www.homoliciousliving.com Hello Pod listeners!  Welcome to Episode #15.  In this episode we will talk all about meditation; what it is, why we should do it, some of the types and how to get started.Delicious Dish:Today’s Delicious Dish is about the five principles for manifesting your desires.1. Clear spaceBefore you begin to manifest process you must take the necessary time to release all your disbelief in your power to be happy. Ask for a release. Begin a daily prayer, affirmation, or journal to the universe to set you free from all the limiting beliefs that block you from your greatness. Stay open to signs and show up for the assignments that are brought to you.Your job is to ask for guidance then allow help to guide you.  Trust the journey!2. Get clearClarity is king when it comes to manifesting your desires. Focus on what you desire, then make a list of all that goes along with it. This list helps you clarify your intentions & access a vibrant mental picture of what you desire.Get clear on how you want to feel.  That feeling is what makes the manifestation come into form.  3. Think it, feel it, believe it!Take your clear intention and spend time every day sitting in that feeling of what you desire. Access this feeling through meditation, vision exercises, our doing an activity that you love. The more you feel the feeling you desire, the more you believe it is on its way. So make time for contemplating, thinking, feeling and believing.  4. Chill!Allow your faith to guide you into the belief that what you desire is on its way. Trust the universe has a much better plan than you do.  The timing is not for you to decide so be patient. Stay calm, relax, and trust that the universe has your back.  5. Know the universe has your backWhen you are in the know you are deliberate about what you want, you no longer vibrate energy of fear or disbelief.  When you deliberately practice steps 1-4 you will clear your head and feel happier!  Accepting your greatness in this moment, attracts more greatness.  When you feel it you live it!  Stay committed to these 5 steps and trust you are exactly where you need to be.  Stay committed to your happiness."It's the journey that brings us happiness so keep on stepping!"What is meditation?It’s a state of thoughtless awareness, not an act of doing something like concentrating or focusing.  It is a state of profound, deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent, yet completely alert.  It enables you to focus on the present moment, rather than worry about the past, or the unknown future.What happens in your brain when you meditate?Using modern technology like MRI scans, scientist have developed a more thorough understanding of what goes on in our brains during meditation.  Overall, we stop processing information as actively as we normally do. Frontal lobe.  It’s the most highly evolved part of the brain, responsible for reasoning, planning, emotions and self-conscious awareness.  It completely goes “offline” during meditation.Parietal lobe.  This part processes sensory information about our surroundings, orienting you in time and space.  During meditation it slows down.It’s the gatekeeper for our senses and focuses attention by funneling sensory data deep into the brain and stops other signals in their tracks.  Meditation reduces the flow of this incoming information.Reticular formation.  The brains “guard” which receives incoming stimulus and alerts the brain to make it ready to respond.  Meditating reduces this arousal signal.Why should we do it?It was developed in Eastern cultures as a method to regularly attain a state of peace and tranquility.  Many Western researchers see meditation as one of the most effective forms of stress reduction, which in turn will improve the quality of life.1. Gain inner peace. Imagine your body as a room and during each day there is lots of junk that gets piles into ourselves; our mind, body, heart and soul. Meditation clears all the junk out of your system, just like cleaning your room.2. Increase your self-awareness. It gives clarity to your thoughts and inner desires. You become more conscious of what you think, the way you think, what you feel and what you want. This will help you in your decision making process and lead your life down the right path, because you’ll follow your intuition.3. Makes you grounded and calmer. You will become less attached to the physical world and become an observer to your thoughts and feelings. You will pay attention to how people act around you and your environment.       The goal is to stop being ruled by your ego, and become more aligned with your higher self.4. Makes you present. When you are grounded, you are more present in your reality and stop getting caught up by what happened in the past and what might happen in the future.       You will be more focused, efficient, attentive and receptive. This will increase your memory too. Maximize every moment of your living life by living in the present moment.5. Increases your consciousness. Become connected with your surrounds, the people and world around you, and your interconnection to everything, which leads to greater compassion.6. Source of inspiration. During meditation we get a secret pass toward new ideas and solutions. If you have a frustrating dilemma you can’t resolve or you’re looking for some new ideas, try meditating and see what creative solutions you get.7. Rejuvenates you. We are made up of energy, and those 7 centers are called chakras, where energy flows from.  When you meditate, you can undue blockages and injuries in our body.8. Cures insomnia. The bombardment of thought in your mind can create anxiety, stress and depression.  Meditation can clear out the clutter, which will help you sleep.9. Increases your spiritual connection. Meditation naturally leads to increased spiritual awareness and intuition, which is our sixth sense. Our intuition gives us the most insightful and valuable solutions, it that “gut feeling” that guides us.10. Increase your fulfillment of life. You gain an increased mastery of yourself, become more positive and rejuvenated, because daily meditation will allow you to get more out of everyday living.Let’s learn about some different types of meditation.Zen MeditationIt means “seated meditation” in Japanese. Most people know the meditation practice as simply Zen meditation, a type of Buddhist meditation where you focus your awareness on your breath and observe thoughts and experiences as they pass through the mind and environment, letting them float by.Guided MeditationGuided meditation usually comes in the form of audio (file, podcast, CD), and sometimes audio and video.  You will find that any guided meditation will fall in one of below categories (with some overlap, obviously).Traditional MeditationsGuided ImageryRelaxation & Body ScansAffirmationsBinaural BeatsPranayama, Alternative Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) Yoga uses pranayama, or conscious breathing exercises, which is a great tool to help alleviate stress and anxiety.  Breathing consciously is very powerful because it links our voluntary (conscious) and autonomic (unconscious) nervous system; we do something with our body and it quickly communicates with our brain. It also balances our sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and relax) branches of the nervous system.How do we do it?1. Sit in any comfortable seated position. Relax your body and breath naturally for a few moments and allow your mind and body to settle.2. Rest your left hand on your lap or knee.3. Make a “peace sign” with your right hand, fold the two extended fingers to your palm, or rest them on the bridge of your nose. 4. Place your thumb gently on your right nostril and your ring finger on your left nostril.5. Close your eyes and softly close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale slowly and deeply, without strain, through your left nostril.6. Close your left nostril with your ring finger, and release your right nostril and exhale. Then inhale through your right nostril.7. Close your right nostril and release your left nostril and exhale.That completes one round of breathing and you can continue for as many additional rounds as you want.  When you’re done, relax both arms, sit and just breath naturally for a few moments before you open your eyes.There are numerous other breathing techniques, like inhaling, holding, exhaling and holding your breath for a count of 4 at each step.Transcendental MeditationThis uses a mantra or series of Sanskrit words to help the practitioner focus during meditation in lieu of just following breath and this is done in a seated position.  The mantra given to the student will vary according to a number of different factors, including the year in which the student was born and in some cases their gender.  The year in which the teacher was trained will also affect the mantra provided.  The teacher will have been given a list of mantas to use and this list varies depending on which year they received their instruction.  It’s done for 15-20 minutes daily, and in general you must pay to learn from a licensed instructor.Vipassana MeditationOften known as insight meditation, translated to mean, “to see things as they really are.” Also a traditional Buddhist meditation practice, Vipassana emphasizes awareness of the breath, tuning into the air passing in and out through the nose.  Vipassana also teaches you to label thoughts and experiences as they arise, taking mental notes as you identify objects that grab your attention.  Each time you identify a label in your mind, you are then encouraged to bring your awareness back to your primary object, being the breath.  There are several different types of Vipassana meditation that have evolved from the traditional style over the years.Kundalini MeditationIn Kundalini meditation, the main idea is that through meditation, you awaken your untapped Kundalini energy, located at the base of the spine.  When this energy is released, it travels up the spine and leads to an experience commonly known as Kunadalini awakening, which ultimately leads to enlightenment.  Kundalini meditations can include breathing techniques, mantras, mudras (hand placements), and chants to tap into the power of the unconscious mind and bring it forward to energize and awaken the conscious mind.Chakra MeditationsA chakra is an energetic center in the body, and we have seven of them, each located in a different area of the body and each associated with a different color, sound, and energetic purpose.  From the practice of yoga, chakra meditations can be very powerful, especially when focusing on and connecting with one element in the physical or emotional body at a time.  Many chakra meditations use sound, specific placement of hands, and visualization techniques to connect with the chakras and bring healing energy to an issue or emotion that needs attention.Mindfulness BasedThis technique uses both breath awareness and body scan. Breath awareness is as simple as it sounds—you focus your attention on the inhalation and exhalation. Body scan is a process of focused attention on the physical body starting at the toes and working your way up with heightened awareness and the potential for release or relaxation of tension. The practitioner may be seated, laying down, or walking depending on the focus of practice.Great way to start your day We found this great video by Ben Turshen, a meditation teacher, who created “A Mindful Practice to Inspire Self-Love.”  In his video he instructs you to start your day by writing, or image a paper you will write on, and create three columns.  The first column are the “good” things about yourself that you enjoy experiencing, the second is the “not so good” things and the last is what your “aspire” to be.  Once you’ve created your lists, think about what you need to create, maintain and get rid of, so that you can move in the right direction.How to get started with your meditation practice:Schedule it:Pick a time of day and stick to it. You can choose first thing in the morning, lunch time, or after work, but most practices don’t recommend doing it right before bed because it confuses your practice with sleeping.Set a reminder on your calendar, this will keep you on track and help you stick with your chosen time.Most meditation styles recommend 15-20 minutes daily, so start with 5 minutes and work yourself up to the timeIt takes about 21 days to create any habit, so be consistent, then it will become a natural part of your daily routine.What you’ll need:You need something to sit on, whether a chair, a meditation cushion, or a meditation bench. Just be sure you sit up tall, no slouching, because this help you maintain focus.Have a timer to keep track, either use your cell phone or download one of the many free apps available.What to do when you begin:Find a quiet place for your practiceSit with your back straight, and be comfortableYou can have your eyes open or closedDon’t worry about your hands, just be comfortableYou can cross your legs or keep them straightLook slightly downward, even if your eyes are closed. This is a more relaxed posture, but still sit up straight.Start your timer and use a gentle alarm sound for the finishBring your attention and focus to your breathDon’t think, but if your mind wanders, just bring it back to your present momentApps you can trySimply Being - Guided Meditation for Relaxation and Presence by Meditation Oasis Mindful Meditation Hypnosis by Subliminal Affirmations - Deep Relaxation, Peace and Clarity by Hypnosis & SubliminalChakra Meditation Balancing - Healing Meditation Music for Solar Plexus Stress Relief and Third Eye by Equilibrium SrlHeadspace: Meditation techniques for mindfulness, stress relief & peace of mind by Headspace meditation limitedPersonal story about the benefits of meditating daily:A personal article by Tyler C. Beaty, about the benefits of meditating, and he meditated for 270 days out of the past year.  He explained that he’s not a meditation expert and he was very skeptical about the practice, and the type of people that meditate, which he didn’t think he was.  After realizing he needed to change his life drastically, because he was always rushing, stressed and was drinking too much, he began to meditate in January.Here are the 6 ways he said his life improved:1. I smile more often – he explained that his outlook on life in general improved and became more positive.2. I sleep better – mindfulness meditation helps fight insomnia and improves sleep. He no longer needed to take prescription medication to fall asleep, he instead just quiets his mind by focusing on his breathing to fall asleep within a few minutes.3. I am more focused at work and at home – he had trouble concentrating on a single task and his mind would race, or he would be lost in thought, fidget and constantly glance at his phone. Now he can focus on one task at a time, be relaxed and in the moment when he’s with friends and family.4. I’m more self-aware – it’s the four main elements of mindfulness meditation and it benefits your thinking and choices. It’s helps you clarify what is important to you and how to set your priorities. You can better understand and use your strengths and passions.5. I’m a better parent – He used to get irritated and snap at people, including his son. Now he’s more relaxed and doesn’t get triggered and frustrated like before.6. I feel better about myself – He struggled with low self-esteem, and lacked confidence in his skills and abilities. He would limit himself and wouldn’t realize his full potential. Meditation helped him to stop fixating on the negative and it increases his confidence.Overall, he said that his daily ritual of meditation has helped him to become his best self and turned the life of his dreams into a reality.Things that make you go Hmmm? Or Mmmm:This week's Mmmm?  How to tune into your body from Alanis Morissette!She was brought up to hide, ignore her emotions.  This can be painful because you have to ignore important messages from within your body.  She would numb herself with food, obsessive thoughts, and work.  As humans we learn to "leave our body" by indulging in TV, food, surfing the web, drugs, alcohol, work, sex or even becoming obsessed with a person.  Lets find ways to "come back home" into the exquisite and unique body we were given to move through life.Here are some of her favorite ways to "come back home" into her body1. massage/acupuncture/cranial sacral work2. mindfulness3. hot baths or showers4. deep breathing 5. body scans6. touch exercises7. grooming8. yoga/tai chi/ qigong/gentle stretching9. long walks in nature10. dancingWell that’s it for today's show and we hope you join us next week.Thank you:We would like to give a shout out!  A huge thank you to:5 Tips to Manifest Miracles, a Mind Body Green article by Gabrielle Bernstein3 Reasons Everyone Should Try Alternative Nostril Breathing, a Mind Body Green article by Dr. Paula Watkins10 Reasons Why You Should Meditate, a Personal Excellence articleWhat Happens to the Brain when you Meditate, a lifehacker.com article by Belle Beth CooperTypes of Meditation – An Overview of 23 Meditation Techniques, a Live and Dare article by Giovanni A Mindful Practice to Inspire Self-Love, a video by Ben Turshen, meditation teacher.Guide: Everything you need to start meditating, a Life of Productivity article by Chris BaileyTime for Me, a book by Ruth FishelI’m a Non-Meditator who Meditated 270 Times Last Year.  Here’s How it Changed My Life, a Mind Body Green article by Tyler C. BeatyQuote of the week:We will leave you with a quote:“Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out.”  - Katherine DunhamWe would love to hear from you, so check us out on Facebook or at www.homoliciousliving.com. Subscribe, rate and review us, and share your topic ideas.Have a HOMOlicious day!