What is Meditation?

Quite simply put, meditation is the ability to slow down the electrical frequency of your brainwaves through focussed breathing in order to be in a relaxed and creative powerful state.

However, many many things define meditation! It is also about finding the silence and the stillness in your being. Allowing your mind to just simply stand still. Something that many people in today’s modern world find a challenge. Rightly so. We are bombarded with more images and messages in the form of advertising, than ever before in the history of mankind. Releasing this daily stress is important so that your inner strength can rise naturally.

It is an experiential practice – meaning that it’s sometimes difficult for some who have not experienced it – to truly understand the profound benefits of being in a meditation. Daily relaxation and calming of the mind give you space, freedom, choices and better control over your life – in ways that perpetually stressed students find as bliss and happiness – a tremendous transformation of their lives.

Meditation of course also allows for more right brain thinking which is the creative, problem-solving part of our mind. It allows us access to the collective unconscious, which allows us to gather information intuitively and heal by ourselves. Problems dissolve and the lightness and happiness of being are more commonly observed in people who meditate regularly.

How I breathe is how I am. Dr. Richter of John Hopkins University, U.S.A., discovered that brain cells are capable of generating, storing and giving off electricity. In Beta state (the state associated with thinking, reasoning, analysis, worry, doubt, fear and logic), the brain cells fire off haphazardly. However, in Alpha state (our most creative state), the brain cells become synchronised and function TOGETHER. So when a person practises focussed breathing to access Alpha state they access a much greater level of power over the way they feel.

Once you have been practising for a while, the more focussed you will become. After you move from light meditations to deep meditations, you will be able to reach other very powerful states, through Delta and Theta states, which I also teach you about. For those who learn how to open the pathways or chakras in a balanced way, find that the endocrine glands heal the body and create natural highs.

Beta Waves 14 Hertz (abbreviated hz, frequency measured in cycles per second) – 100 Hz These waves are the most powerful and dominant. This is the mental state the average individual generally functions in on a day to day basis. From focusing on daily issues to holding a conversation. Unfortunately for some of us, these brainwaves are in excess after teenage years and accelerate to after middle age; so it’s important to increase our relaxation as too much beta and not enough alpha, theta & delta cause us to feel the effects of stress.

Alpha Waves 8 Hz – 13 Hz A relaxed or passive state best achieved by closing your eyes and slowing down brain wave activity. Once you are in this state, alpha waves become dominant. In this state we become calm and begin to focus inward. The alpha state is extremely satisfying and nurturing. It is important to attain an alpha or neutral state at least once a day to reduce your unwanted stress level.

Theta Waves 4 Hz – 8 Hz Once we sink below alpha level waves, we reach theta. An elusive euphoric and mysterious state best associated with deep meditation. Many people find it hard to reach and maintain this level. With practice it also becomes easier to maintain without falling asleep. This state is much like being on the edge of sleep and wakefulness. In this state you may have many reveries (mental images) or thoughts pour forth. Much of our unconscious becomes revealed. This state is most conducive to hypnotic trance, placing mental suggestions, accelerating learning, facilitating healing and implementing peak performance techniques.

Delta Waves Below 4 Hz For most people, once we’re in this state we are either asleep or unconscious. In this level we produce large quantities of healing growth hormone which both strengthens and replenishes us. There is growing evidence which suggests that it is possible to attain this state and maintain consciousness. Well practised Zen Buddhist monk masters are said to be able to do just this, even while engaged in everyday affairs! With the help of the course and practise, it is possible for an individual to benefit from this state and learn to attain it in significantly less time than an accomplished Zen monk.

Other practices which enable you to reach Alpha State: Other various “brands” of meditation, various forms of yoga, tai chi, qi gong, prayer and chanting and mantras.

• Meditation is also the first stage of Self-Hypnosis.

Other ways of inducing alpha state:

• Listening to music in 4/4 time (examples):
• Air (Johann Sebastian Bach) Canon: (Johann Pachabel)
• Rolling your eyes upwards into the back of your head.
• Having your feet elevated higher than your head or legs on the wall (90 degrees) or on an elevated pillow etc.

Studies with brain wave frequency have shown that smelling frankincense or lavender increases alpha waves, which are of course, associated with relaxation and intuition. (*Frankincense has been swung around and wafted down church aisles for years) However, deep breathing meditation still remains the most powerful access key.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What doctrine do you follow? -After having studied many forms of meditation to reach alpha,theta and delta states, this is a culmination of all of my studies.

Is this a religious group? – No, definitely not. We are not a religious group and as such encourage you to keep your own faith if you practice one.

If it’s simple, why does it take 6 or more sessions? -It’s quite normal, especially while under stress, for your conscious and subconscious to fight with each other. The conscious mind acts as a guard dog to the subconscious. Therefore it takes a retraining of the mind for your conscious mind to accept it. We offer an experiential course in which it is easy for you to find that pathway. Habits take time to form. You’ll gain one that is a wonderful habit!

What will it feel like? What will I experience? -Initially,you may feel like you have had a 6 week holiday in half an hour. Some may feel overwhelmed with the release of so much stress. Some may feel like nothing happened. Don’t worry. All of this is normal. The most important thing you can do is to keep meditating. You will notice the differences in the way you react, feel in synchronicity with life and experience peace and happiness, or in other words, The Bliss that comes from being in a relaxed state.

Go to top

Benefits of Meditation:

Are you continually stressed, overwhelmed by life’s pressures? Are you feeling so stressed that you’re disconnected from your loved ones and your environment? Isolated? Experiencing events without feelings? Experiencing automatism (not noticing what you do)? Never feeling like you have had enough rest? Are you just trying to cope? Or simply looking to become all that you can be? Then join us for some rest, some peace and quiet and immediate empowerment. The effects and health benefits of meditation are both immediate and cumulative. Can you imagine how creative and how much fun your family, friends and co-workers would become if you practised together? Get together and spur each other on! We encourage it!

Benefits of Meditation:

Meditation activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System. The sympathetic and parasympathetic work in OPPOSITION, when one is turned on, the other is turned off.

Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): “Stress” – key neurotransmitters are epinephrine and norepinephrine and the hormones are cortisol, insulin and grehlin; increasing alertness, fight-flight-freeze-feint response, mobilised energy, increased heart rate, elevation in muscle tone (to get away), diminished blood flow to organs that aren’t vital eg brain, gut, liver…

Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): “Relaxation” – key neurotransmitter is acetylcholine and the hormones are oxytocin, growth hormone and testosterone; rest and digest (digestion and peristalsis optimised), optimal organ function (including the ALL important LIVER), tend and befriend, creating energy reserves, calmness, reduced heart rate, decreased alertness…

Meditators secrete more of the hormone of health & youth, DHEA as they age than non-meditators. Meditating forty-five-year-old males have an average of 23 percent more DHEA than non-meditators, and meditating females have an average of 47 percent more. This helps decrease stress, heighten memory, preserve sexual function, and control weight.

Benefits of Meditation (short list)

The effects of more DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) include: *Anti-aging, longevity *Enhanced mood, energy and memory *Improved immune system *Boosted sex drive *Reduced osteoporosis *Improved fat loss *More muscle mass *Reduced autoimmune disorders *Less heart disease

• The calming hormones melatonin (which research suggests, boosts the immune system and has anti-cancer effects; it also happens to help with anti-aging) and serotonin (the hormone which makes you happy), are increased by meditation, and the stress hormone cortisol is decreased.
• Meditation creates a unique hypometabolic state, in which the metabolism is in an even deeper state of rest than during sleep. During sleep, oxygen consumption drops by 8 percent, but during meditation, it drops by 10 to 20 percent.
• Meditation is the only activity that reduces blood lactate, a marker of stress and anxiety.
• Meditation has a profound effect upon three key indicators of aging: hearing ability, blood pressure, and vision of close objects.
• Long-term meditators experience 80 percent less heart disease and 50 percent less cancer than non-meditators.
• 75 percent of insomniacs were able to sleep normally when they meditated.
• 34 percent of people with chronic pain significantly reduced medication when they began meditating.
• Results show that: 24 cities in which 1% of the population had been instructed in meditation by 1972 displayed decreased crime rates during the next year and decreased crime trends during the subsequent five years (1972-1977) in comparison to the previous five years (1967-1972), in contrast to control cities matched for geographic region, population, college population, and crime rate. Journal of Crime and Justice, 4:25-45, 1981. Except for the last item these statistics are found in Meditation as Medicine by Dharma Singh Khalsa, 2001.

Increased intuition and psychic abilities – remote viewing and remote influencing. For more information click here. The  definitive (long) list of the benefits of meditation is here. A Harvard University study published in 2008 found the first compelling evidence that the Relaxation Response (RR) – the physiological response to meditation, yoga, tai chi, Qi Gong or repetitive prayer – positively affects DNA. Nineteen adults were long-term daily practitioners of various RR techniques, 20 were trained in RR eliciting techniques (breathing, mantra and mindfulness meditation) for 8 weeks, and 19 served as controls.

By analysis of blood samples, the study found that 2209 genes were differently expressed (switched on or off) between the long-term meditators and control group. Specifically, 1275 were up-regulated (their activity was increased) and 934 were down-regulated (their activity was reduced). It also found that 1561 genes were expressed differently between the group who did the 8 weeks meditation training and the control group. Specifically, 874 were up-regulated and 687 were down-regulated. In other words, meditation – short or long term – causes hundreds of genes to turn on or off.

Many of the genes were involved in cellular metabolism and in the body’s response to ‘oxidative stress’. Oxidative stress is one of the biological products of mental and emotional stress. It produces free radicals and is known to be involved in a host of disease processes, including atherosclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. It also accelerates aging at the cellular level. Ideally, we want a good response to oxidative stress so that we can prevent the negative effects.

In the study, blood analysis found significant changes in cellular metabolism and response to oxidative stress in the two meditation groups relative to the control group. The scientists proposed that the Relaxation Response – whether it is induced through meditation, yoga or prayer – may counteract cellular damage due to chronic psychological stress.

People have meditated for years and enjoyed better health (and a slower aging process) but many others have been sceptical as to its benefits. Now, we have solid scientific proof of the positive genetic effects of meditation in that it affects genes that positively influence cell metabolism and the response to oxidative stress. Here’s the link to the article. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002576 You can download the PDF free: This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.

Go to top

The Importance of Continuing Meditation:

It is important to stress that meditation is a training process in which the recipient takes an active role and engages in regular meditation in classes AND at home in order to develop a skill, much like learning to play a musical instrument.

Sometimes under heavy stress, it is sometimes difficult for the mind to stand silent and for this reason I offer longer meditation courses with more classes. Without proper training and support, it can take a long time for people who have been under enormous stress to actually do it. People have spoken to me about having bought tens of books and doing courses, only to find that they feel their money has been wasted because they cannot “get back into it”, because they’re too busy, or at least their mind is and they need some structure to help them through. We would hope that you make a commitment to the empowerment yourself by continuing to meditate. Dealing with daily stress is exhausting. Meditation gives you the opportunity to put yourself in a state of total resourcefulness, which, needless to say, is extremely empowering.

Regular Meditation

It’s important to remember that the effects of meditation are both immediate and cumulative! So if you meditated every day last week and only twice this week, you will notice that even though you had a break for a few days, will definitely feel different each time but your meditation benefits will slowly grow stronger over time. I also give you the key to motivating yourself to practice meditation regularly when under heavy stress.

Go to top