What’s So Great About Meditation?

So you have become convinced that meditation will change your life in some way and you would like to try it, but how do you actually do it? Here is how to do it along with some tips and tools also used in self-hypnosis to help you focus and get deeper. Please read on and give me feedback on how it went. Good or bad is ok. I just want to know how best to help you. But first a few thoughts on the reactions of science and medicine on this powerful supplement to your healthcare regimen.

It seems like everyone is talking about or posting on social media about the incredible benefits of meditation lately. And there is a good reason for that. People are finding out more and more that it is healing and is amazing when it comes to relieving stress. Consequently, it has an amazing positive effect on one’s physical health as well!

I could go on and on writing about the mind/body science behind it or the fact that even western medicine has seen it as beneficial supplemental treatment for heart disease, cancer, stress and more. But I would rather jump right in and help you get started if you have never tried it before or tried and struggled with it in some way.

Getting Started!

You do NOT need any paraphernalia, special clothes, mats, crystals or bells to do this! You can literally just sit up in bed first thing in the morning take a deep breath or 3 or 4 and do it! Nothing wrong with any of the props or buying cool sounding meditation bells or tapes and talismans. I believe in doing whatever you feel you need to get you there. But it is not a MUST have. So if you can sit and breathe, you can do this. Keeping it simple for now!

Sit up straight. Close your eyes. A chair, or a pillow on the floor or against your back is all ok. Whatever makes you comfortable and relaxed enough to not be focused on your body’s discomfort and still alert enough to stay awake is what you want to do. Support your back if you need to. If you are disabled in some way that affects the comfort and safety of your spine you can actually do this lying on your back. Although that could be more challenging since it is easy to just drift off to sleep in that position. Do your best with that. This is more about doing the internal work than the perfection of the environment or even your physical position.

Deep Breathing

Imagine your torso, your lungs, like an empty glass that you will fill with water. Water will not sit in the top quarter of the cup will it? It first hits the bottom of the cup and then you see the water rise. Treat the air you breathe in like it is that water filling the bottom of the cup first and then rising. So you are filling yourself with oxygen from the bottom up, so full that you have to lift your shoulders and stretch your torso a bit straighter and taller to let as much in as you can. Hold it for a couple of seconds and then let it out by sucking your belly in and exhaling. Imagine squeezing a tube of toothpaste from the bottom. Again, same thing with your whole diaphragm. From the bottom up.

So you inhale bottom up and you also exhale bottom and on up! Your homework for the rest of the week is practicing this first thing in the morning and whenever you think of it during the day.

Alpha Brain Wave State

Do this at the beginning of each meditation session until you feel very relaxed. Once you do, if you were to speak, your voice would relax into a slightly lower register. If you open your eyes and look down at your hands they may be slightly blotchy, a sort of red and white. This is what happens when you breathe deeply enough and your brain wave state drops down into the alpha state. Even deeper and your finger tips may look a bit purplish. it’s all good. That is what you want. This is where you can ideally start to meditate. If you don’t get fully there, it is totally ok!

Keep your eyes closed anyway and see yourself doing something that you find relaxing like walking alone at the beach with your toes in the sand and the spray of the tide splashing your ankles. Or rocking in a rocking chair. Or sitting in a sail boat gently swaying. Pick one or think up another one. I like to use my favorite happy places in nature.

Another way to go deeper if you are feeling too distracted by the sounds and smells in your environment, is to imagine yourself walking down a flight of stairs, counting quietly to yourself, 10,9,8….. It is a technique commonly used in self-hypnosis. There is no worries about getting too deep and not coming out of it. That is a crazy myth. The worst that can happen is you fall asleep, have a nice nap and wake up later than you intended.

Guided Meditation Mini Script

Next while you are in a relaxed state, imagine yourself sitting in a meadow of green grass with wildflowers, beautiful trees, gentle wind, and a few pleasant chirps of birds nearby. You are barefoot and the temperature is perfect. You feel the breeze on your cheeks and the warmth of the sun on your hair as it seems to roll down your body from the tip of your head to your shoulders, arms, torso, hips, all the way to your fingers and toes. Notice how incredibly relaxed you feel and remember this feeling and this place, as somewhere to come back to when you feel anxious or stressed or even a bit down.

Now let your mind feel at ease as you gaze across the meadow, hear the sound of the gentle breeze through the trees, feel the grass under your toes, smell the scent of the wild flowers and bend down and pick a honeysuckle from a nearby bush and taste it. The sweet honey flavor will not harm you. It is here in this place that you feel whole. You can bring this feeling with you into the day and recall it when you need to center and calm yourself.

When you are ready, take a few deep breaths and open your eyes and return to your waking state fully conscious, fully aware that this is who you are, and this is the deep relaxation you will feel whenever you need to feel it. You will remember it and can return here often! This meadow is your home. It belongs to you. It is YOU!

Questions to Answer

Try it and come back here to comment or ask me any questions about the mechanics of the experience. How did it work for you? Did you struggle to focus? Do you feel blocked in any way? Did you sense the sights and sounds of the meadow? Journaling on these things is helpful.

This is really just a small sampling of the many things you can do with meditation. It is a great way to practice. Each week I will give you another method to work on. Each one will be for practice, fun, and relaxation and yes, a little bit of deep information from you to YOU! The human mind is an incredible thing. Let’s use it fully in our own best interest!

Types and Purposes of Meditation

Guided Meditation, Free Exploration, Directed Meditation, Walking Meditation, Chanting Meditation, Chakra Meditation, Directed Visualization.

There are so many ways to meditate and guided scripts to use for different purposes as well as ways to explore your inner self and your purpose in life more deeply. There are methods for clearing your chakras (or energy centers) for better all around health and energy. Grounding, centering and focusing meditations are extremely useful. Some people like to take a meditative walk and simply relax in nature. My favorite, T’ai Chi is a moving meditation that feels like a slow relaxing dance to me.

There are ways to direct your visuals to literally affect your cells to encourage seemingly “miraculous” things to happen in your efforts to heal or overcome trauma, injury and more. Self-hypnosis to use to overcome phobias, addictions, self-doubt, even past life exploration, etc. uses the same methods as meditation to There is visualization for better performance in health, fitness, or professional athletics. All under the umbrella of meditation can have stunning effects on the health of the body.

What’s Next

Practice your breathing, getting into the alpha brain wave state, and your visit to the meadow to relax.

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