The variation in the time between [...]]]> We tend to think that our hearts beat with absolute regularity, like a metronome. In fact, a healthy heart is constantly varying the time between beats. These variations are instigated by the nervous system as it continually seeks the most efficient and optimum way for the body to operate.

The variation in the time between heart beats is referred to as Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Because HRV provides a window on your nervous system, it gives us a wonderful way of monitoring how well your body is preserving its equilibrium.

Recently, analysis of HRV has attracted a great deal of interest within the medical community as being an excellent non-invasive measurement of nervous system activity and heart health.

To understand this, it’s important to recognize that our health depends on how well our body can constantly adjust all of its functions to the myriad stimuli and demands that are continually changing. Temperature, light, noise, time of day, blood sugar, an endless list of stress and change of all kinds require our body to regulate itself around a point of balance. The better it can do this the healthier we are. The more our body’s ability to adapt to this constant change declines, the sicker we become. In the case of the heart, it must constantly regulate its output of blood to demands for blood flow that change every instant. Studies have demonstrated that decrease in heart rate variability emerges as the single most common risk factor for all kinds of chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic fatigue, heart failure, neurological disorders, and many others.

It used to be that instruments that could measure HRV were very expensive and only available in hospitals. Fortunately, technological advances mean that low-cost and accurate system for measuring HRV are now available to us for use at home. Indeed, some devices are so portable, that we can carry them around with us and use them whenever we want to.

Not only that, but some of these system use a technique known as biofeedback to teach you that you can actually improve your HRV and therefore enhance your physical and psychological health and well-being.

The best of the portable biofeedback devices is the StressEraser. The StressEraser, is a small, light device that measures your pulse rate from your fingertip using an infrared sensor. It converts this information into a HRV wave which it displays on a small LCD screen. Best of all, the StressEraser then starts to guide you to breathe slowly and rhythmically which will have an almost immediate, positive effect on your HRV. You’ll see this improvement reflected on the screen as your HRV wave becomes smoother and more regular.

The StressEraser is so effective that it’s even be registered with the FDA (the American health regulatory body) with an indication for ‘Relaxation, Relaxation Training and Stress Reduction’.

The StressEraser is a great complement to a Meditation Machine. Thanks to biofeedback devices like the StressEraser, we can all benefit from increased HRV and help ourselves to better health and well-being.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of MeditationsUK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

You can find out more about them at www.MeditationsUK.com or www.MindSpa-UK.com, or telephone 020 8371 0436

You might also be interested in the StressEraser at www.StressEraser-UK.com .

But student life isn’t [...]]]> Being a student can be a great experience. You’re studying a subject that you’re interested in and enjoying the opportunity to get involved in new activities and make new friends. For some of you, it might be the first time you’ve lived away from home and you’re relishing your new-found independence.

But student life isn’t fun all the time. It can also be stressful and difficult. Students face challenges such as intensive study schedules, social pressure from peers and the risks of drug and alcohol abuse. The life of a student isn’t just an exciting time of opening to a universe of knowledge, it’s a first-hand introduction to some of life’s most intense pressures.

This is why you need the deep rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation of meditation. You learn better when you are happy and relaxed. And there’s an even better reason to consider meditation : What better time to expand, deepen, and clear your mind when learning is your first priority? This is just when it really makes sense to begin to unfold your full creative potential. Studies have correlated the practice of meditation with higher creativity, increased intelligence, and improved memory. That’s because meditation not only clears the mind, but opens a person to the deeper, silent, creative levels of thought.

Scientific research verifies that meditating develops increasing use of the total brain. Students practicing meditation enjoy:

- Development of hidden brain reserves, greater creativity, higher IQ

- More efficiency in learning new concepts, improved academic achievement, better grades

- Improved standardized test scores on general academic achievement

- In addition, specific meditation techniques can help with Speed Learning.

Students that practice meditation enjoy increasingly happy, healthy, problem-free lives. Spontaneously they are able to fulfill their own interests while upholding the interests of others. Research confirms that students who meditate experience :

- Less stress

- Increased creativity

- Less anxiety and depression

- Improved memory

- Greater emotional stability

- Increased learning ability

- Better concentration and focus

- A sense of fulfilment and purpose

- Improved self-confidence

- Greater awareness and intuition

There are many ways you can learn to meditate. Using traditional techniques, learning to meditate would take many months, or even years, of practice – with no guarantee of success.

With a Meditation Machines (also known as Mind Machines), such as our MindSpa system, you can take the Fast Track to Meditation. Meditation Machines combine modern technology with ancient wisdom to enable you to meditate easily and automatically and start to receive the benefits immediately.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of MeditationsUK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

You can find out more about them at www.MeditationsUK.com or www.MindSpa-UK.com, or telephone 020 8371 0436

More and more doctors are recommending meditation as an effective stress buster and useful support for patients with many types of chronic and acute conditions

Research studies have shown that meditating for as little [...]]]> Meditation is one of the most researched ‘alternative ‘ therapies and has been clinically proven to have a wide range of health benefits.

More and more doctors are recommending meditation as an effective stress buster and useful support for patients with many types of chronic and acute conditions

Research studies have shown that meditating for as little as fifteen or twenty minutes a day promotes improved mental and physical health and well-being.

Some of the benefits are :

• Lower blood pressure
• Boosted immune system
• Better sleep patterns
• Less anxiety and depression
• Greater sense of fulfilment
• Better emotional stability

And so the question is :

If meditation is so good for you, why doesn’t everyone do it ?

The problem is that, using traditional techniques, learning meditation is very difficult.

I think the meditation ‘industry’ has shot itself in the foot by making out that learning to meditate is easy.

It isn’t.

In fact, using traditional methods, it’s very, very difficult. It can take many months – and probably years – of disciplined practice before you gain control of your mind and attain meditative states.

That’s why so many people who buy books or go on courses give up with meditation. And that’s a great shame, because as mentioned earlier, relaxed states of body and mind can bring enormous physical and psychological benefits.

I believe that everyone should meditate – not only for their own good, but also because the world would be a much better place if more people spent a little time each day meditating.

If you’ve tried to meditate and given up, or if you would like to learn to meditate but feel that you don’t have the time or patience, I would urge you to look at modern meditation techniques.

Light and sound devices and biofeedback systems can provide a fast track to meditation that is no less valid or effective than more traditional techniques. They’re just a whole lot faster and easier.

On the other hand, of course, you may decide to go the traditional route. And that’s fine as well. We’re all different, and we can all find our own path – if we bother to look for it.

For your own good, and the good of the world, find a method that suits you and put aside a little time for meditation.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of Meditations-UK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

You can find out more about them at www.Meditations-UK.com or www.MindSpa-UK.com, or telephone 020 8371 0436

Chakras are energy centres – vibrating forms of cosmic light. We have seven major chakras [...]]]> Many people are becoming aware of the Eastern concept of chakras. Cleaning and energising your chakras is a powerful way of attaining inner peace, improving your health, heightening your spirituality and expanding your consciousness. Your MindSpa can help you with this.

Chakras are energy centres – vibrating forms of cosmic light. We have seven major chakras that radiate out from different points along the spine, forming a vertical axis from the base of the spine to the top of the head. They provide a pathway that can carry us from the individual and personal realms of consciousness to the spiritual universal domains.

Each chakra vibrates at different frequency and is associated with a different colour.The first three chakras are our personal chakras The red root chakra is located at the base of your spine. The sacral chakra is found halfway between your navel and the base of your spine and appears as orange. The solar plexus chakra is bright yellow and is right behind your navel.

The fourth major chakra is the heart chakra located in the centre of the chest. It’s green in colour and represents the beginning of the upper chakras which correspond to universal and spiritual issues.

As it’s name suggests, the blue throat chakra is located in the throat area. The sixth chakra is known as the Third Eye and is in the brow between the two eyes. It radiates with a mixture of indigo and purple light. Finally, at the top of your head is the Crown chakra which is associated with either violet or pure white.

The chakras can profoundly affect your body, mind and spirit. It is through the chakras that these aspects of your being are connected and can be aligned and balanced. If the chakras become blocked, then you may experience sickness and other mental and physical difficulties.

There are many ways that you can ensure that your chakras remain clear and free-flowing with energy. Exercise and a good diet are important for the lower, personal chakras. And living a moral, well-intentioned life will benefit the higher, spiritual chakras. It’s also important to concentrate on positive rather than negative thoughts.

Meditation using your MindSpa is a great way to cleanse, energise and balance your chakras. There are many visualisation and breathing exercises you can do during a session with your MindSpa to revitalise and unblock your chakras. It’s worth finding out more about chakras so that you can benefit from the many physical, mental, emotional and spiritual advantages that they can bring you.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of MeditationsUK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

You can find out more about them at www.MeditationsUK.com or www.MindSpa-UK.com, or telephone 020 8371 0436

Although meditation for pain relief has been being used for hundreds of years, it is only recently that it has [...]]]> I’ve had many emails from people who have successfully used meditation to help with pain relief. I thought that this topic might be of interest to people who hadn’t thought of using meditation in this way.

Although meditation for pain relief has been being used for hundreds of years, it is only recently that it has become highly recognized as a great way to relieve various kinds of pain. Recent studies have proven that meditation for pain relief is a very powerful way to help relieve pain without the many side effects that are found in other methods such as drugs. Meditation for pain relief teaches the body to relax and to focus on things other than the present pain.

A study at the University of Manchester found that meditators have lower pain sensitivity – both in and out of meditative states – compared to non-meditators.

Dr Christopher Brown who carried out the research said the findings should encourage further research “Although meditators anticipate pain less and find pain less unpleasant, it’s not clear how meditation changes brain functions to produce these effects”.

Avoiding Potentially Harmful Drugs

One of the benefits of using meditation for pain relief is that it can help keep people from having to take pain relieving drugs that may have harmful side-effects. Some pain relief drugs can lead to addiction and can cause long term health problems. Meditation can provide pain relief that will help patients cut back on pain relievers and, in some cases, quit taking them altogether.

Relieves the Body’s Responses to Pain

Meditation for pain relief also has the benefit of relieving the various responses that the body has to pain. When pain occurs in the body, the body usually responds with adrenaline and the “fight or flight” reflex. When you learn to use meditation to relax, the body can help manage these responses and, in turn, help to alleviate the pain.

Turning the Mind from Pain

Meditation works to focus the mind on places and feelings other than what you are feeling at the current moment and this also works to help lessen pain . The feelings of pain are more than physical, they are both emotional and mental. Meditation for pain relief works by taking the mind and focusing it on something other than the of pain within the body. This helps to diminish the perception of pain that is being felt.

Reduction of Anxiety

Many people who suffer from pain have to deal with anxiety and elevated blood pressure as a result of the pain they are suffering. Often, the anxiety can actually increase the pain that they are feeling. Meditation helps to reduce the levels of anxiety and can help to bring down blood pressure as well.

Trying meditation for pain relief is worth a try. Not only can it help you deal with your pain, but it can also increase your health, mental and emotional well-being in many other beneficial ways too.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of MeditationsUK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

You can find out more about them at www.MeditationsUK.com or www.MindSpa-UK.com, or telephone 020 8371 0436

WHEN SHOULD YOU USE YOUR MEDITATION MACHINE : Everyone’s different, and each of us will find a time that’s appropriate for us for using our Meditation Machine. Some people prefer to use it in the morning, perhaps shortly after [...]]]> In this blog, I offer some useful, practical advice for using your Meditation Machine.

WHEN SHOULD YOU USE YOUR MEDITATION MACHINE : Everyone’s different, and each of us will find a time that’s appropriate for us for using our Meditation Machine. Some people prefer to use it in the morning, perhaps shortly after they get up as a way of starting the day right. Others like to use it in the evening, perhaps after getting home from work as a way of releasing the stresses of the day. There are no absolute rules.

The important thing is finding a time that suits you and fits in with your lifestyle.

If you suffer from sleep problems, then it’s probably good to use your Meditation Machine just before you go to bed. It will relax you mentally and physically and get your brain in the right state to trigger good quality sleep.

ACCOMPANYING EXERCISE: Physical exercise complements the mental exercise you get when you use a Meditation Machine. Using your Meditation Machine after physical exercise, (particularly exercise that involves stretching or slow movements such as yoga, t’ai chi and pilates),can be very rewarding.

CHOICE OF LOCATION: Choose a room where you will not be disturbed. Take the phone off the hook, turn off your mobile and computer. It’s important that you give this time to yourself and your location needs to be suitable. Choose somewhere that isn’t too warm and dry, and not too cool either. A pleasant temperature will help you to remain relaxed.

POSTURE: The important this is to find a position that is most comfortable for you personally. If you are uncomfortable while you are using your Meditation Machine, then you will be distracted from the meditative state. The more comfortable your physical body is, the deeper the state of mind you will achieve.

Although it is perfectly possible to use your Meditation Machine when lying down, most people agree that sitting in an upright position is better as this provides the best flow of breath and, as many traditions believe, the best flow of energy through your body.

DURATION: Your Meditation Machine will contain programmes with different durations. Most people seem to like using their Meditation Machine for between 20 and 30 minutes.

It’s all right to finish a programme before it naturally ends and when you first start using your Meditation Machine you may find that a 5 or 10 minutes session is enough for you

BREATHING: If you feel a great deal of physical tension when you you use your Meditation Machine , place your focus onto your breath. Your body may not be used to holding itself still like, even during sleep, so you may find it twitches and moves involuntarily, but by focusing on deep, relaxing breaths, you’ll allow your physical state to become completely still too.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of Meditations-UK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of MeditationsUK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

You can find out more about them at www.MeditationsUK.com or www.MindSpa-UK.com, or telephone 020 8371 0436

A researcher called [...]]]> My last blog described how during meditation our brainwaves shift down from the beta pattern of normal consciousness to the slower alpha rhythms or, in deeper meditation, to the even slower theta state. In this blog post, I want to explain how and why Meditation Machines help people to meditate effectively.

A researcher called Grey Walter discovered in the 1940’s what become known as the ‘frequency follow response’, whereby brainwave patterns would follow the frequency of flickering light. There is a direct correlation between the frequency of the flickering light and the frequency of the brainwaves, the tiny electrical impulses emitted by the brain.

Scientist Gerald Ostler realized in the 1970’s that sounds could have a similar effect to the patterns of flickering light. He introduced the concept of binaural beats which occur when one ear perceives a pure tone of a differing pitch than the other ear. The brain then takes over and harmonizes the two different pitches and brings them together as one whole. The brain then follows these binaural beats creating a state of relaxation and the reduction of tension.

Meditation Machines take advantage of this knowledge about flickering lights and pulsing sounds to create relaxation or other mood changing effects. A system consists of a small, hand-held unit, stereo headphones and special glasses inset with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). During a session, these lights flash and are synchronized with specific sound patterns that are heard through the headphones.

By presenting the pulsed audio and visual stimulation to the brain, after a short time, your brain begins to resonate , or entrain, at the same frequency as the stimulus. (This is similar to the relaxing effect you might experience by gazing at a gently flickering flame or listening to soothing music).

The tone, frequency and other parameters of the light and sound stimulation vary the effect and Meditation Machines have many different types of sessions built into them for relaxation, meditation, stimulation, creative visualisation and so on.

In addition to entrainment, the imagery created by the visual and auditory stimulation provides a focus for your mind and quiets internal dialogue or chatter. The various areas of your brain begin to integrate into one whole, harmonious unit as experienced by masters of meditation. This entrainment and integration is passive and occurs naturally without your conscious effort.

At MeditationsUK, we offer a range of machines across a wide price range. We hope that this allows everyone to find a machine that is within their budget.

As you go up in price through the range, the Machines tend to increase in quality in terms of the sound and, in particular, the special Light Glasses. Additionally, we’ve found that different machines tend to be better for certain purposes.

If you’re not sure which Meditation Machine will be best for you, please contact us either by email or by phone on 020 8371 0436 and we’ll be happy to advise you.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of MeditationsUK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

You can find out more about them at www.MeditationsUK.com or www.MindSpa-UK.com, or telephone 020 8371 0436

There are four main type [...]]]> Our brains are made up of millions of nerves that each give off a tiny electrical impulse. This activity can be registered as brainwaves by placing electrodes on the scalp, amplifying the signals and displaying them on a computer monitor. This method of measuring is called electroencephalo-graphy (EEG).

There are four main type of brainwaves and they are each associated with certain mental states.

Beta: These waves are active in the brain during normal waking mind states. The person is fully awake and alert, someone reading or engaging in an activity such as giving a talk or responding to questions is experiencing constant Beta waves.

Alpha: When a person is relaxed their brain activity slows from beta waves into alpha waves. This is when we feel quiet restfulfulness and relaxed well being. The “alpha state” is where meditation starts and you begin to access the wealth of creativity that lies just below our conscious awareness. It is the gateway that leads into deeper states of consciousness.

Theta: Theta waves appear when the person enters a near sleep state. this is a state in which day dreams, memory and the highest state of creativity is reached. Theta brings forward heightened receptivity, flashes of dreamlike imagery, inspiration, and,sometimes, your long-forgotten memories. It can also give you a sensation of “floating”.

Delta: This is the state achieved during sleep whenever you don’t dream. It is a deep, physically and mentally restful state of being. This final state is a place of complete psychophysiological stillness and calm.

Research using equipment to measure brainwave activity during meditation has found some fascinating results. Brainwave activity undergoes widespread change during meditation. Meditators quickly moved from a very alert state of beta waves into a relaxed alpha wave state. Experienced meditators may move into an even deeper state of relaxation where theta waves begin to appear and the individual experiences a complete sense of inner stillness.

In separate research of Buddhist meditation, scientists found that dormant areas of the brain awoke during meditation whilst normally active areas reduce their activity or became inactive. At the peak points of meditation, the scientists found that the brain activity had reduced its capacity for spatial awareness, giving the individual a sense of floating and complete physical release.

This is just a simple introduction to brainwave activity during meditation, and in my next blog, I’ll talk about how brainwaves are affected by Meditation Machines.

— Ivor Murray is the MD of MeditationsUK, an innovative company that sells technology-led aids to help you relax and de-stress. Their main products are Meditation Machines – small, portable machines that use natural light and sound to gently guide you into calm, relaxing states of mind and body, easily and automatically.

You can find out more about them at www.MeditationsUK.com or www.MindSpa-UK.com, or telephone 020 8371 0436

We live in a culture of immediacy in [...]]]> These days, it’s essential that we’re able to find a point of calm and stillness in our lives. This modern life is filled with stresses and anxieties about money, relationships, health and many other personal matters. These pressures can contribute to a physical and mental decline in health.

We live in a culture of immediacy in the West, everything needs to be achieved now, now, now, we want instant action and reaction, instant satisfaction and gratification. The mind races and it becomes difficult to focus on anything for more than a few seconds before the next stimulus causes the mind to race once more.

These stressful conditions are a perfect opportunity to enjoy the benefits of modern meditation. Benefits include:

• Physical and Mental Stillness
• Emotional Calm
• Lower Blood Pressure
• Clearer Thoughts

There are many approaches to meditation. There are the traditional methods, such as yoga and Taoism. And there are also modern techniques that are equally valid and effective.

At MeditationsUK, we use modern technology such as the MindSpa Meditation Machine to provide people with opportunities to explore meditative practices. We believe that the combination of hundreds of years of meditation practice with the latest in scientific and technological discoveries about the brain, mood and the body, can bring benefits to everyone.

Krishnamurti said that “The greatest advance in spiritual advancement will come about with the integration of Eastern and Western knowledge”. Our Meditation Machines represent one aspect of this integration by using Western technology to enable people to meditate quickly and easily.

In my next blog, I’ll look in detail at how some of the technology we use at MeditationsUK can help people with busy modern lives enjoy peace of mind and tackle problems such as insomnia and depression.

Ivor Murray is the Managing Director of Meditations Ltd, a company whose aim is to inspire people to meditate and develop a calmer, less stressful and more fulfilled lifestyle.