Meditate, look younger
By Kokila

ROSY lips, glowing cheeks, sparkling eyes and a radiant face will become a reality with you also if you meditate for a few minutes daily. You will improve your general health and productivity.

A glowing skin is more attractive than the shape or height.

Most health-conscious ladies, film stars and models meditate for a few minutes besides regular exercise. Yogic exercises, along with meditation, make a wonderful combination for perfect health.

Meditation is not really forcing your mind to be peaceful it is finding the quiet that is already within you. Peace and quiet makes your mind "thoughtless" and relieves you of guilt, resentment, anger and unfulfilled hopes. Migraine depression and high blood pressure vanish and the immune system gets strengthened.

You are more relaxed during meditation than you are in deep sleep. That is because meditation increases alpha and theta brain waves. The brain functions more intelligently and the grasping power increases. This is very beneficial for students.

If you wish to have transcendental and spiritual gains of meditation it is important to seek a qualified meditation teacher whose spiritual tradition you respect. At the same time there are meditation techniques which can be learnt right now step by step.

Before starting meditation, you must always keep in mind that you are not only a body but also a soul or spirit. You must hold a thought in your mind that you as a soul and spirit is connected to the centre of the cosmos from which your soul and other souls have originated like the rays of the sun are connected to the centre of the sun.

Now if all the souls have a common origin, it is also a fact that all the souls have an inter-relationship. You must have a firm belief that you have access to the central source of your spirit origin where all love, life, tranquillity and wisdom are available in abundance. Gradually, along with this growing consciousness of oneness with the centre of the Cosmos and with the universe, you will also find that your capacity to visualise beauty, prosperty and peace for you and your loved ones and friends increases.

Next, you have to take in posture may be in ‘Sukhasana or Padamasana or Shavasana. In Shavasana posture you will have a relaxation which would be much better in quality than what you get from any other postures. If you do not know any of these asanas, do not bother you could sit in a comfortable position anywhere, any time of day.

Whether lying or sitting you must have the thought that you are one with your source. Now with closed eyes start to breathe, lightly and easily. You should be aware of your breathing. Feel that fresh air is entering your nostrils and then flowing down to your lungs. Just breathe normally.

When you exhale, let your attention follow the air-up out of the lungs and softly through the nostrils. Nothing is forced here. The breath is moving gently and easily, your mind is following it softly. The air you breathe is the prana or life force. Just repeat this exercise of breath awareness for a few minutes.

Next, you allow your mind to travel from the toes of your feet upward to the summit of your head. Allow your mind to dwell for a few seconds on each part of your body. You will feel yourself, the supply of blood to the part where your thought dwells will increase. When your mind dwells on a particular part of your body, a blood flow to that part increases and cells receive more oxygen and other nutrients in abundance. When you send your mental thoughts to your body parts for health and beauty you send life force also to those parts, through the blood.

At the end of your practice, chant Om as many times as you can. Inhale deeply, then chant Om while exhaling slowly. Besides the spiritual benefits recitation of word Om removes the diseases of nose, throat, liver stomach etc. It also purifies blood.

As you gain experience with meditation, you will begin to feel the re-appearance of youthfulness and vitality. You will look many years younger to your real age. Just tap the universal energy for a few minutes daily.