Let me meditate on this ...

But meditating is soooo good for you!

I've tried meditating now and again. At one point, I would meditate for 20 to 30 minutes twice a day, every day. I was following the instructions from The World Community for Christian Meditation. But after three or four months, I gave up on it. I felt like I just wasn't getting anywhere with it. Granted, I was aware that we're not supposed to be concerned with our "performance" during meditation. Instead, we're just supposed to focus on our breath or a mantra; at least that's the way they teach it at WCCM. I'm much better at guided imagery - following the words of a "guide" speaking on a recording. At least, that felt more satisfying to me. And I felt as though I gained something from my time.

While I was perusing the books and CDs at my local library one day, I came across a CD called "Meditation for Beginners" by Jack Kornfield. I loved it. I felt like I really was gaining the benefits of meditation when I practiced it with his instruction.

Dr. Kornfield is an excellent meditation teacher, with a soft, soothing voice and easy step-by-step, calm instructions, which he sometimes supplements with stories. He is also an author and psychotherapist. After returning in 1972 from Asia, where he lived as a Buddhist monk for five years, Dr. Kornfield co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and earned a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Dr. Kornfield teaches "insight" meditation. Instead of focusing on just the breath or a mantra, he talks about being very aware of your own body - any twitches or feelings of hot or cold - and sounds in the room or outside. He teaches that you can be aware of these things - feel them, listen to them, then gently come back - rather than having a feeling of needing to tune everything out. His CD includes five guided meditation sessions to help cultivate inner tranquility, joy and mental clarity, which are the wonderful byproducts of meditation.

Since that time, I have become a Holosync meditator (see my Holosync page). Holosync "meditates you," which is by far the easiest way to go.

One thing's for sure: The practice of meditation - clearing the mind, slowing it down, focusing on one thought - is very good for the whole body.

Meditation calms the mind and keeps it focused on the present. It is an effective means of treating stress and managing pain. It's also been shown to reduce high blood pressure.

Mainly two categories

Although there are hundreds of meditation techniques, most fall into one of two categories: concentrative and mindfulness. In concentrative meditation, attention is focused on a single sound, a single object, such as a candle or crystal, or one's breath; this brings about a calm, tranquil mind. During mindfulness meditation, the person may become aware of but does not react to a wide variety of sounds, sensations, feelings and images. Transcendental meditation (TM) in particular is said to bring about a state of deep relaxation in which the body is totally at rest, but the mind is highly alert.

Meditation relies on the brain's ability to switch to an Alpha or Theta brainwave state, or in the case of Holosync, a mostly Delta brainwave pattern (see my page on brain waves ). As the brain's rhythm slows, endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, are released. Also, according to studies, metabolism is lowered during meditation, resulting in a slower heart rate, decreased blood pressure and slower breathing.

Practicing some form of meditation on a daily basis can provide great benefits to our overall health - physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.

I hope that if you're not now a meditator you'll keep trying to find a method that fits your life. I'll offer a number of reviews of CDs and books that you can try in the hopes of pointing you in the right direction on your journey.

Speaking of "journey," here's a wild journey that will help you practice meditation techniques ...

Here's another resource that I found recently: Chi Kung Unlimited: Also known as qigong, this 5000-year-old Chinese form of yoga incorporates a lifestyle that includes the practice of tai chi chuan, yogic breathing, meditation, self-defense, diet and nutrition. Benefits include health, well-being and inner peace.