Meditation for Life, Love and Health
I believe meditation is for everyone and it should be practised daily for life, a staple in schools for our children and young people and for adults to engage in regularly, wholeheartedly and ardently. The benefits to our health are endless and building a deeper connection to our inner-self can have profound and transformative consequences.
"Learn to be calm and you will always be happy."
Paramahansa Yogananda
Meditation is widely known to be 'good for us' and people generally understand its benefits to our sense of wellbeing and for helping those who are stressed or anxious. It has increased in popularity along with mindfulness, but I sometimes wonder if popularity does it a disservice? and dilutes its effective abilities? If people don't approach meditation or mindfulness activities with understanding, gravitas, and a sense of dedication then its power will be missed. Constancy, practising routinely (even when your mind isn't allowing it to flow easily), and belief are all factors in using meditation for it's health benefits and transformative abilities. If you don't give it the 'time' it can't help you. People feel 'too busy' to spend time indulging in meditation but the irony is that by taking the time to meditate you'll create the space and time to get 'what you need to do' done.
Health Benefits
There are known to be at least 100 benefits to meditation and numerous books written about its transformative qualities and healing powers. Including the research and clinically based book by Dr Patricia Carrington 'Learn to Meditate' and scientifically based book ' The Healing Power of Meditation' with various contributors and edited by Andy Fraser. To name just a couple of the proven benefits:
Relaxes our nervous system
Decreases blood pressure in hypertensive patients
Helps with focus and concentration
Helps create more social behaviour
Good for those with epilepsy, asthma, diabetes and psoriasis
Improves relationships
Helps develop will power
Reduces road rage
Changes attitude towards life
Deeper understanding of yourself and others
Improves sleep quality
Enhances the immune system
Prevents, slows or controls pain of chronic diseases
I have seen it first hand help with anxiety, improve self-esteem and confidence, help those with anger issues and improve relationships and sleep.
A most useful approach to meditation practice is to consider it the most important activity of each day. Schedule it as you would an extremely important appointment and unfailingly keep your appointment with the infinite.
Roy Eugene Davis
With meditation practice, the environment of our mind and heart transforms, and with that, our outer environment can change as well, so that wherever we are, we can find contentment and happiness, and begin to see the beauty in ordinary things. It develops love for the self and others. As we gradually integrate meditation into our everyday life, and mindfulness and awareness begin to permeate our actions, words, and thoughts, there builds in us a certain simplicity, stability, confidence, and readiness with which we can meet life and it's complexities with composure, compassion, ease and humour.
Guided Meditations
There are different types of meditation (transcendental, spiritual, guided, mindful, breathing-based etc etc) but the same principle always applies - dedication and regular practice increases its power and benefits. I have always practised guided spiritual meditation and these are what I use in my therapy work, along with teaching The Emerald Alignment Technique.
I have always found it soothing and helpful to be taken on a journey and have the words and music there as a guide to focus on and use, to help me gain greater depth and relaxation in meditation. When the mind wanders and struggles to releases the stresses of the day (as it often does) it is helpful to come back to the words and the music in guided meditations. The more you practice and show up for meditation the greater your abilities to control the mind and relax your body will be. Constancy is key.
Unless we know how to take care of ourselves .... we will not be able to take care of others - and meditation is a key support that gives us the space and strength to respond to challenges in a different way.
Dr. Cathy Blanc
Blog written by Claire Donaldson
Follow the links here to access more information and the meditation stores on www.shewaliving.co.uk
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