Buddhism meditation presantation

1. MeditationMeditation
Group 1Group 1

2. What is Meditation?What is Meditation?
• A mental exercise that
benefits body processes
• Has certain physical benefits
• Tradition grounded in
Eastern cultures- India, Tibet
• Popularized by Western
cultures

3. What is Meditation?What is Meditation?
• Not a worship or prayer
• It is Awareness
• "Watching your breath" is
meditation; listening to the
birds is meditation
• As long as these activities are
free from any other
distraction to the mind, it is
effective meditation.
• Mind is free of scattered
thoughts

4. What is Meditation?What is Meditation?
A Tibetan Lama was being
monitored on a brain scan
machine by a scientist wishing to
test physiological functions
during deep meditation. The
scientist said - "Very good Sir.
The machine shows that you are
able to go very deep in brain
relaxation, and that validates your
meditation". "No", said the Lama,
"This (pointing to his brain)
validates the machine!".

5. Meditation…Meditation…
• Derived from two Latin words :
– Meditari(to think, to dwell upon, to
exercise the mind)
– Mederi (to heal). Its Sanskrit
derivation 'medha' means wisdom.
• With regular practice of a
balanced series of techniques, the
energy of the body and mind can
be liberated and the quality of
consciousness can be expanded
• Not a subjective claim but is now
being investigated by the
scientists and being shown by an
empirical fact

6. HistoryHistory

7. History of MediationHistory of Mediation
Ancient spiritual
practice
Contemporary
mind-body
technique
Meditation is BOTH

8. History of MediationHistory of Mediation
• Originated from Asia- India,
China, Japan
• Primary Purpose
– Past: Religious Practice
– Present: Health benefits
appeared around 1970

9. History of MeditationHistory of Meditation
• Dr. Benson demonstrated that
the effects of meditation are
essentially the opposite of the
fight-or-flight response.
Meditation Decreases:
– Heart Rate
– Respiratory Rate
– Blood Pressure
– Oxygen Consumption
– Muscle Tension

10. Transcendental MeditationTranscendental Meditation
(TM)(TM)
• Founded by Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi in 1957
• Practiced 15-20 minutes twice a
day
• Sit comfortably, eyes closed
• Silent, mental repetition of a
simple sound or mantra
• Allow the repetition to
spontaneously become quieter
and quieter until it disappears
and one is left conscious, but
without thoughts

11. Physiological ResearchPhysiological Research
• TM technique gives rise to a
relaxed state marked by:
– Reductions in metabolic
activity
– Increased cerebral blood flow
– Skin resistance changes
– Reductions in plasma cortisol

12. Mental HealthMental Health
• TM more effective in reducing anxiety than other
techniques
• TM has been found to reduce:
– depression
– hostility
– emotional instability
• TM is 3x more effective than other techniques in
increasing:
– self-actualization
– emotional maturity
– a resilient sense of self
– a positive world outlook
• TM techniques have also been linked with:
– Reductions of major risk factors for disease
– Reductions in blood pressure
– Reductions in the use of alcohol and drugs
• Note: A meta-analysis in 1990 indicated that
meditation techniques involving explicit
concentration produced the least effect of all
techniques studied

13. Types of MeditationTypes of Meditation

14. 2 Approaches2 Approaches
• Concentrative- opening up of
attention
• Mindfulness- focusing of
attention

15. Transcendental MeditationTranscendental Meditation
• Mahest Prasod Varma
• 2 years of isolation in a
Himalayan cave

16. Chakra YogaChakra Yoga
• Originates from
Samkhya philosophy
• The chakra model is a
map of the Human
Energy System
• This system is made up
of 7 points along a
central channel

17. Rinzai ZenRinzai Zen
• Began in India and spread by
a Buddhist monk to Asia
• Meditation was practiced in
hope to discover one’s true
nature while rejecting the
academic approaches to
Buddhism
• Uses koans which are
unanswerable,illogical riddles

18. Mudra yogaMudra yoga
• Hand and finger yoga
positions
• Enhances health, relieves
stress, prevent illness and
heals physically and
emotionally
• Madonna uses it in her
performances

19. SufismSufism
• Central concept or focus is
love
• It is a tradition of Islam

20. Other forms of meditationOther forms of meditation
• Soto Zen focuses on external
objects
• Tibetan Buddhists use a
mandala, nadam and mantra
• Zazen focuses on a subjective
state of consciousness
• Hindu uses pranayama
• Zen uses anapanasati

21. Benefits ofBenefits of
MeditationMeditation

22. Physiological EffectsPhysiological Effects
• First discovered in
1946
• Found that
meditation could
affect the heart rates
and respiration
rates of Indian
yogis and Zen
masters
• More recently,
researchers found
meditation can

23. Physiological BenefitsPhysiological Benefits
cont’dcont’d
• Positive effects on blood
pressure
• Decreases heart rate
• Prevents hypertension
• Decreases blood lactate
levels and carbon dioxide
production
• Increases peripheral blood
flow to arms and legs

24. Physiological BenefitsPhysiological Benefits
cont’dcont’d
• Lowers baseline cortisol
• Can efficiently treat pain
• Reduces alcohol consumption
• Decreases oxygen consumption
• Decreases alpha brain-wave
emissions
• Increases skin resistance

25. Cnn.com articleCnn.com article
• People who have been
practicing Buddhist insight
meditation have a thicker
cortex in some parts of their
brain than people who do not
meditate
• The longer they had practiced
for, the thicker their cortex
was

26. Cnn.article cont’dCnn.article cont’d
• Other studies have
shown that
meditation:
– Can decrease
stress
– Can decrease
anxiety and
depression
– Has beneficial
effects for a
variety of other

27. Relaxation ResponseRelaxation Response
• This is the physiological state
achieved when one is relaxed
and has beneficial effects
upon one’s health
• Meditation specifically
produces this response
• Also termed the trophotropic
response

28. Psychological BenefitsPsychological Benefits
• Can produce a general
state of positive mental
health
• Decrease anxiety
• Reduced fears and phobias
• Headache relief
• Improvements in sleep

29. Psychological BenefitsPsychological Benefits
• Shows potential for stress
management
• Associated with positive
subjective experiences
• Relates to an internal locus of
control, greater self-
actualization and more
positive feelings after
encountering a stressor

30. Behavioral EffectsBehavioral Effects
• Decreased cigarette
smoking
• Decreased drug abuse
• Eating disorders have been
found to be positively
affected by mediation

31. Other BenefitsOther Benefits
• Decrease in the use of health
services among meditators
• In effect, that saves
companies money on health
insurance premiums

32. Yoga ExerciseYoga Exercise

33. How to MeditateHow to Meditate
• Meditate Regularly
• Until you have gained enough
experience, meditate at the same time
and place every day.
• Find a quiet, comfortable, and clean
location.
• Make sure no one disturbs you.
• Sit so comfortably that you forget your
body.
• Be patient.
• Have fun.
• Be aware of yourself.
• BREATHE, RELAX, AND
CONCENTRATE

34. DO NOT MEDITATE:DO NOT MEDITATE:
• In a dirty place
• Where there are dangerous
wild animals, potential for
fire or flood, or bad people.
• If you feel tired, sick,
sorrowful, or miserable.

35. Quick MeditationQuick Meditation
TechniqueTechnique
• Remind yourself that you
exist HERE and NOW
• Be aware of the activities
going on in and around you
at moment.
• From now onwards, start
doing everything with
AWARENESS.

36. Yoga ExerciseYoga Exercise
• Practice poses if your energy or
mood is low.
• Do different poses for five minutes
at a time throughout work or
study.
• Get in the habit of taking
frequent breaks, if only to look
out a window or stand up.
• Yoga is a great way to relieve
physical and mental stress; it
improves posture, relieves eye
stress and muscle stiffness,
sharpens mental focus, and helps
to calm and revitalize.

37. YogaYoga
The following are a few quick and
easy yoga techniques to practice
at work or in study.
• Balancing Breath
• Ocean Breath
• Breath of Fire
• Eye Exercises and Cupping
• Face Massage
• Warrior Breath
• Joints Alive
• Lion