1. CASSANDRA HARRISON KAPLAN UNIVERSITY SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 Meditation

2. Overview ‘Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years and was originally meant to help deepen understanding of the sacred and mystical forces of life.’ (Mayo Clinic, 2012) “During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.” (Mayo Clinic, 2012)

3. Types of Meditation Guided meditation Mantra Meditation Mindfulness Meditation Qi Gong Tai Chi Transcendental Meditation Yoga

4. Benefits Relaxation and Stress Reduction New Perspectives Increased Self-Awareness Improved Concentration Living in the Moment Reduction of Negativity Research Suggests that Meditation may Help with Allergies, Anxiety disorders, Asthma, Binge Eating, Cancer, Depression, Fatigue, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Pain, Sleep Problems, and Substance Abuse

5. Creating a Space Creating a space is a personal process Some may wish to eliminate clutter and set up a relaxing scenery A space is not necessary and we can use any place such as our work chair at our desk

6. How to Begin You may wish to employ a timer so that you do not have the urge to check on how long you have been meditating Starting with a body scan is helpful to acknowledge how each part of your body feels and to relax into your chosen posture A good amount of time to begin with is around 5-20 minutes daily, beginning at the lower end Experiment with postures and breathing techniques to find which ones suit you best

7. Postures There are a number of postures to assume while meditating Here are a few examples You can also lie down or do walking mediation

8. Breathing Techniques Counting the In Breaths 1-10 and then in Reverse (Starting Over If you Lose your Place) Thinking the Words In and Out Following the Breath Inhale Love and Exhale Hate Noticing Where the Breath Fills the Body

9. Journaling Keeping track of the amount of time spent meditating each day and what the experience was like is an excellent way to remain committed and track progress and review benefits

10. Questions

11. References  Mayo Clinic. (2011). Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress. Retrieved September 14, 2012 from, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070