15.03.2008

Publication date for The Blissful Brain

The Blissful Brain is published by Gaia Thinking. For more information on how to order your copy, please click here.

13.05.2008

The Blissful Brain, St Mark's Islington, London

This evening event was chaired by Dr Shanida Nataraja, author of The Blissful Brain. Shanida was joined by other popular speakers, including Laurence Freeman OSB, Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM), and Kim Nataraja, author of Dancing With Your Shadow, a book on the stages of meditation and the path towards the integration of Self. For more information, please click here.

The Blissful Brain Event at St Marks, Islington: 13th of May 2008

How important is meditation of our health and well being? Is it merely a soothing relaxation technique or is it in fact a vital practice that deserves wider recognition and higher public regard?

At this event, Dr Shanida Nataraja presented findings from her new book. Supporting talks were given by Laurence Freeman OSB, Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation and Kim Nataraja, author of "Dancing With Your Shadow", and a practical session will be led by Dr Sifu Mark Green. Click here to see the agenda for this exciting event.

To hear a recording of the talks by Dr Shanida Nataraja, Laurence Freeman and Kim Nataraja, please click on the link below:

Shanida - The Blissful Brain

Laurence - Science and Religion

Kim - The Psychological Stages of Meditation

To hear a recording of this whole event, please click on the relevant link below:

Part 1: Dr Shanida Nataraja gives an overview of the effects of meditation on the brain and the effects of long-term practice on the health and well-being of the practictioner. Laurence Freeman talks about Science and Religion and the importance of dialogue between these two discplines, and the role of meditation as a spiritual discpline. This part ends with a short guided meditation.

Part 2: Kim Nataraja provides an overview of some of the common psychological features of meditation, including the prominence of thoughts, the attempts of the ego to hijack the mind, and the emergence of suppressed emotions during meditation. This talk is followed by a short dialogue between Kim and Shanida and finishes with some gentle chi gung exercises.

To read the questions and answers covered in the dialogue, please click here.

To download a PDF copy of the flyer for this event, please click here. To see the flyer in this browser, please click here.

Overview

Our world is a stressful place, and practices such as meditation, tai chi and yoga appear to go some way towards offering an antidote to this stress. Whilst, there is an abundance of information about the psychological and spiritual aspects of meditation, the layperson has limited access to information about meditation’s effects on the brain and its benefits in terms of measurable health outcomes. However, recent research has revealed specific brain regions and processes involved in meditation, as well as those involved in generating religious and mystical experiences. Furthermore, numerous studies have explored the health benefits of meditation, from its effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular health to its impact on mental health disorders and coping mechanisms in disease. Not only does this research provide a concrete explanation of how and why meditation works, but it also reveals possible strategies through which we can facilitate meditation, optimise brain functioning, and maintain a state of good health and well-being.

This evening event will be chaired by Dr Shanida Nataraja, author of The Blissful Brain, a book that provides the scientific evidence supporting the role of practices such as meditation, tai chi and yoga in our everyday lives. Talks by the author will be supported with talks by other popular speakers, including Laurence Freeman OSB, Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM), and Kim Nataraja, author of Dancing With Your Shadow, a book on the stages of meditation and the path towards the integration of Self. The event event will also include a practical demonstration of chi gung by Dr Sifu Mark Green, and a discussion forum encouraging lively interaction and debate.

Venue

St. Mark's, Myddelton Square, London EC1R 1XX, England, UK