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Meditation For The Overworked Business Mind
by Steve Wellman
http://www.welmeda.com
For thousands of years the art and science of
meditation has been proving itself. The major
religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism,
Hinduism and more all teach methods of stilling
the mind. Meditation is more than just technique
it is an essential survival skill for the 21st
century.
The fact that meditation has survived for so
long and that it's teachings, as well as the
reported and proven benefits of meditation mean
that if currently you feel you can't or don't
meditate, chances are you won't particularly
have the inclination or motivation to start given
that meditation can take years of practise and yet
we live in a "quick fix" world where instant
gratification is fashionable.
Over the last thirty years, clinical research has
shown that meditating has a measurable effect on
brain function. Firstly, the deep kinds of
meditation achievable by for example trained Zen
monks has demonstrated decreased blood flow to
parts of the brain related to spatial awareness
perhaps giving the effect of being "at one" with
the universe and a shift in perspective to one's
surroundings.
Meditation in such a way that is beneficial to
health has been shown to affect the brain so that
hormones relating to pleasure and relaxation,
growth and repair (anti-aging) and prevention of
diseases of the heart are released in greater
amounts than the non-meditator.
Despite there being evidence to show that med-
itation has profound benefits, most people in the
business world cannot find the time and effort to
learn how to meditate or the discipline and commit-
ment to continue for the long haul.
In the last century, scientists discovered that brain
function can be measured in terms of brainwaves and
EEG can record such brainwave states. In the beta state
thoughts maybe be quite fast, we are awake and alert
perhaps going from one thing to another without
conciously thinking about much apart from how much
there is to do and how little time there is to do it!
In alpha, we are starting to relax more deeply. We
experience this state when listening to certain
types of music, for example Baroque. We also are
in "alpha" just before we go off to sleep and when
we wake from sleep and feel relaxed. We may want to
go straight back to sleep!
In lower levels of meditation and in circumstances
such as dreaming and dreamless sleep, the body often
performs vital functions to do with growth and repair
and is also profoundly creative - eg dreams.
Nowadays, people can meditate deeply without having
to practise for years or even going on a retreat.
In fact meditation works best without any
concious effort. The guaranteed way to meditate
deeply, like the zen monks, even if you're a busy
exec. is to utilise aural technology which in turn
utilises binaural beats to simulate the effect of these
lowering brainwaves states which take place to harmonize
the whole brain in deep meditation.
It is especially useful to use such technology in
conjunction with a program of self-help, personal
development or life-coaching so that you get
the best and latest in Western neuro-psychology to
help and benefit you as well as the Eastern tradition
which may have begun more than 5000 years ago...
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