Meditation : The present of presence

Contrary to what you may have heard meditating isn't just for zen like Buddhist monks.  Meditation is the best thing you can do in your battle against the stress and anxiety you experience in your day to day life.  It dates back to the dawn of mankind and is the most underutilized healing and life enhancing mind body practices here in North America.  Meditation is quite popular and commonly practiced in Asia where it is purported to have originated but we haven't quite caught on here in North America.  Maybe it's because it's not sexy or flashy enough to catch the eye of your average person.  Maybe it's because you really can't make any money off meditation.  You can meditate anytime anywhere without any fancy expensive equipment and you don't need to join any clubs that incur monthly memberships to meditate.  All you need is yourself and a quiet space.

When you meditate you are freeing yourself and healing your body.  Mediation is simply focusing on the present.  If you could just for as little as fifteen minutes a day stop ruminating about the past and obsessing about future events that may not even ever occur you will liberate yourself.  People frequently talk about self love.  Mediation is the ultimate expression of love for yourself.  You love yourself enough to let go and let your mind be free and think of nothing but this present moment.  Studies have shown that constant negative and stress inducing thoughts contribute to a faster aging process.  Meditation won't stop you from aging but it will undoubtedly slow the process down.  Mediation is a great anti-aging tool.

The benefits of meditation are cumulative meaning you have to meditate on a regular basis to derive benefits.  Remember you can meditate as little as fifteen minutes a day.  Thirty minutes or more would be great but whatever you choose just make sure you set aside time everyday to free your mind and heal your body.
When you first start meditating you will find your mind wandering. This is normal and should not frustrate you.  Simply bring your mind back to the present when you find it wandering when meditating.  Meditation is like a sport in that the more you do it the better you will get at it.  The more you meditate the less your mind will wander while meditating.

Research suggests meditation may help conditions such as:

• Fatigue
• Binge eating
• Heart disease
• Anxiety disorders
• High blood pressure
• Cancer
• Depression
• Pain
• Sleep problems
• Substance  abuse

Additional research shows medical meditation  is beneficial in regards to:

• Fibromyalgia
• Diabetes
• Immune disorders
• Wound healing
• Bone fusion
• Surgical preparation

If you're just starting out with mediation you may want guidance.  "Meditation for Beginners" by Jack Kornfield is an excellent resource for meditation newbies.  Also feel free to click here to contact one of our certified meditation coaches to help you integrate meditation into your busy life.  We offer consulting over the phone or via skype for your convenience.

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