“Ultimately, we learn and practice meditation because we want our lives to be better and we want our world to be better,” says Andrew Weiss, author "Beginning Mindfulness" (New World Library Jan. 2004)

Meditation is the practice of paying meticulous attention to what is happening while it’s happening. It is a way of life that allows us to enter deeply into the reality of each moment without judgment, giving us a clear, unvarnished view of ourselves and of the world. Experts think that meditation may have been practiced by prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies. The first written accounts of meditation show up in the Vedic Tradition at about 2000-3000 B.C. Since then meditation has shown up throughout history in a variety of practices in many spiritual traditions from the Buddha, to early Christian monks, the Jewish Kabbalist tradition, Muslim traditions, St. Theresa and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. There are many practices of meditation including concentrative, mindfulness, repetition of mantra, movement (like walking or Tai Chi), loving kindness; even eating can become a meditative practice.¹ All basically consist of cultivating moment-to-moment non-judgmental awareness.

Why Meditate?
Meditators have long known that the practice of meditation can create liberation of the mind from disturbing thoughts, emotions and desires. Regular meditation practice can lead to emotional and mental stability, clarity in decision making, peace of mind, a freeing up of creative energy and self worth rekindled. Science has finally found a way to measure these experiences. Current scientific research shows that after training in meditation for just 8 weeks, subjects show a pronounced change in brain-wave patterns, shifting from the alpha waves of aroused, conscious thought to the theta waves that dominate the brain during periods of relaxation.¹ This shift translates into folks feeling more enthusiastic, happier and relaxed. Dr. Herbert Benson, president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has long suggested that even 10-20 minutes a day practicing the relaxation response (which meditation induces), can reverse many of the ill effects of stress.¹¹ The relaxation response has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate & respiration; to reduce anxiety, depression; to help alleviate insomnia, PMS, hot flashes and infertility and to relieve some types of pain, especially headaches

¹ Time Magazine, August 4, 2003; The Science of Meditation; Joel Stein

¹¹ NPR.ORG, April 22, 2003; Meditation and the Brain?; Judy Foreman

Laura Marie incorporates some meditation techniques into her classes and is available to bring introductory meditation classes to your group.  She also recommends the following:

Book-‘Beginning Mindfulness’  by Andrew Weiss:

Continuing the Way of Mindfulness classes with Andrew Weiss-contact directly in North Carolina  Andrew@Beginningmindfulness.com

Mindfulness Meditation Classes locally and Reiki with Lisa Tienan see www.riverspeak.com or lisa.tiernan@comcast.net

Helpful Meditation Tips

It is not necessary to sit cross-legged on the floor, in order to meditate! Feel free to be comfortable in a chair with feet firmly planted on the ground.

Show up, however you are, don’t wait for things to be different.

Be gentle and patient with yourself.

Bring your awareness back just one more time than your mind wanders.