Meditation and the Monkey Mind?

Some find the term, monkey mind, upsetting, derogatory, and insulting. This is a shame, as the point is lost, the ego is involved, and a natural human defense goes up. After all, we are supposed to be the king of the primates, arent we?

The first time I heard the expression, monkey mind, in regard to meditation, I thought of Swayambhunath Stupa, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Sometimes, this is named, the monkey temple, and it made me laugh inside, as monkeys need supervision in human settings. The picture of unsupervised monkeys got into my head, and I was suppressing laughter during a serious conversation.

Monkeys can be nuisances, when allowed to roam without some guidance, and it is the same with the untrained mind that runs from topic to topic, without getting much accomplished. So please dont waste time being offended by the term, and try to look at the comical side.

When you allow yourself to enjoy life, and try not to take anything too seriously, you can see that monkeys dont have it so bad after all. Very often, the human mind spends too much time defending, worrying, posturing, influencing, fearing, and feeling embarrassed, to enjoy life to its fullest potential.

In fact, you are not your mind. You are responsible for your actions, but many things happen in the thought process before you do take action. For example: when you think, images and options are created. As a result of those images, you get a physical feeling somewhere around your heart.

Whether the feeling is, good or bad, you process it into action, or treat it as a fleeting thought that passes and may be forgotten. So if you have a fleeting evil thought and it passes - should you waste time feeling guilty about it? The natural safeguard for ethical behavior is your heart or gut feeling. This is the best indicator of wrong or right.

Mankind has the ability to influence the universe, and create different realities, but separating what is sacred, from what is evil, has been a dilemma for thousands of years. The disconnection from your inner self, nature, and God, has led to excessive confusion.

Thank God for meditation; it allows you to harness the power of the mind, settle down, and focus, on one subject at a time. If you take the time for a daily meditation practice, your decision-making process will be much more controlled and clear. The end result will be to look at the monkey with much more respect, appreciation, and a bit of humor.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in north Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

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Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Practices

People choose alternative medicine and natural health over conventional health practices for a number of reasons. Perhaps you are at a point in your life where you are experiencing minor health problems and are seeking alternative methods to conventional health practices that often dont work. Or, perhaps you feel healthy and want to maintain this health by supplementing your current diet and lifestyle with natural health practices.

Types of Alternative Medicine

Since there are varying types of alternative medicine each offering their own philosophy and discipline, you will have to decide what form of alternative medicine is best able to help you heal any particular health problems that you have. Following are types of alternative medicine:

• Herbal medicine. Herbal medicine uses certain properties of herbs and other plants in the form of dietary supplements as a means to promote health and to heal specific health problems. Plant parts used can include the leaves, flowers, stems, or a combination of all. Examples of some commonly used herbal medicines include green tea which may have an anti-cancer effect, valerian root used to treat insomnia, peppermint tea for digestive issues, and Echinacea extracts to limit the length of colds.

• Chinese herbal medicine. Also known as herbology, Chinese herbal medicine involves combining medicinal herbs to heal the body. The focus is on preventing disease before it has a chance to manifest itself, as well as treating existing health problems. A key to the success of Chinese herbal medicine is the treatment of each patient as an individual with herbs mixed specifically for each patient.

• Acupuncture. Acupuncture is a technique of inserting and manipulating needles into acupuncture points on the body to stimulate nerve impulses and restore health and well-being. It is believed that your life energy, or qi, travels along your body on what are known as meridians. When this flow of energy is broken and damaged, your body is weak and results in health issues.

• Acupressure. Acupressure involves placing physical pressure by hand or elbow on acupuncture points on the surface of the body. Shiatsu is a form of acupressure that promotes the prevention and recovery of illnesses by stimulating the immune system and natural healing power the people already possess.

• Massage. The goal of massage is to apply pressure, tension and motion to the soft tissues of the body to assist with healing injury, relieving psychological stress, manage pain and improve circulation.

• Reflexology. Also known as zone therapy, reflexology is the practice of stimulating nerves on the feet, hands and ears to encourage a beneficial effect on other parts of the body, or to improve your general well-being. It stimulates the blood flow to particular parts of your body while relieving the tension in your body and mind.

• Homeopathy. Homeopathy is the principle of treating like with like. Homeopathic remedies are substances derived from plants and minerals that are diluted in a precise way as to cause toxic behavior and cure the symptoms.

• Yoga. Yoga uses specific body postures to reduce stress, slow breathing and heart rate, lower blood pressure, and promote relaxation that is necessary for a healthy mind and body.

• Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy uses the extracts of plants, known as essential oils, and other scented compounds to relax and balance the body. An example of aromatherapy is eucalyptus oil and mint which is used to provide relief for the airways during a cold or the flu.

• Ayurveda. Ayurveda operates on the precept that various materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value for curing illness and/or for maintaining good health. Ayurveda originated in India and is based on the philosophy that disease occurs when you are not living harmoniously within your environment.

• Meditation. Meditation is a relaxation technique used to reduce and alleviate symptoms of ill health including headaches, back pain and high blood pressure.

These are examples of alternative medicine. Since there are many variations, it is important to research alternative medicine as it relates to your health issues and your lifestyle.

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com. At MyGuidesUSA.com (http://www.myguidesusa.com), you will find valuable tips and resources for handling lifes major events. Whether youre planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, youll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com. Find tips and resources on exercise and fitness programs, exercising with health conditions, childrens fitness, and more at http://www.myguidesusa.com/fitnessandexercise

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