How to Meditate - The 6 Biggest Obstacles to Meditation

I struggled with meditation most of my life. Over a span of 15 years, I purchased meditation CD's, joined in the fun meditation classes and read books on meditation, yet was still unable to incorporate it into my own daily life. The meditation CD's usually put me to sleep and the classes and books made people feel like a failure! In fact , my first meditation was quite painful and I always felt like I has been too busy to meditate! The sad truth is that while most of us are aware of the benefits of meditation, very few people actually have a regular meditation practice. There are a lot of obstacles to overcome in order to incorporate meditation into our day-to-day lives. I overcame those obstacles and have been meditating daily for two years as well as meditating periodically daily! Through meditation I have experienced more peace and joy in my life, I've become less reactive together with less stressed and I have more energy and creativity! And I know you can experience these benefits additionally! But first, I think it's important to define what meditation is? Many of us have misconceptions about meditation. The most common disbelief is that meditation is about getting rid of thought! That would set anyone up for failure! Meditation, rather, is related to becoming the observer of thought rather than the reactor to thought. Meditation, pure and simple, is being truly present in the moment! In this meditative state you are aware of the truth of who you are beyond your body and your head. Have you ever been in awe at a beautiful sunset? So much so that you forgot about what happened 5 minutes ago, also, you weren't thinking about the future? You were completely in the moment and had this sense of aliveness inside? Properly, that's meditation! So now that we know what meditation is, how do we incorporate it in to our day by day lives? I knew the reasons why I had struggled for years before I developed a regular meditation practice, but As i was curious to see if others had the same reasons, so I conducted an international survey on the biggest obstructions to meditation and received over 400 responses from people in 46 different countries. Below are the superior SIX biggest obstacles to meditation, and how you can overcome them! Obstacle #1: Not having enough time The biggest hurdle people face in developing a regular Sacred Geometry practice is TIME. We don't have enough time to meditate! (Interestingly enough this wasn't just an "American" phenomenon. People from all across the globe mentioned they didn't have sufficient time to meditate). Yet there are 4 simple ways to incorporate meditation into your life without taking ANY time away from your current schedule! First, I invite you to convert your waiting time into meditating time. The average person waits 45-60 minutes a day. We wait for appointments, we wait in traffic, we wait in line in the grocery store and we wait on hold on the phone. Yet those precious "waiting times" can be converted into meditating times. So next time you are waiting for an appointment, take a moment to notice your breath. Or next time you are waiting with line at the grocery store, take a moment to smile from the inside. Second, have a daily activity be your introspection. You can incorporate meditation into any of these daily activities: *brushing your teeth *emptying the dishwasher *showering *eating *walking *folding laundry, ironing As you brush your teeth, notice your breath. Or notice the aliveness in your wrists and hands and mouth. As you empty the dishwasher, feel the aliveness in your hand as you put each dish gone. Third, have your dog or cat be your meditation! Have you ever noticed when walking your dog how your pet dog is completely in the moment, taking in its' surroundings? Well you can join your dog in this blissful state. When wandering the dog notice the aliveness in your feet with each step. Notice the aliveness of the trees, birds, your setting. While petting the cat, notice the softness of the fur. Be completely present with your dog or cat! Four, meditate while driving! Now, of course, do NOT close your eyes and meditate while driving. But you can be altogether present while driving, with your eyes open. While driving, notice the aliveness in your hands as you touch that steering wheel. Or at a stop sign or in traffic, notice your breath. These are simple ways you can use meditation into your daily life without taking ANY time out of your current schedule. If we all did these very simple things, we'd have a daily meditation practice! Obstacle #2: Lack of Self-Discipline The second biggest obstacle people are up against in incorporating meditation into their daily life is lack of self-discipline! Meditation takes discipline. I know many of us start out using great intentions to meditate daily or to exercise daily and we might do it for a couple of weeks, but then people lack the discipline necessary to continue. That's why life coaches, personal trainers and other professions have been created! To hold people accountable and to keep us focused! So if you lack self-discipline, find a meditation partner! Ask your spouse, partner, acquaintance, coworker to join you in incorporating meditation into your daily life. Hold each other accountable. Or even if you can't see someone that wants to meditate with you, tell your spouse/friend/partner/coworker of your intention to meditate daily and ask him/her to check in with you and ask you how you are doing. Just as an exercise partner is beneficial and productive, some sort of meditation partner can be too! Obstacle #3: Not having the right place or space to meditate The third leading obstacle people mentioned is NOT having the right place or space to meditate! This is a "perceived obstacle. inch You can literally meditate anywhere; while driving a car or walking through a crowded mall. People often use losing a special place or specific area as an excuse to NOT meditate. If we continually wait for the right instances to meditate, we'll never meditate. I give people a meditation assignment: to meditate in a general public place! They can walk through the wall and notice people and places, while observing their breath and noticing the aliveness in their feet. Obstacle #4: Falling Asleep The fourth most common obstacle to meditation is usually falling asleep. And yet many meditation CD's say that it's okay if you fall asleep because you are still receiving the benefits of self-examination... The only benefit you're receiving is a peaceful sleep! And yet, that is a benefit too! Meditation is awareness. It can be being fully present in the moment. When you're asleep, you're asleep, not meditating. Here are some tips if you fall asleep even though meditating: *Don't meditate at night before bed. So often many of us want to meditate daily but don't think about it until such time as we are in bed or getting ready for bed and then we try to meditate. Of course we'll fall asleep. *Try meditating in the morning or mid day when you are alert. *Meditate in small increments throughout the day. Again, notice your air for a couple minutes while brushing your teeth or showering. Obstacle #5: Too many distractions The lastly most common complaint from people is that there are too many distractions to meditate. Yet distractions don't have to be interruptions. For example , during one of my meditations, my cat Vinnie came up to me and started meowing. Your dog wouldn't stop either. He wanted my attention. Now to most people, this would be a distraction and a purpose to stop meditating. Instead, I opened my eyes, sat down on the floor with him and petted him or her while noticing my breath. I incorporated my cat into my meditation. Instead of allowing him to become distraction, he became my meditation! If you are meditating and a distraction happens. Just notice it. Allow it to be. Should it be something that needs your attention, tend to whatever needs to be done, while still observing your breath! Obstacle #6: Not knowing how to meditate So many people feel that they don't know how to meditate. We make meditation more complicated than it really is! Ever again, meditation is about being present in the moment. It's really about finding what works for you! Again, you can incorporate relaxation into your life without taking time out of your schedule. Your life can become a meditation. It is those moments in daytime that we are fully present in the moment that matter. And through meditation, we discover the bliss of being that him and i are! Lisa Hepner is an author, speaker and meditation facilitator. She is the creator of the international "Don't Wait-Meditate" campaign which gets people to pledge to convert their waiting time into meditating time. She's the creator of Project Meditate whose goal is to help people develop a daily habit of mind-calming exercise.

Meditation's Beneficial Magic

Breathing in the Mind More and more these days we see countless recommendations to practice the age old art and science associated with meditation. Most, if not all, extol its seemingly magical power on the human psyche through its proposed benefits. These recommendations and claims have stood the test of time- they are universally accepted and also well justified. For eons past those who came before us have spoken volumes regarding this terrific gift we all posses but today sometimes, we neglect to use. Why now are we again reminded of this? All of us are participating either aware or unaware. in a quantum shift bringing at times, tumultuous shifts in all areas of our society and world structures. No one is exempt from the effects these rapid improvements bring. While universally experienced, these trans-formative energies are individually unique and processed differently depending on ones own outlook. With a little discipline and practice we can apply this gift of meditation to help balance pressure levels, reduce mind-movies which seem to play non-stop to bring increasing levels of joy, clarity and purpose inside life. While it's true that meditative practices are known by many names in virtually all people each with various forms of practice, finding one that will work for you is quite easy. Best of all, this gently potential customers us ultimately to a special place we often desire and want- greater understanding and acceptance so that you can life's mysteries. So , let's briefly explore the subject for the sole purpose of learning how to reap many positive rewards available through meditation. Besides, it is true, the best things in life are free. So let’s begin to clear our minds of useless, wayward abstract thoughts having no justification to control or stipulate our life's direction. We will find meditation allows you in the purest sense, to create your own life's experiences. (More discussion about that possibility a bit later). For now, consider that during meditation you can replace, and clear out unwelcome thoughts with life affirming versions gaining- a true, lasting peace of mind, body and soul. Meditation is your entry offering all that and more... you can even create some magic in your life through this simple process! As you may have seen or if you are already a dedicated practitioner, individuals report profound psychological, physical and spiritual well-being as they process meditation daily. What then is meditation really all about? For beginners, how can one start? And how far can I pick sincere dedication? In this article are going to examine a few areas- some historical background, benefits, science of the mind plus advanced possibilities. History to Date According to many archeologists, meditation pre dates written records. It could be easily created a person entering an altered state of consciousness by simply gazing in the mind-stilling flicker of fire even though taking no thought. The earliest documented record of meditation comes from India in their Hindu scriptures called tantras. These records date back over 5, 000 years coming from the Indus valley and were combined with precisely what is referred to today as yoga. Along with expanding trade, cultural exchange was also carried westward and introspection practice was soon embedded in eastern thought and spiritual practices. With the advent of Buddha approximately 500 AD, many diverse cultures began to develop their own interpretations and specialized meditative techniques. Some solutions still in use to this day are said to deliver incredible mind-over-matter powers and supernormal skills that transformed a practitioner. Today, these are devout individuals and are not necessarily monks living in some remote mountain monastery. They are people like you and I. Of course advancing through time, the long history of meditation is no longer sole attributed to the Hindus and Buddhists. Not to be left out, Christianity, Islam and Judaism also participate in all the perpetuation of meditation each with its own take on the practice. However , historically these religious faiths don't dominate in their teachings and practices a culture of meditation when compared to the Asian traditions. Meditation sees its place here in our Western culture in the early 1960's into the '70's. This was a time when high of our culture was being tested, demanding to be redefined. Meditation found fertile ground in which to flourish as well as expand. Some could say it was the "hippie" revolution which inspired to embrace acceptance of unusual ideas but only ones that possessed real substantive value. It was not long after that when the Western professional medical and scientific community began to conduct research and studies on meditation. And what did most reviews if not all, to varying degrees find? You guessed it- significant health benefits. One of the most important aspects of self-examination is how it releases stress from our bodies. This is achieved by bridging the gap between this conscious and un-conscious selves, situations or non-justified thoughts that ferment stress become less significant and lose their power. Through meditation, it does not take long before you feel more peaceful and relaxed about almost everything. What happened to cause this nearly miraculous change? Studies have proven that meditation raises serotonin levels which directly affect our behavior and emotional temperament. Conversely, low levels of serotonin lead to unhappiness, headaches even insomnia. All symptoms associated with stress. Today, our western civilization with all our "advanced" knowledge has re-affirmed the ancient knowledge and understanding of meditation's therapeutic power to help alleviate mental and physical ailments. And this was just the infancy of discovery or shall we say re-discovery from unlimited powers available inside each of us. Today, mediation without question is a universally medically accepted version of holistic healing used worldwide. Meditation could be summed up as a natural mechanism within each of us that allows the spirit within, the higher, true self to bridge the communication gap into our physical factors grounding us in unconditional love. Rebirth through Breath Beyond all the medical community assertions lies an infinite segment of the population seeking additional benefits when practicing meditation. How can what appears initially only to be described as a physical act, effect our true inner being so profoundly by simply clearing our conscious thoughts together with focusing on our breath? Well the secret really is in our breath. When you first start a meditative practice at face benefits, it appears really easy. Yet, early on many are easily frustrated because they have really never truly attempted to quiet ones own thoughts while awake. Successfully navigating the mental mind field of what apparently appears to be nonstop water ways of thoughts popping up can at first be a daunting task. Be forewarned this is a common occurrence and really normal and there is a solution. It's funny actually once realization sets in that you really are like a few individuals within a single physical body. And that is not far from the truth. I, like many who meditate found out in the beginning one key to successfully get beyond this mental speed bump is to acknowledge the thought. Proceed to in that case dismiss it entirely or agree to revisit the thought after the meditation session and return the mind's center to your breathing. I have used this method to great success getting past the egos gate keeper role which unfortunately it often plays. You may find this method helpful as well if not, find what brings your focus back without the need of distracting thoughts. Again, breathing's role is of utmost importance in this whole process because it is the gateway bridging the actual physical body with the spiritual body. The goal here is what I refer to as the death of thoughts as a result of focusing on your breath. Becoming more sensitive of taking no thought along with staying present in the moment by way of the simple act being consciously aware of your breathing, an amazing inner rebirth begins. Next, we define some terrific basic steps for all meditation practices. Meditation 101 Chances are in your life you have unknowingly experienced moments in a just meditative state. The odds are that when this occurred, you found yourself outside in nature. In dynamics we more easily find resonance with a deeper more real aspect of ourselves which often comes alive in the habitat. Perhaps it occurred while relaxing on a beach watching the hypnotic like waves repetitively washing on land or possibly noticing the invisible wind rustle leaves on a tree as warming sunlight bathed your face. If you happen to recall during these moments, you found a completely relaxed feeling immerse your entire being because you were free of distracting thoughts. This is what being in "the moment" is all about. It is as if your mind tunes into the higher natural frequencies of life which for the most part, are virtually nonexistent inside buildings and such. Yet, with focus, adequate intentions and processes we can escape these limitations imposed in man-made environments. Of course meditation can be really enhanced when it is practical in natural surroundings. The whole concept of meditation takes on various identities depending what your intention is while performing a chosen meditation. Some may want physical or mental relief, others, solutions or directions for a better life. Either way, choices are clearly individualized. Find yours since this moves a long way in helping you along the path aided with a unique, personalized purpose. Define it for you! To begin some meditation, a few simple rules are universally accepted. These generally are- 1) Break away from distractions. Switch off the outside electrical/technological intrusions like phones, computers, TV's etc . A quiet, calm peaceful place is desired. At first, commit 10 minutes or more with no interruption. 2) Posture is important in that you must be comfortable. Really this is with your back upright and your spine to you head straight. Normally a seated position on the ground is usually preferred with hands in your lap; it can also be done in a chair. Lying down initially is not suggested as you overall body can assume a sleep mode. 3) Close your eyes gently, relax your jaw and makeup muscles. Do a "body scan" looking for any muscle tension that may exist releasing any found. Continue unwinding now for a few moments allowing your body to become comfortable. Be observant of bodily tension arising. The key may be to physically relax. 4) Slowly evacuate your lungs completely. Gently inhale and exhale through your nostrils with a serious (from the belly) rhythmic cycle filling your lungs to capacity and expelling the air completely. Impede, long in and out breaths are ideal. Pausing momentarily at the end of each in and out air. Focus on the feeling and sounds during the entire cycle. 5) Activate the heart-mind connection which provides an initial thought-clearing mode. Do not attempt to suppress these thoughts. Acknowledge them. Briefly as thoughts arise, dismiss them just by surrounding any with the six heart virtues of: appreciation, compassion, forgiveness, humility, valor, and understanding. An additional very powerful technique is to apply unconditional love (without a judgment position) to any thoughts that can arise, release them and return focus to your breathing. 6) Steadily and incrementally increase the time entire length spent in your practice. As the moments of time lengthen between arising thoughts, you are now well on the way to raised levels of meditation. Remind yourself to notice and appreciate the beneficial by-products you have regained. Eleven Benefits of Meditating Daily Here's a short list (certainly not all inclusive) of the benefits that come from a daily meditation practice- one Your life becomes significantly clearer and calm The hustle and bustle of everyday life is choking our minds in the peace we deserve! Our technology advancements shouldn't suffocate our minds; it should allow us to achieve even more peace. Meditation helps put those events in perspective for our daily tasks. 2 . Your blood demand is lowered Science has proven it, meditation lowers the blood pressure, which in return is related to a stress levels and stress management. Much better than taking pills to lower your blood pressure! 3. People all over you enjoy your company Regular meditation leads to higher/positive energy that you are consistently tapping into. This effectively makes you very pleasing to be around, and people like that! People naturally gravitate to the people who make them feel good. 4. Your hitting the ground with God is strengthened Spiritual awareness is strengthened with a daily meditation practice. You naturally become more cognizant of your surroundings, and higher awareness always leads to a deeper connection with God. The trees begin explaining personalities, and the landscape takes on different meanings... all through a deeper awareness. 5. You achieve several hours about sleep in one 20 minute meditation session Another scientific fact is that meditation is known to put you to a deeper state of rest than deep sleep. Deep sleep is associated with a delta brainwave. Deep relaxation can drop you into that delta brainwave rapidly, achieving the effects in a shorter amount of time. 6. Conditions seemed very difficult suddenly have clear solutions For every problem a solution exists. When your mind is clear and additionally you're in a state of peace, solutions appear. Being in a state of peace just naturally lures in solutions and pathways into your field of view. 7. Your productivity sky rockets because of a person's ability to have clear focus If solutions to problems appear more frequently when meditating daily, then imagine when there is to your everyday tasks. Solutions to everyday life become more and more obvious. And you begin to take note of these subtle changes since your spiritual vision grows clearer and wider. 8. Your life expectancy increases Science has shown that usual meditation will increase your life expectancy. It's pretty obvious to see... less stress and more peace promotes healthy skin cells and healthy cells regenerate healthier cells. And likewise, stressed cells regenerate more stressed cells. So stay longer by choosing more peace in your life. 9. You effectively reduce stress in your life Speaking of stress, mind-calming exercise has a profound effect on reducing stress in your body. Because meditation promotes peace and inner calm, stress dissolves dramatically from this meditative process. Again, science has proven it. 10. You can visualize powerfully when blended with positive affirmations and meditation Meditation is powerful at clearing the mind and focusing on simple things... such as breathing... or a flower. But, it can be used for so much more! To powerfully manifest your desires, you must get into an apparent connection with the source of manifesting (God/Universe/Ethers). If your spirits are on high while you visualize then the communication approach for manifesting positive events in your life is strengthened. While meditating I like to repeat affirmations, otherwise known as mantras, to help focus my energy into the positive. These statements can be as simple as "love" or "I are love, I am joy, I am peace". 11. You feel fantastic throughout your day! And finally, when you meditate on a regular basis, you may feel fantastic. Plain and simple. You feel good. Everything else is details. Science of Meditation's Magic Today there is a lot of scientific studies validating in a laboratory setting, that while in a meditative state, significant changes occur with our neurological activity. Just as to why brain frequencies are altered is not yet fully understood. Neuroscientists hypothesize our brain is actually rewiring connections sculpting new avenues of brain circuitry seen during magnetic resonance image resolution. Could we simply be accessing the higher mind which subdues the thinking, egoic-centric mind where restrictions of self-consciousness disappear? Seems very plausible. Regardless of the exact reason for this profound change, some other "super consciousness" force appears to be altering the way our brain functions while in a meditative state. Dr . Gregg Jacobs who was simply the assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a senior research scientist at Harvard's Mind/Body Medical Institute now practicing at UMass Memorial Medical Center, published a book in 1993: That Ancestral Mind: Reclaim the Power. This book was the subject of a Time Magazine article back in August 2003 providing insight into the science behind meditation. Based on his research he made some interesting observations and arguments referring to what he labeled: the Ancestral Mind and the Thinking Mind. Dr . Jacobs argues, the conventional research implies our emotional well-being is being greatly hampered by the over-reliance on our dominant Thinking Mind- the verbal, rational, analytical and problem-solving part of ourselves. Over vast ages of time we have severed connection with an equally important part of our makeup- the Ancestral Mind. To me, this speaks of becoming a more truly balanced human being, maximizing the potential of consciousness. While that statement may not be in scientific jargon, any implication is the same. The Ancestral Mind: Reclaim the Power Book blurb- Dr . Jacobs offers a practical process for re-engaging with this indelible part of our being, explaining how to access life-enhancing positive emotions while reducing negative ones; connect with a more intuitive intelligence and foster a deeper, expanded sense of daily knowledge; and achieve a more integrated concept of self through a closer harmony of intellect and emotion. What is Taking effect In your Brain During Meditation? Scientists have only recently developed tools sophisticated enough to see what goes on inside your brain when you meditate. Below are a series of three interactive graphics from the 2003 Time "The Science of Meditation" article showing brain activity changes that occur during meditation. Clearly some profound changes occur inside brain. Our brain appears to interact and be directly influenced by our higher-minds and consciousness itself. Frontal cortex - is the most highly evolved part of the brain, responsible for reasoning, planning, emotions and self- sensitive awareness. During meditation it tends to go offline. Parietal lobe - processes sensory information about the surrounding environment, orienting you in time and space. During meditation, activity in the parietal lobe slows down. Thalamus - is a gatekeeper for the senses. It focuses your attention by funneling some sensory data deeper into the human brain and stops other signals in their tracks. Meditation reduces the flow of incoming information to a drip. Reticular Formation - receives incoming stimulus and puts the brain on alert, ready to respond. Meditation calls back the arousal signal. After training in meditation for eight weeks, subjects show a pronounced switch in brain-wave patterns, shifting from the alpha waves of aroused, conscious thought to the theta waves that will dominate the brain during periods of deep relaxation. Even people meditating for the first time will register your decrease in beta waves, a sign that the cortex is not processing information as actively as usual. After your first 20-minute session, patients show a marked decrease in beta-wave activity. Consciousness Directs Matter Are you ready to be able to dive into infinite possibilities of the more unique, inherent benefits of meditation? How far can one go into the universal domain that will retrieve enhanced power to intentionally co-create in this world? And no, you don't have to become a Zen Buddhist monk. Rather than go off in the quantum realm too far, allot is becoming understood within the research community about the creation power of our thoughts. The following knowledge is equally important to understand and apply its power when practicing meditation. Deliberate thought merged with meditation is an extremely powerful combination. By now everyone has got a little taste of the premise in the movie "Secret" regarding the subject of manifestation or as I like to label it- "deliberate intentions of thought". While that subject matter may seem new and novel to a whole segment of the population, like meditation, it has existed to get a very long time. Ever heard the famous quote from Napoleon Hill in his 1937 book titled- Think in addition to Grow Rich? It sure sounds like it could be in the Secret: "What the mind can conceive and believe, it could actually achieve" Interestingly enough in the book, Mr. Hill did not expressly reveal the step-by-step process to create instances which aligned with ones invocation of a positive mental attitude. He left that for the reader to locate. However , he did provide clues and examples which he documented through interviewing over 500 flourishing people while researching his first course study titled: The Law of Success. He went on to describe this approach idea as a "Definite Major Purpose" in order for the reader to be challenged and ask the question- In precisely what do I truly believe? His philosophical perspective was that 98% of people had no firm beliefs contributing them to be handicapped in achieving what they want in life. So yes, change your thoughts, change an individual's world. I mention Mr. Hill because he clearly proved the absolute power of deliberate considered to create your desired life. And this approach succinctly aligns with the infinite possibilities afforded in meditation. Much like a professional stage hypnotist can temporarily manipulate someone's actions by accessing and placing suggestions in a specialized place within their psyche, similar gateways or altered states of consciousness are possible during meditation. Some of our subconscious minds cannot distinguish between the physical "reality" we are witnessing and merely vivid thought projections. It can be here that during certain meditative states one can interject desired images powered by emotions, or predefined affirmations by purposely focusing intent, expediting their arrival in the physical. I personally believe the reason time appears to be collapse between the desire (intention) and actual delivery is directly related to the reduced level of mental (Thinking Mind) resistance we hold while in certain meditative states. We receive sooner that which is wanted within our life because of the drastically reduced counterproductive, opposing beliefs or thoughts. During meditation these contrary brain send thought forms are minimized thereby allowing quantum mechanisms to more fully dominate. Call it miraculous or a miracle or quantum physics in action, but despite of the term used, it is real. This principle is exactly the conclusion Mr. Hill wanted his readers to arrive at. Of course, meditation is not directly mentioned, simply alluded to, but clearly meditation accelerates this entire creative process by reducing resistant thoughts that hinder progress. Regardless if while meditating you receive an urge to take a specific action which leads to a solution and chance meeting bringing you closer or delivering entirely a previously specified outcome, the objective is demonstrated. The only prerequisite is that you must clearly define exactly what you want. Remember- "Definite Major Purpose". Begin to let one self feel (believe) what you will experience when the object desired has arrived and let the universal powers do their a part. You will quickly find this power is quite useful in improving your well-being when practiced routinely using meditation. A New Direction Awaits In closing, meditation is a wonderful gift that is available to all who seek. But, one ought to seek that which is worthy of attention. As we have learned there are many beneficial reasons to practice this lost but reemerging art. And apparently, the distraction and conveniences of this post-industrial age have dulled a part of us that's never forsaken us and remains vigil in wanting to empower us to our full potential. Just think, it's only breaths away! As our socioeconomic landscape is now being radically redefined as we step further faraway from a primarily consumerism driven lifestyle, meditation can play a significant role in this era helping us being more balanced and grounded. Many are awakening to the fact that a life based solely material gain to obtain a state of happiness is fraught with dangers and distorts real, lasting values. Material affluence is not really a problem, but trying to live a life where that is the primary focus distances us further from your higher nature. We have many choices demanding our time and attention today, to sacrifice a critical activity just like meditation which could alter and improve your life beyond where you find yourself now, would be a tragedy. If you do not currently meditate on a regular basis, please consider doing so as this is a proven way for greater well-being, enhanced health and vitality in addition to starting to be more at peace with the world surrounding you. Start today and thank yourself for directing people here- all is purposely directed! Tim's writing expertise and intuition for understanding arcane, nonmainstream theme including esoteric topics begun at the age of 14. It is through his expansive career in financial which affords Tim a unique ability to apply a professional, down-to-earth approach when writing about the science of spirituality.