For most of us it takes a lot of practice to manage to quiet our minds and reach Alpha brainwaves that are the source of creativity, compassion, love and forgiveness.
While we meditate our brainwaves go from alpha to gamma depending on the depth of the meditation. Reaching each brainwave state has its benefits and triggers different experiences.
Vishen Lakhiani the founder and CEO of Mindvalley company spent seven days hooked up to high tech machines measuring brain activity, surrounded by experts who are behind the 40 years of the Zen meditation technique. Seven days of meditation and instant input on where to put your focus and how to adjust your meditation practice resulted in accelerated knowledge and fast reaching of the desired brainwave state.
There was one particular method they used as the fast track to reaching Alpha brainwaves – forgiveness.
The people behind the 40 years of Zen discovered that the number one factor subduing alpha waves is holding on to grudges and anger. They have proved that every time you forgive no matter how small thing you forgive your alpha waves spike up.
Forgiveness is very powerful: it lowers stress levels which improve your health and wellbeing; it releases you emotionally, and changes you from bitter to better person. It is well known that forgiveness has many benefits, but this finding elevates its significance to a whole new level.
Here are the forgiveness steps given by Lakhiani, in regard to the process he learned from experts of 40 years of Zen:
- Setting the scene – once you are in the meditation bring yourself back to the exact moment you were hurt: time and place. Imagine being there all over again.
- Feel the pain and anger – step into emotions you felt after you were wronged. Immerse yourself in anger. But do it for just a few minutes.
- Forgive into love – imagine the person who had hurt you in front of you. Do your best to feel compassion for them. Realize that they were doing the best they could acting from their own pain and suffering. Try to see the lesson that was there for you through this event and pain; because nothing that happens to us is without a meaning.
Remember, meditation is an individual process. What works for some doesn’t work for others. Therefore, it is very important to adjust your meditation practice to your own needs and find what works best for you.