You have a lot of different issues you are dealing with here. First off, the techniques for mediation differ from person to person. Some focus on one object, some focus on a place in their head. Usually, you have to be in a quiet room with NO distractions at all, assume a comfortable position (sitting up or lying down are most common) and concentrate on something that makes you calm. Get all thoughts and worries out of your head and "feel the moment" and enjoy it for what it is. The deeper you can get into the moment, the better you are doing it.
Now, just because you are doing a good job of mediating, you may or might not see yourself handling anxiety or depression better. In order to deal with those 2 things, you must understand why they exist in your life first. If you are nervous b/c you have a big test or surgery or are breaking up with a significant other, or anything else vitally important to you, the mediation might help for a few seconds, but, once you deal with reality, it will be back. The best ways to deal with anxiety and depression is to be honest with yourself. Many people suffer from both. It is common and do NOT think you are alone. You are not. But the secret is to realize that depression and anxiety are symptoms of the disease, not the disease themselves. In order to deal with them in some permanent way, you need to identify what it is that is causing this inside of you. And don’t ever feel like you have a dumb reason for the reason to matter to you. If you are deathly afraid of butterflies (for example), then you need to deal with it. No fear or problem is dumb or stupid that you should ever feel embarassed about. That said, you need to take a look at yourself and ask if you are ok to deal with the issue or if you will need help with a therepist or even medication. Do NOT feel that you are being weak, you are not, in fact, you are stronger then you realize if you are adult and brave enough to step forward and admit you need help to be happy. Once you begin to deal with what it is that bothers you, the anxiety and depression will be under control over time with work and practice, and mediation will be able to help you retain a balance in your life so that you can enjoy life to its fullest. Good luck. Email me if you wish.

A mantra is a sound or phrase repeated aloud over and over again. Practice mantra meditation with tips from a registered hatha yoga instructor in this free yoga video.

Expert: Elizabeth Rose
Contact: www.artanayoga.com
Bio: Elizabeth Rose is a registered Hatha yoga teacher with a background in modern dance, gymnastics, martial arts, and circus arts.
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Is there anything one can do to help elucidate past memories, either in a sleeping or waking state? Like maybe some for of meditation or relaxation technique. Something that would help recall distant memories of 10+ years in the past.

I’m not looking for any "New Age" hippie mumbo-jumbo. I want real scientific answers and proof to back up claims.

anagAh.

All I can think of is hypnotism.

I heard about the power of meditation and yoga practices can help the body in which modern medicine can’t.

the brain is very powerful and can do things unthinkable of if you really concentrate and dont wanna get sick ibelive you have great probability you wont but you have to concentrate on not wanting it.

For breath meditation, elongate the spine so the crown of the head floats. Practice breath meditation with tips from a registered hatha yoga instructor in this free yoga video.

Expert: Elizabeth Rose
Contact: www.artanayoga.com
Bio: Elizabeth Rose is a registered Hatha yoga teacher with a background in modern dance, gymnastics, martial arts, and circus arts.
Filmmaker: randy primm

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Are there any particular training courses or CDs you recommend?

Sit in a comfortable position, with a straight spine, and the eyes either closed, or out of focus.

This is a good one to teach our mind to concentrate, called the twenty-four second meditation. It involves picturing numbers made up of dots as shown on large digital displays. We commence by picturing the digits 24. When we can clearly visualise each dot which makes each of the two digits two and four, then we move to 23, and 22. The concentration on the dots helps to eliminate other thoughts from the mind, and with a little practice over a few days, we are able to move from 24 down through all the digits to 0. If another thought enters our mind during this process, then we must start again. This is why it takes a few days before we are able to succeed Once we can succeed then we are achieving an alpha state of mind, which is relaxed, and free of the linear thought process. This is the state of mind required for deep meditation, which we discuss later.

http://dgwa1.fortunecity.com/mind/fastrack119.html

So Hum mantra (Sohum, Soham) is undoubtedly one of the best and most powerful mantra meditations from the Hindu scriptures. This mantra meditation is great for emotional healing and bestows joy and peace. It is often prescribed for depression. More details on www AnmolMehta (dot) com,

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Are drug gurus such as Timothy Leary or Aldous Huxley the pioneers to the future blissful state of mind of humankind? Could yoga, tantra and the ancient eastern traditions be considered the long path to illumination and therefore obsolete?

I’ve taken LSD and shrooms, and they are great for what you are talking about, but yoga and meditation are much better (and safer!). You obviously have never practiced yoga seriously.

Leary, Huxley and the rest of them (League for Spiritual Discovery) were also very into Eastern practices like Buddhism, Hinduism, meditation, etc.

They tie in well together — I don’t think you can have just the drugs without some form of meditation, and yoga is an awesome, natural high.

There are many popular misconceptions about meditation. Not confusing meditation with other practices with tips from a registered hatha yoga instructor in this free yoga video.

Expert: Elizabeth Rose
Contact: www.artanayoga.com
Bio: Elizabeth Rose is a registered Hatha yoga teacher with a background in modern dance, gymnastics, martial arts, and circus arts.
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There are lots of facilities, lots of books. I’m most familiar with Buddhist and Christian practices. Vipassana or "Insight Meditation" centers are good. So can be Zen Centers.

It can be VERY helpful to have a teacher and/or practice community, to answer questions that can come up for you, especially if you have a serious practice.

The following books come to mind:

SECULAR:
Herbert Benson’s "The Relaxation Response."

CHRISTIAN:
Thomas Keating’s "Open Mind, Open Heart"

BUDDHIST:
Jack Kornfield’s "A Path With Heart"

edit:
I see Google has a directory of Buddhism centers in the U.S. listed by state and by type of Buddhism:
http://www.google.com/Top/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Buddhism/Centers_and_Groups_by_Region/United_States/
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