CALM YOUR SENSES

Meditation centres are mushrooming not only all over India but also globally as an antidote to stress. Dr Parul R Sheth gives an overview

 More and more people are into meditation today, using it as an effective antidote to stress. Meditation centres are mushrooming not only all over India but also globally. These centres are outlets for stress, cultivating a deeper spiritual awareness and positive thinking.
    Repetition of a mantra or sound, for example chanting of Om, takes you into a transcended state. The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Transcendental Meditation centres are around the world and so are the Osho meditation centres. Yoga retreat centres too have spread across the globe.
Siddha Yoga, Sahaj Yoga, Raj Yoga,
are all a part of yoga meditation.
    The Brahma Kumari World Spiritual University, teach Raj Yoga as a method of meditation. World Meditation Hour was introduced by the Brahma Kumaris, when people all over the world collectively meditate for one hour. The practice has spread to over 90 countries now.
    Buddhist meditation centres offer meditation classes with advanced Buddhist study programmes and mindfulness meditation. It is based on the concept of being mindful, or having an increased awareness and total acceptance of the present. You are taught to bring all your attention to the sensation of the flow of the breath in and out of the body. Buddhist meditation is divided into Samatha and Vipassana meditation. Samatha helps develop concentration and calms the mind. Vipassana builds positive emotions and helps develop awareness of the inner self. Several Vipassana centres are running all over India. The global Vipassana Pagoda, a 325-feet monument is built on Gorai Island, Mumbai, which has a Dhamma Hall for over 8,000 meditators to sit and meditate.
    The Tao Zen meditation centres offer Zazen as the centre of Zen meditation and the World Community for Christian Meditation practices and promotes contemplative prayer in the form of silent meditation.
    Today meditation has been regarded as a form of mind-body medicine. It is practiced for physical relaxation, mental peace and psychological balance or tolerance capacity to cope with anger, diseases and overall wellness. It can help in coping with anxiety, stress, depression, pain or insomnia. Simple breathing techniques practiced at meditation centres, help calm a racing heart or help in digestion too. The slow, quiet, regular deep breathing exercises can control your emotional states such as anger and moods.

IN SEARCH OF PEACE? Meditation clubs provide the answer to a stressful lifestyle