Creating a balance between spirituality and prosperity is very
important. Money is a form of energy and can be used for good if there
is a positive flow. When you have an abundance of money,
you can help others on their path spiritually, emotionally, physically
and in every aspect of their lives. Then the giving/receiving cycle
repeats. The more you give to others, the more it comes flowing back to
you.
Conversely, when you are having financial difficulties, you
become self-absorbed and can only focus on yourself and your problems
(trying to pay the rent, bills, debts etc). You can’t see outside of
your own stress. Some people still have old programming such as “Money
is the root of evil" which is not helpful. You must re-frame your
thinking. Money can do a lot of good. Remember, it’s a form of energy
that can flow in any direction you desire.
Typically, we feel even more deserving of money when we know we will
help others with it. Having financial surplus gives you opportunities to
create good karma!
For increased happiness and prosperity, you can recite this powerful meditation on prosperity by Master Choa Kok Sui
out loud each day. It is best to recite it after you meditate, since
your energy will be clean and flowing. You can also make a copy of it to
bring to work. Feel free to say it whenever you want to affirm your
ever-growing abundance and happiness.
This affirmation was written very thoughtfully to remind us to
give to others (tithe to helpful people and charitable organizations),
be conscious with spending (live a life of moderation and do good),
bless others with abundance, and finally to affirm that our prosperity
makes us happy and healthy. In addition, here are some feng shui tips to energize your wallets and handbags for increased wealth.
Wishing you tremendous abundance!
Meditation on Prosperity
It is in giving that we receive.
As we sow abundantly,
We reap abundantly.
This is the Divine Law.
As we sow abundantly,
We reap abundantly.
This is the Divine Law.
As I give and share generously and abundantly,
my life is blessed with great financial
and material prosperity.
my life is blessed with great financial
and material prosperity.
Money flows to me easily, constantly
and in great abundance.
Whatever I invest comes back to me
many, many times.
and in great abundance.
Whatever I invest comes back to me
many, many times.
My life is Blessed with
so much Abundance,
so much Prosperity,
so much Success.
so much Abundance,
so much Prosperity,
so much Success.
I am blessed with tremendous prosperity
And I lived a life of moderation,
Discipline and spirituality.
And I lived a life of moderation,
Discipline and spirituality.
I am healthy and very happy.
I am enjoying every moment of my life.
I am enjoying every moment of my life.
May every person, every being be blessed with
good health, happiness, prosperity and spirituality.
good health, happiness, prosperity and spirituality.
With thanks and in full faith. So be it.
Source
While there are many different styles that have their own unique
aspects, in general, yoga is an ancient practice that incorporates a
holistic view of the mind and body, bringing the two together through a
series of movements and meditations. Regardless of which style of yoga,
there is some unique elements when considering yoga for children.
Before starting your child in a yoga program, you will want to be
comfortable with the instructor, and you'll want to understand what
physical and psychological benefits you can expect for your child.
As
any parent would agree, it is very important to feel comfortable with
any coach or instructor you are entrusting with your child's
well-being. Teaching children in any formalized setting takes a special
talent that not everyone has. When it comes to teaching yoga for
children, the flexibility that the instructor shows in allowing for
questions and different learning styles will be more important than her
physical flexibility. You want your child to have a positive learning
experience from this activity, so you should speak to the instructor and
probably even watch a class before enrolling your child.
The
physical benefits of yoga will be easy to see after your child has been
practicing for a while. While it looks deceptively easy, yoga will help
your child develop both strength and flexibility throughout his entire
body, especially in the core muscles. Another of the physical benefits
you will see is increased coordination, especially if your child is near
or at the age of puberty, which can be one of the most awkward times
for a child because of the physical changes his body is undergoing.
Along
with the physical benefits, your child will find the practice of yoga
to be a relaxing stress reliever. While most adults don't think much
about it, the constant pressure of school work and homework, a busy
schedule of activities outside of school, and the competitive nature of
many sports activities children are so often involved in these days can
cause a considerable amount of stress for the child. Yoga provides
stress relief for children much the same as it does for adults.
An
added benefit in the practice of yoga for children is that some
research shows it to provide some relief for the symptoms of
hyperactivity and ADHD. One of the common factors in these disorders is
that the sufferer craves physical movement, which yoga provides while
at the same time providing a sense of calm and quiet. This can continue
into the child's life outside yoga.
Once you have found the right
instructor, yoga can provide many benefits for almost any child.
Whether you are looking to help your child's physical development,
relieve his stress, or find an alternative to traditional treatment for a
specific disorder, yoga is an all-in-one solution.
Written by José Stevens, Ph.D.
The purpose of the universe is to enable you to learn. Prosperity is the attitude that you can have what you want in this universe. Therefore prosperity is one of the things you are here to learn.
Here is a meditation that facilitates that learning.
It is a powerful meditation and strongly recommended. Within weeks or at most months you will notice results.
Source
The purpose of the universe is to enable you to learn. Prosperity is the attitude that you can have what you want in this universe. Therefore prosperity is one of the things you are here to learn.
Here is a meditation that facilitates that learning.
Sit quietly, close your eyes and be aware of your body, your thoughts, and your feelings. Put all those things to one side. Think of a quantity of energy. This may be easiest in monetary terms such as an annual salary. Or you can think of it as a quantity of love, or a measure of getting the most out of life.This meditation can in fact be done several times during the day fairly quickly. You can do it while jogging, or sitting in a car in traffic, or sitting at a desk, or while walking.
Draw that amount of energy out of the earth and up into your feet. Be aware of reprogramming the very cells of your body to a higher level of havingness. Move the energy up your legs to your torso. Pay special attention to the joints, such as ankles and knees. Energy tends to stick in the joints.
Eventually move the energy up through your head and imagine it as a fountain pouring out of the top of your head. Let the energy cascade down the outside all around you at about a one to two foot radius. Pay special attention to your back.
As this energy flow hits the ground draw it around and in again to your feet.
Now increase the amount to a higher level — for example think of raising your worth as a salary.
Check to see if you feel comfortable with this higher level. If it is uncomfortable, lower it to where it is comfortable. The aim however is to gradually get it higher and higher. So draw in that increased amount of energy into your feet and up through your body.
Be aware now of the overall circulation of energy and let it circulate for a few minutes. Finally seal off your feet and your head and when you feel complete, draw the meditation to a close.
It is a powerful meditation and strongly recommended. Within weeks or at most months you will notice results.
Source
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The mind is a wonderful thing. It’s also a complete liar that
constantly tries to convince us not to take actions we know are good for
us, and stops many great changes in our lives.
Scumbag mind.
I’ve had to learn to watch these rationalizations and excuses very
carefully, in order to make the changes I’ve made in my life: a
healthier diet, regular exercise, meditation, minimalism, writing daily,
getting out of debt, quitting smoking, and so on.
If I hadn’t learned these excuses, and how to counter them, I would
never have stuck to these changes. In fact, I failed many times before
2005 (when I started changing my life), because these excuses had
complete power over me.
Let’s expose the cowardly mind’s excuses and rationalizations once and for all.
First, the main principle: the mind wants comfort, and is afraid of discomfort and change.
The mind is used to its comfort cocoon, and anytime we try to push
beyond that comfort zone very far or for very long, the mind tries
desperately to get back into the cocoon. At any cost, including our
long-term health and happiness.
OK, with that in mind, let’s go into the excuses:
- I can’t do it. It seems too hard, so we think we can’t stick to the change. We don’t believe in ourselves. This can be countered from the fact that many other people no more capable than us have done it. For example, Oprah ran a marathon a little before I started training for my first marathon, and so I told myself, “If Oprah can do it, so can I!” I was right.
- He/she can do it, but that doesn’t apply to me. Just because someone else can do it, doesn’t mean we can, right? We look for reasons they can do it but we can’t — maybe he can be a minimalist because he has no kids, or is a freelancer rather than someone with a real job. Maybe she’s way, way fitter than I am, so she can run a marathon. Maybe she doesn’t have all the obligations I have, or has a supportive spouse, or doesn’t have a crippling health condition. OK, fine, it’s easy to find excuses: but look at all the other people who have worse obstacles than you who’ve done it. I have 6 kids and still managed to change a lot of things in my life. Stories abound of people with disabilities or illnesses who overcame their obstacles to achieve amazing things. Your obstacles can be overcome.
- I need my ___. Fill in the blank: I need my coffee, my cheese, my soda, my TV shows, my car, my shoe collection … these are things we convince ourselves we can’t live without, so we can’t make a change like becoming vegan or eating healthier or unschooling our kids or simplifying our lives or going car-free. And I’ve made these excuses myself, but they all turned out to be lies. I didn’t need any of that. The only things you really need are basic food, water, clothing, shelter, and other people for social needs. Everything else is not a real need.
- Life is meant to be enjoyed. Sure, I agree with this statement (as many of us would) but the problem is this is used to justify all kinds of crappy behavior. Might as well scarf down those Doritos and Twinkies, because hey, life is meant to be enjoyed, right? No. You can do without junk food and still enjoy life. You can exercise and enjoy it. You can give up pretty much anything and still enjoy life, if you learn to see almost any activity as enjoyable.
- I need comfort. This might also be true, but we can push ourselves into more discomfort than we let ourselves believe. We can be a bit cold, instead of needing to be at the perfect comfortable temperature. We can do hard exercise, instead of needing to lay around on the couch. We can write that thing we’ve been procrastinating on — it might be hard, but we can push through that. When our minds seek comfort, don’t let them run — push a little bit outside the comfort zone, and begin to be OK with a bit of discomfort.
- I don’t know how. This is also true, but you can learn. Start with a little at a time, and learn how to deal with this new change. Do some research online. Watch some videos. Ask people online how they dealt with it. This is easily overcome with a little effort and practice. In fact, if you do it now, and learn a little at a time, then you’ll be able to do away with this pesky excuse.
- I can do it later. Sure, you can always do it later … but your later self will also feel the same way. Why should the later self be more disciplined than your current self? In fact, because you’re allowing yourself to slide now, you’re building a habit of procrastination and actually making is less likely that your future self will be more disciplined. Instead, do it now, unless there’s something more important that you need to do … don’t let yourself slide just because you don’t feel like it.
- One time won’t hurt. This is so tempting, because it’s kind of true — one time won’t hurt. Assuming, that is, that it’s only one time. One bite of chocolate cake, one missed workout, one time procrastinating instead of writing. Unfortunately, it’s never actually just one time. One time means your brain now knows it can get away with this excuse, and the next “one time” leads to another, until you’re not actually sticking to something. Make a rule: never ever believe the “one time” excuse. I did this with smoking (“Not One Puff Ever”) and it worked. If you’re going to allow yourself a bite or two of chocolate cake, decide beforehand and build it into your plan (“I will allow myself a fist-sized serving of sweets once every weekend”) and stick to that plan, rather than deciding on the fly, when your resistance is weak.
- I don’t feel like it. Well, true. You don’t feel like working hard. Who does? Letting the rule of “I’ll do it when feel like it” dictate your life means you’ll never write that book, never build that business, never create anything great, never have healthy habits. Create a plan that’s doable, and execute it. When the rationalizations like this come up, don’t believe them. Everyone is capable of doing a hard workout even when they’re not in the mood. Everyone can overcome their internal resistance.
- I’m tired. Yep, me too. I still did my heavy squat workout today. There is truth to needing rest, and resting when you need it (listen to your body) but this is usually the mind trying to weasel out of something uncomfortable. There’s a difference between being exhausted and needing some rest, and being the little tired we all feel every afternoon. Push through the latter.
- I deserve a reward/break. We all deserve that tasty treat, or a day off. I’m not saying you shouldn’t give yourself a reward or break. But if you make this rationalization your rule, you’ll always be on a break. You’ll always be giving yourself rewards, and never sticking to the original plan. Here’s what I do instead: I see sticking to my plan as the reward itself. Going on a run isn’t the thing I have to get through to get a reward — the run is the reward.
- Wouldn’t it be nice to stop? This again is our mind wanting to run from discomfort, and of course it’s true — it would be nice to stop if you’re pushing into a discomfort zone for too long. The thing is, the implication is that it would be better to stop, because it would be nice … but that’s a lie. It would be easier to stop, but often it’s better to continue pushing. This excuse almost beat me when I tried to run my 50-mile ultramarathon last December, because honestly it would have been much nicer to stop and not finish the race, especially in the last 10 miles or so. I pushed through, and found out I was tougher than I thought.
- The result you’re going for isn’t important. If you’re trying to run a marathon, this is phrased like, “It’s not that important that I finish this”. I’ve used this excuse for learning languages (it doesn’t matter if I learn this) or programming or any number of things I wanted to learn. I’ve used it for writing and exercise and eating healthy food. And while the result might not be that important, the truth is that the process is very important. If you stick with a process that will be better for you in the long run, then you will be better off. But if you let yourself go just because you are uncomfortable and at this moment care more for your comfort than the goal you set out for, you’ll have lots of problems. The goal isn’t important, but learning to stick to things when you’re uncomfortable is extremely important.
- I’m afraid. Now, this is the most honest excuse there is — most of us don’t want to admit we’re afraid to pursue something difficult. But it’s also a weaselly way out of discomfort — just because you’re afraid doesn’t mean you can’t do something. You can. I’ve done tons of things I’m afraid of — mostly creating things that I was worried I’d fail at. And while the fear sometimes came true — I didn’t do too well sometimes — the act of pushing through the fear was incredibly important and I learned a lot each time.
I’ve used all of these excuses hundreds of times each, so don’t think
I’ve overcome them all. And you can use them in the future too. There’s
nothing wrong with giving in sometimes.
The key is to learn whether they’re true, and see your pattern. Here’s what I’ve done:
- Notice the excuse. It has way more power if it works on you in the background.
- Try to have an answer for the excuse beforehand — anticipate it.
- If you give in, that’s OK, but recognize that you’re giving in to a lame excuse. Be aware of what you’re doing.
- After giving in, see what the results are. Are you happier? Is your life better? Was it worth it giving in to discomfort?
- Learn from those results. If you pushed through and are happy about it, remember that. If you gave in to excuses, and didn’t like the result, remember that.
If you consciously practice this process, you’ll get better at
recognizing and not believing these lies. And then, bam, you’ve got your
mind working for you instead of against you.
Goal setting is crucial for getting what you want,
but most goal setting articles lack that extra oomph to really get you
taking action and achieving your goals faster than you thought possible.
I wrote this article to fill that gap. Not only will you learn how to
set smart goals, you will also learn how to program your unconscious
mind to propel you into action and success.
For a long time, I didn’t set any goals because I thought they were
useless. However, when I became serious about goal setting, I saw
immediate results.
It was as if a switch was flipped inside of me and my unconscious mind suddenly had a target to go after. The feelings of feeling lost and overwhelmed were dramatically decreased. And my feelings of motivation shot through the roof like an out of
control champagne cork. Setting goals always seemed scary to me, because
it meant committing to something I wasn’t sure about.
Whatever your reasons used to be for not setting goals, it’s time to
set them aside and use goals to dramatically increase not only how much
you get done in life, but how fulfilled you feel.
Obviously goals aren’t going to automatically make your life better
or make you rich. It’s up to you to set goals that make you happy and
that are right for you.
Goals help you gain clarity on what you truly want in life. They are a tool to help you move in the right direction–a very powerful tool.
One of the most effective ways to set goals is to utilize the
S.M.A.R.T criteria, and that is what the first five tips in this article
are all about.
The rest of the tips come from my personal experience and the things I’ve learned of how you can enhance your goal setting:
1. Specific
One of the most important things for setting and achieving goals is to set specific goals.
Think about where it should happen, when it should happen, what you
want to accomplish, what you need to get there (if you know), and why you want to achieve the goal.
Most people set vague goals because they want to “stay open,” but we
both know that the people who set vague goals never go anywhere.
If you want to earn a specific amount of money every year doing what
you love, set a specific amount, such as $50,000 a year, or $5,000 a
month.
2. Measurable
Making your goals measurable will help you know when you’re making
progress, when you’re on the right track, and it will motivate you to take action.
The important question you should be asking yourself is: How will I know when I’ve achieved my goal?
How do you know when you’re making progress and how will you know when you’re heading in the right direction?
3. Attainable
Your goal has to be attainable, and you have to believe that you can achieve it.
Now, sometimes you may have beliefs that bring you down. That’s
normal, and these negative beliefs can be eliminated if you wish to do
so.
Set goals that you can attain and that excite you. Boring goals are
not the best motivators if you want to take massive action and change
your life for the better.
4. Realistic
If you set an unrealistic goal, it will discourage you from taking action and even taking the first step.
If you want to run a marathon, an unrealistic goal might be to
prepare for a marathon in two weeks. It’s just not going to happen.
So remember to set realistic goals that are both attainable and that excite you to take action right now.
5. Timely
Setting a deadline will dramatically enhance your focus and
motivation. If you’ve ever worked under the pressure of time, you know
how fast you can produce great quality work.
I use deadlines repeatedly when writing articles. I set a time limit for each article, and I challenge myself to set new records of how fast I can get a first draft done.
I highly recommend you get an egg-timer or whatever you want to use,
and really challenge yourself to do more than you think you can.
You will be surprised at the outcome.
6. Model
Now we’re getting to the really good stuff. The first five tips are
essential to good goal setting, but the tips that follow will catapult
you toward your goals.
One of my favorite ways to reach goals is to find people that have already done what I want to do, learn what they did, and take the same steps they’ve taken.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel, when there is almost always
someone that has already gone before you that you can follow.
This is not to say you should follow them blindly, only that you can
pick what feels right and make much faster progress than if you were learning everything from scratch.
7. Visualization
Visualization has been proven over and over again to not only be
effective in improving performance, but also in changing behaviors and
achieving big goals.
When you imagine your most important goal as already being achieved,
you will feel good and you will be telling your unconscious mind exactly
what you want.
I recommend you visualize for a few minutes early in the morning and
before you go to bed. Imagine your goals as already being accomplished,
and really enjoy the feeling of success that comes from that.
After you’ve seen your goal(s) as already accomplished, try
visualizing your next step. For example, if your goal is to write a
book, visualize sitting down, and writing. Transfer those positive feelings into an action step.
8. Affirm
You’ve probably heard of affirmations. There has been a lot of bad
press about them, but what people think of them doesn’t change the fact
that they remain effective.
However, please don’t force yourself to do them if they don’t feel right. Listen to yourself first, and take what resonates from this article.
For example, if you have a goal of writing 1,000 words every day, your affirmation might be “I easily and consistently write 1,000 words each and every day.”
You then repeat this information to yourself throughout the day. But
don’t just repeat them in your head, remember to see the result, and
feel getting your 1,000 words in every day.
Affirmations do not work for most people because:
- They aren’t used consistently
- They aren’t used properly
- Their doubts take over
- They don’t FEEL them
What I mean by your doubts taking over is that when you say your affirmation, your mind may go “Yeah right, you’re not going to earn that amount of money. You don’t deserve it.”
That instantly destroys the power of your affirmation.
9. Release Doubts
Most people are great at talking negatively to themselves all day long. They are telling themselves that affirmations do not work while using the exact opposite of affirmations.
Here are a few examples of common negative self talk:
- I’m not good enough
- I’ll never amount to anything
- I am not worthy of $100,000 per year
- Why do bad things always happen to me
- Why did he/she do that to me
- Life is not fair
The more you tell yourself that things will happen, the more they will. As you think, so shall you become.
Releasing these doubts can be done in many ways.
10. Believe in Yourself
It’s important that you believe in yourself and in your ability to reach your goals.
Naturally, you can begin to realize that you have already
accomplished many goals in your life. You already have amazing qualities
that make you a genius, even if you may not believe it, yet.
The only person standing between you and success is yourself.
You do not even necessarily have to know how you will accomplish your
goal, much like babies do not have to read books on walking in order to
start walking.
They simply do until they succeed.
11. Take Action
While visualization and affirmations are highly effective in propelling you toward your goals, you also have to take action each and every day.
The more action you take, the faster you will achieve your goals. Just by reading these words, you can become aware of all the steps you can take, right now, to achieve your goals.
You can begin to move toward your dream life. It may seem hard at first, but as you keep going, the fog will clear and you will start to feel better and better.
12. Use Software
Another interesting way to condition your mind positively is to use
subliminal software you can have your affirmations flashing on your
computer screen, or you could even create your own Audio CDs.
There have been countless studies on the subject of subliminals. They
have even been banned from advertising because they’re so effective.
All of the tips in this article are to help you reach your goals. By no means do I recommend you rely on just one.
I am putting it all out there so you can pick and choose. The most
important factors will always be clarity and action. Always remember
that.
13. Meditate
Meditation
is an excellent way of calming your mind, tapping into the unlimited
potential of your unconscious and easily solving any challenge you may
come across.
It can be as simple as sitting down for 5 to 10 minutes and focusing
on your breath. It will not only help you achieve your goals faster, it
will also help you relax and improve your health.
I personally enjoy moving meditation, which is simply the act of
being aware of your body or your breathing while you’re working out,
watching the dishes, or even taking a walk.
14. Brainstorm
A great way to faster achieve your goals is to brainstorm steps you can take today to make even more progress.
You can do this by taking a blank sheet of paper and writing what you want to get the answer to at the top.
For example, before I began writing this goal setting article, I brainstormed all the tips beforehand.
I simply wrote the following at the top: “How to achieve goals
faster,” I then let my unconscious mind do its thing without censoring.
15. Be Open
When setting smart goals, it’s important to stay open-minded, because the way to achieving your goal may be nothing like you have imagined.
If you want to earn $100,000 a year, set that goal and start affirming it and you may suddenly find yourself without a job.
This may at first seem disheartening, but when you really look at it, you realize that you didn’t like that job at all.
And a few weeks later you find another job which you truly enjoy and find that your earning potential is significantly better.
You just never know what the universe will throw at you.
16. Read, Listen and Learn
Setting goals is not about accomplishing things as much as it is about personal growth.
You see, when you set goals that are challenging, you will have to become a better person in order to accomplish those goals.
That is why it’s important that you read, listen and learn about
personal growth and how you can become better in every area of your
life.
If you want to make a million, don’t do it for the money, do it for the person you will have to become.
17. Determination
One of the most common characteristics of people that constantly achieve their goals is that they are determined and relentless.
They don’t give up.
Imagine being relentless in the face of obstacles and challenges. See yourself blasting through the roadblocks and moving boldly to your goals.
You already have that ability in you, you just have to dust it off and start using it.
18. Positive Attitude
Have you noticed that positive people tend to not only get more things done; they also tend to be a lot happier?
Negative people often say they are not negative, merely realistic. I
don’t care what they say, because when you look at the results, you can
clearly see that being positive is better than being negative, no matter
what your life circumstances are.
You can easily make the decision today to become more positive and see things in a new light. The ball is in your hands.
19. Non-Perfection
If you have a goal you’ve been putting off because things aren’t
perfect, take that as a message to get started right away, because circumstances will never be perfect.
If you want to start a fire, you first have to collect wood. Most people want the fire without having to put in wood first.
As you begin to take action toward your goal, you will
become aware of the fact that the steps will magically appear in front
of you as you keep moving forward.
This is what happened to me as I overcame my fears and started moving toward living the life that I truly wanted.
20. Passion
Last, but definitely not least is to follow your passion.
This is something you have probably heard me talk a lot about on this
blog. When you’re passionate about your goals, you will be much more
likely to achieve them.
Always remember that most of your life is spent on the journey so you might as well make it something you truly enjoy doing.
An Extra Tip
Realize that most of the goals you set may not need to be reached in
order for you to reap the benefits. They may just need to be there for
you to have something to aim at.
So stay open, stay positive, and go with the flow of life, because you never know where it will take you.
And Remember
You don’t have to use all the tips in this article. Pick what resonates with you, and apply it in your life.
Knowledge is useless until it is applied, so pick one thing, and use it right now.
It doesn’t have to be big. In fact, I recommend you focus on tiny steps, and see where it takes you.
Experiment, have fun, and enjoy this ride we call life.
Source
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you
don’t need to be told about the relaxing effects of meditation. The
practitioners vouch for it; and those who don’t, do not dispute it
either. Those in the Far East have known for centuries that meditating
brings mental peace and spiritual bliss. Now scientists claim that
meditation can even alter the brain’s chemistry and functionality.
Over the years, neuroscientists have carried out brain imaging tests on long-term practitioners of meditation,
including several Tibetan monks. According to the results of these
studies, not only sustained meditative practices but also short-term
meditation can produce profound physical, biochemical, and functional
changes in the brain.
The Dalai Lama, Meditation, and the Neuroplasticity of the Brain
The slew of research studies into the neural effects of meditation is believed to have been influenced by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Buddhists have
a long tradition of intensive meditation. The Dalai Lama sent some of
his most accomplished meditation practitioners to the University of
Wisconsin to have their meditating brains probed into by neuroscientist
Richard Davidson. What followed was a revolutionary experiment that
eventually proved the phenomenon of “neuroplasticity” – the ability of the human brain to continuously evolve structurally and functionally.
Davidson conducted his experiment on two groups of subjects. The
Dalai Lama’s disciples had undergone extensive meditation training for
5,000-10,000 hours, spanning periods between 15 and 40 years. The other
group consisted subjects who had no prior experience with meditation but
were made to go through a week-long meditation training session before
the experiment.
The brain scan and EEG results of these two groups showed that the monks had greater gamma wave
activity in their brains than the non-meditating subjects. The
non-meditating subjects, however, recorded a slight increase in gamma
wave activity in their brains after undergoing the meditation training.
The Role of Gamma Waves
Electrical activity in the brain manifests as waves. These waves have
different frequencies, and at greater than 40 Hertz, gamma waves have
some of the highest frequencies of all brain waves. High-frequency gamma
waves have frequencies greater than 80 Hertz. Gamma wave activity is
associated with higher mental processes like thinking, cognition, and
memory formation and recall.
Sustained meditative practices can result in improved brain functionality by increasing the gamma wave activity. Here’s how:
When nerve cells “fire” synchronously, there is improved
communication between the different regions of the brain. This aids
higher mental processes. High gamma wave activity in the brain indicates
thousands of neural cells are firing in unison and sending out signals
to different parts of the brain at great speeds. Synchronized neural
activity not only improves cognitive functioning but also keeps the
brain active and energized to prevent age-related neural degeneration.
According to one study published this year, the brains of long-term
meditation practitioners can produce very high frequency gamma waves,
ranging between 100 and 245 Hertz. In particular, the increased gamma
wave activity is seen in areas of the brains involved in monitoring
(dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex), focused attentiveness (superior
frontal sulcus, intraparietal sulcus, and the supplementary motor
region), and engaging attention (visual cortex). These areas of the
brain are associated with awareness and
attention that are crucial to perform higher mental tasks like learning
new skills. The studies indicate that long-term meditation practice
improves attention in the practitioners that translates into more
efficient learning.
Another recent study has reported that long-term meditation
practitioners are generally able to process information more efficiently
than non-practitioners.
Researchers have found that the ability to attend to a task with full
focus is also greater in long-term meditation practitioners than
novices because the former show less activity in the amygdala region in
response to distracting sounds. This finding suggests that advanced
meditation practitioners have greater control over how they react to
emotions rising within them. Emotionally reactive behavior hampers
steady concentration.
The Long-Term Effects of Meditation
The above-mentioned experiments were conducted on subjects while they
were meditating. But those who have just made the foray into meditation
or are contemplating embarking on the journey would be pleased to know
that the effects of meditation continue well after they get up from
their mats and change out of their robes!
It was recently demonstrated that experienced meditation practitioners exhibit higher gamma wave activity in the parietal-occipital
region of the brain even when they are asleep. This proves that
long-term meditation alters the pattern of spontaneous activity in the
brain and the effects are long-lasting. This is one of the seminal
studies on the neuroplasticity of the brain.
Implications of the Meditation Studies
Neuroscientists have brought into the limelight the benefits of
meditation that Eastern seers, mystics, and monks knew from time
immemorial. But the discovery of the phenomenon of neuroplasticity of
the brain has turned everything neuroscientists believed about the
workings of the brain on its head (pun not intended). Earlier
scientists believed the neural connections become fixed when an
individual reaches adulthood and remain so throughout his life. The
connections that get lost due to any trauma or a disease can never be
replaced. Fortunately, they have been proved wrong.
The concept of neuroplasticity of the brain and the effects of
meditation give hope to countless victims of traumatic brain injury or
those suffering from potentially debilitating psychological conditions
like ADHD.
These people can now dream of restoring the connections in their
brains, rediscovering memories, and re-learning the skills they had
forgotten. Educationists, teachers, and parents can consider introducing
children to meditative practices at a young age. In fact, child
psychologists and school counselors can explore meditation as a way to
help children with learning disabilities acquire new skills and apply
these successfully.
Meditation is an ancient Eastern practice, and it seems that Tibetan
monks living in secluded monasteries high up in the mountains had
decoded the secrets of the human brain long before EEGs and MRIs came along.
Getting up early is a common trait among many of the worlds top CEOs,
creatives and top-performers. Jocelyn Glei, Editor-in-Chief at 99U has
found this trait is nearly always present among the most productive
people. If you’d like more productive hours in your day consider getting
up early and working from 5-6am (which is one of my favourite times of
the day). Read on to learn why getting up early is so productive.1. Start Your Day with Purpose
Page 19’s article; “The Most Harmful Thing You’re Doing Before You Get Out of Bed” gives a fascinating viewpoint on why hitting the snooze button each morning kills productivity. When you hit the snooze button you are effectively saying you don’t want to wake up to life. While it can deliver short-term relief, hitting the snooze button over and over gives you a sense that there’s no purpose of getting up and there’s nothing to look forward to in your day. Conversely, if you get up straight away and already have a sense of purpose in mind, you’re much more likely to have a passionate and productive day. When my alarm goes off at 4:50am I literally jump out of bed excited to start my day. When I get into work a few hours later it feels amazing to have already accomplished so much while your coworkers are still struggling to wake up.2. Uninterrupted Work Time
No matter where you work, it’s likely that throughout the day distractions are going to kidnap you and take you off track, killing your productivity and wasting time. The beauty of waking up early is that you can tackle your most important goal for the day while there’s nobody around and no phone calls or emails to distract you. This really is one of the few times of the day you can effectively guarantee that you’re not going to be disturbed while working on an important piece of work. Embrace it.3. Mental Power is Maximised
Decision fatigue is defined as the drain in mental power that you experience throughout the day as you make decisions about what to do, what to eat and even what to wear. Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein chose to wear the same thing every day in order to limit decision fatigue and focus their mental energy on more worthwhile tasks. By waking up early and working on your most important goals of the day you can increase the effectiveness of your work as you have the maximum amount of mental power at your disposal. Even if you like getting into the office early, you will have already spent mental energy deciding what to wear, making breakfast and commuting. Make sure your number one priority is the first thing you tackle each day, before anything else.4. Get Your Most Important Goal Out of the Way
In order to maximise productivity during your early starts, it’s vital to have established your goal for the morning the night before. Don’t wait until you get up to decide what to do, as we now know this will increase decision fatigue. Either write down or schedule in your calendar the goal you’re planning to work on the following morning. This will help give you a sense of purpose and excite you the next morning. By tackling your most important goal first you set yourself up for success. So even if you get distracted later or urgent work crops up, you can rest a little easier knowing you’ve already achieved the one thing you wanted to that day.5. It’s Natural
According to Dr Tracey Marks, going to sleep and waking up early syncs your body with the earth’s natural circadian rhythms and is more restorative than trying to sleep when the sun is up (credit to Shawn Stevenson and his book Sleep Smarter for this insight). When the sun rises, that’s basically nature telling you it’s time to wake up and start being active. Fighting this instinct not only harms your productivity but your general health and the quality of your sleep as well. Studies show that we’re more effective at cognitive tasks and problem-solving in the morning. Don’t waste this time; build early starts into your routine and take advantage of how this time can benefit your productivity and personal well-being.Action Steps:
If you’re not an early riser, trial early starts for 1-2 weeks and see how this impacts your productivity and general health.- Each night determine what you’re going to work on the following morning. Schedule this in your calendar or write it down on a notepad next to your bed.
- I recommend a bed time of about 9:30pm in order to get the right amount of sleep.
- Set your alarm for 4:50am. When it goes off, get up straight away. No snoozing!
- Make yourself a tea or coffee. Or jump in the shower for 2 minutes to help wake yourself up.
- Enjoy an hour of uninterrupted quality work from 5:00-6:00am.
- You can tweak these times and set your alarm for 5:50am if you wish. I prefer 4:50am as I can then workout for an hour from 6:00-7:00am before having breakfast and meditating for 20 minutes.
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