The Art of Meditation / Stop Being a Zombie!

A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. So he loses touch with reality, and lives in a world of illusion – Alan Watts Tweet This Have you ever driven your car or bicycle and suddenly you wake up somewhere down the road and can’t remember how you got there? What happened in those few minutes? When you put some effort in it you probably remember some of the thoughts you had. And when you are honest about it, it was probably a fantasy. And so did I when I first started meditating. So before I continue I’d like everyone to experience this to understand what I’m talking about. Did you do the two minutes? There’s a lot been written on meditation, and to be honest, I ain’t got anything new or groundbreaking stuff to tell. What is Meditation? Meditation is the act of training the mind. Why Meditate? The Buddha said: don’t blindly believe what others say, see for yourself what brings serenity, clarity of thought and inner peace. How to Meditate?

Awesome Variations on Meditation Meditation is simply the training of the mind. It has been used, primarily for spiritual practices, for thousands of years. The effects are numerous. In the same way training the body gives rise to numerous benefits, so does training the mind. From achieving incredible states of focus (now being recommended as self-therapy for ADHD) to having insights in the nature of reality and dealing with stress, anxiety and depression. Since everything you’ve ever experienced and know is in your awareness, the end goal is understanding That which is Aware. “Give up defining yourself. Once you’ve explored this concept long enough you slowly get a sense of what he is hinting at. “The perfect man uses his mind as a mirror. This is why staying in the Now is such a powerful practice. Here are the awesome variations on meditation, amongst which you will certainly find at least one that agrees with you. Darkness Meditation – Intermediate – Min. 1 day Dancing Meditation – Beginner – Min. 1 minute

30 Challenges for 30 Days Did you know that it takes 30 days to form a new habit? The first few days are similar as to how you would imagine the birth of a new river. Full of enthusiasm it gushes forth, only to be met by strong obstacles. So, take a moment to reflect on the question ‘Who do I want to be in 5 years?’ Check out this short TED talk first to get inspired: Now pick one or more challenges and stick with them! However, be cautioned, picking too many challenges at the same time can easily result in a failure of all of them. #1 Write a I-Like-This-About-You note/text/email each day for someone (Easy) This is the perfect way to let someone else know you care. #2 Talk to one stranger each day (Hard) This is a great one to cure approaching anxiety. #3 Take one picture each day (Hard) This one gets harder nearing the end of the challenge because at one point you will run out of the easy shots. #4 Re-evaluate one long-held belief each day (Intermediate) #5 Take a 30 minute walk each day (Easy) We recommend:

How to Become an Early Riser It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom. - Aristotle Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made. In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I’d almost always sleep in late. I usually didn’t start hitting my stride each day until late afternoon. But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high correlation between success and rising early, even in my own life. … and the next morning, I got up just before noon. Hmmm… I tried again many more times, each time not getting very far with it. It’s hard to become an early riser using the wrong strategy. The most common wrong strategy is this: You assume that if you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier. It seems there are two main schools of thought about sleep patterns. The second school says you should listen to your body’s needs and go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up.