Ohmm, Ohmm Essay, Research Paper

Meditation is the art of opening to each moment with calm awareness.(Davich 31) Butperhaps at it s simplest, it can be defined as a quieting of the mind. However, to trulyunderstand what it means to meditate, you must meditate. Meditation aspects can befound all over the world, in many religions from Christianity to Buddhism. Meditationdoes not necessarily have to do with religion. Meditation can help people with illnesses,control stress or increase awareness. There are countless ways one could define meditation. Here are just a few: * deep continued thought; reflection. Solemn reflection on sacred matters as a devotional act.(Webster s New World Dictionary) * thoughtful action to establish order…a relaxation technique with various larger purpose. (Andrew Weil, a leader in the new field of integrative and alternative medicine) *bringing the mind home. (Sogyal Rinpoche, spiritual master amongst Tibetan Buddhists) *Brain and consciousness become pure. It is exactly like muddy water left to stand in a glass. Little by little, the sediment sinks to the bottom. (Taisen Deshimaru, Zen teacher and master) **all of these definitions were taken from Davich s book, The Best Guide to Meditation (page 33)** So what does this all mean to the average person? Prayer is like talking to God,meditation is a way of listening to God. Meditation practices can be found in everyreligion. It s roots can be found in the major religions of the world. It is a way of life formany. While many meditative practices deal with religious acts, it does not have to have atie in with religion at all. Meditation is not a religion. It is about being in a state ofawareness; but not a trance or hypnotic state, which is often thought. Sometimes while inmeditation one can experience even higher levels of relaxation than during sleep! Anothermisconception about meditation that many have is that you need a teacher to do it right.This is not true, there is no right or wrong way to meditate. Although learning a new skillis often easier when led by a teacher, it is not so with meditation. Here is a simplemeditation that you can do anywhere: 1. sit or lay down in a comfortable position 2. close your eyes, by doing this you start to automatically relax your body 3. take an inventory of how your body feels-which places are most tense, relaxed 4. now focus on your breath, breath in deep through your nose and slowly out

out through your mouth. 5. remain focusing on your breath, notice your body becoming more relaxed 6. keep breathing at a slow steady rate-and remember to focus on your breathe. don t try to control your breathing, just become aware of the rate and the pauses in between inhalation and exhalations. 7. do this for about five minutes(note: for the first time this will seem like an eternity for some, this is normal) 8. then slowly open your eyes, but remain in your relaxed position and again take inventory of how your body feels at that moment. 9. Congratulations you have just meditated! As simple as this sounds to do, it is a method used by masters and beginners alike. This isone of the main reasons why this practice has survived the centuries. When United States citizens are asked what kind of person would meditate, mostwould probably answer a hunched over, elderly, miniature Chinese man. Yes, TibetanMonks are thought of first when meditation is mentioned; but what about PhilJackson(head coach of the Chicago Bulls), Richard Gere(actor), The Beatles, GoldieHawn(actress), and even Howard Stern(radio/TV personality)? All of these people inaddition to the Dalai Lama practice meditation. Why do all these people find meditation as a beneficial custom to practice? MaybeHoward Stern wants to reduce the stress in his life. Perhaps he wants to get in touch withhis emotions, increase his creative focus or reduce physical pain in his life. All of thesethings can be accomplished through the practice of meditation. Since research hasincreased dramatically in the recent past there are more benefits to practicing meditationreadily known and backed up with solid research( including brain scans, blood andhormonal samplings, etc.). Here is a list of benefits that meditation can bring; note thatthe more one meditates, the more beneficial it becomes) Psychological Benefits: improved mental health outgoingness increased concentration improved memory and intelligence independence Physical Benefits: boosts energy increase stamina speeds recovery lowers blood pressure reduces stress and stress related illnesses (*note: taken from Davich s book)These are just some of the possible benefits meditators can reap with practice andconcentration. I started meditating last February. It has definitely reduced the constant stress inmy life. I have found that I am able to remain focused on my work for longer periods oftime. Since starting, I have become more in tune with my emotions and I am rarely caughtin an unpleasant mood.

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