Ohhhh! Big important (sounding) title, huh? Well, to decipher into teen-speak, it pretty much means that we are gonna talk about how those quiet time moments in deep non-thought can lead to being more healthy. Yup. You read me right. This doesn't mean that sitting cross legged and going "ooohhmmm" for a few minutes is gonna give you the strength to run a 10 k marathon. Read it anyway, ok? You just might (gasp) learn something.

For once we actually have scientific evidence to back us up! See, in recent studies it...oh dear, I'm starting to sound like a news report; ewwwww. Anyway, just read this quote.

"Your metabolism changes," says Castillo-Richmond. "Even though it only happens for a few minutes, you carry the effects the rest of the day."

Wow! So this translates to if you meditate right then you burn calories faster thoughout the day...cool! Also, meditating is said to lower cholesteral. YAY! I know you don't have to worry much about that right now, but it's still good to keep it low. Now of course, scientific studies have been conducted to back all of this up.

Sounding pretty cool already, huh? What amazes me is how many people really don't know how to meditate. Here are some simple instructions on a certin way to meditate. You can, of course, customize it if you want, and remember that there are many ways; this is just one.

1. Prepare. Find a nice quite area that is comfortable and won't be disturbed (via parents/siblings etc.) Put some pillows on the floor if you want, just get comfy and cozy. Some people like to have some music on in the backround. Make sure it isn't too loud or distracting. So pumping up the bass full blast with Limp Bizkit sure ain't gonna cut it. Some people also enjoy incense.

2. Sit, lay, stand WHATEVER. Now get comfortable in you area. Get in whatever position you can stay in that you won't need to squirm or anything. Make sure there are no discomforts that are gonna distract you.

3. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Wow, now I sound like a yoga master or something. I am too many things! Errhmm...sorry. So any close your eyes and think about something simple. An empty field, clouds going by on an empty blue sky, a plain white room. Whatever works for you.

4. Time for breathing exercises! Now try and breathe a certin way. Breathe deep in through your nose. Try and breathe very deeply, all the way down to your stomach. Never go beyond comfort level, remember! Then hold (once again, not past comfort level) and exhale through your mouth. Wait a little bit then repeat. Some people like to roll their head side to side; totally your call.

5. What's gonna happen? Okay so there are two things that are probably gonna happen if you do it right. They may not happen, but that means just try again later. First of all you may get a light-headed feeling while meditating. Some sort of feeling like you are going to pass out. Don't worry! This is normal! When you finish and open your eyes again (or as you begin to finish), you will feel extrememly tired. I almost fell asleep on the spot the first time (I almost collapsed into three lighted candels by my head).

6. Visualize it. I recommend doing this daily for a week (half an hour a day is best, but whatever you can work in). After that week, start on with visualization (if you want to of course). It adds more variety and peace to your meditation (not to mention pretty colors). This is one kind of meditation practice adapted from Starhawk's The Spiral Dance. Picture yourself on a cloud, going farther and farther down. Once you've got this, focus on the clouds changing colors. First red, then orange, then yellow, green, blue and finally, purple. Once you're past purple, touch down on the ground. And now what? Go back up! Visualize the cloud changing colors in reverse order (purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red). Don't expect it all to come to you at once; visualization is tricky, and can take quite a while.

Well have fun and be more healthy! With meditation you can eat more and burn more (hey...kinda catchy, huh?).

For more information on mediatation, check out these links; SpiritOnline:Meditation, Meditation Station, and Trancenet.

-Dem