Good-time George

Meditation is the art of silencing the mind. When the mind is silent, concentration is increased and we experience inner peace in the midst of worldly turmoil. This elusive inner peace is what attracts so many people to meditation and is a quality everyone can benefit from.

What are the Benefits of meditation?

 The experience is difficult to express in words. It is akin(similar) to the “peace that passeth understanding”. It is also true that every meditation is not the same. Sometimes meditation is a struggle to control the mind, while at other times it feels effortless(easy).

These are some of the benefits of meditation:

   1. Improved concentration - A clear mind makes you more productive, especially in creative disciplines(field) like writing.

   2. Less bothered by little things - Do you sometimes allow yourself to get upset by little things? It is the nature of the mind to magnify small things into serious problems. meditation helps us detach. We learn to live in the here and now, rather than worrying about the past or future. We do not worry about meaningless things, but see the bigger picture.

   3. Better health - There have been numerous studies pointing to the health benefits of meditation. The reason is that meditation reduces stress levels and alleviates anxiety. If we can reduce stress, many health benefits follow.

   4. Knowledge of Self - Meditation enables us to have a deeper understanding of our inner self. Through meditation we can gain a better understanding of our life’s purpose.

Is meditation Religious?

The great thing about meditation is that our philosophy/religious belief is not important. meditation is about consciousness. The beliefs of the mind become trivial. We dive deep into the heart of the matter to gain access to our soul - our inner reality. Therefore, mediation can (and is ) practiced by people of different religions or no religion.

But I don’t have time To Meditate

Many people like the idea of meditation, but feel they don’t have enough time. When you really want to do something you can find time. Get up earlier or watch 30 minutes less TV. Meditation requires an investment of time, but clearing the mind makes the the rest of the day more productive. Nothing is better than the feeling of inner peace. What is the point in being tremendously busy but unable to enjoy it? Meditation is not about retreating from the world; it gives us inspiration. Whatever you do, if you have peace of mind, your work will be more enjoyable and productive.

How To Meditate

Like anything worthwhile, meditation requires practice. To get the most from meditation you need to do it every day. This requires a place and time where you will not be disturbed. It’s also recommended to start with a course, like the Holosync guided meditation program from the Centerpointe Research Institute.

   1. Sit with a straight back. Don’t try to meditate lying down because you are likely to fall asleep. Meditation brings relaxation and peace but at the same time this is a dynamic peace. meditation is quite different than the relaxation of sleep. When we really meditate, we are fully alert and conscious. Our sense of awareness is heightened. Afterwards you’ll have a positive feeling for the world and a renewed sense of dynamism.

   2. Don’t eat before meditating. After a heavy meal your body will be lethargic(slow-minded) with digestion.

   3. It is not necessary to mediate in the lotus posture. It is fine to meditate in a chair, as long as the back is straight.

   4. It is helpful to take a shower before meditating.

   5. Burning incense and having a candle are not necessary, but they can add a little extra inspiration.

   6. It is good to meditate early in the morning. It is said the best time is 3am, although, I feel it is more important to be awake and not sleepy, I meditate at 6.30am.

One Pointed Concentration

However you learn to meditate, you must learn to concentrate on one thing at a time. Usually, the mind tries to hold several different thoughts and ideas at once. When you sit down to meditate for the first time, you realize how cluttered the mind is. Mediation teachers have described the mind as a “mad monkey”. However, the mind can be tamed and forced to concentrate on a single thought.

One helpful technique is concentrating on a candle flame. Narrow your gaze to the small tip and block out all other thoughts. When you get distracted, go back to focusing on the candle flame. You can also use other objects like a small dot or flower. The important thing is that you concentrate only on one thing at a time.

Mantra(carol)

Another way to learn concentration is through the use of mantra. A mantra is the repetition of a sacred word. For example, you might repeat the mantra AUM a certain number of times. Repeating a mantra forces the mind to focus on a single thought.

Silent Mind

After you’ve practiced concentration and learned to focus on one thing at a time, you can proceed to the next stage: no thought at all. Achieving a silent mind is difficult, but when to attain it the experience is powerful. A technique I advise is viewing your thoughts as separate from your self. When a thought appears, make a conscious decision to throw it out of your mind. Over time you realize that you are capable of allowing or rejecting thoughts. Your real “I” is not a collection of thoughts, but something far deeper. This is the most significant realization of meditation - that you do not have to be a slave to your thoughts.

Through meditation, you attain(acquire) the power to control your thoughts, and on occasion stop them completely. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t attain a silent mind straightaway. It takes time and practice. There is nothing really else to it; meditation is a simple and spontaneous action. Unfortunately, our mind is used to complication and it takes time to unlearn(eliminate) bad habits.

How to Stay Motivated Without Wax & Wane

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the same way we use a savings account to ensure our financial success, we can use an inspiration bank to remain highly motivated and ensure our personal success. “Inspiration bank” is the place you regularly cultivate inspiration. Try to think of a place where you can regularly make deposits toward your dreams.

Here are some suggestions:

* Create a folder on your desktop where you can place inspirational photos, articles, quotes and empowering thoughts.

    * Start a journal to write inspiring ideas that resonate with you.

    * Make a vision board. Post quotes, pictures and goals that make you feel alive.

   When we think of a bank the first thought that comes to mind for us is security. It should be a safe, trusted place where we can keep our money. If you have a good savings plan, you will make regular deposits and watch it grow over time. The principle is the same with an inspiration bank, only better.

 Question: What makes life worth living?

Old ideas:

When people are asked the question, "what do you think makes life worth living?", the answers have been pretty much of a sort: family, friends, work, music, some possession or other, faith, maybe health. computer games.

Reasons:

1. Usually, there’s a resistance to answering a question like this honestly. Sure, being put on the spot and asked one of the most profound questions humanity has managed to come up with is probably not exactly conducive to thoughtful responses. Answering this kind of profound questions take time!

2. We've grown so used to defining ourselves in terms of possessions – possessions that literally feel like extensions of our self – that it's hard to think of even the people close to us in any way other than as possessions, as “objects” with certain qualities that make us happy. Or, more often, don't.

Which is to say, they’re all “things” that are external to us, no matter how much a part of our life they feel like. I think any question of what makes life worth living has to start with an inward look at one’s self, not an outward look at the people and things one surrounds one’s self with.

New ideas:

We need to address the question with our own actions, the things we do that make life worth living. Verbs, not nouns. 

    * Creating: writing, drawing, painting, playing music. For others, it might be inventing something, building a business, coming up with a clever marketing campaign, forming a non-profit.

    * Relating: It’s not “family” that makes life worth living, I think, but the relationships we create with members of our family, and the way we maintain and build those relationships. Same goes for friends, lovers, business partners, students, and everyone else.

    * Helping: Being able to lend a hand to people in need – however drastic or trivial that need may be 

    * Realizing: Making, working towards, and achieving goals, no matter what those goals are.

    * Playing: Maybe this is a kind of “relating”, but then, play can be a solo affair as well. Letting go of restraints, imagining new possibilities, testing yourself against others or against yourself, finding humor and joy.

    * Growing: Learning new things, improving knowledge and ability in the things I’ve already learned.

Brilliant Ideas to Simplify our Life

The following tips are what I selected from the article called 21 easy hacks to simplify your life. I have picked some brilliant ideas and decided to try out.

1. Create a no-distractions zone. This will be an important section where I can do some focused work. For me I prefer to sit down in a bench or at a corner of the campus. There I can read some English. At that moment I will forget my social roles and be a learner exclusively.

2.    Create a short-list. I wll try to create a short list of things I love doing most. I will try to eliminate everything in my life that’s not on the short list, to make room for the things I love.

3.    Single-task. I won’t allow myself to switch between tasks.

4.    Start my day with peace. I love this one, because it’s so easy to implement and yet it can have such a powerful effect on my day. When getting up, I can do something that is calming and peaceful. That might be walking and having a quiet cup of coffee with an short article to read. It can be 10 minutes but I will find some peace in the morning and use it to calm myself throughout the entire day.

5.    30-day rule. This is a fantastic hack for me who have trouble with impulse buying — that great enemy of simplifying. The rule is that if you want to buy something, you have to write it on your 30-day list, with the date that it was added to the list. After 30 days, if you still want it, you can buy it. Something to add is that this doesn’t apply to necessities . I believe the rule can help me gradually distinguish between wants and needs, a great skill for simplifying.

6.    One in, two out. i.e. when you bring something into your house, you have to get rid of two things. The normal rule is one in, one out, but somehow that never seems to work — things still accumulate. Instead, get rid of two things and things will stay simple.

7.    Work four days a week. This is the most attractive idea for me. How can I work only four days if I currently work 5 days and are overloaded as it is? It’s funny! It’s a well-known law that our work expands to fit the time we give it … and the flip side of that is if we shrink the time, we will shrink the work to fit the time. If we only have four days in a work week, we will pick the most important tasks. we will get the work done that needs to be done, and we’ll naturally eliminate the rest.

Have some light reading every day and you will learn vastly. Keep reading!