Meditation Myths Exposed
What meditation is:
Wikipedia defines it as "A practice in which an individual trains the mind and/or induces a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit, although it can be argued that meditation is a goal in and of itself." It goes on to say that: "The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices (much like the term sports), which range from techniques designed to promote relaxation, building internal energy (chi, ki, prana, etc.), getting closer to God, and so forth, to more technical exercises targeted at developing compassion, love, patience, generosity, forgiveness and more far-reaching goals such as an indestructible sense of well-being, while engaging in any and all of life's activities."
The most common misconceptions about meditation are that many people still think of it as a type of exotic or esoteric activity. Or they think of it as 'woo-woo', out there, New Age, or religious (such as Buddhist). As a matter of fact, growing up in a Christian home, I initially had a hard time with the entire meditation concept due to my upbringings and my limited beliefs about the subject. But I now know that meditation is what you make of it. If you are using it for religious purposes, that is your prerogative, but in fact, the research now shows that it is a very scientific process as well. Meditation actually activates what is called the 'relaxation response' by Dr. Herbert Benson (Harvard Medical School Professor of Medicine). This response is a natural counter-balance and recovery mode to your stress response/sympathetic (fight or flight) mode. This fight or flight mode is the mode your body is in when your body is working to handle life's pressures and demands-everyday STRESS.
Did you know that stress is the leading cause of life-threatening illnesses such as heart attacks, strokes, mental issues, and immune system break-downs? In fact, according to current medical research, "We now know that stress causes 98% of disease", says Ann Webster, PhD from Harvard Medical and the Mind/Body Institute in Boston. With such staggering data, it's no wonder why so many people are looking for various stress outlets. If you find yourself dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disorders, illness, disease, or if you are just ready to launch yourself into a new dimension of life, now is certainly a good time to start a meditation practice.
So, do you have to be in a quiet room with your eyes closed and your hands in a mudra to enjoy the benefits? Absolutely not. In fact there are so many types of meditation that it is enlightening and fun to find the one that works best for you. You may even choose to meditate (work at keeping your mind clear of clutter) all day long throughout the course of your day. Remember though, whatever time you spend in meditation is given back to you exponentially because the mind chatter and clutter has been diminished or eliminated. But don't take my word for it, prove it to yourself!
With the Planet Unite meditation platform, we do our best to provide you with an array of many different meditation types and processes. It is a good idea to vary your practice to receive the most benefit.
If you are a part of the Master's Circle, I certainly hope you are taking advantage of the Neurolinguistic and Binaural Beat meditation tracks. Research shows an actual enhancement in brainwave ability by utilizing these on a regular basis. If you are not a part of the Master's Circle, you can learn more about these technologically advanced meditations by going here.