Beat the Blues With Binaural Beats

Mention the word 'meditation' to many people and they'll probably conjure up images of Indian hindu gurus clad in sandals, munching on brown rice and wearing fixed idiotic smiles.

Ah, the world will always have its cliches. And its stereotypes.We've moved on quite a bit since The Beatles touted the benefits of Transcendental Meditation, however. Our knowledge of relaxation techniques has broadened. We know about tao bo and yoga and biofeedback and whale music - and hey, let's not leave out the dolphins. Swimming with them can supposedly bring on a kind of relaxed bliss. Different strokes, different folks, huh?

I've tried many relaxation techniques myself (whale music and dolphin frolicking notwithstanding) and have long believed that it's important to have at least one method to quieten down the madness of modern life.

Problem was, I often lacked the discipline to sit and chant for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night. Running helped me relax all right - but on some nights when the rain fell hard and the wind shrieked like a banshee, it wasn't easy to lace up those sneakers and head out that door.

Then I discovered Binaural Beats. The Butt-in-Chair Way to a Bottomless, Empty Mind. The Lazy Guy's Guide to Getting . . . well, more lazy.

Binaural Beats are nothing new. They've been around since the turn of the 20th century. It's just that only now that health experts have discovered how great they are for your health.

And the best part is, there's no work involved.

No tied-up yoga asanas. No crunching your mitts against a heavy bag at the gym. No swirling yin and yang body movements at dawn.

No. All Binaural Beats require is 24 minutes, a cosy armchair to sink into, and a pair of garden-variety stereo headphones.

Binaural Cds are selling like hotcakes on the net. And it's no surprise because they're proven to work, and they work extremely well. Basically all you do is slide a CD into your portable CD player or stereo system - or into the drive of your laptop - stick the headphones over your ears, and let the contents of the CD do the work.

The audio contents of a binaural CD contain specific 'beats' that effect your right ear and left (the reason why you must use headphones) but also include a 'third' beat that centralises your brain patterns as you listen to the CD. This 'third' beat is the crucial component because it is this specific beat that alters your brain chemistry into a state of Alpha - the state of relaxation experienced by your brain.

In layman's terms, Binaural Beats shift your consciousness into a pleasing state that bestows profound benefits on one's mental and emotional health. Used daily, the audio Cds can help you sleep better, think more clearly, feel much more relaxed, and even increase your creativity.

Do they work for me? Yes they do. So much so that I've taken to using them every day.

I'm not saying that I've morphed into Mahatma Gandhi, or that I'll never be affected by stress or the usual turmoil that life throws at all of us . . . but yes, I have noticed distinctive, specific benefits. My Cd's audio contents release the sound of falling rain through the headphones and into my ears. The relaxation experienced after 5-10 minutes, while variable, can be quite profound.

Once an insomniac, I now sleep like a stone. My energy levels have perked up. And I'm no longer prone to fits of anger (okay, I still am whenever Westlife come on my car radio). Overall, I think I've improved for the better.

And there's no doubt it's down to my Binaural Beat CD.

Other benefits these remarkable Cds offer are a reduction in emotional distress and even depression - the Big D that effects so many these days. I'm not saying that people should throw out their anti-depressant medication: it's always good to listen to your medical practitioner and to follow his or her advice. But without doubt there are frequently vested interests in certain kinds of medicine manufacturing. Let's face it: If we were all perfectly healthy, how would the pharmaceutical giants make their money?

Speaking of money, these Cds won't break the bank. Certainly they may prove to be cheaper than expensive meds.

Beat that.