| 1) The Eastern Approach believes in training and controlling the mind. The mind is like a wild elephant, overwhelming and destructive in its raw form, yet noble and stable when correctly monitored. 2) The Eastern Approach works towards the stability of the entire group as a way to allow the individual to experience the stability and the harmony with the universe around. How do you train the mind to behave in a noble and stable way? There is one non-invasive tool! Meditation as a tool to train the mind Meditation is an age-old practice which exists is all cultures and spiritual practices in some form, however, the form of Meditation taught by Swati comes from Eastern traditions, specifically the Buddhist tradition of Mindfulness and Vipassana. |
| What Meditation is not ….. Meditation is not just a relaxation tool. Meditation is not the same as contemplation. Meditation is not a religion. Meditation does not require belonging to any religion. Meditation does not necessarily mean emptying your mind. What Meditation offers is ……. Meditation, in the least, offers the mental and physical break needed in our busy lives, offering a chance to relax. Meditation promotes focus and concentration. Meditation allows to feel the spiritual connection with the universal realities by reducing the “me and mine” force within us. Meditation teaches us to observe ourselves without getting emotionally tangled into desperate cravings and aversions. Meditation can train our minds in feeling compassion and kindness. Meditation Workshops To establish a meditation practice requires 1) a teacher, 2) a community of other meditators. Swati offers Meditation workshops to teach meditations beneficial for reducing anxiety and increasing performance. She also leads sitting meditation groups for people who have done the basic workshop and would like to practice in a group. Mind and Body Connection for Meditation Meditation practice can change the brain structure. The preliminary findings of research with Buddhist meditation practitioners show that the prefrontal cortex and insula thickens, the high frequency gamma waves increase, and the amygdala shows decreased activity. What does all this mean any way? In terms of behavior change, this means is the following, 2) The “me” part of the brain becomes less active and the “body” attention part becomes more active, 3) A more stable integrated state is achieved. This may imply that the anxious chatter in your brain can be in perspective, sooner than usual. the ups and downs of your emotions. Meditation gives you awareness of your mind and body functioning, in a non- attached promote the sense of well being, for both mind and body.promote the sense of well being, for both mind and body. |
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| C-APT: Contemplate, Accept, Push and Transition Swati Desai, PhD, LCSW |
| Swati Desai meditate@swatidesai.com (310) 308-9531 520 Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401 |