Does Meditation Increase Flexibility?

Original Painting by JAM

While meditating the other day, thoughts of a dear friend came to me as well as an imagine. I painted the image and knew I had to give it to my friend. 

Listening to my gut over the years has proven fruitful. Answers to questions, new creative ideas and unexpected surprises as well as emotions, body sensations and things I need to do come to me while I sit.

When I first started meditating, it took all of my effort to stay seated without fidgeting. Eventually I felt comfortable and could focus for short periods. I would ask questions yet I couldn't sit long enough to receive an answer. I would receive answers in my sleep, yet not in my meditation.

Eventually I began receive answers or possible solutions to problems while sitting. I meditate with a notebook close by so that I can jot things down before I forget.

So does meditation make your mind more flexible? Yes. Those of us who have been stuck in our thinking find we can see other's points of view and different ways to do things over time.
Does meditation have a multitude of benefits? Yes. So many they have their own post.
Has it been show to change the brain and ward off aging? Yes. There are also many studies that show how the brain changes in long-time meditators.

Often I am asked about how to meditate regularly. As with any habit, it is a practice. There is no perfect way to meditate. You need to find what works for you and do it. There are many resources available on the internet. How do you know if they're good? Well, try out some of the free ones. I have found working with a teacher to be the most effective way for me to develop a regular practice. 

There are a lot of things that meditation is NOT--watching TV, listening to music, etc. The idea is to have a single focus and to eventually become one with what we are focusing on.

Salt Lake City folks, I offer meditation the first Wednesday of each month at MyBusinessBar, 4535 S 2300 E. Register.

If you'd like to hear about what's up with me, sign up here. I offer local meditation classes and will be offering an online meditation course in November of this year.

If you're interested in working with me further, grab a complimentary call.
Let me know how it's working for you.
#meditationworks

How to Build Better Relationships with Everybody

Bee n Flower, Costa Rica

"The flower doesn’t dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes." Mark Nepo

 Relationships are the touchstone of human interaction. Patanjali

Relationships have been the highlight of my life--my partner, kids, family, friends, students--as well as the biggest stress possible. It's one of the main parts of our lives that we don't get training for. 

In nature, there are 3 types of relationships: mutualism (win-win) like in my pic of the bee and flower, commensalism (one party wins and the other party is along for the ride i.e.a spider building a web in a plant so the spider has shelter but the plant just has visitor),

www.hdwallpapersinn.com

Mitchy with a pretend flea-I just wanted to show him off.

and finally there's parasitism (one party wins and the other party is harmed i.e. dog with a flea).

Why the Bio lesson? I would suggest that most of us want win-win relationships although we might choose a commensalistic relationship if we are in need of help or want to support another. Even though parasitic relationships exist with humans, most of us don't strive for them. 

So, how do we develop healthy relationships?

Well, I learned many things from my birth family about being in relationship-some good and helpful like honesty, love and integrity-some not so helpful sarcasm and  fear.

Many wise people say that to have a healthy relationship with someone else, we need to start with ourselves. I agree.

"How?" you ask. With Meditation.

You will find a short, guided meditation on my website homepage. Be careful. I hear it puts people to sleep.

How can meditation help us with relationships?
1. When we meditate regularly, we know what we want and need more clearly.
2. We are more centered and peaceful.
3. We are less stressed and less anxious.
4. We are better able to understand other people through our understanding of ourselves.
5. The brain develops differently when we meditate. The gap between feeling and thinking fills in.
6. We are generally more present and able to be in the moment.
7. Meditation increases our connection to our creativity-helping with problem solving amongst other things.
8. Meditators are more comfortable with themselves.
9. Meditation helps us to sleep better.
10.Meditation lowers blood pressure, increases your immunity and boosts your thinking ability.
With all of those changes, you are better able to interact with others.

If you are interested in developing a personal meditation practice, I am offering an online course that begin November 1st. The course is for beginners who have never meditated and intermediates who want to create time, space and technique to meditate regularly with guidance and support. Click here for more information.

Let me know if you have any questions below. Stay tuned for more information and tips on meditation. 

Tips for Developing a Meditation Pracitce

Peaceful Meditation

"To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solution." --Deepak Chopra

Where do we begin to find the time, the space, the motivation to be alone and to be quiet? I have found the easiest way to create a new habit is to attach it to an existing one i.e. I use my tongue scraper after I brush my teeth; I do my evening practice after I brush my teeth at night.

I sit in the same spot each morning and evening to do my practice. I repeat the same practice over and over until I know it by heart. 

 TIPS:

·      connect your meditation time to an existing habit

·      sit in the same place and at the same time if possible

·      repeat the same practice for at least a week (start with 5 minutes)

Students some times tell me after a week that they are bored with doing the same practice. I tell them that I too felt the same way before I had faith that my teacher knew more than I. She said, "Trust me, do this practice for 90 days and then we'll talk about it." I did. What happened? The benefits of discipline, peace and clarity started to enter my life. Instead of feeling bored, I looked for new ways to be mindful during my practice. I felt safe and a level of comfort in the repetition.

I also found it necessary to have a teacher. I tried for a long time to sit on my own. It wasn't until I started to accept guidance and sit with others that my experience moved to a deeper level.

I agree with Deepak that it is scary to sit in quiet. We have so many amazing distractions available to us. The thing is the consequence of not spending time with yourself, is that you won't really ever know your true self.

I am offering an online opportunity for you to practice meditation on your own yet in the safety of a group. Click here for more information. 

Over the next few weeks, I will continue to offer helpful tips on meditating. Stay tuned and let me know if you try any of them and how they work.