Meditation - The White Swan - Hamsa Meditation

The History:

Long before Hinduism and Buddhism, the wise masters of India practiced and transmitted powerful mantras, of which the Hamsa meditation is said to be the foremost. This timeless wisdom mantra belongs to the ancient Vedic spiritual tradition.

The Vedas are the oldest of man's scriptures, ancient holy texts passed down through the generations. The mantra itself is part of the oral tradition that has continued through many centuries.

Although this is not a Buddhist meditation, it belongs to the Indian yoga tradition that the Buddha himself practiced.

The Technique:

The mantra itself is deceptively simple. All we need to do is breath in and out through the nostrils. As we do this we repeat to ourselves the syllable HAM on the in-breath, and the syllable SO on the out-breath.

Repeat on the in-breath: HAM

On the out-breath: SO

The Meaning:

The syllable HAM represents and embodies the expansive masculine yang energy; the syllable SO represents the centripetal yin, feminine energy. HAMSA means white swan. The swan is an ancient symbol of spiritual grace and purity.

The Purpose:

The Hamsa meditation helps us find the grace within and carries us beyond our limited concepts. It helps us shed negative feelings that we are 'ugly ducklings' and reminds us that we are all graceful and pure swans. It can help our spiritual life take wings.

Ancient teachings say this mantra is a vibration of infinite consciousness, uniting us each with divine source. It is said that this mantra helps us erase duality and the sense that we are different or separate from each other.

We cannot find the enlightenment we seek until we realize that we are all one; there is no 'other'. The Hamsa meditation helps us to connect with the divine love and profound energy that flows through the universe and through each of us.

Chant this mantra during your meditation:

HAM on the inhalation

SO on the exhalation

There is a joke in Buddhist circles: "Don't just do something, sit there."

Meditation - Basic Practice

There is a joke in Buddhist circles: "Don't just do something, sit there."

What is Meditation?

Meditation is how we train in continuous awareness. It is also how we train in letting go. Meditating might not appear to be very exciting or productive, but try it and give inner peace a chance.

Meditation is a truly transformative spiritual exercise. Beginning meditators do not always connect the simplicity of what they are doing to the essence of the spiritual search, but it is all there to be discovered by those who try it. The Dzogchen teachings of Tibet say one moment of total awareness is one moment of perfect freedom and enlightenment. You do not need to seek elsewhere; it is all within.

The Practice:

Begin your meditation practice in a place that is quiet and free of distraction. Sit comfortably with your back erect. Stay alert and yet relaxed and at ease. This begins the training in mindfulness, or in cultivating heightened consciousness and awareness.

Begin breathing in and out through you nostrils.

Mindfully breath in, mindfully breath out.

Let go of the natural flow of energy and breathing, and learn to simply let it be.

Pay close attention to each and every inhalation and exhalation, following the breath - the object of your attention, all the way in and all the way out.

What is the Purpose of Practicing Meditation?

Breath awareness practice may not seem immediately productive, but give it a chance. Some spiritual masters make it their primary practice throughout their entire lives. Mindfulness of breathing is the basic mediation practice, and yet it has the power to reach and enhance all levels of consciousness. It may appear simple, but even so it works on all levels of the path and it is certainly not just for beginners.

It may not be immediately apparent, but to be totally in the moment, which is what meditation requires, means relinquishing the past, the future, and the dualism that makes a distinction between self and others. This is the essence of letting go.

Meditation As a Training For Letting Go

Detachment - Self-Mastery - Discipline

Westerners are drawn to Buddhism for a wide variety of reasons, but many are specifically attracted because they want to learn to let go of unwanted states of mind that are making them unhappy.

Some want to let go of anxieties, fears, obsessive thoughts etc. Others say they can't relax and mediate because they think too much, often letting old and painful thoughts take over.

Letting got and achieving detachment requires some level of self-mastery. It requires the cultivation of self-awareness and a healthy discipline.

Travelling Inward

Remember that taking the spiritual path always includes traveling inward to learn as much as we can about ourselves. Reflect on what 'travelling inward' means. Our dreams at night are a subtle reminder of that rich inner landscape.

Inner Landscape - The Mind

In Buddhism the inner landscape is called 'mind'. Buddhism is known as a 'science of the mind' and seen as a way of refining and cultivating the heart-mind and its various forms of intelligence through attention and attitude transformation practices. Learning to consciously direct, focus, and tame the flight, restless, and confused mind is the heroic challenge of life.

Stilling The Mind

Meditation practice helps to train and concentrate our restless mind, so that, like a trained horse, the power and focused attention and awareness can be used however we choose, rather than it running us. Since everything depends on our mind, even more than our body, cultivating a well-tamed, stable and concentrated mind can bring us the serenity and spiritual realization we seek, as well as providing extraordinary feelings of bliss, infinite peace, harmony, and awareness.

Meditation - Stilling the Mind

Are you ruminating over the past or frantically planning for the future? With both of those activities of the mind we are unconsciously looking for ways in which to successfully avoid truly living in the moment.

Stilling The Mind
Meditation practice helps to train and concentrate our restless mind, so that, like a trained horse, the power and focused attention and awareness can be used however we choose, rather than it running us. Since everything depends on our mind, even more than our body, cultivating a well-tamed, stable and concentrated mind can bring us the serenity and spiritual realization we seek, as well as providing extraordinary feelings of bliss, infinite peace, harmony, and awareness.

Different Practices:
There are various ways to practice meditation and you will eventually find one that suits your style. Some people prefer to follow a guided meditation with music or spoken suggestions, others prefer to sit in stillness and count their breath or focus on a candle. The way you meditate is less important than the fact that you do it regularly and that you give yourself the focused time and space to do so. It is best to follow an informal ritual and making your meditation practice part of your daily rhythm:

• Choose a specific time: first thing in the morning is a suitable time as the mind is still fairly still and the practice is supported by the quietness of the surroundings
• Choose a suitable place: begin your meditation practice in a place that is quiet and free of distraction.
• Decide on the length of meditation: start with 15 to 20 minutes, preferably every morning at the same time
• Position: Remember to sit comfortably with your back erect. Stay alert and yet relaxed and at ease. This begins the training in mindfulness, or in cultivating heightened consciousness and awareness. Lying down is not suggested.

Meditation as a Metaphor:
Imagine your mind as a puppy. Your intention is to keep the puppy on a white sheet of paper. The nature of the puppy is to explore and walk around and you simply carry it back to the sheet of paper. You won't be upset at the puppy for walking of because you know and understand the very nature of the puppy.

The same applies to the mind. The nature of the mind is to wander - simply bring it back to the meditation practice you have chosen.

Want to know more? Have a look at my blog.

Nathalie Himmelrich is the founder of 'Reach for the Sky Therapy' on Sydney's Northern Beaches and specialises in 'relationship related issues'. She is working with individuals and couples using techniques ranging from Counselling, Neuro Linguistic Programming to Journey Therapy. She supports clients in their personal growth in a supportive and professional environment.

Law of Attraction Money Mistake - Actions That Worsen Stagnation and Struggle

Sometimes when people find themselves in difficult circumstances their judgment becomes clouded, confusion sets in - and they end up doing things that just make the problems much worse. For example, have you ever been so overwhelmed by a problem that you didn't know what to do about it so you did nothing at all and let it snowball out of control? Or, have you ever panicked and taken hasty actions that you regretted later? When you operate from a mind-set of lack and struggle, you have little hope of turning things around because you are infusing the problems with the very same energy that created them in the first place. In order to make lasting changes you have to change the way you operate day to day, mentally, physically and emotionally.

Law of Attraction Think Rich Lesson: Operate from a State of Joy and Confidence

Just as there are actions that can worsen stagnation and struggle, there are actions that can get some strong, positive energy flowing through your life and begin turning everything around quickly and easily. Below are three powerful actions you can begin taking today:

1) Do what you love.

The more time you spend feeling GOOD, the more positive emotion you contribute to the creation of your life. This is true in relation to your financial situation, but also all other areas of your life.

Be sure to make a habit of doing the things you really LOVE to do each day. This can be everything from creative pursuits to reading inspiring books; spending quality time with friends and family, and making your own self-care a high priority. If it makes you feel light, happy, fulfilled and relaxed, do it as often as possible!

2) Open gateways for prosperity to enter your life.

Are you doing everything you can to help the universe send more money your way? Or are you disallowing abundance by refusing to take action? The universe can find many ways to boost your abundance, but it can do so much more easily if YOU take action to invite greater opportunities!

Possible action steps might include: applying for a better paying job, buying a lottery ticket, networking with successful people, sharing your talents and skills with the world, and anything else that will create an opening for abundance to enter your life.

Most importantly, do these things without attaching rigid expectations to them. Instead, allow the actions themselves to be fun and enjoyable. Do them because you enjoy doing them, without expecting them to pay off in any other way. When you do this, you are "allowing" lots of great things into your life - including money and abundance in many forms.3) Don't worry about the "how".

You may be so used to trying to figure everything out on our own that it can be hard to detach from wondering "how" abundance will come to you. Don't try to brainstorm money-making activities or focus obsessively on how to bring in more money.

Instead, let the universe work on your behalf. Decide how much money you'd like to have in the immediate future, and then ask the universe to lead you to the best opportunities for attracting it. Not only will you discover better opportunities than you could hunt down on your own, you'll probably enjoy them much more too!

Binaural Beats - What They Are, How They Work & What They Can Do For You

Binaural beats were first discovered in 1839 by Heinrich Wilhelm Dove. However, Dove didn't realise the full potential of this technology, he merely observed that it occurred. It was another 134 years before Gerald Oster penned an article called "Auditory Beats in the Brain" which was published in Scientific American in 1973.

It was proposed that a binaural beat occurs in the brain if you apply slightly different frequency sine waves independently but simultaneously to each ear. This beat affect is created by the brain itself and is largely due to the structure of the brain's internal wiring.

These binaural beats are auditory brain stem responses, originating in the superior olivary nucleus of each hemisphere of the brain due to the interaction of the two different impulses.

The frequency of the two tones is between one and 30 Hz. Lets take the example that the difference between the two tones is 10 Hz. This 10 Hz difference is experienced within the superior olivary nuclei as a beat . The brain has a tendency, through the frequency following response, to resonate at the same frequency as the auditory stimuli being presented. In our example this would be 10 Hz, which is that frequency of the Alpha state. If we offer a binaural frequency of 5 Hz, the brain will begin to resonate with that and produce Theta brainwaves. If we present a binaural beat of 3 Hz, Delta brainwaves are detected. Alpha, Theta and Delta brainwaves are connected to altered states of consciousness that can be used to reprogram the subconscious mind, eliminate negative thought schema and release emotional connection to memories.

In layman's terms all this means is that you can relax, put on some stereo headphones and let your mind synchronize with the binaural beat frequency to create real measurable changes in your mind and body.

There are immediate benefits of using these beats such as the creation of relaxed states, aided sleep or even energy boosts. However, this is not the limit of binaural beat technology. It is also possible to produce very unusual states of consciousness like lucid dreaming, creativity, out-of-body experiences, and transcendental meditation, to name but a few. However, there are also very real permanent benefits from using binaural beat technology. This technology has been used to create some very dramatic life changes.

The Monroe Institute have over forty years experience changing effects on states of consciousness with the use of binaural beats in their audio sound patterns, called Hemi-Sync. Centerpointe have conducted a lot of research into the use of binaural beats also. They created a program called Holosync which concentrates more on self improvement and achieving a higher level of conscious interaction, by creating desirable emotional, physical and environmental changes through a reduction in your anxiety threshold. They use their technology to reprogram your brain, remove old emotional thinking and negative emotional connection to long buried memories. You can even create your own affirmations later in their course to reprogram your beliefs.

These technologies can be expensive but the overall benefits of there use are immeasurable. However, there are cheap alternatives to both the above mentioned. Binaural beats in audio technology now come in affordable one CD sets. These can be used to instantly create a variety of different states such as sleep, meditation, creativity, lucid dreaming etc. You can also get your hands on software to create your own binaural beats but I believe, when dealing with brain entrainment, this should be left to those with more experience. The technology is fascinating and it works but you really won't know that until you try it yourself.

Hi there,

http://www.morphogeneticmeditation.com is a new social network site for meditation. It is based on morphogenetic field theory, which encompasses theory of a collective consciousness. The aim of my website is to bring people together whether you are new to meditation, or a meditation guru and arrange group meditation across the globe.

Yes, that's right, I want to have people collectively meditating on any chosen topic at the same time anywhere in the world and thus improving your success with meditation and also manifestation. I want to prove to the world through your success that the collective consciousness exists and so I want you to share your success with everyone.

We are also going to arrange times for everyone on the site to get together at a predetermined time and meditate on peace, love and happiness and raise awareness of the collective consciousness.

At morphogeneticmeditation you will be able to add a whole host of content including video, pictures, music, your own blog, submit articles, post classified advertisements, post upcoming events and of course make friends, chat, learn and meditate. MorphopgeneticMeditation is your very own meditation social network so come along and have some fun at http://www.morphogeneticmeditation.com

Discover Four Different Meditation Positions

Meditation has been practiced since ancient times for the advantages it brings. Incorporating meditation into your daily life can have a dramatic affect on your peace of mind and attitude toward life. There are as many forms and techniques of meditation with many different postures or positions that you can take during your practice.

Cross Legged Position
One of the most well known positions for meditation is the cross legged position or lotus position. This posture is taught in many meditative traditions with the instruction that the spine must be kept straight and tall. You must avoid slouching because it can disrupt the free flow of energy or life force through your body.

Seated Meditation Position
Another well known position and one that is generally more comfortable for Westerners is sit on a chair with legs uncrossed and feet planted firmly on the ground. Your hands can lay comfortably in your lap or with your palms facing upward. Again, you must keep your back straight and tall and your head in alignment when taking a seated position.

Kneeling Meditation Position
This posture requires the meditator to kneel while seated on the backs of his or her heels. The hands rest on his or his thighs. Once again, this position is one that is often difficult for Westerners and if you're not used to it, it can cause damage to your knees.

Lying Down Position or Corpse Pose
It may sound morbid but this position is known as the corpse pose in Yoga. The meditator lies on their back on the floor, preferably on a carpet or yoga mat and allows their arms to rest at their sides and their palms to roll upward. Their legs are straight and their feet are gently turned outwards. This is a wonderful meditation posture for stress relief but it is much easier to fall asleep in this position.

One can also add to their meditation practice by incorporating hand positions. One common example is the right hand resting on the top of the left hand with thumbs touching. Another is form a circle with the thumb and index finger of each hand. You can further induce a state of deep meditation by using a mantra or by focusing on your breathing. There are many ways of meditating born out of many traditions. Meditation is simple but it's not easy so find what resonates with you and stick with it for several weeks before deciding to try a new technique.

Can Meditation Protect You From the Swine Flu?

Yes, I said meditation, not medication! The mind-body-spirit connection has been pontificated about for thousands of years. However, there is a science called Psychoneuroimmunology which validates this. If I were trying to prove how smart and knowledgeable I am as a Speed Reader Instructor, then I could cite exhaustive studies for you. That's boring. Google it.

Nonetheless, let me share with you in everyday terms just how I theorize that meditation boosts the immune system. Meditation brings you into a state of deep relaxation. In contrast, the stress of living in the information overload world of 2009, brings forth a raging torrent of unfocused energy. Stress uses up energy. Deep relaxation harnesses it for our well being.

In fact, as far back as the book "The Relaxation Response" by Herbert Benson, MD which was published in the early 1970's, the profound physical changes to the body were noted. There was a clear distinction in the brainwave patterns between sleep and meditation. Meditation or deep relaxation was accompanied by many beneficial changes to the vital signs of the body. Like the rising tide lifts all ships cliche, the overall enhancement of the immune system can only bolster the body against viruses like the Swine Flu.

Think about the difference between the diffuse rays of sun compared to the laser beam pinpoint from a magnifying glass. Here's a time tested experiment. Use a magnifying glass to burn a hole in a sheet of paper. How powerful is that! Meditation focuses your life essence in the same way giving a huge boost to the immune system. Meditate,not medicate!

Learn How to Meditate and Relax

In the face paced life of today it is good to take time out and relax. Many people find this quite difficult and as a result turn to meditation to help them. Here for anyone who would like to meditate are some simple steps for anyone to learn how to meditate.

Firstly set aside some time to meditate. You can't do this productively unless you have enough time. Choose a place to meditate where you will not be disturbed. Turn off all distractions (although some people like to put restful music on quietly in the background) and relax. Sit on the ground, if this feels uncomfortable sit on a cushion.

Don't close your eyes. Try to keep them half closed and don't focus directly at anything as this will only break your concentration. Start to take slow, deep breaths - do this from your abdomen and not your chest. Try making each intake of breath last for a 3 count and each exhale last for a 6 count. Do this for up to 15 minutes for the best results, although you might wish to continue for longer.

Relax every single part of your body, including the muscles. This might take some time but don't be tempted to rush this step. Try to clear your mind of thoughts by not focusing on anything. This can be hard to achieve at first but with practice it comes. Try repeating a mantra or word such as 'aum' over and over as this will help to clear your mind.

The final step is achieving total meditation. This can take some time to perfect. It happens when you are able to fully clear your mind of any thoughts or worries. When this happens you are at the peak of meditation. Now you know how to meditate try it out and relax a little.

Making the Connection

I want my life to be perfect - I don't want to have troubles; I don't want to have bad things happen; I don't want to have to face difficulties. But, the truth of the matter is: that is life. That's how it is. And I don't see it miraculously changing in the future.

However, in view of this, there is something I can change. I can change how I react to things. I can change how I view my present circumstances. I can choose to look at them with doom and gloom, or I can choose to listen for the word of God- His still, guiding voice in the mist of my turmoil. I can choose to believe that there is nothing too great in my life that He and I cannot get through together.

So, how do I begin to do this? I began by finding a quiet place where I can be alone with Him. A place away from the calamities and craziness of my life; a place where I can quiet my mind and be alone with Him. Sometimes this quiet place is in my closet. I simply turn on the closet light, shut the door, and sit with my back against the door, relishing the peace and quiet. Other times I sit outside on our patio- I prefer the time early in the morning, just when the sun is rising, the birds are singing, and there is a light dew on the grass. Other times, when I am not as fortunate to be able to choose one of my select locations, I will give myself a time out. No matter where I am, I sit down, calm my mind, and relax by breathing in and out- in and out- I keep doing this until I feel a calm come over me.

Mediation is more than just relaxing. It is giving yourself permission to let go of cares and worries and focus on filling your mind and body with the never-ending, unconditional love of our Creator. Sometimes it is not an easy task. I often find my minding drifting into morbid reflection of what I had done, or I become sad or troubled over things I have not yet done. God does not want this for us. What He wants for us is "To be still, and know I am God" (taken from Psalms).

Too many times we are too busy in our lives being parents, teachers, lawyers, doctors, farmers, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, etc.; that we forget that we need to be still, just for a moment, and allow God to direct what our next step will be.