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Meditation Courses
by Dee McMath
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Meditation, connect with your higher
self in Andalucia |
Meditation is a relaxing
form of reflection or contemplation, which has endless benefits
for our general health and well being, both physical and mental.
In the last 20 or 30 years, some areas of Andalucia
have joined many other parts of Europe in the race to be stressed.
Main towns have grown into bustling cities and some roads have endless
traffic queues. In the meantime, the resident population of Andalucia,
both Spanish and foreign, have become more aware of the benefits
of relaxation and meditation and so numerous meditation centres
have sprung up.
Meditation centres are found along the now highly
populated English-speaking Costa del Sol, especially in major towns
such as Marbella, Fuengirola and Torremolinos. Many inland areas
are also becoming known for their holistic and meditation courses.
The province of Granada has become increasingly well known and is
particularly popular amongst British people seeking special holidays,
which include meditation and other relaxation courses. You may have
seen some of these holidays advertised in the UK press - especially
in the holiday sections of the Sunday papers.
It's ironic that we consider practices such as meditation
to be 'New Age' since it has been around for many thousands of years.
Originally associated with religions including Judaism, Christianity,
Buddhism and Hinduism, it is now seen to be a useful form of dealing
with every day problems. Back in the 1960's Transcendental Mediation
was brought to west when the Beatles became involved with the Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi.
Meditation has always been recognised as a positive
force for the human mind and body. It has been shown in many studies
over the past decades that people who practice regular deep meditation,
tend to show fewer signs of aging and often look and feel between
five and ten years younger than they their years would suggest.
Nevertheless, in today's hectic lifestyle, few people take the time
to meditate for a few minutes every day. A meditation could last
5 minutes or maybe 20 minutes. Training the mind to relax can be
likened to going to the gym. Build up your relaxation muscle gradually
as you would if you were weight training in the gym. Like physical
exercise, you will get best results from regular practice.
Physical benefits of meditation include lower blood
pressure, even breathing (even at times of stress), a stronger ability
to cope in stressful situations and lower adrenaline levels. Some
conditions that can be improved by regular meditation practice are:
high blood pressure, headaches, depression, insomnia, some types
of chronic pain and anxiety.
There are many books and tapes on mediation, as
well as finding out more from a meditation teacher. Tapes and CD's
are an excellent starting point and where better to relax and meditate
that on a beautiful Mediterranean sandy beach or in the quiet of
the inland hills of Andalucia? This is surely the perfect backdrop
for quiet contemplation. You may well enjoy the benefits and feel
you would like to know more or join a group. As well as looking
in the local Health Shop (Herboristería) where you will usually
find a notice board or leaflets on Meditation and other therapies
in the area, try the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento) too. Ayuntamientos in the in the larger towns of Andalucia will have a Cultural Department
'Casa de Cultura'. This may either be a separate building
or could be inside the Town Hall itself. The 'Casa de Cultura' is also likely
to have a notice board and you will often find interesting information
on Meditation course and groups in the area.
The Granada area in particular has become a meditation
Mecca. The surrounding countryside is renowned not only for its
natural beauty, but also for its mystical, almost magical properties.
Within the Alpujarra mountains is the Buddhist retreat of O'Seling.
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Cortijo Romero
Spain's leading centre for meditation and development holidays, established 1986. Stunning beauty, magnificent environment, huge range of courses, lots more... |
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