I don’t know about you, but I have those days when I wake up and my mood isn’t just the best. I can be really annoyed or angry. No matter who says what, those are the worst days to be. And anything positive is just annoying.

I just had a day like that last week, and the first thing came to my mind was, “Dang! This is going to be bad day. Nothing is going to work out, I just know it.”

Thanks to the years of meditation, along came this spiritual insight. “Since anything is not going to work out, why bother even trying and being more frustrated then ever? Why not just figure out what’s bothering me?”

When you’ve been meditation for a while, ideas and insights like this just pop-up. You have practiced those good feeling state of being so much that nothing else will ever do.

So I sat down in meditation. Which wasn’t easy at all because when everything is bugging you, so does meditation but I was determined to get well so I continued anyways. I was using my favourite ease and flow processes.

To my amazement, I was bugged in meditation too! It wasn’t just working out. But I was determined, so I started again ‘ease and flow’… ‘ease and flow’ and then another though about a friend who is so buggy came to my mind and there I went out of meditation.

But anyways, I was determined to meditate. So I crawled back to meditation and this time it was bliss. It was so good to be back in my state of being that I so much like.

So What?

Why I am telling you this story, and most of those who being to read have left already. But the reason I am telling you this is to share with you want an important lesson I learned from this.

Often when stubborn problems come to our life, we just want to fight and struggle against it. But that never ever works. Fighting against the problem never brings in the solution it’s the Law (of Attraction).

Only way to solve any problem is to be in the right state of mind and then look at it. Meditation is one of the best tools to get into that state of no-mind. It is likely that as you focus on problem after meditation it will drag you back to emotional state where you were. But use your will power and determination, not to fight against anything; but to be your best no matter what.

Meditate.

Photo Credit: AAAARRRGGGHHH by Evil Erin, on Flickr

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Are you always looking for tools and ways to sharpen my mind? To bring out the best of your mind? To make best use of your mind?

I mean, won’t it be wonderful if you could solve that math equation, be calm at places and situations where everyone else would have panic, read and understand nice books, write, share and so much more? Then hell you are so much like me!

Sharpen The Saw

I remember the story two woodcutters went to forest and one of them started chopping right away and the other one spend hours sharpening his axe. At the end of the day, the one who sharpened his saw ended up with more wood than the one who didn’t and was, obviously, less tired and earned more bucks!

So it’s always wise to sharpen your saw –sharpen your mind and we are going to use the method of Meditation.  This is so important that Stephen Covey has devoted a full habit in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Or The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens if you are one.

Calm the Storm – Seeing Beyond Chaos

I gotta do this, I have to finish this up, I am running late! I AM SCERWED UP!!! Sounds familiar?

Well we all go through these storms every day. Everything seems to have a secret pact with the lords of chaos and they all seem to be after us. And things get frustrating and discouraging when nothing seems to move.

Meditation comes to rescue. You will become calm day by day, you will see patterns in chaos – patterns of thoughts and habits which are not serving you well. You will have that wisdom and clarity to see them and say to yourself, “This habit/thought got to go for my own well being.” And as the dust settles, you will see even more.

Never Dying Passion – Getting Things Done With Ease

Knowing the root of the problem is another thing and having the power to change is another. And let me be honest with you – will power does nothing! I mean you decide to wake a early, motivate yourself and even do it for a week and after that… what? Will power is gone and so is everything that came along.

We need that force that comes from within and never dies, that passion which builds up slowly. We need that stuff – does it ever happen to you that there is something, a thought, habit etc. , which you inculcated in your life effortlessly while others try to struggle to move even an inch? What is that soft power that places it in? That’s power of sub-conscious mind.

People try harder and harder to make it happen and it actually never happens. But once it gets in the sun-conscious mind – it’s done. I love what Ryan says about this:

Try hard, and you’ll have to try harder. ~RBs Keys

So do we evoke this power? How do we go placing that thought in sun-conscious mind? – Meditation! And results, I promise, will start slow, will be natural and transformational in the long run. You will look back and say – Whoa man! Was I that person?

Efficiency in Handling Thoughts

I remember friends complaining that they have stuff in mind, they know the answer, they have the ideas but somehow they can’t put them together in a nice way or just can’t express them in a flow. One of the major causes is inefficiency to handle the thoughts, when thoughts think you rather than you thinking the thoughts. And that too my friend can be changed by Meditation.

You will be able to put all your thoughts nicely. They will come in a formation like birds and they will come at speed and shape that you want. And I know, for some people it sounds too good to be true but ask those who are meditating since years even months, it’s wonderful how they have changed over years.

Understanding Opposing Ideas

My twitter friend sent me this message on twitter:

…I believe that if every one mediated 5 minutes a day THE WORLD WOULD CHANGE for the better! – CharlieBrown949

And I cannot agree more. All those tensions, feeling of insecurity, terrorism and intolerance of opposing ideas comes from the place where we can’t understand or respect individuality of other’s consciousness, let alone have peace with it.

But you can be a peacekeeper. Not only will it serve the whole society but it will serve you at much deeper levels. You will begin to understand things, people more clearly. No more –“I can never get this person.” Or “This person is a pain in the neck” because you understand that there are as many point of views as many people there are and it is good because that makes you special.

Bring Out The Talent

“I was very good with guitar but then I stopped learning.” I’ve heard this from many of my friends and when I ask them why they have numerous reasons from ‘unsupportive parents’ to ‘unmanageable life’ and trust me none of these are true! Because you know it in the heart that you knew when you were leaving it that you have the power to not only come back but continue learning and bring out the talent.

And with the hope of returning someday you turned away and when will be the time to go back? Someday. And when will be the someday?

Let me tell you the secret to making that someday as close as a month if not today – Meditate.

Conclusion

I can go on, really! For there is no end to the ways meditation upgrades your mind and then there is personality, relations, emotions and so on. And most of them are not even know – it just happens.

If you have started mediating and have experienced some good things then let me know in comments or via mail or better share it here with readers like Manav did.

So if you think you cold use an upgrade (this is totally free for God’s sake!) go find a technique on this blog that suits you or find a book. And start meditating.

Close your eyes, feel your breath ~ meditate.

Namaste.

Photo Credit:MIND by psd, on Flickr

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Creativity sounds awesome! Doesn’t it? It’s the best expression ever given to humankind. We create things, we create thoughts, relations, paintings, music, movies, websites, blogs and above all – we create our own reality.

It’s a very empowering expression or emotion or whatever you want to call it. I like the very sound of it – Creativity!

Ages ago we discussed how to tap creativity through meditation also we shared some killer tips to boost creativity. Today let’s talk about creating a ‘creative mind’ in 15 min.

You will need: A blank sheet of paper, a pencil, alarm clock and yourself.

Meditation

First thing first, creativity is not work, creativity is absolutely not hard work. Creativity is relaxation, it’s allowing. So if you have sit up and prepared yourself for battle, I request you to calm down. Let’s do brief meditation, I promise it’s very brief. Read the method then do whatever you remember of it:

• Close your eyes.
• Take deep breathe in and out. (3 times)
• Breathe Normal and focus on your breathing, let your mind do what it does.
• Just relax more and more and more. If you are relaxed, relax more.
• Count to from 10 to 1 and come back to walking conscious.

See? I kept my promise. Set the alarm clock to buzz after 15 minutes. Now let’s take the pencil and paper. Do whatever you feel like with that paper and pencil. Want to write gibberish? Draw doodles? Poem? Draw a cartoon (your teacher or boss)? Do whatever you feel like. If you want to do some origami do that.

The Process

You have just have that pencil, that paper and 15 min. No deadline, no pressure. Want to do it? Go ahead, or else just gaze at the blank sheet.

Your mind will fill of thoughts like, “Poem? Are you kidding me? I suck at poetry.” I’d say forget you suck or better, write a sucking poem!  (And send it to me, I’ve never read a sucking poem).

Points to Remember:

• It’s OK if you do nothing in beginning. Repeat the process again daily, for a week at least and you will start on your own .
• You will see your mind’s creativity unleashing in front of you. Right there in 15 min.
• Do not pressurize yourself to do something. Our goal is not doing. It’s not work, remember? Our goal is relaxing and allowing.
• Remember to send me a photo of what you wrote, drew or made of it. I’d love to see you guys progress.

Here is a bit of help:

Join our fan page on facebook or/and twitter and join the discussion, I’ll remind you to meditate and practice creative mind technique. We will discuss your progress here, it will be so awesome to see each other growing.

I’ll remind you to meditate (your favorite technique) and also we will discuss your progress. All sailing in same boat shall gather here. Isn’t that a creative idea?

Photo Credit: Pencil N’ Paper by quacktaculous, on Flickr

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Sounds sarcastic eh? On one hand we think of meditation as peaceful activity to be performed in silent coroners of world. People even go to the mountain tops and retreats to meditate. Cutting off from rest of the world.

Is Meditation Powerless?

But here is the thing, if meditation needs so much of peace before it could be practiced, if meditation needs you to run away from your lifestyle doesn’t that mean that meditation is powerless in front of all these things?

Is the honking of horn, laughing of people, shouting crowd, raging traffic, chattering mind more powerful than meditation?

I’d say meditation is far more powerful than all these things put together. Meditation is so powerful that Buddha was enlightened, Jesus defeated Satan and You rocked your life!

So Why Go to Silence?

So why do we go to retreats? Why do we run away? Why to we need silence to create silence?

There is not one reason. People what to create a mood, take a break, it’s easier, distractions are less and all sorts of stuff expect ‘I want to meditate.’ And when you really do want, it will happen, right there and then. No matter where you are standing, what you are doing.

Personal Experience

I’ve meditated in my school, in libraries, in public parks, at discos and many places that I will not utter here. And there was no hardly any difference. In fact, I find it quiet amusing and it helps me a lot to feel detached.

When I am meditating, I pay no heed to the meaning of sounds around me. Though I am highly aware of them because of raised sense of awareness but all sounds are meaningless. And this practice helps me render all the struggles meaningless at any point of time and I can walk out of problems with my heart full of gratitude.

Peace is a bridge and so is violence. But bridges can never hinder my practice.

Group Discussion

So after reading this don’t you feel that noisy environment is not only good but in some ways awesome for meditation?

Tomorrow I will discuss with you how to meditate in a noisy environment. Till then let’s discuss what other benefits it could offer. And if any of you have tried that already, please share your experience.
Photo Credits: The Living End White Noise Tour Perth by Michael_Spencer, on Flickr

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Whenever I try to sit and study, I just can’t concentrate! There are so many distractions. I just want to open facebook once, check my mails, call that friend or just sleep for 5 min. No matter what I do, I just can’t concentrate. I don’t want to do it.
This is story is not only close to a student’s heart but also to professionals and many more people. So why does this happen and can Meditation help?

Relax

Most of the time we just can’t concentrate because there is so much going on in mind that it becomes hard to focus on a task. Meditation can help in quieting the chatter of mind. Here is a simple exercise you can begin with:

1. Close your eyes and sit comfortably
2. Relax every part of your body.
3. Focus on breathing in and breathing out for few min.
4. Now, in your mind, start counting from 1 to 10 with your breathing.
5. When you breathe in, count 1 and when you breathe out count 2
6. When you reach to ten, start again from 1
7. Let mind think whatever it wants, just concentrate on counting from 1 to 10
8. After repeating this for sometime, you will notice that your mind is quiet and under your control.
9. Now open your eyes and get down to accomplish the mission

The important thing to remember here is that you cannot force the mind to become quiet. Mind is supposed to think, that’s it’s nature. You can ignore, shift the focus away from mind to breathing and counting. This will result in mind becoming calm itself and under your control as you affirm and choose to be in control.
Try it now and let me know how you feel.

Photo by Randy Son Of Robert, on Flickr

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When I started talking to my friends about meditation, I discovered that many of them think of meditation as a chore, a supplement pill that you could take daily or as a religious ritual. But it is none. Meditation is something as natural as breathing.

Meditation is all about calming your mind’s chatter, letting your body relax, letting your thoughts go and discover the real self in that moment. It is a realization that you are far more than your body, mind and conscious. In fact, most part of us is non-physical and vibrational – soul. It is like going on a treasure hunt, and finding the treasure –you.

What happens next, no language in world can describe. It’s a sleep deeper than sleep and awareness beyond what we know as conscious.
Why should I do it? Why it’s cool?!

“Meditation is pure awesomeness.”

There are loads and loads of reasons. I’ve written the main ones and divided them in sections.

Cool Meditation = Cool Body

• Improves body’s general state of health
• Maintains healthy Blood Pressure
• Increases blood flow to every part of body (especially to heart and brain)
• Increases patience (you don’t loose your temper so often)
• Fast Healing: be it post-operational, wounds, injuries or anything.

And there are many more. If you have a scientific mind (like me ) then an article from my favourite science magazine New Scientist :

“Meditating does more than just feel good and calm you down, it makes you perform better – and alters the structure of your brain, researchers have found.”

Meditation Builds up the brain | Nature

I’ve read articles in Nature magazine too, but you need to pay to read them.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v456/n7219/full/456170a.html

Cool Meditation = Cool You

• Improves concentration: That’s a big one! Very helpful for, both, students and people at work. Make most out of your time, even if kid next door loves rock music!
• Reduces Stress: Tired of looking tired and exhausted? Well, not anymore!
  Boosts Self-Confidence: We know it’s priceless
• More control on thoughts: So when mind tries to procrastinate you can have your control back.

I suggest that mediation breaks the illusion that mind runs the show. We began to realize our true potential and respect & love ourselves even more.

So, where to being?

I will give you some easy steps for starters. Wear easy clothes (you don’t want to keep adjusting that funky jeans, do you?). Now what you need is a comfortable place to sit in. Yoga postures do help, but to start sit in whatever way you like. Just make sure that every part of your body is relaxed. Ease out any stress. Here are steps:

• Close your eyes
• And take a deep breathe in and out ( 2 times)
• Now focus on your breathing, feel yourself breathing in and out.
• Let thoughts come and go, let feelings come and go… just focus on breath.
• If your mind goes on your favourite scene from LOST, lovingly and patiently bring it back and focus on your breathe

Your mind might doze off to sleep or something similar (it’s relaxing finally, you see) let it be. Just focus on your breathe.
That’s it go for as long as you can. Maybe 5 min in beginning and as you will begin to explore and get more comfortable. You will automatically want to do it more.

So how was your experience? Let me know in comments:
Photo by ODDSOCK via Flickr

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