|
|
3 Magic Bedtime Questions
For many people, life zooms past once they reach their working age. Everyday, it's the same flash routine of waking up, going to work, coming back from work, and sleeping. It's no wonder why you'll ask yourself, "How did I get old so fast? Where...
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED!
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED!As one who has suffered from the long, term effects of trauma I feel compelled to share some experience and hope with those who seek to heal themselves and create true quality of life. First there must be a desire for...
How to Remove the Psychological Addiction to Smoking - and Start to ENJOY Giving
Consider this:
Already since 1972, over 60million people in the USA alone have successfully quit smoking!
At one stage over 60% of the adult population was addicted to this drug. Today it is 28% and dropping........
Now, isn't this a fair...
Music And The Brain
What is the connection between music and the brain? Is it
possible that music can help you think better? The research says
yes, and after telling you about some of it, I'll let you in on
an even faster way to boost your brain power with...
Weight Loss Organizations
Losing and maintaining weight is a difficult and intimately personal struggle, but it's not one that anyone needs to go through alone. There are literally millions of people forging their own paths to their better selves, and together, they offer...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dealing with Post-Holiday Blues
Copyright 2005 Mary Desaulniers
After the usual pre-Christmas and post holiday celebrations, I
found myself feeling a bit depressed and lethargic. The house
has become too quiet; friends and family have returned home.
It is not uncommon that we end the holiday season with a sense
of letdown. This is probably due to our unrealistic expectation
that holiday events can provide us with lasting happiness
despite the fact that we know deep down it is impossible for us
to be happy all the time.
Even the happiest of people feel blue at times. What is more,
feeling blue can actually be good for you. Research shows that
mild to moderate doses of negative experience are beneficial to
growth and development. Studies have shown that animals that
were moderately stressed when young fared better as adults in
recovering from stress. Difficult situations have made them more
resilient by giving them opportunities to practice bouncing back
from traumatic events. Studies of people who have undergone
life-altering trauma reveal a similar resiliency. Those who lose
their limbs to devastating accidents tend to bounce back in due
time. One study found that those who were injured in accidents
felt severely angry and victimized after the first week.
However, after 8 weeks, most revealed that happiness was their
strongest emotion--a situation that demonstrates how adaptable
the human mind can be. It also suggests that happiness is not
necessarily tied to circumstance, but to the "interpretation" we
give to that circumstance.
By the same token, fortunate events can trigger intense
happiness, but this state of intense happiness is never lasting.
A study of lottery winners done in 1978 found that while the
winners experienced a brief period of intense happiness, they
returned to their pre-lottery state in due time and did not wind
up significantly happier than a control group of subjects who
won nothing.
Study after study shows that happiness is not founded on what is
normally considered marks of prestige or pleasure. Money (and
all that money can buy) does not contribute to lasting
happiness. Neither does a good education or youth. In fact,
older people (who have probably developed more resilience) seem
on the whole to be more satisfied with life than young people
are.
However, what does create lasting happiness has a lot to do with
a sense of purpose and meaning in life. In his book, "Authentic
Happiness," psychologist Martin Seligman claims that engagement
( involvement with family, work, hobbies) and meaning ( using
personal strength to serve some larger end) are more significant
factors to happiness than the pursuit of pleasure. Studies also
show that those who are spiritually and communally involved tend
to experience more frequently positive emotions and an overall
sense of
satisfaction with life. What accentuates this
satisfaction is the sense of purpose and larger context that
religious beliefs provide.
So what can you do to improve your happiness quotient,
especially after the holidays?
1. Eliminate the either/or mentality that insists you are either
happy or sad. This rigid either /or perception does not make
room for the flexibility required to see joy in unhappy events.
Even the most tragic of events can be a source of good and it is
this insistence that you see good in all situations, even the
most disastrous ones, that will predispose you to experience
joy. In the aftermath of September 11, victims who survive can
remember the horror of the destruction, but also the courage and
inspiration of heroes whose heroism remains indestructible. In
my case, I began to see the empty house as an opportunity for
new growth through meditation and writing.
2. Move away from the victim mentality. You tend to grieve more
intensely when you are unwilling to let go of yourself as
victim. If you can shift away from being victimized, you can be
in a much better position to see how the situation can also be a
source of good. Remaining flexible in your perception is the key
to resilience.
3. Cultivate an awareness of the silent witness--that is, taking
a third party view of yourself. Imagine you as someone watching
your "self" from a third party perspective. Detaching yourself
from your ego can give you a totally different view of your
situation.
4. Nurture a sense of history and time in the way you look at
yourself--that is, identify a purpose in your life and develop
strategies to achieve it. This purpose will make you more
proactive in the way you view your situation. It will also allow
you to engage in long-term vision and goals. Oprah Winfrey once
said that it was her extreme devastation at age 16(the victim of
family abuse) that made her vow she would never be victim again.
And she was never victim again; in fact, what is remarkable
about Oprah is that she has not stopped re-inventing herself and
the contexts of her purpose in life.
Ultimately, our happiness quotient is dependent not on how much
we get, but how much we give. The way we see the context of our
lives as a whole is often a good place to examine how and what
we can give back to our community and the universe that nurtured
us.
About the author:
A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is
now doing what she loves--running,writing,helping people reclaim
their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and
purposeful engagement are the tools used to turn their bodies
into creative selves. You can subscribe to Mary's newsletter by
contacting her at http://www.GreatBodyafter50secrets.com or
visit her at http://www.GreatBodyat50.com
|
|
|
|
|
Learning Meditation Home Page |
Introduction to the basics of meditation and the reduction of stress. |
www.learningmeditation.com |
  |
Meditation Room |
Choose freely and feel free to perform more than one meditation. ... Allow some time for your meditation. These meditations last from 3 - 10 minutes. ... |
www.learningmeditation.com |
  |
Meditation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
An introduction to different traditions, forms, techniques, and benefits. Includes links to other resources. |
en.wikipedia.org |
  |
World Wide Online Meditation Center |
Contains colorful, clear, concise meditation instruction on a variety of meditation methods from various spiritual teachings, plus tranquil meditation tapes ... |
www.meditationcenter.com |
  |
The Transcendental Meditation (TM) Program - Official website. How ... |
Meditation validated by over 600 scientific studies. The best meditation against stress. Online video! Personal instruction and lifetime follow-up. |
www.tm.org |
  |
Vipassana Meditation Website |
Homepage of the organization which offers Vipassana Meditation courses as taught by SN Goenka. |
www.dhamma.org |
  |
Welcome to Meditation Mount |
Meditation training programs and group meditation as a service to humanity. Worldwide organization based in Ojai, California. |
www.meditation.com |
  |
Guided meditations on mindfulness, peace, the 23rd Psalm, the way ... |
Come into the present moment with this 10-minute mindfulness meditation narrated by ... Experience a flow of positive energy with this meditation on peace ... |
www.beliefnet.com |
  |
Meditation Station Presented By The Meditation Society Of America |
Meditation Society of America's web site. Dedicated to sharing meditation techniques and concepts from all traditions. |
www.meditationsociety.com |
  |
Wildmind | Learn Meditation Online |
Wildmind provides a complete guide to simple meditation techniques. |
www.wildmind.org |
  |
Meditation |
An article By Dr Tom J. Chalko explaining the process and stressing the need for a spiritual teacher. |
www.thiaoouba.com |
  |
Free Learn to Meditate, online meditation - Meditation Australia. |
Details of activities, events, and classes in Wollongong University, Australia. Also offer a free online Meditation course. |
meditation.org.au |
  |
Meditation, Home, what is meditation, types of meditation ... |
Meditation Meditation is an alternative therapy. It can be broadly classified under the mind-body medicine. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation ... |
1stholistic.com |
  |
Sivananda Yoga - Meditation |
Introduction to the Official Web site of the Internationa Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers. Lots of information on Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, ... |
www.sivananda.org |
  |
Stress Reducers: Articles index |
yellow arrow button, Choose a Virtual Meditation Slide Show for Your ... yellow arrow button, Meditation and Relaxation: 20 Minutes A Day Can Make A ... |
www.selfhelpmagazine.com |
  |
Zen Mountain Monastery: Zen Meditation Instructions |
Detailed instructions from Zen Mountain Monastery on how to practice Zen meditation. |
www.mro.org |
  |
Meditation and concentration |
meditation concentration ability. ... Online fire meditation use it and develop concentration ability; Online flash meditation look at the screen and ajust ... |
www.ababasoft.com |
  |
Siddha Yoga path - Gurumayi - Swami Muktananda founder |
Under the guidance and teachings of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Siddha Yoga meditation students embrace the spiritual practices of yoga. |
www.siddhayoga.org |
  |
Meditation Handbook |
Survey of seven meditation techniques for beginners. |
home.att.net |
  |
Healing Music|Meditation Music|Self Help products |
Healing Products offers healing music for your Mind, Body & Soul at low prices. Use sound and music to heal and relax. |
www.healingproducts.com |
  |
|