.

The Ancient Meditation that Cures Modern Stress
Developed centuries ago in India, Sant Mat meditation is based on the view that faith creates vibrations of light and/or sound within the body. "These are said to be manifestations of your pure self, your inner spirit", says meditation instructor Jim Malloy, founder of the Worldwide Online Meditation Center. "Tuning in to those vibrations provides instant calm, plus helps build a bridge to that deeper self. This can be a springboard to a lifetime of peace and happiness". While experts agree that the true Sant Mat meditation is best taught by a spiritual master, Malloy outlined the following simple technique:

To do:
Sit cross-legged in a quiet room. Imagine energy flowing up and down your spine. Next, close your eyes and "gaze" at the light behind your eyelids- you might see sparkles, colors, patterns or specks, says Malloy. If your attention wanders to everyday concerns, return your focus to the liht's movement.

Or you may find it easier to connect with your inner sound. This approach begins in the same manner: Sit cross-legged with your eyes closed and listen for the sound within your ears. Some people hear it as white noise, a rushing-river din, or merely the sound of silence. Sit quietly, allowing the sound to resonate through your body.

For best results, Malloy advises meditating on either light or sound for 10 minutes daily, gradually working up to 20 minutes. To learn more about Sat Mat meditation, log on to SatMat website.

What 10 Minutes A Day Could Do For You
Freedom from stress is only the beginning: An impressive body of research proves that meditative practices (everything from the many forms of meditation to religious prayer) literally rewire the brain fro enhanced immunity, lower blood pressure and improved sleep quality. An the amazing benefits don't stop there, as these findings reveal.

77% More Creative
Meditation opens up key signaling pathways between the brain's prefrontal cortex (the seat of abstract cognition) and its highly intellectual inferior parietal cortex, according to research at the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa. As a result, volunteers who mediatated before taking a rigorous test of creativity scored 77 percent higher than those in the control group.

50% More Energetic
Meditating just three times a week can double electrical activity in the brain's reticular formation, which generates feelings of alertness, engagement and motivation. Researchers at the Flowing River Clinic in Oakland, California, found that the resulting energy boost was so dramatic, 87 percent of subjects suffering from advanced chronic fatigue syndrome rec\versed their tiredness within 12 months.

Twice as Immune to Pain
In a study at the University of California at Irvine, subjects who practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique daily were 50 percent more resistant to physical pain (including back, neck and head pain) than nonmeditators. Study author David Orme-Johnson, Ph.D., credits a dual effect: Mediattion simultaneously suppresses activity in the brain's thalamus (where sensory signals are received) and anterior cingulate cortex (which modulates emotional responses to incoming physical sensations).