Clear a Path to Higher Mind with The Silva Life System!
This powerful, life-changing training is a step-by-step process that allows you to develop the untapped potential of your mind.
Through this course you
• establish an easy-to-use 'path' to the meditative state - associated with intuition and creativity
• this process allows you to contact your guidance for deeper understanding and better decision-making
• reduce stress, leading to better health and well-being
• develop a more positive attitude
• develop greater control of your mind -- greater concentration, clarity and focus
• develop a better memory
• establish methods for manifesting your life desires by using the ‘tools of the mind' - visualization and imagination
• learn techniques to solve problems, regardless of whether they are rooted in the past, exist in the present or may exist in the future
Within you lies the secret that unlocks life's possibilities. Learn how to develop the natural mental power of attraction we all possess.
Originally posted on Facebook by Barbara Hawkins on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 2:09pm
The Silva Method, Silva Life System and Silva Intuition Training - sharing these is a joy. It's so uplifting and rewarding to see people learn the skills and techniques, apply them in their lives and increase their fulfillment and happiness. I am privileged to work with Silva Graduates in a coaching relationship.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Meditation Found To Increase Brain Size
by FinerMinds Team April 13, 2009
Because of the overwhelming response we’ve had to our post on Super Brain Yoga, we’d like to introduce you to an amazing study conducted in the field of meditation. For the first time there is scientific evidence that meditation does indeed affect the physical structure of the brain.
For decades the benefits of meditation have been known, studied, and advertised. But it wasn’t until recently that science has come around and acknowledged the physical and cognitive advantages of meditation. Researchers at Yale, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that meditation can indeed change the physical structure of the brain.
The article below summarizes the research that has been conducted thus far and what this means in terms of slowing down aging, improving cognitive thinking, and enhancing health and well-being. The type of meditation and quality of meditation used in the studies are also discussed.
Have a look at the article and let us know whether you think the change in brain structure is significant and if it represents a physical embodiment of the benefits of meditation
Source: Harvard University (By William J. Cromie)
Link:http://www.sciencenewsden.com
By ajayniranjan
People who meditate grow bigger brains than those who don’t. Researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found the first evidence that meditation can alter the physical structure of our brains. Brain scans they conducted reveal that experienced meditators boasted increased thickness in parts of the brain that deal with attention and processing sensory input.
In one area of gray matter, the thickening turns out to be more pronounced in older than in younger people. That’s intriguing because those sections of the human cortex, or thinking cap, normally get thinner as we age.
Our data suggest that meditation practice can promote cortical plasticity in adults in areas important for cognitive and emotional processing and well-being,” says Sara Lazar, leader of the study and a psychologist at Harvard Medical School. “These findings are consistent with other studies that demonstrated increased thickness of music areas in the brains of musicians, and visual and motor areas in the brains of jugglers. In other words, the structure of an adult brain can change in response to repeated practice.”
The researchers compared brain scans of 20 experienced meditators with those of 15 nonmeditators. Four of the former taught meditation or yoga, but they were not monks living in seclusion. The rest worked in careers such as law, health care, and journalism. All the participants were white. During scanning, the meditators meditated; the others just relaxed and thought about whatever they wanted.
Meditators did Buddhist “insight meditation,” which focuses on whatever is there, like noise or body sensations. It doesn’t involve “om,” other mantras, or chanting.
“The goal is to pay attention to sensory experience, rather than to your thoughts about the sensory experience,” Lazar explains. “For example, if you suddenly hear a noise, you just listen to it rather than thinking about it. If your leg falls asleep, you just notice the physical sensations. If nothing is there, you pay attention to your breathing.” Successful meditators get used to not thinking or elaborating things in their mind.
Study participants meditated an average of about 40 minutes a day. Some had been doing it for only a year, others for decades. Depth of the meditation was measured by the slowing of breathing rates. Those most deeply involved in the meditation showed the greatest changes in brain structure. “This strongly suggests,” Lazar concludes, “that the differences in brain structure were caused by the meditation, rather than that differences in brain thickness got them into meditation in the first place.”
Lazar took up meditation about 10 years ago and now practices insight meditation about three times a week. At first she was not sure it would work. But “I have definitely experienced beneficial changes,” she says. “It reduces stress [and] increases my clarity of thought and my tolerance for staying focused in difficult situations.”
Controlling random thoughts
Insight meditation can be practiced anytime, anywhere. “People who do it quickly realize that much of what goes on in their heads involves random thoughts that often have little substance,” Lazar comments. “The goal is not so much to ‘empty’ your head, but to not get caught up in random thoughts that pop into consciousness.”
She uses this example: Facing an important deadline, people tend to worry about what will happen if they miss it, or if the end product will be good enough to suit the boss. You can drive yourself crazy with unproductive “what if” worry. “If, instead, you focus on the present moment, on what needs to be done and what is happening right now, then much of the feeling of stress goes away,” Lazar says. “Feelings become less obstructive and more motivational.”
The increased thickness of gray matter is not very much, 4 to 8 thousandths of an inch. “These increases are proportional to the time a person has been meditating during their lives,” Lazar notes. “This suggests that the thickness differences are acquired through extensive practice and not simply due to differences between meditators and nonmeditators.”
As small as they are, you can bet those differences are going to lead to lots more studies to find out just what is going on and how meditation might better be used to improve health and well-being, and even slow aging
More basic questions need to be answered. What causes the increased thickness? Does meditation produce more connections between brain cells, or more blood vessels? How does increased brain thickness influence daily behavior? Does it promote increased communication between intellectual and emotional areas of the brain?
To get answers, larger studies are planned at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Harvard-affiliated facility where Lazar is a research scientist and where these first studies were done. That work included only 20 meditators and their brains were scanned only once.
“The results were very encouraging,” Lazar remarks. “But further research needs to be done using a larger number of people and testing them multiple times. We also need to examine their brains both before and after learning to meditate. Our group is currently planning to do this. Eventually, such research should reveal more about the function of the thickening; that is, how it affects emotions and knowing in terms of both awareness and judgment.”
Slowing aging?
Since this type of meditation counteracts the natural thinning of the thinking surface of the brain, could it play a role in slowing – even reversing – aging? That could really be mind-boggling in the most positive sense.
Lazar is cautious in her answer. “Our data suggest that one small bit of brain appears to have a slower rate of cortical thinning, so meditation may help slow some aspects of cognitive aging,” she agrees. “But it’s important to remember that monks and yogis suffer from the same ailments as the rest of us. They get old and die, too. However, they do claim to enjoy an increased capacity for attention and memory.”
Because of the overwhelming response we’ve had to our post on Super Brain Yoga, we’d like to introduce you to an amazing study conducted in the field of meditation. For the first time there is scientific evidence that meditation does indeed affect the physical structure of the brain.
For decades the benefits of meditation have been known, studied, and advertised. But it wasn’t until recently that science has come around and acknowledged the physical and cognitive advantages of meditation. Researchers at Yale, Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered that meditation can indeed change the physical structure of the brain.
The article below summarizes the research that has been conducted thus far and what this means in terms of slowing down aging, improving cognitive thinking, and enhancing health and well-being. The type of meditation and quality of meditation used in the studies are also discussed.
Have a look at the article and let us know whether you think the change in brain structure is significant and if it represents a physical embodiment of the benefits of meditation
Source: Harvard University (By William J. Cromie)
Link:http://www.sciencenewsden.com
By ajayniranjan
People who meditate grow bigger brains than those who don’t. Researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found the first evidence that meditation can alter the physical structure of our brains. Brain scans they conducted reveal that experienced meditators boasted increased thickness in parts of the brain that deal with attention and processing sensory input.
In one area of gray matter, the thickening turns out to be more pronounced in older than in younger people. That’s intriguing because those sections of the human cortex, or thinking cap, normally get thinner as we age.
Our data suggest that meditation practice can promote cortical plasticity in adults in areas important for cognitive and emotional processing and well-being,” says Sara Lazar, leader of the study and a psychologist at Harvard Medical School. “These findings are consistent with other studies that demonstrated increased thickness of music areas in the brains of musicians, and visual and motor areas in the brains of jugglers. In other words, the structure of an adult brain can change in response to repeated practice.”
The researchers compared brain scans of 20 experienced meditators with those of 15 nonmeditators. Four of the former taught meditation or yoga, but they were not monks living in seclusion. The rest worked in careers such as law, health care, and journalism. All the participants were white. During scanning, the meditators meditated; the others just relaxed and thought about whatever they wanted.
Meditators did Buddhist “insight meditation,” which focuses on whatever is there, like noise or body sensations. It doesn’t involve “om,” other mantras, or chanting.
“The goal is to pay attention to sensory experience, rather than to your thoughts about the sensory experience,” Lazar explains. “For example, if you suddenly hear a noise, you just listen to it rather than thinking about it. If your leg falls asleep, you just notice the physical sensations. If nothing is there, you pay attention to your breathing.” Successful meditators get used to not thinking or elaborating things in their mind.
Study participants meditated an average of about 40 minutes a day. Some had been doing it for only a year, others for decades. Depth of the meditation was measured by the slowing of breathing rates. Those most deeply involved in the meditation showed the greatest changes in brain structure. “This strongly suggests,” Lazar concludes, “that the differences in brain structure were caused by the meditation, rather than that differences in brain thickness got them into meditation in the first place.”
Lazar took up meditation about 10 years ago and now practices insight meditation about three times a week. At first she was not sure it would work. But “I have definitely experienced beneficial changes,” she says. “It reduces stress [and] increases my clarity of thought and my tolerance for staying focused in difficult situations.”
Controlling random thoughts
Insight meditation can be practiced anytime, anywhere. “People who do it quickly realize that much of what goes on in their heads involves random thoughts that often have little substance,” Lazar comments. “The goal is not so much to ‘empty’ your head, but to not get caught up in random thoughts that pop into consciousness.”
She uses this example: Facing an important deadline, people tend to worry about what will happen if they miss it, or if the end product will be good enough to suit the boss. You can drive yourself crazy with unproductive “what if” worry. “If, instead, you focus on the present moment, on what needs to be done and what is happening right now, then much of the feeling of stress goes away,” Lazar says. “Feelings become less obstructive and more motivational.”
The increased thickness of gray matter is not very much, 4 to 8 thousandths of an inch. “These increases are proportional to the time a person has been meditating during their lives,” Lazar notes. “This suggests that the thickness differences are acquired through extensive practice and not simply due to differences between meditators and nonmeditators.”
As small as they are, you can bet those differences are going to lead to lots more studies to find out just what is going on and how meditation might better be used to improve health and well-being, and even slow aging
More basic questions need to be answered. What causes the increased thickness? Does meditation produce more connections between brain cells, or more blood vessels? How does increased brain thickness influence daily behavior? Does it promote increased communication between intellectual and emotional areas of the brain?
To get answers, larger studies are planned at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Harvard-affiliated facility where Lazar is a research scientist and where these first studies were done. That work included only 20 meditators and their brains were scanned only once.
“The results were very encouraging,” Lazar remarks. “But further research needs to be done using a larger number of people and testing them multiple times. We also need to examine their brains both before and after learning to meditate. Our group is currently planning to do this. Eventually, such research should reveal more about the function of the thickening; that is, how it affects emotions and knowing in terms of both awareness and judgment.”
Slowing aging?
Since this type of meditation counteracts the natural thinning of the thinking surface of the brain, could it play a role in slowing – even reversing – aging? That could really be mind-boggling in the most positive sense.
Lazar is cautious in her answer. “Our data suggest that one small bit of brain appears to have a slower rate of cortical thinning, so meditation may help slow some aspects of cognitive aging,” she agrees. “But it’s important to remember that monks and yogis suffer from the same ailments as the rest of us. They get old and die, too. However, they do claim to enjoy an increased capacity for attention and memory.”
Sunday, January 16, 2011
"The Awakening of the Cosmic Heart"
A beautiful video I'm sure you'll enjoy!
Better & Better,
Barbara
Better & Better,
Barbara
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Habits of Thought
An article taken from "Napoleon Hill Yesterday and Today Issue 208"
Written by Napoleon Hill
The drifter makes no attempt to discipline or control his thoughts, and he never learns the difference between positive thinking and negative thinking. He allows his mind to drift with any stray thought which may float into it. People who drift in connection with their thought habits are sure to drift on other subjects as well.
In an allegorical account of an interview with the devil it was stated that the devil said he feared nothing except that the world might sometime produce a thinker who would use his own mind, adding significantly that he controlled all drifters who neglected to use their own minds. The devil is not the only individual who exploits the drifter. And the drifter is the victim not only of all those who wish to exploit him, but he is also the victim of all the stray, negative thoughts which park themselves in his mind.
The non-drifter takes full possession of his own mind through self-discipline, and organizes definite plans and purposes. He directs his mind to whatever ends he desires, and he keeps his mind occupied with the things he wants and off the things he does not want.
A positive mental attitude is the first and the most important of the twelve riches of life, and it cannot be attained by the drifter. It can be attained only by a scrupulous regard for time, through habits of self-discipline. No amount of time devoted to one’s occupation can compensate for the benefits of a positive mental attitude, for this is the power which makes the use of time effective and productive.
A positive mental attitude does not grow voluntarily, like the weeds of the fields. It requires cultivation, through carefully disciplined habits of thought. And the greatest of all training grounds for the cultivation of a positive mental attitude is provided by one’s chosen occupation, where he spends the greatest part of his life. Here you may combine your efforts to make them financially productive and to develop a positive mental attitude.
When you get your own thought habits under control, you will have yourself under control, but you cannot do it by drifting. Organize your thoughts. Decide what you want, to what position in life you aspire. Then plan ways and means to express your thoughts in terms of organized action. Follow through with applied faith and unremitting persistence. This is the means by which you can become the master of your fate, the captain of your soul.
Waste no time worrying about what others may think. The important thing is what you think and do.
Source: PMA Science of Success Course. Published 1983. Pgs. 463-464.
Written by Napoleon Hill
The drifter makes no attempt to discipline or control his thoughts, and he never learns the difference between positive thinking and negative thinking. He allows his mind to drift with any stray thought which may float into it. People who drift in connection with their thought habits are sure to drift on other subjects as well.
In an allegorical account of an interview with the devil it was stated that the devil said he feared nothing except that the world might sometime produce a thinker who would use his own mind, adding significantly that he controlled all drifters who neglected to use their own minds. The devil is not the only individual who exploits the drifter. And the drifter is the victim not only of all those who wish to exploit him, but he is also the victim of all the stray, negative thoughts which park themselves in his mind.
The non-drifter takes full possession of his own mind through self-discipline, and organizes definite plans and purposes. He directs his mind to whatever ends he desires, and he keeps his mind occupied with the things he wants and off the things he does not want.
A positive mental attitude is the first and the most important of the twelve riches of life, and it cannot be attained by the drifter. It can be attained only by a scrupulous regard for time, through habits of self-discipline. No amount of time devoted to one’s occupation can compensate for the benefits of a positive mental attitude, for this is the power which makes the use of time effective and productive.
A positive mental attitude does not grow voluntarily, like the weeds of the fields. It requires cultivation, through carefully disciplined habits of thought. And the greatest of all training grounds for the cultivation of a positive mental attitude is provided by one’s chosen occupation, where he spends the greatest part of his life. Here you may combine your efforts to make them financially productive and to develop a positive mental attitude.
When you get your own thought habits under control, you will have yourself under control, but you cannot do it by drifting. Organize your thoughts. Decide what you want, to what position in life you aspire. Then plan ways and means to express your thoughts in terms of organized action. Follow through with applied faith and unremitting persistence. This is the means by which you can become the master of your fate, the captain of your soul.
Waste no time worrying about what others may think. The important thing is what you think and do.
Source: PMA Science of Success Course. Published 1983. Pgs. 463-464.
Friday, January 14, 2011
How to Realize Your Goals
We all have goals whether we admit them to ourselves or anyone else, or not.. The question is, what are you doing about them? Have you written them down? Do you look at them often? Do you talk about them? Do you take action to achieve them?
Setting specific measurable goals is the way to go!
In Jack Canfield’s book "How to Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be" there's a funny / not funny comic: a drawing of a man lying in the road and under it is written, “Encumbered by a low self-image, Bob takes a job as a speed bump.”
Is this you...with a low self-image? If so, you’re probably not putting much effort into setting goals because you probably believe you can't have them. You may have a case of speed-bump-itis!
NOTICE: It’s time to make a commitment with and to yourself. Most every successful person has set specific goals and then taken action - one step at a time - to achieve them. If they can do it, so can you.
1. Have a Goal Journal
Expensive or inexpensive, pretty or just aplain pad of paper, the important thing is that it's dedicated to only one thing: your goals.
2. Create your 'bucket list'
Write at least five, must-do-before-I-die goals, one per page.
3. Take the plunge
Be daring! Be bold! Write down what you really want to be, do and have for your life.
4. Be Specific
Goals are specific. “I want a good car” isn’t a goal. “I will have (a specific make/model) by XYZ date,” is. The more specific you are, the more clearly you program for success.
5. Say them!
Repeat your goals out loud to yourself three times a day, every day.
6. Find a 'buddy'
Find someone you trust to share your goals - an accountability partner. When you actually share your goals with someone else, you make a deeper level of commitment.
7. Take Action
For each goal, write down 5 or more, small, action-steps to take each week reach your goals.
Setting specific measurable goals is the way to go!
In Jack Canfield’s book "How to Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be" there's a funny / not funny comic: a drawing of a man lying in the road and under it is written, “Encumbered by a low self-image, Bob takes a job as a speed bump.”
Is this you...with a low self-image? If so, you’re probably not putting much effort into setting goals because you probably believe you can't have them. You may have a case of speed-bump-itis!
NOTICE: It’s time to make a commitment with and to yourself. Most every successful person has set specific goals and then taken action - one step at a time - to achieve them. If they can do it, so can you.
1. Have a Goal Journal
Expensive or inexpensive, pretty or just aplain pad of paper, the important thing is that it's dedicated to only one thing: your goals.
2. Create your 'bucket list'
Write at least five, must-do-before-I-die goals, one per page.
3. Take the plunge
Be daring! Be bold! Write down what you really want to be, do and have for your life.
4. Be Specific
Goals are specific. “I want a good car” isn’t a goal. “I will have (a specific make/model) by XYZ date,” is. The more specific you are, the more clearly you program for success.
5. Say them!
Repeat your goals out loud to yourself three times a day, every day.
6. Find a 'buddy'
Find someone you trust to share your goals - an accountability partner. When you actually share your goals with someone else, you make a deeper level of commitment.
7. Take Action
For each goal, write down 5 or more, small, action-steps to take each week reach your goals.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
How to Live a Looong and Happy Life!
In the last few months I've listened to a lot people discuss how long they think they'll live. Inevitably someone says something like 'I don't want to live too long though'.
Right now most authorities say that the ultimate upper range of human life is somewhere between 125 and 150 years. Not sure how they get that number but I'll just go with it. Women in my family routinely have lived to be at or near 100 so I have a really positive attitude about my longevity.
So...what is too long to live and how do you know when you've reached it?
Most people say that they don't want to live any longer than their good health and physical body last. Living just for the sake of breathing is no great thing for most of us.
But is this the only determining factor?
One of the most important things I've learned is that people can outlive their time, their relevance. All or most of their family has transitioned, childhood friends have too. There are so many new types of technology that it seems like living in a Star Trek movie! The intense work to shift mindset and learn the skills necessary to use the 'new gadgets' is off-putting to most. Anything new becomes something to avoid. Relevance in the world lessons and lessons...
How do you stay relevant in life, vibrantly alive and eager to live that longer life?
First the standard response: get healthy and keep healthy - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Pay attention to
Ask yourself:
What can I do this week or month that pushes my boundaries and keeps me relevant?
Even more importantly:
What can I do that makes my life richer, more fun and more rewarding?
Go do it!
Better & Better...
Right now most authorities say that the ultimate upper range of human life is somewhere between 125 and 150 years. Not sure how they get that number but I'll just go with it. Women in my family routinely have lived to be at or near 100 so I have a really positive attitude about my longevity.
So...what is too long to live and how do you know when you've reached it?
Most people say that they don't want to live any longer than their good health and physical body last. Living just for the sake of breathing is no great thing for most of us.
But is this the only determining factor?
One of the most important things I've learned is that people can outlive their time, their relevance. All or most of their family has transitioned, childhood friends have too. There are so many new types of technology that it seems like living in a Star Trek movie! The intense work to shift mindset and learn the skills necessary to use the 'new gadgets' is off-putting to most. Anything new becomes something to avoid. Relevance in the world lessons and lessons...
How do you stay relevant in life, vibrantly alive and eager to live that longer life?
First the standard response: get healthy and keep healthy - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Pay attention to
- what you eat
- how much you eat
- what kind of movement you get
- is it enough
- what are you thinking about
- how are you thinking
- maintain good relationships - family and friends
- quality rest
- relaxation
- cutlivating and maintaining quality relationships
- spiritual practice of the sort that suits you - meditation, prayer, retreat, etc.
- take a class learning something new such as a language
- arrange to learn how to use a new technology such as a Smartphone, iPod, iPad or whatever
- deliberately do some activity that takes you into a completely new circle of people
- make new friends with people in all age groups
- take time to maintain healthy current relationships
- push your boundaries by doing somthing you've never done and probably thought you couldn't
Ask yourself:
What can I do this week or month that pushes my boundaries and keeps me relevant?
Even more importantly:
What can I do that makes my life richer, more fun and more rewarding?
Go do it!
Better & Better...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Power of Thought
This comes to light the morning after our teleconference call with John Felitto - Apply the Power of Intent The timing seems perfect!
Silva Grads, particularly Grads of the Life System and Intuition Training, will recognize their own experiences of the quantum field in the video.
Enjoy it and please leave your comments.
Blessings...
Silva Grads, particularly Grads of the Life System and Intuition Training, will recognize their own experiences of the quantum field in the video.
Enjoy it and please leave your comments.
Blessings...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)