Evolve Within

As the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus put forth 2,500 years ago, change is central to the universe. Like everything in creation, we are changing, growing, and evolving. Even positive change - a new job, a wedding, the birth of a baby - can cause stress. When change comes so fast that we don't have time to deal with it or integrate it, we invariably find ourselves in a crisis. A crisis is not a fun place to be, but we can minimize its intensity and duration by choosing to navigate through it rather than resisting or giving in to it. In a study published in Medical News Today in 2008, researchers at the Benson-Henry Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital examined subjects to see how meditation influenced their stress response. The researchers found that meditation produced physiological reactions that were the opposite of the reactions induced by post traumatic stress disorder. The following meditation can be a wonderful companion before and/or during periods of stress and crisis. **Crisis often occurs after your life has la gushed in the doldrums, when things seem neither good nor bad, just "blah." Do this meditation wherever you sense a crisis approaching. During the crisis, do this meditation each day to help you navigate more smoothly and quickly through it.** (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

Computers utilize quartz's unique ability to gather, hold, and transmit information. But long before computers existed, quartz crystals were prized for their healing abilities. The same properties that enable crystals to handle information in computers make them effective in balancing and aligning energy within your body. Just as you can program a computer to do whatever you want it to, so too can you program a crystal to Relieve daily stress and tension. **After every meditation, cleanse your crystal by holding it under running tepid water. When done, rub your thumb sharply across its side while simultaneously blowing sharply over the crystal to release the stress and tension placed within. If you don't clear and release your crystal, you will run the risk of replacing the stress back into you the next time you use the crystal. You could also damage your crystal. (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

A pilot study, published in Integrative Cancer Therapies in 2008, examined meditation's ability to ease stress in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) for various conditions, including cancer. Researchers found that patients who began meditation prior to surgery and continued through their recovery experienced "statistically significant decreases in heart and respiratory rates and improvements in symptoms" associated with stress. Why do some people have less difficulty during medical procedures and recover more quickly than others? Much of it may be linked to their expectations and attitudes. Just because someone has a hard time with a particular operation doesn't mean you will. Before you undergo a medical or dental procedure, utilize the following steps and the meditation given here to reduce emotional and physical stress. **Do this meditation every day for at least two weeks prior to the operation or procedure. If you are in an emergency situation, at least follow the "Before the Operation" steps.** (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

Ayurvedic medicine considers bathing to be therapeutic. The healing benefits of bathing have been touted since ancient times -- the Greeks and Romans believed water was a gift form the gods, and to that end, they created elaborate bathhouses for healing purposes. Today, hydrotherapy continues to be prized as a healing modality. Bathing eases stiff muscles, relieves pain, opens clogged pores, stimulates circulation, and restores moisture to the body's tissues. In 1994, French researchers published a study in the Journal of Rheumatology that found that patients who underwent hydrotherapy "showed significant improvement" from lower back pain and other ailments. A few years later, a majority of test subjects in a University of Minnesota study confirmed these findings; furthermore, they agreed that therapeutic baths reduced their stress and anxiety levels. This meditation combines the benefits of hydrotherapy, meditation, and aromatherapy to alleviate stress and enhance relaxation. **Perform this meditation as often as you like -- every evening, if possible -- to release stress and anxiety at the end of the day.** (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

Herbert Benson, MD, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and director emeritus of Harvard Medical School's Mind/Body Medical Institute and the Benson-Henry Institute, recommends consciously relaxing all your muscles one at a time while you meditate. He calls this the "relaxation response." Benson's research shows that meditation has a beneficial effect on metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and other biochemical and physical processes in the body. The following meditation expands upon Dr. Benson's ideas, enabling you to relax and let go of tension in every part of your body. Like water flowing through a series of locks in a canal, energy flows up from your toes to your head as you do this meditation. We recommend taking your shoes off and wearing loose-fitting clothing to facilitate relaxation. **Do this meditation whenever you feel a need to unwind and drop the cares of your everyday life. we suggest doing it at the end of a stressful day, to unwind before bedtime, or to leave behind your workday pressures and relax into your personal life.** (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

For thousands of years, people around the world have walked labyrinths for relaxation and spiritual purposes. As you meander through a labyrinth’s circuitous form, you shift your awareness back and forth from right brain to left brain, creating harmony. One of the oldest labyrinth designs features seven “circuits” that correspond to the seven tones of the musical scale, the seven colors of the visible spectrum, the seven main chakras in the body, and the seven bodies in our solar system that can be seen with the naked eye. These relationships may explain why winding your way through a labyrinth balances the body’s energy fields and inspires inner peace. **Interestingly, you don’t have to walk a labyrinth to experience its calming benefits. You can simply use a design and run your finger through the circuits and see what happens.** (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

Daytime stress often causes sleep dysfunction. You lie awake in bed, rehashing the events of the day and worrying about tomorrow’s challenges, too keyed up to relax. When you don’t get a good nights sleep, you’re also likely to be more anxious and stressed out during the day. It’s a vicious cycle. A study presented at the twenty-third Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in June 2009, and published in ScienceDaily, showed that meditation is effective in treating sleep problems. According to Ramadevi Gourineni, MD, director of the insomnia program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Evanston, Illinois, insomnia results from being in a state of hyperarousal around the clock. The following meditation helps you unwind at bedtime, so you enjoy more restful sleep. It also reduces stress during the day. **Perform this meditation each night as soon as you go to bed, to unwind and sleep better.** (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

According to the American Institute of Stress, workplace stress costs the United States $300 billion annually in medical care and employee absenteeism. A three-month study, published in 1993 in the journal Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, examined workers in the automotive industry to determine the effects of meditation on stress reduction. The study found that employees who meditated regularly experienced decreases in job tension, anxiety, fatigue, and health complaints. It’s not always easy to change conditions in your work environment. However, this meditation technique helps you deal with annoying people, workplace noise, and other stress by turning down the volume. (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

What’s your favourite element - air, fire, water, or earth? When you are in the presence of this element do you feel more at peace, more connected to your Soul and Spirit? Perhaps you feel more alive near a lake, a river or the ocean (water). Or maybe walking in the woods is an enchanting experience for you (earth). Do you feel a sense of liberation when standing high in a hill with the wind at your face (air)? Or a special connection with a burning fire (fire)? Whenever life’s pressures build or the storms of responsibilities crash about you, you can always find a safe harbor within your particular element. The following meditation will help you. (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

According to a theory proposed by Daniel Goleman, author of The Meditative Mind, and Tara Bennett-Goleman, author of Emotional Alchemy: How the Mind Can Heal the Heart, meditation affects the relationship between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex in the brain. The amygdala governs fear responses and is linked with aggression; the prefrontal cortex causes you to pause, stay calm, and think before taking action. Meditation increases activity in the prefrontal cortex so it prevails over the amygdala, thereby reducing tension, anxiety, and irritability. The following meditation lets you wash away everyday annoyances and stress whenever you wash your body. Perform this simple practice in the morning, at night, or any time you wish to cleanse yourself of irritations. (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

Computers make our lives easier in some ways, but they also add frustration and increase the demand to produce more, faster. Sitting at a computer for hours on end puts pressure on your neck and shoulders as well. Charles L. Raison, MD, clinical director of the Mind-Body Program at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, found in a six-week study that meditation has a positive effect on participants’ responses to both physical and emotional stress. This “waking” meditation, or directed, outward form of meditation, loosens tight muscles, relaxes your mind, and relieves general tension. (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)

Linda E. Carlson, PhD, and her colleagues at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, conducted an eight-week meditation study involving sixty-three patients (published in 2005 in the International Journal of Behavioural Medicine). The researchers found that meditation significantly decreased sleep dysfunction in the study’s participants and improved their overall quality of sleep. Many types of mediation emphasize paying attention to your breath as a way to clear your mind and quiet your body. The following meditation, based on an ancient yogic breathing technique, balances the body’s yin (receptive/passive) and yang (assertive/active) energies and produces a calm, tranquil state. Practice this technique every night when you go to bed to help you relax and sleep better. (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)