Benefits of Meditation: Reduces Stress, Ease Pain, Expand consciousness
Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an Alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. With regular practice of meditation:
- Anxiety decreases
- Emotional stability improves
- Creativity increases
- Happiness increases
- Intuition develops
- Gain clarity and peace of mind
- Your big problems become smaller
- Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus and expands through relaxation
- A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration
- An expanded consciousness without sharpness can lead to lack of action/progress
- The balance of a sharp mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection
Meditation makes you aware – that your inner attitude determines your happiness. Meditating with music: Reduce stress. Research has found that listening to music can relieve stress by triggering biochemical stress reducers (think of these physiological processes as anti-stress ninjas) Ease pain. Music can meaningfully reduce the perceived intensity of pain, especially in geriatric care, intensive care, or palliative medicine (an area of healthcare that focuses on preventing and relieving the suffering of patients) Enhance blood vessel function. Scientists have found that the emotions patients experience while listening to music have a healthy effect on blood vessel function. Music both made study participants feel happier and resulted in increased blood flow in their blood vessels. Author unknown
Of course the million dollar question is: where do I begin? For most of us, that enlightened state and all the wonderful benefits that regular meditation can give us is mighty far from reality. Seems to hover in the “one of these days” zone. Finally make the decision?..What’s next?
1) Carving out time each day,
2) Finding a quiet space
3) Figuring out the perfect body position for you, that facilitates a meditative state
That is not to complicated, right? But wait, something is missing! HOW TO MEDITATE??? So, I’d like to begin your wonderful journey of discovery by dispelling several popular anxiety inducing beliefs that we hold which prevent us from beginning the “practice” of meditation:
There is not just one right way to meditate. Meditation has many forms, as many as, there are life “forms” on the planet. You alone have the key that will unlock your meditation practice. You are in charge of discovering what works for you. Because you are reading this blog it could mean that you are searching to find your method, and chances are, you’re aware of at least 10 different practices, if not more. Each method could carry seeds that will lead you to your meditation and allow your practice to deepen with time.
You don’t have to be a Zen Master to meditate. Your meditation practice is your own. If you find yourself relating to this mental image, know that it only applies if you are in fact a Zen Master, otherwise smile and release that notion. Zen Masters had to search and experiment just as you do. They to began slowly, increasing the time spent just finding comfort in their body so it is less and less distracting, maintaining focus and staying grounded. Enjoy these moments of peace, even if you feel your mind is racing, keep practicing as you will change your brains pattern over time…..remember these two simple words…begin again 😉
I can’t sit still. Many people enjoy active meditation. Taking a walk any time of day can induce a wonderful meditative state, which is but one activity among many that you may engage in. Also consider that once you are physically calmer and more centered taking a few moments in a still or seated position may take your practice further.
You do not have to meditate for hours. Begin your daily practice with one deep relaxing inhale and one deep relaxing exhale. Continue with breath awareness as your ritual by increasing the number of full relaxing breaths you take per session. This method allows you to take your meditation practice anywhere anytime you need to center and ground.
Intro to an easy breath centered meditation:
Sit or lay quietly: and begin to focus on an inhale: breathe into the nostrils, listening to the sound of your breath as it enters your body, exhale and follow the sound of the breath out of your body. Continue to listen to sound of each breath cycle without changing your native breath, just listen, enjoy the sound and notice any subtle differences. Allow your belly to gently rise on the inhale and soften on the exhale. Inhale, following the sound of your breath until it softens, now notice the pause in between, exhale completely and notice the pause. Now, you choose the moment to inhale or exhale, instead of automatically allowing the breath cycle to begin again. As you become more comfortable with this breath practice, extend the pauses and consciously notice sensations in your entire body.
Stay with this breath meditation until you are really comfortable sitting up for 5- 20 minutes. Once you are calm and centered bring your attention back to your sitting bones and envision the energy that lives at the base of your spine slowly move down and integrating with the earth as you inhale. Exhale and allow the energy to lift up the spine and out the top of your head. Repeat slowly…enjoy this time even if you only spend one minute…it is one minute well spent ;-))