Please click any of the parts below to access our short guide!
- What is meditation
- How meditation works
- Benefits of meditation
- Different ways you can meditate
- Tips to make this a healthy habit
- Where to experience meditation
What is guided meditation
Congratulations on taking time for yourself and reading about this wonderful practice 🙂
A guided meditation involves someone leading you through a session. They may choose from a variety of techniques and methods.
A session can be improved with a few preparatory activities. Here are a few things to try:
- Finding a place to sit that is relatively quiet and comfortable.
- Putting devices on do not disturb or airplane mode.
- Watching your breath to balance and regulate emotions.
- Playing soothing music.
- Burning incense, and placing flowers on a table.
When settling into a guided meditation, here’s a few things that impact how you feel, making a positive difference during the session:
- Feel good! You’re making a healthy life choice that benefits you and those around you.
- Be patient. It might take time to feel the calm moments of joy you deserve.
- Don’t feel guilty. Meditation heals past mistakes, because it insists you leave the past in the past, and enjoy the here and now.
- Take a moment to forgive any mistakes someone might have made. Don’t forget to release stress by forgiving yourself.
How meditation works
The idea there’s an inner energy within you, is best to understand by having the physical experience of its flow and movements.
It usually feels like a gentle breeze of wind in your hands, or above your head. It might also feel like a release of heaviness turning to a light calming sensation..
To start the process of this experience, we ask ourself, quietly within our heart, for the pure knowledge of our inner energy.
It’s a tiny fraction of a feminine primordial energy, that manages the automatic functions within ourself. We call this energy “Mother”, since she regulates the living actions inside, such as breathing, and the rhythm of our heart beat.
After asking for inner knowledge, a few strands of energy will travel upwards, starting from the base of the spine, then completing the journey slightly above the head.
They move within the spine, and along their way, they stop at nerve centres (plexi), where they gently energize, comfort, and balance the nerves and surrounding areas.
By the time the destination is reached, sightly above the head, subtle moments of silence are experienced. You will enjoy having your attention absorbed into the present moment – the drop we are enters an ocean where thoughts and feelings release into a great expanse.
With time, and dedication to meditation, we cherish these enlightened moments, enjoy life from a new perspective, and benefit with a balanced mind and body.
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation is known to improve mental health by lowering stress, anxiety, and worrying.
Reported physical health benefits include lowering blood pressure, managing pain, improving sleep, and improving immune function.
Our meditation has a very special benefit, that each time you meditate, more strands of your inner energy rise. They magnify the following beautiful qualities within yourself.
- Creativity and satisfaction
- Good humour, and non-judgemental enjoyment of others.
- Mental peace, and secure connection with inner self.
- Increased feelings of spontaneity and innocence.
Different Ways you can Meditate
- Affirmations. This technique helps us release stress that might be creating a barrier. The following are affirmations we say quietly (not out-loud) during our meditation:
- Please give me pure knowledge (the experience of inner energy within)
- I am my own master (settle yourself within)
- I am the pure spirit (move beyond thoughts and feelings)
- I am not guilty (while increasing your self-esteem)
- I forgive everyone (enjoy the freedom of mental peace)
- I forgive myself (feel joy)
- Please give me self-realization (realize you are a drop in an ocean where you can release your thoughts and feel free)
Once these are said, it is best to sit for some time (5 minutes or more), settle in, and feel good about yourself and others. When thoughts come, you may leave them slightly above the top of the head. They will slowly dissolve and lose potency. It is as if they drift into an expanse and become enlightened, allowing you to release everything in your mind that you wanted to let go.
- Placing Attention on the Hands.
- If your left hand is warm or heavy, you leave it palm up on your lap and place your right hand towards Mother Earth. Leave it there for some time, with your attention slightly above the top of your head. Your left hand will begin to feel lighter as you begin feeling inner joy.
- If your right hand is warm or heavy, you leave it palm up on your lap and your left hand at the level of your head, palm facing backwards. Leave it there for some time, with your attention slightly above the top of your head. Your right hand will begin to feel lighter and a feeling of freedom will develop.
- Adding a Musical Experience. Listening to music can both slow down thinking, while elevating your emotional state. Having a playlist with a variety of musical styles, instruments, and voices can create interest during your sessions and keep you away from thinking.
Here’s a playlist with some suggested music,
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLae0jiPfmsVM3bwtdT7THWtf5mzHxT1G1
- Speeches from our Founder. Shri Mataji created a method for anyone to mediate. Everyone can become their own spiritual guide, and have a successful meditation session. Shri Mataji gave thousands of speeches worldwide that were free and open to all. During programs many people experienced joy and an inspiration to continue meditating.
Tips to Make this a Healthy Habit
Consider one or more of the following:
– Predict the best time of the day for yourself. Then set an alarm for that time as a reminder.
– Consistency is key. It’s okay if you can only sit for two or three minutes. With time your sessions will naturally expand, and if they don’t that’s ok too.
– Try the “Different Ways to Mediate” above. One styles will make it easier for you to go deeper into the session and establish your practice.
– Communicate with others (participants and teachers) to ask questions and share your experiences. Check the section below to find a class that suits you.
Where to Experience Guided Meditation
Would you like to attend an online session? Classes are free, open to all, with no registration required. Most sessions run for 1hr while some instructors will let them run a little more, sometimes ninety minutes. https://sahaj.me
Here are guided meditation videos to try. Thanks for reading this article and feel free to click a video below.
Five Minute Meditation Anyone Can Do – A Perfect Introductory Session
Meditation with Music | featuring The New Album from Somewhere in the Middle