The cure of the part should not be attempted without treatment of the whole. No attempt should be made to cure the body
without the soul. Let no one persuade you to cure the head until he has first given you his soul to be cured, for this is
the great error of our day, that physicians first separate the soul from the body. - Plato
One of the researchers who have looked deeply at healing and meditation is Jon Kabat-Zinn,
PhD, the Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School,. Kabat-Zinn has published many
papers on the benefits of meditation. His book on using meditation for chronic pain conditions is called Full Catastrophe Living.
The Oxford Dictionary says ‘healing’ means to make sound or whole, or to restore to health.Healing as wholeness
is a grand theme that includes the spiritual aspect of meditation. I’ll take it up in a later post. In this article,
I’ll narrow my question to how medical or mental illness responds to meditation.
Any product of thought is not proper meditation, as that is of the mind's memory. Meditation is a total denial, a total
negation of everything that mankind has created. To meditate is to refuse all postures, breathing exercises, all things set
in motion by thought. Meditation is the total comprehension of the whole of existence, the place from which correct action
flows. Meditation is absolute silence of mind—not relative silence (lack of noise), but absolute silence (lack of self).
Order, projection, structure, all silenced. Such is true freedom. Only in that total and complete silence do we abide in truth.
A position where time no longer exists—an everlasting beginning and end. Gary
Harmon
The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will
be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness; but if our mind is not peaceful, we
will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions
If we train in meditation, our mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we will experience a purer
and purer form of happiness. Eventually, we will be able to stay happy all the time, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems as if our mind is like a balloon in the wind - blown here
and there by external circumstances. If things go well, our mind is happy, but if they go badly, it immediately becomes unhappy.
For example, if we get what we want, such as a new possession or a new partner, we become excited and cling to them tightly.
However, since we cannot have everything we want, and since we will inevitably be separated from the friends and possessions
we currently enjoy, this mental stickiness, or attachment, serves only to cause us pain. On the other hand, if we do not get
what we want, or if we lose something that we like, we become despondent or irritated.
For example, if we are forced
to work with a colleague whom we dislike, we will probably become irritated and feel aggrieved, with the result that we will
be unable to work with him or her efficiently and our time at work will become stressful and unrewarding.
Such
fluctuations of mood arise because we are too closely involved in the external situation. We are like a child making a sand
castle who is excited when it is first made, but who becomes upset when it is destroyed by the incoming tide.
By
training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind regardless of the external
circumstances. Gradually we develop mental equilibrium, a balanced mind that is happy all the time, rather than an unbalanced
mind that oscillates between the extremes of excitement and despondency.
If we train in meditation systematically,
eventually we will be able to eradicate from our mind the delusions that are the causes of all our problems and suffering.
In this way, we will come to experience a permanent inner peace, known as "liberation" or "nirvana". Then,
day and night in life after life, we will experience only peace and happiness.
According to Thomas Wolfe, Nature is the one place where miracles not only happen, but they happen
all the time.Long before the recording of history or the invention of science, people gathered wild herbs and cultivated them
in herb gardens. Please read moore
A Guided Imagery Meditation for Physical & Spiritual
The Art Of Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: Guided Practices for Reclaiming Your Body and Your Life
The following excerpts
on Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths are taken from Geshe Kelsang Gyatso' recent book, How to Solve our Human Problems.
"In Sutra of The Four Noble Truths, Buddha says:
You should know sufferings. You should abandon origins. You should attain
cessations. You should practice the path.
These instructions are known as the
‘four noble truths’. They are called ‘noble truths’ because they are superior and non-deceptive instructions."
You should know sufferings
In general, everyone
who has physical or mental pain, even animals, understands their own suffering. But when Buddha says ‘you should know
sufferings’, he means that we should know the sufferings of our future lives. Through knowing these, we shall develop
a strong with to liberate ourself from them. This practical advice is important for everybody because, if we have the wish
to liberate ourself from the sufferings of future lives, we shall definitely use our present human life for the freedom and
happiness of our countless future lives. There is no greater meaning than this. If we do not have this wish, we shall waste
our precious human life only for the freedom and happiness of this one short life.
Sometimes our healing is not what we anticipate. We need to be more open to the
gifts and opportunities which life is always ready to bestow on us. It may be that a physical problem resolves, but it may
also stay awhile to teach us some lessons in life.Sometimes a health challenge is a doorway to a much
deeper level of healing, a cry from deep within our soul for attention to some part of us that has been unloved and feels
separated from the Whole. According to Mary Maddux, “Regardless of whether our focus in healing is on the physical,
mental, emotional or spiritual level, all levels are invariably touched by the process, and none can be separated out from
the rest.Please read moore
You should abandon origins
This is also very practical
advice. ‘Origins’ refers mainly to our delusions of attachment, anger and self-grasping ignorance. Normally we
have a sincere wish to avoid suffering permanently, but we never think to abandon our delusions. However, without controlling
and abandoning our delusions, it is impossible to attain permanent liberation from suffering and problems. Therefore, we should
follow Buddha’s advice and, through our concentration on the profound meaning of Dharma and the force of our determination,
emphasize controlling our attachment, anger, and other delusions.
You should attain
cessations
This means that we should attain the permanent cessation of
suffering. Generally, from time to time, everybody experiences a temporary cessation of particular sufferings. For instance
those who are physically healthy are experiencing a temporary cessation of sickness. However, this is not enough because it
is only temporary. Later they will have to experience the suffering of sickness again and again, in this life and in countless
future lives. Every living being without exception has to experience the cycle of the sufferings of sickness, ageing, death
and rebirth, in life after life, endlessly. Following Buddha’s example, we should develop strong renunciation for this
endless cycle, and make the strong determination to attain enlightenment, the permanent cessation of suffering, and to lead
every living being to that state.
You should practice the path
In this context, ‘path does not mean an external path that leads from one place to
another, but an inner path, a spiritual path that leads to the pure happiness of liberation and enlightenment
Meditation is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation means 'a cessation of
the thought process' . It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns
. The observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one.
To meditate is to strip the mind to its foundation in search of certainty. We find that all is in doubt except our
awareness. We are aware of events in an apparently outer world of things and an inner world of our private drama. We are aware
of thoughts. Yet, logic tells us that even awareness may have another side. Everything the mind witnesses has a flip side.
There is awareness and not-awareness. Yet, we cannot conceive of not-awareness.
Meditation is a means of transforming the mind. Meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop concentration,
clarity, emotional positivity, and a calm seeing of the true nature of things. By engaging with a particular meditation practice
you learn the patterns and habits of your mind, and the practice offers a means to cultivate new, more positive ways of being.
With regular work and patience these nourishing, focused states of mind can deepen into profoundly peaceful and energised
states of mind. Such experiences can have a transformative effect and can lead to a new understanding of life.
There are many types of meditations that one can use. Meditations can assist in healing, both physically and
emotionally, in mental cognition and focus, and in spiritual health.
Stress can cause a variety of effects on the body
and the psyche. Everyone needs a healthy outlet for frustration, anger, and stress. While some are blessed with a talent for
painting or writing, which is great for an outlet, not everyone can use these for an outlet. Not being able to handle negative
feelings and stress can cause bad moods, and even health problems. Meditation is a very effective outlet for these feelings
and dealing with stress.
Meditation can help anyone. It is a simple process to learn, and while it does take practice,
it is something that anyone can develop. To best prove this statement, try this simple meditation. Close one’s eyes.
Breathe in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Breathe deeply. Concentrate only on breathing in through the nose
and out through the mouth. Do this until there is only the breathing. This process will take most roughly five to ten minutes.
This will help one become more focused.
Psychology of the Observer
Meditation for beginers
There are many things in life that are beyond our control. However, it is possible to take responsibility
for our own states of mind – and to change them for the better. This is the most important thing we can do, and it is
the only real antidote to our own personal sorrows, and to the anxieties, fears, hatreds, and general confusions that beset
the human condition.
Meditation is an important skill that everyone should master. Mediation will allow one to keep their focus
in the roughest of times, and can help one to achieve all of their goals. This process will be an improvement to one’s
mood and thought processes. Life will seem more inside one’s control, because one will be in control of themselves and
their reactions. When one’s mind is clear, and feels calm, there is no limit to what one can achieve.
How to Perform Breathing Meditation
In her article, Stress
Management, published in Jan. 2003 for gastroenterology nursing, Wendy Ruthstiver explains how to perform breathing meditation.
Choose a quiet place to meditate. Sit in a comfortable position with legs crossed. The back should be kept straight to prevent
the mind from becoming sluggish or sleepy.
Sit with eyes partially closed and attention turned to the breath. Breathe
naturally, through the nostrils. Be aware of the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. This sensation
is the object of meditation. Try to concentrate on it to the exclusion of everything else.
In the beginning, the mind
will be very busy, but that is just the experience of heightened awareness. There may be a temptation to follow different
thoughts as they arise, but resist this and try to remain focused on just the sensation of the breath. When the mind begins
to wander off on different thoughts, immediately return the mind to the breath. Repeat this as many times as necessary until
the mind settles on the breath.
Relieving Restlessness, Discomfort, Pain and Tension
Takes Practice
Some people will experience feelings of restlessness or discomfort in the beginning because their
body may be so tense that at first it tries to resist relaxing. It is so used to being under tension and pressure. Once this
stress reducing technique is mastered, the mind and body will be much stronger and healthier and ready to face the pressures
that await the day. By practicing each day totally focusing on breathing, the body will eventually let go and allow a rejuvenating,
healing process to take place.
The more one practices breathing meditation, the deeper the relaxation and the more benefits
the body receives. Practiced breathing meditation leads to a perfect balance between mental, emotional, spiritual and physical
health
According
to Shé D'Montford, Shambhallah, from Australia ‘The human body "WILL HEAL"... If we get out of our
own way and allow it, it heals itself. It is our basic nature. Anybody who tells you other than that is trying to sell you
something. No matter what you have been told. Don't give up on yourself and don't buy into the lines like ... ‘oh well
you've had a good life'... 'at your age'... and the worst of all ...'there's nothing further I can do, I suggest you finalize
your affairs'... How dare anyone tell you to give up! So much in society combines to convince us of the propaganda that some
things never get better. It's up to you ... do you want to get better? Make things better? It is human nature to make things
better, evolve and grow.”
This site is intended to provide general information only and is not a substitute
for medical evaluation or treatment. All matters regarding health or a particular health situation should be supervised by
a licensed health care professional.The author and the publisher shall not be held responsible or liable for any harm or loss
allegedly arising, directly or indirectly from any information in this site
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