Beginning Meditation

There is no better introduction to the subject of Meditation and a clear guidance for your personal direction of thoughts, than the beautiful words of Longfellow

Let us, then, labor for an inward stillness, An inward stillness and an inner healing; That perfect silence where the lips and heart Are still, and we no longer entertain Our own imperfect thoughts and vain opinions, But God alone speaks in us, and we wait, In singleness of heart that we may know His will, and in the silence of our spirits, That we may do His will, and do that only!" Longfellow

When we settle down to relax following effort or activity, it is natural that we want to be comfortable physically. We tend to collapse into an easy chair, to possibly doze off possibly enjoy a nice doze for a minute or twoor many!. However, during this period, if we do go to sleep in order to refresh ourselves, we are unconscious. This is not the same as the state of meditation, which is a conscious and pleasurable refreshment experience.

As a beginner, if we wish to practice the simplest meditation we should choose a time of privacy when we know there will not be any interruption for half and hour or so. It is important to ensure there will be no sudden sound or disturbance.

The following is to serve as a simple guide until you feel confident and allow your own intuition to take over. There is no exact technique that is either right or wrong, so feel relaxed in your approach.

Be seated in a comfortable but upright position with hands relaxed in your lap or resting on your thighs if you are in a hard backed chair. Cross legged positions as usually assumed by Yoga students may be better, but most people have to work hard through exercise to allow their limbs to be comfortable enough to allow the mind to be free when in this position. So observe the two most important factors, these being physical comfort and an erect spinal posture.

The eyes are then closed gently. It usually takes a few minutes to take stock of how you feel. You may become aware of sensations, sounds, feelings, light and shade, movement of the air and so on at first before settling down and able to focus upon your breathing.

Simply inhale through the nose for a count of four, and then exhale to the same count. Keep this rhythm going for a few minutes until you feel you can increase the count to six which is to be continued for a few minutes, increasing the count gradually as your feel inclined.

Then, still with eyes closed, focus upon what you see in front of your eyes on the screen of the mind. Allow impressions, thoughts, and images to pass across the screen and allow any ideas that your subconscious mind throws up for your attention, to have their say.

Then when your inside world begins to quieten down and you perhaps begin to wonder what you should be thinking about, select a quote, or a special word or phrase, poem or prayer that appeals to you and repeat it, over and over until you can concentrate fully upon it. Usually this is continued for some minutes until your mind begins to tire. Then stop.

Continue to sit still. Make no effort to control how you think or feel, just sit.

This is the beginning of the internal adventure into a more profound state of awareness which happens naturally as you regularly practice enjoying the state of just being.

many find that the physical stillness of the body in contrast to the normal activity of the day is in itself relaxing. Some find these quiet moments filled with interesting feelings, thoughts or psychic experiences. others are attracted to the practice of meditation as a spiritual experience.

remember, meditation is a natural practice that allows us to feel peaceful, and refreshed. It is best not to influence your first introduction to it by having any preconceived ideas about how you think you should feel, what you hope to experience and so on, because it is your own private venturing into your inner nature and will bring you unique experiences which are yours alone.

Sally Janssen is one of the best known Yoga teachers in Australia, and is a former President of the International Yoga teachers Association. She runs an informational website that deals with the very spirit of traditional Yoga. To benefit from her extensive knowledge be sure to visit her site at http://www.classical-yoga.com

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Demystifying the Best Weight Loss Product

The appetite suppressant is considered as the best weight loss product that comes in forms of a pill or a patch. There are others like those that prevent fat and carbohydrate absorption and calorie burners that can be considered as the best weight loss product. It will all depend on your lifestyle, overall health, age, and gender on which best weight loss product is right for you.

Types of weight loss products

1.Appetite suppressants These can prevent you from overeating, giving in to cravings, and unnecessary binging.
2.Burners They burn carbs, calories, and fat by increasing your metabolic rate and at the same time, giving you more energy boost.
3.Blockers These prevent your body from absorbing fats and carbohydrates and expelling them from your system through your bowel movement.

Consider these

There are a lot of factors to consider before picking out the best weight loss product that can effectively help you in shedding off those unwanted pounds.

1.There are products that cannot show immediate results but they promise not to have any side effects.
2.Results can differ from person to person. This is in the case of many products, so even if you are using the same best weight loss product as your friend, you may not find yourself losing the same kind of weight as they are.
3.Don't believe everything written on the label especially if the weight loss product is not prescribed by your doctor. All-natural and herbal does not necessarily mean that the product is entirely safe.
4.Consult with your physician before taking any weight loss product so prevent side effects that can cause serious damage to your body.

Fast results require additional effort

You can take diet pills while wearing a weight loss patch for faster results. You can also try exercising in subtle ways like walking or climbing stairs instead of taking the bus or using the elevator. Experts also believe that proper diet and exercise is still the best way to lose weight so even if you are using weight loss products, try to put some effort into doing the tried and tested ways for losing weight.

Phillip England is a weight loss expert and Author of the popular report "The Ultimate weight loss Secret". To receive your free information on the secret that doctors, and health companies either don't know, or don't want you to know, please see http://www.theultimateweightlosssecret.com/secret

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