Breathing is one of the few bodily functions which, within limits, can be controlled both consciously and unconsciously. Conscious attention to breathing is common in many forms of meditation, specifically anapana. In music, breath is used to play wind and brass musical instruments and many aerophones. Laughter, physically, is simply repeated sharp breaths. Hiccups are another still-mysterious breath-related phenomenon. Specialized centers in the brainstem automatically regulate the rate and depth of breathing depending on the body’ ...

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Breath, Breath - Control of Breathing

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From a religious point of view, the solitary life is a form of asceticism, wherein the hermit renounces wordly concerns and pleasures in order to come closer to the deity or deities they worship or revere. This practice appears in Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sufism. In ascetic hermitism, the hermit seeks solitude for meditation, contemplation, and prayer without the distractions of contact with human society, sex, or the need to maintain socially acceptable standards of cleanliness or dress. The ascetic discipline can also include ...

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Hermit, Hermit - Hermits in religion, Hermit - Non-religious hermits, Hermit - Hermits in philosophy

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Paramyogeshwar Sri Devpuriji developed Yoga Nidra and passed it on to Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji and it was taught to his disciples since 1880. On his journeys to the Himalayas, Sri Devpuriji met, among others, Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh and Swami Muktananda, who is well known in Europe and conveyed the technique of Yoga Nidra to several Yogis and Swamis, such as Swami Satyananda Saraswati and Swami Janakananda. Swami Satyananda developed the modern form of Yoga Nidra from the ancient tantric practice of nyasa meditation, which u ...

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Yoga Nidra, Yoga Nidra - History, Yoga Nidra - External link

Read more here: » Yoga Nidra: Encyclopedia II - Yoga Nidra - History

Sandalwood is considered in alternative medicine to bring one closer with the divine. Sandalwood essential oil, which is very expensive in its pure form, is used primarily for Ayurvedic purposes, and treating anxiety. In Buddhism, sandalwood are considered to be of the Padma (lotus) group and attributed to the Bodhisattva Amitabha. Sandalwood scent is believed to transform one's desires and maintain a person's alertness while in meditation. Sandalwood, along with agarwood, is the most popular and commonly used incense material by the Chinese and ...

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Sandalwood, Sandalwood - Source, Sandalwood - Cultivation, Sandalwood - Fragrance, Sandalwood - Religious use, Sandalwood - Bibliography

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Meditation: The practice of inverting the mind to pay attention to the inner silence instead of the outer chaos. Other forms of meditation focus on the outer chaos instead. The practice of meditation is accepted in almost all religions, but is encouraged most in Buddhism.

(See also: Meditation, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Primordial Sound Meditation: Ancient form of mantra (or sound) meditation revived by Deepak Chopra, M.D. It involves selection of a mantra (primordial sounds) based on the date, time, and place of the prospective meditator's birth.

(See also: Primordial Sound Meditation, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

led meditation: Form of group meditation wherein someone (a) describes the process of relaxation and (b) outlines a situation that may conduce to the readiness of the meditators to meet their inner guides, receive higher wisdom, or find an answer to a question of immediate concern.

(See also: Led meditation, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Mantra Yoga Meditation (MYM, Mantra Yoga Meditation technique): Form of silent meditation introduced to the West by Swami Guru Devanand and promoted by the Dr. Guervaz Ayurveda Center, in New York City. MYM guides one toward experience with the innermost part of one's cosmic existence.

(See also: Mantra Yoga Meditation, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Sivananda: A form of Yoga integrating movement, breathing and meditation.

(See also: Sivananda, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Dhyana:

meditation; single-pointed focus of mind on either a form, thought or sound.

(See also: Dhyana, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

ching tso

Chinese form of quiet, sitting meditation

(See also: Ching tso, Body Mind and Soul)

Mandala: A design of lines, forms and colors, usually circular, used in meditation to focus attention to a single point. Used in Meditation and as an object of worship.

(See also: Mandala, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Meditation: The emptying of the mind of thoughts, or concentration of the mind on just one thing in order to aid mental or spiritual development, contemplation, or relaxation. Although the practice originated in India, it is common to many religions. Hatha yoga is a form of meditation.

(See also: Meditation, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Sri yantra

A Sri yantra is a meditational image used in Hindu meditation. The word is derived from the root "yam," meaning "to sustain". The Yantra is used to maintain a focused state during meditation. It is usually composed of an outer geometrical form enclosing a series of interior geometrical designs. Each particular design is used to concentrate on a specific purpose or intent during meditation.

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Spirit Taking Form: a healing process that includes using guided meditation and discussion to find one's healing light and to give it form.

(See also: Spirit Taking Form, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

dhyana-rupa:

dhyana-rupa (dhyaana-ruupa). Form of meditation.

(See also: dhyana-rupa, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

cankama (cankama): Walking meditation, usually in the form of walking back and forth along a prescribed path.

 (See also: Cankama, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

Zazen: Ancient form of meditation that enables touching the source of life. Zazen also helps to awaken jariki, a form of spiritual energy.

(See also: Zazen, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Devi Gita: (Sanskrit) Twelve chapters (29 to 40) from the 7th book of Srimad Devi Bhagavatam, a Shakta scripture. It teaches external worship of the Deity with form and meditation on the Deity beyond form.

(See also: Devi Gita, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

tattva shuddhi (tattva shuddhi meditation): Tantric form of meditation whose theory posits chakras and five elements: air, earth, ether, fire, and water. It is adaptable to self-healing. Tattva shuddhi means purification of the elements.

(See also: Tattva shuddhi, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Tatwa meditation: Cornerstone of a holistic system of self-healing developed by spiritual teacher Emahmn (sic). Tatwas are Hindu mandalas (mystical drawings) that have healing powers. Emahmn's system includes a mandalic-zodiacal form of astrology.

(See also: Tatwa meditation, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

MEDITATION: Discipline in which the mind is focused on a single point of reference. Employed since ancient times in various forms by all religions, the practice gained greater notice in the postwar U.S. as interest in Zen Buddhism rose.

Meditation is now used by many nonreligious adherents as a method of stress reduction; known to lower levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress. Enhances recuperation and improves the bodyÕs resistance to disease.

(See also: Meditation, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)