Let’s look at how to use Taoism color meditation in our daily modern lives.  

Imagine the office or factory manager who demands that his employees regularly work around the clock. The manager gives the employees poor wages, no breaks, ignores their feedback, and only pays attention to them when there’s a problem. 

What would the employees do in a scenario like this? 

What would you do if your employer was like this? 

I think most of us would imagine the employees going on strike, eventually getting burned out, walking off the job, or just dropping dead altogether. Unfortunately, the way this factory manager treats his employees is how many people treat their internal organs.  

When was the last time we invested in our relationship with our spleen? Or had a daily check-in and conversation with our physical and emotional heart?

Do we hear people talk about their gallbladder, other than when there is a serious problem? The Taoists believe that listening to the feedback of our organs helps us modify our lifestyle in order to modify our death style. 

Taoism & Color Meditation for Anxiety 

Forming a relationship and having routine check-ins with our organs is exactly what The Inner Smile Meditation is designed to do. By having a relationship with our organs, we know what makes them happy, sad, function well, and what stifles the many unconscious processes they do on our behalf every minute.  

Further, according to the Taoist view of the body, each organ is associated with an element, a color, virtues, and aspects of nature (not to mention planets, times of day, phases of the moon, stars and constellations, tastes, smells, gemstones, etc. etc.) Strengthening these aspects inside of us strengthens our connection to these aspects of the natural world outside of us. 

By interacting with your organs and keeping the color and positive virtue in mind while expressing gratitude for what the organs do, we are speaking the language of that organ and it can more clearly hear us. It is not necessary to learn and memorize every characteristic of the Taoist five element theory. 

Easy 5-Step Tao Color Meditation 

For the practice of The Tao Inner Smile and experiencing more peace inside the body, it can be helpful to learn a color and one positive virtue for each organ. 

Many of these are intuitive, based on are cultural language and norms.  

For instance the color for the heart is red and the positive virtue is love. In the meditation of the inner smile, one thinks about love and visualizes a pleasing color of red, while expressing gratitude to the heart for pumping blood around the body. 

When we energetically and meditatively bathe the heart in love or the other organs in their associated colors and virtues, it creates the field around the organs that is copied and passed on to the next generation of cells as the cells divide.  

Then, exponentially we are quickly reprogramming our organs every time we practice the inner smile. The table below provides the bare basics of the organs’ characteristics, such as their colors and positive virtues, from Classical Chinese Medicine: 

1. Heart: Red, Love 
2. Lungs: White, Strength 
3. Liver: Green, Kindness 
4. Spleen: Yellow, Trust 
5. Kidneys: Blue, Creativity 

Creating a life-long Inner Smile with Taoist Philosophy 

The Inner Smile color meditation is about acceptance. It is about noticing and acknowledging ‘what is’ and saying ‘thank you.’ It is not about judging ourselves, berating our organs for not being better, or regretting the time we spent ignoring and taking for granted our most important vital functions.  

We already know how to put ourselves down. One end result of this Taoist system, or any spiritual path, is an acceptance of creation and finding oneself at peace with the universe and all that it contains.  

A feeling of connectedness with all of the manifest and nonmanifest world is an experience that sages throughout time have explained explicitly or implicitly. Where better to begin this process than in one’s own body?  

And of course, if we can’t experience peace in our body, what hope do we have or feeling connected to all of creation? I believe this Taoist system allows the practitioner to build this feeling from the ground up, so the interrelated feeling with creation is hard-wired into the very being of the practitioner.  

There are stories of instant enlightenment, but I believe the method of slowly building spiritual virtue in the body is akin to investing for retirement, versus hoping to hit the lottery. 

5-step color meditation to achieve the Taoist ‘Inner Smile’ 

*For each of five organs, repeat this sequence:  

1. Hold your hands over each organ releasing associated negative emotions or memories 
2. Exhale the “sound” of each organ three times 
3. Tapoteall over the organ while holding the breath out  
4. Raise the arms up on a strong inhalation and lower them in front of you with the sound of the organ eg. “Sssss”  
5. Hold your hands over the organ while visualizing the “color”, restoring positive qualities, and a gentle smile into the organ. 

1) The Lungs – WHITE 
Release sadness, depression, and grief 
The sound is SSS (tongue behind teeth)
Restore courage, strength and the right action  

2) Kidneys – BLUE 
Release fear and anxiety
The sound is Choo (as when blowing out a candle: lips form an ‘o’)
Restore calm, stillness and gentleness 

3) Liver – GREEN 
Release anger, jealousy and frustration
The sound is SHHH
Restore forgiveness, acceptance and kindness 

4) Heart – RED 
Release hastiness, cruelty and arrogance
The sound is HAW (mouth is wide open)
Restore gratitude, patience, joy, love and sincerity 

5) Spleen – YELLOW 
Release doubt, worry and negative speak about self and others
The sound is WHOO (from the throat, guttural)
Restore trust, fairness and openness 

Directions (step-1) : Place your hands on your lungs while standing or sitting at the edge of your seat. Begin to rock from side to side and allow your gaze to follow the same side-to-side movement with your eyes closed.

Imagine your eyes are like giant erasers sweeping across your lungs erasing any grief, sadness or depression. Once that feels complete take a deep breath in and create the sound (SSS) as you exhale out three times.

After your 3rd exhalation hold the breath out and stretch open your chest as you tap your lungs until you can’t hold your breath any longer. Raise your hands above your head as you suck the breath back in.

And then press your palms down in front of you while breathing out the SSSS sound. On your next inhale float your hands back to the lungs and visualize the lungs filling up with white light. Continue to fill your lungs with courage, strength, and right action. Finally, a gentle smile into your lungs. 

Conclusion 

In closing, at a minimum, one can simply put one’s hands over the heart and say thank you. This draws the energy of gratitude to the heart. Then, if you want to visualize red, feel love, and even look at the anatomical picture of the heart and other organs, it’ll only serve to strengthen the meditative experience, and thus the overall well-being. 

From The Alchemist’s Tao Te Ching: 
Transforming Your Lead into Gold
by Andrew McCart 

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One bad night’s sleep can accumulate amyloid plaques in the brain. These are associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  

Today scientists are revealing the benefits of guided meditation to assist healthy sleep patterns.  

One of the biggest challenges of applying mindfulness is to know which technique works for you.  

In this article we’ll outline a simple guided meditation for better sleep and how to start today.   

The Importance of Healthy Sleep 

While we know how important it is, we tend to undervalue sleep. Today you may often cut our well-deserved resting time(often in the pursuit of productivity). We barely get enough of it, and you may always have poor quality sleep. Research is now showing us that it’s not medically possible to make up for lost sleep. 

Today poor sleep is related to medical conditions such as:  

• High blood pressure 
• Stroke 
• Heart attack 
• Obesity and weight gain 
• Depression 
• Anxiety 
• Alzheimer’s disease 
• Dementia 
• Auto-immune conditions 
• Gut and digestive diseases 

Thus, it’s important that we ensure we get enough high quality sleep every night. The ideal number of hours of sleep for a typical adult is anywhere from 6 to 8. Depending on your own body, you’ll need to make sure you’re getting an ideal amount.  

While there are many methods available to enhance the quality of your sleep, one tried and tested method is through meditation.  

And while the idea of just staying still in silence may not immediately register with you as an effective way to get more sleeping hours, researchers have found that meditation can actually help in improving sleep quality, particularly in older adults.  

Science Behind Guided Meditation for Sleep 

One study examined examined the impact of mindfulness and guided meditation on middle-aged and older adults for better sleep.

• What it looked at: 49 participants from the middle-aged and late-adult age groups who had trouble sleeping. They were divided into two groups: one that was enrolled in a course on sleep education that taught them effective sleeping techniques, and one that was tasked to participate in a “mindfulness awareness program” that employed, among other techniques, meditation to help them focus on the thoughts, emotions, and memories in their heads instead of all the distractions around them.  

• Results: regular two-hour meetings over the course of a few weeks, the group that meditated exhibited lower levels of depression, insomnia, and fatigue compared to those who were in the sleep education class. 

How to start meditating today  

What makes it challenging to apply sleep meditation techniques is changing your sleeping routine.  

Many people confusion to the first-time practitioner who only wants to perform the right techniques to improve the quality of his or her sleep. 

The best way to find out which meditation technique best suits you is to try them yourself.    

Fortunately, guided meditation for sleep is a good way to know if your practice is working or not.  

Simply put, this type of meditation hinges on the instructions given to you by your guide: from the basic procedures to breathing exercises to what you need to visualize for a more effective meditation.

Your guide also makes sure that you’re following the right form, and that you’re concentrating on meditating and not letting yourself get distracted by other thoughts. 

Changing your Sleep Routine to Meditate 

It’s one thing to make plans to meditate; to realize that you might need to devote a bit more time and focus towards getting the necessary number of hours of sleep per night. With everyone’s busy lifestyle these days, however, actually sticking to a meditation routine becomes an entirely different (and more complicated) story. 

More often than not, we end up setting aside meditation and other health-boosting physical activities in favor of getting more work done. The biggest challenge, then, is to manually adjust your schedule so that you’ll have enough time to incorporate meditation into it. With sufficient repetition and practice, you’ll find that meditation can become part of your daily activities seamlessly. 

Now, with regards to what time you should be meditating, it all depends on your schedule and your circadian rhythm — the 24-hour cycle your body follows for all its physical, mental, and behavioral changes.  

The circadian rhythm is a product of your body’s biological clock. Basically, this determines your chronotype, or the type of person you are, based on what time your body tells you to fall asleep. Night owls (the people who stay up at night) produce more melatonin (the hormone commonly associated with drowsiness and sleep) in the morning than in the evening. Meanwhile, the rest of the world goes to sleep upon nightfall because of heightened melatonin production during the night. 

Fortunately, being either an early bird or a night owl isn’t a permanent thing. With consistent training and guidance, it’s actually possible for you to improve your sleep cycle over the course of your regular meditations. (The operative word here, of course, is “regular.”) 

Ideally, guided meditation for sleep is done right after all the activities for the day are done and right before you climb into bed. This is regardless of whether you’re an early bird or a night owl. Either way, you’ll be all relaxed and calm by the time you’re done, which should make falling asleep a breeze for you. 

The question is: Where and how does one find a guide for sleep meditation? 

4 Guided Meditation Techniques for Sleep 

Now you’re ready to get started. Here are some simple guided meditation techniques that many people practice. 

Read each and pick the one that feels like it would work best with you. If it doesn’t, save the article and come back to try another one.  

1. Guided Meditation with Breathing Exercises: By controlling the pace of your breathing, you can actually train your body to know when it’s time to fall asleep. Breathe deeply into each part of your body. Picture that part of your body blowing up like a balloon.  

• Start controlled breathing. Count your breaths — 1 as you inhale, 2 as you exhale, 3 as you inhale, and so on, until you reach 10.  
• Breathe into your feet. Blowing them up like a balloon: Repeat x 10
• Breathe into your knees: Repeat x10
• Breathe into your loins: Repeat x 10
• Breathe into your belly: Repeat x 10
• Breathe into your ribs, expanding them outwards. Repeat x 10
• Breathe into your chest. Repeat x 10
• Expand your entire body. Repeat x 10

2. Body Awareness Guided Meditation: learn to be attuned with the different parts of your body, actively “switch off” one or all of them at will, starting from your toes upwards. 

• Switch of your toes 
• Switch off your feet 
• Switch off your knees 
• Switch off your loins 
• Switch off your stomach 
• Switch off your lungs 
• Switch off your heart 
• Switch off your voice 
• Switch off your brain  

3. Visualising Guided Meditation: You can also “hypnotize” yourself by visualizing scenarios that can help you fall asleep. 

Picture yourself sitting on a boat that is resting atop of a big whale. The whale is sleeping, and breathing deeply and slowing. Feel the watery and slow under the boat and the tide of the boat slowing breathing in and out. Thin 

4. Guided counting meditation: You’ve seen this technique in pop culture, often involving sheep leaping over a fence. You can achieve something similar by counting slowly from 100 to 1, and then 1 to 100, and then back again until you fall asleep. Counting an event like a sheep is a good way to distract the mind.  

5. Guided reflective meditation: Many mindfulness techniques aim at clearing events from the day from your head. Here’s a reflective technique to stop over analysing your day.

• Set a time 20 minutes before bed to think about your day, sit quietly, breathing deeply.  
•  Retrace your steps from the moment you woke up to the moment you got ready for sleep 
• Spending up to 25 seconds on each event.  
• Don’t think too much, simply acknowledge that these events happened 
• When you’re finished, put the events into a box in your mind. Throw the box away and feel ready to start a new day. 

In each of these guided meditations, repeat until you fall asleep.

How to find a Guided Meditation for Better Sleep 

To develop your meditation practice, there are lots of guided meditation options available online.  

If you don’t have access to a meditation class next to you, you can easily find meditation resources online.  

1. For starters, research yoga studios near your area, or guided meditation instructors you can hire to help you out. Joining yoga classes is especially effective if you really don’t know where to begin and don’t want to invest in a personal guide. The web also offers tons of meditation websites with free guides and videos that you can use.  
2. If you’re into listening to podcasts and other online music streaming services, you can easily find guided meditation resources there to suit your needs. Podcasts are particularly helpful, as listening to instructions is understandably more conducive to meditation than watching a video. Alternatively, you can listen one of the countless guided meditation recordings you can find on your streaming music service of choice. 
3. Lastly, you can download an app on your smartphone to help you meditate. Interestingly, science supports this course of action. According to the results of a 2018 study in Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, smartphone apps can provide benefits for one’s mental well-being. However, as one might expect, the most popular apps aren’t necessarily the best or most effective ones. It’s still generally on a case by case basis; you might have to shop around for apps to see which ones are the best for you. 

Some Helpful Tips on Getting the Most Out of Guided Meditation 

Here are some quick pointers to ensure that you’re maximizing the effects of your guided meditation. 

• Don’t be distracted by your electronic devices. This may seem like a no-brainer at this point, but it bears repeating. Unless you’re using your device to listen to or watch a meditation guide, put it away. At the very least, put it on Silent or Airplane mode so that you won’t get distracted by outside calls or messages for the duration of the time you’ll be meditating. 

• Find a comfortable spot to meditate. All the advanced meditative techniques in the world certainly won’t help you if you’re too busy filling your mind with thoughts of how itchy, irritated, or unpleasant you feel because you’re uncomfortable with your chosen meditation area. 

• Make sure that you’re breathing in and breathing out properly. Practice these if you must. 

• Manage your expectations. Meditation isn’t an instant cure-all; you need consistency and patience to be able to do it for an extended period of time before it shows any significant effects of what you’re doing. 

• Having the right mood music playing in the background also helps put your mind and body at greater ease. Alternatively, you can put on a set of headphones and enjoy all the music in solitude, blocking out any disturbances the rest of the world can throw at you. 

• Meditation can become initially uncomfortable, due to the fact that you’re not really used to just staying put and rendering your mind essentially empty during those fleeting moments. The key is to remember not to get lost in your own thoughts, and instead maintain presence of mind to sense the changes going on in your immediate surroundings.   

• Don’t be inconsistent. Once you’ve made a promise to yourself that you will set aside a certain number of hours per day for your meditation, stick to it. You’ll see clear results — and sleep much more soundly — sooner than you think. 

Conclusion 

Guided meditation can do wonders for your sleep cycle. It’s all a matter of finding the right technique to suit your needs, the time to actually meditate, and the willpower to do it consistently and regularly until you notice the changes in your circadian rhythm.  

Do you have trouble getting enough sleep or falling asleep at night?

Have you started looking for the guided meditation technique that will work for you?

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Sources:

• https://www.mindful.org/a-body-scan-meditation-to-help-you-sleep/ 
• https://www.verywellmind.com/guided-meditation-getting-started-4174283 
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-helps-fight-insomnia-improves-sleep-201502187726 
• https://www.flipscience.ph/health/sleeping-in-weekends/ 
• https://www.headspace.com/meditation/sleep 

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Transcendental meditation is a practice based in finding inner peace.  

It’s no surprise that so many forms of meditation have become popular as a direct result of this never-ending quest. Few, however, can claim to have as much basis in science and research as transcendental meditation, a meditative technique designed to detach oneself from sources of anxiety and promote internal harmony and self-realization. 

Perhaps the human condition is to seek peace of mind. Transcendental meditation is a surprisingly easy way to introduce mindfulness.

Benefits of transcendental meditation 

Some effects reported from transcendental meditators include: 

1. Reduced stress 
2. Relief from depression 
3. Reduced anxiety 
4. Improved focus 
5. Better memory 
6. Improved academic performance 
7. Calmer sleep 
8. Better work efficiency 
9. Reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases 
10. Improved blood pressure maintenance 
11. Ease in quitting harmful addictions and health-endangering habits 
12. Better social skills and improved interpersonal relationships 

What exactly is transcendental meditation?  

The transcendental meditation technique is founded on the belief that the repetition of a phrase called a mantra, it is possible to rid the mind of all distractions and achieve a state of “relaxed awareness.” 

Transcendental meditation practitioners and instructors will guide students by repeating a mantra facilitates a deeper state of relaxation by ridding the mind of strenuous conscious thinking. Instead of exerting effort on making the mind work a meditator feels a wave of calmness, which is said to encourage creativity, revitalize the body, and fill the spirit with contentment. 

The theoretical perspective that powers transcendental meditation is referred to as the Science of Creative Intelligence. It is drawn from Vedanta, one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy.  

(It is important to note, however, that practitioners need not subscribe to said philosophy in order to perform transcendental meditation practice). 

What is the difference between transcendental meditation and other forms of meditation?

Transcendental meditation has its roots in India’s ancient Vedic traditions. Its main difference is the repetition of a chosen mantra as a technique to calm the mind.  

It became popularized in the West by a spiritual guru from India. When the Hindu monk Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (who also went by the name Guru Dev) passed away in 1953, he had passed the technique down, adapted from Vedic practices.  

One of Guru Dev’s followers, a man called the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, made the practice known to the rest of the world starting in the late 1950s. Tagging it as the Spiritual Regeneration Movement, the Maharishi promoted it as “a secular path toward mental, emotional, and physical well-being.” 

The name “transcendental meditation” was heavily used for two reasons: to clearly differentiate it from other forms of meditation, and to distance it from Hinduism and other religions and ensure that it stands on its own. 

While the movement did enjoy a moderate level of success prior to the late 1960s, it received a welcome boost because of its acquisition of four high-profile believers: none other than the Beatles. Soon enough, other stars in various entertainment industries followed in John, Paul, Ringo, and George’s bell-bottomed footsteps. Meditation soon became the “trendy” thing, and the Maharishi’s method was in the spotlight. 

Despite a few setbacks, the practice continued to thrive through the 1990s, and at the turn of the century, approximately six million people across the globe had already participated in at least one transcendental meditation class. The Maharishi died in 2008, but the transcendental meditation method survives up to the present day. 

Is transcendental meditation effective? (Scientifically)  

There is increasing support amongst neuroscientists and psychologists for the transcendental meditation technique. Among its oft-cited benefits are stress reduction, the capability to lower one’s blood pressure, reduce anxiety and, depression. Positive effects include stimulating the healthy brain patterns, and encouraging creativity.  

What does TM do to the brain? 

In 2018 involving 16 long-term transcendental meditation practitioners. The researchers observed that blood flow patterns (fMRI) in the practitioners were significantly higher in the executive and attention areas (anterior cingulate and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortices) and significantly lower in arousal areas (pons and cerebellum) during the meditation practice.  

It is worth noting that this pattern has not been observed in other forms of meditation. This supports the notion that transcendental meditation does not require much effort. 

Reduce anxiety  

An independent study in 2014 looked at the effects of transcendental meditation on teachers and support staff working in a therapeutic school for students with behavioral problems. The researchers found that the technique had a significant effect in terms of reducing psychological distress in the employees. 

Benefits for heart and cardiovascular health 

One study from 2007 concluded that transcendental meditation “can be effective in improving the quality of life and functional capacity of African-American congestive heart failure patients.” Another study reported that the technique had a profound effect on the self-efficacy, perceived stress, and mental and physical quality of life of financially constrained mothers in Uganda. 

Is it scientifically proven? 

A number of organizations have expressed concerns regarding the veracity of the claims surrounding transcendental meditation. They argue that due to the poor quality of the initial research combined with the possibility that the results were skewed in the organizations favor, these findings on transcendental meditation’s health effects remain inconclusive at best.

Meanwhile, other studies claim that transcendental meditation is actually no different from other types of meditative practices out there. 

• The American Heart Association downplayed the effectiveness of transcendental meditation as hypertension treatment in 2013, saying that while it did work for that purpose, other methods such as regular exercise turned out to be more effective.  
• The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality expressed their doubts that transcendental meditation (as well as other forms of mantra-related meditation styles) could actually have any sort of impact on one’s mental health.  
• For blood pressure lowering and heart disease prevention, studies from the Journal of Human Hypertension (2015) and The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2014) concluded more well-designed tests are required for confirmation and the latter saying that the limitations of scientific literature on transcendental meditation makes it hard to confirm its purported effects. 

While firm scientific validity isn’t confirmed, the benefits of transcendental meditation is breaking into the professional community.  

How do Mantras Work? 

A few essential factors are surrounding the use of mantras. First, mantras have various vibrational characteristics. That’s why each TM student uses its own unique mantra. “Love” and “Jealousy,” both words are exceptionally strong feelings, and both of them create a specific vibrational sound. 

You can actually try and repeat these two words to yourself a few times, and feel the difference that they create. That’s why it’s essential that you use a specific mantra and produce the energy you desire. 

Next important factor is the focus. Our minds are frequently cluttered with random stuff. By having a word that we can focus on our attention we can free ourselves from this “internal scuffle”. 

At the bottom of the page is a list of internal mantras to select. 

How to do Transcendental Meditation by Yourself 

If for any reason, you are unable to avail a guide for transcendental meditation, you may follow these steps. 

1. Switch off all your mobile devices for the next 25 minutes. Set a timer or put a clock nearby to alert you. 
2. Sit in an upright but comfortable position, eyes closed, feet on the floor. 
3. Choose a simple mantra; it should be a sound, and not necessarily a word, that you can easily say and think of. For example,  
4. Repeat your chosen mantra silently, in your head, letting it flow within with minimal effort. Make sure that you don’t drift off, though. Focus on the mantra, and just the mantra. Let go of any ill feelings or thoughts. 
5. Keep going for 20 minutes.  
6. For the few remaining minutes of your meditation time, sit in silence, with your mind completely empty. 

A simple guided transcendental meditation 

1. To experience guided transcendental meditation techniques, one must find a certified guide and undergo a course of instruction consisting of a few basic steps. The transcendental meditation experience begins with an hour-long introductory lecture, followed by a 45-minute lesson on what the technique means and how it can really impact a person’s well-being.  
2. After this, the participant attends a brief interview, after which they receive their personalized instructions. It is at this point where, during a short ceremony, the participant chooses the mantra they’ll repeat to themselves each session (which they should never tell anyone else about). 
3. Subsequent lessons over the next three days span one to two hours each. In these lessons, the instructor will further flesh out the practice, encourage doing it regularly, and meet with practitioners over the next few months to make sure that they always execute the proper form when attempting to meditate. 

Each transcendental meditation session can last anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes. Practitioners usually do this twice a day, and initially require the guidance of their instructor to perform the sessions properly. 

Take note, however, that if you have certain medical conditions involving your mental well-being, you’ll need to speak with your physician before you proceed. 

Should you begin transcendental meditation? 

The official website of transcendental meditation presents four major reasons to try the method.  

1. It promotes the technique as one that does not require a disproportionate amount of effort or mentally taxing skill just to work. In fact, they outright state that the method is by no means intended to “empty the mind,” and that even children diagnosed with ADHD would have no trouble performing the practice. 
2. Transcendental meditation courses are tailored specifically for the practitioner. The technique is taught by a single teacher to a single student, and is crafted based on your needs and preferences. Furthermore, only official transcendental meditation instructors are permitted to teach you the technique. That’s why there isn’t a single routine or formula that one can pull up and just follow to a T. 
3. It’s purportedly “guaranteed” to work. As a matter of fact, it even comes with a satisfaction guarantee. 
4. Perhaps the most compelling reason: the science checks out. According to their own tally, there are hundreds of research studies that have been published in the past few years, attesting to the transcendental meditation technique’s significant impact on preventing heart diseases, neurological functionality, and relieving stress. 

Mantras for meditation 

Conclusion 

As a technique, transcendental meditation easy to begin by yourself. Today there is a growing body of evidence around to support it than most of the other popular meditative techniques out there. 

Would you consider trying transcendental meditation? Have you tried it before?  

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Further reading:

• https://tmhome.com/transcendental-meditation/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24107199 
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951026/ 
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29494787 
• https://www.tm.org/popups-responsive/brain.html 
• https://www.tm.org/popups-responsive/heart-charts.html  
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29505943

The post How to Learn a 3-Step Transcendental Meditation by Yourself appeared first on .

The art of Vipassana meditation — an ancient meditative technique over 2,500 years old — is proof of that. 

As scientists search for where consciousness comes from, the answer has become murkier. What has become apparent is that ancient practices appear to have understood how to achieve a state of mind that produces health and happiness.  

Vipassana meditation is aimed at calming the mind and taking the brain into a state of relaxation. The idea that consciousness does not come from the brain has been a practice based in many ancient cultures.  

Today neuroscientists measure the benefits of meditation technique on the brain.  By recording brain waves, they are finding that Vipassana meditation may help healing brain frequencies, reduce anxiety, cure depression, and increase the function of your mind. 

What is Vipassana Meditation Technique? 

“Vipassana” roughly translates to “insight,” which adequately embodies the driving principle behind this meditative practice. 

Vipassana meditation employs introspection to lead the meditator down the path of self-transformation. Through intense concentration, Vipassana meditation is said to be capable of unveiling the truth behind reality itself. 

While difficult to understand at first,  it means that through self-observation, the meditator can see the deep interconnection between his or her physical form and mind. 

Benefits of Vipassana Meditation Technique

Peace of mind is one of the most widely reported benefits of this ancient meditation technique.

Others benefits include:  

• Feeling of happiness 
• Feeling of calm 
• Reduce anxiety 
• Better time management 
• A sense of peace with failure 
• A release from stresses of life
• Increased awareness 
• A widened perspective 
• Improved mobility
• Better sleep    

Scientists have been reluctant to conclude on the benefits of Vipassana meditation technique. Previously there was mainly anecdotal evidence — including a recent study in a medical journal and an essay published by a reputable news source — to give some merit to the practice. 

Here is a summary of research over the last 20 years: 

• In 2001: one study looked at the effects of the Vipassana meditation technique and found:   

“Through direct experience, the nature of how one grows or regresses, how one produces suffering or frees oneself from suffering is understood. Life becomes characterized by increased awareness, non-delusion, self-control, and peace.” (3)  

• A 2015: study looked at a group of 122 people pre and post vipassana meditation. They concluded:  

“Mindfulness change scores between pre-course and 6-month follow-up were moderate to highly correlated with outcome variable change score” (4)  

• In 2016: a study on 20 people concluded similarly: 

“1-month Vipassana meditation retreat seems to yield improvements in mindfulness, well-being, and personality, even inexperienced meditators” (5) 

Vipassana Meditation, Reduce Anxiety with Theta Brain Waves 

Neuroscientists have begun to use brain waves as a way to measure the mental health of individuals. 

There are five main frequency brain waves: 

• Beta: awake, normal alert, consciousness  
• Alpha: relaxed, calm, lucid, not thinking 
• Theta: deep relaxation and meditation, mental imagery 
• Delta: Deep, dreamless sleep
• Gamma 

These brain waves are in constant motion, and the brain produces consistent waves at all frequencies. 

Image: Brain wave frequencies and states of consciousness.

Theta waves are slowed down at a frequency of 4-7 cycles per second. 

Both Alpha and Theta brain waves may have benefits including: 

1. Relieve stress and promote a lasting and substantial reduction in people prone to anxiety states. 
   
2. Facilitate a deep physical relaxation and mental clarity 
   
3. Increase verbal ability and also the performance IQ, verbal.
4. Better synchronize the two hemispheres of the brain.
5. Recall mental images live and spontaneous imaginative and creative thinking.
6. Reduce pain, promote euphoria, and stimulate the release of endorphins.

A 2019 study used EEG brainwave measurements to assess outcomes in meditators.

Seeking to measure the physical and psychological effects of Vipassana meditation, the researchers gathered a small group of willing participants sampled from a multi-ethnic population in Muscat, Oman. The participants joined a Vipassana meditation course in a ten-day residential retreat, after which they reported significantly higher levels of physical and psychological well-being based on their self-assessment.  

They looked at alpha waves, theta waves, and alpha-theta wave coherence and concluded: 

“Vipassana meditation enhanced alpha de-synchrony and lesser theta-alpha coherence in the more proficient meditators.” (6) 

What happens during Vipassana meditation? 

In 2015, Zoe Schlanger wrote about her experience in joining a ten-day Vipassana meditation retreat for Newsweek. In her article, she shared details about how she felt when she came back to New York City from the Vipassana Meditation Center in Shelburne, Massachusetts.  

These are the changes she noticed:

1. Schlanger realized that her outlook towards her home city had changed. “When I got home, New York City was briefly unmanageable,” Schlanger wrote. “I felt daunted by the task of conversation, and socializing was unappealing.” 
2. According to her, she became less concerned about the opinions of others, more patient and appreciative of the things around her, and more attentive to events that were taking place in her immediate environment. 
3. Furthermore, she also reported a decreased level of self-pitying, worrying about the future, and stressing over her past mistakes and failed relationships. 
4. Before leaving for the retreat, she had her thyroid and cortisol levels tested. When she got tested after her solitude, she found that her thyroid levels had dropped by one point, and her levels of cortisol (the so-called “stress hormone”) decreased by nearly ten points, a feat that her doctor said would take months for a stress-reducing supplement to accomplish. 

Of course, because Schlanger’s article was a personal account, it can’t be treated with the same weight as a scientific study.  

Nevertheless, the fact that someone who had just undergone the meditative process would be able to glean such insights from her own experience says a lot about Vipassana’s impact on a personal level. 

Who started Vipassana meditation? 

Behind the methodology of Vipassana meditation lies a rich history deeply ingrained in spirituality. 

Vipassana is said to be the oldest among the traditional meditation practices of Buddhism. Remarkably, the practice supposedly comes directly from the Satipatthana Sutta, an ancient text believed to have been from Gautama Buddha himself. 

Vipassana meditation was widely practiced in India for around half a millennium before it all but disappeared from the country. Its survival was ensured, however, by the influx of meditation teachers from Myanmar (formerly Burma).  

Eventually, the efforts of a retired industrialist named S. N. Goenka resulted in the reinstatement and revival of the Vipassana practice in India. Born and raised in Myanmar himself, Goenka began teaching Vipassana meditation in India in 1969, and devoted himself to spreading the craft until his death in 2013. 

Nowadays, with Vipassana’s resurgence in popularity, word about the practice is spreading across the world, and more and more people are starting to be curious enough to experience it and its reported benefits for themselves. 

4 Step Guided Vipassana Meditation 

Now we understand how Vipassana meditation can benefit the brain, the next question to ask is: How exactly does perform the practice? 

The Vipassana meditation procedure, unlike other meditative practices, is not usually practiced on your own when you’re starting. 

However, in this article, we’ll show you how to begin and see if it’s the type of meditation for you.  

If you feel the benefits you can sign up for a ten-day residential course, administered by an experienced guide. The course abides by a specific Code of Discipline especially designed for Vipassana meditation. In the ten-day course, you will not only learn the fundamentals of Vipassana meditation, but you’ll also be able to do it enough times and feel how it helps bring about changes in your life. 

At most retreats, Vipassana meditation technique is not taught at a cost but is offered for free. You do not have to pay your instructor, or for food or accommodation. The courses are funded via donations from past participants who felt that the Vipassana meditation technique improved the quality of their lives and their overall disposition.  

Make no mistake, however: The Vipassana meditation course is far from a cakewalk. It’s an investment of time and money, and it’s a multi-step training course — the full impact of which won’t be felt until after a long period of repetition.  

1. General recommendations are to abstain from committing any legal offenses, taking a break from sexual activity, preventing yourself from lying and spreading gossip and rumors about other people, and saying no to intoxicants such as alcohol. 
2. Set a time in the day to focus on your technique and commit to a 10-day period to practice meditation.  
3. Sit in a comfortable position. Stop thinking of anything else. This step is crucial because the Vipassana meditation technique will only work as intended if your mind is clear, free, and unobstructed for introspection. 
4. After that, practice having complete control over your mind. The easiest way to to completely focus on your breath.   
5. Pay close attention to how you inhale and exhale, from the moment air enters through your nostrils and reaches your lungs until you breathe out and get ready to take another breath. 

You should feel a sense of calm over yourself.  You may already be noticing changes in the way you process your thoughts and perceive your environment by the time the fourth day of the retreat rolls in. In this stage, you’ll feel yourself becoming more perceptive and well-attuned to the signals sent by your body. You will be able to master how and when to react to certain stimuli, as well as how to bypass and ignore them. 

The course will continue as usual, with the regular breathing exercises and practice sessions, up until the last day. On the final day of the course, you will have achieved full mastery of the meditation technique, while developing a sense of unity, camaraderie, and a certain degree of warmth and love not just for humanity, but for all the living creatures on the planet. 

Conclusion 

In summation, the Vipassana meditation technique sharpens and strengthens the mind to allow you to surpass the limitations of the body. Think of it as a mental exercise program of sorts, to ensure that your brain is always in prime condition. 

It bears repeating that to expect your problems to dissolve after the ten-day retreat would be incredibly naive. Naturally, as with every activity worth doing, practice is the key to mastery. Make time during your days after the retreat to engage in Vipassana meditation on a regular basis, so that your hard work and progress would not be undone. 

Practitioners of Vipassana meditation acknowledge that the road to recovery through the technique is a long and gradual process. They are careful to clarify that such a level of awareness does not come instantaneously; rather, it is the product of steady and consistent sessions, spanning even years.  

If it’s a quick remedy to your internal issues and problems that you seek, perhaps it would be better for you to examine other meditative procedures. If, however, you are the type who is not only patient but can also adhere to a routine, then this might be the perfect meditative technique for you and your lifestyle. 

Are you interested in trying Vipassana meditation, or have you ever experienced it yourself?  

Leave your thoughts in the comments section below! 

Sources:

1. https://tricycle.org/magazine/vipassana-meditation/
2. https://www.dhamma.org/en/about/vipassana
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24019714
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24515781
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5149565/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30732834

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Throughout human history, dreams were regarded as a sign of what might happen in your life and the world.

Today researchers are learning more and more about how sleep and the brain control your dreams. The human brain is wired to do many things during the stages of sleep.

We now understand different types of dreams and classify them into categories.

Lucid dreaming is a term scientists use to describe when you know the situation you are experiencing, is in fact, a dream. It’s a scenario with exciting possibilities.

Being able to control your dreams may have many benefits. These may include:

• Learning and integrating new skills
• Reversing mental health conditions
• Curing nightmares
• Reversing PTSD
• Reverse sleep disorders

Neuroscientists now understand the chemistry of dreams and how you can use specific supplements to trigger lucid dreams.

Research has investigated a supplement called galantamine to treat Alzheimer’s disease. It acts on enzymes that break down a neurotransmitter  known to trigger dreams during sleep.

Brain conditions like Alzheimer’s disease associate with sleep disorders. Even a few nights of sleep deprivation can increase the build-up of Amyloid plaques in the brain, that contribute to mental decline. (1)

However, new studies show galantamine may also trigger a lucid dream.

In this article, we’ll explore:

1. The brain chemistry of what causes lucid dreaming
2. The study that used galantamine to trigger lucid dreams
3. How to use Galantamine to trigger a lucid Dreams

Why do Dreams Happen in REM Sleep?

Let’s take a quick look at the neuroscience of sleep and dreams.

In mammals and birds, sleep is split into two types:

1. Non-Rem Sleep (NREM) – Deeper sleep when the brain directs cleansing of the bodily organs (eg. Digestive system). Slower deeper brain waves (Delta waves) occur in these phases.
2. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) – When the brain undergoes self-cleansing. Faster brain waves (Beta Waves) are recorded that are similar to wakeful brain waves.

We now know that most dreams occur during REM sleep. During this period, the brain is doing ‘self-work’ like removing build-up from the day.

Brain waves during REM sleep are faster, similar to waking hours, than those during NREM sleep.

Understanding the stages of sleep tells us that dreams could be a good indicator of healthy sleep.

If you don’t dream, then it might mean you’re not getting enough, or good quality REM sleep.

What Causes Lucid Dreaming?

If you’re new to Lucid dreaming, you can read this article: What is Lucid Dreaming?

It’s now understood that specific types of neurotransmitters manage the sleep cycle.

Acetylcholine (ACh), is a neurotransmitter known to induce the REM sleep cycle. The more ACh in your brain, the more likely that you’ll trigger lucid dreaming.

Scientists have studied the brain receptors for (ACh).

These include:

• Acetylcholine receptors: Chrm1 and Chrm3

They removed the genes that regulate these receptors in mice. The result was less REM sleep in the study group.

Image: By removing ACh receptors in mice, researchers reduced the amount of REM sleep in the test group. Source (2)

How to Trigger Lucid Dreaming with Galantamine

One method to trigger lucid dreaming is to prevent the breakdown of ACh in the brain.

By using a drug or supplement called galantamine, scientists found they were able to trigger lucid dreaming.

The supplement was approved by the FDA in 2001.

Studies on galantamine have found: (3)

• Improvement in both short and long-term memory
• Reduction symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease
• Effective in treating mild to moderate dementia

Galantamine increase ACh levels in the brain. It seems to improve higher memory allowance, which improves dream recall as well as the ability to lucid dream.

What is Galantamine?

Image: Galantamine is a molecule that may increase levels of ACh in the brain and could be a useful lucid dreaming technique. Source

When neurotransmitters are released, the body uses them and or breaks them down. Inhibitors stop the action of a particular neurotransmitter or enzyme.

Galantamine is a natural supplement:

• It’s an alkaloid isolated from bulbs of a variety of flowers
• Found in daffodils and red spider-lily’s.
• As a chemical, it is an Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEls).

Galantamine inhibits the enzyme that breaks down ACh. It hence increases the amount of ACH present in the brain.

These mechanisms explain why it may help improve REM sleep and lucid dreaming.

Galantamine is known to have powerful mind-inducing effects. It may even be regarded as a Nootropic (brain-enhancer).

It belongs to a class of substances frequently reported with the side effect of an increase in the vividness or intensity of dreams.

Image: Galantamine increases the action of Ach on muscarinic receptors in the brain. Source (4)

REM Sleep and Triggering Lucid Dreaming

A 2018 double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study looked at galantamine and lucid dreaming. (5)

What they did:

• 121 participants (63 males, 58 females)
• 3 consecutive nights
• Used sleep interruption roughly around the third REM cycle in the night
• MILD technique (a lucid dreaming technique)
• Each subject was given a random packet containing 0 mg, 4 mg, or 8 mg of galantamine

Dreams were classified as:

1. None
2. DILD (dream-initiated lucid dream)
3. WILD (wake-initiated lucid dream)

The results:

• 62% reported one or more lucid dreams
• 57% on one or more nights with galantamine
• 42% with the 8 mg galantamine dose
• 27% with the 4 mg galantamine dose
• 14% with the active placebo procedure

A total of 69 out of 121 participants (57%) successfully had a lucid dream on at least one out of two nights on an active dose of galantamine.

How to use Galantamine to Trigger Lucid Dreaming

Always check with your physician before starting a supplement or medication.

• Lucid Dreaming Dosage:

The most common dosage for lucid dreaming is 4-8mg. It might be best to start with 4mg, record your results, and increase to 8mg if needed.

Here are a two different galantamine supplements with 4mg and 6mg options.

Galantamine supplements: 4mg

Galantamine supplements: 6mg

• Technique and how to take galantamine as a sleep supplement:

Take the pill after 4-6 hours of sleep – it will gain its highest activity in an hour. Set an alarm between 3-4am, take the pill, and go straight back to sleep

• What happens in lucid dreams?

As you enter the stage between wakefulness and sleep, (hypnagogia) you may experience hallucinations.

1. Random speckles
2. Geometric patterns or lines
3. Monochrome patterns or rich colors
4. Still or moving patterns
5. Flat or three-dimensional shapes

If you see these, stay as still as possible, it’s likely you’re entering a lucid dreaming state.

What Happens in Lucid Dreams, and are there Dangers?

Always check with your physician and ask about interactions with medications you’re taking.

If you’re new to lucid dreaming read this blog before taking any medication or supplement. What is Lucid Dreaming?

Danger or side-effects may include:

• Being unable to discern between reality or dreaming
• Sleep paralysis

How do I Trigger a Lucid Dream with Sleep Techniques?

1. Practicing mindfulness and meditation

Meditation is likely to increase your chances of lucid dreaming.

During the day, or even right before going to sleep, meditate for at 10-15 minutes.

Here are a few resources and explanations for beginners.

• Meditation for mindfulness
• 6-Step Healing Meditation
• Meditation for higher consciousness

2. Good Sleeping Patterns

Good sleeping patterns mean balancing melatonin levels released from the pineal gland.

These depend on:

• removing artificial light in the night
• getting daily and morning sunlight
• breathing deeply through the nose all night
• good sleep hygiene
• healing the pineal gland
• Promote REM sleep:

If you feel REM Sleep or lucid dreaming starting, try to be as still as possible. This allows your body to enter sleep paralysis. It’s this stage that the brain immerses itself in the world of rapid eye movement sleep.

Conclusion

The benefits of lucid dreaming are now being understood to include better memory, focus, learning, and healthy sleep.

With proper REM sleep cycles, the brain may reduce the risk of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.

Galantamine whilst approved as treatment for Alzheimer’s disease may also be effective to trigger lucid dreaming.

For better sleep use with meditation and mindfulness practices.

Now it’s up to you.

Have you experienced lucid dreaming? What techniques did you do to induce better REM sleep and lucid dreaming?

Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

Further Reading:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29632177
2. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(18)31200-2
3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00003088-200342150-00005
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18088197
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6082533/
6. https://humanoriginproject.com/what-is-lucid-dreaming-6-techniques-self-realization/

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In today’s busy and ever-changing world, each day presents a new challenge in maintaining a healthy state of mind. Your mood is based on your surroundings. Whether it’s work, or family, or other aspects of your life, mindset is now known to play a big role in dealing with stress and preventing mental illness.  

When we’re lost in the shuffle of everyday existence, we put our overall health and well-being at risk. We tend to focus on the things that further irritate and frustrate us, instead of prioritizing wellness and self-preservation.  

This is where mindfulness comes in — and by extension, meditation as well. The benefits of exercise for health are well known, think of mindfulness as exercise and care for your mind and brain.  

What is Mindfulness?  

Simply put, mindfulness is the mental state of being in the here and now.  

At any given time, the brain can be in one of two states: the default mode network (DMN) or the task-positive network (TPN). 

The DMN is our default state; when we’re not doing anything, that’s where your mind is. The TMN, on the other hand, is the active state when we’re conversing with someone, engaged in a task, or otherwise doing anything that requires conscious attention and focus.  

Thus, when you find yourself getting sad, feeling anxious, or worrying about future problems, it helps to know how to switch from DMN to TPN. That’s not to say that one state is better than the other; it’s just that DMN and TPN need to be balanced to achieve good mental health.  

And the key to switching from DMN to TPN — from anxiety to mindfulness — is through meditation. 

Mindfulness means avoiding all of the distractions that take us away from focusing on the present removing all negativity and anxieties. Instead, you channel your deepest emotions and thoughts towards the pursuit of inner peace and harmony.  

A mindful person is aware of the things that go on in their immediate environment, and is in touch with their feelings. Mindfulness can help us manage our relationships well and give our best performance in everything that we do. 

Researchers have revealed the benefits of mindfulness and meditation.  There is a growing body of evidence revealing a significant impact on personal happiness, stress reduction, and productivity. 

Health Benefits of Mindfulness  

There are a number of studies demonstrating the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. 

The University of Massachusetts Medical Center has its own Stress Reduction Clinic, founded by Professor emeritus Jon Kabat-Zinn. The clinic has been actively involved in mindfulness meditation research, with the goal of raising its profile and integrating it into modern-day mainstream medical practices.  

Research has shown that mindfulness and meditation techniques may assist in  

• stress reduction
• better sleep  

Considering 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders, it could prove to be a future intervention option for healthy sleep.  

The benefits go further including the prevention and treatment of  

• heart disease 
• high blood pressure 
• digestive disorders, like leaky gut 
• chronic pain, headaches, and migraines
• chronic inflammation 

Each may suggest how psychosomatic illnesses work; the less stressed and aggravated we are, the better we feel. 

In addition, mindfulness techniques have been shown to help patients suffering from mental disorders including: 

• obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD
• anxiety 
• bulimia, anorexia, and eating disorders 
• drug abuse and addiction 
• family or relationship related mental conditions 

On the surface level, mindfulness can improve your overall disposition. When you are mindful, you think less about your personal problems and more about your personal victories. You are in the moment, ever-present and aware of the positive things and events happening around you. You dwell in the present, and leave the worries of the future for the future. You focus instead on fixing what you can fix today, and you give yourself an emotional boost because you are able to get over any stumbling blocks and obstacles towards success with relative ease. 

How Mindfulness Affects Neurotransmitters in the Brain 

Neuroscientists have revealed changes in the brain in those that practice mindfulness.  

1. Serotonin. relays signals from one area of the brain to another, and affects our mood significantly. In a study conducted by students from the University of Montreal, mindfulness directly impacts how much serotonin our brains produce, boosting its levels and helping us in coping with stress and preventing depression. 
2.  Cortisol. Known as the stress hormone, cortisol is a byproduct of the body when we are stressed, and is also said to accelerate the aging process. In 2013, UC Davis researchers discovered that mindfulness meditation can significantly affect our cortisol production; meanwhile, a medical professional at Rutgers University observed that meditation could reduce cortisol levels by almost 50 percent. 
3.  DHEA. If cortisol accelerates aging and increases stress, DHEA fulfills the opposite function. The American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine, those who practice mindfulness meditation have almost 50 percent more DHEA than non-practitioners. 
4.  GABA. GABA stands for gamma aminobutyric acid, and it is responsible for keeping us from overthinking and getting anxious. A 2010 study revealed that GABA levels increased by 27 percent even after just an hour of mindfulness meditation. 
5.  Endorphins. Endorphins are responsible not just for our happy feelings, but also to soothe our pain. Interestingly, studies have shown that runners who meditate have greatly increased endorphin levels (which is why you feel so good when you finish a race). 
6.  Melatonin. Last but not the least, melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland. Aside from guarding against cancer and benefits all over the body, it protects the digestive system, immune system and slows the aging process as well. Researchers from Rutgers University conducted experiments on meditation practitioners, and found a 98 percent average increase of melatonin levels in their brains. (Some even reached 300 percent!) 

Mindfulness Meditation for Depression

Perhaps most importantly, however, mindfulness techniques have been shown to be greatly effective in addressing a serious condition that, until recently, has been the subject of negative stigma due to it being misunderstood: depression. 

According to psychologist and author Daniel Goleman, mindfulness can be used to treat chronic depression, through the application of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, or MBCT. MBCT is a mindfulness-based program that subjects patients to eight weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy to provide treatment and relief. 

“Meditation generally makes people feel positive and helps diminish anxiety, but it becomes particularly powerful when it’s combined with psychotherapy,” Goleman says. “Mindfulness and other meditations, particularly combined with cognitive therapy, work just as well for anxiety or depression as the medications do, but they don’t have those side effects.” 

Combining meditation techniques with cognitive therapy — which teaches patients to explore the inner workings of their mind and develop an awareness of how their negativity takes over them — has proven to be powerful in addressing depression due to the one-two punch of recognizing your feelings (through mindfulness) and moving past them (through cognitive therapy). 

Research is supporting the merits of this approach. After reviewing nine clinical trials involving severely depressed patients, researchers concluded that the patients who underwent MBCT were less likely to fall back into depression for one year and two months, across all demographics. In fact, the same analysis showed that MBCT was actually more potent at treating chronic depression than antidepressants. 

How Do You Start Mindfulness Meditation? 

Remember there is no single way to achieve mindfulness, though there are methods (including guided mindfulness meditation, which we’ll get into later on) that are more effective than others. 

Most people find meditation difficult when they first start. So don’t worry if you do too.  

The important thing to note in attaining mindfulness is that one must stay relaxed yet alert, the perfect balance of paying attention without making any decisions or judgment about what’s around you. 

The easiest form of mindfulness meditation involves selecting a simple word or statement that you can repeat to yourself silently as you sit and focus on your thoughts. This is called a mantra. Alternatively, you can do without a mantra and focus on breathing in and out instead.  

You can also be more alert about the sensations in your body or in your immediate environment, putting your senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound at work. Remember, though, that you must activate these senses without applying judgment to whatever you end up sensing.  

Another way of achieving mindfulness is getting in sync with your own emotions. A period of self-examination and reflection in silence can work wonders in helping you reach the level of mindfulness that gives you inner peace. 

Meditation for Addiction and Breaking Habits

For people struggling with addiction, they may practice urge surfing. This technique involves fighting your urge to consume addictive substances or participate in addictive behavior, resisting the temptation to do further harm to your body until the urges and addiction pass.

This can be quite difficult and mentally taxing, but also has the largest payoff (as you may eventually rid yourself entirely of your addiction). 

6 Step Guided Mindfulness Meditation 

As mentioned earlier, one can practice mindfulness meditation to achieve a state of mindfulness. 

Mindfulness meditation involves undergoing a series of meditative steps revolving around attention focusing. The ultimate goal is to diminish your stress levels by having you focus on a single object or stimulus. 

Here’s a basic mindfulness meditation routine you can follow. Feel free to change it to something that works for you. 

1. Sit with straight posture on a chair or on the floor. 
2. Inhale deeply into your belly for five seconds, and focus on filling a balloon just under your navel, you can put your hands here and feel it ‘blow up’. 
3. Pay attention to how your body reacts to you breathing in, picture the tides of the ocean moving with your breath  
4. Exhale slowly for 8 seconds, while continuing to stay focused. The slower your exhale, the more relaxing the practice is.  
5. Start paying attention to feelings through your body. Feel the light feeling of your mind as exhaling pushes cerebrospinal fluid up your spine. Try not to focus too much, just feel the pressure of where you’re sitting and laying, and the rise and fall of your stomach.
6. Keep your mind empty and devoid of judgment as you do this. 
7. Repeat 5 times. 

After 5-10 minutes of mindfulness practice, you will feel a sense of calm move over your mind. Practicing this daily can help integrate those feelings into your everyday life.

The key to successfully practicing mindfulness is letting go of yourself and your prejudices. The moment you start noticing that your mind is filling itself with thoughts that require judgment and effort, just notice it, and slowly move it to the side.   

Your upcoming work deadlines or your ambitions to become a successful musician someday, or even the vacation you’re planning to go on next month. Empty your mind of all thoughts and distractions, and focus on the present. The moment you feel yourself falling into that mental trap once more, push your focus to your breath.  

Eventually, when you practice meditation enough, you will no longer have difficulty redirecting your thoughts and achieving the state of mindfulness. When you reach this point, you will eventually find that none of your day-to-day challenges are as worrying as they were and you’ll notice changes in your overall health as time passes. 

Take note that you also don’t have to do this by yourself. Meditating on your own is the preferable option if you’re an introvert; however, it also wouldn’t hurt to attend a few classes or even have a personal mindfulness meditation instructor to teach you new techniques or keep you motivated.  

If you’re suffering from depression or any other mental illness and would like to give mindfulness meditation a shot, you may consult with your physician and get professional advice on the techniques you can explore.  

Conclusion 

There is no single path to mindfulness, and not every technique will work for everyone. One thing we do know is that what truly matters is to never lose sight of the main objective in mindfulness meditation. To empty your mind of all distractions and judgment. 

Practicing mindfulness meditation can help you cope with the daily challenges of existence, recognize emotions you barely notice, become more at peace with yourself, or even unlock talents you never thought you had. Perhaps most important of all, however, is that mindfulness can make you an overall better person, both for yourself and for others. 

Have you tried any mindfulness meditation techniques? Share your experiences in the comments section below. 

Further reading  

• https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm/ 
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness 
• https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2517515 
• https://eocinstitute.org/meditation/dhea_gaba_cortisol_hgh_melatonin_serotonin_endorphins/ 

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Neuroscientists are revealing the many different types of dreams. One type, called lucid dreaming, is a feeling that a dream scenario is real-life. 

That means you’re dreaming but you know it. You could also call it self-realization dreaming.  

Research suggests two of the most common types of lucid dreams are trying to fly, and having sex. If you’ve ever had either of these dreams, and been aware that you’re actually not flying (or having sex), then you could be a lucid dreamer. 

So what is lucid dreaming?  

In this article we’ll explore the different types of dreams and the techniques for lucid dreaming.  

What happens when you lucid dream?  

Lucid dreaming is a dream where you are in a scenario that you KNOW is a dream. People report many different experiences from lucid dreaming. 

Scientists are discovering new results on lucid dreaming.

One study surveyed 570 people who said they’ve experienced lucid dreaming to find the most common lucid dreams. Researchers asked whether dreamers decided what they were going to do in their dream.  

Results show a variety of types of lucid dreams.

These include:  

• Problem-solving dreams 
• Dreams of experiences not possible in real life 
• Near-death experience dreams
• Dreams of solutions to reoccurring nightmares 

Lucid dreaming also could be helpful in treating psychological problems such as frequent nightmares or PTSD. A previous survey of about 300 lucid dreamers found that the majority of lucid dreamers used their dreams to have fun and to change nightmares into pleasant dreams. About 30 percent of lucid dreamers also reported using lucid dreams for problem solving and creativity. 

What are the causes of dreaming? 

To this day, we don’t fully understand why we dream. Because some aspects of the brain work similarly when asleep and when awake, many believe that dreams aren’t exactly random. For example, it’s been observed that when we’re asleep, our brains capture information from our immediate environment and find ways to incorporate that into whatever dream we’re having.  

Some also theorize that dreams pull from our memories as well, using them as a sort of foundation upon which the dream is built.

The different types of dreams 

Lucid dreaming is just one type of dream.  

Dreaming has only recently become a full area of study for scientists. There are many classifications for dreaming. Some say that there are eight or nine types of dreams, while others are less specific.  

However, many experts agree that in general, dreams can be classified into three types.

1. Normal dreams: During these kinds of dreams, we are not aware that we’re dreaming. We see, hear, feel, and experience things, and think that we’re actually moving in our reality.
2. Nightmares: Nightmares are like normal dreams, except they evoke severely negative emotions and are regarded as extremely distressing and unpleasant. They happen when the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with anger and fear, kicks into overdrive. Understandably, waking up from a nightmare is often accompanied by a tidal wave of relief.
3. Lucid dreaming: As there’s the added element of the dreamer being aware that they’re actually in a dream, lucid dreaming tends to involve a more complex thought process, and can be quite detailed. Furthermore, some lucid dreamers have attested to the fact that they retain part of the dream in their memory upon waking up. In fact, for some, these memories feel so real that they have slight difficulty accepting that they didn’t happen in the real world. 

The question now is this: How do we enter the state of lucid dreaming?  

Lucid Dreaming & Stages of Sleep 

Lucid dreaming requires the brain to entire the full cycles and stages of sleep. Source

To understand how to lucid dream we need to know the stages of sleep: 

There are typically four stages of sleep, each lasting between 5 to 15 minutes. An entire sleep cycle — all of these stages together, repeated a couple of times — lasts between 90 to 110 minutes. 

1. Stage 1: This is the beginning of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. This also marks the start of light sleeping. At this stage, you can easily be jolted awake by the slightest disturbance (such as a loud sound in your environment or a few light taps on your shoulder). At this stage, your brain activity starts to slow as your muscles relax. 
2. Stage 2: At this stage, you’re not as easy to wake, but you’re not quite in dream world yet. Here, your heart rate begins to slow, as your body temperature goes down. Your brain waves also begin to decelerate, save for brief, rapid activity known as sleep spindles and brain waves called K-complexes (which are said to suppress cortisol arousal and help memory consolidation while sleeping). 
3. Stage 3: Also known as deep NREM sleep, this is the stage where you become less likely to be awoken by simple physical disturbances or arousals. This is said to be the most restorative stage of sleep, and is also where sleepwalking or sleep talking take place. 
4. REM Sleep: This is where most dreaming occurs. Brain waves are more active here than in the previous two stages, and it’s easier to wake you up during this stage. 

Rapid-Eye Movement (REM) is the state in which the brain functions as if it were awake, but while the eyes flutter and move at an accelerated rate. It originates from the pons (the base of the brain), traveling all the way to the thalamus and the cortex. According to experts, this occurs in 90-minute cycles, establishing neural pathways and basically “writing” memories.  

Additionally, the body produces cortisol, the stress hormone in charge of maintaining your immune system and blood glucose levels, during this REM state. Levels of dopamine, the hormone connected with pleasure, rise as well, facilitating the continuation of the dream state. 

Brain Waves and Dreams   

Brainwaves are rhythmic electrical pulses of neural activity in the brain. They signal how neurons communicate with one another.  They’re categorized based on their bandwidths (measured in Hertz)  in order to determine their function: the slower brainwaves are larger, while the faster brainwaves are a bit more subtle.  

Our brainwaves also adapt based on our current circumstances. For instance, we experience slower brainwaves when we’re tired and not at peak operating efficiency; on the other hand, when we’re at heightened alertness, higher-frequency brainwaves become more prominent. 

There are different types of brainwaves: 

• Infra-low waves (<0.5 Hz): While they are regarded as the basic cortical rhythms in our brain, we know extremely little about them, due to the fact that they are quite difficult to detect and measure.  

• Delta waves (0.5 to 3 Hz): These are the slowest and loudest brainwaves, detected in NREM sleep and deep meditation. 

• Theta waves (3 to 8 Hz): Typically detected during deep meditation and sleep, theta waves are said to be the “gateway” to memory, intuition, and learning. They tend to occur during that brief, fleeting point between being awake and falling asleep. 

• Alpha waves (8 to 12 Hz): Dominant during the brain’s resting period, alpha brainwaves play an important role in alertness, calmness, learning, and mental coordination. 

• Beta waves (12 to 38 Hz):  These are the brain waves observed when we’re awake. These register when we are alert, thinking, making decisions, or generally just being aware of our surroundings. 

• Gamma waves (38 to 42 Hz): The fastest of brainwaves, gamma waves were initially regarded as nothing more than “spare brain noise.” Subsequent research, however, has revealed that gamma waves are actually involved in processing information from different areas of the brain simultaneously. They were also observed to be especially active during the states of the “higher virtues” such as altruism and love. Though the origin of gamma waves remains unknown, experts say that they actually play a key role in modulating consciousness and perception. 

Which Brainwaves Achieve Lucid Dreaming?  

Research shows certain brainwaves are associated with dream types.

• Gamma Waves  

In 2009, a team of lucid dream researchers from the Neurological Laboratory in Germany detected gamma waves at 40 Hz in lucid dreamers.  

They were looking into how the brain’s physiology changes during lucid dreaming, on the premise that lucidity is a “dissociated state” somewhere between dreaming and the state of being awake.  

They noted that the effect was most apparent in the frontal and fronto-lateral areas of the brain. Incidentally, these are the areas of the brain where higher awareness and linguistic thought are believed to be centered. Since lucid dreaming can be interpreted as a person’s capacity to take control of their own dreams, this does make sense. 

• Theta brainwaves 

Theta brain waves are best described as a state of true relaxation. These are the brain waves a person will experience when they’re in the REM state of sleep, or they are deep in hypnosis. They help you achieve a state of mindfulness, which may assist lucid dreaming.  

Ultimately, as you progress through the sleep stages and achieve a relaxed state, you move closer towards the state of lucid dreaming. Being in control of what happens in your dream — essentially, creating your preferred reality in your dream world — requires access to your memories. Hence, that’s where the theta brainwaves play a role. 

How Sound Can Control Brainwaves: Binaural beats 

Scientists have noticed that brainwaves can be affected or altered by exposure to soundwaves (otherwise known as brainwave entrainment, or binaural beats). They believe that the soundwaves create brainwave shifts that result in slower frequencies (and thus, deeper states of relaxation). 

A recently conducted study with 19 participants revealed that exposure to binaural beats had a noticeable impact on three key hormones for sleep. 

1. Sixty-eight percent of the participants registered an increase in DHEA, a critical hormone for immunity and disease protection that suppresses cortisol. 
2. Meanwhile, 73 percent of the participants had higher levels of melatonin, the sleep-promoting hormone, post-binaural exposure. 
3. Last but not least, 70 percent of the participants registered reduced levels of cortisol after binaural beat exposure. 

Additionally, a separate study from 2017 revealed that a combination of binaural beats and visual stimulation helped in reducing patients’ perception of acute pain. Other studies have revealed that they affect chronic pain perception as well. And of course, the less pain you feel, the easier it would be for you to fall asleep. 

How to Control Your Dreams

One study looked at different groups to achieve lucid dreaming.  

Three techniques were tested among 169 participants divided into three groups.  

• The first group was assigned to do reality testing — they had to go through their day figuring out whether they were asleep or awake. 
• The second group was assigned to do the WBTB (wake back to bed) technique — they slept for 5 to 6 hours, stayed awake for 10 minutes up to an hour, and then went back to sleep. 
• The third group was instructed to try MILD (mnemonic induction of lucid dreams). They set their minds to entering the lucid dreaming state by repeating a mantra before sleeping.  

The third group proved to be the most successful. Approximately 17.4 percent of the time, the technique worked.  

The chances of success increased to almost 50 percent when participants dozed off within the first 5 minutes. 

Are there Dangers of Lucid Dreaming?  

However, lucid dreaming isn’t without its risks. Here are some reported side effects of lucid dreaming.

1. Sleep paralysis. When you’re in a state between dreaming and waking, you may be unable to move, despite experiencing the visions in your dream. This experience can be terrifying but is not really that common. 
2. Realistic experiences. The lucid dream may feel so realistic that it’s nearly indistinguishable from reality. While it’s bound to stop when you wake up–and you certainly won’t sustain any physical injuries you experienced in your dream–it doesn’t mean that you won’t be affected by any negative emotions that you felt while in the dream state. 
3. Dream claustrophobia. There’s also a chance that the lucid dream will be so vivid that you’ll feel that you can’t awaken from it or control it. Fortunately, like the other two, this stops when you wake up. 

In essence, think of lucid dreaming as an immersive and highly engrossing video game, with all the perks and pitfalls that come with such an experience. 

6 Ways to Control Lucid Dreaming 

With the balance of evidence, and much that we don’t know about lucid dreaming, here are 5 ways to attempt to access lucid dreaming.

1. Practice mindfulness daily. These promote higher frequency brainwaves that may give access to lucid dreaming. 
2. Set an intention to dream about a particular topic that is important to you.
3. Practice meditative breathing techniques 30 minutes before bed. Alternative nostril breathing may help to relax the brain and balance right and left-hand sides of the brain.  
4. Repeat a mantra associated with your dream. For example “I want to face my fear of heights”.  
5. Take a Galantamine supplement. A natural substance found in flowers such as Golden Spider Lily. It has been used in ancient Chinese culture for memory enhancement and is even a prescribed medication for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
6. Deep breathing before and as you sleep will help the brain progress through sleep cycles adequate for lucid dreaming.  

Conclusion 

Today we are on the brink on understanding the phenomenon of lucid dreaming. Achieving advanced states of awareness during sleep could prove to be a remedy for sleep disorders, PTSD, or to help people achieve higher states of consciousness. 

Have you ever experienced knowing that you were in a dream? Would you like to be able to enter the lucid dreaming state at will? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Further reading:  

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201212/lucid-dreaming-and-self-realization 
• https://brainworksneurotherapy.com/what-are-brainwaves 
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323077.php 
• https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00836/full 
• https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fdrm0000059 
• http://www.end-your-sleep-deprivation.com/types-of-dreams.html 
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19750924 
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27807916 
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26773319 
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320019.php  

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Melatonin is the main hormone made by the pineal gland in the human brain.

Its primary function is to guide the circadian rhythm of the body for waking and sleep cycles. Through the detection of light, the pineal gland releases melatonin in darkness. Light from the sun decreases the release of melatonin from the pineal gland.

However, new research reveals how melatonin acts as the master hormone over the entire body.

The pineal gland is now understood to conduct the entire endocrine system. Its hormone, melatonin guides the release of all other hormones throughout the body.

Melatonin is anti-inflammatory, decreases blood pressure, and a powerful anti-oxidant. It also influences fertility, growth, the immune system, and weight loss.

Melatonin is the hormone guiding the circadian body clock. But its higher function as a lead of the endocrine system controls organs all over the body.

In this article, we’ll answer what is melatonin with its full role in the brain and body.

How melatonin is made in the brain and body

Melatonin is made from the amino acid tryptophan, found in certain food sources.

Melatonin belongs to a chemical molecule group called biogenic amines. In nature, it’s found in animals and plants.  

It’s made in a four-step pathway from its precursor: Tryptophan. Foods rich in tryptophan include nuts, seeds, cheese, red meat, chicken, turkey, fish, oats, beans, lentils, and eggs.

Tryptophan converts to melatonin in the pineal gland. (1)

Here’s how:

• Dietary tryptophan is absorbed into the bloodstream and circulated through the body including the pineal gland.
• In the pineal gland, tryptophan is converted to serotonin
• Serotonin is then converted to melatonin

Serotonin is produced from tryptophan in the pineal gland. It undergoes a two-step process to form melatonin. Both the production and release of melatonin is dependent on light exposure to the eyes.

During daytime or light hours, melatonin production in the pineal gland decreases. In darkness, or absence of light, the pineal gland produces melatonin.

The half-life of melatonin is roughly 20 minutes in the bloodstream. It then circulates for around 12 hours. The pineal gland is the only organ to release melatonin into the blood. Melatonin is formed and then released immediately, rather than stored.

How melatonin works in the brain

The pineal gland acts as the third eye to release melatonin.

The pineal gland and melatonin are the body’s internal visual system. As the third eye, the pineal gland contains visual cells. These detect signals from the eye, via the hypothalamus. They are like the rod and cone cells of the eye.

During daytime, light detected in the eyes, signal to the hypothalamus and relay to the pineal gland. Light decreases the amount of serotonin converted to melatonin in the pineal gland.

In the darkness, serotonin converts to melatonin. It begins a rhythm to release melatonin to the bloodstream. After the sun sets, melatonin production begins, and after four hours of darkness, melatonin levels reach their peak. It lines up with the time to sleep.

As melatonin is released from the pineal gland, it feeds back to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus. It entrains the circadian rhythm that signals the brain to sleep. There are melatonin receptors in the SCN (MT1 and MT2) that allow the SCN to detect melatonin.

How melatonin works in the body

Beyond the circadian sleep cycle, the pineal gland acts as the master endocrine gland.

Throughout the body, melatonin acts as a signal for darkness. Organs inside the body can’t detect the rise and fall of the sun. The presence of melatonin tells them night time is coming.

Melatonin as the master endocrine hormone

The endocrine system is a series of glands that release hormones in the body. These hormones regulate nearly every organ and function in the body.

Melatonin released from the pineal gland influences the entire endocrine system.

While the hypothalamus was once thought to be the highest endocrine gland, the pineal gland and melatonin are the actual conductors.

Melatonin has many roles all over the body including:

1. Broad spectrum – antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent
2. Heart disease – melatonin seems to be cardioprotective.
3. Balancing cholesterol – melatonin may decrease LDL or bad cholesterol.
4. Blood pressure – decreases blood pressure for sleep.
5. Digestive health – there are 400-500 cells in the digestive system to release melatonin to decrease inflammation.
6. Fertility and sex drive – it acts on menstruation in women and menopause. It also works on the testes in men to release testosterone.
7. Stress, mental health, and brain health – shown to have a calming and neuroprotective role against neuro-degenerative disease.
8. Immune system – Controlling immune cell and anti-tumor cells.
9. Insulin – melatonin regulates expression of GLUT 4 transporter. Weight gain and blood sugars are related to insulin resistance.
10. Cancer – women with breast cancer and men with prostate cancer have lower melatonin levels. Some studies show melatonin as an anti-tumor agent.
11. Longevity and anti-aging – melatonin appears to decrease the aging process by stopping DNA oxidation damage.

Conclusion:

Melatonin is the main pineal gland hormone. It controls sleep and circadian rhythm by timing signals to the brain via light.

However, its role extends to all endocrine glands and hormone release all over the body. It also affects organ-specific sites, including the digestive system having anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, weight management, and anti-aging benefits.

Now it’s up to you. What do you find so fascinating about melatonin?

Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

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