Simple Meditation!

Hi there! I am Breann, a licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner, here at Herbana. I have been honored with the task of creating a blog to help people become more aware of the natural ways to heal yourself spiritually and holistically. I scoured the net to try and find some awesome ways to meditate and I ran across this website www.ineedmotivation.com. It lists 100 reasons why meditating is good for you. When I meditate it makes me feel relaxed and refreshed, which helps me deal with everyday life more successfully. I have listed all of the reasons here to save you the trouble of clicking on the link. Below the 100 reasons I have created a simple guide that will walk you through the process of learning how to meditate.

Physiological benefits:
1- It lowers oxygen consumption.
2- It decreases respiratory rate.
3- It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.
4- Increases exercise tolerance.
5- Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation.
6- Good for people with high blood pressure.
7- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
8- Decreases muscle tension
9- Helps in chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis etc.
10- Reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome symptoms.
11- Helps in post-operative healing.
12- Enhances the immune system.
13- Reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress
14- Enhances energy, strength and vigour.
15- Helps with weight loss
16- Reduction of free radicals, less tissue damage
17- Higher skin resistance
18- Drop in cholesterol levels, lowers risk of cardiovascular disease.
19- Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting in easier breathing.
20- Decreases the aging process.
21- Higher levels of DHEAS (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
22- prevented, slowed or controlled pain of chronic diseases
23- Makes you sweat less
24- Cure headaches & migraines
25- Greater Orderliness of Brain Functioning
26- Reduced Need for Medical Care
27- Less energy wasted
28- More inclined to sports, activities
29- Significant relief from asthma
30- improved performance in athletic events
31- Normalizes to your ideal weight
32- harmonizes our endocrine system
33- relaxes our nervous system
34- produce lasting beneficial changes in brain electrical activity
35- Cure infertility (the stresses of infertility can interfere with the release of hormones that regulate ovulation).

Psychological benefits:
36- Builds self-confidence.
37- Increases serotonin level, influences mood and behavior.
38- Resolve phobias & fears
39- Helps control own thoughts
40- Helps with focus & concentration
41- Increase creativity
42- Increased brain wave coherence.
43- Improved learning ability and memory.
44- Increased feelings of vitality and rejuvenation.
45- Increased emotional stability.
46- improved relationships
47- Mind ages at slower rate
48- Easier to remove bad habits
49- Develops intuition
50- Increased Productivity
51- Improved relations at home & at work
52- Able to see the larger picture in a given situation
53- Helps ignore petty issues
54- Increased ability to solve complex problems
55- Purifies your character
56- Develop will power
57- greater communication between the two brain hemispheres
58- react more quickly and more effectively to a stressful event.
59- increases one’s perceptual ability and motor performance
60- higher intelligence growth rate
61- Increased job satisfaction
62- increase in the capacity for intimate contact with loved ones
63- decrease in potential mental illness
64- Better, more sociable behavior
65- Less aggressiveness
66- Helps in quitting smoking, alcohol addiction
67- Reduces need and dependency on drugs, pills & pharmaceuticals
68- Need less sleep to recover from sleep deprivation
69- Require less time to fall asleep, helps cure insomnia
70- Increases sense of responsibility
71- Reduces road rage
72- Decrease in restless thinking
73- Decreased tendency to worry
74- Increases listening skills and empathy
75- Helps make more accurate judgments
76- Greater tolerance
77- Gives composure to act in considered & constructive ways
78- Grows a stable, more balanced personality
79- Develops emotional maturity

Spiritual benefits:
80- Helps keep things in perspective
81- Provides peace of mind, happiness
82- Helps you discover your purpose
83- Increased self-actualization.
84- Increased compassion
85- Growing wisdom
86- Deeper understanding of yourself and others
87- Brings body, mind, spirit in harmony
88- Deeper Level of spiritual relaxation
89- Increased acceptance of oneself
90- helps learn forgiveness
91- Changes attitude toward life
92- Creates a deeper relationship with your God
93- Attain enlightenment
94- greater inner-directness
95- Helps living in the present moment
96- Creates a widening, deepening capacity for love
97- Discovery of the power and consciousness beyond the ego
98- Experience an inner sense of “Assurance or Knowingness”
99- Experience a sense of “Oneness”
100- Increases the synchronicity in your life

Pretty interesting right?! Some of the facts I wasn't even aware of! Now to walk you through the awesomely peaceful experience of meditation!

Step one: choose a conducive environment. Create your own ambiance with your favorite scented candle and some peaceful music, or nature sounds. You are not required to sit Indian style on the floor, although this is a traditional position for meditation. I know quite a few people don't have the luxury of a quiet home, so I am going to give you some reasonable ways to meditate while dealing with a less than desirable atmosphere. For many people the only quiet time they have is when they shower. Instead of a shower try a bath scented with your favorite oils or bath products. A second idea is to lay on your bed when meditating. If you do have a more quiet home where you can create a quiet space feel free to create your meditation space there. Remember that meditation is more about quieting the brain and less about the position your body is in.

Step two: Be in comfortable clothes, yoga pants a comfy t-shirt or even your favorite pair of old sweat pants just as long as you feel cozy and relaxed and don't forget to take off your shoes :)

Step Three: Meditative breathing. Inhale for seven counts through the nose, pause for one count and exhale through the mouth for seven. Turn all of your attention and focus into your breathing at a constant pace, with your eyes closed. While you are focused on your breathing you may have random thoughts suddenly put into your mind.This is normal. Simply acknowledge them, and return to the sound of your breathing. This may happen many times. Don't become frustrated. When you become more comfortable meditating it will be easier to quiet the mind chatter. As your conscious mind begins to let go you will feel your body relaxing, maybe even feel like you are sinking or floating, you are getting deep into you relaxation. Let this peaceful relaxing feeling spread across your whole body.

Step Four: Coming out of the meditation, when you feel it is time simply open your eyes take a few deep breaths and stand up slowly. I hope this is a great and relaxing experience for you!