Power of Meditation Can Alter Human Cells (Video)

Power of Meditation Can Alter Human Cells (Video) | Third Monk image 1

Recent studies in Canada are showing hard evidence that the power of meditation can change the body on a cellular level.

Scientist found that the protein caps at the end of our chromosomes that denote cellular aging had not diminished in cancer survivors that meditate. The mind-body connection is becoming more apparent with each study.

Scientist already know that meditation can help you strengthen connections in the brain; but this evidence takes us a step further, suggesting that meditation may be useful when treating terminal illnesses.

The Power of Meditation

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6 Bad Habits That Drain Your Energy

6 Bad Habits That Drain Your Energy | Third Monk image 2

 

Simpsons_tiredLack of sleep isn’t the only thing sapping your energy. Little things you do (and don’t do) can exhaust you both mentally and physically, which can make getting through your day a chore.

Here, experts reveal common bad habits that can make you feel tired, plus simple lifestyle tweaks that will put the pep back in your step.

You don’t drink enough water

Being even slightly dehydrated—as little as 2% of normal fluid loss—takes a toll on energy levels, says Amy Goodson, RD, a dietitian for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine.

Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume, explains Goodson, which makes the blood thicker. This requires your heart to pump less efficiently, reducing the speed at which oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles and organs.

To calculate your normal fluid needs, take your weight in pounds, divide in half and drink that number of ounces of fluid a day, Goodson recommends.

You skip exercise when you’re tired

Skipping your workout to save energy actually works against you. In a University of Georgia study, sedentary but otherwise healthy adults who began exercising lightly three days a week for as little as 20 minutes at a time reported feeling less fatigued and more energized after six weeks.

Regular exercise boosts strength and endurance, helps make your cardiovascular system run more efficiently, and delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. So next time you’re tempted to crash on the couch, at least go for a brisk walk—you won’t regret it.

You’re a perfectionist

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Striving to be perfect—which, let’s face it, is impossible—makes you work much harder and longer than necessary, says Irene S. Levine, PhD, professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine.

“You set goals that are so unrealistic that they are difficult or impossible to achieve, and in the end, there is no sense of self-satisfaction.” Levine recommends setting a time limit for yourself on your projects, and taking care to obey it. In time, you’ll realize that the extra time you were taking wasn’t actually improving your work.

You make mountains out of molehills

If you assume that you’re about to get fired when your boss calls you into an unexpected meeting, or you’re too afraid to ride your bike because you worry you’ll get into an accident, then you’re guilty of “catastrophizing,” or expecting that the worst-case scenario will always occur. This anxiety can paralyze you and make you mentally exhausted, says Levine.

When you catch yourself having these thoughts, take a deep breath and ask yourself how likely it is that the worst really will happen. Getting outdoors, meditating, exercising, or sharing your concerns with a friend may help you better cope and become more realistic.

You skip breakfast

The food you eat fuels your body, and when you sleep, your body continues using what you consumed at dinner the night before to keep your blood pumping and oxygen flowing. So, when you wake up in the morning, you need to refuel with breakfast. Skip it, and you’ll feel sluggish.

“Eating breakfast is like starting a fire in your body by kickstarting your metabolism,” Goodson says. Goodson recommends a breakfast that includes whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat.

You work through vacation

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Checking your email when you should be relaxing by the pool puts you at risk of burnout, says Lombardo. Unplugging and allowing yourself to truly unwind allows your mind and body to rejuvenate and return to the office stronger. “When you truly take breaks, you will be more creative, productive, and effective when you return,” says Lombardo.

14 Reasons You’re Tired All the Time | TIME

Floatation Tank – The Science of Sensory Deprivation Therapy

Floatation Tank - The Science of Sensory Deprivation Therapy | Third Monk image 5

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Floatation tanks are increasing in popularity, offering eager psychonauts a chance to explore this unique state of mind of sensory deprivation.

The Brain Without Sensory Input

Deprived of external stimuli, the brain generates its own. Parts of the visual field light up in unrecognizable shapes, which eventually morph into more complex manifestations such as dots, lines and grated patterns.

With the advent of brain imagining techniques, scientists have been able to capture the brain basis of such finicky visual hallucinations during sensory deprivation. In 2000, one such study found that volunteers’ visual cortexes became more active after less than an hour of visual deprivation.

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Hallucinations may also occur in other sensory domains:

For me, it was auditory: initially, I heard a beautiful aria drifting in and out, like music from a faraway phonograph; soon it morphed into a full symphony before settling into a simple, tribal beat. Incredibly, I did not recognize any of these tunes; my brain was spontaneously generating them. – Shelly Fan, Discover

Exercising Creativity and Concentration in the Tank

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A small study of five university professors found that six 90-minute float sessions allowed them to generate more “creative” ideas, which coincided with a self-reported increase in free imagery and remote associations. Similarly, in a study with 40 university students, a single hour of flotation increased their scores on a standardized test used to measure creativity.

A far more researched effect of flotation is that it enhances performance in a variety of athletic and musical tasks that require high levels of concentration and visual-motor coordination, including basketballtennisarchery and jazz improvisation. In a sample of 13 jazz students, four sessions enhanced their technical performance one week after the last flotation experience, suggesting the possibility of lasting benefits.

Dr. Peter Suedfeld, a pioneering psychologist in the field, speculates that flotation may enhance creativity and performance in a manner similar to that of sleep or meditation. Research has shown that during resting states the brain repeatedly rehearses newly learned skills and consolidates recently acquired knowledge for long-term storage.

However, Suedfeld says, compared to sleep or meditation, such “twilight” states are more easily achievable without prior training or conscious effort via flotation. 

Physical Relief and Benefits of Floating

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Cognitive perturbations only make up half of the flotation experience; far more noticeable are the physical effects. 

In the early 1980s, a group of psychologists at the Medical College of Ohio initiated a series of experiments that looked at the physiological responses to floating. Both within and across flotation sessions, blood pressure and levels of stress-related hormones dropped – effects that persisted long after the cessation of the last flotation experience.

In 2005, a meta-analysis further confirmed that flotation was more effective at reducing stress than other popular methods such as relaxation exercises, biofeedback or relaxing on the couch.

Floating Away: The Science of Sensory Deprivation Therapy | Discover Magazine

Useful Yoga Poses for Athletic Recovery and Injury Prevention (Guide)

Useful Yoga Poses for Athletic Recovery and Injury Prevention (Guide) | Third Monk image 3

Yoga leads to increased flexibility and body awareness which is great for recovering from old injuries and preventing new ones. Yoga also relieves stress from your mind and body allowing for increased focus.

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

Useful Yoga Pose - Forward Fold

In Uttanasana, your head is below your heart. This allows the unusual occasion for blood to rush to your head (rather than your feet), giving your cells a rejuvenating boost of oxygen. 

Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose):

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

useful yoga pose - Tadasana

Rest your hands on your hips, exhale, and bend forward from the hip joints rather than the waist. Draw your belly slightly in and focus on lengthening your front torso as you go deeper in Uttanasana. Keeping your knees straight, place your fingertips or palms on the floor beside your feet, or touch the back of your ankles with your palms. To modify this movement, cross your forearms and hold your elbows. To help tone your thighs, press your heels into the floor, lift your sit bones toward the sky, and turn the tops of your thighs slightly inward. Let your head hang loose, releasing all tension in your back and shoulder blades. Lengthen the front torso a little bit more on each inhale. On each exhale, release fully into the bend. Stay in this posture for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

To come out of Uttanasana, bring your hands back to your hips and rotate at the hip joints until you stand strong and tall. Do not simply roll your spine up.

Benefits of Uttanasana

  1. Stretches the hips, hamstrings, and calves
  2. Strengthens the thighs and knees
  3. Keeps your spine strong and flexible
  4. Reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue
  5. Calms the mind and soothes the nerves
  6. Relieves tension in the spine, neck, and back
  7. Activates the abdominal muscles
  8. Eases symptoms of menopause, asthma, headaches, and insomnia
  9. Stimulates the kidneys, liver, spleen
  10. Improves digestion
  11. May lower high blood pressure
  12. Therapeutic for infertility, osteoporosis, and sinusitis

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

useful yoga pose - adho-mukha-svanasana

Start on all fours with your knees directly underneath your hip and your hands directly underneath your shoulders. The palms are firmly grounded onto the mat and your fingers are spread. Pull your stomach in and melt your chest towards the floor. Tuck your toes underneath you. Lift your knees away from the floor, lengthen your spine backwards and shoot your tailbone up towards the sky as you straighten out your legs. Push the top of your thighs back and stretch your heels towards the floor. Form the shoulder blades onto the back, release the neck and extend your heart towards your thighs. Hold the pose for three minutes, rest, and repeat one more time.

Benefits of Adho Mukha Svanasana

  1. Inverted poses are extremely important because they reverse the action of gravity on the body and get the blood and lymph flowing in opposite directions.
  2. On an emotional level downward facing dog helps turn everything on its head and helps us see things from a different angle.
  3. It helps boost self-confidence.
  4. Because of the increased blood flow to the top of the body, shoulder stand can help improve brain function and cognition and reduce anxiety and depression.
  5. Takes pressure off the heart, which has to work less to get blood flowing to the brain.
  6. Strengthens and tones the arms and legs
  7. Because of the weight bearing nature of the posture on the arms and legs it helps strengthen the bones and prevent osteoporosis.
  8. Lengthens and straightens the spine, helping to relieve pain in the upper, middle and lower back.
  9. The body gets a 360-degree stretch in just one pose.

Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

useful yoga pose - utkatasana

Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Stand with your big toes touching, heels slightly apart. Lift and spread your toes. Feel yourself rooted to the ground. Now, raise your arms above your head, perpendicular to the floor. Either keep your arms parallel, palms facing inward, or touch your palms together. Bend your knees and bring your thighs as parallel to the floor as possible. Your knees should come out over your feet and your torso should lean forward over the thighs, more or less forming a right angle with them. Keep your back long, with a slight curve in it, and keep the inner thighs parallel to each other. To intensify your thigh work-out, try squeezing a yoga block or holding a thick book between them. Let your shoulder blades relax down your back. Stay in this posture for 5 to 10 long, deep breaths.

To come out of Utkatasana inhale, straighten your knees, exhale and release your arms to your sides. You are now back in Tadasana.

Benefits of Utkatasana

  1. Tones the leg muscles excellently
  2. Strengthens hip flexors, ankles, calves, and back
  3. Stretches chest and shoulders
  4. Reduces symptoms of flat feet
  5. Stimulates the heart, diaphragm, and abdominal organs

Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (High Lunge)

useful yoga pose - Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana,

Start in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog). Exhale and step your right foot forward between your hands, aligning your knee over the heel. Keep your left leg strong and firm. Inhale and raise your torso to upright. At the same time, sweep your arms wide to the sides and raise them overhead, palms facing. Do not over-arch the lower back. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and reach back through your left heel. This will bring the shoulder blades deeper into the back and help support your chest. Look up toward your thumbs. Be sure not to press the front ribs forward. Draw them down and into the torso. Lift the arms from the lower back ribs, reaching through your little fingers. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Then exhale, release the torso to the right thigh, sweep your hands back onto the floor, and, with another exhale, step your right foot back and return to Down Dog. Hold for a few breaths and repeat with the left foot forward for the same length of time.

Benefits of High Lunge

  1. Opens your groins and hips
  2. Stretches and tones your legs, especially thighs
  3. Strengthens your knees, ankles and waist
  4. Stimulates abdominals’ organs
  5. Increases stamina and lung capacity
  6. Lengthens the spine, thereby stretching the chest
  7. Therapeutic for indigestion, constipation, sciatica

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose)

useful yoga pose - Virabhadrasana I

Begin in Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (High Lunge) with your right leg forward. If you are in correct stance, your right knee should be directly over your right ankle. Your right toes should point straight ahead and your left toes should be pointed 45-60 degrees away from your body. Make sure your right heel is in line with your left heel, then engage your legs by pressing through your feet. Bring your hands to your hips, squaring your hips and shoulders straight ahead. Then, relax your shoulders down your back and gently draw them together. Inhale and lift your arms straight up over your head, palms facing each other. If possible, bring your palms together. Now, reach up strongly through your arms. Avoid puffing out your sides; rather lift through your sternum so you can feel a nice stretch in your entire torso and spine. Keep your shoulders relaxed and chest lifted. To deepen the stretch, keep your palms together and gently arch your back, gazing up towards the ceiling. Feel strength and stability in your stance. Breathe deep and steady while you hold the pose for one minute.

To release, come back into high lunge, straighten the right leg, pivot your body 90 degress to the left, and point your toes in the same direction. Extend your arms out to your sides and you will be in Utthita Hasta Padasana (Extended Hands and Feet Pose). Take a few breaths of relaxation and repeat the exercise with your left foot forward.

Benefits of Virabhadrasana I

  1. Strengthens your shoulders, arms, legs, ankles and back
  2. Opens yours hips, chest and lungs
  3. Improves focus, balance and stability
  4. Encourages good circulation and respiration
  5. Stretches your arms, legs, shoulders, neck, belly, groins and ankles
  6. Energizes the entire body

Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

useful yoga pose - Setu Bandhasana

Lie flat on your back with arms at your sides, palms down. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Keep your feet hip width apart, parallel to each other, and as close to the buttocks as possible. Simultaneously, press your upper arms and feet into the floor and begin lifting your hips towards the ceiling. Distribute your weight equally on the inside and outside of your feet. Now, move your breastbone towards your chin, keeping your chin lifted only slightly as not to flatten the back of the neck. Firm your tailbone in towards the pubis and move your pubis slightly towards the belly. In order to keep the lower back extended, keep the knees over the ankles, perpendicular to the floor. Your buttocks should be firm, but not clasped. Lift your hips as high as you are able without breaking position. If you are having trouble holding posture, you can clasp your hands behind your back and firm you arms into the floor, shoulder blades shifted down along the spine. Hold this pose for 5 to 15 breaths.

To come out of Bridge Pose, release on an exhalation, rolling your spine slowly down onto the floor.

Benefits of Setu Bandhasana

  1. Stretches the chest, neck, spine, and hips
  2. Strengthens the back, buttocks, and hamstrings
  3. Improves circulation of blood
  4. Helps alleviate stress and mild depression
  5. Calms the brain and central nervous system
  6. Stimulates the lungs, thyroid glands, and abdominal organs
  7. Improves digestion
  8. Helps relieve symptoms of menopause
  9. Reduces backache and headache
  10. Reduces fatigue, anxiety, and insomnia
  11. Rejuvenates tired legs
  12. Relieves symptoms of asthma and high blood pressure
  13. Therapeutic for hypertension, osteoporosis, and sinusitis

Ardha Dhanurasana

useful yoga pose - ARDHA DHANURASANA

Lie on your belly, with the legs together or a few inches apart. Bring the chin to the floor. Bend the left knee and reach the left hand back to hold onto the left heel or ankle. Inhale and kick the left foot into the arm to lift the left leg, head and chest off of the floor. Keep the neck in line with the spine, looking down at the floor. Lift the right arm off of the floor, keeping it parallel to the floor. Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths.

To release slowly exhale and lower the leg, arm, head and chest down to the floor. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits of Ardha Dhanurasana

  1. Energizes and strengthens the entire body
  2. Builds core body strength.
  3. Stimulates the kidneys, adrenals and reproductive system.

Paripurna Navasana (Full Boat Pose)

useful yoga pose - Paripurna Navasana

Sit on the floor with knees bent, feet flat, and legs together. Slide your hands a little behind your hips, fingers pointing toward your feet and elbows bent away from you. Lean back slightly and lift your heels an inch or two off the floor. Make sure your back does not round, keep your back straight throughout this pose. Draw your shoulder blades together momentarily to lift and open your chest. Slowly begin to straighten your legs through the heels. When your legs are fully straightened, your thighs should be angled about 45 degrees to the floor and the tips of your toes should be slightly above the level of your eyes. If you are unable to straighten your legs while raising them, keep your knees bent (shins parallel to the floor). Now, stretch your arms forward alongside your legs, palms facing down. Spread your shoulder blades across your back and reach strongly out through your fingers (while maintaining a straight back and long torso). Your arms should be parallel to each other as well as to the floor. If you are unable to raise your arms while in Paripurna Navasana, either grip the back of your thighs or keep your hands behind your hips where they were. Open your chest and relax your shoulders down your back. Put as much effort into lifting your chest as you are in lifting your legs. Breathe steadily and hold for 2-6 breaths. Gradually increase your endurance until you can hold the posture for a full minute.

To release bring the legs in as you exhale and sit upright as you inhale.

Benefits of Paripurna Navasana

  1. Tones and strengthens your abdominal muscles
  2. Improves balance and digestion
  3. Stretches your hamstrings
  4. Strengthens your spine and hip flexors
  5. Stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands, and intestines
  6. Aids in stress relief
  7. Improves confidence

Virasana (Hero Pose)

useful yoga pose - Virasana

Start by kneeling on your yoga mat or the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the floor. Pad your knees, shins, and/or feet with a folded blanket or towel if necessary. If you experience any strain in your knees at any time while in Virasana, come out and prop yourself up further before attempting it again. Make sure the tops of your feet stay flat and even on the floor. Bring your inner knees together, then slide your feet apart (a little wider than your hips). Point the feet in line with the shins. Gently pull back the flesh of your calf muscles, exhale, and sit down between your feet. Evenly support your sitting bones by adjustment, allowing a thumb’s width space between your heels and hips. If your buttocks don’t rest comfortably on the floor, raise them by placing a yoga block or thick book between your feet before you sit down. Counteract the tendency to slump by adjusting the muscles of your buttocks sideways and back with your hands. Your pelvis should be at a ninety-degree angle with your thighs. Rest your hands in your lap, on your thighs, or on your ankles. Firm your shoulder blades against the back ribs and lift the top of your sternum. Widen the collarbones and release your shoulder blades away from your ears. Lengthen the tailbone toward the floor. Sit in silence for at least 1 minute.

Benefits of Virasana

  1. Stretches the hips, thighs, knees, ankles and feet
  2. Improves circulation and relieves tired legs
  3. Strengthens foot arches, relieving flat feet
  4. Improves digestion and relieves gas
  5. Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
  6. Improves posture
  7. Reduces swelling of the legs during pregnancy (through second trimester)
  8. Therapeutic for asthma and high blood pressure

Supta Padangusthasana

useful yoga pose - Supta Padangusthasana

Lie supine on the floor, legs strongly extended. If your head doesn’t rest comfortably on the floor, support it on a folded blanket. Exhale, bend the left knee, and draw the thigh into your torso. Hug the thigh to your belly. Press the front of the right thigh heavily to the floor, and push actively through the right heel. Loop a strap around the arch of the left foot and hold the strap in both hands. Inhale and straighten the knee, pressing the left heel up toward the ceiling. Walk your hands up the strap until the elbows are fully extended. Broaden the shoulder blades across your back. Keeping the hands as high on the strap as possible, press the shoulder blades lightly into the floor. Widen the collarbones away from the sternum. Extend up first through the back of the left heel, and once the back of the leg between the heel and sitting bone is fully lengthened, lift through the ball of the big toe. Begin with the raised leg perpendicular to the floor. Release the head of the thigh bone more deeply into the pelvis and, as you do, draw the foot a little closer to your head, increasing the stretch on the back of the leg. You can stay here in this stretch, or turn the leg outward from the hip joint, so the knee and toes look to the left. Pinning the top of the right thigh to the floor, exhale and swing the left leg out to the left and hold it a few inches off the floor. Continue rotating the leg. As you feel the outer thigh move away from the left side of the torso, try to bring the left foot in line with the left shoulder joint. Inhale to bring the leg back to vertical. Lighten your grip on the strap as you do, so that you challenge the muscles of the inner thigh and hip to do the work. Hold the vertical position of the leg anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes, and the side position for an equal length of time.

Once you have returned to vertical release the strap, hold the leg in place for 30 seconds or so, then slowly release as you exhale. Repeat on the right for the same length of time.

Benefits of Supta Padangusthasana

  1. Stretches hips, thighs, hamstrings, groins, and calves
  2. Strengthens the knees
  3. Stimulates the prostate gland
  4. Improves digestion
  5. Relieves backache, sciatica, and menstrual discomfort
  6. Therapeutic for high blood pressure, flat feet, and infertility

These useful yoga poses can be done in a circuit as their own workout or as a precursor to another athletic activity of your choosing.

Were these yoga poses helpful? What are some of your favorite poses?

When to Choose Sativa Vs Indica Cannabis Strains (Guide)

When to Choose Sativa Vs Indica Cannabis Strains (Guide) | Third Monk image 5

Sativa and Indica are two main types of cannabis plants that have different effects on the body and mind resulting in a wide range of medicinal benefits. Stoners in marijuana friendly states like Denver and California have benefited from the extensive selection of cannabis options.

Identifying Sativa and Indica Buds

sativa-indica-appearanceSativa plants typically grow tall and thin compared to Indica plants which grow short and wide.

Indica plants are better suited for indoor growing because of their short growth and sativa plants are better suited for outdoor growing because some strains can reach over 25 ft. in height.

Cannabis Sativa plants are known to be extremely pungent smelling, with aromas ranging from sweet and fruity, to earthy with undertones of diesel fuel.

The flavors and smells of Cannabis Indica include; pungent skunk, earth, hash, pine, or a sweet and sugary fruit flavor.

When to Choose Sativa Buds

sativa-cannabis-benefits-creativitySativa cannabis strains tend to provide an uplifting, energetic and “cerebral” high that sparks creativity. These strains also can make you pause and analyze your perceptions. The creative and mind expanding benefits of Cannabis Sativa makes it very popular among philosophers, artists and musicians. 

Choose Cannabis Sativa For These Benefits:

1. Uplifting and Cerebral thoughts

2. Stimulation and Energy

3. Increased focus and Creativity

Popular Sativa Strains: Sour Diesel, Blue Dream, Jack Herer, Purple Haze, and Strawberry Cough

When to Choose Indica Buds

indica-relaxing-high-stoner-dogThe high produced from Indica cannabis strains is a strong physical body high that will put you in a deep state of relaxation. Indica is perfect for stress and pain relief, giving it a wide audience from patients with disabilities to athletes who use it for muscle recovery.

Choose Cannabis Indica For These Benefits:

1. Body Pain Relief and Recovery

2. Reduction in Stress and Anxiety

3. Deep Relaxation, Sleep

Popular Indica Strains: Granddaddy Purp, OG Kush, Nothern Lights, Afghani, and Purple Urkel

When to Choose Hybrid Buds

hybird-marijuanaGrowers mixed Sativa and Indica strains to provide patients with a combination of effects.

Sativa Dominant Hybrids

Hybrids with more sativa provides a cerebral high with a relaxing body effect. Useful for physical and mental relief. Sativa Dominant Hybrid strains include Headband and Purple Trainwreck.

Balanced Hybrids

50% Sativa, 50% Indica even hybrids are for people seeking a perfect balance of head and body. Balanced hybrid strains include White Widow and Super Silver Haze.

Indica Dominant Hybrids

Indica heavy hybrid strains provide a full-body pain relief, with a relaxing head high. Recommended for nighttime use to go to sleep, or daytime relief from minor pain. Indica Dominant Hybrid strains include Skywalker OG and Blackberry Kush.

Neuroplasticity, Meditation and Happiness – Willoughby Britton Ted Talk (Video)

Neuroplasticity, Meditation and Happiness - Willoughby Britton Ted Talk (Video) | Third Monk image 2

Neuroplasticity: The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.

In this Ted Talk, Willoughby Britton focuses on  neuroplasticity and mindful meditation through the scope of happiness.

The practice of meditation builds stronger and healthier neural pathways that lead to better habits.

Willoughby Britton – Neuroplasticity, Meditation and Happiness Notable Excerpts

If we get everything we want and get rid of everything we don’t want; we’ll be happy. It makes sense. Totally logical. Totally wrong. That’s just not the way the data has turned out to be. We’re one of the richest countries on the planet but we’re not really one of the happiest. And the people that are the richest in our country are not necessarily happier than the poorest people in our country.

Getting what we want doesn’t necessarily equal happiness.

Another thing that we know about happiness…it seems to be inextricably linked to the faculty of attention, or more specifically; our pervasive tendency or habit to not pay attention.

A wandering mind is an unhappy mind.

Our brain changes with experience and we get good at what we practice…if you exercise your physical body certain muscle groups get stronger, certain movements get easier and they become effortless and automatic. The brain is no different. The neural networks that you exercise becomes stronger and the thought patterns and mental habits that are represented by those neural networks get stronger and become effortless and automatic…

The most powerful way to change your brain is not medication, it is behavior.

neuroplasticity

Methods of Meditation for the Busy or Impatient (Guide)

Methods of Meditation for the Busy or Impatient (Guide) | Third Monk image 2

If you are struggling with fitting meditation into your daily routine, this guide will help you ease into the practice.

Change Your Mindset About Meditation

meditation-mindset

Lower your expectations of meditation. Often the reason we are impatient about meditation is we want instant gratification. Replace that expectation with a desire to experience a “slow melt” of your stress.

Be open to non-traditional meditation. Meditation doesn’t have to be done in a seated position. Any activity in which you can slow down your mind, become more inwardly focused and more rooted in the present moment will pass the test for meditation.

Be kind to yourself. Don’t berate yourself for not being “good” at meditating. If you make the effort to meditate, then by default, you are good at it. It’s more a “do or not do” thing versus a “good or bad.”

Commit to slow down your mind for 10 minutes each day. You can obviously do this for longer if you want, but just take your time in building this habit by starting with 10 minutes per day.

How to easily incorporate meditation into your day. Transform some of the things you are already doing each day into mindful meditation:

Exercise Meditation

meditation-exercise-running-joggingAny continuous physical activity over a period of time can work. Some great choices are walking, jogging, or yoga. Chores can work too such as sweeping, folding laundry, stacking wood, and washing windows.

The way to transform any of these activities into meditation is to first focus on your breath. Observe it. Modify it. Try long inhalations, holding periods, and slow exhalations if you can. Observe how each part of your body feels. When you start to feel the exercise endorphins kick in, you might also want to express those good feelings with a big smile, a raising of the arms and/or a deep “Ahhhh” sound. Silly? Maybe. Feels good? Definitely.

Bathing Meditation

meditation-shower-bath-waterfallThe next time you shower or take a bath, create your own spa experience simply by flipping the switch in your mind. Let go of any limits. No time limits, no temperature limits. Breathe deeply. Close your eyes. Feel the water. Feel the sensations it gives your body. Allow the water to heal you by transforming your bathing time into a meditation. Focus on your breath and how your body feels. If thoughts involving the past or future come into your mind, observe them and send them packing by returning to your observations of your breath and body. What do you see, feel, smell, and hear?

Let go of words and labels by expressing your good feelings through meaningless sounds such as “aum,” “mmmm,” or “ahhhhh.”

Music Meditation

meditation-music-weedListening to music naturally brings us into the present moment. It can also bring us to good memories or daydreams of the future. You can bring more meditative elements to your music experience by noticing how you feel while you listen, play or sing. Add full diaphragmatic breathing and some cannabis too.

Some other music ideas are to pick up that instrument you haven’t played in a while. Don’t worry if you play well or not. The point is simply to become immersed in it and to enjoy it. You also may want to try singing or playing percussion along with your favorite music. Don’t have a drum? Make one. Any object can be a percussion instrument. Just start tapping! Lastly, consider going to a music based event and enjoy. You will be engaged in meditation without any effort at all. No wonder we like music so much!

Hobby Meditation

meditation-hobby-photographySimilar to the exercise, bathing, and music, immerse yourself in any project that you enjoy such as model building, knitting, car restoration, drawing, painting, crafts, etc. As you enjoy your hobby, add the elements of deep breathing, awareness of sensation, and focus on the current moment and you’ll be meditating. And in the end you’ll have a physical manifestation of that mediation.

Massage Meditation

meditation-massage-comboSchedule a massage for yourself. As you enjoy the physical sensation, be aware of your breath. You may want to focus on one word such as Peace, Calm, Love, Ease, or perhaps a sound with no meaning such as Aum. As everyday thoughts enter your mind, pour them out with the simple mantra “empty the mind.”

Meditation Techniques for the Busy or Impatient | Dumb Little Man

Three Ways to Combine Marijuana and Meditation

Three Ways to Combine Marijuana and Meditation | Third Monk image 3

Cannabis and other psychedelics are wonderful tools to use in conjunction with meditation. The key is to know how you wish to incorporate these tools within your practice and methods. The possibilities are only limited by your own imagination. Marijuana and meditation both bring states of relaxation, clarity and euphoria, combining them seems natural in this world.

1. Wake, Bake, Meditate

meditation and marijuana

Lots of stoners wake and bake as a ritual to start their day. Pour a glass of water along with your morning toke then when you feel the relaxation of being high come over your body and mind find a comfortable place to rest outside on your porch, by a tree or in the morning sun and set your mind free for a couple of minutes.

The timing works well because you don’t have a full day of happenings to contemplate yet. Often times my days go smoother because I visualize how my day will go during this meditation and I set priorities without stress or tension clouding my judgment. Make sure you set aside a good chunk of time so you don’t feel rushed.

Marijuana’s ability to “distort” time makes it easier to sit for longer stretches of time, so light up on your path to enlightenment and enjoy the moment.

2. For The People Who Get Paranoia, Flip The Script


If marijuana makes you paranoid and brings up the doubting/judgmental voice in your head then this is the perfect time to sit and meditate. Many times when we meditate we have to go through the swirling thoughts that arise before we can reach that tranquil state full of knowing, love and acceptance.

If cannabis brings a certain paranoia or thought patterns, sit and listen. Your own consciousnesses is communicating with you giving you insights into who you are, who you believe you are and who you want to be. Embrace yourself, you are the sum of all your thoughts, feelings and actions.

3. End The Silence With A Bong Rip


Sometimes after a workout or a stretching routine I’ll sit comfortably for a meditation session. I enjoy meditation after physical activity because when you close your eyes or fix your gaze on a spot the blood flow within your body is apparent and it brings the feeling of being inside of yourself.

When I feel my consciousness return to this earthly experience and away from my meditative state I leisurely grind herb and pack my bong. I make sure to have all my utensils around me so I don’t have to go far from where I meditate. I inhale deeply and allow the weightlessness to come over my tired body, soothing my previously active muscles.

This bong rip to the dome brings, an at ease state of mind, into an euphoric existence. This helps extend and ground the meditative state I feel beyond the time of the session into my next activities and tasks.

Meditation Basics – Breathing and Focus Points (Guide)

Meditation Basics - Breathing and Focus Points (Guide) | Third Monk image 2

Meditation will help you realize just how far, and how fast, your mind can wander from what you’re supposed to be doing at the moment. In an age of multitasking, hyper-scheduling, and instant internet distraction, that alone can be a huge help.

Beyond just anecdotes, it’s also been suggested that meditation can actually exercise your brain’s “muscles” to increase focus, and has been shown to lower stress and increase forgiveness among college students who take up the practice.

Following Your Breath

Following and steadying the breath is the most universal of meditation techniques.

In The Miracle of Mindfulness, a classic text that introduces the thinking and practice behind meditation, Thich Nhat Hanh lays out a thoughtful case for how the breath is connected to the mind, which controls the body. By actively watching one’s breath, and evening it out, one can bring their entire being to what some call the still point.

The instant you sit down to meditate, begin watching your breath. At first breathe normally, gradually letting your breathing slow down until it is quiet, even, and the lengths of the breaths are fairly long. From the moment you sit down to the moment your breathing has become deep and silent, be conscious of everything that is happening in yourself. – Thich Nhat Hanh

For some of us, that’s easier said than done. You start focusing on your breath, and after a brief victory, in comes the growing wave of random brain chatterWhat should I eat for lunch today? Did Marissa say she would drop the bike off this weekend or the next?.

Hanh offers the simple, straight-ahead counter to distractions of the mind:

If following the breath seems hard at first, you can substitute the method of counting your breath.

As you breathe in, count 1 in your mind, and as you breathe out, count 1.

Breathe in, count 2. Breathe out, count 2.

Continue through 10, then return to 1 again.

This counting is like a string which attaches your mindfulness to your breath. This exercise is the beginning point in the process of becoming continuously conscious of your breath.

Without mindfulness, however, you will quickly lose count. When the count is lost, simply return to 1 and keep trying until you can keep the count correctly.

Hanh goes on to suggest that controlling the breath is useful in many situations beyond the quiet moments of meditation.

 

Focus Points for Meditation

Seek inspiration: If you are inspired by Eastern spiritual traditions, you might reflect upon an image or icon of the Buddha. You can also use the flower of life, a crystal, or other object that has meaning for you. Lightly allow your attention to sit there, quietly and peacefully.

Recite a mantra: A mantra literally means “that which protects the mind.” So reciting a mantra protects you with spiritual power. It is also said that when you chant a mantra, you are charging your breath and energy with the energy of the mantra. Again, choose something with meaning for you within your spiritual tradition. Tibetan Buddhists use a mantra for peace, healing, transformation and healing.

Do a Guided Meditation: Guided meditation is akin to guided imagery, a powerful technique that focuses and directs the imagination toward a conscious goal. (Think of a diver imagining a “perfect dive” before he leaves the platform.)

> A Guide to Meditation for the Rest of Us | LifeHacker