The Relationship Between Meditation and Self-Analysis

These are two very powerful tools for self-improvement, but how can you use them in harmony? For example: Self-analysis and meditation cannot be performed at the same time. After all, multi-tasking runs contrary to what meditation is all about.

So where do we start? Self-analysis will give many of your meditations purpose. The purpose of self-analysis is to objectively look inward, constructively, without judgment or regret, and to find solutions to ongoing problems.

There is an instinctive fear to take start this task. Hence, the reason why there are professionals for psychological analysis. This leaves you with a decision from the onset: Whether to do it yourself, or with the help of professional guidance.

If you elect to go it alone, that's fine, but be prepared to encounter more issues than you originally thought possible. At one time, we have all managed to disconnect with our inner being. This creates a fear of looking inward because of our reaction to what we might see and learn.

Don't waste time with evaluations, comparisons, or judgments. These concepts only support our feelings of inferiority, and for most of us, those feelings should be purged from our inner being.

You will need solitary time, when you can reflect on dilemmas, and take notes. You can do this in your car, but you will need a recording device. You will also want to make sure anything embarrassing is either encoded or hidden. Records are great, but they can be incriminating, so take the time to protect yourself from a potential invasion of your privacy.

In order to meditate, you will need to set aside time, in the early morning, or at night. There is less activity in most households, at this time, and less of a chance for you to be diverted or interrupted.

The quest for self-improvement is the purpose of this kind of meditation. You need to clear your mind and focus on one thought only. This should not be turned into a form of grieving, so you must look at it objectively and try to remove your personal feelings.

Your mind will naturally "stray," a bit, unless you have been practicing meditation for some time. The straying aspect is actually good in this instance, because it allows you to come back with a slightly different perspective each time.

The end result of all this work, will be discovering a multitude of self-improvement solutions and improve the quality of your life.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

MORE RESOURCES:

2 From US Meditation Group Killed - New York Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/story.html%3Fid%3Db3648ea5-dc74-477c-9471-e967fdbd8b22cid=1275160133ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNH56VDGnLrvHdnHDbUsRRILi3U2kgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=7Qi04VSXjSoJimgurl=a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/1ceaa7d7-3889-4f4c-9003-991895e62419/india-mumbai-.jpg%3Fsize%3Dl width=80 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Calgary Herald/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/world/asia/29victims.html%3Fhpcid=1275160133ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNF192XmS8YIbwmFwZ_G21us1ABzVw2 From US bMeditation/b Group Killed/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNew York Times,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobrNov 28, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By GINGER THOMPSON The two Americans killed in Mumbai were on a bmeditation/b retreat with a Virginia ashram making its first collective visit to India, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-1fd=Rurl=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/28/AR2008112801360.htmlcid=1275160133ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNHrEKYPAX5Ofde9Qhqs6k8s4zZ1WQFormer Art Professor, 13-Year-Old Daughter Killed in Attacks/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWashington Post/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-2fd=Rurl=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-fg-synchronicity29-2008nov29,0,4173760.storycid=1275160133ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNEqWTBpsZG4RQ5LJ8qn2Tg2OcfOPQFather-daughter pilgrimage ends tragically in Mumbai/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrLos Angeles Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-3fd=Rurl=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Terrorists-cut-short-US-teen-s-holiday--life/392736cid=1275160133ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNHnrtKIpNXcq8bDX1p46MwO-o-uQQTerrorists cut short US teen’s holiday, life/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrIndian Express/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-4fd=Rurl=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122792148884565837.html%3Fmod%3Dgooglenews_wsjcid=1275160133ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNF1kQrQGigEIZDGq_k4MSuWfYVExwnobrWall Street Journal/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-5fd=Rurl=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/world/asia/29victims.html%3Fref%3Dasiacid=1275160133ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNGfYcwetEmU5jeXOt__mU7QrvXhKAnobrNew York Times/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1275160133hl=ennobrall 728 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

A HinJew Target in Mumbai - Washington Post

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/11/30/2008-11-30_rabbis_pal_heard_voice_of_evil_on_phone_.htmlcid=1274869042ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNGF6UMmC5Sytzw1IH60FypG-I-7-Aimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=1_w8Dm5GZ_oJimgurl=assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/12/01/amd_holtzbergs.jpg width=69 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2New York Daily News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2008/12/a_hinjew_in_mumbai.htmlcid=1274869042ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNFDz8aPjtdvz5B4uxrM91bBKmc4wgA HinJew Target in Mumbai/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWashington Post,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1I came of age in the sixties, and like many of my generation, my search for meaning led me to Eastern-style bmeditation/b before turning back toward my roots. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DngtEsrTgym0cid=1274869042ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNHFNgrGxKcO4ihU8Vs2CWA1G-WE2AVideo: NY Rabbi, Wife Among Dead in Mumbai Raid/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAssociatedPress/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/ngtEsrTgym0/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/ngtEsrTgym0type=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-2fd=Rurl=http://www.wztv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.international/39180150-www.fox17.com.shtmlcid=1274869042ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNEgqXtVqXfVSyhTFgxT7o4uZiKcdwUS Jewish, bmeditation/b groups#39; members die in Mumbai/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWZTV/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-3fd=Rurl=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-mumbai-victimsnov29,0,909942.storycid=1274869042ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNFfw_2HfskU2v3RyCEY1FnfxuseoQMissions of faith end in sorrow/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrChicago Tribune/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-4fd=Rurl=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/28/mumbai.victims/%3Fimw%3DY%26iref%3Dmpstoryemailcid=1274869042ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNEl4JwD5d5QIqdZCgfUKhpbcbVysQnobrCNN International/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-5fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gUVxYlToVBarstog7P2GNbZqQo7QD94OGQI80cid=1274869042ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNFe0A22okiGqwgQbgHxlh-f5KNTBQnobrThe Associated Press/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1274869042hl=ennobrall 2,473 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Group therapy #39;beats depression#39; - BBC News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/3536577/Buddhist-meditation-as-good-as-drugs-at-beating-depression.htmlcid=1276323353ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNHq1KKlo09HtVB8hQ7OMat2fAFXiwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=XOmAAjYE-IAJimgurl=www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01123/Buddhist_1123781c.jpg width=80 height=50 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Telegraph.co.uk/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7754632.stmcid=1276323353ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNHD1TCucO_fkW937adBoa0sVvr3KQGroup therapy #39;beats depression#39;/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBBC News,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Group-taught bmeditation/b is as effective as staying on drug treatments for stopping people slipping back into depression, say UK scientists. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-1fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jGbPbUusPPgTvge-wfONsLQqX8Mwcid=1276323353ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNGE8vQqgpP-xoyi79VKfcEkNaXf8wbMeditation/b #39;best for depression#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Press Association/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-2fd=Rurl=http://news.scotsman.com/health/Meditation-39beats---.4746662.jpcid=1276323353ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNHMSt-npFVNtWStm6MfOsNRwbIvIAbMeditation/b #39;beats antidepressants#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrScotsman/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-3fd=Rurl=http://www.themedguru.com/articles/meditation_combats_depression_study_finds-86118653.htmlcid=1276323353ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNGFrZMHIM-qmPpYUVzywBPsUojQKgbMeditation/b combats depression, study finds/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTheMedGuru/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-4fd=Rurl=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1090754/Meditation-effective-meditation-according-research.htmlcid=1276323353ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNHCTlNEEWA1_zL2sXbBAYPoP82z4gnobrDaily Mail/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-5fd=Rurl=http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html%3FDepressed%3F_Meditation_better_than_happy_pills%26in_article_id%3D424625%26in_page_id%3D34%26in_a_source%3Dcid=1276323353ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNEOSK7hbvXkbLw7nSU71CUNB5M09wnobrMetro/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276323353hl=ennobrall 31 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Meditation Tips for Resisting Temptation - Methuselah Foundation

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.mprize.org/index.php%3Fctype%3Dnews%26pagename%3Dblogdetaildisplay%26BID%3D2008114-30031055%26detaildisplay%3DYcid=1275823070ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNG7PaGWJUTecVSBjujQQpBSwAnSaAbMeditation/b Tips for Resisting Temptation/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMethuselah Foundation,nbsp;DCnbsp;-/font nobr16 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Just some background: I view the use of bmeditation/b techniques to keep from eating foods you don#39;t truly want that don#39;t support your health, as a process of b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-1fd=Rurl=http://www.mprize.org/index.php%3Fctype%3Dnews%26pagename%3Dblogdetaildisplay%26BID%3D2008114-29064652%26detaildisplay%3DYcid=1275823070ei=eEc0SaK-B4HAwAHP7rWTDgusg=AFQjCNECkUF9ERwoNJZqmG3KepeP_b3KowFlying Egg McMuffin/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMethuselah Foundation/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1275823070hl=ennobrall 12 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Nicole Kidman#39;s Australia meditation - China Daily

Mother of US Woman Shot in Mumbai on Her Daughter#39;s Escape - FOXNews

Soul in the City - Common Ground

High Desert Buddhist shrine has regional draw - San Bernardino Sun

Many benefit from Rajayoga meditation - Times of India

Drawn to Peace - Common Ground

Meditation - Google News

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