I cracked the code!  What code? The one in my dream!  You’ve got to be kidding me? No, seriously — just listen.  I had a really cool dream last night.

In my dream, I was outside a public area that I wasn’t familiar with.  It was within a block or so of my old grammar school. I knew that Kevin would be worried about me so I was trying to get in touch with him.  I realized that I didn’t have a cell phone.

There was a teenager there, a kind of frumpy, not the cool jock type kid, but more of a geek (which by the way I think is cool).  I asked if I could borrow his cell phone.  He was very reluctant and explained that his parents only let him use it in case of emergency.  I explained that it was kind of an emergency because my husband didn’t know where I was.  He would be ready to send out the search party so I had to let him know I was okay.

I was some where between my teens and early 20’s in the dream.  So the teenager pulls out this huge cell phone that is really old-fashioned, a first generation cell phone that looks more like a large walkie talkie.  You’ve probably seen one like it on the free credit score commercial.

I looked to the left and saw a really funky modern high tech looking payphone that definitely didn’t fit the scene.  I saw that it was still only 25c. But I looked around me and realized I didn’t have my wallet with me or even a pocket book so I didn’t even have 25c.  I don’t know why I would have travelled without one.

So I started dialing the numbers on the cell phreone’s huge keypad.  As I am doing this we are walking around to the other side of a wall and there is a picnic table with some people sitting there.  They are talking so we start talking to them.

I then get up and walk to another separate building.  There is a girl in the room that was a new friend (I don’t know her in real life).  She is pretty tipsy, clearly she has had a few drinks.  We were talking about something having to do with going out to the East End of Long Island, the Hamptons or the Northfork area, and partying — after all I was in my late teens/early 20’s, what else do you do?  I kind of go off to the East End for a minute and then just as quickly I am back in the room — you can do that kind of cool stuff in a dream.

I tell her I have to check my computer and had to put in my password.  She asked what my password was and for some odd, crazy reason, I told her what it was.  As I turned to leave the room, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her reach into a drawer.  In her tipsy state, she took out a small notepad and pen and wrote something down and tucked it into her sweatshirt pocket.  I thought, hmmm, that’s odd, I wonder if she is writing down my password.

The next thing I remember I walk into my old bedroom in the house where I grew up and she’s in the room standing next to my bed.  She is holding her sweatshirt in her hand.  Kelsey is in there too (my 12 year old — that would have meant I had her when I was 8). Kelsey smiles at me as I enter the room and then goes back to watching the tipsy girl looking through her things. The tipsy girl is even tipsier at this point as she is frenetically searching through her things for something.  I thought hmmm I wonder if she is searching for her pad.  I was really curious to see what she wrote on it.

Just as I reach for the sweatshirt to intercept the note pad to see if my password is on the note, Kelsey reaches over and picks it up off the night table and says, “Is this what you are looking for?”

I reach over and take it from Kelsey and read it.  It isn’t the password, it is just a series of letters and numbers.  For a moment I let out a huge sigh of relief.  As I look at it again more closely, though, I realize that she has actually written down a code of some type.  In a split second I decipher the code and realize that it is actually my password.

At this point I start going into that twilight state.  I think I got so excited I started waking myself up. You might say, “So what?”  What does that have to do with anything?  What are you getting all excited about?”  Well, it has everything to do with everything.  You see, in my dream in what was probably a split second, I came up with a code and in another split second I broke the code.  You might be saying, “Okay, so what, I still don’t get it.  Maybe you’re laughing at me and saying, “Well silly of course you could break the code — it’s your dream!  You must have created it in the first place.”

That’s what’s so cool!  It was a real code!  I realized that it was a logical code that I never would have come up with or been able to break if I were awake.  It was a system for switching out numbers and letters and replacing them in a certain way that made sense.

Well, the reason I was so excited about it was that it made me see just how powerful the subconscious/unconscious state is.  I was so much smarter in the subconscious state than I was in the waking state!  So I said, “Well, if I am so much smarter in the subconscious state, how can I tap into it without being in a dream state since I might not remember the dream when I wake up?”   I had my answer in a second – voila — Meditate!

Look for this months Healthy Living Ezine in your inbox for more information and tips on making a mediation a part of your life. If you are not already receiving our Ezine click here to sign up! For other great posts on mediation click here.

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Given that meditation has been practiced for centuries, various movements have emerged. But regardless of their names or techniques, this can be grouped into two basic approaches.

The first is called concentrative meditation. Here, the person focuses attention on the breath, an image or a sound to create a greater awareness and clarity. Think of it as looking at something through a microscope so you are able to narrow your focus.

It’s easy…all you have to do is sit down and breathe. The correct way of doing it is to inhale and exhale slowly and through it, your focus becomes deeper and slower, your mind becomes more aware and tranquil. (more…)

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These days, going to the doctor when you are ill is not the only way you can feel better. We cover many alternative “feel better” ways on our site especially the why’s and the how-to-avoids.

According to the National Center for Complementary Medicine, meditation is among the top 10 alternative therapy treatments. But before we get into that, let’s review some meditation facts.

First, meditation means awareness.

Why? Your senses are heightened as you concentrate on your breathing and your hearing becomes sharper than before. Through meditation, you ask your mind to block out distractions so you are able to find inner peace. You can actually carry that with you when you open your eyes, too.

Some think that meditation is a religion when, in fact, it’s a science. Numerous studies done in the past show that those who practice it, feel relaxed, are more physically fit, have improvements in their academic standing and have an increase in their productivity at work.

Where did the word “meditation” come from?

It comes from two Latin words. The first is, “meditari,” which means to think, dwell upon or to exercise the mind. The second is, “mederi,” meaning, to heal. If you put these two together, it describes basically what this activity is — a time for you to reach deep into your mind and recharge.

As you can see, meditation has benefits that are physiological, physical and psychological. You don’t have to take any pills or get a prescription. It’s free and it doesn’t consume much time. It can be done in 5 to 20 minutes a day. Sit comfortably, quietly and close your eyes while focusing on your breath for 5 to 20 minutes then continue on with whatever you were doing before.

A fact about all meditation…it’s a focus to silence the busy mind.

It does not remove the stimulation which you feel around you but rather directs your concentration to something else to achieve increasing inner peace and improving wellness.

Keeping an open mind is essential so that this science can have its tremendously powerful effect.

Aside from all the benefits that we have covered here, on our website and in some of our other blogs, one of the greatest things that I have found with meditation is that the more I do it, the more I am able to bring incredible things into my life. Sometimes it is something physical and sometimes it is guidance, stronger intuition, answers, insight that enables me to help someone else, or, perhaps, it brings me in contact with people that I am meant to meet.

The possibilities are endless and the effects can be so subtle that you barely notice them at first, but once you pay attention to how much better your day goes when you meditate, you will probably find it’s definitely worth sticking with.

Next we will cover easy ways to meditate.

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Meditation exercises can be an effective way of reducing your stress and teaching your mind and body to relax. Plus these exercises can also help you to build self-confidence and self-esteem. But most importantly, like any other exercise, it helps you maintain good health as well as great shape.

There are many different types of meditation exercises you can do. For instance, you could try a walking meditation. This is a form of meditation that monks in monasteries practice. All you need to do is walk in a quiet area for a little bit of time while contemplating or meditating about something.Because it is so easy to do, it makes a great starting point for those just getting into meditation exercises. (more…)

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Modern times are causing a lot of stress which is causing more and more people every day to look back to ancient practices for relieving stress. People are now rediscovering the benefits of meditation.

In fact, meditation has been so effective in terms of calming the mind and developing a person’s level of intuition it is also being used to heal various illnesses in the mind, emotions, and physical aspects. (more…)

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Meditation generally refers to the state of concentrated focus on an object of thought or awareness. Meditation stems from an aim at gaining a higher state of consciousness. It is also usually based on ancient beliefs that make up the component of eastern religions. The practice of meditation began over 5,000 years.

Meditation with the goal of achieving a higher degree of mental awareness and consciousness is based on different beliefs holding different spiritual and psychological practices. Many religions have developed their own techniques and methods at arriving at  a higher state of consciousness.
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