
| point where you are taking a 15 or 20 minute | | | | manager, and instructor. He has been a member |
| walk, and, in addition to the execise | | | | of Mensa for several years, and has written |
| benefits, you will experience many of the | | | | and published poetry, essays, and articles on |
| reactions experienced by someone | | | | various subjects for the last 40 years. He |
| meditating.3. Breathing. Did you know there | | | | has been an active internet marketer since |
| are good ways to breathe and not so good. | | | | 2000, and now makes his living online. |