A 1982 Interview With George Harrison Of The Beatles

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare, Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare, Hare

A 1982 Interview with George Harrison

In the summer of 1969, before the dissolution of the most popular music group of all time, George Harrison produced a hit single, “ The Hare Krishna Mantra”, performed by George and the members of the London Radha-Krsna Temple.  Soon after rising to the Top 10 or Top 20 best-selling record charts throughout England, Europe, and parts of Asia, the Hare Krsna chant became a household word-especially in England, where the BBC had featured the Hare Krsna Chanters, as they were then called, four times on the country’s most popular television programme, Top of the Pops.

George Harrison was the impetus for the Beatles’ spiritual quest of the sixties, and up until his death in 2001, the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare, Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare, Hare” continued to play a key role in his life.

In this conversation with his long-time personal friend Contemporary Vedic Library Series editor Mukunda Goswami (MG), taped at George’s home in England on September 4, 1982, George reveals some of the memorable experiences he had chanting Hare Krsna and describes in detail his deep realisations about the chanting.

He explains what factors led him to produce “The Hare Krishna Mantra” record, “My Sweet Lord”, and the LPs All Things Must Pass and Living in the Material World – all of which were influenced to a great extent by the Hare Krsna chanting and philosophy. 

He speaks open and lovingly of his association with His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder – acarya of the Hare Krsna movement. 

George also speaks frankly about his personal philosophy regarding the Hare Krsna movement, music, yoga, reincarnation, karma, the soul, God and Christianity.  The conversation concludes with his fond remembrances of a visit to the birthplace of Lord Krsna in Vrndavana, India, home of the Hare Krsna mantra, and with George discussing some of his celebrity friends’ involvement with the mantra now heard and chanted around the world.

Below are excerpts of the interview by Mukunda Goswami (MG) and George Harrison (GH):

MG	Oftentimes you speak of yourself as a plainclothes devotee, a closet yogi or “closet Krsna” and millions of people all over the world have been introduced to the chanting by your songs.  But what about you?  How did you first come in contact with Krsna?
GH	Through my visits to India.  So by the time the Hare Krsna movement first came to England in 1969, John and I had already gotten a hold of Prabhupada’s first album, Krsna Consciousness.  We had played it a lot and liked it.  That was the first time I had ever heard the chanting of the maha-mantra.
MG	In your recent published autobiography, I, Me, Mine, you said your song “Awaiting on You All” is about Japa yoga, or chanting mantras on beads.  You explained that a mantra is “mystical energy encased in a sound structure”, and that “each mantra contains within its vibrations a certain power”.  But of all mantras, you stated that “the maha-mantra” (The Hare Krisna Mantra) has been prescribed as the easiest and surest way for attaining God realisation in this present age.  As a practitioner of Japa Yoga, what realisations have you experienced from chanting?
GH	Prabhupada told me once that we should just keep chanting all the time – or as much as possible.  Once you do that, you realise the benefit.  The response that comes from chanting is in the form of bliss, or spiritual happiness, which is a much higher taste that any happiness found here in the material world.  That is why I say that the more you do it, the more you do not want to stop, because it feels so nice and peaceful.
MG	What is about the mantra that brings about this feeling of peace and happiness?
GH	The word Hare is the word that calls upon the energy that is around the Lord.  If you say the mantra enough, you build up identification with God.  God is all happiness, all bliss, and by chanting His names we connect with him.  So it is really a process of actually having a realisation of God, which all becomes clear with the expanded state of consciousness that develops when you chant.
MG	Can you think of any incident where you felt God’s presence very strongly through chanting?
GH	Once I was on an airplane that was in an electric storm.  It was hit by lightening three times, and a Boeing 707 went over the top of us, missing us by inches.  I thought the back end of the plane had blown off.  I was on my way from Los Angeles to New York to organise the Bangladesh concert.  As soon as the plane began bouncing around I started chanting “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare, Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare, Hare”.  The whole thing went on for about an hour and a half or two hours, the plane dropping hundreds of feet and bouncing all over in the storm, all the lights out and all these explosions, and everybody terrified.  I ended up with my feet pressed against the seat in front, my seat belt as tight as it could be, gripping on the thing, and yelling Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare, Hare at the top of my voice.  I know for me, the difference between making it and not making it was actually chanting the mantra.  Peter Sellers also swore that chanting Krsna saved him from a plane crash.

Source:	Excerpts from the book “Chant and be Happy The Power of Meditation.  Based on the teachings of his Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
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The Science Of Mantra And The Beatles

24 June 2014 by Carmen Burby

In the middle 1960’s George Harrison became fascinated and an admirer of Indian Culture and Mysticism, which he introduced to the rest of the Beatles’s group.  During the filming of “Help” in the Bahamas, they met with the founder of Sivananda Yoga, Swami Visnu-devananda, who gave each of them a signed copy of his book, The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga.

In 1967 The Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and they became captivated by this teachings of Transcendental Meditation.  On 24 August 1967 they were in the front row seats listening to The Maharishi’s lecture, which took place at the London Hilton.

George Harrison explained why he attended the lecture, “I got the tickets. I was actually after a mantra.  I had got to the point where I thought I would like to meditate; I read about it and I knew I needed a mantra – a password to get through to the other world.  And as we always seemed to do everything together, John and Paul came with me”  (George Harrison’s Anthology).

Ringo Star was unable to attend the lecture because his wife Maureen had given birth to their son Jason on 19 August 1967.

After the event the Beatles were granted a 90-minute private audience with The Maharishi.  He greatly impressed them with his philosophy.  The next day they all (including Ringo Star) travelled to Bangor in North Wales, UK to attend a Transcendental Meditation seminar.

The Beatles spent two nights in Bangor where a personal mantra was given to each of them by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

What is a Mantra?

Swami Visnu-Devananda says:  “A mantra is a mystical energy encased in a sound structure”.  The potency of the energy is liberated by continuous concentration and repetition.  Thus, its energy is released and takes form, and gradually over time becomes powerful within us.

Sound is made up of energetic vibrations.  To release the energy from the sound, we learn to repeat it with a specific rhythm.  When you start repeating a mantra it creates a specific thought pattern, which allows the energy to literally manifest itself.  When you repeat the name the form comes to mind.  Although you may not consciously know the form connected to a certain mantra, it still creates a specific thought pattern in the mind.  The thought pattern created by a mantra is positive, beneficial and calming.  Mantras are used to foster an alert mind.  It is said when we chant Mantras we are creating a cushion of protection around us.

How a Mantra is  created?

Every mantra is created from a combination of sounds derived from the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet.  Sanskrit is the most ancient of human languages and is also known as Devanagri, which literally means “Language of the Gods”.  Sanskrit words are the actual sound manifestations we use when chanting. 

Can Mantras be translated?

Mantras can be translated, but these translations do not possess the same power as the original.  I believe this is the reason why at the Ashram we are encouraged to learn the Sanskrit words and use them while attending lectures or Satsang evenings.

Have the Mantras ever been written by someone?

No one has ever, as far as is known, sat down and written a Mantra as people write songs.  Mantras are energies, which have always existed in the universe and can neither be created nor destroyed.  The science of Mantra is exact and precise and it is important that they should be pronounced correctly.  The constant repetition of the Mantra is called Japa. 

Are there any mental benefits attributed to Mantras?

Japa or Mantra repetition will help the mind to steady itself.  This in turn, helps us into a meditative state.

Are there any physical benefits derived from Mantras?

On a physical level many benefits are derived from Japa or Mantra repetition.  Deep rest and relaxation are given to all the cells and organs of the body.  Toxins are removed and the nervous system is relaxed.  The lower emotions of lust, anger, greed, hatred and jealousy are destroyed and replaced with pure qualities, which protect us from our own mind.

The Beatles’ encounter with The Maharishi coincided with their realisation that LSD did not hold the answers they were hoping for.  They held a press conference to reveal their new passion for meditation and announced that hey had given up drugs. 

Did You Like The Chant?

What is your experience of Chanting? 

Please let me know by leaving your comments at the end of this page.

All the very best

On Namah Sivaya!

(I salute the divine within you!)

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This blog is based on the teachings of the Swami Sivananda as outlined in the Yoga Teachers’ Training Manual 2013 and Swami Visnu-devananda’s book “Meditation and Mantras” and articles from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Harrison#Hinduism http://www.beatlesbible.com/people/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZGzGfn9efw

The 6 Phase Meditation – Guided Audio

NB:  This is the Guided Audio version of the Infographic that appeared in the preceding blog

To listen to the FREE guided audio of the 6 Phase Meditation, hit play on the video below, or download Omvana to get FREE access to this track on your mobile device anytime you need it.

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7804370939756266585#editor/target=post;postID=7075438667886345483

The 6 Phase Meditation – Infographic

This infographic is based on the core meditation from the Envisioning Method, a daily practice designed by Mindvalley Founder, Vishen Lakhiani.

The 6 Phase Meditation is a distillation of hundreds of books on personal growth and is designed to create the most remarkable transformation in your state of being — in the shortest amount of time.

http://blog.mindvalleyacademy.com/meditation/6-phase-meditation-infographic

NB:  My next blog entry will be the Audio Guided version of this Infographic

9 Simple Ways Yoga Can Improve Your Everyday Life

1 June 2014 - Image by Carmen Burby

BY STEFANI BECKERMAN
JULY 4, 2013 5:00 AM EDT

The past few weeks have brought a lot of change into my life. It’s all good, exciting movement, but it’s the result of a series of scary steps forward that leave me feeling like I’m walking the plank and not sure if I’ll sink or swim. One of the best ways I’ve learned to deal with transition is by amping up my yoga practice. For me, the subtle details I focus on in my asanas translate naturally to metaphors for lessons I’m trying to master in everyday life.

In yoga, we’re taught to ground down through the feet and work our way up in order to sync our movement and breath. In that order, here are a few things I think about during my poses and their relationship to everyday life:  

1. Anchor Down 

Ground yourself through your feet by flexing the heals, lifting the knees, and strengthening the thighs to feel balanced at your root. That stability can be applied to every uncomfortable situation, because this journey isn't about finding a permanent way to avoid life’s hurdles; it’s about figuring out how to go through them without breaking. 

2. Sink into your foundation

Once you feel steady, hold it and breathe. Think about full, rounded breaths. Try four inhales and four exhales to slow everything down. Let the awareness of your breath keep you feeling full and strong so that you're empowered to step outside your comfort zone, attempt new levels in poses, and be fearless in life.  

3. Engage the core

Tighten from the very bottom, below your navel. Lift the abdominals up, roll the pelvic in, and lengthen. Do that all at once, inhale, and exhale without losing the connection. Practicing engaging these muscles will train the body to do it naturally so eventually we can suck the navel into the lower abs at all times. It eliminates lower back pain and a builds a strong core for life which helps you pay attention and feel confident trusting your own instincts. 

4. Accept your situation

Some poses are less comfortable than others depending on which muscles you hold stress in the most. Yoga is about being able to recognize where you are and remaining flexible with yourself. Be compassionate with your body; every day is different. Try to change the inner dialogue from fear of failure and limiting beliefs to positive self-talk about being proud of who and where you are.

5. Sink a little deeper 

When you want to quit because something is too hard, keep going. That’s what makes you stronger mentally, and that’s the power that you need to succeed at everything in life. If you can push just a drop past the comfort zone, you open up space for growth and improvement. Plus, if you fall on your face the first time, it can only get easier!

6. Practice patience

Adjust your relationship with time. Instead of rushing to get out NOW, stay right where you are a bit longer. Let the energy of this moment come and go while you enjoy it.  

7. Be the witness 

Notice all of your sensations. What comes up in your mind? What feels good and why? What hurts? Where do you start to get frustrated with yourself? Where do you start to compare yourself to others in the class? How does it all tie together? Call out the ego in a sympathetic way. That means simple awareness without judgment. Notice the facts and let go.

8. Lightness

Yoga is a moving meditation. You want the negative stuff to surface so that it can be released. Get out of your own way and just flow. Once you find out what that means for you, by feeling your way through it, you won’t be so held back by anything or anyone. All you have to do is show up and the your personal flow will sort of carry you through the rest.  

9. Let go 

This is the hard one, and it’s a combination of everything that came before it. It’s having a deep enough relationship with yourself to know that feeling good about yourself — your efforts, your place, your path — is the only approval you need. It’s being able to move forward without attachments of expectation, preconceived ideas and daydreams. It’s being grateful for this moment and taking everything possible out of it so it doesn’t pass you by too quickly.

As you take these thoughts with you in your daily life, you'll deepen your physical yoga practice, and vice versa.

 http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10129/9-simple-ways-yoga-can-improve-your-everyday-life.html

http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

Harvard Yoga Scientists Find Proof of Meditation Benefit

By Makiko Kitamura  Nov 22, 2013 

Scientists are getting close to proving what yogis have held to be true for centuries -- yoga and meditation can ward off stress and disease.

Photographer: Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty Images

People take part in a meditation day for peace in Colombia at Bolivar Square in Bogota,... Read More

John Denninger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, is leading a five-year study on how the ancient practices affect genes and brain activity in the chronically stressed. His latest work follows a study he and others published earlier this year showing how so-called mind-body techniques can switch on and off some genes linked to stress and immune function.

While hundreds of studies have been conducted on the mental health benefits of yoga and meditation, they have tended to rely on blunt tools like participant questionnaires, as well as heart rate and blood pressure monitoring. Only recently have neuro-imaging and genomics technology used in Denninger’s latest studies allowed scientists to measure physiological changes in greater detail.

“There is a true biological effect,” said Denninger, director of research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of Harvard Medical School’s teaching hospitals. “The kinds of things that happen when you meditate do have effects throughout the body, not just in the brain.”

Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

A man practices yoga on the waterfront at Nariman Point in Mumbai.

The government-funded study may persuade more doctors to try an alternative route for tackling the source of a myriad of modern ailments. Stress-induced conditions can include everything from hypertension and infertility to depression and even the aging process. They account for 60 to 90 percent of doctor’s visits in the U.S., according to the Benson-Henry Institute. The World Health Organization estimates stress costs U.S. companies at least $300 billion a year through absenteeism, turn-over and low productivity.

Seinfeld, Murdoch

The science is advancing alongside a budding “mindfulness” movement, which includes meditation devotees such as Bill George, board member of Goldman Sachs Group and Exxon Mobil Corp., and comedian Jerry Seinfeld. News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch recently revealed on Twitterthat he is giving meditation a try.

As a psychiatrist specializing in depression, Denninger said he was attracted to mind-body medicine, pioneered in the late 1960s by Harvard professor Herbert Benson, as a possible way to prevent the onset of depression through stress reduction. While treatment with pharmaceuticals is still essential, he sees yoga and meditation as useful additions to his medical arsenal.

Exchange Program

It’s an interest that dates back to an exchange program he attended in China the summer before entering Harvard as an undergraduate student. At Hangzhou University he trained with a tai chi master every morning for three weeks.

“By the end of my time there, I had gotten through my thick teenage skull that there was something very important about the breath and about inhabiting the present moment,” he said. “I’ve carried that with me since then.”

His current study, to conclude in 2015 with about $3.3 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, tracks 210 healthy subjects with high levels of reported chronic stress for six months. They are divided in three groups.

One group with 70 participants perform a form of yoga known as Kundalini, another 70 meditate and the rest listen to stress education audiobooks, all for 20 minutes a day at home. Kundalini is a form of yoga that incorporates meditation, breathing exercises and the singing of mantras in addition to postures. Denninger said it was chosen for the study because of its strong meditation component.

Participants come into the lab for weekly instruction for two months, followed by three sessions where they answer questionnaires, give blood samples used for genomic analysis and undergo neuro-imaging tests.

‘Immortality Enzyme’

Unlike earlier studies, this one is the first to focus on participants with high levels of stress. The study published in May in the medical journal PloS One showed that one session of relaxation-response practice was enough to enhance the expression of genes involved in energy metabolism and insulin secretion and reduce expression of genes linked to inflammatory response and stress. There was an effect even among novices who had never practiced before.

Harvard isn’t the only place where scientists have started examining the biology behind yoga.

In a study published last year, scientists at the University of California at Los Angeles and Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn found that 12 minutes of daily yoga meditation for eight weeks increased telomerase activity by 43 percent, suggesting an improvement in stress-induced aging. Blackburn of the University of California, San Francisco, shared the Nobel medicine prize in 2009 with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for research on the telomerase “immortality enzyme,” which slows the cellular aging process.
Build Resilience

Not all patients will be able to stick to a daily regimen of exercise and relaxation. Nor should they have to, according to Denninger and others. Simply knowing breath-management techniques and having a better understanding of stress can help build resilience.

“A certain amount of stress can be helpful,” said Sophia Dunn, a clinical psychotherapist who trained at King’s College London. “Yoga and meditation are tools for enabling us to swim in difficult waters.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Makiko Kitamura in London at mkitamura1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Phil Serafino at pserafino@bloomberg.net

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-22/harvard-yoga-scientists-find-proof-of-meditation-benefit.html

htpp://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

Mindfulness Meditation May Ease Anxiety, Mental Stress

Image Posted on 28 April 2014 by Carmen Burby

Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter

Posted January 08, 2014

My mom began meditating decades ago, long before the mind-calming practice had entered the wider public consciousness. Today, at age 81, she still goes to a weekly meditation group and quotes Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk known for his practice of mindfulness, or “present-focused awareness.”

Although meditation still isn’t exactly mainstream, many people practice it, hoping to stave off stress and stress-related health problems. Mindfulness meditation, in particular, has become more popular in recent years. The practice involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present without drifting into concerns about the past or future. (Or, as my mom would say, “Don’t rehearse tragedies. Don’t borrow trouble.”)

But, as is true for a number of other alternative therapies, much of the evidence to support meditation’s effectiveness in promoting mental or physical health isn’t quite up to snuff. Why? First, many studies don’t include a good control treatment to compare with meditation. Second, the people most likely to volunteer for a meditation study are often already sold on meditation’s benefits and so are more likely to report positive effects.

But when researchers from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD sifted through nearly 19,000 meditation studies, they found 47 trials that addressed those issues and met their criteria for well-designed studies. Their findings, published in this week’s JAMA Internal Medicine, suggest that mindfulness meditation can help ease psychological stresses like anxiety, depression, and pain.

Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, a psychiatrist at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, says that mindfulness meditation makes perfect sense for treating anxiety. “People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power,” she explains. “They can’t distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit.”

“If you have unproductive worries,” says Dr. Hoge, you can train yourself to experience those thoughts completely differently. “You might think ‘I’m late, I might lose my job if I don’t get there on time, and it will be a disaster!’ Mindfulness teaches you to recognize, ‘Oh, there’s that thought again. I’ve been here before. But it’s just that—a thought, and not a part of my core self,’” says Dr. Hoge.

One of her recent studies (which was included in the JAMA Internal Medicine review) found that a mindfulness-based stress reduction program helped quell anxiety symptoms in people with generalized anxiety disorder, a condition marked by hard-to-control worries, poor sleep, and irritability. People in the control group—who also improved, but not as much as those in the meditation group—were taught general stress management techniques. All the participants received similar amounts of time, attention, and group interaction.

To get a sense of mindfulness meditation, you can try one of the guided recordings by Dr. Ronald Siegel, an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. They are available for free at www.mindfulness-solution.com.

Some people find that learning mindfulness techniques and practicing them with a group is especially helpful, says Dr. Hoge. Mindfulness-based stress reduction training, developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA, is now widely available in cities throughout the United States.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-may-ease-anxiety-mental-stress-201401086967

http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com

The five points of Yoga according to Swami Visnudevananada

1. Proper exercise (Asanas) The asanas (postures) work systematically on all parts of the body, lubricating the whole bodily system by stimulating the circulation and increasing flexibility. Asana means a steady posture done slowly and with awareness and promote not only physical well-being, but increase mental capacities for concentration and meditation. Yoga asanas work first and foremost on the health of the spine. The spinal column contains the central nervous system, the communication system of the body, supporting the health of the whole body. If the flexibility and strength of the spine is maintained with proper exercise, circulation is intensified, the nerves are assured of a supply of nutrients and oxygen, and the body retains its youthful condition. Moreover, asanas activate pressure points which when stimulated, increase the flow of prana (life force or vital energy) in the body. They massage the internal organs resulting in improved functioning. Since yoga asanas are always practised in conjunction with deep breathing, relaxation and concentration, they help to develop mental concentration. The restless mind is withdrawn from the outward distractions and turns inward and is stilled.

2. Proper Breathing (Pranayama) Pranayama or proper breathing connects the body with its battery, the solar plexus, where enormous reserves of energy can be stored and retrieved. Through the breathing techniques of pranayama this energy is released. When we consciously regulate our breath, we are able to store and access a greater amount of vital life energy or prana. Most people use only a fraction of the lung capacity for breathing. They breathe superficially resulting in tension accumulating in the upper back and neck due to lack of oxygen. Deep yogic abdominal breathing can release deep seated toxins and tensions and even depression. A person who possesses an abundance of prana radiates vitality and strength and works with efficiency , calmness and concentration. Pranayama ( breathing exercises) not only increase prana but also how to control it. There is a subtle connection between prana and the mind , by controlling and regulating the prana we control the mind. All diseases of the body can be destroyed at the root by regulating the prana which is the secret of healing. Acupuncture, shiatsu, spiritual healing etc. are all examples of the conscious or unconscious control of prana.

3. Proper Relaxation (Savasana) Proper relaxation is a vital part of keeping the body and mind healthy and a tonic for the whole being, which when practised properly releases vast resources of energy. Proper relaxation cools down the system, like the cooling system of a car. When the body is relaxed, nature recharges the body more efficiently. When the body and mind are constantly overworked, they overheat and we feel 'burnt-out'. The stresses and challenges of the modern life make it difficult for a person to relax. We waste a large amount of energy on unnecessary physical and mental tension. During the course of a day our body produces all the substances and energy needed for the following day but very often this is dissipated within a few minutes by emotional outbursts of negativity such as anger, grief , jealousy etc. During deep relaxation only a small amount of prana is used to maintain the most important metabolic activities. Even a few minutes of deep relaxation can recharge us more effectively than hours of restless sleep.

4. Proper Diet (Vegetarian) The yogic diet is essentially a lacto-vegetarian one, consisting of pure and natural foods cooked with fresh organic vegetables. A yogic diet nourishes both the body and mind and is best suited for the practice of yoga and meditation. A simple yogic diet is a balanced diet free from chemicals, unprocessed and ensures a better supply of nutrients. The yogic attitude to food is that we eat to live, not live to eat, taking foodstuffs which have the most positive effect on body and mind, and the least negative consequences to the environment and to other creatures.

5. Positive Thinking and Meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana) Positive thinking and meditation are an important key to achieving peace of mind. Meditation is the art of slowing down and focusing the mind. Regular practice enhances mental, physical and spiritual well-being. In order to meditate, we need first to still the mind through concentration techniques and positive thinking. A mind full of negative emotion and thoughts cannot be stilled. Through concentration techniques, negative thought waves are replaced by positive images and autosuggestion leads the mind to a state of calm and peace.

Source:
http://www.sivananda.org/orleans/en/five_points.htm


http://wwww.energysprings.blogspot.com

Researching Meditation with Dr Ramesh Manocha

Posted on 31 March 2014 by Carmen Burby

    

The Eastern View of Stress Meditation is an eastern tool that offers western health practitioners a new way of looking at health. The role of stress in disease is well recognised by modern medical researchers but, despite the progress that has been made in this field, there remains some very fundamental yet unanswered questions. One of those question is, “What exactly is stress?”. /

Few of us can easily come up with a good definition of “stress”, yet while we don’t know exactly what it is, we intuitively recognise that it is a factor that affects almost every aspect of our lives! The eastern explanation of “stress” is probably one of the most commonsense and practically useful ones. While you read this see if you can “look inside” and apply this perspective to yourself.

Stress, says the eastern perspective, is the by-product of thought. If we examine the nature of the thoughts that each of us experiences from moment to moment we will find that they all relate to one of two broad categories: (l) events that have occurred in the past or (2) events that we anticipate will occur in the future. Whether the event was an argument with a friend yesterday (past), an unpaid bill (future), a deeply troubling childhood experience that has become part of our subconscious (past) or anxiety about the share market (future) we will find that all of these troubling thoughts, and the resulting stress that they cause us, to have arisen from only the past or future!

Take the exercise a little further. If the vast majority, if not all, our thoughts emanate from events in the past or future, is it possible to think about the absolute present moment? Most of us will admit that, while we can think about events in the past (even a few moments ago), or events scheduled in the future (even milliseconds in the future), it is impossible to actually think about the present moment which we are continuously experiencing and is ever changing.

Now think about the stress that we all experience from time to time. Despite the huge variety of situations that “stress” us they all have one thing in common: we have to think about the events before they can reduce our sense of wellbeing. In other words thought itself is the final common pathway by which all events create stress within us! The past, comprised of events that have already occurred, no longer exists. Similarly the future, comprised of events that have yet to occur and are therefore undetermined, does not yet exist. However, paradoxically, we human beings exist only in the present.

The mind (and its thoughts), since it is comprised only of stuff from the past or future, is therefore not real and so the stress that it generates is also not real! If we are beings that exist in the present, and we realise that the stress and angst of life emanate from a mind which is the product of past/future, we acknowledge also that the antidote for the mental illusions that cause stress is to reign in our attention and focus it on the present moment. While, for most of us, focusing on the absolute present moment is virtually impossible, it is this razor’s edge of “thoughtless awareness” that the easterner seeks to cultivate and sustain in meditation. The vast inner silence of the thoughtless state leaves the mind uncluttered. By existing in that “space-between-thethoughts” one is neither enslaved to one’s past nor confined to a predetermined future. The inner silence of meditation thus creates a naturally stress-free inner environment.

Source:

http://www.researchingmeditation.org/meditation-research-summary/the-eastern-view-of-stress

http://www.energysprings.blogspot.com