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“The most important relationship in your life is the relationship you have with yourself. Because no matter what happens.. you will ALWAYS be with yourself.”

– Dianne Von Furstenberg

 

While it’s no question that relationships, whether it’s one we have with our significant other, our family or friends, are to be cherished, the most important and by far the longest relationship we will ever have in our life is actually one we have with ourselves.

Whenever we hear the word ‘Meditation’, the first picture that comes to mind is yogis and saffron-robed gurujis sitting quietly on the banks of a river or in an isolated place, trying to connect with the Almighty. We think of it as more of a spiritual practice that is not meant for social animals like us. But, truth be told, meditation is so much more! The practice offers a multitude of physical, mental, and emotional benefits.

The way our body and brain react to meditation is greatly affected by the state of mind we find ourselves in during that particular moment. Believe it or not, a great deal of our mental alertness depends on the food that we consume. According to the Ayurvedic system, there is a connection between how we eat and how we think or react to certain situations.

Many of us have bought into this absurd idea that in order for one to have a balanced life, one would need to be either a ‘Superman’ or a ‘Superwoman’. We have been lead to believe that we could only attain balance if we were to simultaneously and effortlessly have it together in ALL aspects of our lives. But is this really true? 

The Internet is a place of abundant knowledge when searching for all things meditation. But with quality knowledge also comes unnecessary information that we’d wished someone would sieve out.

Ever had one of those mornings where you feel frazzled and out of sorts, where you don’t quite know what to do next after that morning cup of coffee because your to-do list keeps getting longer by the minute? 

Cursed with the "Monkey Mind"? Well, don't worry you are not alone. Many people find meditation difficult because of the many thoughts that rush through their mind as soon as they attempt to sit completely still to meditate. 

There are many forms or types of meditation. And thank goodness for that, because there are many types of people afterall! We don’t all fit into the same “category” as we all have our individual identity so it only makes sense that we’ll have different preferences when it comes to forms of meditation that suits us like a glove. If you have yet to find out what yours is, this article may just help to find it. 

Keeping healthy is important for a number of reasons. Not only does it help protect your vital organs and protects against diseases, but it makes you feel and look great. Over the last 10 years, more and more people are realising the importance of eating healthy, cutting back on the sugar and saturated fats, reducing red meat intake and consumption of animal products. In Britain alone, the number of vegans has risen by 360% in the last decade.

No matter where we came from or what our backgrounds and beliefs are, we have one thing in common: we all want happiness. Despite our yearning for a happier life, for many of us, happiness can appear to be ever so elusive.

Do you often work till the wee hours of the night, and then go home to find that though you’re mentally exhausted, you’re still finding it difficult to sleep? 

Constantly finding yourself with a million and one things to do? If so, you probably know all too well that when we’re drowning in tasks and responsibilities, staying focused and getting things done can seemingly feel impossible.

Though most of us recognize the benefits of investing time and effort on physical health and fitness, this is hardly the case when it comes to mental health. Admittedly, I too failed to acknowledge its importance but it all changed years ago when I found myself working for a non-profit organization which focuses on providing mental health support.

Are you constantly feeling stressed at work, getting more and more disillusioned by your job? Or are you feeling demotivated and find yourself dragging your feet to work each day? 

Before you make the assumption that I’ve been an early riser all my life, let me stop you there, as this was definitely not the case. In fact, I had spent most of my late teen years and early 20’s “thriving” by constantly burning the midnight oil. I was convinced that sleep was overrated, “I can sleep as much as I want when I’m dead“, I thought to myself.  As a result, I was getting by with as little as 3 to 4 hours of sleep each night.

For most of us, waking up in the morning and starting the day off on a good note can be a challenging task. Our minds are constantly plagued by negative thoughts about the past or the present challenges that we are about to face.

If we asked ourselves what is it that we’re searching for day after day, the answer is quite simple. Happiness. Everyone’s goal in life is to be happy and this manifests in many different ways. For some, buying material goods makes them happy. Others find happiness in food.

In the blink of an eye, we’re here again, at the very beginning of a brand new year. As we sit down and plan our resolutions for the year, think about what would most benefit us? What do we need in life?

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged; it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.

– Arthur Somers Roche

Sometimes nothing feels quite as awful than anxiety. In this state of mind, we tend to think of only the worst case scenarios. It robs us of our joy, makes us lose focus and leaves us feeling as if we have no control over our own lives.

For most people, meditation is a practice to help calm the busy mind. While this is true, we often overlook the other useful benefits that meditation has on our body. 

As a yoga teacher and a rookie meditator, I’ve tried to convince many others on the benefit of meditation and urged them to give it a try. Many are receptive to the idea, but many still want to see the cold, hard facts – the scientific proofs that meditation is actually good for you.

As we gather together with family and friends to enjoy our hearty dinners during this festive season, it is very easy to fall in the trap of over indulging, which can cause queasiness, unnecessary weight gain, and discomfort.

Though I’ve been meditating on and off for years, in December of last year, I decided to make daily meditation one of my new year resolutions for 2016. This time around, I set out to instill a positive habit that I will stick to for the rest of my life.

Meditation has brought about success for those who have been diligent to practice it. Meditation’s benefits, which include increased focus, clarity and calm in times of stress, has made it possible for many to achieve their goals in life.

The meditation journey can be daunting and challenging at times as it is personal and a relationship between you and your inner self. Often, many give up the practice simply because they feel that they are not getting enough support to guide them through.

Are you as passionate about meditation as we are? Write for us and get published on BookMeditationRetreats.com’s blog!

As with everything else, starting a meditation practice is easy, but maintaining it daily for years to come is when the challenge really begins. The many distractions and obstacles that we encounter can easily set our practice back.

Sitting for 8 hours a day at your office desk can be taxing not only on your body but also your mind. Taking some time off to clear your mind can do wonders for you as it helps increase your productivity and reduce the built-up stress. 

For many of us, the shock of the recent US Presidential results has left us in a state of stress and anxiety over the uncertainty of the future. While we can’t control what happens next, we can certainly learn to better manage our anxieties. 

It is commonly known that meditation is an extremely beneficial practice. But did you know, that meditation is also beneficial for children? So profound are the benefits of meditation for children that schools across the US have started to replace detention with meditation. 

Now that you’ve decided to embark on a journey of meditation, it’s time to choose a method of meditation that is best for you. There are many meditation techniques that you can try out, but sometimes the abundance of options can be overwhelming especially if you’re a beginner. 

We’ve heard it a million times over: Meditation is extremely beneficial. But a daily meditation routine can be hard to include in our packed schedules. Even if we were free, there’s still that palm-sized object we call smartphones that takes our time. Good news though, because our phones are now going to help us find time through meditation apps! 

Many of us can be silent for an hour a day, sometimes two. Some can go a whole day in silence. But how many of us can do ten days of absolute silence, muting our words and slowing down our pace? 

As the popularity of wellness travelling rises, thousands of travel programs have also emerged to satisfy the high demand. And with more options available, it only gets harder to choose the perfect meditation retreat program, especially for first timers! That’s why, at BookMeditationReterats.com, we’ve consulted with the team of panelist at the 2016 Wellness Travel Awards*, to provide some guidance for travelers looking to go on their first retreat.

As a yogi, meditation has come up quite a bit in my practice over the years. My teacher has advocated for at least 1 hour of meditation time in a day, where in that hour I learn to still my mind, chant mantras and quiet the world outside so that the inner self will emerge. 

Before going into any discussions on meditation, we should try to understand the basic terminology which will be helpful in grasping the fundamentals. What is consciousness? How does it relate to meditation? Read more to find out. 

Meditation is achieving results in children through schools as was proven by vistacian valley school near San Francisco during their quiet time period of 15 minutes plus in adults in maintaining clarity of thinking for making decisions and profound wisdom to name but a few. In patanjali yoga sutras in Sanskrit it says the highest yoga is yoga Chita vritti Noradha to stop the fluctuations of the mind coming from silence and meditation.

Silence is golden. Practicing silence is a powerful way to see ourselves more clearly and to observe the relationship between our inner and outer worlds with greater understanding. Time spent in intentional silence can go a long way toward revealing the architecture of our hearts and unfolding a life full of fulfillment and purpose.

You might think that meditation is only for religious people. But that’s not true. Meditation, as well as meditation retreats could be for everyone. For those who are new to meditation, let's start with breaking some of the myths about meditation. 

The Hague, The Netherlands – Today, BookMeditationRetreats.com, a meditation travel booking platform, is launched to offer the largest selection of worldwide retreats and holidays. When travel meets modern technology and an ancient practice, it results in a user friendly site that provides 300 meditation packages where all can browse, compare and book the right experience in just a few clicks.