PRAYER IS TALKING TO GOD. MEDITATION IS LISTENING.

"The two most important things in your body are the upper palate, which is 

the base of the hypothalamus, because the hypothalamus controls the entire 

nervous system, and the tip of the tongue, which affects the central nerve channel, shushumna. That controls your entire psyche."

“Prayer is talking to God. Meditation is letting God talk to you." -- Yogi Bhajan 
(Taken from this website with more indepth information. Click here to read more.)

If you are new to meditation and your searching the internet for guidance, your head may wind up spinning instead of silent, which defeats the purpose of your search. I'm no expert, though I've done my fair share of research, as well as practice. So let me try and break it down as simply as possible. The main goal is silence and stillness. Learning how to Be.

MEDITATION MUSIC OR SILENCE

You can get on YouTube and find an abundance of meditation 'sounds'. Many are very good, some you need to be wary of. For some, it is easier to have a mantra, music or sound which helps to instill a calm mind and body. That's fine. But they should not be the entire meditation. They should Lead you to the calm state in which meditation becomes possible. Where thoughts trail instead of lead. So the best advice I have for those who are doing this without a vibrational guide is to sit comfortably, breath in and out through the nose and bring all of your attention to your body. Feel your body as you breath in and out. As your eyes are closed, See. Look at the darkness. You may even begin seeing things, or colors. Don't become so drawn to anything that you start naming them, or judging what they may be. You are now the observer and accepting each moment. Continue deep breathing. When thoughts come, don't be frustrated. Just become aware that you are thinking and gently move back to watching. Watch your thoughts. If you chose meditation music, chants etc, be sure they aren't too long. 10-20 minutes should be plenty. From there go deeper into yourself.

 WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS

The benefits of connecting with your source are many. You become the watcher of your thoughts, the presence behind the doing and become being. Active, to inactive. In this state, the body is able to relax and heal on all levels. How does it do that? Click on the link above and right below the quote. GREAT info there! But a few benefits to note are these:

Lowering blood pressure

Boosting the immune system

Reducing stress

Decalcifying the pituitary gland

Oxygenating your cells through mindful breathing

Releasing tension and anger

Relieving depression

HOW AND WHEN TO MEDITATE

We all associate meditation with a sitting posture, breathing, stillness, quiet and maybe matras or prayers. There are Many variations of these things and they all have different benefits. But they aren't the only way. You can meditate during the day when your are wide awake. Really, complete awareness in the moment, at any time, is a form of meditation with many benefits. When you are walking, you can become fully aware of your body as it moves. How it feels with each step. Come out of your thoughts and into awareness of your body. This also relieves the body of stress and makes room for healing. For those with minds in overdrive, it will still that process and give you much more clarity in each moment. Your mind will perform better when it's give proper attention. Also sitting still somewhere for a few moments and bringing all of your awareness to your heart will be Very beneficial. Hear it beating, or Feel it beating. This has a powerful affect on us as a whole. The heart actually talks to the brain and bringing awareness to it brings coherence to the body, mind and spirit. We are all energy and if our energy is off, we are off. Be focused. Stop identifying with just the thoughts in your mind. They are not who you are. Who you are is something much deeper and the path of meditation is the doorway to knowing yourself and realizing yourself. As a side note, our words all have vibrations. The words are different and they affect different areas of our bodies. Try a chant sometime. You will notice the vibration somewhere specific in your body. That vibration is healing to that area. The ancient Egyptians knew about sound healing, as did all of our spiritual teachers. They understood the energy and sound of the universe as it relates directly to us. Talking to God within through prayer is excellent, but Listening is how we heal and allow him to guide us. Meditation is the door to love, health and freedom. Walk through!

 Click here for more on heart coherence.