The OneMind Meditation Podcast with Morgan Dix: Meditation | Mindfulness | Health cover image

The OneMind Meditation Podcast with Morgan Dix: Meditation | Mindfulness | Health

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Sep 2, 2015 • 1h 4min

OM026: What Integral Theory Can Teach You About Meditation (Part 2)

What if you had a map of everything? I don’t mean the kind of map that gets you from London to Sydney. I'm talking about one that leads you from the befuddled state of confusion to the great state of clarity. From the lowlands of lagging inertia to the summit of inspiring insight? What if this map helped you piece your inner world together so you could see the relationship between your fears, desires, hopes, and dreams? For example, what is the relationship between overwhelming sexual desire on one hand and a sudden and total longing for God on the other? How does it all fit? Such a map does exist (in fact there are several). And although it doesn’t cover everything, it endeavors to include nearly everything. It’s called Integral Theory and it was pioneered by a thinker named Ken Wilber. Think of Ken (and others like him) as a cartographer of inner and outer reality and a synthesizer par excellence. In essence, this theory provides a dynamic view of reality that charts the evolution of how we see the world. It's also the story of human development. It tells this story by outlining our basic perspectives, stages of consciousness, states of a awareness, and lines of development. In part 2 of my interview with long-time meditator Ted Saad, we dive into the relationship between meditation and Integral Theory (listen to Part 1 here). What can this marvelous map teach us about meditation? As Ted reminds us, we shouldn’t confuse the map for the actual territory. Nevertheless, you'll learn how it can help you make sense of your world, inner and outer, in some wonderfully refreshing ways. Today we rough out the edges of this map for you and examine how it can help your meditation practice. In Part 2 of my interview with Ted Saad, we discuss: The 3 great states of consciousness we pass through each day How meditation allows you to experience different states of consciousness How meditation trains your awareness in different states of consciousness The man stages of human development over time The 3 essential human perspectives The story of human development Why states of consciousness change quickly and stages of consciousness change slowly How the developmental journey of humankind mirrors the developmental journey of each human being from infant to elder Show Notes Listen to Part 1 of my interview with Ted Saad A Brief History Of Everything by Ken Wilber Spiral Dynamics by Don Beck and Chris Cowan If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation, explore the How To Meditate Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes Photos via Flickr CC: Mattias Östmar, Kent Bye, Norman B. Leventhal Map Center The post OM026: What Integral Theory Can Teach You About Meditation (Part 2) appeared first on About Meditation.
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Aug 25, 2015 • 28min

OM025: Taming Your Crazy Mind With Meditation (Part 1)

You are not separate from the whole. You are one with the sun, the earth, the air. You don’t have a life. You are life. ~Eckhart Tolle Is your world big or small? Because, often that’s a matter of perspective. For example, do you feel like your entire being is trapped sometimes behind the cartesian grid of your mind? A lot of us are blessed and cursed with a linear mind. That kind of sensibility is great because it grounds you solidly in the rational world. But it can keep you blinkered in other ways, limiting your ability to flow and cutting you off from the big picture. Meditation can do wonders to change that. It expands our minds and broadens our perspective to include aspects of reality and the human experience that don’t fit so neatly on that cartesian map of reality. Taming Your Crazy Mind with Ted Saad In this mulit-part episode of The OneMind Meditation Podcast, we interview long-time meditator Ted Saad. In Part 1, Ted describes the slow but steady transformation which meditation has wrought on his being. Chief among the benefits we discuss, is how meditation helped him tame his crazy mind. Once upon a time, Ted shares how he suffered from an overly linear and analytical mind which often led to anxiety and melancholy. Through meditation, his creative sensibilities awakened and his mind started working more holistically. According to Ted, a daily meditation habit helps us create space around the stories and narratives we carry around about who we are. And that process makes room for us discover a deeper ground of self, which he refers to as our “true nature.” In Part 2, we explore the relationship between meditation and Integral Theory an elegant map of human development pioneered by the philosopher Ken Wilber. In part 1 of this episode, Ted and I discuss: How meditation helps you deal with a wily and crazy mind Why it’s important to examine the stories we tell ourselves about who we are How to let go of attachment to the objects in our mind What we mean by the idea of our true nature” What it means to have an experience of our true nature vs becoming stable in that part of ourselves How meditation helps reduce anxiety, depression, and melancholy Why you can’t always measure the things that are most important in meditation   Show Notes If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation, explore the Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes (Photos via Flickr CC:Giuseppe Chirico) The post OM025: Taming Your Crazy Mind With Meditation (Part 1) appeared first on About Meditation.
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Aug 18, 2015 • 25min

OM024: 10 Essential Tips To Nurture Stillness In Meditation (And In Your life)

Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness. ~Eckhart Tolle Do you struggle to be still? I don't just mean in meditation. I'm talking all the time. Maybe if you’re like me, you experience impatience and restlessness. They can creep up on you pretty fast. In the car, waiting in line, sitting at work. Suddenly, it's like there’s a big problem and everything has to happen right away and you can't be still until it's done. Why is that? And have you noticed that it's not just you? It seems like a lot of us are losing our collective cool a little too quickly these days. Maybe it's our instant gratification culture? Or maybe it's something deeper. Maybe we are losing touch with the part of us that is all about slowing down and the opposite of impatience. What part is that? Nurturing Stillness In Meditation & In Life I'm talking about stillness. As a long-time meditator, I've learned that stillness is not just an external posture. Well, it's that too. But there is a deeper dimension to stillness. Knowing how to access that stillness through meditation can turn impatience, restlessness, and the mindless rush of modern life on its head. In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, we explore stillness why it’s so important in meditation and in our lives. Be still Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity Lao Tzu 10 steps to stillness in meditation and in life: Don’t Move Start Simple Pay Attention Relax Outer Stillness Leads to Inner Stillness Inner Stillness Is Total Concentration Total Focus Frees Your Awareness When Your Awareness Is Free, The World Opens To You Stillness Leads To Deep Relaxation Stillness Is The Foundation For Self-Knowledge Show Notes If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced introduction to Meditation, explore the Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes (Photos via Flickr CC: wplynn) The post OM024: 10 Essential Tips To Nurture Stillness In Meditation (And In Your life) appeared first on About Meditation.
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Aug 11, 2015 • 28min

OM023: 8 Important Signs Of Your Success In Meditation

Meditation isn't about what's happening, it's about how you relate to what's happening. ~Sharon Salzberg What does success in meditation look like? Does it mean that you’re suddenly as serene as the Buddha? Does it mean the end of your anger, fear, doubt, and other unpleasant feelings? This is a subtle and interesting question. Why? Because success in meditation can look as many different ways as there are human beings on planet earth. Meditation Isn’t An Experience Here’s the thing. And it’s the reason why people get confused on this point more than any other. Meditation isn’t an experience. It’s only ever about your relationship to the endless kaleidoscope of your very human experience. Naturally, we all want to feel a certain way. We want bliss, peace, and a sharp reduction in all of our unpleasant feelings. That’s completely natural. Often, especially in the West, with our focus on material things, it’s easy to try and reduce success in meditation to a type of experience a pleasing experience. But if you expect meditation to feel one way or another, you’re bound to be disappointed. Meditation, in truth, is really about being easy and ok with the awkward and awesome spectrum of your entire human experience. 8 Signs of Success In Meditation And because there is so much confusion around this question of success in meditation, I thought it would be helpful to dedicate an episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast to exploring this question. How can you gauge progress and success in your meditation practice? It’s important to say that this is by no means a definitive list. And each tradition or technique is going to have its own variations on these themes. Instead, these 8 signs of success in meditation can help serve as general signposts for you. During the episode, we explore each one of these signs in depth to help you navigate the subtle terrain of meditation with confidence. In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, we explore 8 important signs of success in meditation: Increasing your quality of life Bearing witness to your mind Becoming less reactive Stillness Relaxation Freedom from thought Heightened awareness Freedom from time Show Notes If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Take a self-paced orientation to Meditation and explore the How To Meditate Core Training Program Leave us a rating & review on iTunes The post OM023: 8 Important Signs Of Your Success In Meditation appeared first on About Meditation.
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Aug 5, 2015 • 60min

OM022: How To Practice Mindfulness Meditation with Jennifer Howd

There is something wonderfully bold and liberating about saying yes to our entire imperfect and messy life. ~Tara Brach Do you listen to what your mind tells you? Or do you step back and observe it cooly, knowing that you aren’t what you think? Because, there is a world of difference between those two positions. If we are to trust what many of the great meditation teachers have told us through the ages, one leads to a life of insight, understanding, and happiness, while the other leads in the opposite direction. In today’s interview with author and mindfulness facilitator Jennifer Howd, we explore the practice of mindfulness meditation and how it teaches you that you are much more than what you think. Three Lesson From Mindfulness Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. ~Viktor Frankl One of the greatest things I’ve learned from twenty years of meditation is how to observe my mind. It’s not something you get overnight. With patient practice, you start to build a little space between you and the stream of thought that runs like a shimmering stream through your head. Cultivating that space has helped me understand many things about life and about myself. Here are three important ones. First, I learned that I am not what I think. I am infinitely more. Second, I learned that without that space between me and my mind, it’s easy to live life hypnotized by the thought stream and mistaking it for myself. And third, it taught me that I always have a choice in how to respond to life. Sure, I can have strong reactions to things. Happens every day. I get stressed about time. I get upset at drivers while I’m walking the streets of Boston. I feel deflated and defeated when my new blog post or podcast doesn’t attract attention. But I always know that I have a choice in response to these reactions. I can dwell on them and fight them or I can accept them, observe them, and keep moving. You see, if you merely react to the many narratives in your mind, they will dictate how you live. The problem is that those narratives are mostly habitual and conditioned responses to life. More often than not, they are shaped by our deep fears, desires, and traumas. When we blithely listen those voices, we start to believe them. Then slowly but surely, they eclipse the natural expanse of who we are and what’s possible in this life. In contrast, mindfulness meditation helps you reverse that process and live a more conscious life. The Mindfulness Diaries Healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy. ~Pema Chodron Jennifer Howd In today’s episode, we explore the practice of mindfulness meditation with Jennifer Howd, the author of The Mindfulness Diaries: How I Survived My First 9-Day Silent Retreat. In her book and in her work, Jennifer uses the power of story to help illuminate the depth and subtlety of mindfulness practice. You see, mindfulness isn’t merely a practice you do sitting on a cushion in the quiet hours of the morning. As Jennifer says again and again, mindfulness is a way of life. It’s a way of looking at oneself and the world that’s deeply awake and profoundly present. I invited Jennifer Howd to the OneMind Meditation Podcast so she could share her expertise, her stories, and her passion for mindfulness meditation. I think you’re going to love it. In this episode of The OneMind Meditation Podcast, Jennifer Howd and I discuss: The dramatic story and events that led to Jennifer embracing meditation How she started her daily meditation practice Her experience training at the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center Why she was more comfortable learning, practicing, and facilitating a secular based approach to mindfulness The role that meditation played in helping her shed old patterns of reactive behavior and belief How she learned that what she thought was not who she was How to practice mindfulness based meditation How to deal with the inner critic How mindfulness helps you know the difference between pain and suffering Why meditation teacher Shinzen Young says that pain + resistance = suffering How mindfulness helped Jenn overcome her fear of performing on stage at the Fringe Festival Jennifer’s advice for new and aspiring meditators Show Notes Buy The Mindfulness Diaries Read The Mindfulness Diaries Blog Connect with Jennifer Howd directly Learn about The UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center >If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course >Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace >Take a self-paced orientation to Meditation and explore the How To Meditate Core Training Program The post OM022: How To Practice Mindfulness Meditation with Jennifer Howd appeared first on About Meditation.
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Jul 28, 2015 • 1h

OM021: The Two Miraculous Gifts of Meditation with Jeff Carreira

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Is everything ok? I mean right now, independent of whatever is happening in your life, do you think life itself is a positive event? Stop for a second and think about it. Sure, we all have issues and problems to work through, and we've all suffered. But beyond that. Is everything fundamentally alright or all wrong? Because the approach to meditation I'm going to share with you today may challenge the way you see the world. Why? Because it introduces you to a perspective and a practice where nothing could ever be wrong. In fact, based on this approach to meditation, one of the core discoveries you make through diligent practice is that life is positive beyond measure. Curious yet? The Miracle of Meditation & The Practice of No Problem In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, I interview meditation teacher Jeff Carreira about his unique approach to meditation. He calls it The Practice of No Problem, and it's transformative. In this interview, we explore what Jeff calls the two miraculous gifts of meditation, which you can discover through this practice. We also discuss how this approach to meditation can free you from a cycle of reactivity that leads to poor choices. And finally, we have a wide ranging conversation about how meditation can help you deal with challenging emotions that can sometimes arise in meditation. The Spirit of Inquiry Jeff Carreira is a meditation teacher, philosopher, author, lecturer, and evolutionary pioneer. He is also an educator who is steeped in the study and practice of Eastern Enlightenment and Evolutionary Spirituality. Before embracing the spiritual life, Jeff received his undergraduate degree in physics and worked as a research engineer designing, building, and testing electro-optical laser devices. After five years he realized that science alone could not answer life's deepest questions, so he embraced a more humanitarian field teaching and received his Masters in Education. I invited Jeff on to the show because I wanted you to learn about his inspired approach to meditation. I think you’re going to find that his spirit of inquiry is both contagious and illuminating. In this episode Jeff Carreira and I explore: How most people live with the assumption that something is fundamentally wrong How he came to develop a unique approach to meditation called the practice of no problem What Jeff calls the first miraculous gift of meditation The experiences that led to his conviction that life is fundamentally positive How his awareness slipped out of his mind How the practice of no problem deals with what Jeff calls a judgmental separation from reality” How to question the assumption that life should be someway other than the way it is The Second miraculous gift of meditation The two ways that the practice of no problem helps you deal with challenging emotions The difference between pain and suffering Jeff’s advice for new and aspiring meditators Show Notes Get Jeff’s free eBook: Love, Creativity, and Unlimited Possibility Take Jeff’s Self-Paced Course: How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace Listen to a free guided meditation from Jeff: This Is It Read Jeff’s article: You're Doing This Meditation Practice Right Now (Even If You Don't Know It) Read Jeff’s article: What You Need To Know About Transformation & Meditation (Photos Via Flickr CC: Blanca) The post OM021: The Two Miraculous Gifts of Meditation with Jeff Carreira appeared first on About Meditation.
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Jul 22, 2015 • 1h 3min

OM 020: Learning Compassion Through Tibetan Buddhism with Richard Klein

How do you learn compassion? Can meditation teach you? Or does it have to come from your own suffering? Maybe a combination of both? I know well how my own experiences of a broken heart have pierced the veil of selfishness and opened me to the needs, pain, and suffering others. But do we have to live with a broken heart to recognize and care deeply about others and our world? Compassion & Your Brain One thing's for sure, our world needs a whole lot more compassion. And now a mounting pile of scientific evidence is lending weight to an assertion that monks and nuns from many traditions have made for centuries the key to happiness is not in getting for ourselves but in giving to others with a compassionate heart. One brain imaging study even showed that the pleasure centers of our brain that light up with sex, dessert, and money are just as stimulated when we watch someone give money as when we receive money ourselves. Another study showed that giving and generosity is contagious. How Do You Cultivate Compassion? On the whole, we Westerners are driven by achievement, competition, wealth, and recognition. You don't have to look too far to see that we haven't yet tapped into the extraordinary power of compassion to change our lives and our world for the better. So where do we begin? How do we start to elevate our motivations and root ourselves (and our relationships) in a truly compassionate center of gravity? In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, we explore this all-important topic of compassion with Tibetan Buddhist and long-time meditator Richard Klein. Richard has practiced meditation for several decades and trained in many traditions. More recently, he started practicing Tibetan Buddhism and found himself moved and compelled by the "huge" emphasis they place on cultivating compassion. In this interview, Richard and I explore the role that meditation plays in the process and practice of Tibetan Buddhist meditation. In this interview, Richard and I explore Tibetan Buddhist meditation and: The kinds of inner constraints you can transcend through meditation and silent retreats How Richard's bar mitzvah training foreshadowed his spiritual life The definition of Dzogchen The difference between Dzogchen meditation and mindfulness meditation Nondual meditation practice Why the Tibetans say that the fundamental nature of the Mind is empty like the sky Integral Theory and different lines of human development Why (and how) Tibetan Buddhism puts such a huge emphasis on the development of compassion Why it's important to actively respond to the negative voices in our heads through spiritual practice How meditation keeps you from staying locked in the experience of thought and feeling How meditation opens up a precious space within you Why compassion is so important for self, other, and the world Show Notes Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche A Theory of Everything by Ken Wilber The Integral Vision by Ken Wilber >If you enjoyed this podcast, you may also like our Meditation for Life Mini Course >Learn more about our free awareness meditation course, How To Free Your Mind & Discover Deep Peace >Take a self-paced orientation to Meditation and explore the How To Meditate Core Training Program (Photos Via Flickr: Ronai Rocha, Aaron Alexander, Susan von Struensee) The post OM 020: Learning Compassion Through Tibetan Buddhism with Richard Klein appeared first on About Meditation.
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Jul 14, 2015 • 37min

OM 019: A 5-Part Meditation On The Power of Silence

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music. ~Aldous Huxley What is silence? I've been chasing silence since I was 20 years old. But why is it important and what can you learn from it? Is it, as some research suggests, essential for our health? Many people think of silence as just the absence of noise and sound. Is it that or is it the presence of something other than sound? Could it be merely the echo of the empty desolate void? I think the answer is much more complex than any of those. Silence isn’t a static thing. In my experience, it’s dynamic. Just like you've probably heard how the eskimos have 100 words for snow, I think it's the same with silence. There are a hundred, maybe a thousand, different qualities, shades, and moods to silence. The Treasures of Silence But one thing is for sure. A key aspect of meditation is that you become more sensitive to the subtle and ever-changing sound of silence. And, if I may be so bold, there are riches to be found there. What kind? The list of life-enhancing benefits from silence is long. There are physical, emotional, and psychological benefits. Silence is to your spiritual health what sunlight is to photosynthesis. It’s difficult (if not impossible) to have the latter without the former. Your brain, your creativity, your extraordinary powers of attention and concentration they all benefit, grow, and thrive through periods of sustained silence. The Science Behind Silence Researchers have definitely found that silence is important for our health. In fact, some studies have focused on the healing effects of silence by studying the deadly effects of noise. One article on the healing properties of silence states that: Experts believe that noise is deadly because it raises the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline in the body. High stress hormone levels have been linked to heart failure, strokes, high blood pressure, and immune problems. Some statistics show that over 70% of disease is stress-related. Given the noisy nature of our world today, it’s no wonder stress is reaching epidemic levels. As you probably know already, sitting silently in meditation is one of the most effective ways that you can reduce stress. A Meditation On Silence Today, we explore the rich and complex mystery of silence. Of course, given the subjective nature of the topic, we can only scratch the surface of a topic like this. But one thing is for sure, silence is more important than we think and many of us are missing out. And because I love silence so much, this is in some ways more of a meditation on the transforming, healing, and restorative power of silence. During the show, I explore silence in 5 parts. Part 1: Silence Will Transform You Part 2: The Secret Power Of Not Talking Part 3: Gravity Accumulates In Silence Part 4: Silence Is All Around You Part 5: Silence Is A Bridge Between The Inner And Outer   Show Notes Pick up two free guided meditations as part of our Meditation For Life Experience. (Photo Credits via Flickr Creative Commons: James Whitesmith) The post OM 019: A 5-Part Meditation On The Power of Silence appeared first on About Meditation.
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Jul 8, 2015 • 49min

OM 018: The Most Popular Meditation Technique on Earth with Tom Bershad

Transcendental Meditation opens the awareness to the infinite reservoir of energy, creativity, and intelligence that lies deep within everyone. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Have you ever wanted to learn more about Transcendental Meditation (TM)? Arguably one of the most popular forms of meditation on the planet, it's ironically challenging to learn without spending lots of money and joining the TM movement. So we wanted to provide a first hand account of this hugely popular approach to meditation. In this episode of the OneMind Meditation podcast, I interview AboutMeditation.com cofounder Tom Bershad about his experience practicing Transcendental Meditation. Sweeping Into The Mainstream TM was first popularized by the Beatles when they went to India and learned TM from the great Indian teacher, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. TM swept into the mainstream on the coattails of the Beatles and the wave of liberation movements which characterized so much of the '60s. TM took another leap after it was famously featured as a centerpiece in the immensely popular book by Harvard-trained physician Herbert Benson called The Relaxation Response. In The Relaxation Response, Benson controversially revealed the secret training methods of TM, but also legitimized meditation through his groundbreaking research into the health benefits of meditation as embodied by practitioners of TM. In fact, the TM organization has amassed an extensive body of research recognized and supported by the National Institute of Health, the American Heart Association, and the American Medical Association chronicling the physical, psychological, and emotional benefits of meditation. Maharishi's original vision for the transformative impact of TM was global in scale and truly awe-inspiring. Tom's Experience of TM Tom Bershad started meditating in 1973 when he was formally initiated into TM practice at the age of 15. He's been meditating regularly ever since. I wanted to interview Tom about TM so he could share with you his first-hand and in-depth experience with this highly effective practice. If you've ever wondered about TM what it is, how it works, and the philosophy behind it then this show is for you. Through the interview, You're going to learn about Mantras, yogic philosophy, and the kinds of experiences you can have as both a beginning and advanced practitioner. We only scratch the surface, but I think you're going to find this interview informative and inspiring. Tom's combination of passion and precision is refreshing and illuminating. In this episode of the OneMind Meditation Podcast, Tom and I explore: What happens at a TM initiation ceremony Why Tom started meditating at age 15 The social, academic, an life transformation Tom experienced through TM How TM freed Tom from external drama in his life The Monroe Institute What kind of experiences can you expect to have in TM What progress looks like and feels like in TM The difference between newer and more seasoned TM practitioners The relationship between TM and Yogic philosophy Herbert Benson's study of TM and his resulting book The Relaxation Response Why it's important to practice consistently and treat meditation as a habit How TM and all meditation paths lead to the same place The quality of deep rest one experiences in meditation Why TM is so popular today Show Notes Listen to previous episodes with Tom Bershad Learn more about Transcendental Meditation Learn more about The Monroe Institute Learn six steps to stimulate your Relaxation Response Learn how to meditate in 5 easy lessons with our Free How To Meditate Mini Course. (Photo credits via Flickr Creative Commons: Alex Berger, Khánh Hmoong) The post OM 018: The Most Popular Meditation Technique on Earth with Tom Bershad appeared first on About Meditation.
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Jun 30, 2015 • 33min

OM 017: The Ashram & The Entrepreneur--Exploring Meditation As A Habit with Sonia Thompson

Begin with little things daily and one day you will be doing things that months back you would have thought impossible. ~Swami Satchidananda Meditation and yoga have gone hand in hand for millennia. It was only when yoga came to the West that it got reduced to the calming and healthy physical practice most of us know it as today. But as meditation starts to catch up with yoga as an accepted and mainstream wellness practice, that’s changing. Increasingly, hatha yoga (the physical version of yoga) is becoming a gateway for people to discover the benefits of a regular meditation practice. An Entrepreneur in the Ashram That was exactly what happened to business author and entrepreneur Sonia Thompson. After taking yoga classes for a few months at her local gym, she found herself yearning for something deeper. Through her own research and through a good friend, she started to learn more about meditation. Compelled by what she learned, Sonia spent a week on retreat at Yogaville a yoga and meditation ashram where people can experience the transformative breadth of yogic philosophy and practice. Over the course of five days on retreat at Yogaville, Sonia discovered that illusive feeling that was missing from her physical yoga practice. She found it in the depths of meditation. Meditation As A Habit Sonia Thompson (With Her Parents) Sonia refers to herself as a reformed corporate junkie. And before her current incarnation as an entrepreneur, she spent more than a decade as a marketer and business leader growing brands around the world for large healthcare companies like Johnson & Johnson. She also wrote the book Delight Inside: Build your dream business that keeps your customers coming back for more. In this episode of The OneMind Podcast, Sonia and I explore the experience she had while on retreat at Yogaville. We also dive into the incredible power of habits and the value of relating to meditation as a keystone habit. Finally, Sonia shares her own reflections on why meditation is so important for entrepreneurs. I think you’re going to love this episode. If you’re a yoga fanatic but haven’t made the leap into a daily meditation practice yet, this interview might inspire to cross that divide. In this episode of The OneMind Podcast, Sonia and I discuss: The relationship between yoga and meditation What happens when you attend a retreat at a yoga ashram The transformative experience Sonia had in meditation Why she meditates first thing every morning The power of meditation as a keystone habit Why she thinks meditation is essential for entrepreneurs Show Notes Connect with Sonia at her website TryBusinessSchool Learn more about the Yogaville Ashram Listen to How To Turn Meditation Into A Keystone Habit Read The One Thing by Gary Kellar Want to learn meditation in 5 easy lessons? Register for our free How To Meditate Mini Course The post OM 017: The Ashram & The Entrepreneur Exploring Meditation As A Habit with Sonia Thompson appeared first on About Meditation.

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