Somewhat related:
http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_ha...
What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
11–20 of 98 posts
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#12Practice Preksha Meditation http://preksha.com
It's free to learn.
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#13I find it helpful to think of a muscle as an analogy for my brain. Thoughts are like contractions - sometimes they are purposeful when they are part of a movement, an extension of my will. But sometimes they are not; in that way the incessant chatter of the internal monologue, or worse yet, stress, is similar to a cramping muscle, a flood of contractions that come unbidden. Meditation, then, is similar to relaxation exercises, doing stretches or posture training - teaching your muscles how to be at rest. This can then also translate into efficiency and economy of motion when you choose to move, not to mention more energy, because all the useless contractions/thoughts haven't worn you out beforehand. Also, yoga makes a lot of sense when you think of it this way, because you literally do this for both your body and brain at the same time.
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#14Is reducing beta waves actually a good thing? It might allow for focus and relaxation, but I wonder if that might do something like clear your working memory and make you less able to make connections between things. Could anyone that has a good grasp on this comment on whether this might be true?
Try meditating on LSD.
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#15Practice Preksha Meditation http://preksha.com It's free to learn.
Isn't everything free to learn?
The learning material is the only part that costs anyhing.
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#16I belong to a religious group where initiation into meditation happens at about 10-12 years of age for boys. This initiation ceremony is an important ceremony (called thread ceremony) in a male's life. After initiation, every male has to perform a ritual called Sandhya Vandanam [1] thrice every day for the rest of their lives. The ritual has different components. The two important components are Praanaayamaa (breath control exercise) and mantra meditation. A mantra is a Vedic Hymn that is chanted/repeated again and again (for pre-specified # of times). In the Sandhya Vandanam ritual the mantra that is chanted is the famed Gayatri mantra. The mantra is chanted with the following schedule:
Morning at sunrise - Praatah Sandhya - 108 times
Midday - Maadhyanika - 32 times
During evening twilight - Saayum Sandhya - 64 times
The Vedic definition of mantra is "mantaaram traayate iti mantrah". In English this translates to "That which protects the mind is called mantra".
When I was young, I used to perform this ritual regularly. Though I performed the ritual regularly, I used to wonder about the requirement of such a ritual. Over the past few years I have come to know some fascinating things about the ritual and also the Vedas. After gaining the insights, it is ironic that nowadays I do not perform the ritual regularly at all. This article has come at the right time for me to get back into the meditation routine.
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#17You don't need no fucking App to start.
Sit down in comfortable position, close your eyes, try to concentrate on your breathing in and out (your mind will start to wander - keep coming back to the breathing). Repeat everyday.
You'll have the chance to "optimize" and "improve" your meditation experience later on. First, build the habit.
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#18You don't need no fucking App to start. Sit down in comfortable position, close your eyes, try to concentrate on your breathing in and out (your mind will start to wander - keep coming back to the breathing). Repeat everyday. You'll have the chance to "optimize" and "improve" your meditation experience later on. First, build the habit.
Swearing is bad for your energy levels.
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#19> More grey matter
Well as study shows [1] meditation not only thickens cortex in some parts of the brain but also makes it thinner in other parts. Just saying.
Re: What Happens to the Brain When You Meditate
#20You don't need no fucking App to start. Sit down in comfortable position, close your eyes, try to concentrate on your breathing in and out (your mind will start to wander - keep coming back to the breathing). Repeat everyday. You'll have the chance to "optimize" and "improve" your meditation experience later on. First, build the habit.
Swearing is bad for your energy levels.
Swearing is bad if you think it is bad. Nothing is bad.