Meditation at Ranjana’s
The most powerful life changing things, are through personal experience, not what you are told, or told to believe.
Meditation is a pure form of connecting with our Authentic Self.
The un-authentic self is the one created by us, society, parents, our upbringing, and the "rules" we at first think are true, but through meditation we learn maybe new ideas and actions may be more appropriate.
We learn to be in touch with our personal experience, by way of the breath.
Some internal movement happens, the Breath changes, an emotion arises, we react.
If we catch this before the breath changes, we have a chance to make a conscious choice, instead of instantly react on autopilot.
The more we practice, the easier it is, and the more normal it is.
We find serendipity is no longer an occasion, but our normal everyday experience.
Our energy attracts like energy / people / circumstances.
But, don't just believe this, go Practice and find out for yourself!
Every Sunday at 2:00 our group meets to do 20 minutes of sitting meditation;
15 minutes of walking meditation, and finally 20 more minutes of sitting meditation.
We stay after the sit to discuss our experiences, and some of us stay for Tai Chi Class.

Walking Meditation
Whenever you are walking, concentrate on the body movements that you are making. Experience the physical flow as balance changes. Confine your attention to the feeling of walking and to the sensory input necessary to continue walking.
As you become one with your walking, the relationship between your steps and your breathing will become a familiar rhythm. The lengthening and shortening of muscles can be experienced as movements in the cosmic dance while your awareness moves through everything like a recurring theme.
See each walk as a process instead of a space between destinations. If your attention wanders, bring it back to the physical actions – the movements, the change in balance, the point at which the inhale becomes the exhale.
Becoming one with the experience of walking makes every step more satisfying. If you walk a thousand miles, each step should be as the first.
From Zen without Zen Masters – by Camden Benares

Sitting Meditation
The major requirement for breathing meditation is a straight, erect spine. It doesn’t matter whether you sit on a chair, on the floor, on a cushion. Once you are seated, close your eyes. Wiggle your body until it seems centered. Then move in smaller and smaller circles until you feel centered with the earth. Now, move your chin back – not up or down – until your ears line up with your shoulders.
With your body in position and your eyes still closed, focus your attention on your breathing. Notice the air flowing from the nose, down the throat, and into the lungs. Feel the chest expand and the muscles below the rib cage rise. Notice the instant of stillness as the inhale reaches equilibrium before becoming exhale. Feel the air flowing out of the lungs, through the throat, and out of the nose. Feel the chest contract and the muscles below the rib cage fall. Notice the instant of stillness as the exhale reaches equilibrium before becoming inhale. That total poise at the top and bottom of the breathing cycle is you.
In order to keep your mind on breathing, let all thoughts that come o your mind float away like the outgoing breath. Count each breath silently as you inhale and then exhale without counting. Visualize the number if that aids in keeping your attention on the breath. Each time you reach the count of ten, start the counting over. If your attention ahs wandered, bring it back to your breathing. If you have lost count, start counting over.
This meditation can teach you to focus attention and to develop calmness. It can be done anytime during the day for a period of twenty to thirty minutes. Once a day is the usual way. After several weeks of breathing meditation, the results should be sufficient to tell you whether or not you should continue breathing meditation.

INSIGHT MEDITATION OF DALLAS - “A group setting dedicated to meditative awareness practice”
Buddhist Insight Meditation (known as Vipassana) is a comprehensive approach to awakening of the heart and mind. This body of awareness training has been practiced in Asia for over 2,500 years and, because of its simplicity and power, is now being embraced by people from diverse spiritual orientations around the world.
Insight meditation cultivates our natural wisdom and compassion. The practice develops concentration, which allows us to calm and steady the mind. The subject of concentration is usually the movement of the breath, or the appearing and disappearing of sound. As the mind quiets down, it is possible to experience whatever arises in the present moment in an accepting and open way. This present non-judging attention is called mindfulness, and comprises the heart of Buddhist meditation.
Mindfulness can be maintained throughout our daily activities. We can be mindful of the movement of our body, the sensations in walking, the sounds around us, or the thoughts and feelings that come into the mind. As mindfulness deepens, there is increased capacity for intimacy with the life within and around us. We are able to see through our conditioned behaviors and thoughts, and discover compassion, equanimity and freedom in our lives.

Benefits of Meditation:
Increased concentration; Ability to Focus; Mental Clarity (for better decision making); Emotional and Mental Stability; Peace of Mind; Enhanced Creativity; Reduces High Blood Pressure; Alleviates Anxiety; Eases Depression

Weekly sitting Practice and Walking Meditation
2:00 P.M., Sunday Afternoon    
For Information call:
Ron Bell, 972-416-3290, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Ranjana’s Yoga and Bodyworks Studio     
13614 Midway Road, Suite #101    
Dallas, TX 75244         
(Behind Brookhaven Annex)    
$3 Donation per session -- Insight Meditation Dallas is a non-profit organization