Does Meditation Really Work?

[rob86 2]

Is meditation/yoga really beneficial ? I tried it for a couple days but I didn't stick with it, I might try meditation again. Does it really make you feel better, or whatever it's supposed to do? Any tips for a beginner?PS: What's Pranayam?

[HDuffRules 0]

Is meditation/yoga really beneficial ? I tried it for a couple days but I didn't stick with it, I might try meditation again. Does it really make you feel better, or whatever it's supposed to do? Any tips for a beginner?
PS: What's Pranayam?

This would really depend on what you are looking for it to do. I meditate for short periods of time to relax a little bit and regain a little energy in the middle of a busy day. For me, it really isn't too much more than a powernap. Its possible that I may be doing it wrong, but I don't see what else sitting in a room with my eyes closed could possibly accomplish.

Pranayam, also known as pranayama, refers to controlled breathing. You can tell if someone is asleep, because their breaths become much deeper and more drawn out. This can be exploited the other way around, and forcing yourself to breathe this way will quickly put you to sleep). Pranayam is the method by which changes in breathing affect a mental state or consciousness in this way.

Note: If anyone wants to correct me on any of these things, go right ahead. My knowledge is limited and I'm no expert in this matter.

[rob86 2]

but I don't see what else sitting in a room with my eyes closed could possibly accomplish.

lol. I take it you don't try to reach enlightment like the monks, then?

I had never heard of Pranayama, it's kind of interesting. It reminds me of breathing into a paper bag.

[dangerdan 0]

I think the effects are all about how much you believe in it and how seriously you take. I think it can be relaxing but it is ultimately just similar to a placebo.

[HDuffRules 0]

lol. I take it you don't try to reach enlightment like the monks, then?

Lol yeah, I'm not reaching for that. There's way too much interference from the rest of my life for that to even have a minuscule chance of yielding any results. There's a reason monks live away from the rest of civilization and only hang out with other monks. And by "hang out" I mean meditate, I suppose...

[Fractured.Logic 0]

Meditation, if one truly sticks with it, is extremely soothing. Even if you can't completely blank your mind, it's basically like a reboot for the brain. It can help you deal with things that were previously overwhelming you, or it can give you a fresh perspective on something that had you confused or uncertain.

 

The plus side to meditation is that you can personalize it to you. That means that you can conform it to your lifestyle instead of conforming your lifestyle to it. You can make as little or as much time for it, and any small amount will help you, even if you take a minute in your workday to stop and close your eyes and take a deep breath.

 

When I was first poking at an extended education, I took Tai Chi classes for my physical education credits. I found it so amazingly relaxing that I kept taking it again, every single term, and I would also attend the extracurricular meetings in the park on the weekends. You can get to the point where you literally feel the stress melting away and leaving your bones (I did!)... just from controlling and consciously slowing your breathing (which, in turn, calms your heart rate).

 

I have never tried Yoga, but it is something I fully plan to make the time for in the near future. I have heard many wonderful things about it, and it is recommended for anyone to try, no matter what your preferences, religion, or otherwise. There are some people who look down on Yoga because of it's religious associations, but one who practices Yoga is never required to ascribe to alternative beliefs. The oriental culture has had millennia to perfect health and fitness, and it stands to reason that their people have one the highest averages of good health in the world. That's well worth paying attention to.

 

Edited June 12, 2009 by Fractured.Logic (see edit history)

[fermin25 3]

Of course not.Everything is a placeb effect. The people have heard that meditation help to live a better life and all that things. This cause that they fell a "satisfaction" that have the powers to make them more happy. But I have experience with that because all the people that I know and practice meditation only develop egocentrism...and that is not happiness.They "think" that they are healthier than the other people or happier, but they aren?t (at least they win a million dollar).This is a marketing culture, the meditation only works making you losing valuable time that you would can invest in your real happiness.I don?t recommend that you fall in this "fake doctrin".

[The Simpleton 2]

Meditation is somewhat like body-building. You can't get a six-pack in a day or two, can you? :angel: Similarly, the effects cannot be felt in a day or two. While body-building builds up the body, meditation builds up the mental body - it's that simple!

 

I've been doing meditation for quite a few years now, and it really feels good. Here's a quick tip for you, since you're finding it difficult to perform it on a regular basis - first find a comfortable place to sit, where it is quiet. Try doing it in the early hours of the morning since that's the time when your mind is fresh. Sit in a position that you're comfortable with, close your eyes and concentrate on a single, meaningful word. This is the most important part of meditation - you have to focus all your concentration on that single, meaningful word. Don't strain yourself...stay calm and let the focus stay cool. Try doing this for as long as you can and then open your eyes slowly.

 

If everything went well, your mind should feel at peace with the world, even if there's a fire around you at that time Practise this for a few days and you'll really feel peaceful at all times, even in the most critical situations. The most important thing is, you will be able to concentrate on everything you do!

 

Pranayam's original Sanskrit word is "Pranayamam" - it is made up of two words:

 

Pranah or Pranam - meaning "Life"

Aayamam - meaning "control"

 

So basically, it means getting total control over your life or life-force...

 

There are many variations of Pranayamam but mostly all of them involve breathing techniques which help you get control over yourselves, and which can help with many disorders - there is one type of Pranayamam (a little difficult) which can get rid of spectacles without laser surgery! Not much is known about these advanced techniques though.

 

But as a start you can start with the basic breathing exercises. Here's a simple type called Anuloma Pranayamam Give it a try!

[Baniboy 3]

I would like to start meditating, but my stupid brother never shuts up. There isn't a quiet moment in our house. I could easily find the time for meditation but not the silence.Any ideas?I don't want to do it in the morning because I'm really not a morning person... I hate waking up early and I always try to sleep as much without being late from school.

[abby 0]

I personally never did well with sitting meditations ...you know, the butt on a pillow, spine straight, legs crossed, hands on knees sort of thing that everyone mocks. I'd always sit there counting the minutes, wondering at what angle was most beneficial to have my legs crossed at, etc., and it was anything but relaxing.And then a friend of mine introduced me to walking meditations. One foot moves with each breath. Breathe in - move right foot; breathe out - move left foot (or vice versa). And so on. When done slowly enough, it makes a surprisingly good balance exercise, too. I guess this is a personal preference, but I find it much easier to reach a meditative state like this, and having a physical action associated with breathing makes it much easier to focus for me (then again, I find deep breathing to be far more difficult than most).I also really enjoy meditating outside. Trying to mediate in the same room as my computer just doesn't work for me. But under a big, leafy tree, by the water, out in the grass - I feel much calmer and clearer.So I guess where I'm going with that is that the same thing doesn't work for everyone. Try things, switch it up a bit, see what works for you.

[rob86 2]

Sorry about taking a while to reply to this, I enjoyed reading your little lesson on meditation kasperoony. It made me want to give it a try so I think I will some time. I'll let you know how it goes.Abby: Walking meditation, eh? I've never heard of that. Sounds kind of like the pranayama breathing exercises. Do you walk-meditate with your eyes closed? Wham! Right into a pole.. not so relaxing.I love to sit by the water but there are so many mosquitoes this time of year! The only time I can sit by the water is when there are gale force winds to blow the darn things away! Sometimes I bring a book and I can't even turn the pages it's so windy.. lolAnyone ever meditate in the snow? It was back in the winter when I tried meditating for the first time, I bundled up in my parka and sat in 4 feet of fluffy snow and tried to relax in the great outdoors. That's life in Canada for you I guess.. :angel:Anyway, Anuloma Pranayam looks pretty easy to try, so I guess I'll try it right now!

[The Simpleton 2]

Meditation in snow sounds interesting - it's just too bad I can' give it a try given that there's no snow over here :(And walking meditation doesn't sound too good to me either....if you keep your eyes closed there's the danger of walking into someone/thing, and if you keep your eyes open, you can't really call that meditation, coz you will still be concentrating on what is in front of you instead of concentrating on keeping your mind peaceful...

[ackotheadvertiser 0]

I really don't believe in meditation as well. I don't know what you can accomplish with sitting in quiet with your eyes closed, as someone said. It's just weird. But on the other and, there are all these stories how people get relaxed, their body and mind become one etc etc... Also there's this world recorder in having the most records and he has like a 100 active records, and some(most) of the stuff are really weird. He says that he was week before but through meditation he's now able to find his body limits.. I mean, really, how can you be the best in the world in 100 exhausting and strange stuff anyway ? Meditation also says your mind gets sharper, but science says that your mind works better under pressure, when stressed, because more blood comes in your head and your mind is more capable to think... But I do believe in breathing exercises. Anyway, whatever...

[munna.raghav 0]

I haven't really tried meditation yet.I used to have yoga classes in my school days once a week. Those were just time, nothing would be serious enough to show us any result or effect. And at that we even didn't care about yoga and all.I think young people like us don't find meditation of any use because we are too busy to try it for a long time on a regular basis. We usually get bored after a while and we stop. And we draw a conclusion - meditation is useless.But for the elderly people spirituality and meditation have other meanings and those people find them useful. Yoga is something which is found to be very effective and the western countries have started using it and now a days its existence is quite same in the asian countries and the western countries. Now a days even some companies make their employees practice yoga as a part of daily company routine.And some yogis in India claim that yoga has the power to cure most of the deadliest diseases like cancer,diabetes,asthama,acidity,migrain and many more.I myself feel that it is quite useful to keep yourself healthy and happy but as I have said we don't have time for these activities may be we would find some when we grow old.

[iGuest 3]

Better English NeededDoes Meditation Really Work?

Wow I don't know if I agree or not with what you said in this. Yet if you are going to try and bash someone else's view on something or express yourself on a specific topic I highly suggest you learn how to write grammatically correct sentences. At least get something that is somewhat close to a grammatically close sentence so that the whole time I am not thinking wow this person must not be from an English speaking country. Oh and I can't take seriously what you say when the whole time I am reading your part I am thinking how poorly written it is.