Review of Mindplace Kasina Mind Meditation System

Review of Mindplace Kasina Meditation System

Mindplace Kasina Mind Meditation System

Welcome to my detailed review of the Kasina Mind Meditation System.

For those of you who already meditate, you might be looking at ways to enhance or deepen your meditation and state of consciousness. For others, you have trouble meditating so have have the opinion that it doesn’t work for you. Or you could be looking at how to actually practice meditation if you already struggle with it, These are all very valid and common for many people who have heard about the benefits of meditation but not sure how to start or continue.

You may have even heard of mind machines but don’t know what they’re all about. That’s okay, because here I will explore and uncover whether the Kasina Mind Meditation System works or not.

Mindplace have been around for many years. The Kasina system is designed to promote a deeper level of meditation. It helps you to focus on the experience of meditation rather than have that mind chatter include itself in your meditation experience.

Here, I examine whether it can do what it claims to do whether it is user friendly. I also offer my recommendation of the system.

The name Kasina comes from Buddhism which means, all complete, whole. It is a meditation technique to describe focussing on a purely external object to produce and develop increased concentration to enhance meditation.

Mindplace have created a meditation system that is drawn from over 10 years of empirical research of light and sounds on the meditation experience. The current Kasina system has programs that are highly effective in creating a powerful meditation experience.

The 4 main program categories include:

Tranquility
Peak Performance
Learning
Wellbeing

Product: Kasina Deepvision Bundle

Price: US $399

Where to buy: Mindplace.com

Guarantee: 2 year warranty on Console; 1 yr on Accessories

Recommend: Yes

Rating: 9/10

Mindplace Kasina Mind Meditation System

It’s an mp3 player with earbuds, and Ganzframes
Instructions book
Kasina MP3 Player
Earbuds
Kasina Ganzframes Multi Colour Glasses
SD card
3.5mm Stereo Patch Cable
USB cable and wall charger
Rechargeable lithium battery
Carry bag

Promotes

Meditation
Relaxation
Stimulation
Creativity

How does it work

It’s very easy to use, simply plug in and play.

The system contains 70 plus preset meditation sessions.

It’s a combination of light stimulation with sound waves that have been shown to reduce depression in teenagers.

The visual aspects involve use of lights stimulates the brain through it’s 255 shades of color. These colors shine to help stimulate the brain in conjunction with the sounds from the programs.

The Aural (sound) backgrounds used incorporate a range of soothing sounds of nature, ambient electronic tapestries to embedded binaural beats and isochoric pulses that are synchronised with the visual experience.

Add Your Own Music

Another feature of the Kasina Mind Machine has is it can convert your choice of music into pulses of colored music. It helps to use music with a beat but not essential. It maps low audio music to blue, mid frequencies to green and high frequencies to red. They work together integrating the pace of the music into colors. This feature helps enhance the mind entrainment programs and thus user experience.

GanzFrames Two Types

Ganzframes are the ‘light’ components of the system.

There are two types.

The DeepVision Ganzfeld display frames give you the eyes open experience. These are the ones that come with the Kasina bundle.

The other frames are designed to be viewed with your eyes closed. These are recommended for other products in the Mindplace range.

Mental Health

If you’ve been struggling with anxiety and depression, you may be considering incorporating a range of options in addition to therapy and possible medication. Hopefully you’ve been seeing a professional to find out where it’s coming from and engaging in the therapeutic process. The Mindplace Kasina Mind Meditation System can help increase the brain’s ability to meditate and attain a deeper level of meditation while improving levels of depression and anxiety.

It takes more than just one strategy to help work through depression and anxiety. I believe in a holistic approach so in addition to working with a therapist, consider incorporating a range of strategies and tools for managing your mental health. This might also include self care and grounding strategies. Another tool that has been shown to have some help in supporting one’s mental health is through meditation using binaural beats and visual stimulation.

For approximately a third of those diagnosed with depression, don’t respond to medication. Additionally, not everyone wants to rely on medication. If this is you it’s important to know that there are alternatives to help shift this experience. Perhaps you could consider a mind machine to help with creating a different state of consciousness while meditating.

Getting into a deep state of relaxation can help calm the senses and increase your focus among other things as outlined below.

Uses and Benefits

It can create an altered state of consciousness.
Increases your creativity.
Stop thoughts and ‘monkey mind’
Gain a deeper consciousness.
Helps overcome sleep issues such as insomnia.
Can also change your mood.
Help one overcome issues with anger.
Helps facilitate calm and peace
Facilitates accelerated learning.
It can also help those who experience depression and anxiety through helping the brain.
Boosts your immune system
Lowered heart rate and blood pressure.

Cons

Some find the bundle is too bulky for them to carry around during their daily activities.

Others have shared they can find it overwhelming but when they relaxed and allowed the lights and sound to work they could manage.

A more updated model could include it using bluetooth technology connecting to one’s mobile phone instead of being modeled using an mp3 player which is older technology.

Who It’s Not For

This is not for those who experience seizures due to the stimulating lights that can trigger seizures.

Conclusion

Would I recommend this product? Yes I would.

This is a much more affordable option in comparison to other mind machines on the market such as Pandora Star, Lucia Light, and other such expensive options that are priced in the thousands range.

Meditating is a highly beneficial activity to practice on a daily basis to help calm the senses and work on creating a resilient state of being. By using a mind machine to facilitate meditation, you can enhance your meditation experience and gain a deeper level of consciousness, along with the wide range of benefits mentioned above. For some it can be very challenging to meditate and focus, however the Kasina Mind Meditation System can enhance your meditation and take it to the next level. Namaste.

August 6, 2019August 13, 2019

Create a Meditation Space – For Calm and Tranquility

Meditating for Inner Peace – Create a Meditation Space

When you meditate it can be a bit difficult to get in the zone sometimes, especially if you’ve been actively running around or feeling super anxious or down.

It can help to have a space that’s been carefully and lovingly created just for your peace of mind.

This is where creating your own meditation space comes into play.

Benefits of Having a Dedicated Meditation Space

Helps you get in the zone. When we have a space that is conducive to meditation, it helps us to surrender to sitting still. It helps create the atmosphere for getting into that way of thinking and prepare your mind for some me time.

Creating a meditation space facilitates a sense of calm and peacefulness to allow your thoughts to slow down and you can focus on being in the moment. Being in the moment is important for managing anxiety as discussed in this post.

It can be reminder for you to practice meditation on a daily basis.

You can also look forward to your meditation as it’s a space that you have created with your own tastes and preferences in mind.

It’s more focussed on meditation making it less likely that you will be distracted by other competing demands in your world.

It is also one way to practice your self care strategies to help manage anxiety levels. For more information you might like to read this post.

Why Meditate?

Research shows again and again how valuable meditation is for our mental health and wellbeing.

In today’s way of living, stress is very high for so many people causing increased physical as well as mental illness. Meditation is an inexpensive tool that can be practiced on a daily basis in a number of different ways.

It has been shown to reduce the stress hormones of cortisol and adrenaline which are the hormones involved in the fight or flight nervous systems of our bodies. Although this bodily response is valuable to help us either fight or run away from a threatening situation, it isn’t helpful when we experience this state in an ongoing way. So in order to be able to manage your ability to cope with the daily stresses you are exposed to, it helps to develop a routine of meditating daily.

How to Create Your Meditation Space

Choose an Area

First choose an area in your home where you can have at least a bit of space to put a cushion and some shelving of some kind.

This will be important in helping you create somewhere comfortable to sit or lie down.

Your meditation space will need to be an area that you can keep as your own space, that will have less likelihood of having interruptions. Although even if it’s in a more public space of your home, it can be an addition to your home’s style and create a sense of tranquility for those who visit too.

Have Some Soothing Aromas

This might be incense sticks. Be sure to use a holder designed to catch the ash residue.
You might like to have an oil burner to create a calming space using essential oils.
Or perhaps you enjoy scented candles.

The choice is yours. Personally I love incense, but occasionally I also get out my relaxing essential oils.

The ones that facilitate lowering stress levels also help create a calm space.

These include:

ylang ylang
lavender
bergamot
basil
geranium
vanilla
rose
German chamomile

Inspiring Decor

Adorn your space with items that you enjoy and appeal to you that can create a sense of safety, relaxation with your own personal touches. What kinds of things represent you and your personality. This helps you relax while meditating and feel comfortable being in your own space and will make the meditation process flow easily.

Use Meditation Malas

These are beads that help you maintain deep focus while practicing your meditation. They help to enhance your energy and help you channel the mantra you might use during your meditation. Not everyone uses these, but they can be helpful in getting into the zone of meditation, particularly as you go through mantras. As you move through your mala beads, they help you know when your meditation will end without sudden sounds or vibrations by electronics. Allowing you to embrace your meditation time without interruption.

Meditate with guidance or use a Mantra

Meditation can be guided where you are talked through to help you relax and concentrate on calming your mind while you lower your heart rate and slow down your breathing. Here’s some you might consider.

Mantras are chants that help you focus on what you want to achieve in that moment. It can be repeated inside your mind or out loud. It can be what your intention or purpose is at that moment of time for you.

Running Water

If you have the space for a fountain, consider incorporating one in your meditation space. The sense of tranquility the sounds of running water can have have facilitates profound effects on how we feel. Have you ever been to a rainforest or creek bed that has natural running water? These sounds of nature are very calming and tranquil, so bringing these sounds into your home can have a positive effect on your mood and sense of peace. Using our senses are an easily accessible way to also calm how we feel. There’s more information about this here.

Final words

So if you are struggling to remember to meditate on a regular basis, consider creating a meditation space for yourself. It is a memory cue to remind you to engage in self care and has numerous benefits for you wellbeing to practice on a regular basis. It can also have a calming effect simply looking at the space you have created for yourself. You can feel proud of your choices in include in this space that brings you joy. It also helps facilitate a sense of serenity and calm.

Namaste

July 7, 2019December 11, 2019

How to Overcome Anxiety Naturally

Managing Anxiety – How to Overcome Anxiety Naturally

Anxiety is an unwelcome emotion experienced by many people across the world. It can be hard to live with when you haven’t learnt where it comes from and how to manage it. I aim to share some tips for managing anxiety and look at how to overcome anxiety naturally so that you can work through this feeling when it happens.

Anyone who knows what anxiety is, knows the challenge in trying to manage it on their own. It’s something that has been increasing over time with estimates of 40 million people in the US alone. It is treatable, but only approx 10% of people reach out for support.

In a nutshell, it has thoughts that are focused in the future or triggered from the past. This means that when we experience anxiety, it’s usually the result of the direction of your thoughts. Thoughts are often focusing on things that haven’t happened yet, or the worry of what could happen. These are ‘what if’ thoughts.

It is based around fear and a sense of not feeling safe in some way. It’s connected with our physiology through the fight and flight system.

Anxiety can be treated with medication however it’s not the only way to help you manage anxiety.

Medication is usually what the GP will prescribe, however it’s not the only option and can be managed without medication naturally. Do not suddenly go off prescribed medication without discussing this first with your doctor.

Different Types of Anxiety.

One can be triggered by something, and when this happens it can be very difficult to silence the ongoing thoughts as a result. Sending one into a spiral of thoughts that keep hammering our insides. It can cause physical pain too like nauseous, shaking, a jittery feeling, tingling in the hands, racing heartbeat and stomach churning among other physical symptoms.

Depending on which type of anxiety one experiences can depend on how to manage it. If you experience anxiety and it’s impacting on your experience of life, it’s time to seek out help and support for this treatable condition.

Panic Attacks

A panic attack can happen at any time you feel anxious about something happening. A panic attack is when your breathing becomes very shallow and rapid at the onset and your heart rate increases to the point where you might be wondering if it’s a heart attack. It can have a cyclic effect for some, because once you’ve had one, it can increase your worries about whether you could have another one. It can also be confronting so learning how to manage when one happens can help you reduce your worries around it happening again. Refer to the below techniques for guidance. For an effective program to help you work through your panic attacks try this one.

Generalized Anxiety

This is where anxiety is experienced in an ongoing way, It is where there is an ongoing experience of anxiety for lots of different things.

Phobias

Fear and anxiety about a specific object or situation. Examples include fear of flying, injections or spiders.

Social Anxiety

Where a person fears being embarrassed, criticized, or put down in social situations or out in public.

Support

It’s important that if you are struggling with anxiety and finding these techniques difficult to put into place on your own, you don’t have to suffer in silence. There is heaps of support to help you manage anxiety. I’ve created a list of programs that help you overcome anxiety on this post.

For access to an effective program that applies Cognitive Behaviour Therapy click on the image below.

Natural Options to Overcome Anxiety

Meditation

Incorporating meditation into your daily routine will help calm your nervous system and help your adrenaline and cortisol lower. This in turn will help lower the fight or flight response that your body thinks it’s in where you are experiencing anxiety. Meditation is a powerful tool in overcoming anxiety.

Aromatherapy

essential oils have been used for thousands of years and for a very good reason. They can help manage a wide range of issues including anxiety and stress.

Oils that help reduce anxiety include ylang ylang, lavender, rose, bergamot, german chamomile, lemon balm, clary sage, jasmine, neroli, vetiver, geranium, valerian and basil essential oils.

Having oils premixed to help with anxiety is a really helpful approach to ensure a formula that will be effective in reducing the anxiety.

Breathe

The value of breathing is huge. Even though we do it naturally, we often have shallow quick breaths instead of slow deep breathing. When our breath is shallow and fast paced, it increases our anxiety.

A useful way to practice what I call the 5, 2, release technique. Count to 5 as you breathe in, Hold for 2 seconds, Then release for as long as you need to slowly. Then take your next breath in using this same count. Do this a few times.

Notice how you feel after doing this exercise.

Be Present

The value of ‘being present’ can’t be overstated! Being present means focusing on this moment in your life. Now! The past is done, the future hasn’t happened the present is a gift.

Being out in nature can help you be present, but it’s not the only way to be present. Breathing helps you center yourself and when you focus on the movements and feeling of breathing, it brings you to the present.

Mindfulness

This is the practice of noticing the thoughts that are present in your mind. When you are aware of the thoughts, instead of fighting with the thought, trying to push it away or being negative with it, simply notice it without any extra comment towards it.

Even though the thoughts are there, you are simply noticing and being aware without judging whether it’s good or bad to have the thoughts there. There are many apps that help guide you with using mindfulness. If you struggle to find time for this strategy here’s a program that helps you incorporate and practice mindfulness for 7 minutes a day.

Grounding Strategies

Grounding helps bring you back to the present. It’s common for when you feel anxious for your thoughts to be stuck in either the future or the past. Use grounding to help bring you back to the present. Grounding strategies including practicing 5 Senses Grounding or grounding focusing on colors in your space. For instance, notice a color around you, name the item and keep looking for it for a few moments. Once you can’t find anymore, look for a different color until you notice feeling calmer.

For a detailed description of grounding techniques read my previous post.

Hypnosis

You know hypnosis is very effective and can be done using a guided hypnosis program where you are safe. It is nothing like hypnosis performed on stages for entertainment. Real hypnosis is very effective in helping one’s mind change how it responds to certain things. It can target numerous issues including insomnia, depression, motivation, and anxiety. A dear friend of mine has had very effective success in quitting smoking for instance where she did one session, and afterward, she no longer had the urge to smoke. She’s had no cravings and has not had any cigarettes since. She is an advocate for the powerful effects of hypnosis. For more information click here.

Herbal Supplements

Valerian, St John’s Wart, Ashwagandha, Lavender, Chamomile, Lemon Balm and passionflower are all herbs that can help in reducing anxiety.

Quit Sugar

Quit sugar and processed foods. For more information on this have a look at this post. Sugar has an effect on anxiety levels. It can be subtle, but after quitting sugar then having some after quitting, you might notice the anxiety is back.again or it’s stronger.

Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy diet can also help improve your ability to manage anxiety. Foods such as avocado and nuts which are nutrient-dense providing our brains with valuable magnesium, b vitamins and omega 3 which all contribute to reducing anxiety. Here’s where you can find more information on this. For help with changing to healthy eating options, you might consider developing a healthy eating plan and change your eating habits to healthier options.

Nutritional Supplementation

If you are low in certain vitamins and minerals, that can play havoc with your mental health. B complex vitamins have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. Our brains really do benefit from improved nutrition. When we take magnesium, for instance, this helps us relax. Fish oil also helps with managing anxiety. If our blood results show a deficiency in B vitamins, this could actually contribute to anxiety and depression. Check this with your health care practitioner to find out if the anxiety you feel anxious could be due to a nutritional deficiency. For supplements that help our brains click here.

Homeopathy

Formulas such as this can help relieve symptoms common with anxiety including headaches and relieve tension.

Bowen Therapy

Bowen Therapy incorporates our body’s own energy to help it facilitate healing. It works. It incorporates gentle movements on specific areas of the body that are interconnected and uses the body’s own healing energy that is triggered by the Bowen therapy movements.

Yoga

Yoga has a calming, grounding effect on the nervous system. It encourages deep slow breathing which allows oxygen to go to the brain and throughout the body increasing feelings of relaxation. There are even specific yoga poses that help relieve anxiety. Here you will find which one’s help with anxiety.

It provides health benefits along with emotional benefits,

Self-Help Books

Personally, I’ve found that reading relevant and appropriate books have helped me learn more about the anxiety I used to experience which helped me process my thoughts and responses. A few books that help with overcoming anxiety include Rewire Your Anxious Brain, The Anxiety Toolkit, & Take Control of Your Anxiety, just to name a few. There are so many more available through Audiobooks which also offer a free trial. Having books on Audio is so convenient and can be played at any time you’re ready. Here’s an audiobook I personally recommend for anyone wanting to overcome anxiety naturally

Exercise

Exercise, in general, is also a great way to boost happy hormones. I’m not talking about running a marathon or triathlon unless you want to. It only needs to be a minimum of 15 minutes to get your body moving. Consider joining a social sport that you enjoy playing, or going for a walk around your neighborhood. Even some exercises at home can help get the blood circulating and increase your positive feelings. For more information on improving your well being through exercise read this.

Connect with Nature

Nature has a calming effect on the senses which can help you relax and be present. Other health benefits of getting outside is your body’s production of melatonin which helps you sleep at night and getting valuable vitamin D.

Summing Up

I hope this list can help give you the inspiration to know that there are ways to work through the anxiety. You’re not stuck with it for the rest of your life. Engage in proactively working through it. It’s easy to try to avoid situations that increase your anxiety, but this isn’t helpful and doesn’t address the issue, instead keeps you stuck with feeling that way. Be brave and do something that you feel comfortable doing that can help work through and alleviate the anxiety. You might need to keep a list or put a reminder in your phone to make sure you remember to do the activity you chose to help you work on overcoming the anxiety naturally.

You can do this! It is possible to reduce the anxiety in your life. It could take time, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

If you’ve found any of the above or something else has worked for you in alleviating your anxiety, I would love to hear from you. Leave your comments below.