What Spiritual Awakening Can Do For You

Aside from the self-transformation you get from having a spiritual awakening, there are a number of benefits that you can get out of the same experience. Soul awakening and self-development leads to a balanced life. Eventually, the same balanced life will lead you to a happy and fulfilled life. But don’t get me wrong, the ending is great but even the process can quite a rewarding experience. What spiritual awakening can do for you is more than just the physical benefits. You might not see it now but when you reached that state of spiritual enlightenment, you’ll be glad that you’ve gone through the whole thing.

In reaching spiritual awakening you need meditation. And meditation itself has lots of benefits. Meditation can relieve stress for one thing which is highly ideal especially in the busy lives we have today. Working in the city and a highly stressful environment can bring a toll to the mind and body. Having daily meditation time can help relieve the stress and can in the long run make you healthier and your life longer. It will lead you to finding your true self and determining your real potential.

The effects of meditation might not be felt immediately. Some might even feel a little stress from the exercise but eventually when you do this on a more or less regular basis you will start to feel the effects kick in. It might take some time before you feel a certain level of calmness and peace but it will come. You will start to feel happier with yourself and with your surroundings. You will start finding the best out of a situation and not feeling depressed or angry all the time. You will become more patient and you can connect with other people more now. And not only that but you will find that you have a better understanding of who you are, a better understanding of your own consciousness. You will find that not only did your physical body improved, become healthier but your overall emotional and spiritual state have grown to some extent.

There are different meditation techniques. In fact, there are numerous schools of thought that provide different styles and approaches in finding your true self. Some would insist on having a mantra, a word that you have to repeat in order to calm your mind to begin the meditation process. There are some who would find having someone guide him or her through the meditation process as the most effective way to reach a calm state of mind. They seem to find it difficult to do it by themselves. The goal in meditation is to get to that place where you are totally relaxed, where nothing, including your mind interferes. It is a level of consciousness where you don’t have unnecessary thoughts, or no thoughts for that matter play a role. Imagine yourself in a pitch black room. Even if you don’t see anything you are aware that you exist. That is very similar to what we plan to do during a meditation process. You look into yourself and become aware of what or who you are without thinking. It is a higher level of awareness that we’re looking for.

Okay, I do hope I am not complicating things nor making things ambiguous. But the truth is spiritual awakening cannot be described by simple words or in my case series of paragraphs. It is more than just words, it is more than just an experience. The important thing is that what spiritual awakening can do to you is more than you can hope for.

Who are you? A Spiritual Awakening

Who are you? A spiritual awakening now will help you answer that question. We have asked that same query repeatedly in the course of our lives, often having answers that dwell on the basic and the more obvious. Who are you? I am an employee, a clerk in the bank, a teacher, an engineer, a scientist or a businessman. But that question is a loaded one and requires an answer beyond what we do in our lives. It can be approached as a philosophical question where the answer would require looking more closely and deeply into one’s self.

To achieve an awakening, one might have to go into deep meditation. Others might suggest a different approach though. It is still meditation but more of an involved observation. Observing closely the inner workings of your mind would be a different approach but can be as effective as meditation. Being a third party observer to your thoughts could be a good exercise of separating yourself from your own thoughts which can lead to discerning who you really are. You might find this concept a little different or even outwardly weird. But still there’s no harm in trying though since you’re in the process of knowing yourself, giving different means or techniques a shot is not that bad.

Techniques may vary but what is important is that you are meditating on what is happening on the now. The realization will not come if you keep thinking of the past or paying too much attention to the future. Thinking, meditating and concentrating on your thoughts at this very minute or second would be the right way to go. You don’t think about past exploits, former employments, the days during those college years, and all that stuff during meditation. You think of the present, you think why you exist right now. You observe what you are at that moment and enlightenment might come quickly to some or might take some time to others. You might need more patience and keep trying to get something out of the exercise.

Others, however, would insist on leaving everything as they come and dealing with them as they enter your consciousness. All those things are part of your existence. Resisting them is like resisting part of yourself. These things are happening now and not paying much attention to them does not really help. This is why other people insist on not blocking those emotions. Living in the moment means not trying to change.

The thing is it to continue feeling peaceful. Remember the moment and keep coming back to that moment. That will be your base for your meditation. Always remember to leave everything behind and always pay attention to the moment. I may have said this over and over again but the fact of the matter is you need to always pay attention to the moment. If you suddenly found yourself drifting from your meditation, go back to that moment where you are at peace. Just be there at that moment and do not worry if you’re doing everything right or wrong.

So we go back to that question of who are you? A spiritual awakening is indeed the answer but it might not come instantly to others while it comes immediately to others. You just need to be patient if you belong to the group that enlightenment does not come easily.

Chakras And Flowers

How do you connect chakras, the energy centres of the body in Eastern tradition, and flowers, pretty, ephemeral, bright, cheerful manifestations of nature?

…by way of colour therapy.. yoga energy balancing techniques…meditation… and a simple way of making yourself feel better and re-energized even if you don’t really believe in any of the above.

There are seven main chakras (as well as several others) in a line from the base of the spine to the crown of the head and one more newly recognised chakra just above the head which I believe is important. Each one is associated with various areas of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. When the energy flow in one becomes blocked it can result in certain symptoms and vice versa. By keeping the chakras open and the energy flowing, we can maximise our body’s ability to keep well and heal itself.

One way of stimulating energy flow is by a simple visualisation. Each chakra has a colour of the spectrum linked to it. Focus on that colour and imagine that colour light pouring into the chakra and saturating it in pure coloured light, then visualise the chakra as a spinning disc of colour. Take 2 or 3 deep breaths as you do so. You can also repeat a mantra or affirmation to intensify the positive energy you are creating. Work through each chakra (see below for summary) in turn from Root to Crown to rebalance your whole energy level.

So what about the flowers? Whatever you use to visualise the colour would work, paint swatches, coloured stones or crystals, an image in your minds eye, but beautiful photographs of flowers saturated in the pure colour of each chakra can bring some extra flower energy into your life as well.

Flowers raise the vibrational energy around them, which is why they have long been associated with celebrations, brought as presents to new mothers, sick people, loved ones. Weddings and funerals are lavish with them. We are rarely aware of the spiritual connection these days, we just know that flowers cheer people up and make them feel glad. So flower photos as visualisation aids make sense and are beautiful to have around.

There are books written about the chakras going into far more detail than there is space for here, as it is a deep and complex subject, with infinite, individual interpretations, but here is a basic, brief summary of the chakras and their associated areas and colours.

1. Root - Red
Situated at the base of the spine.
Emotional grounding and ones roots. The excretory and reproductive systems and the immune system.
Mantra “I am in touch with the earth, my roots”

2. Sacral – Orange
A hands breadth down from the belly button.
Sexuality, creativity, financial issues, honour and ethics, one to one relationships.
Genital and urinary systems, bladder and prostate.
Mantra “I am a creative, sexual being”

3. Solar Plexus – Yellow
Over the solar plexus at the bottom of the rib cage.
Self-esteem, self-confidence and how you see yourself.
Digestive system, worries and fears, the stress of responsibility.
Mantra “I believe in myself”

4. Heart – Green
Over the heart.
Love, forgiveness, unconditional love. Relationships.
Circulatory and immune systems. Heart and lungs. Loneliness.
Mantra “I can give and receive love”

5. Throat – Blue
Centre of the throat
Communication, self-expression and will power.
Thyroid problems, sore throats, addictions(due to lack of will)
Mantra “I speak my truth”

6. Brow - Indigo
Centre of forehead
Intuition, intellect and mind, inner vision.
Brain and nervous system, eye problems.
Mantra “I see clearly”

7. Crown - Violet
Top of head.
Spiritual awakening, search for meaning. Our relationship to our spirit and God.
Central nervous system, overwhelming fatigue.
Mantra “I believe”

8. Soul star – White/crystal
Directly above the crown, about two hand’s breadths from the head
Awareness of ones soul and its connection to the conscious self.
Gives perspective on life and ability to see seemingly random positive or negative events as part of the soul’s journey.
Mantra “I transcend”

This is a personal, simplified interpretation of the chakras. Use it as a stepping stone to finding out more for yourself.

Different Forms Of Meditation

There are no special tricks to meditating; no special posture or breathing rhythm is required. Once you have gotten the knack of it you can meditate anywhere during any activity. Some readers have succeeded in reaching this altered state of conscious while reading about my sand meditation, perhaps you too may realize this transformational state of consciousness as you read on…

Sometimes meditation opens a door into the mysteries of creation. If we allow ourselves to pass through this door there is no telling what we may encounter on the other side. Do not become discouraged if you have tried to meditate in the past and not gotten any remarkable results. Meditation is a mystical process and it may take awhile to learn how to quiet your mind and open yourself to all the present moment has to offer you.

My meditation began while sitting on a beach. My hands were sandy. I rubbed my thumb and forefinger together feeling the grains of sand between them slipping away until only a single grain of sand remained. I could feel the shape of the grain of sand distinctly as I rolled it back and forth between my thumb and forefinger.

The longer I rolled the grain of sand about the more defined my awareness of the grain of sand became. The more detailed my experience of the grain of sand became the larger it appeared to be.
While I could clearly feel the tiny grain of sand trapped between my thumb and finger roll about across the grooves and ridges of my fingerprints the grain of sand appeared to be growing larger and larger as I contemplated it.

The grain of sand continued to grow, encompassing the beach and then the world. Before long the grain of sand had grown to an infinite size and it now encompassed all of creation; yet I still held the tiny grain of sand between my thumb and forefinger, rolling it about across the grooves and ridges of my fingerprints.

The tiny grain of sand was intimately connected to every part of creation and all of creation existed within it, even as it existed within my grasp. I communed with the grain of sand, aware of its infinite connectedness to everything else; through the medium of the grain of sand I became aware of my own infinite connectedness with all of creation.

The sand spoke to me of eternity. It told me tales about creation and the infinite nature of our existence in creation. From the grain of sand I learned that every tiniest part of creation is a living being experiencing creation and sharing in the process whereby creation makes everything manifest.

My meditation with a grain of sand always produced a feeling of intense bliss. It was an eternal meditation that transcended the time and place where it began to continue throughout all of creation. From time to time I would return to this meditation, engrossed by the wisdom and experience of a single tiny grain of sand.

How Meditation Helps Insomnia

Insomnia simply is a chronic inability to sleep. I have had many restless nice with only a few hours a sleep. Many nights I would only get 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I had tried everything to help me sleep.I tried things like Tylenol pm.mild nerve pills and even was tested for sleep apnea and had a breathing machine to use at night for the sleep apnea.That machine made me feel as if i could not get any oxygen. Insomnia can make you crazy after awhile.

I was having a very difficult time breathing with it. I had to quit using the machine because it was so uncomfortable.I was getting very irritable from not sleeping so a friend told me how using mediation helped her.I went on the computer and found out many ways meditation helps people for many different problems. The first thing I learned is that having insomnia can also be a mind thing.

You can actually train your mind to go without sleep.I know that I think about the struggles I go through everyday and keep that on my mind so I cannot sleep well. Through meditation I have learned to calm down,relax and know that getting so upset over things I cannot change will just make things worse. Now when I come home after a exhausting day I don’t let things bother me so much. I actually first started my mediation in the morning before I left and again when I get home.

In the morning I get up about 30 minutes earlier then the rest of the family so I can have time to myself. I go into the kitchen get a book I like or a newspaper,fix me some coffee and just meditate before I have to start my hectic day. When I come home at night I know that with my insomnia I will have another restless night so I start preparing for my night after I get supper cooked the dishes done and kids to bed.

For my meditation at night I will first relax by listening to soothing music. I will turn on a music channel on my television and just kick back and relax. I then get in a hot tub and sit there and let the hot water sooth me. After I get out of the tub I do not wait to go to bed. Since my body is now very relaxed I go straight to bed. I have learned by staying awake watching TV after I am so relaxed will only make it harder for me to sleep.

Since I used my meditation while listening to comforting music and relieving my tension with a hot bath why get upset by watching television. I turn my fan on low get under the covers take some deep relaxing breaths and go to sleep. I’m not saying that I am cured and get 8 hours of sleep every night but I can say that using mediation to relax me has helped me at least get a couple of extra hours of sleep then I use to.

My husband also turns on the little clock radio to a country channel and leaves it on low all night to help him get some sleep.You have got to remember meditation is simply clearing your mind of thoughts that upset you. Once you have cleared your mind over whatever is bothering you it will be to your benefit.

Relaxing is the key to having a better day and night. So find a way of meditation that will help you relax and just enjoy your night. You are worth it and most of all after all you do for everyone you deserve to have a few moments of relaxing meditation.

Meditation Using Your Body And Brain

There is a constant two-way communication going on between your body and your brain.Do you remember a time when you may have thought of something that was just terrible or maybe you had a “sinking feeling” in your stomach area? That is the kind of communication that goes on between your brain and your body.Meditation can help relax your mind so it can help train your body to relax and your brain to be clear.

Recent research has found that not only does your brain communicate with your cells,but your cells will also communicate with your brain and also with other parts of your body.In fact,scientist have recently discovered that we think with not only are brain but our bodies as well.Meditation can help us to also understand about our brain.It is not inaccurate to look at your entire body as being part of your brain.

That may be a new fact that may startle you,but do not reject it.Many scientists are now starting to believe that we are actually a “bodybrain”.You can communicate with your body and brain through meditation.A key part of your body’s incredible communication system involves your cells’ receptors.This means every call in your body can have millions of receptors on it’s face,and each cell has perhaps seventy different types of receptors.

While meditating as I learned more I discovered that in the early 1970s,Candace Pert,PhD.D, was the first scientist to prove that the existence of these receptors with her own discovery of the opiate receptor.This receptor molecules float on the cell’s oily outer part of the membrane and also have roots that can reach deep inside the cell.I’m sure that Dr.Pert had to do a lot of meditating as she wrote her wonderful book The Molecules Of Emotion,Dr.Pert says that “the life of a cell,what it is up to at any moment,is determined by which receptors are on its surface,and whether those receptors are occupied by ligands or not.

A ligand is described as a small molecule that will bind itself to a cellular receptor.Still using mediation to keep my mind clear I learned that there are three chemical types of ligands. They are the neurotransmitters,the steroids,and the ones that we are most interested in at this time,the peptides. According to Dr.Pert,as many as 95 percent of all ligands may be peptides.

The receptors and their ligands have come to be seen as “information

Using Meditation Through Music

Clearing your mind through meditation is one of the most peaceful ways you can find to just relieve all the tension you have in your body. Once your mind and body are relaxed you can start to just enjoy some time to yourself. I know that most of us listen to the radio at some point of the day. You may enjoy music ranging from country,to easy listening,to disco,soft rock,classic country,or even blue grass.

Whatever kind of music you enjoy you can find this as a very relaxing way of meditation. For a lot of you that are in good physical shape and like to exercise in a gym at home or even by jogging you want to be able to free your mind of a lot of things that have bothered you through the day.If you are out and about doing your exercises take a Walkman with you and just put it on a station that you really like and let the music just relax all of your tension.

If you are at home exercising or even cooking or cleaning if you have a CD player get one of your favorite Cd’s and play it while you are doing the things you need to do.You can also just go get some blank tapes and record your favorite music off the radio for your meditation. One of the things I find relaxing is listening to music while I am working on the computer.

I have found free sites such as lime wire and frost wire and have taken the time to download my all time favorite songs. I transfer the songs I enjoy into my windows media player and play my music everyday when I am on the computer. I just quietly sing along to my favorite music relax and just meditate about my day. I actually use my keyboard a lot and have to do a lot of typing about different subjects. I have found that if I am not completely relaxed and my mind clear I will make many mistakes in my work which I can’t afford to do.

I know I need to be completely relaxed so I pull up my windows media player and play my most favorite songs that will help me to use mediation to get my work done. I have also bought some blank Cd’s and burned my favorite songs and then listen to that CD while working on the computer or even going somewhere in my car. After having a busy long hard day and I know I still have to drive home and start my routine of cooking,helping kids with homework,giving the kids a bath and getting them to bed.

As soon as I get in my car and I think about all the things I will have to do I put my CD in the player clear my mind and relax and meditate. After I get all my work done I put the kids to bed and the house is very quiet I will draw me a hot bubble bath and listen to my music and just clear my mind and gather my thoughts so I then can start the next day with a clear head.

So whether you enjoy meditating by exercising,shopping,or listening to your favorite music you will find once you have released all of your tension you can then start to feel good about yourself and when you feel good about yourself you can then feel good about your life.

The Mirrored Body

Everything that happens to you everyday is recorded in your conscious and unconscious minds. You alone decide how you feel about something, or what you want to do next. When decisions that you make everyday start to cause you stress, it can show up in physical symptoms within your body.
A good example is sickness. Why do some people get sick and other don’t? Why do some patients respond to a treatment and others don’t? It is all a matter of your attitude and the fight you are willing to put up to beat the germ or illness.

Your life energy is in every cell in your body and you can communicate with all of them. If there is some sickness, you must identify what is causing it. If you can’t hear, is there something you don’t wish to know? If you can’t speak, is there something you don’t want to say? If you can’t see, have you been keeping something from yourself? There are hundreds of examples. We can learn to solve these problems, but only by asking hard questions. We must face up to the answers if we want to feel better. It is your choice to take life by the hand or let it pass you by.

Some symptoms develop after a while because you let the problem continue and finally your physical body has symptoms of an illness. These tensions in your body usually correlate to stress in your life when the symptoms developed. Being aware of this relationship will help you figure out how to resolve the issues. If you leave the issues unresolved, you will continue to get sicker and show more symptoms. Your body is trying to tell you something is not right. Start paying attention to yourself when you are not feeling well and see if you can trace it back to a certain event.

Learning the Techniques of Chakra Meditation

When it comes to meditation and all the different styles, there are many of them to choose from. In fact, one of the styles of meditation that is becoming more and more popular is chakra meditation; as it is very simple to learn.

Many times when people learn chakra meditation, they will not want to meditate any other way after that! For many people, chakra meditation is one of the easiest to learn as well as remember.

One thing that many people are unaware of is that chakra meditation is a form of meditation that focuses on certain parts of the body; such as your head, heart or any major organs. In fact, there are seven chakras located throughout everyone’s body (which are the perineum, swadhisthana, navel, heart, throat, eyebrows or forehead, and the top of the head). The main chakra is located just at the base of the spine, which is also known as the coccyx; and it is close to our body and allowing us to master it. Also, our health and security are both linked to the chakra.

Most often when people are taught chakra meditation, they are taught that chakra is an energy that is in the center of the body which is located right at the center of the nervous system; which is at the beginning of the spinal column and goes throughout the entire body to the top of the head. In fact, many people believe that it is the biophysical energy of a person’s body.

Just like any other type of meditation, when practicing chakra meditation, there are several things that you should follow or learn; especially if you are a beginner at meditating and learning on your own. Some of the things that you should first learn before beginning chakra meditation is that it can be done while sitting or lying down, you should adjust all your clothing as well as your body, you should have your eyes closed, when breathing keep your breath relaxed, slow and deepened (but you do not want to control it), find the spinal passage and bring awareness to it, focus on the general area of where the chakras are, before finishing the breath sound, chant “Om” 3 times.

Even though with meditation there are supposed to be no bad side effects, with chakra meditation there is. In fact, a couple of the side effects are excessive mental energy; especially if one does not have enough physical activities. Another problem that many beginners have problems with is getting an emotional imbalance which cause mood (personality) and behavioral problems.

If you are thinking about trying chakra meditation, it is best to go to a professional for advice and some lessons; as you will want to be as healthy as possible!

Guided Meditation

Guided Meditation Will Help You Learn the True Art of Meditation

Meditation has been around for over 5,000 years as a religious and spiritual form of therapy, whether to gain our inner peace and well-being or to grow closer to Christ and bring him into our lives and bodies. Today meditation is used more than ever before. It’s used for many of the same purposes of years ago with many more goals that are successful today. With the help of guided meditation, many individuals are learning the art of meditation and using it in their daily lives. Guided meditation was used years ago when meditation was first used, but today it is used more than ever because of the ever-increasing popularity of meditation.

Meditation comes in many different forms and techniques. When many of us think of meditation, we think of an old Indian chief sitting on the bottom of a mountain with his leg crossed, deep in thought for hours. However, meditation is much more than that today. Even the medical profession has done a lot of research on meditation as a means of gaining good physical health. It’s been proven that some forms of meditation affect our brain waves. Testing has also been done to prove if meditation has helped with other health problems such as heart disorders, high blood pressure and more. This is, of course, provided the patient was receiving guided meditation.

Guided meditation is available from many different sources for those interested in learning the art. Many individuals have heard the positive about meditation but don’t wish to see a specialist in the area or join group sessions. They are able to order courses of guided meditation either online or on a cd or DVD. Many inexperienced people believe meditation is nothing more than sitting on the floor thinking about something for a long time. Meditation is much more than that. While it may involve sitting and thinking, there is much more to it than that.

There are techniques on how to sit, how to relax your body and what to focus on and for how long. Meditation has helped many people to find inner peace and happiness. Stress and anxiety are a very real part of our every day lives. Stress, anxiety and depression have been proven to contribute to many illnesses and disorders in the human body. With the help of guided meditation, you can learn how to relieve your stress and anxiety, therefore, bring peace to your emotional well-being, which will help your physical beings.