Gaiam MEDITATION for beginners – “Nourishment for Body, Mind, and Soul”
Meditation has been around for thousands of years. Meditation dates all the way back to ancient times. In India, they found evidence of Indian artifacts showing the history of meditation called, “Tantra.” This practice of meditation dates back 5000 years ago.
Meditation is a practice that helps people achieve balance both mentally and physically as well as emotionally. Meditation treats depression, stress, and anxiety. The deep rest that a person achieves through meditation can eliminate their stress and enable that person to make healthier choices by allowing them to think more clearly. There have been reports of higher self-esteem in people who meditate.
People have used meditation to help them quit smoking and to put a stop to alcohol and drug addictions. A person can even reduce blood pressure and greatly lower the symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome. Meditation also helps to lower one’s heart rate and blood pressure by slowing down one’s breathing which lowers the amount of oxygen needed for the body. The meditation process allows the mind and muscles to relax in a gentle manner.
Why is meditation effective and beneficial in preventing and helping medical conditions?
- Lowers oxygen consumption
- Decreases respiratory rate
- Increases blood flow and slows the heart rate
- Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients
- Leads to a deeper level of relaxation
- Is good for people with high blood pressure as it brings the body pressure to normal
- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate
- Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches
- Builds self-confidence
- Increases serotonin production, which influences mood and behavior. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, obesity, insomnia, and headaches
- Helps in chronic diseases like allergies and arthritis
- Reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome
- Helps in post-operative healing
- Enhances the immune system. Research has revealed that meditation increases activity of ‘natural killer cells’, which kill bacteria and cancer cells
- Reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress
This DVD consists of four parts – Meditation for beginners, Personal Instructor, Interview with Maritza (the instructor) and Maritza’s bio. The DVD begins by having Maritza introducing the meditation program to you. This is beneficial for someone who is unfamiliar with meditation. It prepares for what is ahead and it gives you a clear understanding of the true concept of meditation.
The tape begins by showing you a picture of a beach as the water crashes against the shore. Just this alone helps put you in a relaxed state of mind and then the tape begins as Maritza tells you a little about herself, the program and the one simple theme that meditation does to help improve the mind, body, and soul.
She explains how meditation plays huge roles in helping us improve the way we feel, think and act. She explains how meditation can help us achieve high levels of success. The meditation she teaches you in this DVD is Mindful meditation.
As the DVD continues she gently brings you into a relaxed state of mind and begin to teach you step-by-step the proper poses to bring you into a relaxed state of mind. Maritza explains everything in full detail, so you never feel lost or confused. The stretches and poses felt divine and most importantly she teaches you how to breathe the right way, so your meditation experience is effective.
As an author of the book, “The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body – Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables I found the Gaiam MEDITATION for beginners to be an excellent DVD for individuals interested in learning how to meditate the right way.”
I have meditated in meditation classes, but this DVD goes into a deeper level showing you how to do Mindful yoga. This Yoga prepares your body for meditation, and then Maritza teaches you how to deepen awareness and how to relax your entire body. Afterward, toward the end of the DVD, she teaches seated meditation. This teaches you how to improve your energy using traditional meditational poses.
I loved it! The best thing about this meditation DVD was the fact that it was very detailed and the techniques were displayed in a step-by-step fashion that was easy for anyone to understand and perform. The video introduced so many new things I was unaware of about meditation. I have been practicing yoga for 15 plus years and I still learned so much from this DVD.
It came quickly, packaged well and when I tried it, what a difference from any other meditation class I have taken in past. I will continue to use this DVD. It was like having my own instructor in the comforts of my own home.
