What's even cooler is that during this study, there were 2 groups. One group was instructed to meditate twice a day for 20 minutes only and the other group went through health and life style education. And at the end of 9 years, the meditation group had a profound reduction in heart disease, far higher than the other group that only went through health/life style education.

These kind of studies are BIG. Instead of reaching for a bottle of pills, doctors might now recommend meditation as a preventative means for high risk patients. The full details are below in the article from the BBC.

It just goes to show how much meditation can affect a person's body, mind, and spirit. Drop a comment below and let me know if you've ever experienced a shift in health from meditation. Would love to hear your stories.

Meditation 'eases heart disease'

Heart disease patients who practise Transcendental Meditation have reduced death rates, US researchers have said.

At a meeting of the American Heart Association they said they had randomly assigned 201 African Americans to meditate or to make lifestyle changes.

After nine years, the meditation group had a 47% reduction in deaths, heart attacks and strokes.

The research was carried out by the Medical College in Wisconsin with the Maharishi University in Iowa.

It was funded by a £2.3m grant from the National Institute of Health and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

'Significant benefits'

The African American men and women had an average age of 59 years and a narrowing of the arteries in their hearts.

The meditation group were asked to practise for 20 minutes twice a day.

The lifestyle change group received education classes in traditional risk factors, including dietary modification and exercise.

Over 9 years, there were 20 events (heart attacks, strokes or death) in the meditation group and 31 in the health education group.

Dr Robert Schneider, lead author and director of the Centre for Natural Medicine and Prevention at the Maharishi University in Iowa said:

"At the end of the 9 years, 80% of the meditation group were still practising at least once a day.

"But there was very little change in the health education group.

"Their lifestyle was much the same in terms of diet and exercise - it's a very difficult thing to make those changes."

As well as the reductions in death, heart attacks and strokes in the meditating group, their average blood pressure was significantly lower (5mm Hg), and there was a significant reduction in psychological stress in some participants.

Dr Schneider said other studies had shown the benefits of Transcendental Meditation on blood pressure and stress, irrespective of ethnicity.

"This is the first controlled clinical trial to show that long-term practise of this particular stress reduction programme reduces the incidence of clinical cardiovascular events, that is heart attacks, strokes and mortality," he said.

Dr Schneider said that the effect of Transcendental Meditation in the trial was like adding a class of newly discovered drugs for the prevention of heart disease.

Click here to continue reading >>

If this sounds a little ridiculous, it's not. Your body is designed to be a runner. From your skin to your big toe, your entire body is made to run.

But then why do people consistently injure themselves while training or running long distance? Sadly, it might have something to do with our obsession with the latest high-tech sneakers.

Check out this article from the New York Times on the beauty and brilliance of the human body.

And after you're done reading, feel free to stand in front of the mirror and admire yourself

The Human Body Is Built for Distance

By Tara Parker-Pope from the NYTimes.com

Does running a marathon push the body further than it is meant to go?

The conventional wisdom is that distance running leads to debilitating wear and tear, especially on the joints. But that hasn’t stopped runners from flocking to starting lines in record numbers.

Last year in the United States, 425,000 marathoners crossed the finish line, an increase of 20 percent from the beginning of the decade, Running USA says. Next week about 40,000 people will take part in the New York City Marathon. Injury rates have also climbed, with some studies reporting that 90 percent of those who train for the 26.2-mile race sustain injuries in the process.

But now a best-selling book has reframed the debate about the wisdom of distance running. In “Born to Run” (Knopf), Christopher McDougall, an avid runner who had been vexed by injuries, explores the world of the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, a tribe known for running extraordinary distances in nothing but thin-soled sandals.

Mr. McDougall makes the case that running isn’t inherently risky. Instead, he argues that the commercialization of urban marathons encourages overzealous training, while the promotion of high-tech shoes has led to poor running form and a rash of injuries.

“The sense of distance running being crazy is something new to late-20th-century America,” Mr. McDougall told me. “It’s only recently that running has become associated with pain and injury.”

The scientific evidence supports the notion that humans evolved to be runners. In a 2007 paper in the journal Sports Medicine, Daniel E. Lieberman, a Harvard evolutionary biologist, and Dennis M. Bramble, a biologist at the University of Utah, wrote that several characteristics unique to humans suggested endurance running played an important role in our evolution.

Most mammals can sprint faster than humans — having four legs gives them the advantage. But when it comes to long distances, humans can outrun almost any animal. Because we cool by sweating rather than panting, we can stay cool at speeds and distances that would overheat other animals. On a hot day, the two scientists wrote, a human could even outrun a horse in a 26.2-mile marathon.

Click here to continue reading >>

“He who has health has hope and he who has hope has everything”

- Arabian Proverb -

And you better believe it. The world’s leading medical specialists are more and more saying how having a predominantly vegetarian diet has the potential of reducing a string of heart problems, fights cancer, helps induce fat loss and generally improve your health and wellness…

But there’s more to it than that.

My Journey To Healthy Living

My name is Mohana Gill and I was born in Burma, spent many years of my life in Melbourne, before settling down in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I was never an overtly unhealthy person – I enjoyed the multitude of foods available down under and especially here in Malaysia and was never really concerned all that much about what I put in my body.

I have three sons, Sanjeev, Anil and Rakesh. In our family food has always played a significant role. From the time they were babies food was always prepared  at home. My husband and the boys enjoyed a variety of food and were very discerning in their tastes.

Of all my children Sanjeev was the one who was most passionate about food and relished each and every meal. It was fun and heartwarming to see him devour food laid before him. During holidays from boarding school in Melbourne and later from University he would approach each meal with relentless fervour. Our many friends enjoyed taking him out because he would enjoy all genres of food, from hawker stalls to fine dining. I was constantly thinking of ways and means to satisfy his wide ranging appetite.

One day he told me “Mum you are a good cook, but for a gourmet palate like mine I need more exotic and exciting cuisines like venison, partridge and such”. So for me it was fun thinking of different things to feed him, be it in Burmese, Indian, Malaysian style or any other preparations.

One day at the age of 24, for spiritual reasons, he decided to become vegetarian, a strict vegetarian forgoing eggs, gelatin or any food item containing animal products. That was a very challenging time for me, I still wanted him to enjoy the variety of food that he was used to, but at the same time I had to make sure that the food did not have any animal products. I learnt to read labels in all the food items I bought and I realized that a lot of chocolate had lecithin, biscuits had egg white and a lot of food had gelatin.

Baby Steps: Experimenting With Ingredients

I started to experiment with different types of food and learnt to cook food free of animal products.

When I went to live in Australia, I would visit the markets, pick an assortment of vegetables that I was unfamiliar with and experiment. At the end of the day I was always rewarded with “That was tasty Mum”.

To add to this challenge very soon I was faced with yet another. My husband, a doctor began to take a keen and serious interest in healthy living and wellness. Although we had always cooked food I thought of as healthy, it now dawned on me that healthy food could be prepared without compromising taste and variety.

My second son Anil soon became a willing convert to a healthy lifestyle. Accordingly his food preferences changed. I ensured the food laid out on the table met with these high standards of nutrition, variety and taste. This was another phase in my life where I started to pay more attention to ingredients, method and flavor. I wanted the food to be exciting, interesting, tasty yet healthy. I discovered that all I needed was a little imagination, time, a little effort and love and the food was enjoyed by all. I hope that my youngest son Rakesh will follow the path of healthy living, wellness and longevity by adopting these ideas.

Vegetarianism, Taking The World By Storm

Globally, vegetarianism is on the rise, no longer exclusive to parts of Asia and the Indian subcontinent. This ‘green’ revolution has taken place subtly over decades and continues to gather momentum, its pace quickening into the 21st century.

Today the growth of vegetarianism is a matter of choice, primarily a decision based on health. Health researchers have long advocated a reduction in the consumption of meat with many going so far as to recommend a complete cessation of meat. It is widely accepted that there are a host of health benefits associated with meat reduction. Amongst these benefits are a reduction in cholesterol levels and consequently heart disease, reduction in blood pressure levels and reduced risk of cancer and diabetes. While these are just some of the more published benefits there are many others.

The definitive answer to optimal nourishment is the consumption of a variety of produce from the three main food groups i.e. fruit and vegetables, legumes, pulses and seeds and dairy. Each of these food groups and its components has a unique combination of nutrients that work together effectively in providing the mechanism for the smooth operation of the body.

The assortment of vegetables available at the markets of Malaysia to the bazaars of Turkey and beyond is bewildering. These vegetables present themselves with descriptive expression in hues of green, red, yellow and an unrelenting riot of colors. The rich colors and textures of vegetables nourish and protect the human body from not only common diseases and illnesses but are a defense against infection, as they bolster our immune system and fortify our body’s defenses.

Packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, they combine to offer us nature’s miracle anti-oxidant, far more potent than any single medication and completely without side effects.

Save The Vegetable, Save The World: The Environmental Benefits Of Crops

In terms of sustainability, the amount of land that we need to clear to grow vegetables is so much less than what is required to raise cattle.

Whereas a field of crops could feed a small village, the same field used to graze cattle could maybe only feed a fraction of that. What’s more, you have to consider the potential food that is wasted as you have to grow feed for the cattle to eat.

Did you know the total amount of grain that is consumed just to raise animals for food is enough to feed the less fortunate of this world?

Secondly, you don’t have as big a carbon footprint when you choose not to contribute to the resource depletion that is caused through the slaughtering of animals for food. It is becoming increasingly popular to choose to become a vegetarian because people object to the harsh treatment of animals that are slaughtered for food.

“A 400-page United Nations report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that cattle farming is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gases. The production of cattle to feed and clothe humans stresses ecosystems around the world, and is assessed to be one of the top three environmental problems in the world on a local to global scale.” – [Wikipedia]

How Eating Vegetables Can Help You Live Longer

It has been documented that people who eat an entirely vegetarian diet, or for those who eat more vegetables have been shown to live an average of 10 – 15 years longer than those who do otherwise.

Additionally, the National Cancer Institute estimates that roughly one third of all cancer deaths may be diet-related.

Vegetables have been shown to:

• Reduce the chance of heart disease
• Reduce the chance of getting cancer
• Help people with diabetes

I feel we really need to take care of our bodies’ right from the beginning. Your body is like your home, the house that you live in.

If you build your house with good cement, bricks and mortar, it will stand strong for a long time. Similarly, whatever we put in our bodies, our bodies will become. All the health gurus are singing by the same tune, in that you need to increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.

Some ingredients that have been shown to fight cancer:

• Tea (green and black)
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Broccoli
• Onions
• Carrots
• Papaya
• And the list goes on and on…

Thumbs Up To Your Karma

When you choose to eat a vegetarian diet, you choose life - as nothing needs to die for you to get your meal. The amount of cattle that is slaughtered every month is astounding; at 4.12 billion pounds in the month of July!

In the bigger scheme of things, we’re only on this Earth for a short time and during this time, what do you want to be remembered by?

One Day May Be All You Need To Change Your Life

The question that is asked of me the most often is:

“Is vegetarian food hard to prepare and how do I start implementing it into my life?”

My answer is always the same in that vegetarian food is not difficult to prepare, it takes less time than meat dishes as meat requires more time to cook through, and you can have a full meal ready in less than 5 minutes.

And for those who need some help in implementing more vegetables in your diet, try the following 1 day meal plan, it’s easy to follow yet wonderful for your body:

BREAKFAST

•    1 glass of fresh juice: Any type will do, but try and add some vegetables such as celery or cucumbers blended in with your fruit juice as well.
•    1 bowl of cereal: Add berries or nuts into your cereal to give it a healthy kick. Use multigrain cereal for added goodness.
•    1 serving of papaya or banana

LUNCH

•    1 small bowl of fruits: A small bowl of apple cubes or pears before your lunch would be ideal
•    1 serving of salad with your normal meal: If you like eating pasta for lunch, try a wholegrain pasta with a side of salad. Reduce the serving size of the pasta to accommodate the added vegetables.

DINNER

•    Try the simple recipe below from my cook book Vegemania! (page 118)

Zesty Peppers & Garbanzo Beans

Garbanzo beans or chickpeas are the most widely consumed legumes in the world.

Ingredients

• 1 can garbanzo beans/ chickpeas
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 stalks celery, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium red and green bell pepper/ capsicum each cut into small pieces
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• Juice of one lemon, or to taste
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Chill the serving plates to keep your salad crisp longer
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, celery, peppers and onion
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients and pour over the bean and pepper mixture
4. Stir to combine and chill to serve
5. Optional garnishes: tomato-, cucumber.- and lemon wedges

Preperation time: less than 10 minutes!

The New Millenium of Wellness

In this new millennium, the key words must be wellness and healthy ageing. The population all over the world is ageing and more and more people are celebrating their hundredth birthday. However studies have shown that not all these people are ageing well.

The populations with the highest expectancy and longevity are those found in the Mediterranean and Okinawa, Japan. What is their secret? In the Okinawa study, it showed that it was the rich diet of fruits and vegetables that helped promote longevity. All current research has proven that persons with a rich diet of fruits and vegetables live longer and suffer less from chronic disease and disability.

“Thy food is thy medicine and thy medicine is thy food”

- Hippocrates-

It’s not that hard for you to take that first step in eating a better, vegetable and fruit filled diet, very much like I did so many years ago. With these baby steps, you can truly make a profound change in your life, or even the lives of your closest loved ones.

I’ve always said to my family and friends, ‘your fate is on your plate’ which to me delves straight to the problem yet highlights the solution all at the same time. It really is as simple as that, but you have to make the conscious decision for change…

And what better day to start than on this lovely day?

With that I leave you,

For healthy living, longevity and wellness,

- Mohana Gill.

Click here to download the FREE "Cancer Busting Miracle Foods" Special Report from Mohana Gill (comes with 5 cancer-smashing recipes that are fun and delicious) >>

If you've seen the first part of his exclusive series on FinerMinds, Making Love, Not War: How To Create A Deep Attraction, then you'll know what I mean when I say this man is truly one of the warmest, and most caring and insightful people out there.

Sean has literally read every comment that you guys have posted on the first part of his series and is incredibly touched by what people are saying, so in response he's sent a thank you message to you:

The 2nd part of his series is coming up next week, so stay tuned because it's going to get pretty interesting

Cheers,

Vishen

]]> http://daily.finerminds.com/mind/a-heartfelt-message-of-thanks-from-sean-stephenson-to-you/feed/ 11 http://daily.finerminds.com/mind/paging-martha-stewart-rejuvenating-your-home-for-more-opportunities/ http://daily.finerminds.com/mind/paging-martha-stewart-rejuvenating-your-home-for-more-opportunities/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:09:00 +0000 Gabrielle Lim http://daily.finerminds.com/?p=4352 Your home is a reflection of who you are. If you're 35 and still living with your parents, then that says something too.

I found this article that addresses a pretty important aspect of changing our lives: our homes. It's funny how we often forget the things that are right in front of us.

If you're looking to make a brand new start in life and open yourself up to more opportunities then you might want to consider some redecoration and some general house cleaning. This may mean opening up a garage sale or two.

Check out this article from Rejuvenation Lounge as it gives you tips and tricks on how to create a home filled with positive energy and support for any new endeavor you choose to go after.

Delete Obstacles And Welcome New Opportunities:

By Carole Fogarty

Rejuvenate Your Home: Let Go Of Your Excess Stuff:

If you are genuinely looking for change and keen to welcome new beginnings, new opportunities and amazing new experiences then you simply must create the energetic space in around you for these and more to occur. If you don’t then you are slowing down or blocking the creation of a new path to open expansively into your life.

I have witnessed hundreds of times both personally and with my clients the amazing changes that occur in peoples lives when they focus on removing the stuck, heavy, thick, old, unwanted energy (attached to their things) from every corner, cupboard, draw and hidden space around them.

As I’m on a passionate quest this year to detox and simplify my life (much deeper than I’ve ever gone before) I’m firstly exploring every nook and cranny in my home to remove as much stagnant and dead energy as possible.

I must add that each year when I do a big throw out, I often wonder, when I come across something tucked away, why I didn’t throw it out last year. We live and learn so my clearing clutter mantra this year is: “I am happy to let go of my stuff sooner rather than later”.

Your possessions hold an energy that either keeps you locked in the past or supports who you are today by uplifting your energy:

Become aware of how individual items decorating your home actually make you feel. I guarantee you will be surprised how zapping, stressful or pointless many of your possessions can be.

Your decision process should not be based on the cost of the possession or who gave it to you. Remember it’s about how it makes you feel. It is your personal living space and it is there to nourish YOU and support your journey in life so everything within its four walls should uplift your energy or simply be there for practical use such as an oven or fridge.

His life was a tumultuous one and of all the stories and memories that have been told of Michael over the past while, none touched me as much as this one.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a close friend and confidant of Michael's, gives a very personal account of the interactions between Michael and him and between their two families. What starts off as an angry and unforgiving account turns into a warm one with questions that will probably never be answered.

What's different about this article is that it ponders the use of one's life and some of the biggest questions over death.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on this so drop us a comment below.

Master of an Empty Kingdom: The Tragically Short Life of Michael Jackson

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach reminisces over the death of his estranged friend, Michael Jackson.

I did not expect to be as saddened by the death of Michael Jackson as I turned out to be. Not that I am cold-hearted, but I lived in the constant dread that his death was imminent. When I was close with Michael, there were just too many times that he walked out of a room with a doctor, after complaining that his foot or back or neck hurt him, all lightheaded and woozy. There was no way that a body could survive so regular an assault. So after begging him to give up the painkillers and failing, I steeled myself against the inevitable by feeling angry and disillusioned. Was Michael not the man who had squandered so many blessings? Was he not the friend who, after I had invested two years of my life into helping him rehabilitate his, treated me as if I were a nuisance because I dared to push him to fix his shattered existence? I would overcome my feelings of pity with a spirit of defiance. No, I will not cry. He hadn't earned it.

But then the news came that he had died. And I was devastated. Especially when I saw my children's tears. Michael was accused of pedophilia. But my children and his children were playmates. Yes, I made sure to supervise. But the children did not see him as a monster. Michael brought cartoon videos for his kids and my kids to watch. We sat in my living room on Thanksgiving laughing and joking. And the children missed him.

Once, when my son Mendy was eight years old he accompanied Michael and me to a kosher restaurant in Manhattan. Mendy tried to order. The waiter focused on the adults. Mendy felt ignored. He kept on repeating his order. Michael heard him. He interrupted the waiter. 'Excuse me, but this child is trying to order. Can you please listen to him?' It was not something you'd expect from a superstar. They were supposed to be utterly self-absorbed, right?

Click here to continue reading >>

Picture courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/cainandtoddbenson/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Sound intense? It should be and it can be.

The first step to getting there is with the 3 Passion Pledges, which have been developed by Burt Goldman or better known as the American Monk. Now keep in mind that these exclusive tips have only been released to Burt Goldman's list and are part of his recently released, highly anticipated Enlightened Sexuality program.  This program combines the growth and self discovery that comes with spirituality with the intimacy, pleasure, and intensity of sex.

For anyone seeking the power of love, it's a must have. If you're in a long term relationship and you're looking to bring back the desire or rekindle the flame so to speak, it's for you. But if you're single, it's just as amazing. Learn to pinpoint and manifest what it is that you need in your love life.

So without further ado, here are the 3 Passion Pledges.

The 3 Passion Pledges

by Burt Goldman

These 3 Passion Pledges have helped a number of my close friends improve their relationship by leaps and bounds, and I'm sure it'll do the same for you. All you have to do is complete 3 simple tasks over the next 3 days. Don't worry, they won't be too hard. I'm not going to ask you to rent an airplane and paint your lover's name across the sky.

Pledge 1

So let's get started. Pledge number one is oh-so-easy, but when done right will undoubtedly put a grateful smile on your partner's face...

The Mindfulness Exercise

First, spend 5 minutes thinking about what challenges your partner faces in his or her life.

Do they have a stressful job? Do they have to go through heavy traffic, or a busy commute every day? Are they constantly bogged down with house chores?

Kids?

Health issues?

Once you've identified these challenges, pick one (preferably the one they seem bothered about most), and talk to them about it.

Don't overcomplicate things. All you have to do is find an appropriate time, when he or she is relaxed, look into your partners eyes (and I mean really look into their eyes) and start the conversation with a simple statement.

A statement like "It must be tiring for you to travel that distance every single day." Or "The kids sure can be a handful sometimes, eh?"

Trust me. Even if it's a plain statement about a daily occurrence, they'll appreciate the fact that you noticed.

The next step is LISTEN. They will most likely open up about the issue, and this is where empathy comes into play.

Be supportive. Listen to what they're saying, and offer solutions or suggestions whenever possible.

Make sure they realize that you know where they're coming from. If the challenge they're facing stems from a fault of their own, gently offer advice. Nobody likes to be talked down to.

And what do you do if they don't open up about the issue? Just tell them you understand what they're going through, and that you're willing to help them if they need it. At the very least that'll give them some food for thought.

And that's all there is to it! Like I said, this is an essential step to take before you start using my upcoming program, so I sincerely hope you'll give it a try. It's so simple that if you can't commit to this, I can safely say you are NOT committed to having a passionate and intimate relationship.

Pledge 2

So now that we're done with Passion Pledge number one, we'll move on to the second one. And this one is perhaps even simpler than the first.

The Compliment Exercise

Think about something you could say to your partner that would make them know you love, admire and appreciate them.

It could be a physical complement. For example, you could tell them you've always loved the way their eyes sparkle when they smile. Or how even after all these years, their legs are still as sexy as ever.

It could also be a complement on their talents or abilities. If they cook, you could remind them you absolutely love the food they make. If they work in an office, you could tell them you admire the dedication it must take to get all that work done in one day.

The more specific you are with your complement, the better.

Don't say something that could come across as insincere. Your complement should be about your partner as a person, so instead of saying *"Nice shoes honey," you could say *"I love your taste in shoes. You know exactly what to pick to make yourself look even more gorgeous."

A complement works best when your partner is relaxed. Try this exercise at a time when both of you are at ease, which could be during breakfast, during a night out, or even when you're getting ready for bed.

All you have to do is get their attention, look into their eyes, and most importantly, say it like you mean it.

Who knows, your partner might give you a nice reward for it

Pledge 3

Now we are at the third and final Passion Pledge. But before we begin, did you commit to the first two? What sort of results did you get?

The third Passion Pledge is perhaps the most powerful. And it may also be the most challenging.

The Intimacy Exercise

This may be something you're not used to. And if that's the case, trust me--you must get used to it, because it's an irreplaceable ingredient to a lifetime of intimacy and passion.

Now here's what you do:

Talk to your partner about your sex life. Don't beat around the bush, don't cover it up with analogies, and get ready to be as honest and open as possible.

Ask them if they've been enjoying it.

Ask them if there's anything they think could make it better.

Ask them if they'd like to do it more often.

Listen to their answers, and give your own opinions. Be honest, but remember to be sensitive to their feelings. Refrain from talking in an accusatory tone.

Remember, you love each other. You're a team, and you're doing this to make each other happier, more fulfilled individuals.

If there's a problem, talk about how you can work together to fix it.

If there's no problem, talk about how you can make things even better.

The solution may not always be immediately visible, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

When two people are willing to give their all, there will always be a solution.

Being open with one another is an important first step to regaining a passionate relationship.

The next step, which I guarantee will energize your relationship with endless passion and intimacy, is coming soon. You'll discover it once you start my program, Enlightened Sexuality.

Set your relationship on fire >>

For decades the benefits of meditation have been known, studied, and advertised.  But it wasn’t until recently that science has come around and acknowledged the physical and cognitive advantages of meditation.  Researchers at Yale, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that meditation can indeed change the physical structure of the brain.

The article below summarizes the research that has been conducted thus far and what this means in terms of slowing down aging, improving cognitive thinking, and enhancing health and well-being.  The type of meditation and quality of meditation used in the studies are also discussed.

Have a look at the article and let us know whether you think the change in brain structure is significant and if it represents a physical embodiment of the benefits of meditation.

Meditation Found To Increase Brain Size

We have the tools to build a better world, we have the knowledge, and our understanding of our world improves every day--we have a motive because we know that our world needs help.

Jamais Cascio takes us through a range of developments in several different areas that are making the world a better place for everyone.

Sleep is essential for a healthy body and mind. It cleanses our thoughts, aids our memory, rests our body and rejuvenates us to tackle every new day. In our sleep and our dreams, our brain organizes the sensory input we have received from the day, separating the useful information from the information that we don't need to retain.

In a normal sleep cycle, we go through 5 distinct stages. The first four stages are categorized as quiet sleep or non REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Stage 1 sleep is only for the first 5-10 minutes of sleep when the brain induces Theta waves. This is a stage between normal waking and sleep, and often if you wake a person in this stage--they find it hard to report being asleep. In stage 2 of sleep, the brain begins to produce bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity known as sleep spindles--stage 2 lasts for around 20 minutes--the heart rate begins to slow and temperature begins to decrease.

In stage 3 of sleep, deep slow brain waves--or Delta waves begin to emerge. This is the transitional stage between light and deep sleep. The next stage, stage 4 is a deep sleep categorized by slow and deep Delta brain-waves, which lasts for approx 30 minutes. Sleep walking and other sleep phenomenon usually occur at the end of stage 4. The final stage, stage 5 is categorized as REM sleep. REM sleep is characterized by eye movement, increased respiration rate, and increased brain activity. Dreaming occurs due because of increased brain activity, while voluntary muscles also become paralyzed. REM sleep typically occurs 90 minutes after falling asleep. The first REM cycle might last only a short amount of time--however cycles can last up to an hour towards the end of the night.

After REM sleep, the body goes back to Stage 2, then goes through Stage 3, Stage 4, and then to REM sleep again. This sleep cycle usually occurs 4-5 times throughout the night until you wake up again in the morning. REM sleep is the active time for the brain to categorize information, and clean out our un-needed thoughts. If you are sleep deprived, your body will sometimes skip the other stages of sleep and enter REM sleep right away. Have you ever gone to sleep and almost begun dreaming right away? In studies on participants who were seriously sleep deprived (40+ hours without sleep), almost all of the participants fell into a long instant REM sleep, skipping the other sleep stages.

Now that you understand how sleep works, how well do you sleep?

I've been reading on the benefits of meditation before sleep, especially for those who suffer insomnia or just find it difficult to get a good nights sleep. Meditation is an excellent way to control those thoughts and is a safe and simple way to balance your physical, emotional, and mental states. Meditation can help you pull your mind away from concerns about the past or future and focus on the present moment. During meditation, the pulse rate slows, blood pressure falls, blood supply to the arms and legs increases, levels of stress hormones drop, and brain waves resemble a state of relaxation found in the early stages of sleep. During meditation, our production of serotonin will be increased and this will influences your mood and behavior. Low levels of serotonin are associated with insomnia, headaches and depression.

Even if you already normally get a good nights sleep, putting yourself in the right state of mind every night by practicing meditation ensures that you can get an optimal sleeping pattern and wake up every morning feeling refreshed and alert. I've practiced meditation before sleep many times and I always fall asleep faster and wake up feeling much happier and ready to tackle the day. One such program that provides the benefits of meditation and a healthy sleep is Problems Solved While You Sleep by Silva Method Life.

This program doesn't just put you in a relaxed meditative state of mind ready to sleep. It allows you to understand and interpret your dreams so you can gain more meaning from them in your every day life. As I mentioned earlier, your dreams which occur in REM sleep are the time when your brain is in one of its most active states and spends time problem solving and sorting information from the day. This program teaches you how to make the most of this time and utilize your brain to its fullest potential so you live a happier healthier life.

Remember, sleep is not just something that we should get 8 hours a night of. It is the most important function of our bodies which allows us to live and function normally. Remember to get a good nights sleep every night and pursue ways to improve your sleep and the positive impact that it can have on your life.

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