Congratulations on taking time for yourself and reading about this wonderful practice 🙂
- 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 meditation
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
We start the process of this experience, by asking ourself quietly, within our heart, to bring our attention inwards, and for the moment, take a pause from our excessive thoughts and feelings. Through gentle breathing, and listening to appropriate music, we can settle into a very pleasant state, releasing stress and heavy thinking.
After sometime, we leave our attention sightly above the head, where 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, you become more sensitive to the inner energy of your nervous system, and it magnifies the following, and 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:
- Let me feel pure knowledge (reduces attention on all our distracting thoughts)
- 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.
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 Meditation
Would you like to attend an online session? Classes are free, open to all, with no registration required. I run the 20 minute session every Wednesday from 11:15am till 11:35am EST.
To register please fill out this contact form, https://sahajwellness.ca/contact and I will look forward to emailing you back.
For free classes in your area, and other online sessions, please visit https://wemeditate.com/
My name is Andy and you can find out more about me here and my desire to lead meditation classes!
About
Thanks for reading and take care 🙂 Andy T