Eileen Lichtenstein’s Balance and Power Blog » holistic

Meditation: Benefits and How to Meditate

Eileen Lichtenstein — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:22:17 +0000

“Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing who that is. It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely the path that is your life.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn

The definition of meditation is to reflect on; to contemplate.Hindu and Buddhist traditions train to calm, to empty the mind, often by achieving an altered state; as by focusing on a single object. Some define meditation as devotional contemplation as in prayer. For purposes of this article, we will focus on meditation as being present in the moment and calming and relaxing the mind.

How to Meditate

As a beginner to meditation, some simple ways to make meditation a daily practice are available. Let’s explore some steps to get started.

1. Make a decision to begin your mindful meditation.

2. Prepare a special place in your home. Many create a sacred altar. It is helpful to use the same room or part of a room each time you meditate.

You want to bring loving and positive energy into your mindful meditation space. The purpose is to be apart from the ordinary day to day experience. Once you get started and feel comfortable with the process continue to your special place. Add flowers, crystals or rocks. Whatever you like as you go a long to make it special. For now light a special candle.

3.Commitment: Having this special space will assist you to keep your commitment to your new practice.

4. Time: Create a regular time of day to get the benefits of meditation. Energy workers recommend every twelve hours. The most beneficial times are to begin and end your day with meditation; when you are most receptive and open.

5. Start with a Comfortable position: Sitting upright allows the energy of the body to flow; and helps to avoid falling asleep which is easy to do when relaxed. If it is difficult to sit upright, lying down also works.

Do not cross your arms or legs. You can open your hands palms open to symbolize your open and readiness. Or place them pals down on your knees or folded together thumbs touching without interlacing fingers to create a grounding position.

6. Breath: The most important part of meditation is the breath. Bring your attention to the breath. The breath is our life force energy. Simply notice the breath as it moves up and down as your body inhales and exhales. If your mind wanders, simply bring it back. Just bring awareness to what is going on within you.

Don’t get discouraged if the mind wanders. Just allow any thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations to come and go. You are retraining it through practice. The purpose of meditation is to go inward and quiet the mind.

7. Five Minutes: Begin slowly and work your way up to ten minutes and so on. You can continue to progress to 45 minutes to an hour. As you relax into the experience, time will stand still and relaxation and ease will permeate you.

8. If you have trouble with the silent breathing meditation you can try a Mp3 to guide you at the beginning.( See link below) to become fully present in the body. Imagine your feet going into the earth and allow that energy to move up your body feeling solid, strong and purposeful like a tall oak tree. A grounding meditation can be done two ways. You can also learn to bring the energy and presence into your body.

Reaping all the benefits of meditation takes practice and the commitment to the daily ritual. Regularity will quicken the success you have in experiencing this. You will soon begin to feel that still point or the stillness that the ancient teachers spoke of.

Mindful Meditation Tips:

Calm and stability of the mind is the purpose of mindful meditation. As we continue our practice, the time we give to our self and meditation becomes a precious gift. A higher purpose to this practice is to bring this calm and stable energy to every part of our day and experiences. We become the calm in the storm. We are able to remain peaceful even during stress and challenges.

Mindfulness also supports us to be in the present moment. Being fully present means not living in the past or future. This moment is all there is. We create in the present. Our creativity and intuitive knowing are felt in the presence of the moment. As we become regular meditators, inspiration, insights and intuition are the gifts we receive from our dedication and commitment.

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is proving to have physiological, psychological as well as spiritual benefits. The April 21 issue of Brain Research Bulletin, the researchers found that people trained to meditate over an eight-week period were better able to control a specific type of brain waves called alpha rhythms. An article in Psychology Today states that 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. Studies are showing that meditation helps with stress, fatigue, strengthen the immune system and much more.

Seven Top Benefits of Meditation:

1. Many health benefits including increasing blood flow and slowing the heart rate. Research has revealed that meditation increases the activity of the natural killer cells which kill bacteria and cancer cells.

2. Helps concentration and focus. Many athletes reap the benefits of meditation to strength their concentration to become better at their sport.

3. Builds self confidence and help with phobias and fears

4. Aids your efforts to quit smoking and addiction

5. Brings more inner harmony and brings a deeper understanding of oneself and others.

6. Helps bring more peace of mind which benefits us holistically; mind, body and spirit.

7. Meditation can help you to discover your purpose for being here.

Mindful Meditation is simple to learn and becomes natural with practice and commitment. It is free and can be done in your home, office or out in nature.

Meditation can cultivate an inner peace and happiness that most everyone longs for in this life experience. In this busy, hectic world, meditation is a key to bring more balance, relaxation and peace to life. I invite you to get started today.

You may even meditate at work (if push comes to shove). Encourage your company to provide a space for this.

Listen to Moving Meditation® Fitness: These are two sections of an audio program that I produced in 1985:

	Track #2: Rythmic Movement
	Track #7: Guided Relaxation

and see Stress Reduction Tips on my website BalanceandPower

Arrange a FREE 15 minute telephone consult to find out how we can work together to meet your goals.

Balance Your Body and Emotions – An Evening of Stress Release and Relaxation

Eileen Lichtenstein — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:40:35 +0000

Wednesday, April 27 and May 11 at 7:30 – 9:30 PM

Le Look Hair Studio Ltd. -

191 Atlantic Ave – Freeport, NY 11520

516 857 3576 FREE!

Enjoy a free consult and mini-session with VAN (Value Added Networking) wellness and stress management practitioners. Take time and give yourself a gift of health & happiness!

Maria Antonopoulos - Balanced Health Acupuncture: Offering a mini acupuncture treatment for relaxation with essential oils 516 395 0966

Eileen Lichtenstein, MS.Ed. will guide you through a peak performance success coaching conversation session that may include EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and relaxation-stress release techniques! Be ready to “SOAR! with Resilience™.

Bruce Kesten, D.C., Certified in Applied Kinesiology. Kesten Family Chiropractic, Baldwin, NY - Offering a complimentary spinal stress exam 516 536 6806

Eugene Wood, LMT - Offering a complementary consultation and mini-massage 917 952 8052

Gift Certificates available!

Got Stress? Be Resilient!(c)2010

Eileen Lichtenstein — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:27:13 +0000

Research shows a direct link between stress and heart disease, stroke, cancer and other life-changing illnesses. We know it lowers the immune system so that we are more susceptible to the common cold and heightened allergies. If you wait until you’re feeling stressed before you use some technique for managing stress, it may be too late. You need to have a bag of tricks that you can deploy proactively. Turning to them throughout the day changes your threshold of stress tolerance. It’s more important than ever to learn as many antistress techniques as possible, as young as possible. The biochemical response to stress is cued up as much by random, upsetting events in the environment as by negative thinking – our own or people we spend a great deal of time with – as well as trying to keep up with the fast pace and increasing demands of modern life, or mental habits like perfectionism or procrastination. There are skills and habits of mind which are beneficial to our health and reduce the negative effects of stress that cause physical illness. The development of these skills is stress-resilience training. I will be sharing an overview of techniques and strategies with you in a FREE teleclass April 1- no joke! with a three week in depth series following. In the NY Metro area, check out two wholistic wellness fairs in April that I’m involved with. I will be facilitating weekend courses at Dowling Institute and an EFT(tapping) Training http://www.balanceandpower.com/eft.php at the Balance & Power Center in May. Details.. http://www.balanceandpower.com/events.php

acceptance vs. surrender

Eileen Lichtenstein — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:49:34 +0000

I spent yesterday and this AM with a friend who was given medical results 2 days ago that her (cervical) cancer is terminal. She laughingly refers to herself as “the bag lady”, as she’s had kidney problems on this journey and also has a wrapped leg due to lyphodema. She’s in so much better spirits than I could imagine, and talked about the full life she’s lived. At 7:00 AM she told me stories of her her magical mushroom experience in Peru 2 years ago, skydiving and her Peak Potential and Landmark Education experiences… Yesterday was momentous for her- she released her ex-husband and all his negative energy together with her bit of hope for a friendly-adult relationship- due to a timely email from him that didnt ask about how she was feeling-doing, only addressed practical $$ issues. Her 23 year old wise woman daughter was present also, and happy to see her mom make peace with as she perceived it, an awful relationship. So it goes…

We talked, we tapped (EFT), we ate simply and slept peacefully.
My friend is grateful for her karma and the lives she’s lived. She expressed this may be her last time on earth and she is ready . Her “bucket list” has been checked, her papers are in order, and she will live her remaining days being present for herself, her three children, grandson and friends who love her dearly.
This afternoon, I connected her with networking friends who can help her with homecare and alternative holistic modalities. She is grateful, and is open to possiblilities. My friend has not “surrendered” and is in complete acceptance of her condition; her emotional strength, spirit and insight is amazing.

Grateful for Networking and more

Eileen Lichtenstein — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:38:30 +0000

Hello Fellow Networkers,
I am grateful to know each of you. I am taking time now to follow-up, strengthen relationships and to invite you to partake in my offerings: complimentary coaching consultation via telephone : http:// www.balanceandpower.com/coaching.php , motivational “gigs” at your organizations and my workshops:http://www.balanceandpower.com/events.php.
I have been invited to be on the board of http://www.longislandwomeninpower.com and have happily accepted the post as “Director of Networking and Inspiration.”
As an active Business Advocate-Member of www.thelongislandway.com I encourage you to check out this unique business that connects business and non-profits.
Our networking and charitable Long Island community is growing- certainly a positive outcome of “the crisis”. An innovator and star networker in this community is David Gussin, who heads up
516Ads.com & 631Ads.com
Long Island’s Advertising/Community Network where you can find my article each month on his front page

On that note, I have entered into a collaboration with Ron Dilbert, of http://www.singleparentpower.com to bring workshops and retreats to this growing population. We are actively seeking sponsors for our future events. Please contact rdilbert@singleparentpower.com . If you have a lead for this or are interested in discussing it.
The Balance and Power™ Network is expanding! Thanks to your support and feedback, I am starting an evening venue at www.bluefirmamentrvc.com on the 3rd Thursday of each month, 7-9PM beginning May 21. The Blue Firmament in Rockville Centre, NY is an eclectic holistic center in a beautiful space-shop with a raw food bar and seminar room. The co-owner, Miss Sheiva is a joy to work with, and welcomes the networking community. The Balance and Power™ Network now has a BlogTalkRadioShow http://www.blogtalkradio.com/eileen-lichtenstein
When: Weds. 1:00 EST
March 25, April 1 and 8
Dial in listener: 347 215 8808 – You may join the chat room on the web at the same time you are on telephone or computer-speaker.
There is one more link I’m asking you to click: http://www.joinnetworkplus.com. The Balance and Network™ Network in person gatherings are affiliated with this group,
with Ted Fattaross at the helm. It costs zip to become a member (with a $100 application fee). It is growing, over 1,000 members now in 12 states. Reap the benefits, see for yourself.

PS. I’m a Great Connector:)