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

Natural Gr Yoga Mats

Ben Roethlisberger

The Pittsburgh steelers found a real gem when they drafted AFL quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Nicknamed Big Ben, this ohio native led the steelers to the Super Bowl during his second year in the league.

An interest in sports during his high school years perhaps led to Roethlisbergers success. As captain of the football, basketball and baseball teams, this star in the making finally landed his spot as the quarterback of his high school football team during his senior year. It appears as if that practice paid off - literally. In 2004, when Ben Roethlisberger found his way into the nfl Draft, the steelers signed him to a six year contract with an impressive signing bonus. During his rookie season, Roethlisberger succeeded with a 13-0 record for the best start by a rookie.

In October 2005, just one year after he was selected in the draft, Ben Roethlisberger became the nfl offensive Rookie of the Year as named by the Associated Press. During his rookie season, passing records were something to be broken by this Findlay high School graduate. Among them, best passer rating and highest completion percentage. It was obvious to all who saw him, including Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, that this young man was here to play. And play he did. As the 2005 regular season wrapped up, the steelers had secured the AFC leagues wild card position in the Super Bowl XL. On February 5, 2006, the steelers took hom the Super Bowl victory in a win against the seattle seahawks.

Roethlisberger is far from being your average quarterback. In fact, his stature leaves little doubt that he is a force to be reckoned with. Tied with few others as the tallest starting quarterback in the nfl, Big Ben knows how to use his height to read the competition. In addition, his arm seemingly has a knack for guiding the passes to their intended receiver. There is no doubt that height would be an advantage to any quarterback trying to spot an open receiver on the field.

Ben Roethlisberger is the second youngest quarterback to play in the nfl Super Bowl. While he has been compared to many legends of the game, Roethlisberger is out to make a name for himself. With only his second regular season behind him, and 4 years remaining on his contract with the steelers, it looks as if Pittsburgh can expect Big Ben to be a powerhouse for the team in the years to come. Whats next for this nfl superstar in the making? Stay tuned and find out.

Remembering Yoga Positions