Over the years, I’ve kept up a fairly regular meditation routine, but, truthfully, I’ve always found it a struggle to keep the internal chatter at bay while meditating.
I’ve used various simple techniques such as focusing on my breath or staring at a candle to help reduce the internal monologue, but it still remains difficult for me (and has even been a source of minor frustration). I actually prefer yoga because I find concentrating on my body helps me to ‘let go’, enabling me to relax further.
But about three months ago I was introduced to the Silva Life System, a system of dynamic meditation, which has been a positive development in my meditation practice.
BACKGROUND
To provide some background about the Silva Life System, it was developed by Jose Silva over 50 years ago. To develop his System, Jose Silva experimented a great deal, drawing on his background in electronics and psychology. He learned about alpha waves and electrical activity in the human brain and hypothesized that the electrical impedance of the brain could be lowered to improve efficiency.
Silva found that the brain was more energetic when it was less active and discovered that at lower frequencies the brain received and stored more information. Silva’s dilemma was trying to come up with a way to keep the mind alert at these lower frequencies, which are more associated with daydreaming and sleep than with practical activity.
To reach lower brain levels, Silva developed exercises that call for relaxed concentration and vivid mental visualization, which eventually evolved into an entire System of dynamic meditation.
Over the last 50 years, a number of studies have been conducted on the Silva method, and the findings are quite remarkable. Evidence shows improvements in a number of areas, including health, relaxation, habit control, self-image, level of enthusiasm, and sleep. Some of the Silva users have left some downright amazing testimonials.
For myself, when I started the Silva Life System, I didn’t have one particular problem I needed to focus on, but I did want to increase my overall well-being and mental awareness and find a better way to relax. I knew the yoga I was doing was beneficial, but it wasn’t helping me with regards to managing my mental chatter.
THE SYSTEM
Silva Life System is divided into 10 audio modules. Each module is approximately 1.5 hours long and contains between four to seven lessons, as well as a guided meditation exercise.
For maximum impact, they suggest doing a module each day until finished and to do them in the order they are outlined. The modules contain targeted lessons and meditation exercises that cover a variety of important topics: for example, healing, sleep management, problem solving, speed learning, enhanced intuition, successful manifestation, and habit control.
The individual guiding you through the lessons and meditation exercises is Laura Silva, the daughter of Jose Silva.
Laura is the President of the Silva International and has continued researching where her father left off. She has brought together some of the most experienced experts in the mind development field and has continued research that unites the best and most useful concepts behind the original Silva program with the latest findings from studies on the human mind, alternative health care and spirituality. For over 30 years, Laura has presented the Silva method to thousands of people all over the world.
Recently, I actually had the opportunity to have dinner with Laura, and I can tell you firsthand she is one of the most knowledgeable, intuitive and kind individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
RESULTS
Overall, I have to say I’m very pleased after going through the Silva Life System. There were a few exercises that weren’t relevant to me. For instance, the sections on pain and headaches were not necessary for me, because I thankfully don’t have these experiences. But, down the road, if I ever do, it’s good to know I can turn to the Silva Life System for help in these areas.
For me, I found the biggest positive changes in:
- Sleep – Sometimes I have difficulties getting to sleep, but I did the lessons and meditation exercises in the evening, and I found I was able to fall asleep immediately. I slept very deeply, which was wonderful.
- Moods – I’ve found that my moods have been more level since going through the System. If I’m heading in the direction of anger, irritability or sadness, I find I’m able to catch myself and quickly strategize on how to turn my mood around. I feel like I’m more conscious and in control of my internal state.
- Confidence – Since using the System, I feel more grounded and confident – in the way I speak, the way I look people in the eye, the way I stand. I feel this comes from gaining a sense of mastery over my own mind. I’m able to quickly identify defeating negative self-talk and turn this around.
I’ll probably go through the whole course again in about six months or so, but I continue to use all the guided meditation exercises regularly. There is also something else I’ve been doing (and I actually wonder if anyone else does this): I’ve put all the lessons on my iPod, and if I begin to feel down or upset, I’ll play one of the lessons. It doesn’t matter which one. For me, listening to a lesson – any lesson — rapidly changes my frame of mind. It cuts off that spiraling of the mind into a negative mental state.
For less than one hundred dollars, the Silva Life System is definitely worth a try. The system also comes with a 100% money-back guarantee, no questions asked.
To PURCHASE and LEARN MORE about the Silva Life System click here.
For those of you who have gone through the Silva Life System, what are your thoughts on this course? For those of you who decide to try it out now, please share your experiences as you actually go through the System.
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Though only trying your introductory “free” meditation(guided), I wasn’t very impressed.…even though I know that it was just a “beginning sampler”. Having paid for TM back in 1976, I found that meditation to “exceed” my expectations(both short and long-term benefits), and the emphasis was use of Mantra. I tried the Silve “guided” meditation and found that the “verbal guided” portion actually KEPT me at the conscious Beta level the whole time.….I felt no deeper level of meditation at all.…simply because of the “spoken, guided words”. Your meditation would seem to compare with the “equivalent” of a “guided” positive affirmation script with a (somewhat???) effective entrainment scale as background. Plus, the entrainment “tends” to be more effective when listening through earphones rather than just speakers. Sorry, but I really wasn’t convinced that the Silva Method(guided words) was as effective as TM. Steve
I could not agree more with you. I was introduced to Silva Mind Control back in 1972 and my only regret is that I did not practice enough because I would a lot further down the in every facit of my life if I did. I came across I came across Laura Silva life system recently and I am now practicing reguarly. 15min A DAY IS GOOD 15mins twice a day is better and 15mins three times is excellent. Keep up your good work and thank you for the tip about the I.Pod
The Silva Life System is awesome as is Holosync by Bill Harris at Centerpointe Research… it’s all about brain entrainment and inducing different brain wave frequencies to ‘artificially’ allow for meditation. Check it!
Have been a Silva methods user for decades. Think highly enough about it that I did numerous blog posts giving links to Silva sites. Have to laugh some what, at how a few companies talk of ‘new methods’ of mind training. So much is based on Jose Silva’s research, without giving proper and due credit to him. Remarkable man, as is his daughter, Laura.
http://thetalker.org/
Have been a Silva methods user for decades. Think highly enough about it that I did numerous blog posts giving links to Silva sites. Have to laugh some what, at how a few companies talk of ‘new methods’ of mind training. So much is based on Jose Silva’s research, without giving proper and due credit to him. Remarkable man, as is his daughter, Laura.
thetalker.org/
Eventually we rely on ourselves to bring us into meditation. The busy-ness that we encounter is ours to pay attention to… if we choose to pay attention to it. Practice practice practice goes a long way, and is a long path! The important thing is to stay with it, and keep at it. The journey of meditation changes as we change ourselves. Buddhist monks at the monastery have been meditating for years without tapes or someone else’s verbal imagery. One does not have to spend money to bring oneself into a relaxed state!
I like Shad Helmstetter’s Self-Talk better than the Silva method. I record Self-Talk scripts onto my internet computer and listen to them on loop.
I first took a seminar for what was then called Silva Mind Control in 1982. I was able to quit smoking with no side effects immediately. Unfortunately I did not keep up the practice. Ten years later I resumed using this version of active meditation and had remarkable results using it as a tool to deal with issues while in talk therapy. My therapist, a certified hypnotist, was amazed at what I could do using the active meditation. I recently purchased the UltraMind course to bring me up to date, and have used it successfully to control eye pain, esophagial spasms, nausea and cramps. I recommend going to a seminar if at all possible, because it accelerates the learning curve for people who have problems meditating or have never done so. Because of the seminar I have never had any problem with mind chatter and can easily go to level. I never would have stuck it out with passive meditation, but am very pleased with all that I can do using the Silva training.
I believe meditation is disciplining our minds to connect to our inner most being. It’s not to be in a transce but to be completely aware of the silence within ourselves. Listening to someone speak can be a baby level but true maturity in meditation is when we can be disciplined on our own. We shouldn’t cover up the noise we hear in our minds with other noise…we must learn to discipline the mind chatter with the power that is ALREADY within us. There is no secret to meditation…the stillness and substance of meditation is already within us.
I tried Silva Mind Control too and found the Guided Meditation disk more like hypnosis. I have since taken a 10 day retreat of Vipassana Meditation and keep up the meditation practice nearly every day. There is some mind chatter for maybe 1/2 an hour as I concentrate on my breath but next half hour can be a pure joy. I have also taken the Silva course and found that everything that was taught I have already encountered in hypnosis classes and NLP classes. I was more impressed with the Vipassana.
Avelynn, if you have time (a lifetime to be exact) to devote yourself to meditation (as does a monk) then that is wonderful! For the rest of us, we do need to spend some money and buy some cds occasionally to get the help we need. Each to his own. However, the Holosync cds have been wonderful for me as some of us have more trouble switching off and these cds actually do that for you. It may not fit in with someone’s ideal of meditation but it sure worked for me. The Silva Method works for many.
The reason why we don’t all eat chocolate cake everyday, all the time, is because we each have individual preferences. Choose what works for you! Choose what feels right for you. We each know intuitively what is right for us. We don’t HAVE to meditate — we don’t have to do anything. Just do what feels right for you and enjoy life if you can…
I just love listening to the centring meditation. It calms me, lowers my blood pressure. Much depends on the needs of a person at any particular time. Silva is the perfect introduction to being in touch with the body, working through and it doesn’t matter whether you call it hypnosis or what because if you can become calm and still and able to listen to yourself at a deep level what a blessing. I cut my teeth on Silva for self development and find it a great basis for all ongoing development. And I suppose each to their needs. Thank you Laura for continuing the great tradition of Jose.