Beginning Meditation

There is no better introduction to the subject of meditation and a clear guidance for your personal direction of thoughts, than the beautiful words of Longfellow

Let us, then, labor for an inward stillness, An inward stillness and an inner healing; That perfect silence where the lips and heart Are still, and we no longer entertain Our own imperfect thoughts and vain opinions, But God alone speaks in us, and we wait, In singleness of heart that we may know His will, and in the silence of our spirits, That we may do His will, and do that only!" Longfellow

When we settle down to relax following effort or activity, it is natural that we want to be comfortable physically. We tend to collapse into an easy chair, to possibly doze off possibly enjoy a nice doze for a minute or twoor many!. However, during this period, if we do go to sleep in order to refresh ourselves, we are unconscious. This is not the same as the state of meditation, which is a conscious and pleasurable refreshment experience.

As a beginner, if we wish to practice the simplest meditation we should choose a time of privacy when we know there will not be any interruption for half and hour or so. It is important to ensure there will be no sudden sound or disturbance.

The following is to serve as a simple guide until you feel confident and allow your own intuition to take over. There is no exact technique that is either right or wrong, so feel relaxed in your approach.

Be seated in a comfortable but upright position with hands relaxed in your lap or resting on your thighs if you are in a hard backed chair. Cross legged positions as usually assumed by yoga students may be better, but most people have to work hard through exercise to allow their limbs to be comfortable enough to allow the mind to be free when in this position. So observe the two most important factors, these being physical comfort and an erect spinal posture.

The eyes are then closed gently. It usually takes a few minutes to take stock of how you feel. You may become aware of sensations, sounds, feelings, light and shade, movement of the air and so on at first before settling down and able to focus upon your breathing.

Simply inhale through the nose for a count of four, and then exhale to the same count. Keep this rhythm going for a few minutes until you feel you can increase the count to six which is to be continued for a few minutes, increasing the count gradually as your feel inclined.

Then, still with eyes closed, focus upon what you see in front of your eyes on the screen of the mind. Allow impressions, thoughts, and images to pass across the screen and allow any ideas that your subconscious mind throws up for your attention, to have their say.

Then when your inside world begins to quieten down and you perhaps begin to wonder what you should be thinking about, select a quote, or a special word or phrase, poem or prayer that appeals to you and repeat it, over and over until you can concentrate fully upon it. Usually this is continued for some minutes until your mind begins to tire. Then stop.

Continue to sit still. Make no effort to control how you think or feel, just sit.

This is the beginning of the internal adventure into a more profound state of awareness which happens naturally as you regularly practice enjoying the state of just being.

Many find that the physical stillness of the body in contrast to the normal activity of the day is in itself relaxing. Some find these quiet moments filled with interesting feelings, thoughts or psychic experiences. Others are attracted to the practice of meditation as a spiritual experience.

Remember, meditation is a natural practice that allows us to feel peaceful, and refreshed. It is best not to influence your first introduction to it by having any preconceived ideas about how you think you should feel, what you hope to experience and so on, because it is your own private venturing into your inner nature and will bring you unique experiences which are yours alone.

Sally Janssen is one of the best known Yoga teachers in Australia, and is a former President of the International Yoga Teachers Association. She runs an informational website that deals with the very spirit of traditional yoga. To benefit from her extensive knowledge be sure to visit her site at http://www.classical-yoga.com

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Golf Gift Baskets for the Mighty and Fallen

Life can seem to be such a grand event one minute but also an ever so cruel villain the next. This statement applies perfectly to the typical round of golf for many. What trophy is at our disposal to grant to one that has seen the good, bad, and ugly after the 18th hole has come and gone? Golf gift Baskets is the correct answer.

Mark Twain stated that Golf is a good walk spoiled. This has proven to be correct from my perspective on most occasions on the links and Im sure many or, perhaps, most other participants would agree. The game has, nonetheless, remained firmly entrenched in our world of sports and something is needed to commemorate our association with this fixation of ours. Thats where Golf gift Baskets fit in.

There will always come along a date or event that merits the giving of a gift to someone. Birthdays, anniversaries and graduations are examples of this. You may also simply want to raise someones spirits or send a message of gratitude with a gift as well. Theres then the challenge of getting the present that will send a message in a language that the beneficiary can understand. Golf gift Baskets can be a bulls-eye hit for those that love the game!

Why? Its the passion that matters! The recipient of this prize doesnt have to be a great, good, decent, or even a mediocre player. This type of gift symbolizes something unique within each person that has raised his or her sword against this 18-headed dragon. Theres at least one memory within the links course participant that brings a sense of glory and triumph. Golf Gift Baskets revive that bit of the past and light a fire to seek further conquest in the future.

Golf Gift Baskets not only have practical value with their golf related contents but also a theme in perfect harmony with the recipients inner self and personality. So, take the right step towards getting the gift that will put the ball on the green of what it means to make a golfer feel truly a part of the game.

brian is the owner of aGiftBasketParadise.com and invites you to visit http://www.agiftbasketparadise.com/golf.html for gifts to a lover of the game from pro golfer to pathetic hacker.

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Weight Loss Motivation - What Do You Do When You Can't Get Past A Weight Loss Plateau?

What do you do if you have tried everything and can't seem to lose any more? You have hit a weight loss plateau and it can seem IMPOSSIBLE to get past.

Weight loss motivation is a BIG problem especially if you have a lot of weight to lose. The answer to a weight loss plateau is never easy but there are some things you can try to kick-start your weight loss plan.

This is part 4 of our 8 part series exploring the 7 most crippling problems faced by people trying to stick to a weight loss plan and offer the solutions that allowed me to break free of the weight loss plateau.

Hitting a weight loss plateau is quite normal, in fact in your weight loss journey it is almost a certainty that at some stage you will come to a point where you don't seem to lose anymore pounds but you are still overweight.

Your body has simply become used to your current weight loss plan and is maintaining the weight rather than continuing to lose it.

Before you change what you are doing you need to ensure that you are doing all the "right things" when it comes to your weight loss plan. These include:

• Eating small meals frequently (5-6 small meals per day)
• Performing regular aerobic exercise (for burning calories) and regular weight training exercise (for growing those all important fat burning muscles)
• Keeping your calorie intake to 15-20% lower than your normal calorie intake required to maintain your current weight

If you are doing all these things consistently then it is time to try something a little different to kick-start your body into burning fat once again. There is no one solution that will work for everybody as we are all individuals but what follows is some suggestions to get you started.

Weight Loss Plateau - Emergency Help Plan:

• Maybe you are "over doing" your exercise regime. Overdoing exercise may not be giving your muscles time to grow as each exercise session causes tiny tears in your muscles which your body repairs and builds stronger for next time. This is how we build muscle. If we are not allowing our body rest time to grow our muscles we are not increasing our muscle mass significantly.

HINT: Try including a day or 2 of rest in between each exercise session to allow your muscles to recover.

• "Break the Cycle" of your current calorie intake by increasing your calories slightly for a few days then decrease them. For example if you currently eat 1500 calories per day in order to lose weight, try eating 1800-1900 calories for 2-3 days then drop this back to say 1100-1200 calories for another 2-3 days then return to your normal 1500 calories.

IMPORTANT: Eating 400 extra calories doesn't mean 400 extra calories of fatty foods or snacks. Eat 400 more calories of the same type of foods you have been eating on your current diet. Try slightly larger portions of your existing meals or add an extra small meal to your day.

• Try fiddling with your percentage of carbohydrates such as reducing them from say 50% of your intake to 40% or try consuming more proteins in your diet. Keep records and see if you notice any positive changes.

• If you think your problem may be to do with fluid retention then make sure you are drinking at least 2 litres of water per day and eating lots of water rich foods.

These strategies will not fix EVERY weight loss plateau as the problem is complex but they are a good place to start. If you are really stuck even after trying all these strategies don't let your weight loss motivation fall to the point of giving up. Try a professional such as a dietician who can monitor you closely and design a weight loss plan specific to your needs.

Just can't stick to it? Here's a boost to your weight loss motivation

Many people find it very difficult to adjust to smaller meals and feeling hungry all the time. I would often "break out" and eat snacks when I shouldn't and I just couldn't achieve my weight loss goals no matter how hard I tried.

I would constantly be annoyed at myself for "breaking" my diet.

When the US discovered the media hype surrounding the Hoodia cactus after media coverage on ABC and CBS news, thousands of people decided to give this option a try and it has proved to be a breakthrough for those who had tried a diet or weight loss supplement in the past and it just didn't really work.

Eating the hoodia cactus has the effect of fooling your brain into thinking you are full. It has suppressed the appetite and thirst of the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa for hundreds of years.

Be Careful! A warning when purchasing hoodia:

Hoodia supplements of all kinds are now available. There are options from pills to liquids, patches, and even coffees, teas, shakes and fruit bars! The demand for hoodia at the moment is much higher than the supply available. You need to be careful which retailer you purchase from as only properly certified manufacturers can obtain authentic hoodia.

The South African government has placed limits on the amount of Hoodia that can be exported from their country in order to prevent over harvesting. Hoodia plantations are currently growing plants to meet the demand but the Hoodia is difficult to grow and takes around 5-7 years to reach maturity.

Until then Hoodia is a quite rare. Many manufacturers wanting to ride the wave of hoodia popularity have resorted to making fake hoodia products or supplements with so little authentic hoodia in them that the effects would be insignificant.

How to avoid the scammers:

There are lots of options available for Hoodia products. Although there are plenty of fakes, the good news is there are a handful of reputable products that are worth your time and your dollar!

Unless you plan on losing your money rather than your pounds there are 3 things you absolutely must AVOID when purchasing Hoodia supplements! These clues on a manufacturers website will help you to identify the scammers and which products to stay away from.

Visit Trusted Weight Loss Review and discover what you need to know.

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