Ohmmm…let the meditation begin.

Meditation probably conjures up an image of an old Buddhist monk in a temple on a mountain-top, sitting on the floor. His legs are crossed, incense it burning and he's chanting. People may see this image and think, "I can't even find a quiet place much less sit still for 5 minutes?" Alas, meditation is so much more.

Meditation is a holistic practice that transforms the mind and sharpens your awareness, to experience a state of pure of higher consciousness. This is achieved by engaging in various breathing techniques, allowing you to focus on yourself and relieve any stress.

The benefits from meditation are so vast. Meditation not only has physical benefits but physiological benefits too! Decreases respiratory rate, significantly lowers blood pressure (as much as 15-20 points), leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation, decreases the aging process, prevents, slows or controls pain of chronic diseases, reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate...and much more.

When you are stressed, there are physical things that happen to your body: adrenaline, epinephrine and noradrenalin are secreted into the blood stream, causing increased blood pressure, heart rate and body metabolism. It brings about the 'fight-or-flight' response. The funny thing about the fight-or-flight response is that we do need it for survival. However, in this day and age, there are so many situations we are placed in that activate that response and our bodies cannot tell if it's a real fight-or-flight situation. It may be that we are waiting on a long line, at the post office and there is only one teller. Immediately you become impatient and upset which triggers this response. This constant stress can lead many chronic conditions and dis-ease in the body, which diminishes quality of life on a whole.

Meditation is something that takes practice, each and every day. The more you meditate, the more you train your mind to release and return to that state of higher consciousness.

So, how do you begin to meditate? Well, it's easier than you think. Here are a few tips:

Find a quiet place. It will be very helpful to find a quiet place (especially when you are a beginner), to meditate every day. Turn the TV off, cell phone, computer...everything.

Set aside a period of time to meditate. In the beginning, I suggest starting out 5-10 minutes a day. When you get into the practice and begin to master the art of quieting the mind and becoming centered, increase the time to 20-30 minutes.

Start with the breath. Breathe deeply to begin to slow your heart rate, relax the muscles and focus your mind. Let your awareness settle on your breath. In the first few minutes just observe how you are breathing; don't try to change it. Allow yourself to naturally change your breathing.

Noises/distractions in your environment. Your attention will be drawn towards cars honking, kids playing or even birds chirping. That is perfectly fine. I listen to a CD that tells you to include all those noises and just bring your attention to your breath. With time, you will be able to naturally include all that is going on around you but keep it from interfering with your meditation.

Begin to feel your body parts. Take notice of your body. Start from the tips of your toes and scan all the way to the top of your head. Any area where you find stress, just breathe, surrender and release the tension.

So if you're ready to improve the quality of your life, incorporate meditation in your day to day. You won't regret it!

Be well!