By Sharon Truelove
“When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom, let it be. . .” John Lennon
In this fast-pasted world we live in, it can be difficult to find the time to just let it “be”.
It is important, though, to make time to “be”. We need to find a balance with our physical, mental, and spiritual self to feel wholeness. The practice of meditation can help to promote a feeling of being whole and well-being. It has been proven to improve mental clarity, improve health issues such as high blood pressure, depression and many others too numerous to list here.
Meditation has been associated with many healthy benefits. It can help create an emotional state that aids in analyzing emotional issues that one might wish to change, like anger, hatred, resentment….or it can help to promote a positive mental response to daily life.
“[A study that was done in 2008 by college students found that it can bring about physical gain by actually changing neurological processes and the] finding was supported by an expert panel at the National Institutes of Health”.1
History traces the practice of meditation back to most all cultures in their spiritual practices and in modern times it has became more about focusing on stress reduction, relaxation and self-improvement, rather than spiritual communion with one’s God or higher being.
Try it for yourself and you may find it becomes an import part of your daily routine.
Start with 20 minutes once a day and soon you will be able to increase it to 40 minutes twice a day.
1. Set aside a time regularly each day. You will gain the most benefit if it is done at the same time each day. Early morning or before going to bed are common times to practice meditation.
2. Find a quiet place where you can relax without interruption.
3. Sit or lie comfortably.
4. Relax your body.
5. Be aware of your breathing.
6. Silence or clear the mind. When the mind wanders, bring it back to your breathing. If you have a lot of trouble with your mind wondering, you can add an object to look at that is restful to you: candle, tree, or even a stuffed animal.
Challenge: Follow the 6 steps above. Discuss:
- What did you enjoyed most?
- What did you find most challenging?
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation
The very first thing i do once i get to clary sage is go into my room turn the lights out sit on top of my bed making sure my zen is tight & making sure my mind and body are linked in a very intimate, very intrinsic way.Breathe! On inhalation the abdomen expands naturally like a balloon!
Its not always easy to block everything out, but i have noticed that its a lot easier to keep “things” out.
Before I had 3 kids and multiple jobs, I meditated every day. My oldest child would meditate with me every evening when he was only 2 and 3 years old. I would very much like to find time for it again. I always enjoy the feeling of being centered and relaxed after meditation. It is very difficult to meditate when one of your three children are interupting every 5 seconds. But I tried.
I tried theses steps and it made me very tired. While it was nice to sit and be quiet, I had difficulty just being still. I was sleepy afterward, but my mind felt refreshed and it was easier to think.
good article.I liked it and I want to try meditating more often. I really like how much more stress free I am after do this. Th only challenge that I seem to have is finding a quite place of 20 mins. I am lucky if I can get even 5 mins of quite time. but I liked it and again good article.
One thing that I run into is falling asleep! Because I do get so relaxed. But I know when you use concentration you can get a lot out of it!
Great post! I have always been a strong advocate of meditation. I enjoyed the silence and just taking in the moment the most. I found that it was most challenging to tune everything out, all the distractions, every single sound and distraction around me, but once I did, I felt great.
Great article, Sharon. I have practiced meditation regularly for the last 3-4 years, and found it helpful to dedicate a corner of my room as a meditation sanctuary. A candle, a basket of wonderful, round rocks, and some of my other favorite things to make the spot special and soothing, and I’m already serene before I start meditating. I believe in it.
Love all the wonderful comments. I find that my engine runs so much more efficiently when I maintained it with meditation, and I find it easier to make the time. Love you comment on how you made your sacred place, Maggie.
I love this. Meditation is a great tool I’ve used many times. It centers you and helps bring a seemingly chaotic occurence in your life into perspective. I often find that when I am most depressed I do not meditate, but the first time I do meditate after being in such an emotional state I’m calm and grounded again. I should make it a daily thing but I can never stick to routines no matter how determined I am when I start. Meditation is definatly something I would suggest.
I love meditation. I feel more relaxed, less stressed out, my clearer so I am able to make dbetter decisions and not let my emotions get in the way. Meditation is very nice after a work out or yoga. My biggest struggle is letting my mind wonder.
Meditation isn’t something i’ve been interested in. I always get super tired, even when we practice this in class all i do is yawn! Not my favorite, but great post!
I found this very interesting to me. The reason why for me was because of what I do in my religion. We use meditation to become one with ourselves and The All Mother. This brings us closer to her in many ways. Another thing I liked is how simple it is just to do it for 20 minutes then steadily increase with time. A good topic to discuss to friends, family, even co-workers.
As soon as I read the title I started singing that Beatles song! I used to meditate all the time and loved it. Thank you for reminding me to make time for it again.
Meditation is something I do everyday. It is very relaxing and helps with stress. I like to call it “Kim time” but it is very important to me that I have it everyday. It is also a great way to wind down after a long study session.
Meditation is not something i really like to do i think it is because i’m moving really slow and i get real tired after i’m done but it was a great article.
I cannot meditate. Its just not possible. My mind wonders too much! I know you should focus on breathing but soon as i do that I notice that my respiratory rate is too high and if I try to take deeper breaths i pass out(faint) and then I get upset thinking about all of the health issues that I SHOULD NOT HAVE at my age.
It may be difficult to find the time but I do try to meditate when possible. Concentrating on my breathing helps me to get centered and I am able to relax and think more clearly.