WHY MEDITATE? SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN REASONS

A great quote from the Buddha

You don't have to be Buddhist (or any other religion) to learn how to meditate

Meditation is NOT about religion or for that matter any spiritual path. Its about bringing peace and happiness to your MIND. 

Yes there are some wonderful Buddhist meditations and if you are interested you can learn more about these yourselves - this blog is about the reasons to meditate and what good it does for you.

If you could lose your ANGER, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, INSECURITY, FEAR OF OLD AGE and DYING wouldn't you like to know more? What's more its been proven that Meditation helps with so many HEALTH issues.

I've written on these blog pages many times about the benefits of meditation - this is not some wacky new age practice - scientific research has proven the benefits of meditation and if you don't believe me you can check out all of this online. Here are just some of the proven benefits:

1. Overcome stress (University of Massachusetts Medical School)
2. Boost your creativity (Science Daily)
3. Improve your sex life and your libido (The Journal of Sexual Medicine)
4. Improve digestion and lower blood pressure (Harvard Medical School)
5. Decrease your risk of heart attack (The Stroke Journal)
6. Help overcome anxiety, depression, anger and confusion (Psychosomatic Medicine)
7. Decrease perception of pain and improve cognitive processing (Wake Forest School of Medicine)
8. Increase your focus and attention (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
9. Increase the size of your most important organ - your brian! (Harvard University)

There has been significant research on how meditation reduces the risk of heart disease.

A large cardiovascular study was carried out and published in November 2012 in the journal "Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes"

There were 201 people with coronary heart disease and they were given two choices (1) Take a health education class promoting improved diet and exercise and (2) Take classes in meditation. Researchers studied these participants for five years and discovered some very interesting results. Those that chose the meditation class had a 48% reduction in the overall risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

Mindful Meditation is the process of quietening the mind and giving your mind a rest from the barrage of thoughts it is consumed with day in and day out (throw in the nights as well) - but not only that - it also begins the process of helping you to achieve good health and happiness in your life.

Meditation allows us to re-charge and re-direct our thoughts into the incredible path of good health and peacefulness.

How to meditate: There are so many ways to meditate but let us begin with the basic and most simple way. Sit in a chair or you can do this as you lie in bed. 

It may help to begin by closing your eyes - your eyes don't have to be closed - you can keep them open and look at an object or maybe a candle flame  - just sit or lie peacefully and comfortably whatever works for you.

To begin with lets concentrate on your breathing - its the most important thing you have - if you stop breathing you die!!! Think of your breathing - the essence of life itself - in your mind think or even whisper - "I breathe in - I breathe out" You will find your mind becomes quiet - yes of course thoughts will arise - but most important of all - do not follow them - always come back to the breathing - I breathe in - I breathe out - give your poor old mind a rest - no thoughts just the breathing - again thoughts will come and go but don't follow them - always come back to the breath. 

Your breathing will become quieter and more gentle - your mind will slowly become at peace and you will realise how important this process is. 

Its not as easy as it sounds. Try this for three minutes each morning or at night when you go to bed and then make it a bit longer to five minutes and then to ten. You will begin to look forward to your meditation sessions because it will bring you great peace and happiness. A mind that is becoming peaceful is just the beginning of your road to better health.

You will learn to wake up each morning and say to yourself "I pray that all people in the world today will find happiness and good health in their lives.

Mindful Meditation is realising that everything is impermanent - every thought has a beginning, a middle and and end - this means that every moment of your life is precious - you must learn to cherish each minute and to use every moment to think positive, compassionate thoughts - believe me you will learn to sleep peacefully and easily - and above all else improve your health and the quality of your life.

Thanks for reading - trying meditation - it can save your life!

PART 2: GREATEST JAZZ ARTISTS TO WALK THE EARTH

PART 2 of the GREATEST JAZZ ARTISTS TO WALK THIS EARTH

No list will ever be totally satisfactory because someone always get left out - but we made a good start with PART 1 and we continue with the wonderful tenor saxophone of BEN WEBSTER - OK we featured him in Part 1 but what the hell - he was such a great player!

Julian "CANNONBALL" ADDERLEY a marvellous alto saxophone player of the Hard-Bop school - worked with Miles Davis on the epochal album "Kind of Blue" - had a big hit recording with "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy"

ART TATUM has to be considered the KING OF THE PIANO - his technique and brilliance shine throughout his life. All great pianists revered Art Tatum - the solo series and other recordings recorded by Norman Granz for his Verve Label are classics

CLARK TERRY'S career has spanned 70 years - Born December 14, 1920 in St Louis, Missouri he is still playing bless him. One of the all time greats - worked with Dule Ellington, Count Basie, Quincy Jones, Charlie Barnet, Oscar Peterson, Charles Mingus, Yusef Lateef, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and many others

ORNETTE COLEMAN one of the major innovators of what became known as "free jazz"in the 1960's and continuing until today. Played with Paul Bley, Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, Eric Dolphy, Jackie McLean, Pat Metheny and his excellent drummer son Denardo Coleman. His album "The Shape of Jazz to Come" was described as a "watershed event in the genesis of avant-garde jazz. The recordings at the Golden Circle Stockholm is a classic.

Dave Brubeck and his famous Quartet strode the jazz concert hall stages for a very long time  - Paul Desmond (alto) Eugene Write (bass) Joe Morello (drums) and the boss himself on piano made some of the most memorable recordings from "Take Five", "Blue Rondo A La Turk", "Its a Raggy Waltz" etc etc.

The great arranger GIL EVANS with MILES DAVIS - his classic albums include Porgy & Bess, Sketches of Spain, Miles Ahead, Quiet Nights - worked with a myriad of  artists from Astrud Gilberto, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Charlie Parker, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz and Jimi Hendrix

BUD POWELL was greatly influenced by Art Tatum. Played with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, Kenny Clarke amongst others

CHARLIE HADEN was massively influential - his work with Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett and his Liberation Orchestra was superb. Created the Quartet West with Ernie Watts (tnr sax) Alan Broadbent (pno) and Larance Marable (drms)

DEXTER GORDON was a major tenor player - sent some years in Europe in the 1960's - recorded extensively for Blue Note and Prestige Records - made several film appearances and received a nomination for the Academy Awards for Best Actor in "Round Midnight"

DJANGO REINHARDT regarded as one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. Belgian born he was the first important European jazz musician who made major developments to the guitar genre. Co-Founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with Stephane Grappelli

HANK MOBLEY was a hard bop and soul tenor sax player - highly rated although often fell between two styles - the aggression of John Coltrane and the mellow Stan Getz - recorded extensively for Blue Note Records worked with Horace Silver, Kenny Dorham, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Grant Green, Wynton Kelly and Lee Morgan

STAN GETZ was the king of the cool mellow tones - the successor to the style of Lester Young - played with Woody Herman's Band and went on to perform in the cool jazz style and achieved significant fame globally - especially with this Bossa Nova recordings such as "The Girl from Ipanema", "Desafinado",  "Jazz Samba Encore" etc…

QUINCY JONES influence as a arranger and later as record producer went far beyond the boundaries of Jazz - However, Quincy started life as a jazz trumpet player and toured Europe with the Lionel Hampton Big Band. Became musical director of Dizzy Gillespie's Band - studied composition with Nadia Boulanger and composer Olivier Messiaen. He worked as a arranger for Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra etc - became famous for his albums with Michael Jackson "Thriller", "Off the Wall", "Bad" - His career spans six decades - 79 Grammy Award Nominations.

HARRY "SWEETS" EDISON - member of the Count Basie Orchestra - worked with Jazz at the Philharmonic, Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Buddy Tate, Lester Young - moved to the West Coast and was featured in major studio sessions, television and film recordings

HORACE SILVER is known for his distinctive piano style and pioneering compositions. Headed up his own group and achieved major success with albums such as "Song for my Father", "The Cape Verdean Blues", "Silver and Strings" etc

 ARTIE SHAW was one of the most successful band leaders in the late 1930's - his rivalry with Benny Goodman was legendary - a superior musician Artie Shaw's band featured Billie Holiday, Buddy Rich, Billy Butterfield, Dave Tough, Mel Torme, Helen Forest, Tal Farlow and others. Had hit recordings with "Begin the Beguine", "Frenesi", "Moonglow" - married some of the most beautify women including Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Kathleen Winsor - 8 wives!

KEITH JARRETT started his career with Art Blakey moving on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. He is undoubtedly on the finest jazz pianists of all time - his canon of recordings with the ECM record label are superb. "The Koln Concert" began his fame as a solo player but his trio recordings with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette are wonderful

ZOOT SIMS had a very successful partnership with Al Cohn - he worked with most of the great jazz players from Woody Herman's "Four Brothers" to the bands of Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich and Gerry Mulligan's Sextet

 JOHNNY HODGES best known for his solo (alto saxophone) work with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra. Considered one of the definitive alto players. Started with Chick Webb and  Sidney Bechet. His best known solos with Ellington include: "Prelude to a Kiss", "Such Sweet Thunder Suite" and "Passion Flower".

An iconic photo of CHET BAKER - a tragic life that started with so much promise and ended with serious drug addiction. However, he produced some wonderful recordings and a documentary of his life "Let's Get Lost" achieved global acclaim.

THE GREAT COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA - One of the most prominent jazz orchestras of all time. Featuring great jazz artists such as Lester Young, Chu Berry, Buck Clayton, Thad Jones,Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Jo Jones, Freddie Green, Walter Page, Sonny Payne and many others

RUN OUT OF SPACE AGAIN - PART 3 WILL BE PRODUCED SOON

THANKS FOR READING

LOVE LETTER TO THE EARTH

There is a wonderful small book with a big message written by Thich Nhat Hanh called "Love Letter to the Earth", which has inspired me to write this blog.

Most of us live our daily lives without much thought to Mother Earth - we get up, have a shower (those of us fortunate enough to have a shower and hot running water), brush our teeth, grab some breakfast, rush off to work or get the kids to school… and so the day continues - we fill our minutes and hours with frenetic activity until its time for bed - even then many of us have trouble sleeping! OK maybe some of us do think of the environment and so forth but how many of us truly give much thought to the Earth and what it means to us.

As Thich Nhat Hahn says - at this very moment, the Earth is above you, below you, all around you, and even inside you. The Earth is everywhere. Most of us think of the Earth as something we walk on - don't we? However, think about it for a few minutes - everything is part of the Earth - the water, the sky, the sea, the air we breathe - everything comes from the earth - everything outside of us and inside of us!! Yes think about it. We so easily forget that the planet we live on provides us with all the elements that make up our bodies.  The water in our flesh, our bones and all the microscopic cells inside our bodies all come from the Earth and are a part of the Earth. The Earth is not just the environment we live in - we are the Earth and we are always carrying her within us. A pretty strong statement eh? But its so true and yet I would bet that only a minuscule number of people even begin to think of this.

Thich Nhat Hahn goes on the say that once we realise this we can see that the Earth is truly alive. We are a living, breathing manifestation of this beautiful and generous planet. Knowing this we can begin to transform our relationship to the Earth. We can begin to walk differently and to take care of her differently. We fall completely in love with the Earth - when we are in love we will do anything to make the person we love happy - so why not the Earth? Not only does this bring much joy and happiness but it is this relationship we must have if both we and this earth are to survive - its that serious!

If we think about the earth as just the environment around us, we experience ourselves and the Earth as separate entities. We may see the Earth only in terms of what it can do for us. We need to recognise that this planet and the people (and all life) on it are ultimately one and the same. When we look at into a flower, we can see it is made up of many elements - we can see the sun, the soil, the rain, the minerals that help it to grow, the gardener…. when we look into the Earth we can see the whole universe.

Biologist Thomas Lewis writes in his book The Lives of a Cell describing our planet as a living organism. After deep reflection, he arrives at the insight that the whole planet is like a giant living cell whose parts are all linked in symbiosis.  Lewis finds it astonishing that the Earth is alive! He is struck by the amazing beauty and exuberance of the Earth in contrast to the barren, cratered Moon and other planets. He likens the Earth to an organised, self contained being, a "live creature, full of information and marvellously skilled in handling the Sun".

We often call the Earth "MOTHER EARTH". Seeing Earth as our mother helps us to realise her true nature. The Earth is NOT a person, yet she is indeed a mother who has given birth to millions of different species, including the human race.

Our Mother Earth has brought us to life and provided all the conditions for our survival - over eons the Earth has developed an environment from which we humans can manifest and thrive. She created a protective atmosphere, with air we can breathe, abundant food for us to eat, and clear water for us to drink. She is constantly nourishing and protecting us.

If you think about it we are the children of this planet Earth and like all mothers it is very generous to us - embracing us and providing us with everything we need. And when we cease to exist in this form we will go back to the Earth and become a part of this ever changing and nourishing world.

There are so many issues to consider regarding the Earth - the things it gives us:

The gift of breathing
The gift of food
The gift of water
The gift of life itself
The gift of rain, sun - warmth and coolness
The gift of beauty
All of this and more to enable us to be HAPPY and Experience LOVE

Yes, of course, there is SUFFERING, but how much of this is brought on by us humans? Hatred, Anger, Ignorance, Jealousy, Greed, Desire - all lead to suffering and misery - wars - power struggles - I am right and you are wrong - imposing your beliefs on others - brutal ambition - envy of others - tribal and national hatreds - an eye for an eye - my god is better than yours - always wanting more and more - stress related illnesses -  the list is endless - humans totally wasting their lives day in and day out - usually completely ignoring this wonderful Earth we live on and also causing incredible levels of suffering on so many levels.

It is only when we stop to think of Mother Earth and begin to change the way we live our every daily lives will peace and other things begin to change. I've written this so many times - Compassion, Love, Kindness, Caring, Healing, Loving Mindfulness all bring happiness and if we begin the process of thinking like this and cherishing our dear Mother Earth - we will begin to change the way we deal with people, animals and the environment around us.

Wars are entirely man made - look at the world today - we see horrors daily on the news - cities bombed - people executed - civil wars - murders - rapes - women appallingly abused in the name of religion  or cultural reasons - it goes on and on and the ONLY way to change this is to begin at the beginning by respecting and loving our amazing Mother Earth and showing compassion and kindness to everything and everyone around us - its the only answer and we must start NOW…

Thank you