Embracing Wellness

The point of almost every aspect of essential wellness is to feel that you are in control of your mind, body, and soul, and working toward becoming a better, healthier version of yourself. Whether that involves exercise, meditation, massage, addressing illness with healing herbs and essential oils, enhancing your appearance, establishing a chemical-free home, or preparing nutritious beverages, each step helps you heighten your level of a less stress-filled way of living. Meditation "mind over matter" is an ancient practice that allows people to seek insight and enlightenment by counteracting the demands of daily life and reducing the "chatter" of the over-burdened brain. By looking inward and focusing on rhythmic breathing, you can soon achieve a deeper state of consciousness that will relax your body, refresh your spirit, and renew your mental energies.

Meditation reached new levels of popularity in the 60's and 70's, as part of the youth counterculture's quest for enlightenment and self-knowledge, pop stars meditated and promoted its calming effects, and self-help books lauded its benefits to a generation hooked on tuning in to the zeitgeist and jettisoning mainstream beliefs. Today it is a valued tool for devotees of yoga, eastern spirituality, and other alternative philosophies. Modern men and women are not the first to seek respite from unquiet thoughts or ponder the deeper meaning of things. Starting with the philosophers of antiquity, continuing through medieval scribes and renaissance thinkers, up to our own contemporary authors and scientists, men and women of introspection and curious natures have always sought answers to life's perplexing questions. For many of them, these answers were found not by studying the great literature or scientific journals of the day, but by journeying inward to that most "undiscovered country" of all: the human mind.

Aristotle wrote, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." Socrates said, "My friend ... care for your psyche ...know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves." Poet Alexander Pope said, "Know thyself, presume not God to scan; the proper study of mankind is man." Author Aldous Huxley said, "The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline toward the religion of solitude." Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, reminds us, "Your treasure- your perfection- is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the busy commotion of the mind, and also abandon the desire of the ego, and enter into the silence of the heart."

Each writer is advocating for a form of introspection or self-study that over time has come to fall under the blanket term "meditation." Meditation is a purposeful pursuit that becomes integrated into the lives of practitioners- a valued mental accessory that helps them approach a tumultuous world with balance and serenity. It is not a temporary crutch; it is a continuous bulwark. Furthermore, this activity requires no equipment and little preparation and can be initiated in almost any quiet spot. And, the benefits are manifold: in addition to offering self-knowledge, clarity, and a balm to the spirit, it relieves stress, alters brain-wave patterns, decreases lactic acid in the blood, and lowers oxygen consumption and heart rate.

PRACTICING DHYANA

The act of meditation - or dhyana, in yoga- refers to a precise technique used to rest the mind and attain an elevated state of consciousness, which is unlike the normal waking state. It does not refer to thinking hard about a problem, nor is it daydreaming. Its goal is an understanding of all one's inner levels and ultimately experiencing the highest consciousness possible. Practitioners consider meditation a science, one with distinct principles, with a progression that is to be followed, and with verifiable results.

Meditation can teach you to:

• Cultivate stillness and examine what is within you

• Calm yourself and let go of your biases.

• Focus fully on one aspect of your body- your muscles, your breathing, or the different levels of your being.

• Train your mind to avoid distractions and resist endless churning.

• Explore your inner dimensions as a means of knowing yourself better.

• Experience your essential nature, which has been described as happiness, peace, and bliss.

The results of successful meditation is frequently a powerful sense of joy and liberation, a gratification adheres insist, is immense and ongoing. As guru H. W. L. Poonja pointed out, "Look within, there is no difference between Yourself, Self, and Guru. You are always free. There is no teacher, no student, no teaching."