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<title>ReelsMusic Meditation RSS Feed</title><link>http://www.reelsmusic.com/index.html</link><description>Reelsmusic Meditation Blog</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>steve@reelsmusic.com</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2010 Steve Reel</dc:rights><dc:date>2009-07-22T10:40:42-04:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:14:06 -0400</lastBuildDate><item><title>Meditation for Beginners</title><dc:creator>steve@reelsmusic.com</dc:creator><category>Meditation Techniques</category><category>Meditation for Beginners</category><dc:date>2009-07-22T10:40:42-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.reelsmusic.com/meditation/meditationblog/files/meditation_for_beginners.html#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.reelsmusic.com/meditation/meditationblog/files/meditation_for_beginners.html#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[	&bull; The best time to meditate is just after waking in the morning.  You will find it easier to slip back into the theta state of consciousness, since theta is normally experienced when you are half-awake and half-asleep.


...	&bull; Remove any tight or restrictive clothing, such as shoes, ties, and belts.   Loosen your collar or top button of your shirt or blouse.


You may either sit or lie on your back to meditate.


...The Lotus Posotion is the "classic" meditation position, back straight, knees in front and spread out, left foot on right thigh, right foot on left thigh. 

...lie flat on your back in bed, or on the floor on a mat or futon.


...Touch the thumb to the middle finger on each hand to form a circle.


...With eyelids closed, turn your eyes slightly upwards (about 20 to 40 degrees). 

...	&bull; If your mind drifts away from the meditation, don't become concerned.   Simply LET GO of the distracting thoughts... let them float away like balloons. 

...When you are ready your mind will go into meditation.


	&bull; Don't worry if you are doing it right. ...  Don't judge yourself, just think of it as a relaxing break in your day.


	&bull; Remember...don't try to force it, or "work" at it.   It takes time to learn to relax and let your mind go. ...  It will happen if you let it- but notif you try too hard.   It's like trying to make a flower bloom... if the flower doesn't open today you shouldn't become upset.   Just let theflower open at its own pace- and enjoy every moment.


...<a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?  v=250&pub=stever" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Insight Meditation</title><dc:creator>steve@reelsmusic.com</dc:creator><category>Meditation Techniques</category><dc:date>2009-07-19T21:39:46-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.reelsmusic.com/meditation/meditationblog/files/insight_meditation.html#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.reelsmusic.com/meditation/meditationblog/files/insight_meditation.html#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[The other main type of meditation is "mindfulness" or "insight" meditation.    This is being aware of yourself in the here and now.   While this sounds easy in theory, it is often more difficult than concentration meditation. 


...We are not aware of what we are doing, we are not HERE NOW, we are thinking of something else.   We might be worrying about yesterday, thinking of tomorrow, planning dinner, daydreaming, etc. 

...When you first learn to do something...for example, driving a car, you are aware.   You are concentrating on steering, shifting gears, operating the gas pedal, etc., while trying not hit anything.   You are AWARE of what you are doing. ...  You are no longer aware of the mechanics of driving the car.   Instead, you are listening to the radio, having a conversation, thinking about what you want for lunch, in fact, thinking of almost anything except what you are doing currently. ...  If the car in front of you slams on its brakes, for a moment, you are aware again.


...Be aware of yourself, right now, where you are. ...  Don't analyze, don't talk to yourself, and don't think about anything else. 

...Unless you have practiced this, you can only stay "mindful" for a few seconds, maybe a minute.   Insight meditation takes much practice, but it can and should be practiced anywhere and anytime.   It does not require a special place, or props such as candles, mats, music, etc.   Instead, you practice it often during your normal daily life. 

..., It is important to observe impartially, don't pass judgment of label anything. 

...For example, while walking in the park you are startled by a large dog. ...  Objectively classify every emotion as "helpful" or "not helpful" on your path toward enlightenment. 

...v=250&pub=stever" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Top 9 Meditation Techniques - Concentration Meditation</title><dc:creator>steve@reelsmusic.com</dc:creator><category>Meditation Techniques</category><dc:date>2009-07-13T11:16:03-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.reelsmusic.com/meditation/meditationblog/files/9_meditation_techniques.html#unique-entry-id-1</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.reelsmusic.com/meditation/meditationblog/files/9_meditation_techniques.html#unique-entry-id-1</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Most people know what meditation is, or have some idea of what it is. ...  You may not know, however, that there are many different types of meditation.


...Concentration meditation (say that quickly 3 times) is the type of meditation most of us think of when we hear the word meditation, and implies relaxing the body, concentrating on your thoughts, and shutting out the rest of the world.   The goal is to not be aware of your body sensations, your surroundings, or worries: and instead to replace these thoughts with carefully chosen thoughts instead.   By occupying your mind with these chosen thoughts, you can temporarily shut out both the outside world and the inner dialog that many of us have.


...This can be a pleasant place (real or imaginary), a special memory, or a process, such as visualizing the chakras or the white light.


...Thinking of a future event that you would like to make into reality. 

...While any word or phrase can be used, primordial sounds such as Sansrit have the most power if we know how to use them.


...This should be selfless prayer, asking for guidance and listening for the answer, or praying for a person or cause.


...This, of course, would depend on your definition of the Divine.


...Sometimes you count the the number of breaths, or breath in and out for a specific count.   For example:  IN...1...2...3...4,  OUT...1...2...3...4.


...This form of meditation is for the really advanced meditator, and is the ceasing of all thoughts.   For some people, this is the definition of the word Nirvana.


...However, like many things in life, it is nice to have choices.


There is another form of concentration meditation, and that would be &ldquo;guided meditation&rdquo;.   A guided meditation would simply be meditating under the supervision of another person.   This is usually done on a recording, but a guided meditation could also be done in a live one-on-one or classroom situation. 


I didn&rsquo;t list guided meditation as a separate technique above, because it would simply be meditating with one of the above techniques, just under supervision.    The exception would be number 9 above, &ldquo;nothingness&rdquo;; which by its very nature could not be practiced with another voice speaking, unless the meditator could &ldquo;shut out&rdquo; that voice.


...v=250&pub=stever" onmouseover="return addthis_open(this, '', '[URL]', '[TITLE]')" onmouseout="addthis_close()" onclick="return addthis_sendto()"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share" style="border:0"/></a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js?]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>History of NeuroHarmonic Meditations</title><dc:creator>steve@reelsmusic.com</dc:creator><category>History of Meditation</category><dc:date>2009-07-08T23:11:06-04:00</dc:date><link>http://www.reelsmusic.com/meditation/meditationblog/files/history_of_neuroharmonc_meditation.html#unique-entry-id-0</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.reelsmusic.com/meditation/meditationblog/files/history_of_neuroharmonc_meditation.html#unique-entry-id-0</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I was a recording engineer at a large studio in Orlando, FL.    One day, amidst the projects involving various musical artists, and interesting client appeared... a psychologist who had developed a method of inducing a relaxed hypnogogic state that allowed him to better solve the problems of his patients. 


As I had a long standing interest in self-help methods as well as mind/brain studies, I welcomed the opportunity to work with him on a series of recordings that were only available to his patients, so they could recreate the mental state of their session with the doctor, even while they were at home.   His methods were adapted from linguistics and hypnosis.


The internet was still in its infancy, so I had to research things the old fashioned way, libraries, books, and scientific articles and papers.   Adapting the information I could find, I began testing binaural waves, frequencies and harmonics and the inter-relationship between them. 


After several months of trial and error, in 1994, my wife Cathie and I recorded a set of meditation tapes .   We used these in our own meditation practice and gave away several sets to friends and family.   The reaction was very encouraging and emotional.   So, we put some on consignment at a few local health and book stores, and again were greeted with a wonderful response.


With positive feedback coming in from the local community, we continued to refine the techniques used on the tapes.   We called them &ldquo;Neuro-Harmonic Synergy&rdquo; tapes, or NHS for short, and started our fledgling new production company... 

...Cathie and I ran a small classified ad on AOL.   Of course, at this time the internet was brand new, very few people were online, and no one would dare buy anything on the internet... they just didn&rsquo;t trust it yet.   And yet, our little NHS tapes were selling like hotcakes.   We were duplicating these in our home using consumer cassette machines, cleaning the heads after every copy, and printing the Jcard cassette covers on our little home printers using a Mac Performa, and shipping the final products out. 


In the meantime, I became increasingly busy as a musician and audio engineer, AOL began changing its advertising policies, and cassettes gave way to CDs ( and eventually mp3s).   The combination of those things put the meditation tapes on the back burner.   We planned on rerecording and releasing them as CDs... one day.   And the masters sat in a box at the back of the studio.


So 15 years later... one day is finally here.
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