EDITOR'S PICK OF THE MONTH

Wisdom Cards: 81 Chun Bu Kyung Cards for Daily Meditation by Ilchi Lee

This meditation card deck is based on the Chun Bu Kyung, a sacred Korean text that is more than 9,000 years old. Each card features one of the Chun Bu Kyung's 81 characters with a meditation on the character by Ilchi Lee. This beautiful and inspirational card deck will help you start every day with revelation. Meditate on the cards to connect to your inner sense of oneness, peace, and purpose.  No matter how you choose your card, the character and message will speak to you. Let the character and its message guide you through the day.

Save 30% when you buy Wisdom Cards in August ($19.95 --> $13.97)!

HEALTH TIPS: Enhance Your Brain with Meditation

Whether you're surrounded by a breathtaking natural scene, or your own basement, a little meditation every day can go a long way for your health. Two major effects meditation has been shown to have on your health are stress reduction and brain enhancement.

As we hear all the time from the media, chronic, excessive stress is responsible for a host of diseases of both body and mind. Natural methods like meditation that reduce and/or prevent stress are essential for maintaining health. Practitioners of meditation have reported a greater feeling of calm and peace from meditation and feel resistant to stress.

On a biological level, meditation has been shown to actually change blood flow patterns in the brain, indicating a change in the areas of the brain that are active. For example, according to studies cited in the August 4, 2003 TIME Magazine article, "Just Say Ohm", overall blood flow to the brain is reduced during meditation. Nonetheless, it is increased in the limbic system and prefrontal cortex. In fact, brain activity shifts from the right prefrontal cortex to the left and decreases in the parietal lobe. Overall these changes indicate an acceptance of current reality, a sense of oneness with everything, and an enhanced regulation of emotions, memories, heartbeat, respiration, and metabolism.
 
There are many forms of meditation, but most can be divided into two main types. In one, practitioners emptying their minds and let all thought drift away without attachment. In the other, practitioners focus on one thing and regain that focus whenever the mind wanders from it.

People have chosen numerous things to focus on and you can pick what feels right for you. The most simple is your breath. Another may be an inspirational mantra. Yet another is a goal you want to achieve or a question you want to answer. You can also focus on your body, energy you feel in your body, a particular movement, or an object or person you picture in your mind.

Try some of these meditations from Ilchi Lee's Wisdom Cards deck based on the ancient Korean text, the Chun Bu Kyung:

1. "The greatest comfort comes from within.
Sit down comfortably. As you control your breath, let your mind watch your body. Tell yourself, "It's okay." At this moment your soul will find peace, and your body, too, will follow, finding comfort and new strength."

2. "Concentrate on your breathing.
When you inhale, thank your body. When you exhale, thank Heaven. Your breathing will automatically become deeper, lighter, and more natural. Focusing solely on the breath awakens us to the fact that our bodies are connected to the infinite and empty space."

3. "Connect with Heaven and Earth with your body.
Sit with your spine erect and your balance centered in your lower abdomen. With one half of your body firmly rooted to the ground, let the other half be open toward Heaven. You will feel your own holiness when you connect with Heaven and Earth as one through your body."