I found a great site about meditation this evening. Lots of good basic "how-to" stuff. Plus an excellent discussion of the different types of meditation. You can find it at:

http://1stholistic.com/Meditation/hol_meditation.htm

I also wanted to share a visualization technique that works well for me when I am stressed.

I visualize myself completely surrounded by a transparent bubble.

Inside the bubble I am safe, secure and calm. No one and nothing can touch me or harm me.

When negative thoughts (or people) try to reach me they are gently deflected by the bubble. Negativity simply can't invade the serenity of the space inside the bubble

I can attend to my daily tasks without stress or fear. Confident in the knowledge that the bubble will shield me.

I use this to prepare myself for stressful days at work or as a means to "gird my loins" when I am dealing with folks who are a challenge to be around.
It has helped me a lot.

I haven't tried it yet with Foods that are off plan and "calling my name" but I think it would work for that too. hmmmm...I can just see those nasty little carbs bouncing harmlessly off of the bubble!

molly

Hi Molly
That's one great idea! I'm going to borrow it and try it out, thanks.

Im up for a shot at it... I belive what we think is what happens. If we think we will be overweight for ever then it will surely happen. If we think hey im thin eventualy it will happen.. Sign me up for the Meditation.

Tammy

Hi Teri -- You've got a great idea and thanks for posting it. I'm a believer too but have not been using my meditation & visualization skills to great effect on weight. I started Atkins a while back and have dropped 3/4 sizes - which is terrific. I found myself feeling like I was in a visitor's body, being slender and lighter, and sure enough the weight loss has been stalled for several months. Now that the holidays are over perhaps the new resolve plus meditation and visualization can turn around this mindset and make it OK to lose the next round of weight.

I'll subscribe and look forward to the posts.

Kachookat
Texas

Woo, Kachookat,

3/4 sizes!

Listen, I have the same problem with not believing my body image, and feeling uncomfortable, but unfortunately in reverse. I had always loved my body until the weight gain in recent years. Simultaneously with the gain (chicken, egg, ??), I stopped loving it the way I used to, stopped giving it attention, but now I am determined to take the time to express that love again.

I remember that I used to lolligag in the tub and look at and touch my legs, my stomach, breasts, arms. Enjoying things like the dribbling of water on my stomach. I admired my body- I just always loved it. I'd look at my body in the mirror a lot, because I enjoyed seeing it. I enjoyed the feeling of all my movements, the tightening of muscles, stretching, dancing. I was aware of and enjoyed my body as I walked. I always thought my body was the best body around!

So now I have recalled my attention to my body. I am looking at my legs, and touching them. I notice how my body feels during the day. I correct my posture, touch my hand or arm, etc. A re-acquaintance.

Practicing yoga, dance, sex, etc, increases my awareness of body. It might do the same for you.

I really think that getting that love feeling back will make my body healthier.

This practice might help you feel comfortable with and love your "new" body.

The plan I'm on reccomends meditation & visualisation, but no offence to anyone, but I just dont beleive in that sort of thing. I find I become more positive & self aware just by knowing I'm looking after my body with LC & exercise

You have to do what you are comfortable with, if you don't believe it, then it definately wont have any impact. I am just curious why you felt you needed to post that on this thread?
~Michelle

Teri,
Thanks for your posting on positive thought. I have lost a lot of weight, but put it all back on and more. I just started the PP again and am determined to stick with it and succeed this time. I printed a copy of your posting so I can read it regularly.
Judi

Your holding this idea in your mind is a type of meditation and visualization. Like a friend of mine says, "Man, this shit works! It's earie." I'm glad it works for you!

Call it voo doo or whatever, we create our lives with our minds. Even "science" agrees.

There are times when the body hangs onto weight and times when it lets go of weight... not all of these are well correlated to a person's nutritional intake and exercise patterns.

Has anyone found they got a woosh of needed weight loss when they started clearing unneeded things out of their lives? (I'm not talking extra exertion.. more like getting rid of old things, having a big garage sale, feng shui'ing the apartment etc.)

The whole idea of chi and moving energy around and excess weight in some cases maybe being representative of blocked or clogged (okay, stored) energy...

Would be curious about any musings on this topic.

Then there's the issue of being around stress or negative people. My weight's gone up (despite healthy, modest eating habits) since having to be around a very difficult person... I call it the airbag effect. Wish for some enhanced ability to deflect that kind of stress.

testing.. testing...

Is this thing on?

I noticed that the post before cbcb was a bit dated. I thought nevertheless that I'd ring a bell here and add something you may like. In essence it's "How To Become Your Own Thermogenic."

A bit of background....

As you may know the Yogis of Tibet are a bit different from the Yogis of India in that their contortions are ones of the mind. Also, living in the isolated mountains of the Himalayas they faced great odds with regard to cold. There's very little fuel there to burn for heat and even with a fire burning in that environment a fire will only go so far with regard to providing body warmth.

As a result, the Yogis of Tibet developed their own method for generating body heat. It is said that an accomplished Tibetan Yogi would be so good at this that sitting down in in a pile of snow and going into this trance he would melt the snow around him for several feet.

How do they do it?

Well, for centuries the techniques used by the Tibetan Yogi were considered secret. However, with China now having taken over Tibet and their cultural tradions a bit in danger they are now relasing some of the information. Moreover, the technique used for increasing body heat is detailed in this video..


Film Review - The Yogis of Tibet

If I may also add, Garchen Rinpoche, who is the one who demonstrates the technique in the documentary (although he doesn't speak English) is also the one who gave me my vows as a Buddhist, and also my second name - Konchok Samten.

-------------

Anyway - the technique is simple in terms of the mechanics of it. I guess though the word 'simple' is a bit misleading. Like reaching 'no mind' or the state of emptiness it takes a lot of practice. Again, the Yogis spend years in isolation developing their mind and medatative skills so we can't expect the same result. We can, however, know today the fundamentals of how they do it.


------

Thermogenic Meditation

First, do whatever it is that you do to calm your mind. I'll give you a few things that I do, but again to each his own.

The right way is the way that works best for you.

1)
Make sure your mediatation area is your special place just for that. Also, do not make it your bed unless it happens to be a brand new one and you are the only one who sleeps there.

Most find this easiest to do if done early in the morning, but any time of day is okay.

2)
Get everything perfectly quiet. We don't want any background tapes playing - no music or anything like that. Dim the lights if you can. Sit upright in a comfortable posture with your spine straight but not rigid. Make sure your hands are relaxed. Sitting on the floor atop a large (high and firm) cushion works best for me. Sitting directly on the floor will produce fatigue rather quickly.

3)
If you are spiritual or religious it helps now to make an offering. If you happen to be athiest, however, you can still do the same thing. Just envison your offering going to 'the truth.' I like to light a candle. My offering is usually several very small cups of water that I've perfumed. I light some incense. I also offer a flower picked from the yard but a blade of grass will do.

Money has very little to do with the value of our offering. What is valuable is the sincerity in which it's given. Do not do it for your benefit but for the benefit of another. Try to be completly altruistic.

Dedicate any merit you might receive from making an offering to the benefit of others.

Envisoin that the offering has been received with with great joy. We're developing humility here as well as compassion.

4)
As you sit there in the quietness then just calm your mind. No matter what happens to be going on in the day just remind yourself that this is your free time from worry or stress. We can come back to the troubles of the day later. For now we're going take a break.

5)
Next, let's get in touch with whatever emotions happen to be there. Emotions are just like people. They will leave you alone for a while if you ask them but they do want to be recognized for being there.

I should add also that suppressing our emotions makes us sick which is why this is such a healthy part of the exercise. If we supress an emotion even if we are not aware of it at the time the emotion will be fighting back for recognition. Again, that's one of the primary things that makes us ill - both mentally and physically. This is our time to recognize them then -whatever they may be.

With your mind calm and at peace just ask to yourself, "Okay gang, who's there?"

Let each emotion rise one at a time - whatever it may be. Realize that there is no such thing as a 'wrong emotion' or a bad emotion. An emotion just is. Recognize it then - whatever it may be. Tell it that you understand it's there. Then gently remind it that for just a moment this is going to be your time. We're not in any rush. Let it know that you'll be back after a while - then let it fade away.

If it does resurface just ask it.. "Is there someting else you want to say." More often than not it won't be much if anything. Just recognize it again then let it fade back away. It will let you have a moment of peace after a while as long as it knows it's been recognized.

6)
Start focusing on the breath coming out of your nose. Feel it not just through the passages of your nose but on the inner,outter tip of your nose. Watch the breath leve you then come back - traveling out then in. See your breath - it flows back out - then comes back in. Keep your back straight and relaxed.

7)
Focus on your forehead. With your eyes closed or slightly closed look up to the center between your your eyebrows then just above that. Continue relaxing. Don't try to "Seek" anything - just let it come and go be what it may be. We're not trying to visualize here we're just letting what happens happen as we focus on our forehead. Find the energy there. Feel it. Become aware of that energy. Center in it.

8)
After doing this for a while you may start to experience gaps in between your thinking. It's akin to almost falling asleep. What we want to do is extend that time when there is no thought. When a new thought or an old one rearises just relax with it and let it go. This is what we're looking for.

Once you get into it it's kind of like riding a bicycle. You'll look up and all of a sudden 'you'll be doing it.' - (i.e. extending those moments where you are in no thought. Feel peace and continue to relax.

9)
Enjoy your self for a while now. It may help even if your eyes are completely closed try to find one small point in the darkeness and focus on it. Watch the space in between thoughts. You're doing it just like riding a bike. It comes naturally. Just let it be.

10)
After you've enjoyed the peace for however long or short a time you like, you can begin your body heating visualization.

From your solar plexus area picture a red bubble inside you or a red balloon. It's glowing red and filled with air. As you breath in see it beginning to expand. The bubble is filling with air. As it expands it also increases in heat and glow. Feel your body bask in the warmth. When fully inflated you and the bubble exist in unison with one another. If you desire expand the bubble even further - beyond you. While basking in the warmth see it dissolve. Experience the state of 'no sepereatness." Everything is one and the same. Recognize the non-duality. Your moving closer to your essential nature. You are boundless and unlimited by concepts of space. There is no beginning or end here. You recognize that no matter what you do you are always living in an eternal state of "now." Feel your own infinity. This is who you are. .......

Smile..


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Anyway - that's about it. I also want to add one more tip for breathing that you may want to use while you are relaxing your mind.

As you are stitting in the upright position imagine a source of energy at the bottom of your spine or in your erogonous zone if you desire. As you breath in see that energy rise up. As you exhale see it fall back down. Each time you breathe in it rises a little farther up your spinal column. Each time you exhale it goes back down. Continue doing that until the energy reaches the top of your head and all your energy is aligned in the pure white light.

For those of you who are interested in Tantra - yea - that's part of 'playing the inner flute.' It's also a great way to get into a deep medatative state.

Anyway - hope that helps. Good luck to everyone who's added meditation to their program. I think it's a good idea but a good one even if we happen not to be on weight loss.

om mani padme hum

JK,

Wow, what a timely response - thanks! I was just over the past few days contemplating the general concept that you went into detail about... had started reading up on Ayurveda and tending 'agni' the digestive fire.

Started a new thread about that kind of thing here:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthre...302#post2335302

Visualization is one of the things I'd like to incorporate, and will be giving the method you suggested a try. (As someone with chronically low body temps, this is particularly interesting!!!)

Hey ya CBCB..

Nice to meet you.

I have not really studied 'Ayurveda.' Thanks for mentioning it though. It might give me something new and interesting to look at.

Also, best of luck with your meditation practice.

And cheers!

If autosuggestion worked we would all be Kings and Queens of the Castle; we'd all be happy, healthy, successful, rich, and long-lived, but, we're not. Shakespeare recognised this human frailty in the 16c, when he wrote, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves that we are underlings".

The French psychologist Emile Coue (1857-1926) is probably nearest to the truth. Recall that he coined the saying, "Every day in every way I am getting better and better" and it works, but, it only does so on the emotional level and not with what's between your ears. It is what we believe to be true and not what we think is true.

The emotions have an intelligence of their own but few recognise this. In most people the emotions are like an untamed animal that can take charge of one; like the proverbial 'tail wagging the dog' concept. The analogy is a useful one as the emotions are, indeed, like this untamed animal and our task in life is to train and tame it. Few are able to perceive this and fewer still are able to do it successfully.

I am not religious in the orthodox sense so my recollection of the bible is poor, but, recall when the good Lord was passing through the crowd and a woman touched his robe and cried out that she was cured? Didn't the good Lord say something like, "Thy faith is within you"? It was not the intellectual level that brought about her faith; remember the Nazerites recognised the Lord as just being the carpenter's son and she too must have known this, yet apparently, she was cured. Her faith could only have arisen from her belief, which is an emotional feature.

You all know the truism which says, "We are our own executioners" and how true it is. We crucify ourselves by how we feel and not by how we think. Thoughts reflect feelings; feelings do not reflect thoughts.

Additionally, if your emotions are out of whack so too will be your bodily chemistry, and if your bodily chemistry is out of whack, guess what? You're not going to 'feel' like positive thinking!

You can spend your life dreaming but unless you are going to get into the world's rink and start boxing you are not about to get far in this society of ours. It is action that succeeds and dreams will always be where they've always been; in fairy tales.

To try to provide a topical example of the application of effort with regard to relationships; in my own life I am into my second successful marriage. The success did not stem from my wishes or dreams but came from effort. The effort to recognise my 'needs' (emotions) and to do something practical like always courting my wife and filling her life with surprises. Guess what? In return I have a happy, contented, and loving wife whom I care deeply about and that provides me with the feeling that my 'cup is running over'. What else do, or can, I possibly need?

To feel good about ourselves we have to believe in ourselves. This cannot be achieved by the use of the 'will' or the words, 'I will'! It can only be achieved by allowing ourselves to 'try' to believe which is done through our feelings about ourselves. There is no gimmickry involved. It can be done anytime, anywhere, and is achievable without effort. Okay, so there exists some correlation between the mind and the emotions but, guess which rules, giving the opportunity to do so?

Taming and training our emotions is what is required, but, this option is of our own choosing. We need to cease projecting blame outwardly for our own inadequacies. When we do this, our circumstances will improve.

One of my favorite quotes goes something like this: " ....I meditate a half hour a day, unless I am particularly busy or stressed, then I make it an hour....."

Offered with a grin. And yes, meditation and positive affirmations absolutely work!