Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Meditation Kinds of meditation For many people, the word " meditation " brings to mind images of monks sitting pretzel-legged, chanting " om. " At the very least, it's typically assumed to be some sort of specialized religious activity. But it's not necessarily so. Most basically, meditation involves calming and focusing the mind. Many forms also involve some kind of breath control. Most, but not all, involve sitting. And there are several ways to meditate that involve no religious or spiritual purpose or affiliation at all. Techniques that have been studied in clinical trials and are recommended by some doctors for improving mental and physical health include the following: .. Relaxation response. This involves sitting in a relaxed posture with the eyes closed and focusing on your breath for 10 or 20 minutes. It is recommended to do it twice daily. This is a technique that was developed by Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School; he has published books on it, and there is information on it available on the Web. .. Mindfulness meditation. This involves being aware of your bodily sensations, the things you feel, and the sounds you hear, and paying attention to what you're doing. It may sound simple, but have you ever eaten a meal without thinking about anything but the food and the act of eating? There are several approaches to this technique; the one most tested for its health benefits is often referred to as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR, and can be learned over a course of a few weeks through tapes or programs. Its leading proponent is Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, which has a Center for Mindfulness. Other advocates of similar kinds of mindfulness meditation include Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist who has published several books and allows a non-religious approach to meditation. .. Transcendental MeditationR. This is a program offered by an organization founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi; it is required that you learn the technique from an instructor. It involves 15 to 20 minutes twice a day, seated, but it also involves mental repetition of a mantra, a " word " such as " ainga " or " shiring " that has been selected for you by your instructor. There are also meditation techniques that are related to specific religions. Different branches of Buddhism (notably Theravada, Tibetan and Zen) have a variety of well-established techniques, as do sects of Hinduism, but there are also meditative practices used in some groups in western religions such as Islam and Christianity. There is considerable variety in the different approaches. http://www.medbroadcast.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Nick: > Your'e right. That is the proper way to meditate. I let someone burn me on my upper arm for five minutes with a lighter and another 4 minutes on my left hand. It was a relieving thing for me but I got a horrible looking scar that turned black at first. Now it's just a pinkish red color. It was stupid but relieving. As a teen I used to make a sport of going to the dentist without using anaesthesia, and try to relax enough that I didn't get bothered by the pain when having a tooth drilled. That was my idea of fun back then. :-) Inger Inger Lorelei wrote: Nick, I think you're just supposed to look at the candle, not put your hand over it! ;-) Inger It's strange, but I was able to hold my hand over a buning flame and not got burnt. I would just get a strong tingling sensation that eventually passed. It was at a weird point in my life too. I think somehow my body temperature was different. Nonetheless, the last time I tried it I got burn blisters on my palm. rubenken2000 wrote: I never heard about meditation allowing you to hold your hand over acandle flame without getting burned. Do you think the meditationactually prevents your skin from burning?Ken> > > > > > It might just be me but having an actual conversation with someone > > > that actual understands what I am talking about is a rarity. Either > > > they perhaps are offended or I explain things in a way that is not > > > comprehendible to them.> > > > > > I have tried various frames of minds and points of views. Itappears > > > nothing that I think is in common really with others and personsare > > > extremely bored or even bothered by me. I do not know what to do to > > > modify myself as I have been trying to do for the past three years.> > > > > > This stinks!> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > FAM Secret Society is a community based on respect, friendship,> support and acceptance. Everyone is valued. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 Nick: > Your'e right. That is the proper way to meditate. I let someone burn me on my upper arm for five minutes with a lighter and another 4 minutes on my left hand. It was a relieving thing for me but I got a horrible looking scar that turned black at first. Now it's just a pinkish red color. It was stupid but relieving. As a teen I used to make a sport of going to the dentist without using anaesthesia, and try to relax enough that I didn't get bothered by the pain when having a tooth drilled. That was my idea of fun back then. :-) Inger Inger Lorelei wrote: Nick, I think you're just supposed to look at the candle, not put your hand over it! ;-) Inger It's strange, but I was able to hold my hand over a buning flame and not got burnt. I would just get a strong tingling sensation that eventually passed. It was at a weird point in my life too. I think somehow my body temperature was different. Nonetheless, the last time I tried it I got burn blisters on my palm. rubenken2000 wrote: I never heard about meditation allowing you to hold your hand over acandle flame without getting burned. Do you think the meditationactually prevents your skin from burning?Ken> > > > > > It might just be me but having an actual conversation with someone > > > that actual understands what I am talking about is a rarity. Either > > > they perhaps are offended or I explain things in a way that is not > > > comprehendible to them.> > > > > > I have tried various frames of minds and points of views. Itappears > > > nothing that I think is in common really with others and personsare > > > extremely bored or even bothered by me. I do not know what to do to > > > modify myself as I have been trying to do for the past three years.> > > > > > This stinks!> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > FAM Secret Society is a community based on respect, friendship,> support and acceptance. Everyone is valued. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2005 Report Share Posted February 21, 2005 I always went for the nitrous oxide but that's just me.Inger Lorelei wrote: Nick: > Your'e right. That is the proper way to meditate. I let someone burn me on my upper arm for five minutes with a lighter and another 4 minutes on my left hand. It was a relieving thing for me but I got a horrible looking scar that turned black at first. Now it's just a pinkish red color. It was stupid but relieving. As a teen I used to make a sport of going to the dentist without using anaesthesia, and try to relax enough that I didn't get bothered by the pain when having a tooth drilled. That was my idea of fun back then. :-) Inger Inger Lorelei wrote: Nick, I think you're just supposed to look at the candle, not put your hand over it! ;-) Inger It's strange, but I was able to hold my hand over a buning flame and not got burnt. I would just get a strong tingling sensation that eventually passed. It was at a weird point in my life too. I think somehow my body temperature was different. Nonetheless, the last time I tried it I got burn blisters on my palm. rubenken2000 wrote: I never heard about meditation allowing you to hold your hand over acandle flame without getting burned. Do you think the meditationactually prevents your skin from burning?Ken> > > > > > It might just be me but having an actual conversation with someone > > > that actual understands what I am talking about is a rarity. Either > > > they perhaps are offended or I explain things in a way that is not > > > comprehendible to them.> > > > > > I have tried various frames of minds and points of views. Itappears > > > nothing that I think is in common really with others and personsare > > > extremely bored or even bothered by me. I do not know what to do to > > > modify myself as I have been trying to do for the past three years.> > > > > > This stinks!> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > FAM Secret Society is a community based on respect, friendship,> support and acceptance. Everyone is valued. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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