Mandalas

Mandalas are a great form of meditation for me.  Even though I am coloring, I'm focusing.  I have a busy mind, and I find in the time it takes me to color these I absorb what I focused on and my mind it quiet.  Another thing I've done to wind down is Sudoku.  It's simple, but requires my entire attention.  After a few it's much easier to meditate!

This book is so awesome I've bought it twice.  It's neat to see the differences when I re-color one. Click on it to buy it from Amazon.







                             Here are some examples I have colored: Click on the image to be taken to the blog with more info on that specific chakra.

Root Chakra:

 

 Sacral Chakra:

Manipura (3rd chakra at solar plexus.)

Heart Chakra:

Throat Chakra -no blog yet

Ajna (3rd eye): no blog yet

Crown Chakra: no blog yet

These are some other random ones from the book.
The Power of limitless love:

 Meditation

 Human Love

 Friendship

Each page has color recommendations and great affirmations.  I read them periodically as I work on them, it helps keep me focused.  Some of them take hours.  It's very soothing (coloring always has been for me) and gratifying.

Yoga Mission

About 6 years ago for Christmas I got a yoga mat and DVD from my parents.  I think it came with a book, but I can't be sure.  I think I went through it once or twice (and twice is generous) and it was put to the side.  When I moved back in with my parents I had a ton of shit and did some major purging.  I'm glad I kept the DVD now.

In high school I took yoga as an option for a few weeks in PE.  I loved it.  Our classes were 84 minutes, and for the last 20 or so we would "meditate."  Most people napped.  Another bonus was that I was closer to touching my toes than ever before.  It's pathetic, but I can't even make it to my ankles with out bending my knees.  (On a side note, I once encountered someone completely shocked, "because, like, you're skinny."  I don't know how many people have this idea, nor where it came from.  Being skinny does not mean one is flexible, nor is it required.)

Okay, back to the subject at hand:
The last two days I have done this DVD.  I figure, I have plenty of time for StumbleUpon and FB (more than I want to admit, but I can say I don't watch TV and we don't have table, so don't judge too severely) so why not start doing the things I want to learn.  Maybe someday I will learn a language.  Maybe not. 

I posted a little while back two goal management sites I came across.  I signed up for both of them... and that was it.  Today I entered yoga 5 times a week on Goal Happy.  If I'm going to start using it, let's put in something I am doing (yes, two days counts) instead of overwhelming myself with all the other things I want to do and don't get around to.

When you enter your goal (you can also put in something like have less than 2 times a day) it has a place to enter why it's important to you.  So instead of thinking, wow, I should really do this thing because it's cool, I reminded myself of all the reasons I do want to get into it. [I want to be in better shape/more toned, it relieves the (minor) back pain I have, yoga hand help me be more mindful/grounded (which is something I need a lot of help with), I've wanted to be more flexible for at least 10 years, and to help balance out my energies (think eastern medicine.)]

It also has an area to enter things that you think may help you achieve your goal.  I'm going to try to do the yoga video during my toddler's morning nap on the mornings I don't work, and on nights that my fiance isn't home.  The other days I'll squeeze it in somewhere. 

I have already learned that my son thinks I'm a jungle gym when in these positions, so it's a little more challenging with him belly flopping on me, crawling under me and climbing me.  My friend also mentioned that her 70 lb dog thinks it's playtime when she's down on the floor.  Considered yourself warned if you are thinking of picking up the habit.


Here is a link to the benefits of yoga. Massage your organs today!
And here is a link to Gary Bromley's dvd on Amazon starting at $1.99.  I say it's worth the investment... even if it takes you 6 years to use the damn thing.

Tools for Meditation

There are many forms of meditation, which it great.  I tend to lose focus easily, and with so many resources it's easy to find ones that work best for me, and I can adapt or combine them.  Many times I incorporate the Reiki symbols and chakras into my meditations.


Many times I focus on my breathing as well as another meditation technique.  I am pretty good at multi-tasking, so just paying attention to my breath isn't sufficient (for me) to quiet my mind.  Also, it's pretty important to make sure you are able to make sure you understand and are capable of diaphragmatic breathing.  Besides being good for meditation there are other benefits.  Sitting with a good posture and breathing properly makes sure your organs get the oxygen they need.  You'll feel better, over all, and spend less time sick.  It's also a good tool to use for anxiety and anger. 


Another good tool for meditation is mudras.  I personally haven't used them often, but now that I'm going over the literature I have I'm going to make an effort to try a few of them out.  Mudras are hand positions that are like "switches" for energy circulation.  Different mudras activate different parts of your energy field.  If you are new to meditation and/or mudras I would recommend one for grounding (or being present.)

The Chinmaya Mudra is where the thumb touches the side of the index finger while the rest of the fingers are folded in, touching the palm.  The is good for awareness, and stimulating the energies connected to respiratory functions.  Usually hands are placed on the lap or knees.

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I came across a gallery of other mudras.  I haven't examined the site too thoroughly yet, but it looks good.


Mantras are good for keeping focus.  I would recommend doing more research on them, maybe youtube videos to hear how your voices should be, more coming from your gut than your throat.  The idea is you say them over and over, and it helps you focus your intent to the subject of the mantra.  It also can be used as a prayer (from my understanding of it.)  If you find mantras are good for you, look into mala beads, even make your own (you can even use those pony beads.)  In a away they are similar to rosary beads.  they help you keep track counting your mantras.  Traditionally I think you should say they mantra 108 times, twice a day.

Here are a few mantras I have worked with:

Good for connection to higher self .
Om Gum Gurubyo Swaha
(Ome-Goom-Goo-roo-bee-you-Swa-ha)

To remove obstacles.
Om Gum Gana Patyei Namaha
(ome-goom-gah-nah-pot-ee-ay-nam-a-ha)

For abundance.
Om Shrim maha lakshmei yei swaha
(ome-shreem-ma-ha-lockshmee-ee-ay-swa-ha)

For protection.
Om Dum Durga yei namaha.

I didn't write the pronunciation down, so i guess just refer to the above...

For some other simple mantras that may better fit you... google them!


I have to get ready for work, but I hope at least some of this information was helpful!

A Different Perspective

With the world (at least near me) being such a busy place it's no wonder unhealthy levels of stress plague many of the people I come encounter with.  Meditation can help us keep perspective.  Someone wasn't driving like a complete prick just to piss me off.  I personally have found that driving doesn't need to be unpleasant.  If I'm stuck in traffic instead of getting out of sorts I turn up the radio and have some more "me time" where I have no obligations.  Really, there is nothing I can do to change it.  We shouldn't stress about the little things we can not change.  (After all, I only get home 10 minutes later.)

Same thing with social interactions.  A girl at work was talking about me, rather unkindly, to the other girls.  She took it personally that in conversation with one of the doctors I work for I made a suggestion (having nothing to do with her.)  She said I had gone behind her back (she was the office manager - and it wasn't anything I hadn't talked about with her) and that I couldn't be trusted (that I was trying to get some of the other girls in trouble.)  I strongly recommend that you do not friend your boss on FB.  She even posted nasty things on my wall.  Needless to say I was upset.  And by upset I mean going on 45minute long rants with anyone who'd listen and fuming when I wasn't bitching for 3 days.  I was incredibly stressed and miserable.

I can't remember what article I came across on the internet, or I'd post it here.  It changed everything for me.  It pretty much said that practically NOTHING is personal.  They way another person behaves is based on how their circumstances shaped them.  In this case, really, I had done nothing wrong.  Did I have the right to be angry?  Sure, I did.  But how can it be healthy to let that rule my life?  My job wasn't in jeopardy, so I began to let it go.  When I hear that she is telling people things about me I still get mad.  But I let it go after the first 10 minutes.  I still relay the events to others, but instead of going on a rampage I keep it to the facts with a can-you-believe-what-****-she-is attitude.

Another thing that article mentioned was that on the other hand, when we get upset by something another person has done, it is our own hang-up.  If somebody called us a three eyed green monster (or it said something to that effect) we'd probably just laugh it off.  But, if they call us a liar or a bitch, we react because of guilt (even if we haven't lied in that circumstance, but maybe another) or we care of what the people who hear it will think.  That was an eye opener for me. 

Stress makes it harder to overcome illnesses, and in some cases can even cause them; High blood pressure, heart disease, etc.  I know one woman whose kidneys can't produce adrenalin anymore.  We shouldn't let ourselves get to that point.  One thing I am working on is trying to meditate regularly.  Meditation can significantly lowers the risk for heart disease, make decision-making an easier task and teach us how to control our (negative) thoughts.  Meditation helps us to be present, or grounded.  By being in the moment we are not worried about things that happened, or things that may happen.  I find that appealing.  By not being preoccupied we have more time to dedicate to our interests and hobbies (and in some cases, get interests and hobbies.)  It can foster creativity, where before there was anxiety.

Meditation helps a person find purpose in life.  By have a quiet mind we can find answers to questions we may have thought fleetingly.  It can offer happiness an understanding.