Contemplative Importance

This source provides a description of the pedagogical revolution that is occurring in our universities regarding mindfulness. University curriculums are now being implemented with mindfulness. This will for a greater dissemination of mindfulness and I want to discuss this specifically in my

Another state of consciousness is meditation. Meditation is the focusing of ones attention to clear the mind and produce relaxation. There are three major approaches to meditation. The first approach is Transcendental meditation. Transcendental meditation involves the repetition of a mantra, usually a Sanskrit phrase. The participant sits with his or her eyes closed and meditate for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day. The second approach, mindfulness meditation, was developed from a Buddhist tradition. Mindfulness meditation focuses on the present moment. For example, the participant might move his or her focus throughout the body, from the tip of their toes to the top of their head, and paying very close attention to areas that cause pain. The third approach is breath meditation. Breath meditation is when a participant focuses his or her respiration-the process of inhaling and exhaling in a rhythmic pattern. Most people believe that proper breathing can help one self to be stress free. Researchers agree that most people can benefit from some sort of systematic relaxation

This paper is about my experience with mindfulness based meditation and scientific inquiry of these experiences. Mindfulness based meditation is describes as technique used to cultivate nonreactive, non-judgmental and stable awareness of the present moment (Garland and Gaylord, 2009). The end goal is to sustain this meta-cognitive state for a long period of time. I practiced non-denominational form of mindfulness based meditation for the first time in my psychology class, which was devoted towards intellectual and experiential examination of meditation. The practice was conducted in a group it was instructed by our own professor and it begun at the end of class. There was one sessions per week and each session was structured meaning it was

It was nice to take a break from the stress of the day to participate in this activity. As I listened to the prompts from the facilitator, my heart rate and breathing began to slow down. I noticed a literal sigh of relief taking place in my body. My muscles and tissues began to let go, and I sunk deep into my chair. I began to fall asleep, my mind letting go as well. Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, found that people who make meditation a regular part of their schedule have decreased stress and increased gray matter. By actively forcing the mind to take a break, your senses are literally enhanced (“Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress here’s how it changes your brain,” 2015). It makes sense that by incorporating regular breaks for our brains, we are much more adept to handling the stresses of daily life, it is literally the smart thing to do. I have definitely come to realize the importance of incorporating intentional relaxation into my daily repertoire, and plan on making it a daily

External environments directly influence an individual’s stress level and their capacity to cope. Upon entering a public location, such as the DMV, I find myself annoyed, impatient, and stressed. By performing your meditation experience in public, you presented how efficiently controlling your own stress can affect your mindset. Rather than resting annoyed, you unearthed the beauty in a stressful situation. Through talking and postulating tips to the anxious girl, waiting to take her driver’s test, you possibly reduced her stress furthermore. This displays a growth in character and the start of mindful living.

Meditation is something that, prior to this semester, I had never experienced. I wanted to incorporate it into my self-care plan because I struggle with stress management and pessimism. Negative thoughts and feelings will sometimes get the best of me; meditation seemed like a good habit to create in order to control and manage my stress and cynicism. Meditation was difficult at first, but the more I practiced it the easier it became. It assisted me in processing my feelings and thoughts, more importantly it led me to insights about myself. It helped me to understand how I function and areas where I need to improve. For example, I never processed my fear surrounding death; meditation assisted me in recognizing that my fear stems not from my facing my own mortality, but rather from the prospect of losing my son or husband. Nothing scares me more than losing them in any form, and death is a form of loss. Meditation also assisted me in recognizing areas where I have improved, but previously did not observe (e.g. my view of alcoholism has drastically changed and for the better). Finally, meditation helped me to process some extremely intense negative emotions unrelated to the course (having learned to meditate could not have happened at a more necessary time). Meditation was by far the most useful self-care activity for me; it is one habit I plan to cultivate and utilize throughout my

Today’s challenge is to meditate. You can individualize the experience by choosing to practice in a way that suits you; you may sit or lie down, you may listen to a guided meditation or enjoy the silence. Try to meditate for 10 minutes today. Attempt to integrate this into your life and carry this practice forward.

Josephine P. Briggs, M. (2010, June 25). Exploring the Power of Meditation. Retrieved from National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: https://nccih.nih.gov/about/offices/od/2010-06.htm

Mindfulness practice has received immense attention in recent years. Specifically, mindfulness practice has been explored by professional athletes, from organizations attempting to improve productivity, and even politicians for stress reduction. Nevertheless, educators have begun to explore mindfulness practice effectiveness for enhancing educational, emotional, and behavioral outcomes for students. Fundamentally, mindfulness practice is established on spirituality principles that teach attention focusing. Moreover, the technique facilitates open communication regarding emotions and feelings. Thus, mindfulness practice aims to silence distractions of the mind while enhancing awareness. As a relatively new practice, it is

* How does the ritual seek to change the participants? –Protect them from future sufferings, provides more insight into meditation

Contemplation can be defined as the ‘action of looking at something thoughtfully for a period of time’ or ‘deep reflective thoughts’. (Oxford Dictionaries, 2016) Within religious faiths, contemplation can be explained as ‘religious practices where a person seeks to extend beyond mental images and concepts of a divine presence in order to have a direct experience with that presence.’ (Oxford Dictionaries, 2016) Contemplation in Roman Catholicism, Reform Judaism and Sunni Islam is a way of deepening the understanding and strengthening the connection with a higher divine presence, such as God. The above religious denominations incorporate similarities and differences when it comes to their particular understandings and practices of contemplation.

Contemplation In the art piece Contemplation, Anita C. Young have used a contrast of light and dark, perspectival space in the near and the far and the technique of hatching to show visual effects of light and shade as her foundation of the painting. The painting was made in 2016 with charcoal and it is currently being exhibited at the Mulvane art museum. The art piece is relatively small but it is framed art hung on the wall of the museum. I think the art peace gives a representation of very quiet environment around the woman that is depicted in the work.

Before taking the class, and before really understanding the benefits of mindfulness, I must admit, I did not really take mindfulness exercises seriously. I tried a few exercises, led by a phone application, but I constantly wondered what these exercises were supposed to achieve. I always thought to myself, “I know what happens around me, being mindful is great, but specific exercises for this seemed exaggerated.”

The results of this study showed significant improvement in quality of life, anxiety, and blood pressure in the meditation group. While in controls, quality of life deteriorated and there was no improvement in blood pressure.

This is not a book about how to practise yoga postures but rather an approach as to how to include a search for consciousness in every aspect of yoga. Our yoga journey is the tool for understanding.