Category Archives: Meditation

Meditation made easy – calming the monkey mind

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Often the difficulty we have in trying to meditate is when we are attempting to concentrate on not concentrating on anything at all. It’s a conundrum that leads us in circles. It can be especially frustrating when it’s our restless “monkey mind” that we are trying to relax in the first place.

lhatha-yoga_dot_com_monkey_mind-5-really-fix-blacksThankfully, sometimes in life things can be a lot simpler than we think. And meditation is one of those things.

Calming the monkey mind

As Tibetan Buddhist master Mingyur Rinpoche explains, instead of trying hard to focus on getting rid of all your mental chatter, all you have to do is to give your monkey mind one simple job…focus on breathing:

What’s equally as helpful to know is that you don’t have to be in sacred spaces or attend any special classes to meditate. You can meditate just about anytime, anywhere, for as little time as you want.

So take a breath, and relax, even for a few moments if that’s all you can spare. It can really provide some rest to your mind that it so very well needs and deserves, and in turn improve your overall happiness.

Power down for downward dog

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I recently read an article where a New York Times writer remarks on how yoga typically gives her anxiety because she wonders how long she has to stay in position before she can check her twitter feed. It occurred to me that she’s exactly the type of person that would reap some of yoga’s greatest benefits.

hathayogadotcom-unplugging

One side bonus of practicing yoga is being away from all external demands, all distractions, all social media. Sure, many of us rely on staying as connected as possible for our work. But if we’re not dealing with a life and death situation, it would help us a great deal if we allow ourselves to unplug for at least Continue reading →

Meditation for the mind, body and wallet

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Did you know that relaxation response techniques can greatly reduce health care costs? According to recent a study by Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, regular practice of yoga and meditation can reduce the need for health care services by 43%.

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According to the Harvard University Gazette, “The paper’s authors noted that stress-related illnesses, such as Continue reading →

Meditation with your pet may be especially beneficial

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Have you ever tried meditation with your pet?  Taking a few minutes a day to sit quietly with them may not only improve your practice and its rewards, but it may also help calm energetic pets.

Choosing to meditate with your pet can also give you extra motivation if you seem to have difficulty getting yourself to sit still. Animals have a natural way of living in the moment. And it’s a great way to spend quality time bonding with your furry friend.

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Let us know if you’ve benefited from meditation with your pet!

Yoga and Creativity

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Did you ever think to yourself: “I wish I could write, paint, act, sing, dance, garden, bake, create some specialty cuisine, etc.?” Well, the possibilities of what you can do are endless. That’s because they are there within you, but perhaps just hidden.

Yoga and Creativity

There are often many distractions or excuses for not activating your creative chakras. Yet there is no real reason for not being creative since everyone has the ability if the desire is there. However, one can often feel stuck, as if something is in the way of you “getting there”, or even just getting started.

HathaYogaLeeSalutationYoga can be a good friend to help you open up these closets of creativity. There isn’t one specific yoga exercise, or in Sanskrit “asana”, Continue reading →

Yoga and Meditation may help treat IBS and IBD

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Yoga and meditation score another point in the world of science and medicine!

A new pilot study conducted by the highly regarded MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) suggests that yoga and meditation can provide relief to those suffering from gastrointestinal disorders.

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The results of MGH’s clinical study showed that the practice of yoga and meditation had a significant positive impact on the symptoms related to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and Continue reading →

Yoga goes to the mat for your heart!

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For thousands of years, people have been practicing yoga for its obvious benefits to the mind, body and spirit. But what has not been so obvious is how to quantify its health benefits.

According to the Harvard Medical School, it turns out that Hatha Yoga may be just as beneficial to your heart as aerobic exercise. Based on 37 clinical trials, research showed that practicing yoga lowered blood pressure, heart rate, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and other cardiovascular risk factors, in amounts similar to those seen with cardio exercises.

HathaYoga Lee Yoga for the heart

Dr. Larry Phillips, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, told Reuters Health that yoga’s benefits had been long suspected. “I think what we’ve seen is with yoga and Continue reading →

Proper Breathing, “The Breathing Book” Review

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Proper breathing. Although you’re supposed to do it automatically, you don’t always. Or at least you don’t always do it properly. Most people are not even aware of their poor breathing habits. And poor breathing can take its toll.

Breathing wears many hats

Proper breathing is one of those things most people take for granted. Of course you need to breathe in order stay alive. But as if keeping you alive weren’t enough, breathing has additional critical job responsibilities.

Proper breathing

According to Dr. Mladen Golubic, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Integrative Medicine, breathing can have a major impact on many physical ailments and illnesses such as  Continue reading →

Mini Yoga Lesson with Lee – Breathing for Relaxation

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Breathing. The life force of our being. How we all take for granted the beautiful rhythm of our breath. When we are hurried or under stress, we tend to hold our breath and in turn lose vital energy. Let’s take a couple of moments to focus on our breath and hopefully find ourselves a little more relaxed, refreshed and energized.

You may want to sit in a Lotus position, seated on the floor cross legged, if you are able to. Or you can choose to lie down on a blanket, towel or mat. You can even practice the following if you are seated at your desk. You may also want to consider practicing this at bedtime to help you fall calmly to sleep.

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Ideally you will practice the following in a room that is comfortably warm, without any Continue reading →

The Skeptic’s Guide to Meditation…five minutes is all you need!

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Thanks to YogaDork for sharing this must see infographic. It’s the Skeptic’s Guide to Meditation and it was created by happify and ABC news anchor Tim Harris, author of 10% Happier.

It shows how just five minutes of meditation a day can have a profound positive impact Continue reading →