Mindfulness Meditation And The Power Of Now

The technique of mindfulness meditation brings us into the present moment. As Eckhart Tolle has described, opening yourself to the present moment without judgement brings freedom through "the power of now". Here, Hugh Byrne writes in the Washington Post and discusses some of what we understand about this powerful form of meditation.

Mindfulness Meditation And The Power Of Now

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Have you ever been caught up in a wave of anger, craving or worry where you felt the emotion carry you away like a wild horse you could not control?  Most of us have experienced the strength of these energies and wondered how to work with rather than be ruled by them.

 The healing power of bringing awareness to our experience—just as it is here and now—is what Eckhart Tolle calls the “power of now.”  Tolle, who is giving a rare public talk in Washington Thursday night at the Warner Theater, points to the freedom and inner peace that comes from opening fully to this moment without judgment, resistance, or holding.

For over 2,000 years, Buddhism and other wisdom traditions have taught that there is a way out of the stress and suffering that can fill our lives, and a possibility of living a life free of suffering. Mindfulness, the practice of opening fully to our experience in this moment—the joys and sorrows; the good, the bad, and the ugly—is the gateway to this deep freedom of the heart.
In recent years, the wisdom of these ancient teachings has been confirmed by scientific studies, which demonstrate that we can train our minds, change our brains, increase our well-being, and radically lessen such afflictive states of mind as anxiety and depression.

Please go to the original article here at washingtonpost.com:

Mindfulness meditation can bring peace of mind and acceptance of everyday situations that might ordinarily cause us a great deal of emotional distress. Practicing mindfulness meditation as part of yoga is an excellent way to combine practices and get the most from your mind and body.

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Meditation brings wisdom; lack of mediation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.      -- Buddha

Yoga Meditation Techniques For Your Body And Mind

One of the main thrusts of my other blog is that yoga meditation techniques are intended to unify the body, mind and spirit. Yoga as practiced for the past, oh, say, 5000 years or so was always intended to prepare the body for prolonged periods of meditation. Today, the vast majority practice yoga only as a form of physical exercise. At least that's the initial motivation for most. Many who start out with this intention, however, come to discover they are being led down a more spiritual path regardless of what they intended to do at the outset. I recently read an article by a fellow yoga blogger named Mel Johnson who wrote about a similar realization over at Lorton Patch.

Yoga Meditation Techniques For Your Body And Mind

People flock to studios and gyms to practice spiritual gymnastics, yet yoga ultimately has little to do with exercise. That’s a western adaptation. And of course it’s popular because westerners like to be in shape, which is not news to most Indians.

Photo by Mike Powell c/o Photos.Com.

Not about exercise? 

Yoga is about concentration, separation, isolation and not union. It's not about joining the mind-body, but about transcending the mind-body problem.
The yoga text that’s most widely read in the west is the Yoga Surtras of Patañjali. The most quoted sutra in this text is the second sutra, which says that “yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind-stuff”.

More to read of this original post at lorton.patch.com:

Yoga meditation techniques can bring unification and tranquility to the mind and body. The fitness aspects are a given, but why should anyone stop there. The regular practice of yoga will, sooner or later, beckon for you to go further and develop yourself mentally and spiritually. Why not take a few extra steps and see what's just over the next horizon or hilltop. You will be amazed!

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Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they're meant to be.    -- Anonymous