Mind Set: Ultimate meditation

By Owen Waters

In The Times Of India

Peace can sometimes be so far away and inner bliss, even farther away. To attain peace, spend some real quality time by going within and you will find the sense of peace that lies within. Visit the place where inner bliss dwells and waits patiently for your return.

Let yourself unwind and compose yourself for a few precious moments of peace. Remember that your mind is much more far-reaching than your physical brain. Your mind, as consciousness, is non-physical, while your brain is just the physical translator of your consciousness. Your mind, therefore, always has the ability to tell your brain: “Shsh! It’s meditation time!”

Focus your mind away from the clutter of day-to-day living and turn your attention inwards to the peaceful core of your inner being. Then think of the deepest possible state of consciousness. And what could that state be? It is the state of consciousness known as infinite being. The word infinite reflects the idea of ultimate, while the word being refers to a state of awareness, rather than a doing activity. Infinite being is infinite consciousness without a focus upon any specific activity. Infinite being doesn’t have to do anything, it already is everything.

It is important to appreciate that the state of infinite being is not ‘out there’ somewhere external to us. Infinite being encompasses all consciousness, including all manifestation. We are that consciousness, as is everything else in existence. In meditation practices, affirmations are often used to focus the mind. By simply repeating the words “I am”, you affirm your true nature as consciousness. In the case of infinite being meditation, we affirm our innermost identity as the ultimate, infinite consciousness.

The affirmation ‘I am infinite being’ is the most powerful affirmation possible within the English language. The phrase ‘I am infinite being’ is an affirmation of your oneness with the ultimate potential, the source of all life, the consciousness from which all life sprang. You are one with that universal consciousness. Everything in manifestation is one with that universal consciousness. Now is the time to consciously affirm your ultimate potential. It may take courage to begin with, but the results are more than worth the effort.

If you find issues arising, such as a feeling of unworthiness in your alignment with the all that is, with infinite being, just let those thoughts go, then gently bring your mind back into focus upon the affirmation. You do not have to justify the words, or settle any internal argument about them, just because of some prior conditioning as to how someone said you ‘should’ think in this life. Think independently, think infinitely, and you will connect with the consciousness of your ultimate potential.

Have the inner discipline to stay with the affirmation and let any issues fade away unchallenged. Your inner self knows the meaning of the words and resonates in joy with their exact and literal truth. Every time you make this affirmation, you become more connected with infinite being. Any lesser thoughts are then healed within the light of greater truth. Find a quiet space to sit down for a few minutes, close your eyes, and start looking for the quiet space within. To keep your brain occupied with the task at hand, focus your attention on the even flow of your breath as it passes in and out of your nostrils.

As you breathe each in-breath, mentally repeat the affirmation ‘I am infinite being’. On the out-breath, simply allow your attention to follow the flow of air from your nostrils. To induce an immediate calming effect, allow each out-breath to take longer than each in-breath .

Life energy, also known as etheric energy, is conditioned primarily within the human spinal column. From there, it is distributed to the rest of the body via the subtle nervous system. Most key functions in the human body owe their operation primarily to the supply of etheric life energy, rather than to the supply of electrical energy. Etheric energy, like consciousness, is nonphysical and yet it is behind all life.

To help enhance the natural flow of life energy within your spine while performing this meditation, it is preferable to sit upright in an erect chair. As you progress with this meditation, the natural flow of life energy within your spine will become enhanced, bringing an enlivened awareness to your consciousness.

When distracting thoughts arise — which they will — treat them with patience and understanding. Put each distracting thought aside so that you can continue with the infinite being meditation. If a thought seems important or urgent, then it will be sure to return later, after your meditation session has finished.

There are a number of ways to enhance your meditation experience. One is to reserve a small space, such as the corner of a quiet room, where only meditation is conducted. That space then becomes more conducive to a meditation environment. A small table or surface can be covered with items that you connect with spiritual practice. Candles and incense are especially useful as they provide some initial focus for the senses.

It also helps to always use the same chair, one that is constructed of a nonmetallic material. Metal chairs attract etheric life energy away from you, which is great for the chair, but not so good for the meditation session. A small clock completes your setting, and clean, light clothing, reserved especially for meditation, further enhances the atmosphere. A shower or bath before meditation is very valuable, as water is a powerful cleanser. If, for example, you have just come home from a hectic day at work, then your energy body will be filled with the distractions of the day, stored in etheric energy form.

The water not only cleanses you of physical impurities, but also the etheric energy impurities that do not belong in your energy body. The reason that water is such an effective energy cleanser lies in its chemical composition. Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen. The greater role of oxygen is to carry lifegiving, etheric energy.

The best investment of your time each day is to spend 20 minutes in meditation. Make the time for this to happen. Make it the day’s first priority. The easiest habit to adopt is one which makes up the first activity of the day. Making it a routine will also reinforce the effects of the meditation.

Stretch Your Body In Ways Its Never Experienced Before

By Andrew Khor
Ancient Thai Body Work

How many of you have been to Thailand and experienced Ancient Thai Body Work. Well some years ago when I was at a meditation workshop conducted by Katharina Bless in Chiangmai. I decided to experience Thai Bodywork Massage.

And what an experience, this big sized lady used her feet, her arms and her elbows to give me a workout that i will never forget. Luckily for me. she didn't use her teeth!

When I walked out, my feet was not touching the ground. I was that lightheaded. My blood was swimming faster. And I don't know whether I made it back to my room!

Since then I have heard many claims and benefits for this type of bodywork, all complementary. It appears that no one's complaining about their body being all knotted up.

So anyway, K. Kenny, a Malaysian teacher would like to introduce Thai Yoga Bodywork to Malaysians or to anyone interested in learning about it. There is an email attached with all the details and costs of this 5 day workshop.

It's planned for Aug 30th to Sept 3rd. Pls call +603 80606970 or +6012 9105812.

Being all knotted up can be physically rewarding. And besides, learning this is fun.

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Thai Yoga

Bodywork (Nuad Borarn)
Class level 1 – The Foundation

What is it?

Thai Yoga Bodywork therapy has evolved for thousands of years to its present form incorporating the wisdom and practices of the ancients. Nuad Boran , the Northern style ancient Thai massage, as it is known in Thailand has been practiced by monks and is used as a household therapy mainly revolved around family and friends. The ten Sen or energy lines are the main focus in Thai Yoga Bodywork. The massage helps clear the blockages in the energy lines and thus assists the body’s own natural healing process to restore balance.

Application

A typical Thai Yoga Bodywork sequence would consist of acupressure, massage and yoga stretches. The practitioner puts the receiver’s body into yoga postures, which normally they may not be able to experience by themselves, together with light manipulation of muscles and tendons to bring about relaxation and ‘opening up’ with stretching.

Who Learns Nuad Borarn?

Students come from a variety of backgrounds, from beginners to practitioners who wish to further their existing skills and even those who practice yoga and martial arts. Now this art is available in Malaysia to those who are interested to learn the traditional Thai bodywork therapy. Additional skills will surely be helpful to supplement one’s income!

Facilitator / Instructor

A former banker and management lecturer/trainer, K.Kenny, a Master/Teacher has more than 20 years accumulated experience in training and practicing therapies of Japanese Shiatsu, Thai Yoga Bodywork, Usui Reiki, Physical Fitness Instruction and Zhineng Qi Gong. Kenny has conducted classes and retreats both in Malaysia and overseas.

Class: Thai Yoga Bodywork, Level 1- The Foundation.

Participants will learn the Northern Style Massage techniques, consisting of 30 hours instruction/home study and practice. The participants will be able to perform a set of massage sequences in the front part of the body and upper-back and be able to give a 1 – 11/2 hour massage.

Venue: Khoracle, Bandar Puteri Puchong, Selangor.

Instruction is in English and a Workbook is included.

Prerequisites: none.
Energy Exchange: Rm 850.00

Class: Maximum 10 students.

Time: 10.00am sharp – 4.30pm/ 30th August – 3rd September 2008

To avoid disappointment please book place early

Practice Spiritual Exercise

By Rheo Aieta

In The Olympian

Building spiritual and physical muscles are similar. Both require regular exercises over time to develop strength and stamina.

Eckankar teaches that a person's spiritual unfoldment is the result of one's own experiences. Although we all need to understand the spiritual laws, no minister, priest, rabbi or related authority figure can dictate the how, why and when of our own personal spiritual journey. So, if understanding our unique relationship to God as Soul involves an expanding awareness learned from personal experiences, how does one obtain or recognize these spiritual insights?

Just as a health club offers a variety of exercise equipment, there are hundreds of different spiritual exercises one can practice. One of these is chanting the sacred word HU (pronounced "hue"), an ancient name for God.

We can experience the inflow and outflow of the Holy Spirit when we chant HU as a love song to God. Singing HU draws one closer to God. HU can be sung, with eyes open or closed, in a long drawn out sound, HU-U-U-U. Harold Klemp, the spiritual leader of Eckankar, states, "The power of HU can benefit everyone, whether they are Muslim or Christian or any other belief. It doesn't change one's religion, but it will enhance it."

Just like physical exercise, spiritual exercise often requires practice and self-discipline to obtain significant results. For several months, I read about the HU, heard people talk about the HU, heard others sing the HU and I chanted HU privately. I then heard the HU, as the voice of God, with my inner ears for the first time.

I was reading a book while listening to music when a glass jar of seashells shattered into pieces across the floor. After cleaning up the glass and turning off the music, I then read that the qualities of sound in the lower worlds have negative traits that can puncture holes in one's aura and positive characteristics that can uplift one's consciousness. It was at that moment I heard the inner sound of HU.

Since then, singing HU has helped me recognize divine guidance and love, offered solace during the loss of my child, and provided peace and calm during challenging times.

My story is an example of how each one of us has our own unique relationship with God. I believe this experience would not have oc curred had I not been doing spiritual exercises regularly. In other words, I earned this experience by building my spiritual muscles.

Another insight I discovered about spiritual muscles is that we also can lose them. I can forget the consciousness of my true identity as Soul, that I am not my mind or physical body, if I neglect to do my spiritual exercises. The awareness of a hard-earned truth will not be remembered several months later if I have not consistently maintained my spiritual disciplines.

As Harold Klemp states in The Spiritual Exercises of ECK, "Do one exercise every day. Spend about 20 minutes on it. This builds your spiritual stamina gently over time. Regular daily practice is the key to success."

Regardless of your beliefs and even if you already recognize the blessings of God, building spiritual muscles through daily spiritual exercises can only enhance your spiritual journey. Singing HU as a love song to God is an easy way to strengthen your personal connection with Divine Spirit. To listen to the HU, visit http://eckankar.org/hu.html.

Rheo Aieta is the Spiritual Services Director of the Washington Satsang Society and a local member of the Eckankar clergy.

Meditation Good For Psychiatrists' Mental Health

Article Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/114042.php

Meditation sessions are proving a hit for members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists at their Annual Meeting at Imperial College, London - with a growing number claiming they are turning to the spiritual discipline to combat anxiety and burnout.

Meditation workshops, run by the College's 2,000-strong Spirituality Special Interest Group, are overbooked. "It seems to be an indication of the need for spiritual nourishment, something that College members are not finding easily in the outside world," says Dr Sarah Eagger, chair of the Spirituality Group.

Dr Eagger, consultant psychiatrist at St Charles Hospital, London, said her daily meditation practice was as important in her everyday work as her medical training. "A strong spiritual practice really comes into its own when you are faced with a very distressed patient, while also coping with the pressures of working in teams under immense stress, and then having to spend hours filling in forms that make you feel that you are not trusted. I am stressed enough as it is. Without meditation practice to keep a still space inside, I would be suffering burn-out."

Dr Andrew Powell, the founding chair of the Spirituality Group, said: "There is a level of concern within the profession about being trapped in a culture of measurement and box-ticking. The result is that it's becoming ever more difficult to practice psychiatry, to contain the anxiety and concerns of our patients, to maintain a common humanity and avoid getting caught up in an 'us and them' mentality."

However, many mental health practitioners struggle to understand the relevance of spirituality to their work, the meeting was told. Julia Head, specialist chaplain at the Maudsley Hospital in London, told the conference that spirituality is increasingly recognised as a vital part of good mental health care.

"The National Institute for Mental Health in England is just the latest body to acknowledge the limitations of modern medicine by recommending that practitioners provide spiritual support alongside physical treatments, including medication," said Dr Head who coordinates 'recovery' training programmes for 300 mental health practitioners in the London boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth.

"Practitioners should be encouraging hope, and fostering a desire for change and the possibility of recovery. Yet this idea of healing, as opposed to clinical treatment, is something that is foreign to many practitioners," she said. 'They feel trapped in a culture where measuring clinical activity is the priority. It takes them time to understand that in order to support their patients' recovery, they need to feel valued themselves and to take time for their own nurture.'

The meeting was also told that the evidence-base for the therapeutic value of meditation for a wide range of health problems was significantly stronger than most pharmaceutical products. A new meta-analysis of 823 randomly controlled trials of meditation, conducted by the US National Institute of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, showed the clinical benefits of meditation across a wide range of physical and emotional disorders.

"Meditation is a way of life rather than quick fix achieved by paying for eight sessions or using gimmicks such as incense, music and light," Dr Avdesh Sharma, past president of the Indian Psychiatric Association, said. "It doesn't work immediately. You need to practice it for several weeks before the effects begin to be felt."

Dr Sharma added: "If meditation was a drug, we'd all want shares in it. It has a beneficial effect on most physical health problems and is very effective for mental health problems significantly reducing levels of depression and anxiety by improving relaxation, oxygenation of the brain, insomnia and energy levels."

Reference
The Annual Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Imperial College, London, 1 - 4 July 2008

Sri Gurudev Rudrabhayandanda’s First Visit to Malaysia

Gurudev's Visit & Workshop From 13th to 23rd June, 2008

Written by Andrew Khor on 24th June, 2008

Having prepared for Guruji’s first visit to Malaysia, we were all eagerly looking forward to meeting the man.

I can confidently say, after meeting him, that he bears no resemblance to the official write-up on his Soul Searcher website.

Let me explain. The man has four doctorates, was a critically acclaimed prodigy at the age of ten and the extent of his knowledge and wisdom is longer than my right arm.

Now that can be very intimidating.

So I was expecting a mystic who was remotely attached to the world and who probably levitated to wherever he wanted to go. And was accompanied by an entourage who probably wanted everything to be perfect.

Instead, Gurudev turned out to be a very jovial and unassuming young man who likes to laugh and have a good joke and uses the same toilet like everyone else.

What a relief.

With the blood pressure restored to normal, we could breathe easily and participate in his workshops.

In the workshop, most of us were familiar with the concept of meditation but not with Ananth Yoga. So, even though I had read about pranayama, bandhans and mudras, neither my intellect nor my body was prepared for the actual practice of Ananth Yoga which required all of us to coordinate mental and physical muscles hitherto unused.

A participant after the end of the first day said, this is like rocket science! Brains were overloaded with new ideas and fingers were twisted into unaccustomed positions.

For experienced yoga students, this may have been a cakewalk but for all of us who were new to the practice of yoga, the synergistic module of breathing, locks and mudras were a revelation. There was a lot of internal discussion and questions were rattled off at Guruji who took it quite calmly and explained everything.

The only thing is Guruji speaks softly and he has a strong accent which made it difficult for some of the Chinese speakers to understand, so there were some translations on the side.

One key tenet of Ananth Yoga is the firing of the navel chakra. In the traditional Taoist tradition, this is described as the tan tien, the centre of power in every human being.

According to Guruji, when the navel chakra is fired up, then we begin to be able to achieve deeper states of meditation and wellness. And we can progress better on the spiritual path as we will be able to receive the blessings of the navel or manipura – the city of jewels where many abilities are waiting to be activated.

One of the participants, two days after the first Ananth Yoga session wrote to us about his experience. He said that as he was about to sleep after the second day of Ananth Yoga, he saw a green like color in his inner vision and he could feel the presence of a being. He asked me who it was and I explained that different people have different experiences after undergoing a diksha.

I had learned earlier that Guruji without telling anyone had subtly initiated diksha amongst the participants. Most of the participants did not know about it but people were reacting to it in unfamiliar ways.

But the major surprise was the activation of elixir or amrita after the first Ananth Yoga session.

Amrita, after the first session! This was quite unusual. Normally it takes some time – weeks or months of practice in other kinds of yoga before one can taste the elixir. So certainly, this was quite a surprise. And it created quite a buzz among the participants.

Some of us experienced this after the first session of Ananth. It was a very metallic like taste and subsequently for me, the metallic taste became slightly sourish after a few days and a week after, the taste is beginning to be a bit sweetish.

There are numerous tales and myths about amrita in yoga philosophy and it was like through the grace of the guru, a giant hand had brought this distant myth into our everyday reality. Amrita is described as the elixir of life because of its anti-aging and health properties. No wonder so many yogis even though they are aged, look rather youthful. For me the surprise has worn off but I am enjoying the taste everyday.

We are most grateful for the presence of Guruji in Malaysia. He has brought to light the ancient traditions of Patanjali and reinterpreted them in way which is suitable for this mad and chaotic age.

Meditation: Part of the Ancient Judeo-Christian Heritage

By Dennis and Vicki Martin
In PressPubs.Com

In our rushed and sometimes toxic world, most of us would like nothing more than to relax. Some people have even made a business of helping others relax.

The "relaxation response" popularized by Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School in the 1970’s is based on two simple steps common to all approaches to meditation, past and present:

• focusing the mind on a single object; and

• passively dismissing and ignoring all other thoughts.

Although it may sound a bit "New-Agey", or at least a little mystical, meditation is also part of the ancient Judeo-Christian heritage. The Psalmist speaks often of meditation: "Blessed is the man who ... meditates in [God’s] law day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2). Since David is here speaking of an activity that can fill his days even as he works, it may be a little different from the tuned-out state one often thinks of as "meditation." But they have a lot in common, too.

One reason I myself have failed so miserably at meditating is my inability (or unwillingness?) to dismiss all other thoughts. If I think about the garden of Eden, for example, I may picture trees and flowers. Then I may be interrupted with thoughts of my own garden. What should I plant in that bare spot? Should I fertilize my phlox? I bring my thoughts back to Eden, and wonder about the coverings that were provided. How did they sew them together? And then, inevitably: where is the button I need to sew on my shirt?

And on it goes until I realize that my focus has not been on God, but on me. Applying the two basic "meditation" fundamentals might be helpful here. I could narrow my focus more, maybe choosing a specific aspect of the garden as it reflects God’s character.. And I need to learn to ignore all the personal thoughts that sneak in.

So, how about refining those two fundamentals of meditation? We do need a single focus. In fact, singleness of mind is recommended by God. "The light of the body is the eye; therefore if your eye is single, your whole body will be full of light" (Matthew 6:22 ). This single focus, unlike the mindlessness of popular meditation techniques, has an object. The object is God. David defines for us many of the particular ways in which he focuses on God: "I will meditate also on all your work, and talk of your doings" (Psalm 77:12); "I will meditate on your precepts, and have respect to your ways" (Psalm 119:15).

Focusing our thoughts isn’t really about emptying our minds, it is about filling our minds with the right things. But we may have to make room for those things by consciously narrowing our focus, and excluding some of the clutter.

We need to clear our minds, not of everything, but of everything that distracts us. Usually we are distracted by thoughts of ourselves. But with practice, that can change: "if you... honour him, not going your own way, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words: Then you shall find delight in the LORD" (Isaiah 58:13-14).

Meditation is often done for personal reasons. The "relaxation response" even identifies those reasons. The benefits of relaxation are given as: decreased metabolism, decreased blood pressure and feelings of peace and contentment. Any spiritual benefits are usually seen as secondary. As with happiness, relaxation has become a goal in itself, whereas God presents it to us as a by-product of a life lived for Him.

Why did David meditate? Sometimes he sought the calm that comes from such quiet thinking, even as his enemies sought to slay him: " Princes also did sit and speak against me: but your servant did meditate on your statutes" (Psalm 119:23). Sometimes he did so to increase his understanding of God.

We think about what we love. And if we love the right things, we can be sure that calm will come. As the Psalmist himself said (Psalm 119:165), "Great peace have they that love your law."

The History Of Meditation

By Laurie Desjardins

In The American Chronicle

"Yoga" and "meditation" seem to have become trendy words recently, and even trendier practices. But for all their modern applications, both yoga and meditation have been around for a long, long time.

For more than five thousand years, meditation has been a part of human life. Though it has its roots in Hinduism, most religions throughout the globe practice one form of meditation or another.

Meditation in Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama, better known as Gautama Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism thousands of years ago. Originally a pampered prince, he fled the palace and sought a life of spiritual enlightenment rather than material wealth. After meditating beneath a sacred fig tree for 49 days, Siddhartha attained enlightenment, which allowed him great insight into the cause of human suffering, as well as the process needed to eliminate it.

Since the Buddha's revelation beneath the sacred fig tree, meditation has been a centerpiece of Buddhism. The meditation techniques they pursue are a part of their goal of reaching Enlightenment and Nirvana, and develop four key areas: mindfulness, insight, concentration and tranquility. These same techniques, however, are often used by non-Buddhists to better their mental and physical health, or to reach other spiritual goals.

Meditation in Hinduism

Meditation actually started as a part of Vedic Hinduism, which is the oldest religion to have meditation as part of it for spiritual and mental enlightenment. Indian scriptures from 5,000 years ago actually describe meditation.

Of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, yoga is the one that focuses on meditation. However, Hinduism has a variety of meditation techniques, each with different focuses for the subject. The ultimate goal for all Hindu meditation is to attain a calm state of mind.

Meditation in Christianity

Though you may not hear about it as much, there are some Christian traditions that can be classified as meditation. Early Christian monks practiced reading the Bible slowly and carefully consider the meanings of each verse, a practice called "lectio divina." It's widely regarded as the first instance of meditation in Christianity. Prayer is also considered a form of meditation.

Enhance your meditation with meditation tools

Five thousand years ago, it was probably a lot easier to clear the mind and focus without cell phones ringing and emails beeping. With the stress and constant state of movement that modern life forces upon us, it can be difficult to completely focus on prayers or on mantra meditation.

In this case, meditation tools can make it easier to focus on meditation and quiet the constant chatter in your mind. Find a quiet place where you can have just 5 or 10 minutes by yourself, without a computer turned on or your cell phone ringing. Once you've gotten to your place, use a meditation tool like the Zen Stick to attain a meditative state quickly and easily. The benefit of entering a meditative state quickly with the Zen Stick is that you need only spend about 5 minutes a day meditating, as opposed to 10 or 20 minutes with regular meditation.

Picture of Zen Sticks taken from Sleeping Tiger

Make an ancient ritual part of your modern life

For centuries, meditation has been an integral part of many religions. Break out of the rut of your daily grind. Let meditation help you better your life mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Invitation to Mindfulness Retreat Camp

Venue: Amberstone Eco Resort, Ulu Yam Selangor

Date: Fri 4 July 08 (meet at Clove&Clive 7am) - Sun 6 July 08 (departing 2pm)

Learning to understand ourselves is an intricate and tricky process. The work of understanding comes from our willingness to look within through the eyes of awareness, of mindfulness.

Retreat is for that purpose. A retreat is a safe environment where we are being given the space to work with ourselves fully, in total silence, as we watch with awe our relationship with ourselves, and the world. A retreat is precious and sacred as it is the best gift you could offer to yourself in the pursuit of self-happiness and peace through understanding and realisation.

We would like to invite those of you who are keen to check in for the weekend--to seek solitude, find peace and discover inner exploration away from the din of your busy life--to join us in our mindfulness retreat camp, this time at Amberstone Eco Resort in Ulu Yam, Selangor this 4 to 6 July.

We have found Amberstone to be a simple, serene and natural place for our mindfulness retreat. Since we choose to hold this July retreat at Amberstone, the retreat fee is lower than the previous ones at Enderong Resort, Janda Baik.

The programme will include sitting and walking meditation interspersed with talks and periodically, discussions. We will be observing Noble Silence and fasting (no solid food after noon) which are important criterias for the purification journey of mindfulness. To encourage the momentum of mindfulness to be nurtured, participants are encouraged to stay in for the duration of the retreat.

We welcome you on board this journey of peace and serenity with us. May you & your loved ones be well & happy always.

Love,
Lai Fun & Tuck Loon

Clove & Clive

For more information about this retreat, click here.

No Buddha Required

By Tina Peng
In Newsweek


Nancy Muriello, 37, decided a few years ago that she wanted to “empty all the junk” from her mind. So she began studying meditation techniques and practicing breathing and mindfulness, or being aware of the present moment. Now Muriello spends 15 minutes per day clearing her head of clutter. “You can really picture it as a reversal,” says Muriello, who owns Big Apple Power Yoga in New York City. “All the junk, all the stimuli are pouring out of you, so you’re left with a clearer, lighter mind and body. You feel very refreshed, very relaxed, and you have more capacity to take on new things.”

Recent studies have shown meditation can yield a host of health benefits, from increased concentration to some relief from depression. Hospitals and clinics are including meditation as therapy, and medical schools are including it in their curricula. As the practice becomes more accepted as something that can be both secular and therapeutic, publishers are responding: at least a dozen books on meditation are scheduled for release in the next three months. “It’s definitely become very mainstream in many ways,” says Alan Wallace, president of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Institute for Consciousness Studies.

Brain-imaging research has shown that meditation reduces stress and can enhance one’s sense of well-being. Novice practitioners have increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that can produce positive feelings and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, says Richard J. Davidson, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin and the director of its Lab for Affective Neuroscience. Long-term practitioners are able to better focus their attention and cut down on a psychological effect called the “attentional blink” that causes people to overlook rapidly changing visual stimuli. Wallace, who is currently studying how meditation can be used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), says the practice can also lower anger levels and act as a supplementary treatment for depression, heart disease and social-anxiety disorders.

And it can be surprisingly easy to get started. “You don’t have to leave it all behind or run away to a mountaintop,” says Sharon Salzberg, a meditation teacher and author who cofounded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass. Practitioners can learn it in a class, off a CD or from a book. Here’s a look at some of the new offerings, as well as some of the classics.

“Real Meditation in Minutes a Day” (Wisdom Publications. $16.95. May 2008), by Joseph Arpaia and Lobsang Rapgay, leads readers step by step through the process of medi-tation, helping them build from focusing awareness to developing mental flexibility and clarity to, finally, opening the mind. Bullet-point tips and instructions make the book seem like test prep for life.

“Ending the Pursuit of Happiness” (Wisdom Publications. $16.95), by Barry Magid, takes a Zen approach to meditation and spirituality, arguing that meditation shouldn’t be a conscious effort to treat spiritual or physical ailments.

“Eat, Pray, Love” (Viking. $15), by Elizabeth Gilbert, has topped The New York Times’s paperback nonfiction bestseller list for more than a year. Gilbert writes about taking a year off to travel the world and find herself, spending four months learning to meditate at an ashram in India.

“Full Catastrophe Living” (Delta. $20), by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is about increasing mindfulness and using meditation to deal with stress and pain. Kabat-Zinn was one of the first to bring meditation into the secular world and point to its more-medical, less-spiritual applications. He’s particularly famous for this title.

Pema Chodron, a Buddist nun and well-known meditation teacher, has released several audio CDs, including “How to Meditate With Pema Chodron” ($19.77; amazon .com). She has forthcoming titles on such subjects as living with uncertainty and cultivating compassion (preorders at bn.com).

Salzberg has created Unplug ($21.56; bn.com) and Insight Meditation ($19.77; amazon.com) kits comprising workbooks, audio CDs and flashcards.

Several meditation teachers also offer free series of podcasts for download. Mary and Richard Maddox talk listeners through breathing and grounding techniques and pain-release meditation on Meditation Oasis (meditation oasis.com or iTunes).

Learn to Meditate (meditation .org.au or iTunes), produced by the Meditation Society of Australia, has published 25 podcasts since 2006. Each episode consists of a lecture on such diverse subjects as love and string theory, followed by a guided meditation session. Now you can contemplate the interconnectedness of the universe from just about anywhere.

Shaking Meditation

By Emma Mahony
In Telegraph, UK

Picture taken from Telegraph, UK.

First, from India, came Transcendental Meditation. Now, from Bali, comes Shaking Meditation.

Most weekly group shaking sessions last for two hours, including a 'clearing' prayer at the end Since it was introduced to the UK nine years ago, groups have popped up in Hastings, Hertford, Huddersfield and almost everywhere in between. It can only be a matter of time before the celebrity yoga set joins experienced "shakers" and jets off to the ashram in Bali where it all started with the "enlightened master" Ratu Bagus.

"For the Westerner, it is a wonderful way to relieve stress in a physical way," says Kamini Hola, a former businesswoman in Brussels who gave it all up at the age of 34 to become a yoga teacher. It was Kamini who first demonstrated her hour-long daily practice to me.

Most weekly group shaking sessions last for two hours, including a "clearing" prayer at the end, a short meditation and a group circle chat. Kamini's practice involves keeping her feet firmly on the ground, while vibrating like a child doing an impression of receiving an electric shock. It's all rather reminiscent of Eighties pop sensation Shakin' Stevens.

I join a shaking group in Hastings. Many of the participants have just come back from a week's retreat in Rome, where Ratu Bagus (meaning "Good King") was helping 230 Europeans through their various "processes". The aim was to shake out physical and emotional ''blocks" and ''get the energy".

A Picture of Ratu Bagus taken from Ratu Bagus website

"The block is something negative that complicates the functions of our body," says Ratu Bagus, who believes that all sickness comes from the mind. "The technique is to get the energy flowing in our bodies and to surrender to the energy and accept it with a smile."

To help them receive this energy, shaking groups recreate a sort of rave party, complete with trance music, candles, joss sticks and a poster of the enlightened master. Some even use tobacco, albeit in its pure herbal form, which they place between gum and lower lip to help them focus.

It's not for me, although I'm all for people dancing, laughing hysterically and screaming when they feel like it. My main concern is that although my visit leaves me feeling energised, those who seem to be "processing" strongly, in an almost religious trance, are supported only by other group members. Surely this level of intensity should carry a health warning?

"There is support within the group," counters Kamini. "Many shakers are trained therapists, and in my experience the 'energy' and its intelligence will only give us what we can cope with."

For a second opinion, I ask cognitive behavioural psychotherapist Dr George Fieldman. ''Meditation certainly has its place in enhancing mental wellbeing," he says. ''But I wouldn't ask any of my clients to embrace this particular version until it has been subject to a scientific evaluation and shown to be safe."

In other words, shake at your own risk.

For more information on shaking meditation, visit http://www.ratubagus.com/.

Study: Meditation Against Attention Deficits Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

By Alvaro Fernandez
In The Huffington Post


Travel back, in your mind's eye, to a time when you felt a healthy exhaustion after hiking, biking, playing sports.., and let you re-live that moment as vividly as you can.

Then, remember, re-experience, a loving exchange that really touched you. Pause. See your partner. See the moment. Smell it. Hear what happened around you.

Next, visualize the most caring gesture you have ever received, as full of details as possible. Who gave you that gift of caring. How you felt.

Now, travel to the most magnificent place you have seen. Enjoy the views. Pause. Listen. Smile. Appreciate.

Congratulations. You have trained your brain. As Newsweek's Sharon Begley explained recently:

But now neuroscientists have documented how "mere" thoughts can also sculpt the brain. Just thinking about playing a piano piece, over and over, can expand the region of motor cortex that controls those fingers; just thinking about depressive thoughts in new ways can dial down activity in one part of the brain that underlies depression and increase it in another, leading to clinical improvement.

We have talked about the value of meditation before. Only a few days ago, in predicting brain health trends for the next 5 years in our SharpBrains blog, I wrote that:

Noncomputer-based programs will also prove to be effective tools. Research increasingly is affirming the value of such methods as meditation to train attention and regulate emotions, using cognitive therapy to build self-motivation and other abilities, and keeping a gratitude journal to affirm positives in one's life and improve self-reported happiness.

A fascinating new study (Mindfulness meditation training in adults and adolescents with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 11, 737-746) suggests the benefits of mindfulness for adolescents and adults with attention deficits.

Let's see what Dr. David Rabiner, Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University, has to say about the topic:

Mindfulness meditation is described as involving 3 basic steps: 1) bringing attention to an "attentional anchor" such as breathing; 2) noting that distraction occurs and letting go of the distraction; and, 3) refocusing back to the "attentional anchor".

This sequence is repeated many times during the course of each meditative session. As the individual becomes better able to maintain focus on the attentional anchor, the notion of "paying attention to attention" is introduced and individuals are encouraged to bring their attention to the present moment frequently during the course of the day.

By directing one's attention to the process of paying attention, to noticing notice when one becomes distracted, and to refocusing attention when distraction occurs, mindfulness meditation training can be thought of as an "attention training" program. As such, examining the impact of such training on individuals with ADHD becomes a very interesting question to pursue.

The Results of the study?

Seventy-eight percent of participants (25 of 33) completed the study. On average, participants attended 7 of the 8 weekly training sessions. Adults reported an average of 90 minutes and 4.6 sessions per week of at-home meditation practice; adolescents averaged 43 minutes and 4 sessions of weekly at-home practice. Both adolescents and adults who completed the program reported high levels of satisfaction with it - average scores above 9 on a 1 to 10 satisfaction scale.

Seventy-eight percent of participants reported a reduction in total ADHD symptoms, with 30% reporting at least a 30% symptom reduction (a 30% reduction in symptoms is often used to identify clinically significant improvement in ADHD medication trials). Because the majority of participants were receiving medication treatment, for many these declines represent improvement above and beyond what benefits were already being provided by medication.

On neurocognitive test performance, significant improvements were found on the measure of attentional conflict and on several other neuropsychological tests (i.e., Stroop color-word test and Trails A and B) but not for measures of working memory.

For adults, significant reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms were reported. Comparable reductions in these symptoms were not evident in adolescents

In short: in order to fight Attention Deficits...may it not make sense to develop the "mental muscles" to Pay Attention?

Mindfulness: The path to the Deathless - Inner Vigilance

By Ven. Ajahn Sumedho

In Dailymirror.Ik - Sri Lanka Breaking News

Now, as for the practice of mindfulness. Concentration is when you draw your attention to an object, sustain your attention on that one point (such as the tranquillising rhythm of normal breathing), until you become that sign itself and the sense of subject and object diminishes.

Mindfulness, with vipassana meditation, is the opening of the mind. You no longer concentrate on just one point, but you observe insightfully and reflect on the conditions that come and go and on the silence of the empty mind. This involves letting go of an object; you're not holding on to a particular object, but observing that whatever arises passes away. This is insight meditation, or 'vipassana'.

With what I call 'inner listening', you can hear the noises that go on in the mind, the desire, the fears, things that you've repressed and have never allowed yourself to be fully conscious of. But now, even if there are obsessive thoughts or fears, emotions coming up, then being willing to allow them into your consciousness you can let them go to cessation. If there's nothing coming or going, then there remains only emptiness, in the silence of the mind. You can hear a high frequency sound in the mind, that's always there; it's not a sound that could be heard. You can turn to that, when you let go of the conditions of the mind. But be honest with your intentions. So if you're turning to the silence, the silent sound of the mind, out of aversion to the conditions, it's just a repression again, it's not purification.

If your intention is wrong, even though you concentrate on emptiness, you will not get a good result, because you've been misled. You haven't wisely reflected on things, you haven't let everything go, you're just turning away out of aversion, just saying, 'I don't want to see that', so you turn away. Now this practice is a patient one of being willing to endure what seems unendurable. It's an inner vigilance, watching, listening, even experimenting. In this practice, the right understanding is the important thing, rather than the emptiness or form or anything like that. Right understanding comes through the reflection that whatever arises, passes away; reflection that even emptiness is not-self. If you claim that you are one who's realised emptiness as if you'd attained something, that in itself is a wrong intention, isn't it? Thinking you’re somebody who has attained or realised something on a personal level comes from a sense of self. So we make no claims. If there is something inside you that wants to claim something, then you observe that as a condition of the mind.

The sound of silence is always there so you can use it as a guide rather than an end in itself. So it's a very skilful practice of watching and listening, rather than just repressing conditions out of aversion to them. But then the emptiness is pretty boring actually. We're used to having more entertainment. How long can you sit all day being aware of an empty mind, anyway? So recognise that our practice is not to get attached to peacefulness or silence or emptiness as an end, but to use it as a skilful means to attain knowledge and be alert. When the mind's empty you can watch -- there's still awareness, but you're not seeking rebirth in any condition, because there's not a sense of self in itself. Self always comes with the seeking of something or trying to get rid of something. Listen to the self saying, 'I want to attain samadhi', 'I've got to attain jhana. That's self talking: 'I've got to get first jhana, second jhana, before I can do anything', the idea that you've got to get something first. What can you know when you read the teachings from different teachers? You can know when you're confused, when you're in doubt, when you're feeling aversion and suspicion. You can know what to believe then rather than deciding which teacher is the right one.

The practice of metta is to use a gentle kindness by being able to endure what you might believe is unendurable. If you have an obsessed mind that goes on and chats away and nags and then you want to get rid of it, as the more you try to suppress and get rid of it, the worse it gets. And then sometimes it stops and you think, 'Oh, I've got rid of it, it's gone.' Then it'll start again and you think, 'Oh no! I thought I'd got rid of that.' So no matter how many times it comes back and goes, or whatever, take it as it comes. Be one who takes one step at a time. When you're willing to be one who has all the patience in the world to be with the existing condition, you can let it cease. The results of allowing things to cease are that you begin to experience release, because you realise that you're not carrying things around that you used to. Somehow things that used to make you angry no longer really bother you very much, and that surprises you. You begin to feel at ease in situations that you never felt at ease in before, because you're allowing things to cease, rather than just holding on and recreating fears and anxieties. Even 'disease' among those around you doesn't influence you. You're not reacting to other's lack of ease by getting tense yourself. That comes through letting go and allowing things to cease. So the general picture now is for you to have this inner vigilance, and to note any obsessive things that come up. If they keep coming back all the time, then you're obviously attached in some way -- either through aversion or infatuation. So, you can begin to recognise attachment rather than just try to get rid of it. Once you can understand it and you can let go, then you can turn to the silence of the mind because there's no point in doing anything else. There's no point in holding on or hanging on to conditions any longer than necessary. Let them cease. When we react to what arises, we create a cycle of habits. A habit is something that is cyclical, it keeps going around in a cycle and it has no way of ceasing. But if you let go, and leave things alone, then whatever habit arises ceases. It doesn't become a cycle.

So emptiness isn't getting rid of everything; it's not a total blackout, but an infinite potential for creation to arise and to pass, without you being deluded by it. The idea of me as a creator, my artistic talents, expressing myself -- it's an incredible egotistical trip, isn't it? 'This is what I've done, this is mine.' They say, 'Oh, you're very skilled, aren't you? You're a genius!' Yet so much of creative art tends to be regurgitations of people's fears and desires. It's not really creative; it's just recreating things. It's not coming from an empty mind, but from an ego, which has no real message to give other than that it's full of death and selfishness. On a universal level it has no real message other than 'Look at me!' as a person, as an ego. Yet the empty mind has infinite potential for creation. One doesn't think of creating things; but creation can be done with no self and nobody doing it -- it happens.

So we leave creation to the Dhamma rather than think that that's something to be responsible for. All we have to do now, all that's necessary for us -- conventionally speaking, as human beings, as people, is to let go and to not get attached. Let things go. Do good, refrain from doing evil, be mindful. It’s really quite a basic message.

See Related Articles:

Mindfulness

Zen Toolbox Offers Path to Peace for Prisoners

By Robert L. Jamieson Jr.
In SeattlePI.com

I DIDN'T HAVE the full scoop on Dow Gordon before I dropped by his office in the Central Area on Friday.

I knew he had dealt heroin -- and got hooked on it. He also served time behind bars in Canada, Texas and Washington for trouble with guns or drugs.

Find out more about Dow Gordon here.

Gordon, who has a buzz cut and a goatee and looks younger than his 63 years, extended a welcoming hand inside the brown building with red trim where he works for the Freedom Project. The Seattle nonprofit helps prisoners change their lives.

I was interested in speaking with Gordon because the message of self-improvement that he has brought to hundreds of convicts in the state began, humbly enough, with his own transformation.
What he has to say has value for a society that is eager to lock up prisoners but offers too few keys to help them behind bars -- or after they've been released.

If prisoners can better themselves during incarceration, that could cut down on prison fights -- fights that can be deadly or lengthen sentences for those committing the violence. And who ends up paying the price tag for those longer prison sentences? Taxpayers.

But here's another thing: If prisoners learn to think about the consequences of possible courses of action, and corral anger, they can make wiser decisions when they return to life outside of the joint.

Maybe -- just maybe -- that will help reduce the odds they'll reoffend. Isn't that something everyone in Seattle and throughout the state says they want? Less crime?

Gordon helps society's "throwaways" realize their potential inner wealth. He uses a Zen toolbox -- teaching meditation, mindfulness and nonviolent communication.

The approach is making such a difference that top state administrators have noticed. This week, Gordon received the Volunteer of the Year award for his work at Monroe Correctional Complex. He's one of the first -- if not the first -- ex-felon to receive that honor.

Monroe Correctional Complex

"It's not a panacea," Gordon said of his roadmap for change. "Nor is it the only way. But it is a way to help people get to that place of self-awareness and nonviolence."

When Gordon, a self-described "white guy from Houston," was in the criminal world, his fuse was, well, short: "I was full of anger at the world. I deliberately chose to strike back by living as far outside the social norms as I could by deliberately committing criminal acts."

Name a drug and he trafficked it -- hashish, cocaine and heroin. In 1995 he was nabbed selling drugs to undercover agents with a regional drug task force.

While in jail before going to prison someone recommended that he try Vipassana meditation, which offers transformation through self- observation and introspection.

Gordon did. Slowly and unexpectedly, the meditation took root. "I started to know myself," he said. "I always thought I was a hard-ass, a tough guy. I wasn't. I was just scared and angry."

In 1999, while Gordon was serving time at Monroe, people doing prison outreach came to the prison to teach nonviolent communication. When what they were saying soaked in, Gordon had an epiphany: "Every heart yearns for the same thing -- safety, love, community."

After leaving prison in 2001 -- the meditation exercises transformed him into a model prisoner and shortened his prison time by years -- Gordon knocked on the door of the Freedom Project, a group that for nearly a decade has put into practice what had been preached to him.

Now Gordon is on the project's paid staff, though he volunteers untold hours beyond his shift, going into prisons to spread the secular word. "I call it sharing emotional intelligence," he said.

He hungers to show men and women how to transform the violence, anger, shame and judgment that clouds their thinking and denies them a chance at what he's experienced: change, from prisoner to peacemaker.

Looked at another way, he wants to free people from a prison much worse than a cellblock -- the prison of a desperate, limited mind.

"You have to look at anger a different way," he told me. "Anger is caused not by others, but by what I think about others. If I choose to get angry, I'm at the world's mercy. We choose how we act or react."

He recognizes that he harmed lives through his drug-dealing and criminal ways and expresses remorse.

He also knows the man he was back then is not the man he is now. He's sober. He's accountable. He's no longer a prisoner to what holds so many people down -- a negative state of mind.

Related Articles on Meditation for Prisoners

Assessing Spirituality Behind Bars

Happiness Is a Vital Key to Optimum Health

By Sheryl Walters
In Natural News

Research has proven that unhappiness has a negative impact on health. One recent health study found that stress has a delayed impact on cardiovascular health, while another found a link between depression and the formation of atherosclerosis. Statistics show that the incidence of cardiovascular disease increased by 53% following 9/11.

More than ever, science is recognizing that happiness and peace are keys to optimum health.

So it is not hard to believe that with so much suboptimal health in the world, there is also far too little true happiness. Researchers have well documented the fact that the happiness of Americans along with most Europeans has been steadily on the decline, despite an increase in overall material wealth.
Everyday we learn about ways we can be healthier through diet, super foods, and exercise. Yet without authentic happiness, we remain at greater risk for developing illness and disease.

The Science of Happiness

Are you aware that there is actually a science of happiness? We can look inside of ourselves and discover the changes that can bring us further down the road to true, authentic happiness.

Here are some happiness facts, according to scientists:

* Women are generally less satisfied with life until they reach age 50. After age 50, men catch up.

* Dissatisfaction leads to unhappiness.

* Happiness can be measured in the brain.

* No one thing makes us ultimately happy.

* Strong social relationships create better wellbeing and happiness.

* Excessive consumerism, and wanting contributes to unhappiness.

* Happiness is a magical feeling.

* Wealth doesn't give us true happiness because there is always someone richer to compare with. "Buying" into advertising induces unhappiness by demanding that we "measure up".

* Long commuter journeys to and from work cut us off from happy social connections and cause stress and anxiety.

* Happily married couples are healthier. A Study reports that happily married couples experience lower blood pressure.

* Yoga and meditation can help to quiet the mind and promote happiness.

* Deep friendships and trust in others seem to have a positive effect on health and overall wellbeing.

* Those who have a sense of spirituality, whether through religion, philosophical beliefs, or faith are happier.

* And, as the Dalai Lama says, "compassion and kindness lead to true happiness".

The bottom line is that happiness helps us experience less stress and better health and longevity. We all need to think about what can make us truly fulfilled, peaceful, and ultimately happy.

See Related Articles on Happy / Happiness:

20 Simple Ways To Get Happy

The Five Secret Ways To Happiness

Spirituality Accounts For Children's Happiness

Understanding & Coping With Loneliness

Some people believe that loneliness is a sign of our times, while others believe it has always existed as part of the human condition. After all, we come into this life and leave it alone. But intense loneliness and a sense of isolation can lead to depression, illness, sleep issues and general unhappi-ness. There is much that each of us can do for ourselves to over-come the feelings of un-necessary loneli-ness.


The questions that lonely people ask themselves are: Why am I alone? Why have I not found my soul mate? Others work twelve-hour days, sleep a lot, spend money they do not have and use shopping, alcohol or drugs to combat these feelings; some people are lonely because they are new to a strange city and have not yet met friends. Then there are many who are waiting for a special love - their soul mate - to cure them of their unwanted solitude.

What is most important when it comes to dealing with whichever brand of loneliness we suffer from, is that we understand the distinction between loneliness and being alone, and there is a wonderful story about what happened after a teacher read a book about an unpopular pig to a class of five-year-olds. It creates an insightful reference for us all! She asked the children if they knew the difference between the two concepts “loneliness” and “being alone”. A little boy waved his hand eagerly, saying, “I know, I know… being alone is when you don’t have any brothers and sisters: loneliness is when you do but they won’t play with you.”

We are part of a big universe… we have created communities around us of family, friends, neighbours, faith, special interests… and yet understanding that does not always fill the longing and isolation. We are at our loneliest when we do not know who we are and do not love and appreciate ourselves. Loneliness can isolate us not just from other people, but also from ourselves and our true nature and also, there is the feeling that a soul mate will heal us from our loneliness; people will fight tooth and nail to make that dream happen, believing that until they find that person they cannot be happy. They innately know that being in a bad relationship makes us lonelier than if we are on our own and not all of us are meant to find a life partner.

Some people may blame their loneliness on others, believing they are lonely because people do not respond to them, or visit, or take an interest in them, nor realising that the best way out of the problem is to take responsibility for their own happiness and say, “I am lonely, how can I change that for myself”.

Being alone, on the other hand (which is not the same as being lonely), can be an important part of our spiritual journey. It is crucial to go within and connect with our divine nature through meditation or anything that quiets the mind, such as walking, hiking, or sitting on the beach and allowing the sound of the waves to wash over you.

Human beings need time to be alone, yet some mistake it for loneliness. Those people may have to discipline themselves to relax and enjoy life, without constantly having someone else beside them.

Article Source: Tenerife News Online

Assessing Spirituality Behind Bars

A documentary about a meditation program among convicted murderers sparks discussion about the benefits religion and spirituality offer inmates and officials.
By Lewis Beale

The warden was skeptical, the prison chaplain downright hostile and at least one inmate volunteer said the experience was tougher than spending eight years on death row. Yet according to The Dhamma Brothers, a documentary currently being released around the country, the intense, 10-day Vipassana meditation program undertaken by nearly two dozen prisoners at Alabama's Donaldson Correctional Facility — a maximum-security prison — was a rousing success.

"Meditation is a form of treatment that works well in prisons," said Jenny Phillips, the film's co-director and producer. "It's not a relaxation technique; it's not a religion; it's a way to develop skills in managing emotions, and this is what prisoners crave. In a prison like Donaldson, people are so miserable and unhappy — they are looking for redemption and meaning. These guys were looking for nothing short of salvation, and they found it within themselves." (Vipassana itself, which means "insight" in Sanskrit, while derived from Buddhist meditation, has found its greatest success in the U.S. in a nonsectarian form.)

If nothing else, the Vipassana retreat, which involved nine days of total silence and round-the-clock meditation, also shows how religiously and spiritually oriented programs can be a boon for correctional facilities, producing motivated inmates who are less of a discipline problem.

Programs like these "improve the inmate's mental health and might decrease the stress they feel," said Barbara Zaitzow, a professor in the department of political science and criminal justice at Appalachian State University.

Inmates who go through these programs "sleep better," Zaitzow added. "There's low stress and anxiety. They have fewer doctor and hospital visits. There's decreased use of drugs and reduced use of violence. I would also suspect their self-esteem is better, and their learning abilities are better."

Alan Marlatt, director of the Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of Washington, would most likely agree with this assessment. He did a follow-up study on a Vipassana program at a minimum-security prison in the Seattle area, which compared prisoners who took the course to those who didn't.

"Three months after release," he said, "there was a clear difference in the meditation group — less drinking, less drinking-related problems, less drug use. There was less depression and more optimism about life. The meditation gives you more acceptance of unwanted urges, and (the prisoners) felt this was the best way they had ever handled stress."

The same results can probably be obtained with any sincerely held religious or spiritual belief, but experts caution that spirituality in a prison setting can also be problematic. Some inmates join groups just to get "good time" and a nice note in their file, which will hopefully reduce their sentence. (Zaitzow and co-author Jim Thomas of Northern Illinois University implicitly acknowledged that point in a 2006 paper for The Prison Journal. Its tile: "Conning or Conversion: The Role of Religion in Prison Coping.")

Administrations, meanwhile, worry that demands made by a particular religious group — for special diets, particular times for services, etc. — might hurt the running of the institution.

"I have seen (religious) groups that act in a gang-like manner, and that is a major concern in prisons," Zaitzow said. "And that has fallen under the realm of some of the Black Muslim groups. There are power struggles that take place in religious communities, and their activities could appear to be gang-like. These issues crop up in corrections. Prisons are dangerous arenas, and there has to be some scrutiny about what's going on."

Zaitzow added, however, that if for no other reason than potential litigation, prison administrators usually attempt to accommodate religious demands, "in a controlled fashion."

"Most well-educated administrators would admit faith-based programming is a benefit to them on any number of levels," she said. "If people aren't beating each other up, it makes the job of a correctional officer a lot easier."

That certainly seems to be the case with the prisoners who took the Vipassana course at Donaldson, most of whom were serving life terms for murder. The film follows up on the inmates four years after the original retreat — Donaldson terminated the program shortly after the instructors left but reversed that stance four years later — and finds that not only have most of them continued to meditate on a regular basis, but they have formed a sort of brotherhood that remains unbroken. That, and the on-camera testimony of corrections officers who say they have seen a definite turn for the better in these men, provides a ringing affirmation of the program's goals.

"Meditation allows you to adapt to whatever environment you're in," Marlatt said. "So if you're in a prison, it gives you a sense of inner freedom. You learn how to get outside the jail cell of your own mind and get a bigger picture."

Which is, ultimately, what nearly every faith-based or spiritual endeavor aims to do. "Any program that works to help people rehabilitate themselves, that doesn't cost a lot of money and doesn't pose a threat to the security of the institution, should absolutely be welcomed," Zaitzow said. "Even the most hard-core person trying to pull a fast one on the system, if they attend a program long enough, they might be co-opted by that program. If it gives them something to stay out of trouble for whatever time, and a sense of community, then it's a good thing."

The Dhamma Brothers is currently playing in Los Angeles and Seattle. It opens May 16 in Boston and May 17 in Portland, Ore.

Article Source: http://www.miller-mccune.com/article/366

Sri Rudrabhayananda In Malaysia

A REAL Guruji from India named Sri Rudrabhayananda will be in Malaysia to conduct a 2 day course on Ananth Yoga on June 14th and 15th, Sat and Sunday 2008. See bottom of post for more information about the event.

Sri Rudrabhayananda is apparently a prodigy. At the age of 10 he had already mastered what is known as the Auric Grid. Born in 1970, he has mastered various yoga disciplines and is now living a life of bhakti - service. He has agreed to come to Malaysia for the first time to attend to healing requests and conduct this two day workshop.

So, what is ANANTH YOGA?

ANANTH YOGA was devised by Gurudev Rudrabhayananda to help people work directly with the Energy for understanding the Divine. Over the past 3 years thousands of people have started understanding and gaining innumerable benefits as they practise Ananth Yoga daily.

This is the first stage towards Inner Bliss. Prana in normal parlance is translated into "breath" while the actual meaning has far more significance as it means life force. Jatragni or the fire in the belly has great relationship with the prana. In basic levels, we can talk about the energy received from the prana, which is harnessed through the Jatragni is to transform the whole life itself. This power is harnessed through the subtle energy centre known as Manipura Chakra. All the ancient cultures have accepted the fact that Manipura chakra is not a chakra relying on the mechanical process only but controls heart as well as the intelligence.

This is a powerful practical and physical method for gaining insights into the realm of Energy.

More on SRI RUDRABHAYANANDA

Sri Rudrabhayananda was born on the Spring Equinox of 1970, in the city of Delhi, the capital of India. Born in a family of educated and rich he was given the best of education and knowledge. He was given the name Venu Gopalan which means young Krishna holding a flute made of bamboo.

His father Sh. Rajagopalan was a devotee of Ganesh and was well versed in many Sanskrit scriptures. During his lifetime, he had learned from many teachers such as Swami Sivananda, Swami Agnivesh, Swami Rama, Sai Baba, Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti and others.

Sri Rudrabhayananda's paternal family comes from the Mullamutil lineage and the maternal family has a royal lineage.

From his youth he was driven by the desire for knowledge and in particular strove to find answers to three questions:

"What is God?"

"What is life?"

"Why is poverty there in the world?"

He was particular in asking questions like if God is there then it is important that he shows up, people used to find this disturbing. The search to find these answers as well as the necessity to further his lot in life lead him into various fields of endeavour, including becoming a qualified practitioner of two systems of Indian Alternative Medicines and a certified practitioner of Homoeopathy as well.

Sri Rudrabhayananda conveys his understanding of God and its through his speeches and writings Transformations.

At the age of ten he had mastered the occult science of creating the Auric Grid.

Though he was not able to gauge what he was doing but he knew the art. The transformation started soon and he was blessed to be in contact with many spiritual teachers who were interested to provide him knowledge and also make him aware of the knowledge he gained from his past lives. Rudrabhayananda was the name given to R. Venugopalan by Aghoree Baba Pinadrik ji, one of the most respected practitioners of Aghoree panth.

In 1996, Sri Rudrabhayananda formed Soul Searchers, a centre for teaching occult sciences to his disciples. Seekers have claimed that they have experienced physical and emotional healing, have been able to eliminate stress successfully and have been able to create a sense of belonging. He has developed more than 2000 meditation techniques and over 20 programs covering various fields at the Body, Mind and Soul levels. Many of these techniques have been covered in various books and Kits that he has written and prepared.

Sri Rudrabhayananda has been consistently and selflessly conducting workshops across India on Kundalini Diksha, Reiki I, II, Mastership and Grand mastership, Ananth Yoga among many other techniques that help the seekers in a manifold way.

He says, "Manushya, the term, has its origin in two words one 'Mana' meaning manas (heart+brain) and second being 'Isa' meaning the process of transcending. When the realization of this word occurs, the man in the form understands the real purpose of life and grows beyond to be Manav or humane."

Mahashunya Kriya, a form of Sadhana, developed by Sri Rudrabhayananda is at the core of the Soul Searchers course, Ananth Yoga. It is a four level course for sadhakas and disciples and all individuals. It works at three levels - Mind, Body and Soul. Mahashunya Kriya, if practised with sincere efforts, allows a person to go into the state of Samadhi.Ananth Yoga helps sadhakas in rising above the material world and desires. It reduces stress and helps balance the major chakras of the body.

Activities in Malaysia

Healing Request: June 16th and 17th at Khoracle (By Donation - limited to 5 persons per day only)

Two Day Workshop: June 14th and 15th at Clove & Clive (Refreshments and a Vegetarian meal will be served).

Early Bird Incentive for the Workshop: MYR750.00 (Registration before 30th May)

After 30th May: MYR850.00.

For registration or healing request, pls call +603 80606970 Letchumi at Khoracle or email us at myspiritualvillage@gmail.com or khoracle@gmail.com.

For more information on the workshop, please call:

Padma Menon Hp: +6017 3679570

Jaya Padamoni: HP +6019 6238797

Annie Foo: HP +6012 3310038

[Video] Cosmic Energy & Learn How to Meditate Part 11 (Final)

Here's the final part found in youtube broken in 11 parts on possibly the best source of information on how and why to meditate.

Learn How to Meditate. Part 11



Watch all 11 videos on "Cosmic Energy & Learn How to Meditate"

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Read also related articles about Meditation from Spiritual Village:

Meditation Often Looks Silly But It Might Actually Have Medical Benefits
Meditation Can Improve Your Health

[Video] Cosmic Energy & Learn How to Meditate Part 10

Here's Part 10 found in youtube broken in 11 parts on possibly the best source of information on how and why to meditate.

Learn How to Meditate. Part 10 - Life After Life and Age Cycles



Watch all 11 videos on "Cosmic Energy & Learn How to Meditate"

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Read also related articles about Meditation from Spiritual Village:

Meditation Often Looks Silly But It Might Actually Have Medical Benefits
Meditation Can Improve Your Health

[Video] Cosmic Energy & Learn How to Meditate Part 9

Here's Part 9 found in youtube broken in 11 parts on possibly the best source of information on how and why to meditate.

Learn How to Meditate. Part 9

Watch all 11 videos on "Cosmic Energy & Learn How to Meditate"

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

Read also related articles about Meditation from Spiritual Village:

Meditation Often Looks Silly But It Might Actually Have Medical Benefits
Meditation Can Improve Your Health