This method of self-hypnosis is a perfect marriage between the Eastern and Western concepts of health management and overall well-being.” NaturalHealthBlog
Try the Seishindo meditation out for yourself at NaturalHealthWeb.com and learn more about Seishindo at seishindo.org

Meditation is healthy, safe and affordable. In fact it’s free. The only expense you’ll have is a meditation mat, which isn’t even necessary-at least from my experience. Meditation has been around for 5,000 years, and was originally a spiritual component of yoga. Through the years non-yogis adopted it, intuitively sensing and connecting the practice with greater peace of mind. Personally, I can’t say enough good things about meditation. Its use has rewarded me with less worry and much more energy. But I’ve never been one for anecdotal evidence. Let’s get to the science…

Transcendental Meditation
Recently, there’s an incredible amount of science tied into the benefits of meditation. The studies are endless and cover a variety of meditative practices. On Transcendental Meditation alone (mantra repetition) there are over 500 studies. Some are more noteworthy that others. A study in the Japanese Journal of Public Health found that through Transcendental Meditation, industrial workers sleep improved and their smoking decreased. Another study conducted at the MERU Research Institute, in Buckinghamshire, England found that the length of time practicing the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program correlated with younger biological age and younger functional age.

Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation, which asks us to focus on our breath to facilitate awareness of the present moment, is another widely studied meditation technique. After studying the effects of 8-weeks of mindfulness meditation on participants, a 2003 report in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine concluded: “A short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function.” Impressive, but fairly vague. To get a more committed response to the benefits of meditation we have to turn to Taiwan. In 2002 their journal Chang Gung Medicine reported that “training in MM may be a medically superior and cost-effective alternative to pain medication for the control of headaches with no underlying organic causes in highly motivated patients.”

Stress Reduction and Meditation
What causes these positive physical changes? To answer this, other research has looked at the specifics of what happens in the body during meditation. . Researchers at the Maharishi School of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, found that meditation has an enormous impact on stress reduction. When they examined a group who had meditated for four months they saw that they produced less of the stress hormone cortisol. They were therefore better able to adapt to stress in their lives, no matter what their circumstances were.

Having balanced cortisol levels is essential to mental and emotional health. Notice I say balanced rather than none. We don’t want to completely eliminate cortisol. If we did we’d be dead. Even low cortisol levels can be dangerous. Not enough cortisol is the identifying trait of Addison’s disease. John F. Kennedy had this condition, which he denied passionately during his presidency. Yet during his term he regulated his levels through hydrocortisone (synthetic cortisol). The reverse of JFK’s condition is called Cushings Syndrome.

The five most common and noticeable changes of this condition include; red face and puffy cheeks; excess fat surrounding the collar bones, muscle weakness, and hypertension. But we don’t have to have Cushing’s Syndrome to be damaged by extra cortisol. The changes we experience may be subtle variations of these. Plus, the changes caused by excess cortisol are age dependent. Young people may stop growing and teenagers can develop acne. The mature among us aren’t safe either. Since excess cortisol damages bone-tissue those over age 60 may develop fractures related to osteoporosis. So it’s evident that if we can regulate cortisol, especially through a natural process, we owe it to ourselves to try.

“The brain waves of meditators show why they’re healthier. Neuroscientists have found that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex—brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. In other words, they were calmer and happier than before.” Psychologytoday.com

Other Benefits of Meditation
Regina Drueding, MD, is a meditation instructor at Life Circles in Utah, USA. She quotes the benefits of meditation as follows: “more energy, improved quality of sleep, decreased anxiety, lessened chronological aging, improved concentration, improved visual acuity, increased alertness and heightened immunity.” She writes: “Besides the benefits mentioned earlier, meditation results in improvement of hypertension, sleep disorders, headaches, heartrhythm disturbances, chronic pain – pain due to cancer, infertility and irritable bowel syndrome. Following meditation, mental and physical refreshment result – and benefits are cumulative with regular practice.”

How to Meditate

Meditation is both simple and complex. It’s like defining the color orange: When you see it you know it. Similarly, the experience of meditation is best, well…experienced. In an article in New View magazine, Shippensburg University’s Dr. C. George Boeree describes the basics of Buddhist meditation. In summary, the beginner’s technique is as follows:

1. Sit or kneel comfortably.

2. The hands are loose and open with the palms up, one atop the other and thumbs lightly touching.

3. Head is upright. Eyes may be closed or open. If open they should focus on your hands or a spot nearby.

4. Beginning meditators should count upwards to ten on each exhale. Breathe in a relaxed and natural way. Then begin again at one and repeat. Continue to breathe naturally.

5. Continue for 15 minutes.

In my personal experience, I don’t find that the specific length of time is as important as repetition and persistence. To paraphrase, 10 minutes daily beats 15 minutes once a week. This brings me to another point: We all have different personalities and as such, different meditation approaches suit some more than others. Thankfully there are many varieties of meditation. Some varieties have sub-varieties.

Mindfulness meditation is one of these versatile practices. Perhaps it’s because its essence-awareness of the present moment-is so versatile. Mindfulness in our daily life can be practiced by slowing down and attending to our surroundings. What are our 5 senses telling us? We can use mindfulness in the middle of a hectic day, such as paying attention to our breathing when stopped at a traffic light. We can also use other everyday events as triggers for mindfulness. Buckling your seatbelt? Make this a reminder to return to the present. Really think about what you’re doing and the details of the experience.

The more traditional may benefit from a more formal mindfulness practice. You may sit in the identical form as in traditional Buddhist meditation- on a chair or kneeling. However, you may also sit with your legs crossed. Your eyes are closed and your posture is both straight and relaxed while your head remains upright. Focus on your breath and allow mental chatter to float by without regard. Thoughts, emotions and sensations will come, but don’t be influenced by them. Keep focused on your breath. If you are getting involved with your thoughts don’t worry-your efforts aren’t destroyed. The key thing is to bring your attention back to breathing and continue. This can go on for 5 minutes to 5 hours. It’s up to you.

Transcendental Meditation is another popular form of meditation. Generally, this type is practiced twice daily for a period of 15-20 minutes. Again, this technique involves sitting comfortably. Yet in contrast to basic Buddhist the eyes stay closed. Each student is given a mantra and is instructed to induce relaxation through use of this mantra. Since many of either can’t or won’t go to a formal TM class, a no-fail mantra I recommend is the classic OM. In The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V Desikachar writes that repetition of “OM” enables us to maintain mental and emotional calmness, overcome obstacles and enable understanding. It is the shortest of the mantras, and is said to be suggestive of God. If you’re uncomfortable with the religious aspects of OM I suggest a word that has positive meaning for you, such as love, calm or peace. Calm is an ideal substitute, since vocally it resembles OM.

Final Word
You may never, ever choose to meditate. Yet if this is your choice it may be valuable to question why. For a long time I was reluctant because of images of the dropout hippie 60’s. Yet when I tried it the experience overcame my reservations. If you try it the same may happen to you. If it doesn’t you haven’t lost any money, and you’ve gained a new experience.

“If you practice regularly, the benefits of meditation will promote a sense of calm and control, you’ll feel far more relaxed and happy. Your ability to concentrate will be greater. You won’t become stressed about things and you’ll feel more peaceful and relaxed about everything. One of the greatest benefits of meditation is learning to go with the flow and things that used to irritate you before simply become insignificant.” Project-meditation.org

Buy the: Folding Travel Zabuton Set

Resources:
Getting in the Gap: Making Conscious Contact with God Through Meditation (Hay House Inc., 2003)

The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh (Beacon Press, 1975)

Galina Pembroke

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

It is such a sad tribute to modern medicine that we are so disconnected from our whole selves that we fail to think of our bodies, minds and souls as one. The medical system is so dehumanizing and objectifying that doctors have unfortunately succeeded in separating our bodies from our real selves for treatment.

While modern medical practitioners may believe themselves to be healers, only the human body is capable of healing itself. Likewise, a person cannot heal from emotional or psychological trauma if they are not willing to heal.
Medical doctors place bandaids over our injuries and can mend broken pieces and can even drug away the symptoms and pain, but true healing always takes place internally.

Rather than a single minded focus on healing itself, perhaps it is better to let it go and find patience and acceptance to achieve the deepest healing, as Heart of Healing suggests:

“An intensive focus on healing can result in the kind of goal orientation that makes it impossible to relax and enjoy what you have right now. I haven’t in any way abandoned my focus on health and healing — it’s a way of life for me, but I have been learning to let go of the outcome of my efforts. This kind of acceptance, for me, has become the ultimate meaning of healing.” Heart of Healing

There is a reason why music and art aid the physical healing process. People with pets heal faster. Laughter is truly the best medicine. Your mental state can drag your physical health up or down like a hot air balloon.

Purchase Music for Healing

Standing meditation has a number of advantages over traditional meditation including a lower likelihood of falling asleep as well as the ability to connect with the earth if you practice outdoors because many people are not willing to sit directly on the grass for moisture, insect or weather reasons.

Standing meditation requires a great deal of physical and mental exertion and is surprisingly demanding. Your standing meditation should be done daily at the beginning of your QiGong practice if you want to achieve the maximum benefit. Aim for a minimum of 20 minutes to a maximum of two hours. Any more than that is quite difficult unless you are very young or seriously studying martial arts.

The Basics:

“To begin with, it requires standing with feet in a parallel position and about shoulder width distant from each other. Next, you can take a long and deep breath and say the word ‘aaaah’ each time you exhale. The next thing you need to do when practicing standing meditation is, while exhaling, to release the tension from your neck and shoulders as well as face in manner that will help melt away whatever was causing tension in those places.

You need to also concentrate on feeling the energy that is within you and as it settles into your legs and feet as well as hips and belly, it will help makes a strong connection between you and the earth. You can then bend your knees (only slightly) which will enable you to feel the softest of feelings at the back of the knees.” - Natural Health Blog

It is very easy to go through the motions of standing meditation without achieving any of the real benefits. Like any skill, it requires an open mind, willingness to learn, patience and decent instruction.

There are a number of levels to standing meditation, the art of “sinking”, principles (relax, center, ground, calm, whole) and postures. It is essential to keep practicing and become dedicated to changing oneself to fully experience this life and body altering form of meditation. An well written, humorous and informative resource on standing meditation (without having to reading a book) is “13 Questions About Standing Meditation.”

Taken from the 13 Questions, are the following true paraphrased quotes from sprititual people when asked about the right point of contemplation:

“Since ZhanZhang is on the border between ‘physical’ art and spiritual ['pure' meditation], the following (paraphrased) quotes are highly appropriate.
Krishnamurti: ‘It doesn’t matter what you chant. If ‘Peace’ helps you, use that. I use ‘Coca-cola’.
Seung Sahn: ‘It only matters (a) if you believe in the practice, and (b) you don’t stop practicing. The practice can be completely ‘wrong’, and it will still work’. -” Practicalmysticproductions.com

Buy the Books: Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body or Warriors of Stillness
(both books have explanations and diagrams & all necessary info for a standing meditation practice.)

Author: Spence Pentland

Qigong is most often referred to as any set of breathing and Qi circulation techniques that are capable of improving health, preventing illness, and strengthening the body. Qigong is slow meditative exercise for the body, the breath, and the mind.

‘Qi’ is the vital force behind everything, everything is ‘Qi’ at differing densities; quoting Einstein, “matter = energy times the speed of light squared”. ‘Gong’ is cultivation, effect, attainment. Qigong can be translated as ‘cultivation of vital force’. It regulates the balance of Yin Yang energy returning the body to a balanced, normal physiological state.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the human body is treated as an integral system of interrelated networks with different physiological functions. This integral system uses the energy pathways to link the organs and other human systems into a unified whole, making the communication and interaction between parts of the body possible. The energy that flows in the energy pathways is called Qi. It extends internally to the organs and externally throughout the body, completing and interrelated system of networks.

Traditional Chinese Medical Qigong is a compilation of effective preventative, healing, and strengthening exercises derived from a long history of the Chinese people’s experience with nature and living in harmony with it.

Qigong is studied not merely for the health and strength of the body, but as an attempt to understand human nature and its interactions with the environment and the universe as a whole. Realizing that humans are part of nature, any attempt to understand human physiology inevitably involves the study of wholism.

From commoners to scientists, martial artists to government officials. Qigong studies span the masses of the Chinese population.

“Qigong practices can be classified as martial, medical, or spiritual. All styles have three things in common: they all involve a posture, (whether moving or stationary), breathing techniques, and mental focus. Some practices increase the Qi; others circulate it, use it to cleanse and heal the body, store it, or emit Qi to help heal others. Practices vary from the soft internal styles such as Tai Chi; to the external, vigorous styles such as Kung Fu.” - National QiGong Association

Supporting Research into the Health Benefits of Qigong
Qi Gong is a practice which combines relaxing movement, breathing and visualization. It is a tool to make Qi circulate in order to preserve one’s health, cure diseases and prolong life. The consistent practice has been shown to foster development of a profound inner calmness and non-reactivity of the mind, allowing individuals to face, and even embrace, all aspects of daily life, regardless of circumstances.

Science has proven the complementary healing effects of Qigong in medical science. Qigong can relieve chronic pain (including low back (6)), reduce tension, increase activities of our immune system (even at the genetic level (2)), improve heart health, mediates neuroendocrine responses (10), improve eyesight, and influence blood flow & biochemistry (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10).
There is also proof of its positive effects on depression (4), and stabilization of the autonomic nervous system and the emotional state (5). It induces a state of relaxation via the induction of alpha brain waves and the release of serotonin (8). Jang & Lee randomized study put forth Qigong as an effective complementary therapy for managing the symptoms of PMS (9). It has also been concluded that visualization was an effective intervention for long-term smoking cessation and abstinence in adult smokers (3). The Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, study of the ‘Use of mind-body medical therapies’ stated that ‘much opportunity exists to increase use of mind-body therapies for indications with demonstrated efficacy’ (11).

The cultivation or preservation of ones health through the complimentary practice of Qigong plays an integral part in any persons path to wellness and the accomplishment of their goals. Join a class, read a book, buy a video.

Buy: The Essential Qigong Training Course: 100 Days to Increase Energy, Physical Health & Spiritual Well-Being

Qigong is catching on in the United States but is still relatively new to most people. If you are interested in pursuing Qigong you can search for a teacher at the National QiGong Association or start out with a Tai Chi class which you can find at many health clubs. There are many Qigong books and videos available if you want to see how great it makes you feel in the privacy of your own living room.

References:

1. The application of qi-gong therapy to health care, Li TY, Yeh ML, Tri-Service General Hospital.

2. Genomic profiling of neutrophil transcripts in Asian Qigong practitioners: a pilot study in gene regulation by mind-body interaction. Li QZ, Li P, Garcia GE, Johnson RJ, Feng L, Microarray Core, Center for Immunology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.

3. Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence, Wynd CA, Nursing Program, University of Akron College of Nursing, Akron, OH 44325-3701, USA.

4. Qigong exercise for the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease: A randomized, controlled pilot study, Schmitz-Hubsch T, Pyfer D, Kielwein K, Fimmers R, Klockgether T, Wullner U, Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.

5. Nonlinear analysis of heart rate variability during Qigong, Lee MS, Rim YH, Jeong DM, Kim MK, Joo MC, Shin SH, Center for Integrative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, College of Oriental Medicine, Wonkwang University, Korea.

6. Randomized, controlled trial of breath therapy for patients with chronic low-back pain, Mehling WE, Hamel KA, Acree M, Byl N, Hecht FM, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA.

7. Qi-training (qigong) enhanced immune functions: what is the underlying mechanism? Lee MS, Kim MK, Ryu H, Center for Integrative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea

8. Appearance of high-frequency alpha band with disappearance of low-frequency alpha band in EEG is produced during voluntary abdominal breathing in an eyes-closed condition, Fumoto M, Sato-Suzuki I, Seki Y, Mohri Y, Arita H, Department of Physiology, Toho University School of Medicine, 5-21-16, Omori-nishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan. 9. Effects of qigong on premenstrual syndrome: a randomized placebo-controlled study, Jang HS, Lee MS, Department of Nursing, Wonkwang Health Science College, Iksan, Korea.

10. Endocrine and immune effects of Qi-training, Lee MS, Kang CW, Ryu H, Moon SR, Professional Graduate School of Oriental Medicine and Center for Integrative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Republic of Korea.

11. Use of mind-body medical therapies, Wolsko PM, Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Phillips RS, Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Spence Pentland of Vancouver BC Canada received his five year Doctor of TCM education from the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Vancouver. To complete his studies he spent 500 hours at Anhui Hospital of TCM Hefei City, in the Peoples Republic of China. He is a licensed and registered member of the Canadian Traditional Chinese Medicine Association, and practices at Acubalance Wellness Centre (Acubalance Wellness Centre Vancouver BC) where he treats only Men’s reproductive health (Mens Reproductive Health Information) and Women’s fertility issues (Infertility Information).

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

By: Eric Cho

You’d never think there was anything good in a pot of pee, right? Here’s news for you.

The use of urine for medicinal purposes can be traced to societies in ancient Egypt, China, Hindu and Aztec histories. Advocates also cite a prominent verse in the Bible: “Drink water from thine own cistern and the streams of thine own well.”

Urine therapy is also known as amaroli and it is an integral part of the Ayurvedic tradition of Yoga. Yogis who follow Ayurveda are advised to drink the urine they excrete between 4 and 6 in the morning because the hormones released are propitious in inducing the meditative state of mind.

The rationale behind urine therapy is quite simple and persuasive. Urine is believed to be a byproduct of blood filtration. It is NOT excess water that is released by the body. When blood filled with nutrients pass through the liver, the toxins are filtered out and are excreted as solid waste. The purified blood then travels to the kidney where excess nutrients are eliminated from the body. The medical name of urine is Plasma Ultrafiltrate. 95% of this liquid is water and the rest is a mixture of nutrients, urea, minerals, enzymes, antibodies and hormones.

Urine consists of urea, which is an antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral agent. Urea is produced when the body tries to balance the ratio of sodium chloride with water. Because of its ability to kill bacteria and limit inflammation, urea is often used in ointments and lotions.

Urine can be used internally or applied externally. For internal use, it is necessary to collect the morning’s first sample. A sterile container is used, and with a dropper the patient places anywhere between 5-10 drops under his tongue. The usual system is to use 1-5 drops on the first day, followed by 5-10 drops on the second day, 5-10 drops on the morning of the third day and 5-10 drops on the evening of the third day.

“Drinking urine is a good alternative wherever water is scarce. It not only satisfies the need for liquid, but also actually keeps the body healthy. Some time ago there was an earthquake in Egypt. A survivor was pulled out of the rubble in Cairo after being trapped for three days. The man had kept himself alive by, among other things, drinking his own urine and he was in excellent condition. I heard another story about a man who kept himself alive with his own urine for a week in a collapsed mine. At the time of his rescue, he looked fine and was in extraordinary health.” - Complete Guide to Urine Therapy Universal-Tao.com

Homeopathic urine therapy dilutes the urine with distilled water and this diluted solution is placed under the tongue till there is a reduction in symptoms.

Precautions are taken to ensure the purity and quality of the urine. The first urine of the day and the mid-stream urine is the best sample. Before collecting the sample, it is necessary to wash the genital area thoroughly. After taking the urine into the body, individuals should refrain from eating anything for at least half an hour.

For external application, new or old urine can be used. Since older urine has a higher concentration of ammonia, it is more effective against skin diseases and rashes. To make the urine old, it should be stored in a dark bottle and closed tightly and kept away from the sun for 3-4 days. A small amount of the solution is applied directly on the skin. It can also be sprayed on the skin or added to skin lotions, cream or moisturizers. Doctors advise against the use of soap immediately after applying urine on the skin.

Urine should never be injected into the body. Since urine therapy depends on the gradual introduction of urine into the body, a sudden introduction of urine into the bloodstream can cause damage.

Urine therapy is supposed to cure a variety of ailments ranging from Arthritis, Cancer, Hepatitis, Multiple Sclerosis, Eczema, Psoriasis, Diabetes, Herpes and adrenal failure. It is commonly used to combat venom from snakebites, jellyfish and beestings. Urine is the main ingredient in infertility drugs.

So, now you know there’s more to pee than what meets the eye!

“The medical community has already been aware of [urine's] astounding efficacy for decades, and yet none of us has ever been told about it. Why? Maybe they think it’s too controversial. Or maybe, more accurately, there wasn’t any monetary reward for telling people what scientists know about one of the most extraordinary natural healing elements in the world.” (Urine Therapy) - Shirley’s Wellness Cafe

Alternative Holistic Medicine

Amazon Books on Urine Therapy:
Uropathy
Your Own Perfect Medicine
The Golden Fountain: The Complete Guide to Urine Therapy
Urine Therapy: Nature’s Elixer for Good Health
Water of Life

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles