Meditation: What Is It? Meditation is a popular subject these days. With a renewed emphasis on spiritualism and alternative medicine, meditation has gained popularity. Yet, depending on the context, meditation can be defined in a variety of ways. Quite simply, meditation is defined as reflecting and contemplating. It makes no value statement any more than thinking or dreaming does. The subject of a person's meditation is what brings value to the act of meditating.

Meditation: Who Does It? Meditation is generally seen as a practice of the New Age movement. This comes primarily from the movement's association with Transcendental Meditation. Transcendental Meditation (TM) was developed by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of the Hindu religion. On their website, TM is described as "a simple, natural, effortless procedureDuring this technique, the individual's awareness settles down and experiences a unique state of restful alertness. As the body becomes deeply relaxed, the mind transcends all mental activity to experience the simplest form of awareness, Transcendental Consciousness, where consciousness is open to itself" (www.tm.org). The site touts the benefits of TM as enhancing creativity, effectiveness, and success. The site goes on to say that people from any age, background, or religion can practice TM.

However, TM is steeped in Hindu philosophy. The "yogi" in the TM founder's name indicates his status in Hinduism. The philosophy and benefits behind TM are similar with Hinduism's practice that seeks to bring people into union with one's "higher self." Additionally, courts in the U.S. have ruled that TM is not a secular discipline; it is Hindu religion (U.S. District Court, Newark, NJ, on October 29, 1977, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Philadelphia, PA February 2, 1979.)

Meditation: Is It Biblical? Not all meditation is Transcendental Meditation. In fact, the Bible commands us to meditate. In Joshua 1:8, God tells us to meditate on His word day and night so we will obey it. The words, "meditate" or "meditation" are mentioned 20 times. But meditation's association with New Age philosophy and Eastern mysticism has frightened off many Christians.

In the Old Testament there are two primary Hebrew words for meditation. Haga, which means to utter, groan, meditate, or ponder. Sihach, which means to muse, rehearse in one's mind, or contemplate. These words can also be translated as dwell, diligently consider, and heed.

Meditation: A History One form of meditation that has been used by Christians since at least the 4th century is the lectio divina. It has been traditionally used in monastic religious orders and is enjoying a resurgence today. Lectio divina means "sacred reading" and has four stages: lectio (reading), meditatio (discursive meditation), oratio (effective prayer), and contemplatio (contemplation). In the lectio (reading) stage, one finds a passage and reads it deliberately. The next stage, meditatio (discursive meditation), is where one ponders the text. In the oratio (effective prayer) stage, one talks to God about the reading, asking Him to reveal the truth. In the final, contemplatio (contemplation) stage, one simply rests in God's presence.

As we can see, meditation is simply pondering or thinking over something. The subject of a person's meditation, and the purpose of the meditation, is what differentiates one kind of meditation from another.

What we choose to dwell on and focus our thoughts on make a profound difference in our outlook on life. To find out more on how to focus on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things" (Philippians 4:8, NASB), keep searching below.

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on December 21 | in Affirmations | by Matthew Catlett | with 11 Comments

In mantra meditation, you repeat a particular sound or short phrase again and again. This can be done out loud (chanting), in your mind, or in some combination of the two. In many spiritual paths, you cant just arbitrarily pick a mantra your spiritual mentor or guru assigns one to you according to your phase of spiritual development and then later changes it in intervals as you grow. In other forms of meditation, spiritual or not, you pick a mantra from a given list of phrases that are thought to resonate positively. Not all mantras work well for all people, and unless youre taking spiritual direction from a mentor you should feel free to try another.

Using a mantra while youre meditating helps suppress the thoughts and distractions that arise and gives you a tool to use when youre not meditating. Repeating a meditation mantra during times of stress, for many people, brings about some relaxation and helps them to better deal with whatever the crisis of the moment is. Depending on your belief system, the mantras may also do things like get you in touch with the true nature of the universe, help you spiritually closer to God, and/or activate energy centers.

Theres a lot of ways to meditate. Besides using mantras, you could also focus on your breath, music, a real object, a mental visualization, or nothing at all (Zen). If youre just starting out, dont feel like you have to start by picking a mantra you can start meditation shopping the different approaches. Many of the guided meditations are contemplative exercises for gratitude, cleansing, energy, and healing where its not a single idea that holds focus, but an exploration of concepts or guided imagery.

For that matter, even in mantra meditation you could pick nearly any short phrase and have the same sort of cleansing, buffering effect against the mental trivia that inevitably rises during meditation. Theres some serious hitters backing the idea of your mantra having no meaning:

Despite those three very hefty precedents, though, repeating something life-affirming and spiritual can add something positive to our consciousnesses. Theres abundant cultural heritage behind choosing something with meaning or else I couldnt supply you with this list, which just scratches the surface. Theres a ton more Hindu and Buddhist ones you could look at using, at least, and some people outside those paths just go directly to using the Lords Prayer or the name of God according to their religion of choice. My suggestion to you is that you simply explore to see what feels best for you, especially if youre just getting started.

Aum / Om

Ham-Sah / So Ham

Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih

Om Mani Padme Hum

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

The Ego Self and New Beginnings 5 Christmas Prayers

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21 Mantras for Meditation - Programming Life

Battle meditation [Source] "Every soldier knows that war is more than arms and armor, every warrior carries an image of impending victory in his heart. When the image shatters, to be replaced by defeat, he is beaten. But sometimes a warrior receives assistance from an unexpected source, an in-rush of light, blasting away his fear and despair, releasing new inner strength! Yes, a war is much more than arms and armor. Half of every conflict is the will to win. We are Jedi. We must recognize that the will to win, and the power of war, are given sometimes by the dark side. And sometimes, as dawn throws back the night, victory is givenby the light!" Arca Jeth, while implementing Jedi battle meditation Listen (file info)[src]

Battle meditation was a Force ability that considerably boosted the morale, stamina, and overall battle prowess of an individual's allies while simultaneously reducing the opposition's combat-effectiveness by eroding their will to fight.

Battle meditation was the ability to use the Force to coordinate allies and even entire fleets of ships, allowing them to perform at maximum efficiency, acting as a single entity with the ability to counter every enemy move quickly and effectively. Though ideal for meditating large-scale conflicts, battle meditation was also effective when employed for the benefit of one's comrades in small skirmishes, attacks, and duels. It could also be used to simultaneously demoralize the opponents, reducing their combat effectiveness. Battle meditation was used to influence armies and fleets to win battles and even wars.[2]

The Kirrek pirates lose their will to fight under the influence of Odan-Urr's battle meditation.

This Force power was first made famous by the ancient Jedi Masters Odan-Urr, Arca Jeth, and Nomi Sunrider. Odan-Urr used it during the Unification Wars,[23] while Arca Jeth used it with great success during the Beast Wars of Onderon.[24] Being naturally adept, Nomi Sunrider applied battle meditation in nearly every conflict she participated in, such as the Freedon Nadd Uprising,[25] and the Battle of Koros Major.[26] It was also practiced by Bastila Shan during the Jedi Civil War and the Battle of Rakata Prime, with impressive results.[15]

During the New Sith Wars, the Ithorian Jedi Master Worror Dowmat used battle meditation to bolster the strength of Jedi Lord Valenthyne Farfalla and the Army of Light, as they fought against Lord Kaan's Brotherhood of Darkness. Dowmat also assisted his Jedi companions with his Battle meditation when they confronted Darths Bane and Zannah on the planet Tython, ten years after the war's end. Dowmat's meditation provided the invigoration necessary for Johun Othone, Sarro Xaj, Echani Jedi Raskta Lsu, and Farfalla to contend with Darth Bane, who was himself being fueled by his dark side rage.[6]

Grand Master Yoda was also quite skilled, having used battle meditation during his Mission to Vjun to empower the actor pretending to be him. With a mere touch, Yoda was able to saturate Palleus Chuff with feelings of hope and mission success, while simultaneously eliminating feelings of doubt and despair from the little man's spirit.[27] Yoda also successfully meditated the conflict during the Battle of Kashyyyk.[28] Both Yarael Poof and Oppo Rancisis used it in the Stark Hyperspace War and the Clone Wars respectively.[11][12] During the Clone Wars, Etain Tur-Mukan was able to encourage and calm troopers during the conflicts she took part in, suggesting that she had the potential to use Battle Meditation or some lesser form of this ability.

Luke Skywalker studied the use of battle meditation at some point after the Battle of Endor from a book he found.[29] His sister Leia also studied battle meditation from books recovered on Ossus, and employed her new ability against the reborn Darth Sidious.[17]

Jedi Masters T'ra Saa and K'Kruhk each utilized battle meditation during the final battles of the Second Imperial Civil War, including the Jedi's loss at Taivas[14] and its victory at Coruscant[9] respectively.

A focused version of battle meditation was known as Force meld. Unlike battle meditation, which could influence both the Force-sensitives and non-Force-sensitives of both sides, Force meld concentrated on coordinating and improving the Force-sensitives of the user's side.[2]

Bastila Shan supporting the Sith fleet in 3,956 BBY during the Battle of Rakata Prime.

Battle meditation was not merely a province of the light side; powerful dark side users could twist the wills of their commanded armies not through subtle influence, but with total domination. This perversion of battle meditation was called Sith Battle Coordination by the Dark Lady Lumiya. It was later identified by Darth Caedus as "Sith Battle meditation".[1]

When Nomi Sunrider asked of her Master if those who use the dark side were able to command battle meditation, Odan-Urr replied that indeed they could, but it was very rare.[20] Lord Skere Kaan also used Sith battle meditation during the New Sith Wars in opposition to the superior prowess of a female Cerean Jedi Master.[8]One thousand years later, Grand Admiral Nial Declann was a master of Sith battle meditation, using it to great effect during the Battle of Endor. Following Emperor Palpatine's death, the shock of the sudden removal of this influence threw the Imperial Navy into chaos and allowed the Rebel fleet to defeat them.[5]Joruus C'baoth, the insane clone guardian of Wayland's Mount Tantiss, increased the victory percentage of Grand Admiral Thrawn's armies by forty percent via dark battle meditation.[16]

When Darth Caedus ascended to Dark Lord of the Sith, he soon found out that within his mind he could coordinate and direct battle into whatever outcome he so desired. He would use a meditation chair on board his personal star destroyer to amplify his powers. Caedus' early uses of the art were poor, as his first attempts only resulted in him being able to see the battle unfolding in his mind, not being able to directly influence it.[30] When he tried to dominate the wills of his subordinates via the Force he found that they were not so easily subjugated, and reacted with hostility to his psychic intrusion. His powers were greatly augmented by Alema Rar as he attempted to lay siege to Kashyyyk, and what seemed like a battle lost became a victory for the Alliance.[1] Caedus practiced regularly (he had plenty of opportunity since his early time as a Sith was heavily engrossed in war), and his proficiency became much stronger. Caedus would Flow-walk into the immediate future to see the next battle, and then return to the present to directly influence the battle to bring about the ends he desired. He shortly thereafter gave up the use of his meditation chair upon its destruction by Luke Skywalker and meditated battle directly from the bridge of the Anakin Solo.[31] During the Second Battle of Fondor, Darth Caedus used battle meditation to dominate the collective wills of Fondor's ground forces, causing them to doubt their chances of victory and drop the planet's defensive shielding.[32]

The use and effect of battle meditation was first described in the Star Wars expanded universe by Timothy Zahn in Heir to the Empire, when Grand Admiral Thrawn explains to Joruus C'baoth and Gilad Pellaeon his own theory as to why the Battle of Endor was lost; he believed that Palpatine employed the power to an unwise degree, taking such close control of the Imperial forces as to make them puppets, almost incapable of fighting on their own when his influence was suddenly removed (the use of battle meditation at Endor was later attributed to Grand Admiral Nial Declann instead of Palpatine).

The term "battle meditation" is first used in the 2003 video game Knights of the Old Republic and the power is a plot element rather than an ability usable by any of the player characters. Because the character Bastila is one of the only Jedi in the galaxy who has mastered the ability, she is a vital weapon to be used by either the Republic or the Sith.

In Knights of the Old Republic, the power can only be used when the user is in deep concentration, and not in the midst of combat. This contradicts earlier sources, where Nomi Sunrider is shown to use battle meditation while fighting.

In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, battle meditation is a usable ability by any of the playable characters who are Force-sensitive. Using the power grants a bonus to attack rolls, damage, Will saves and increases Vitality Points Regeneration to the player's entire party. At higher levels, it can also impair enemies. If mastered, the power also has a story-based use, as it can be used by the Jedi Exile in order to turn the tide of the Onderon throne room battle to the favor of Queen Talia's or General Vaklu's forces, depending on who the player has allied with.

In The Force Unleashed video game, battle meditation was an upgradeable Force Talent. It decreased the amount of time it takes to charge Force powers.

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Battle meditation | Wookieepedia | Fandom

BELFAST In celebration of Heart Health month, Diana Maria Chapin and Lori LeBlanc will offer two free sound healing meditation events, Thursday, Feb. 27,at the Belfast Free Library. These are free community events; donations accepted.

Participants are welcome to attend one of the two sessions: 10 - 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 - 2 p.m.

Participants will learn about the healing art of the singing bowls and Yoga Nidra meditation, and explore the human energy system. There will be an opportunity to practice heart-brain coherence breath-work, which has been shown scientifically to produce a foundational state of well-being.

Yoga Nidra, also called divine sleep, is the art of holding oneself in the state of awareness between fully awake and fully asleep. Specifically, the body is in deep rest while the mind is aware. As a state of being, Yoga Nidra is used to experience and promote relaxation, reduce stress and improve wellness; and has been shown to reduce anxiety, depression and PTSD. Yoga Nidra is a naturally easy meditation for beginners, and is practiced lying supine or sitting in a chair.

Participants should bring their own pillows, blankets and yoga mat items that will help them feel comfortable lying on the floor.

Diana Maria Chapin an Energy Healer, Reiki Master Teacher and Meditation Instructor atMaine Integrative Wellness Center, 8 Jesse Robbins Road, Suite D,Belfast, ME 04915

https://dianamariachapin.com,Facebook: Diana Maria Chapin, Healer,Instagram: dianamariachapin.

Lori LeBlanc a sound healer and Licensed Massage Therapist since 1994. She is certified in Polarity Therapy, BioSonic Repatterining, and Tibetan Singing Bowl Therapy. Belfast.www.lori7bowls.com, Facebook: Lori LeBlanc-Holistic Support for Well-Being, Instagram: Lori7bowls.

These free events are open to the public, donations accepted.For more information contact Diana Maria Chapin 207-249-2261 or Lori LeBlanc 207-208-7492.

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Free heart-healthy sound healing with Yoga Nidra meditation - PenBayPilot.com

Wellness February 19, 2020 2:08 PM ByNicole Pajer Parade @@NicolePajer More by Nicole

If youve done any research into the meditation, youve likely heard of transcendental meditation. Just about every celebrity seems to be practicing it these days. Popularized by The Beatles (who originally learned in 1967), its now a favorite of Katy Perry, Hugh Jackman, Sheryl Crowand Liv Tyler.After discovering it herself,Oprah even paid for her 400 employees to become trained in the methodology!

But what exactly is TM and how does it differ from the other types of meditation out there? We caught up with transcendental meditation expert and CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, Bob Roth, who walked us through the ins and outs of this popular form of meditation.

Transcendental meditation (TM) is a mental technique that is practiced for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day, sitting comfortably with the eyes closed. During the technique, the mind and body settle down to a unique state of restful alertness where the whole physiology is deeply relaxed while the mind is quietinside,yet wide awake. Hundreds of published studies show the technique is effective for reducing stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression and at the same time, improving health, focus and performance. TM does not involve religion, philosophy or a change in lifestyle. It has been learned by 10 million people.

Related: 6 Pro Tips to Eat More Mindfully, So You Dont Get Hangry

Theocean is agreatanalogy for understandingdifferentapproaches to meditation. Just as the ocean can be turbulent on the surface with innumerable waves and quiet at its depth, so, too, the mind is active onthe surface withinnumerable thoughts but it is also naturally, profoundly quiet deep within.Other forms of meditation work to bring calm to the mind by stopping or observing thoughtsor visualizing new thoughts. This is like trying to create calm in the ocean by stopping thesurfacewaves.On the other hand, transcendental meditation doesntmind the surface thoughts, it provides access to deeper levels of the mind, which arealreadycalm and peaceful. For this, TM does not require concentration or control of thoughts, nor does it involve visualization or any type of guided practice.

Unlike other forms of meditation that can be learned from a book or tape, TM is always taught in personal, one-to-one instruction by a certified instructor. That is because the ability to transcend, to settle down and access a field of silence that lies deep within the mind, while completely natural, is also a special skill that everyone learns at his or her own unique pace. For this, a teacher is incredibly helpful. The TM teacher instructs you in the skill of how to turn the attention of your mind, which is usually directed outward to the world around us, inward and to experience the deepest, most settled level of the mind where you are peaceful and quiet inside, yet wide awake and alert. For this your teacher will give you a mantra and then teach you how to use the mantra properly.

Transcendental meditation is taught over four consecutive days, about 60 to 90 minutes each day. During the first session, your teacher will give you amantra and then teachyou how to use it properly. During thefollowing three sessions over consecutive days, you learnaddition information to stabilize the correct practice of the technique as well as learn about how the body reduces stress, improves health, and enhances brain functioning as youcontinue to meditatetwice a day over the ensuing weeks, months, and years. Visit TM.org to find a certified TM teacher who offers a course in your area.

The technique is learned from a certified instructor, not from a video or book. That said, there are several videos you can watch that will help answer your questions about the technique and help you decide if you would like to learn:

(1)Transcendental Meditation: A Complete Introduction with Bob Roth

(2) An introduction to Transcendental Meditation by Dr. John Hagelin.

There are also books that will give you more of a background on this type of meditation: Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditationby Bob Roth and Super Mind: How to Boost Performance and Live and Richer, Happier Life through Transcendental Meditationby Norman Rosenthal, MD.

The mantras in TM come from an ancient meditation tradition that is over 5,000 years old.A mantra is a specific word or thought that (1) has no meaning associated with itbecause if there was a meaning then the mind would be stuck on the surface trying to it out and (2) the mantra is a soothing sound whose effects are known to be positive and life-supporting. When you learn TM, your teacher will give you a mantra and then equally importantly, will teach you how to use the mantra properly, which means effortlessly, without any concentration or control of the mind.

Once in the morning, before the day begins to give you the energy, resilience, and focus to enjoy the day with less stress and fatigue, and again, in the late afternoon or early evening, to wash off the stress of the day so thatyou can truly enjoy theevening with family and friends andsleep better at night.

Related: Why Jewel Swears By Meditation for Anxiety

The initial TM course is four sessions, and a one-time feebased on income and ranging from $380-$960is charged to cover the teachers salary. There is an option to split these payments over four months, and those who receive federal assistance such as SNAP may be eligible for a partial grant to help cover the fee. After these four sessions there is a lifetime of free follow up offered through any of the more than 200 teaching centers in the U.S. andany of the thousands of teaching centers worldwide.

You sit comfortably with your eyes closed and you think the mantra in the easy, effortless way that yourteacherhas instructed you. There is no need for electronic apps or guidedimagery. It is a natural process that is equally natural to practice. No tools, no apps, no videos. Just a comfortableplace to sit and close your eyes for 20 minutes is all you need to participate.

Anyone from the age of 10 yearsand older can learn TM. Children ages 4-10 can learn a technique that is more appropriate for ayoungster. TM is ideal for anyone: skeptic or advocate, experienced with other practices or novice. It is ideal for anyone who has had difficulty withtechniques inthe past that advocate stopping thoughts, clearing the mind of thoughts, or any form of concentration on the breath,sound, or areas of the body.

TM can be learned by anyone and can benefit everyone. That said, if a person is suffering from PTSD or another form of extreme trauma and is under the care of a physician or therapist it is important to continue thosetreatments along with theaddition of TMpractice.

Research shows that TM is highlyeffective for giving the body deep rest and reducing stress, fatigue and trauma. At the same time, research also shows that TM can have a positive impact on the 80 to 90 percent of the diseases and disorders that are either caused by stress or exacerbated by stress, which includes reductions in high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, along with improvements in focus, creativity, problems-solving, and overall physical and mental health.

Find out how LeAnn Rimes uses breathwork to battle anxiety.

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Transcendental Meditation (TM)What Is TM, Cost, Benefits and Resources - Parade

Published: March, 2020

If you want to make fewer mental mistakes, try meditation, suggests a study in the September 2019 issue of Brain Sciences.

Researchers recruited 200 people who had never meditated and led them through a guided 20-minute meditation called open monitoring. While many styles of meditation have you focus on a single object, like your breathing or a visual image, the goal of open monitoring meditation is to pay more attention to your feelings and body sensations.

After meditating, participants took computerized tests in which they had to complete tasks while exposed to regular distractions. Their brain activity was measured by electroencephalography (EEG) during both meditation and test-taking.

The researchers found that when the meditators made a mistake on the test and recognized it, the EEG showed an increase in specific neural signals known as conscious error recognition representing the brain's ability to identify mistakes.

While the study did not find that meditation reduced the number of mistakes people made during the test, the practice did increase error awareness. And a crucial step to making fewer errors is to recognize mistakes, so you can keep them from happening again.

Image: SensorSpot/Getty Images

Disclaimer: As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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Meditation may help you catch mental mistakes - Harvard Health

The Wellness Room at Thompson library is currently under construction. Credit: Amal Saeed | Photo Editor

A new space in Thompson Library opening Wednesday will give students another place to engage in prayer or meditation on campus in line with the Undergraduate Student Government administrations original campaign platform.

During the past few years, USG has discussed adding another wellness room similar to the other six already on campus, Julia Dennen, USG vice president and a fourth-year in public management, leadership and policy, said. The new Thompson space, which was previously a study room, will open for use this semester and will be renovated and completed over the summer.

This is the beginning launch of it, over the summer they are going to take out they are going to renovate it more so it will be better, Dennen said. But they are taking out the TVs and stuff this week, and then over the summer they are going to repaint it and do all of those things.

White boards will also be removed from the room, soft furniture will be added and an opaque film will be applied in the center of the glass panes of the room, Dennen said.

The creation of the space has been discussed in the past, but it was most important to figure out where on campus the biggest need for the space was, Kate Greer, USG president and fourth-year in European history and German, said.

This has been years in the making, honestly. Its been a discussion circulating since before Julia and I got here about the need for more interfaith prayer spaces or spaces that can serve that function on campus, Greer said.

There are six spaces on campus including in the 18th Avenue Library, Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State and Ohio Union but there was a need for one more centrally located, according to the Muslim Students Association at Ohio States website. After conversations with the MSA, Greer confirmed that need and USG decided Thompson would be the best location.

We learned that Thompson was the most immediate need, and we worked for about nine months to get this done, Dennen said.

According to a 2017 Lantern article, USG previously passed a resolution recommending a more strictly defined use of the spaces already on campus.

The Ohio Union space is often used for meetings and is listed as one of the meeting spaces available for reservation. The resolution suggested that the policy should be reconsidered and the space should be used only for prayer and religious purposes.

The wellness room opens Wednesday in Thompson Library Room 057 and will be available for all types of meditation and prayer.

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Prayer, meditation room opens in Thompson Library Wednesday - OSU - The Lantern

Friday night, come down to Yogis and enjoy the Spencer Cole Band at 9 p.m. The band is described as a classic rock band with a strong Texas boogie and blues influence or a Texas boogie and blues band with a classic rock influence. More info here.

Mardi Gras 2020 has approached. Celebrate Fat Tuesday a little early at Oak Highlands Brewery. On Saturday, 11 a.m., the 5th annual Mardi Gras and crawfish boil begins. There will be boiled crawfish and shrimp from Tucker Town, New Orleans style music from Mr. CJs, beer with some special tappings and activities for the whole family. More info here.

If you would rather spend your Saturday doing some community service, head to the Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center at noon for a Hamilton Park cleanup. More info here. Sign up here.

Bull luv able Paws and Chi Wawas Rescue is hosting a dog adoption event at Hollywood Feed at 2 p.m. Come see adorable adoptable pups at Hollywood Feed and do some shopping. Who knows, maybe youll meet your new family member. More info here.

Work, school, life stressing you out? Do you need to listen to music and clear your mind? At 8 p.m. head to Y.A.M. studio for a music and meditation event. Angela Marie will lead a guided meditation journey. Bring your worries, your tears, your joys, your desires- all is welcome here. Live music lead by Casey Gallagher through vocals and guitar. More info here.

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Mardi Gras, music, meditation, other things to do this weekend - Advocate Media

For a go-to evening meditation to help you settle in, I came up with this quick, 15-minute meditation, perfect for unwinding at the end of the day.

The meditation couples a heart-based intention with a breathing technique to relax your nervous system. In addition to that, we'll check in with our bodies and minds, reflecting on the completed dayand letting anything negative go, like existing grudges or something upsetting that happened.

We'll also work with a variation of the Serenity Prayer: "I have made peace with the things I cannot change; I have made peace with the thing that I cannot change. I have the courage to change the things that I can; I have the courage to change the things that I can. And I have the wisdom to know the difference; I have the wisdom to know the difference."

As we go through the meditation, don't worry if your attention slips away. Come back to your intention, the sound of my voice, and continue on. You can expect your mind to wander here and there during meditationit is a practice, after all.

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Long Day? This 15-Minute Meditation Will Help You Unwind & Sleep Better - mindbodygreen.com

Mike Serbinis is more than a successful Silicon Valley executive who made it big by growing and selling tech companies. The current founder and CEO of the healthcare company League is also a passionate advocate for mindfulness in the workplace.

These days, you cant walk into a startup without seeing employees hitting a ping pong ball back-and-forth while sipping a freshly tapped beer. Its become the signature of todays hip, millennial organization.

And in most instances, thats great! Perks like these are an excellent way for hard-working employees to socialize and decompress from daily stressors. But aside from creating a healthy distraction, how do they help the whole of an employee?

Mike Serbinis

Mike thinks leaders should look beyond the fun, quirky extras, and also encourage their team members to look within. He believes that being mindful in the workplace will bring advantages to your business that no foosball table ever could.

Here are Mikes insights on creating a mindful company and culture, as well as the benefits that wellness will offer every team member.

Bringing Mindfulness into the Office

For Mike, a companys culture is defined by its values. So, if you want to implement a culture of mindfulness into your organization, how do you start integrating these wellness-based values?

For one, leaders must intentionally integrate mindfulness into the whole of their company. Its not some occasional, thrown-together event. At a mindful company, workplace wellness is a consistent part of the routine.

At League, Mike and his leadership team have made this routine a priority. We have Meditation Monday, Mike says. Its exactly what it sounds like. We do meditations in our town hall or different areas around our space.

In addition to Meditation Mondays, League also facilitates Yoga Wednesdays, Mental Health Fridays, and many more ongoing wellness initiatives. We started to build these foundational blocks. It puts our teams health and wellbeing at the center. For us, thats kind of our thing.

Its not a shtick.

Theyre also up-front about the importance of mindfulness at their organization. If a potential employee isnt into it, then its probably not the right fit.

In todays work environment, valuing peoples mental health is not something that you take care of through a claim to your insurer when its bad, says Mike. Its something that you take care of all the time. Youre proactive.

Thats the new foosball table and snack bar.

The Benefits of a Mindful Workplace

Its not just Mike thats uncovered the advantages of a corporate wellness practice. A growing number of high-level business leaders, entrepreneurs, and C-suite executives actively promote meditation at work as well.

For example, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff had meditation rooms built on every floor at his companys San Francisco headquarters. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey regularly embarks on extended silent retreats. Oprah Winfrey encourages her staff to meditate twice a day.

Though mindful leaders like these can surely state countless benefits, there are a few that Mike personally notices more than others.

Collaboration and Creativity

One pivotal lesson within the meditation world is about always living with a beginners mind. In essence, this means being open to continuous learning, whether youre the intern or the CEO.

Mike encourages his entire team to show up with that mentality. With a beginners mind, all team members feel encouraged to come to the table with their personal life experiences.

Its amazing, he says. Ive been able to learn about different health practices and ways of working. This leads to immense collaboration and creative ideas that wouldve never emerged if the idea only stayed on top.

[At League], it doesnt matter if youre in marketing or data science or whatever. You have a role in helping us create this healthier future, says Mike.

Goal-Setting

With daily meditation, you provide yourself the opportunity for consistent self-reflection. Here, you can thoroughly analyze your past successes and failures. With this clarity, youll be able to better plan and tackle your future goals.

The routine also creates a place to pause and reflect. Its a leaders safe headspace to go to when things dont go quite right, or if youre unsure of the next move.

Im a big planner and performance-minded goal-setter, Mike says. Its not that I want to hit every goal. Its not that at all. Its the process. I think of it as an important part of the journey.

Balance

By promoting mindfulness at work, the entire team can reflect on what matters most. From here, they can prioritize the totality of their lives and create a healthy work-life balance.

For example, when it comes to online communication channels like email and Slack, Mike encourages his employees to log off and fully live their lives outside of the office. Were pretty diligent about not askingbut telling people to put it on snooze, he says. We just dont need the mental trauma right before bed."

No matter how much we love our jobs, who will look back on life wishing they spent more time responding to messages at midnight? We have limited time, he says. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, so I want to make the most of my time. And he knows his team members want the same.

Since League launched its workplace wellness and mindfulness initiatives, these values have become an integral part of the companys core.

Its rooted in who we are, and its taken on a life of its own in a million different ways, Mike says. We enact it. We live it.

Listen to my entire conversation with Mike Serbinis on the donothing podcast.

You'll learn more about his early successes in Silicon Valley, why he believes workplace mindfulness isnt just a trend, what life and leadership lessons hes learned as a tech entrepreneur, and so much more.

Id love to connect with you on Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as have you keep up with my company imageOne. Learn about my mission to show business leaders how mindfulness can transform you and your business in my book donothing. Visit http://www.donothingbook.com for more information.

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Why More Startups Are Saying Goodbye To Foosball Tables And Hello To Meditation Rooms - Forbes