meditation is the gateway of peace, what you say and why?

Answer 1

How Meditation Works-

Studies have shown that meditation (in particular, research on Transcendental Meditation, a popular form of meditation practiced in the West for the past thirty years), can bring about a healthy state of relaxation by causing a generalized reduction in multiple physiological and biochemical markers, such as decreased heart rate, decreased respiration rate, decreased plasma cortisol (a major stress hormone), decreased pulse rate, and increased EEG (electroencephalogram) alpha, a brain wave associated with relaxation. Research conducted by R. Keith Wallace at U.C.L.A. on Transcendental Meditation, revealed that during meditation, the body gains a state of profound rest. At the same time, the brain and mind become more alert, indicating a state of restful alertness. Studies show that after TM, reactions are faster, creativity greater, and comprehension broader.

A laboratory study of practitioners of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's transcendental meditation (TM), carried out by Benson and Wallace at Harvard Medical School towards the end of the 1960s, provided the first detailed knowledge of the many physiological changes that go with meditation.

Some of the meditators, whose ages ranged from seventeen to forty-one, had been meditating only a few weeks, others for several years. All recorded changes associated with deep relaxation.

The fall in metabolic rate was the most striking discovery. This was indicated by a dramatic drop in oxygen consumption within a few minutes of starting meditation. Consumption fell by up to twenty per cent below the normal level; below that experienced even in deep sleep. Meditators took on average two breaths less and one litre less air per minute. The meditators' heart rate was several beats less per minute.

During meditation, blood pressure stayed at 'low levels', but fell markedly in persons starting meditation with abnormally high levels.

The meditators' skin resistance to an electrical current was measured. A fall in skin resistance is characteristic of anxiety and tension states; a rise indicates increased muscle relaxation. The finding was that though meditation is primarily a mental technique, it soon brings significantly improved muscle relaxation.

Meditation reduces activity in the nervous system. The parasympathetic branch of the autonomic or involuntary nervous system predominates. This is the branch responsible for calming us.

During anxiety and tension states there is a rise in the level of lactate in the blood. Lactate is a substance produced by metabolism in the skeletal muscles. During meditation blood lactate levels decreased at a rate four times faster than the rate of decrease in non-meditators resting lying on their backs or in the meditators themselves in pre-meditation resting.

The likely reason for the dramatic reduction in lactate production by meditators was indicated when further studies of meditators showed an increased blood flow during. Benson and Wallace found that there was a thirty-two per cent increase in forearm blood flow. Lactate production in the body is mainly in skeletal muscle tissue; during meditation the faster circulation brings a faster delivery of oxygen to the muscles and less lactate is produced.

The two investigators summed up the state produced by their meditating subjects as wakeful and hypometabolic. The physiological changes were different in many ways from those found in sleeping people or those in hypnotic trance states. Meditation, they said, produces 'a complex of responses that marks a highly relaxed state'. Moreover, the pattern of changes they observed in meditators suggested an integrated response, mediated by the central nervous system.

"Through meditation we can learn to access the relaxation response (the physiological response elicited by meditation) and to be aware of the mind and the way our attitudes produce stress," says Dr. Borysenko, author of 'Minding the Body, Mending the Mind". "In addition, by quieting the mind, meditation can also put one in touch with the inner physician, allowing the body's own inner wisdom to be heard."

Taoists believe that the mind of emotions is governed by the Fire energy of the heart. When your emotions are not controlled, the fire energy of the heart flares upwards, wastefully burning up energy and clouding the mind. The mind of intent, or willpower, is controlled by the Water energy of the kidneys. When unattended, the water energy flows down and out through the sexual organs, depleting essence and energy and weakening the spirit. Taoists believe that when you are 'sitting still, doing nothing', as in meditation, the flow of Fire and Water are reversed: Water energy from the kidneys and sacrum is drawn up to the head via the Central and Governing channels, while emotional Fire energy from the heart is drawn down into the Lower Elixir Field in the abdomen, where it is refined and transformed and enters general circulation through the energy channels. On the spiritual/mental level, this internal energy alchemy enables the mind of intent (Water) to exert a calming, cooling, controlling influence over the mind of emotion (Fire)..

Answer 2

Numerous people use meditation as a key to set off "all" problems and all the emotions within. The problem with people using meditation is that most of them believe the only purpose of meditation is to calm the mind and reaching peace. This is true, although, mediatition should also be the key in understanding the environment surrounding us, a.k.a nature. Becoming nature itself helps relieve the mind from all problems (notice I did not say "heal"). Meditation is not a healing process, but rather the control of all inner emotions and to relax all inner emotions.
This is a hard process, and to tell the truth, it was a pretty hard task for me. Sometimes it can only last for seconds and then your mind is wandering into something else. Anyone can use this tactic to relax the mind and is not only used if you are Buddhist.

Answer 3

Meditation is wonderful if you are seeking mental peace but you have to supplement it with proper life-style or else it's benefits will be limited. Some people try to associate meditation with religion but I think it is not correct. No religion can claim ownership over meditation. I'm saying this in reference to the Hindu or Buddhis religions. Meditation is not a religious activity either.

Answer 4

This is not going to be easy to explain, but here goes - The state of mind that meditation is suppose to promote is a state of awareness that has been given many names - void, immovable, center, etc. In this state, the mind is not without thought nor is it emotionless but rather the thoughts and emotions that may enter ones awareness does not cause one to fixate on it to the point where we lose touch of everything else. Think of a time in your life where an idea or thought just would not go away and causes you to be so distracted that you could not focus on the task at hand. Your mind have been moved off center or filled to the point that you cannot hold any other thoughts. This is one aspect. In regards to the relevancy to martial art, a fighter whose mind is distracted is among other things vulnerable. This is important because unlike what you see in the movies, combat does not pause - it only begins and ends. It is one continuous stream of actions and re-actions so that a mind that stops (by a fixated thought or response) at any point in this stream is overwhelmed. In this regard, the focus is not focus of action or thought, but of state "no being". A martial artist who has achieved a state of no being can be many things. This mental discipline is applicable to all things in life. Take music - it has been said of Beethoven that he was so good that if a piano string broke during mid play (which was very common in his time because the making of steel was not perfected), he would simply switch musical key of the piece in mid-play and continue without any noticeable pause. His mind registered the broken key, but his consciousness was not stopped during that moment; it continued without a break. That is, it was never moved from the state it was in. It remained centered. What is thinking outside the box? Or a better way to put it is what is the box but a metaphor for a mind that has been confined or pre-occupied to the point it no longer is aware of other possibilities. A mind that has attained the "no mind" or voidness does not stop but is constantly aware of the ebb and flow of thoughts that comes to consciousness. Ask yourself, have you ever ponder over a difficult problem only to solve it when you stop thinking about it? The solution was there all the time, but you were so focus on a particular or a limited set of solutions that you lost sight of the answer that was in front of you.

Answer 5

I personally believe that meditaion isnt an adequate way of expressing peaceful interactions with your inner being for everyone. On my behalf, the only way I can experience inner peace is by connecting with others' lives in order to effect them positively. I believe that the more you question when in the realm of inner peace meditation supposedly gives most people, you begin to loose faith in what seems irrational when given the time to think out the logic behind it.

Answer 6

Meditation (Dhyana in Sanskrit) is the method to bring peace to the mind. To bring mind to peace is very difficult to do. Mind is a monkey, if you try to control it jumps, but if you allow it to wander, after some time it will slowly come down under control after getting tired of jumping. The idea is to stop flow of thoughts. Once there is no thought the mind vanishes. And real peace prevails. It needs constant practise.

Answer 7

Yes, I agree, Along with a few thousand words of Guidance. I personally have four practices, Mantra repetition(pray unceasingly), Meditation on God, Chanting Gods name,contemplation. Mantra is my connection to God, the fire of meditation burns away all impurity. and chanting Stirs bliss into motion,creating JOY. Contemplation brings the inner truth into conscious awareness. As i write this I realize I have five main practices, Expressing that which I have received,when given away more is received.

Answer 8

It is the gateway of inner peace, self discovery and oneness with the universe.

Answer 9

There is no other tool with man that can bring about the purity in him physically, mentally and spiritually. Money can buy physical comforts, innovative work can buy mental space and joy and prayer can heal your spirit. Meditation can bring about the transformation at all three levels - physical, mental and spiritual and hence it is far superior to anything else we hang onto.

Answer 10

For me, resolving problems is the gateway to peace because you have fewer things on your mind.

You could also try setting yourself up for success and popularity. Being nice to everyone you meet works, being fair works, having integrity, things like that.

It's refreshing to never have to brag about yourself because everyone around you is doing it for you.

Answer 11

I agree, my man left me so I do yoga poses and meditate to clear my head & my broken heart...:(