Meditation: The Latin word for "ponder", meditari, is the root of meditate and it literally means concentation on a middle point. Meditation has been around for ages and with many different forms, it's a pratice many should try!

By Giving medtitation a chance you will soon discover which type suits you the best and the healing benefits of it.

Even Modern science is confirming the medical benefits of mindfulness and meditiation practices. Take a look at the research from Harvard that shows how it changes the brain of depressed patients. You can read more here

While this research is specific to depression, there are multiple other health benefits to a medtitation practice such as:

• Reduce Stress- Stress Reduction is one of the most common reasons people try meditions


• Controls Anxiety- less stress translates to less anxiety and more joy


• Promotes emotional health and feelings of happiness and joy


• Enhances self awareness


• Lenghtens attention span


• May reduce age related memory loss


• Can generate kindness


• Helps fight addition


• Meditiaon is very grounding and an effective way to promote a sense of in the moment "presence"


• Breating meditation regulates the Autonomic Nevous System , balancing the Sypathetic (Stress Responce ) against the Parasympathetic nervous system (Calming relaxation responses)


• Increased focus


• Better sleep and reduction of insomnia

Some forms of Meditations have been use world wide by just about every Culture. It is more relevant today, in our modern chaotic stressfull lives than ever before. It has been used by people in all industries from Navy Seals, armed forces, Athletes, celebrities and CEO's of cutting edge Multi-Billion dollar Corporations.

These are the Most Common Forms of Meditation:

1. Spiritual Meditation

Meditation has been an essential part of Eastern spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism, for Thousands of years ...but did you know that it is practiced in many Judeo-Christian traditions and many other spiritual Disiplines as well ! Depending on the tradition, Meditation may also include elements of silent, spoken, or Chanting Prayers.

Many today as well as the past have used it for supportsing a deeper connection with the Divine. In Other Ancient Traditions such as Buddhism and Taoism, meditation is more focused on self-awareness and self-actualization. In a more non-spiritual sense, meditation helps us become Healthier , Happier individuals supporting us in becoming the best , Optimized human beings that we can be.

Good venues for your spiritual meditation practice might be at home, at your preferred place of worship, or in nature. It is well-suited for individuals seeking spiritual growth as well as those who appreciate setting time aside for self-reflection. True spiritual meditation always includes elements of lovingkindness and compassion, and if we are looking to be of service to others, the insights that we can gain from our practice are invaluable.

2. Mindfulness Meditation

This meditation technique, has become one of the most popular modern forms of meditation , especially in the West.

Mindfulness meditation can give real insight into How our Minds work , how our Emotions are experienced, and can be instrumental in helping us better understand who WE as Human Beings Truly are and Why we are here and what should we really be doing here with our Lives .This self-knowledge serves as a foundation for overcoming dissatisfaction, impatience, intolerance and many of the other habits that keep us from living fuller, happier lives.

Here are a few Good Tips to follow if you want to become skilled at this technique. These include:

• Acknowledging your reality,( seeing things as they really are , not just thru our perceptions. ) beginning with being mindful of your body and thoughts;


• Observing your mind and recognizing each thought that arises without judging or manipulating it;


• Coming back to concentrate on Breathing


• Learning to rest in and appreciate the present moment.
  
  

Ideal Meditation combines mindfulness , concentration and awareness. All that’s required is a straight back, and a willingness to be honest with yourself. The best-known focus of mindfulness meditation is the Breathing ; impartial observation of Inhalation , and Exhalation . Rember when inhaling belly should move out wards and down as diaphgram expands sucking in the Breath , followed by final chest expansion. When exhaling stomach contracts compresse diaphgram and chest , then chest to expel breath, ..There is a slight pause at the end of Exhalation , and this moment is Known by Famous Teacher and Meditator DavidJI as " The Sweet Spot " , and can feel as sense ot Eternalness.

Whenever you find your thoughts wandering, simply bring your Focus back to The Breath , you can notice your thoughts as passing clouds and notice them without judgment.

Mindfulness practice has been shown to reduce depression, stress, and anxiety. In addition, it fosters resilience, a timely quality that helps you cope with difficult situations without losing your peace of mind.

3. Focused Meditation

In this technique, we concentrate exclusively on whatever it is that we are doing: it is the exact opposite of multi-tasking. We witness and admire the exceptional power of concentration of athletes, musicians, chess-players and the like, and we may forget that to succeed in life, we too have to be able to focus on the task at hand. We’ve led ourselves to believe multi-tasking is necessary to get everything done on our to-do lists, but we’re only really doing one thing at a time anyway. This jumping around between many thoughts and activities leads to a scattered mind and a lot of dissatisfaction.

One traditional kind of focused meditation involves drinking a cup of tea. Here, you train in stopping all other forms of activity – no checking your cell phone, no jumping up to let the cat out, no adding to the shopping list – and focus your attention exclusively to drinking your cup of tea. You might notice the sensation of warmth, the aroma, the heft of the cup in your hands. Whenever the mind wanders, you come back to drinking tea.

Whatever the object of your meditation, you should focus your entire attention on it. When you’re eating, you’re aware of the sensations connected with eating; when you’re exercising, you’re aware of the sensations connected with exercising. If you notice that your mind is wandering, you simply acknowledge that and bring your focus back to what you’re doing. With commitment to the practice, your ability to concentrate will improve and you may rediscover the joy of being present.

4. Movement Meditation

Many forms of meditation encourage you to remain in one position, but movement meditation focuses on the body in motion. Walking meditation is one form of mindful movement; this technique can also be associated with yoga or tai chi and other martial arts. Having a commitment to some form of physical discipline is very beneficial. Once you are able to be present in your body during movement meditation, you can expand your awareness to include just about anything that keeps you moving: gardening, walking the dog, washing up, playing golf, etc. In each case, the movement of your body is the object of meditation.

This technique can be combined with mindful sitting meditation. It can be a good choice for people who have trouble sitting still for long periods, as well as for those who naturally find it easier to concentrate while they’re moving.

5. Chanting Meditation

Many spiritual paths, from Western religions to Buddhist and Hindu traditions, recommend chanting and mantra meditation. While chanting, the mind should be focused on the sound of the words and melody. Western traditions also encourage contemplation of meaning. In mantra meditation and other Eastern traditions, a repetitive sound, word, or phrase is used to clear the mind and allow our spiritual strengths to reveal themselves. Mantras are sometimes accompanied by a melody, but not always. “Om” is one common sound used in mantra meditation.

6. Visualization Meditation

In this meditation technique, an image that creates a particular feeling or quality is brought to mind. In a simple way, we can close our eyes and imagine a beautiful mountain lake, an open sky, a familiar landscape, or any other visualization that speaks to us. In one well-known mindfulness exercise, we imagine our thoughts and emotions as being leaves on a stream that the current gently sweeps downstream. This is said to give meditators distance from unwelcome mental activity and bring a sense of peace.

On a more formal level, visualization meditations belonging to the Tibetan tradition are generally specific religious practices. During these practices, visualizing a mandala or meditation deity gives practitioners a basis for cultivating innate qualities such as compassion and wisdom. Because of the complexity of this kind of spiritual practice, it is essential that instructions be received from a skilled teacher beforehand with a serious commitment from the student to practice.

Some people think visualization meditation is a kind of escape from the world, since we imagine something that isn’t really there. But if we stop to think about it, we realize that much of what goes on in our minds throughout the day involves reviving memories of the past or focusing on hopes and fears for the future – and these aren’t really there either! Visualization is a technique that uses this powerfully creative aspect of mind for positive personal transformation.