Meditation

Back in my twenties, it was all about me.  I didn't have kids yet. 
This was my routine.  I hit the gym for an advanced aerobic, step, or kickbox class. 
I had a particular instructor who was tough and relentless and I was sore after EVERY class.
She'd shout and get in your face and make you keep going even when you wanted to quit.
I loved it.
I was acomplishing something.  If I was going to do it, I was going to do it big.  I knew I was getting stronger.  After the intense workouts, more often than not, a super hot bath was drawn.  I added aromatic oils, bubbles and a hot cup of tea.  It was heaven.
After soaking and humming myself soft songs I wrapped in my cozy bathrobe and
hopped on my bed, closed my eyes, smelled the freshness, and relaxed every warm melty muscle.
This was the closest I had come to meditation up to that point in my life.
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As I climbed to my thirties and my wiser self, I began to take greater interest in meditation.  I began devouring information about it. I found that when the mind is trained, much like a muscle,  it gains more control. As it gains control,  one can reach into the depths of a deeper consciousness, one of pure energy, joy and love. When the mind can reach this level, many problems tend to disappear as peace takes over. Like training a muscle, it takes time, but the changes in attitude and thinking patterns will begin to change pretty quickly. Patience and calm and connectedness begin to take over and become more common.
I wanted that.
I tried it.
I found it VERY difficult to sit without thinking.  I began to realize how much garbage goes through the mind in even JUST twenty seconds.  I found it frustrating.  It was hard to sit there and do nothing.  I was/am a busy mom juggling a zillion things at once.  How on earth am I suppose to sit? and do nothing?  But as I practiced, I was NOT doing nothing.  I was strengthening my mind and creating a better existence for myself.  My inner world was beginning to open up, a world that had been asleep for most of my life.  We all remember glimpses of true beauty and bliss as children but that spirit quickly recedes as our ego grows and we become accustomed to the modern day world.  So I was going back, to the pure essentials in my heart.  The more I sat, the bigger my inner world was becoming.  My inner voice and intuition were getting stronger.  It takes stillness to hear the whispers of truth and I was beginning to hear it.  I was creating a happier world around me because I realized that:

We create our world.  It is our minds that create stress and tension or beauty and bliss. The mind gathers and processes every random thought. For most, the mind wastes time on negative, self created, useless thoughts. Every interaction tends to get enlarged and negative emotion accompanies it, when negative emotion is in place, physical sickness can occur.  One believes these thoughts to be true and therefore has daily mini-crisis and  a menial existance, trudging through days and creating hardships and negativity along the way.  Ever hear of those people who are always served a shit sandwich?  ...bet they don't meditate.
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I tell my kids this on those nights when they lay awake in bed, afraid of scary thoughts that get conjured up in their sweet little heads. You must control your mind and not let your mind control you.  Allow only pure, joyful, peaceful thoughts in and get rid of the bad ones  pronto. I go through all the happy things my kids can think about such as: Grandma and Grandpa, going swimming, family cuddle time, playing, running, coloring, baking cookies...and the list goes on.

OR the yogini in me tells them,  focus on your breath, deep breaths, feel your breath rise in your chest and heart and as you exhale, feel all your muscles and bones relax.  Focus on your heart, feel the love inside, let it warm you and protect you. This is where your strength comes from and at any time you are feeling scared, lonely, sad, go to your heart, focus there, and let your strength shine through. Does it work?  Sometimes I suppose. I plant the seeds, and with proper care, love, and guidance, the seeds will grow into something beautiful and useful.

Do you meditate? Do you have a happy place?
If you don't, then figure out why not.
Create one.
And go there.



According to http://www.yogaandhealth.com/, these are some physical benefits of meditation.

Health benefits of Meditation:
Though meditation is usually recognized as a largely spiritual practice, it also has many health benefits. The yoga and meditation techniques are being implemented in management of life threatening diseases; in transformation of molecular and genetic structure; in reversal of mental illnesses, in accelerated learning programs, in perceptions and communications beyond the physical, in solving problems and atomic and nuclear physics; in gaining better ecological understanding; in management of lifestyle and future world problems. Some benefits of meditation are:
It lowers oxygen consumption.

It decreases respiratory rate.

It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate.

Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients.

Leads to a deeper level of relaxation.

Good for people with high blood pressure as it brings the B.P. to normal.

Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.

Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches.

Builds self-confidence.

It increases serotonin production which influences mood and behaviour. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, obesity, insomnia and headaches.

Helps in chronic diseases like allergies , arthritis etc.

Reduces Pre- menstrual Syndrome.

Helps in post-operative healing.

Enhances the immune system. Research has revealed that meditation increases activity of 'natural-killer cells', which kill bacteria and cancer cells.

Also reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress.

The benefits of meditation manifest on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. Some of them appear quite fast, and others take some more time. This depends on the amount of time devoted to practicing it, the levels of earnestness and concentration, and on the inner ripeness of the meditating person. It is not enough to meditate once a week or once in a few days. Regular daily practice is required for attaining results.