MEDITATION: PRESENCE AND AWARENESS

Animals live fully in the present

Meditation: Presence

Who is the most important person in the world?
It’s not a trick question and this individual is someone that you actually know.
The most important person in the world is the person you are with at any given moment in time. All too often we fail to notice this individual or give them our complete attention because other distractions get in our way.

Nothing on Earth is permanent and we never can tell if we will be the last person this individual will see, or conversely the person we are with will be our last.
Awareness and presence develops through meditation. Being mindfully present in all your interactions, means that you have an opportunity to treat others differently from this point on.

Presence is both an awareness of your own existence and what you are witnessing at this very moment in time. It releases you from expectations about what you think might happen or from speculating about why things are unfolding a certain way. Speculation is different from intuition and I’ll talk more about intuition in a later posting.
Take your time with this meditation. Allow at least 15 minutes and practice regularly until you notice that your ability to remain present in every situation is occurring with ease.

Meditation
In a seated position with the spine straight and the flesh of the body relaxed, bring your awareness to the breath.
The eyes can be open or closed, but the gaze should be soft with the eyes still and attention focused directly in front of you.
The shoulders are relaxed, the hands resting on the thighs with the palms facing up in Om mudra. (Tip of thumbs and first fingers lightly touching. Also known as Inner Om Mudra.)
Observe the breath from the tip of the nose into the base of the lungs.
Feel the belly gently rise and fall with each inhale and exhale.
Keep the breath slow, smooth, and steady.
Don’t rush or force the breath.
Continue to watch the breath as it flows effortlessly from the tip of the nose to the belly.
Feel the belly gently rise and fall.
Draw awareness fully to the breath.
Experience the sensation of the lungs expanding and contracting, the air entering and leaving the body.
If the mind wanders (which it often does when you start to learn to meditate), simply draw the awareness back to the breath.
Do not judge or think that you have failed or cannot learn to meditate.
You are retraining the mind and new habits can take up to four weeks to become part of your regular routine.
Continue to watch the breath and direct it from the nose to the base of the lungs.
Feel the breath flowing in the present moment.
When you feel ready, in your own time, shift your attention from the breath to the present moment
Continue to focus on the present moment and dissolve into meditation.
Go deeper and deeper into the awareness.

After Your Meditation
You will strengthen you ability to be present in all that you think and do.
Your relationships will improve.
You remain open to experiences and lowly eliminate obstacles that block energy.
Your heart center opens as you give your full attention to the person that you are with.
You strengthen your ability to remain in the present moment and to be present with everyone that you meet.
You cease to be lonely as you experience contentment with your Self and connection to the source of all Love and Light

OPEN HEART MEDITATION

The energy of the heart is represented by the color green because Creation which is all around us in grass, trees, and plants, stems from Love.

Open Heart Meditation
Songs and poems from cultures throughout the world describe the peace and happiness that stems from the source of love. While there are different energy centers within the body, the heart is the energy center of Love.

There are many heart opening techniques and meditations that can be used. The following meditation is a wonderful technique that can be done by beginners and experienced practitioners alike.

The important thing to remember is to see meditation as a part of your whole life, not a separate entity that works on its own.
The efforts that you expend to open your heart do not begin and end with meditation.
You need to embrace it as a way of life.
This meditation will help you to prepare the way for loving energy to flow effortlessly through you by removing any obstacles that are within you, and yet you are not aware that they are there.

Once the obstacles (they vary from person to person) are gone, you will experience wonderful joy. Along the way, sometimes shaking or trembling or tears arise. It’s important to know that this is normal and not be afraid should it occur. Simply let it flow through you and breathe it away and continue focusing either on the light or the peaceful loving feeling within you.

Restoring Balance to the Heart
Method
Sitting in a comfortable position with the eyes gently closed and the spine erect.
Draw the attention inwards to the breath.
Keep the eyes still in this inner eye gaze.
Follow the breath from the tip of the nose into the base of the lungs
Follow the breath all the way out in a steady stream
Keep the lips closed and the facial muscles relaxed
Allow the breath to flow effortlessly into and out of the body without your input or control
When you feel the mind and body relaxed, concentrate on seeing a light at the base of the spine within your mind’s eye
Hear the sound of Om resonating deep within you
Feel light flow through the body from the base of the spine to the crown of the head
Concentrate on the sensation of the energy
Concentrate on Om and try to feel its vibration and meaning
As you reach the top of your inhalation, see the light pour from the crown of your head to surround you
Feel Om change to the sound of bliss which is Ahhh
Release anything that arises
Know that you are safe in your meditation
Feel the cleansing energy of the light flow through every cell of your mind and body
Dissolve into meditation
Continue with your meditation until you feel complete

After Your Meditation

• Continue to maintain a connection to the heart center and keep the loving energy flowing through you.
• Nurture love by replacing any negative thoughts with ones of kindness and love.
• Bringing your awareness to the heart will change your perspective on life and positively impact the people around you.
• Remaining in the present draws awareness to maintaining an open heart and permitting the flow of love.
• Try to choose peaceful situation e.g. avoid watching violent movies
• Practice kindness rather than reverting to previous negative thought patterns
• Promote happiness by being a beacon of light and love to everyone you meet.

Breathing Meditation

A breathing meditation helps the lake of the mind remain calm and still

Meditation has numerous applications and there are a variety of methods that you as a practitioner can use depending on your needs.

A breathing meditation serves as a single-pointed focus and both calms the mind and develops internal peace.
You can choose whether to concentrate solely on the breath prior to entering your meditation practice, or to stay with the breath and actually meditate upon it during your entire practice.

Breathing Meditation

Sit in a comfortable position with the spine erect. Your chosen place for meditation should be free from distractions including being too hot, cold, drafty etc as it’s not only noise that can be annoying.

With the eyes gently closed, draw the attention inwards to the breath. Keep the eyes still in this inner eye gaze.

Follow the breath from the tip of the nose into the base of the lungs.
Follow the breath all the way out in a steady stream

Keep the lips closed and the facial muscles relaxed
Allow the breath to flow effortlessly into and out of the body without your input or control

Continue following the breath as it enters and leaves the body until you feel the body and mind relax and the breath becomes slow and steady

Note the sensation of the breath as it passes through both nostrils, over the back of the throat and into the base of the lungs
Never force the breath

Deepen and lengthen the breath
Feel the breath flow into the body, permeating every cell

Maintain awareness on the sensation of the breath
Concentrate on how the breath feels

If any thoughts enter the mind’s awareness, simply allow them to pass on by.
Don’t follow a train of thought.
Remain focused on the breath and all the impressions that it leaves.

If you discover that you have inadvertently allowed the mind to wander off, don’t judge yourself. Accept that this has happened and simply return to the gentle rhythmic flow of the breath.

Eventually, the deeper you concentrate on the breath, the fewer distractions that will appear as there is no room for other thoughts to enter.
With practice and dedication the mind will stay with the breath. It will be comfortable in this new attentiveness.

All distracting thoughts subside and the mind experiences deep relaxation and profound peace.

A feeling of expansiveness of body and mind will permeate your entire being.
It is not uncommon to actually lose all awareness of even possessing a physical body as the mind joins with the source of the peace.

Knowledge and understand thrives and flourishes.

Once your thoughts have melted away and awareness is only on the sensations of the breath, let the mind dissolve.

Stay in this peaceful state until you feel that your meditation is complete.

After Your Breathing Meditation Session

• Notice the different levels of relaxation that occur within the body and mind simply by following the breath and remaining with the breath.
• Excluding other thoughts enables you to stay calm and peaceful.
• You control your thoughts and the body by controlling the mind.
• Any time that you find yourself in a stress-full situation, simply return to the rhythmic flow of the breath and you will be able to bring your mind into a relaxed state.

Peaceful Meditation

Meditation promotes peace in mind, body, and actions

Mind-Body Connection
The connection between the mind and the body has been a subject of study for many decades. One hundred years ago, it was noted that when animals became distressed, they did not eat. Research then gravitated towards humans, noting the causal relationship between events that affect the psyche and consequently impact the health of the body and mind.

The connection between the mind and the body is not new knowledge though. We can go back thousands of years and see how ancient cultures treated the mind and body as one, and not as separate entities. Chinese medicine is well-known for its belief that certain organs and centers of the body represent mental or emotional conditions. This form of medicine, and practices such as acupuncture, yoga and similar Eastern techniques also believe that the body contains meridians or nadis that carry energy effortlessly through the body when there are no physical or psychological obstacles.

Stress is known to be a major factor in creating chronic health conditions. It creeps into a person’s life and festers, creating serious problems that impact the heart and blood-pressure, and also produces anxiety, fear, intolerance, anger, and other physiological changes that create a recipe for unhappiness and illness.
While short periods of stress can help an individual to accomplish a task, it is the long-term, insidious form of stress that takes hold and upsets the overall health and well-being of a person.

Happiness Factor
Researchers are now finding clinical evidence for techniques such as meditation and rhythmic breathing to alleviate the chronic symptoms of long-term stress. Meditation boosts the immune system, establishing not only a calm and peaceful mind and body, but manifests actual changes within the brain and neurological systems of the body.

When you are happy, corresponding signals travel to your brain, which in turn boosts your immune system. Your feelings impact you on a deep level whether you are aware of this or not.
Thinking unhealthy, sad, hopeless thoughts really does affect the cells of the body detrimentally; while thoughts filled with hope, kindness, and love promote health and well-being.

It actually takes less energy to be positive than it does to think and act in a negative manner.

What Meditation Will Achieve
Through self-direction, you decide whether to see the positive rather than the negative in any situation. This awareness enables you to choose to create your best life. Smiles are contagious! And so, by default, are scowls, frowns, and a cantankerous attitude.

Speak to yourself in positive language and you will increase your emotional and physical health.
Meditation affects your perception, your awareness of time, and by promoting a positive mental state enables you to be free from the negativity that creates disorder and ill-health.
It helps to forge new pathways in the brain thereby enabling you to develop new habits.

Affirmations
You can self-generate power by using positive thoughts and vibrations.
Speak a word such as “Love,” or a phrase such as “I am Healed,” or the universal sound of AUM pronounced OM.
I am responsible for my life and have the power I need to have joy.
The happier I am with people around me, the happier I am as a person.
I see my life anew.

After Your Meditation Practice

• At home, practice smiling and capture the relaxed and carefree emotions that you generate.
• Keep a comfortable internal expression to maintain a positive mood and your feelings will show externally on your face and body language.
• Become active rather than reactive to situations, e.g. thinking before you speak or act
• Carry the feeling of peace and contentment with you wherever you go and watch the responses you receive from people around you.
• Give full attention to what you are experiencing physically, and what you are feeling, thinking and doing.

MIDSUMMER MEDITATION

The Midsummer Sunrise

Midsummer Meditation
Across the northern hemisphere, Midsummer is celebrated in the period between June 21st and June 25th. In the southern hemisphere, the summer solstice is celebrated in December.
For thousands of years, and in many cultures throughout the world, midsummer has been observed through spiritual and religious celebrations during this specific time period in June.

First Day of Summer
On June 21st, the sunrise is given special honor with many cultures gathering with music, song, and spiritual traditions to recognize the longest daylight hours, the high noon, and the halfway point of the year hence the name Equinox is sometimes used to describe this midpoint. In Europe, it is also referred to as Midsummer because it is roughly the middle of the growing season.
While the true summer equinox varies from year to year on the astronomical calendar by a few hours, it is recognized officially as the first day of summer on June 21st. During the summer solstice the sun sits highest in the sky. This is the longest day of the year and the beginning of the summer season.

Standing Still
As the summer solstice approaches, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky each day. On the actual day of the solstice, it barely rises at all compared to the previous day, creating the impression that the sun has stood still. This lasts for about three days before the sun appears to move from its point in the sky.
The word Solstice is derived from two Latin words: sol meaning sun, and sistere to cause to stand still. Life is always about balance and many traditions that we still have today harken back to the time when as a society it was important to follow the growing cycle of sowing, planting, and harvesting.

Why Is It Necessary To Acknowledge A Summer Solstice?
The Earth is constantly in motion yet for a brief moment, the sun is seen from our perspective as though it is standing still at its highest and brightest point.
With the sun at its highest point in the sky you can use it as an analogy to let your own light shine at its utmost highest and greatest.
It is a time of year of prosperity, hope, and relationships as well as an opportunity to recognize your connection and responsibility to nature and creation.

Let Your Own Light Shine

Let Your Light Shine
Light a candle to symbolize the enduring light that is within each of us and to recognize the sacred source from which we receive our light.
During your meditation practice, you can focus on the light within you and both fill your body and surround yourself with this light.

Guided Meditation
Close your eyes, and use the power of the breath to relax the body and mind
Follow the breath from the tip of the nose to the base of the lung
Follow the breath all the way out again.
Don’t rush this process
Continue following the breath until you feel completely relaxed

Maintain a steady and even breath and focus on the light within you
With each breath, become aware of brilliant white light at the base of your spine
This light is your spiritual energy

With the breath gentle and flowing, see the white light and draw it from the base of your spine in a steady column to the crown of your head

With each steady exhale, fill your body and surround yourself with your light

Continue about three to five rounds until you are completely filled and surrounded by the light
Sense the unity between yourself and the source of the light
Feel the oneness

Bathe yourself in its brilliance and loving energy
Feel the expansive abundance of the light

Dissolve into the light

After Your Meditation
You are from the source of the light and know that you can return to it at any time by entering into meditation
Carry the light with you and share its loving energy with other.
Be a shining light to everyone you meet
During times of stress, let your light shine to dispel the darkness
In this way you will be a beacon of light to those who are struggling.

Give thanks for the light and pause to reflect, just as the sun at this time of year appears to pause and reflect.

MEDITATION: PEACE AND PERFECTION

Creation is beautiful and is always a work in progress.

Meditation and Creation
In our western culture we are taught to set goals, to achieve, to succeed. When life does not go smoothly, and we end up having to take detours on our chosen path, we can sometimes think that we have failed to live up to the expectations of others and even ourselves.

However, it is worth remembering that being perfect should not be goal in life.

Ancient cultures make this point very clear during craft activities such as blanket and quilt making. They will deliberately create a small “flaw” in the pattern as a reminder that none of us are perfect except God, the ultimate Creator.

Accepting Change
Life is always changing and no matter how hard we try, we can never keep everything in our life the same. Accepting change is challenging as sometimes things change and we become sad. Happily though, life does change and there are joyful moments in our lives where we can retain the happy memories and also share our happiness with others.

While it is important to be the best that we can be and to do the best job that we can in all circumstances, releasing the misconception that we HAVE to be perfect is freeing.
None of us are perfect and none of us will ever be truly perfect.

Nature is a reminder that nothing remains the same.

Embracing Imperfection
Meditation helps us to relinquish our ideals and releases us from clinging to the human perception of perfection.
We see around us the beauty of the world and humanity, but we know that true perfection exists within the source of peace and Love when we connect to God through meditation.

Despite our imperfections, meditation shows us that we ARE loved and welcomed with an open heart.

Your Personal Meditation
During your meditation experience, don’t worry if your mind wanders or thoughts intrude.
Stay relaxed and return your attention to the breath or your chosen internal object of focus.
Don’t worry about your practice having to be perfect.
Stay focused on the ultimate goal of meditation which is to draw closer to the Divine.
Know that you are welcome and that your meditation practice will get you to the place where Love resides.
Return to your meditation and draw deeper into the peace that resides within.
Each time you enter into meditation you will encounter fewer distractions and experience longer moments of tranquility and happiness.

STRESS-FREE MEDITATION

Reflection Pool at Ayurveda Clinic in Mysore, India

Purpose of Meditation
Meditation is often viewed as a form of relaxation therapy; however relaxation is a by-product of the actual technique itself. Meditation produces many positive results but its ultimate goal is to enable the practitioner to attain a state of Bliss and connection to God.

The meditation path, therefore, has much to offer and the relaxation response should not be dismissed but utilized and appreciated for the gifts that they are, strewn along the meditative journey.

Meditation produces an altered state of consciousness which helps protect against anxiety and depression. Researchers are using this altered state to help patients help themselves overcome the debilitating effects of these pernicious ailments.

Health Benefits
Numerous studies show that when patients are given instruction in a meditation and relaxation technique for a minimum of 8 weeks, the results clearly demonstrate a significant reduction of anxiety, depression and other stress-related disorders such as high blood pressure (hypertension) to name but a few.

For patients, the gains include not only the ability to experience relaxation , but the ability to experience a reduction in pain and the associated feelings of discomfort, a reduction in hypertension, and the ability to have self-control over their condition without the use of drugs with the associated negative side-effects.

Improvements in health not only continue during the weeks and months that an individual continues to practice meditation, but the effects actually become more pronounced with deeper efficacy and positive change.
The long term use of meditation produces a lasting effect that has profound significance for not only maintaining good health, but for both prevention and producing better long term health.

Meditation Technique
Choose your most comfortable seated posture
Feel grounded and supported by the earth
Focus on the breath
Slow the breath down until it is slow and steady
Follow each exhalation and allow the breath to lengthen and deepen
Notice the space between each breath and enter into the space
Feel the energy of the breath fill your body
As you exhale, release all tension
Continue with this technique until you feel deeply relaxed
Feel the energy of the breath flow through you with no obstacle
Notice the levels of relaxation that exist within the mind and the body
Let the mind enter the deep vastness of your life-energy
Allow the mind to dissolve from a place of concentration and enter a place of stillness and peace
Remain in this peaceful place until you sense that it is time to begin the tasks of your day

After Your Meditation
You can pre-empt any anxious thoughts or moments by noticing changes in your mind and body’s calm and relaxed state. Then, by returning to the rhythmic flow of the breath, you can quickly bring yourself into a tranquil and stress-free place.

MEDITATION AND BREATHING

When the breath is calm, the mind and body are also calm.

Power of the Breath
Researchers have found that controlled breathing, guided imagery, and meditation promote not only a positive mental attitude in people being treated for cancer, but provide significant health benefits in supporting the immune system and the overall health of the body, including reduced serum cortisol levels in only 10 weeks.

Blood flow is greater in the lower lungs due to gravity and correct breathing techniques ensure the maximum exchange of carbon-dioxide with oxygen, effectively eliminating toxins and other waste products from the body via the breath.

The breath has a great deal of power over the mind and the body. The main predictor for a long life is your lung capacity. The ability to breathe deeply in a steady and controlled manner has been proven to not only promote health, but increase your life span.

The breath has power not only on a physical level, but on a subtle level too. As you meditate every day, you raise your ability to develop positive awareness in rhythm with your deep and steady breath. When you are faced with challenges and stress in your day-to-day life, you simply have to return to the rhythmic flow of the breath and within a few moments, your pulse rate slows, blood pressure lowers, respiration slows and you continue breathing slowly and deeply until you experience a physical and mental state of calmness that you normally experience during your meditation practice.

Slow and Steady Breathing
As you meditate every day, choose a positive word or phrase and repeat it in rhythm with your slow and steady breath.
Positive thoughts directed to yourself and others help you to stay focused on what really matters.

Examples of positive affirmations are:

I am loved
I am filled with vitality
All is well
I am at peace
I am happy
Peace in my body, mind, and spirit

Breath Influences Your Mood
Each one of us is defined by the choices that we make as they reveal our innermost values and what we hold up as important.
Cultivate a state of optimism in all your thoughts by drawing this understanding to the flow of your breath, during meditation, and all your waking activities.

In time, a slow and steady breath becomes your normal state of being. When the breath is calm, your thoughts and life choices are also calm and appropriate.
Make choices that honor who you truly are and you will create a lifetime of love and happiness.

MEDITATION AND HEALING

Meditation and Healing
Meditation has proven health benefits in both healthy individuals and people who have been diagnosed with a specific illness. The benefits are not subjective, i.e. “I feel good” but using blood tests and brain scanning imagery researchers are able to provide data on the clinical improvements.

In a Swedish study, published in December 2007, researchers studied 55 healthy adults and the effect of a breathing technique that involved cycles of slow, normal, and rapid breathing exercises.
At the end of the study, feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression were significantly decreased and optimism was significantly increased in the breathing study group.
There was also a reduction in the sympathetic nervous system activity and a feeling of well-being with an increase in antioxidants and lower levels of cortisol.

Other studies have looked at the influence of thoughts upon the cells of the body and how mood affects your health one way or another. During a health crisis, remaining positive helps with a positive outcome as well as having supportive colleagues. It does not mean doing away with modern therapies, but is seen as a means of supporting the treatment.

Tapping into the light within you during meditation has benefits
to your overall health and well-being.

Researchers at the University of Miami found that controlled breathing, guided imagery, and meditation promote not only a positive mental attitude in women being treated for stage I or II breast cancer, but provide significant health benefits in supporting the immune system and the overall health of the body, including reduced serum cortisol levels in only 10 weeks.

Affirmations
Prior to your meditation session, fill your mind with the words, images, and energy of your affirmations.
Thoughts have their own unique energy. Use the power of your words to create only that which is positive for you. Here is one example but please choose the words that are appropriate for your own needs.

“I am filling each cell with light and creating a new body.”

See yourself feeling strengthened and invigorated as you awaken in the morning. Smile and embrace the start of this new day. Hear yourself welcoming the potential that this glorious day will bring. See yourself succeeding in whatever tasks you need to fulfill.

Enter into meditation.
Spend fifteen minutes allowing your body to enter into a peaceful and tranquil state using any of the methods outlines in previous postings on this site. (See Guided Meditations)

After Your Meditation
See yourself as strong and healthy. See healing energy passing into you and surrounding you. See yourself doing all the things that you are now able to do.

Move lightly, filled with vitality and the knowledge that all is well.

Use your affirmation during the day whenever you feel troubled.

Tap into the peace of your meditation to stay relaxed and permit the healing energy to flow within you.

MEDITATION AND HEALTH

The mind is expansive and not limited to the physical body.

Meditation and Health
A 2007 national Government survey found that more than 20 million adults had used meditation in the past 12 months which is 5 million more than a previous study 5 years earlier. In addition, 725,000 children had practiced meditation.

People use meditation for various physical and emotional problems, such as:

• Anxiety
• Pain
• Depression
• Stress
• Insomnia
• Symptoms associated with chronic illnesses and their treatment, such as heart disease, HIV/AIDS, and cancer.

Meditation also helps promote overall wellness:

• Quality of life
• Spirituality
• Relaxation
• Inner Peace
• Heightened connectivity
• Improved relationships

Mind-Body medicine has proven that psychological factors in the way that an individual thinks affects their clinical symptoms with either positive or negative effects depending on a persons mood and train of thoughts.

Meditation can significantly slow down the progression of degenerative diseases and improve blood pressure, reduce stress, and enhance the effects of rehabilitation techniques in conditions such as cardiac care and cancers.

Pain Reduction
Evidence from a variety of studies has shown that meditation lowers or even completely alleviates pain. One study with a master meditator showed that he was able to withstand pain that was inflicted upon him during his meditation session. fMRI of his brain mapped out the areas within the brain that were affected and showed meditation calming the brain down to ignore the pain. Meditation switched off the receptors that the brain used to transmit the awareness of experiencing pain.

In addition to improving an individual’s quality of life, meditation helps with the ability to sleep through the night, cope with daily issues, and improve the outlook on life including raising overall hope and expectations.
This means reductions in pain and nausea, reductions in use of medications, fewer trips to visit the doctor, and a feeling of well-being and improved health. Life becomes livable as the mind focuses on the present, not on the difficulties of the past or what may happen in the future.

The Meditative Brain
Meditation creates positive changes within the mind and the body that are both physiological and emotional. The National Center for Complimentary Medicine states the following:
Some types of meditation might work by affecting the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. This system regulates many organs and muscles, controlling functions such as the heartbeat, sweating, breathing, and digestion. It has two major parts:

• The sympathetic nervous system helps mobilize the body for action. When a person is under stress, it produces the "fight-or-flight response": the heart rate and breathing rate go up and blood vessels narrow (restricting the flow of blood).

• The parasympathetic nervous system causes the heart rate and breathing rate to slow down, the blood vessels to dilate (improving blood flow), and digestive juices to increase.

Each system of the body is not an independent self-directed system; rather they each have an actual connection with the conscious mind and the effect of thoughts upon the body.
The brain produces chemicals called neuropeptides which affect the immune cell receptors in specific ways according to your emotional state.
Meditation produces actual changes in brain function which in turn creates new neural pathways that assist in new habits, the ability to monitor thoughts and feelings, and your ability to choose appropriate actions.

Meditation improves your health. Can you afford not to meditate?

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

Be mindful of what you reflect from your thoughts, words, and actions.

BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

You learn how to:

Bring complete attention to the present

Monitor your reactions

Project thoughts free from judgment, criticism, and hostility

Calm the mind and breath

Live with intention

Generate a positive life

Create your future through visualization

Develop higher knowledge and intuition

Obtain answers that you seek

Promote a sense of well-being

Open the heart center

Happiness
A multitude of benefits await you in addition to the ones mentioned above. Meditation enables you to experience life joyfully and fully by heightening your awareness, promoting a positive mindset, and providing you with the tools that you need to cope with the unexpected events that life reveals when you least expect it. Happiness should not be an effort but be an outward reflection of the real happiness that you feel on the inside.

When someone that you meet is troubled or anxious, are they helped if you are miserable too? Of course not. They are helped if they see hope, peace, and light radiating from you. Your empathy for someone’s situation should in no way diminish the light that shines within you. Meditation keeps you connected to the source of happiness and keeps “topping you up” so to speak. In this way, you gain all of the benefits mentioned above, and are able to share them.

Life is a gift and gifts are to be enjoyed.

Affirmations
Affirmations reinforce not only the benefits received but also your goals and you can create your own affirmations by simply asking yourself what you need. If you are unsure of what to ask, clarity often arises following your meditation practice.
Choose an affirmation that feels appropriate for your particular needs today.

Examples include:

I am provided for
I always receive everything that is for my highest good
I am divinely guided in all I do
I am open to receive the abundance that God has for me
I have all that I need

What do you want to reflect?

Reflection
Your happiness resides within you and like a mirror your joy reflects on others too. Gloomy thoughts and feelings have no effect on your mood even if they are projected to you by other people. Insensitive comments bounce off you and while your heart opens and your empathy grows, you become a beacon of light shining on everyone and everything in your world.
Your growing awareness helps you to consciously reflect the peace and happiness that you feel inside and in time you will see this peace in the faces of others.

Let the benefits of meditation grow and multiply each time you complete your meditation practice and as they uplift you, you will be a tower of strength to everyone you come into contact with.

EVENING: GUIDED MEDITATION

An evening meditation helps you unwind, give thanks, and prepare for a new day

EVENING MEDITATION
While a morning meditation is a wonderful start to the day, ending the busy-ness of the day with an evening meditation is a perfect resolution to the various tasks, distractions, and emotions that present themselves throughout the day.

An evening meditation restores balance, peace, and calmness if these have somehow gotten lost during the day. It also provides a means to offer gratitude and prayer and prepare you for a good night’s sleep, free from concern about what has transpired and what may happen in the future.
It helps to keep you in the present moment so that with practice you will live every moment of your day and night in peace and harmony with both yourself and in your interactions with others.

Winding Down
The energy of the day is winding down and just as most of nature rests during the night hours, you also can prepare yourself for the best night’s rest in order to have the best start the next day.
An evening meditation provides you with the fuel to restore physical healing, a calm mind that will sleep undisturbed, and endows you with an energized mind, body, and spirit when morning comes.
When the mind is clear and the heart open, the body can enter into a deep state of relaxation, bringing healing and light into a body that has expended its daily quota of energy and fill up the tanks for the next day.

Evening Meditation
Begin your meditation practice by sitting in a comfortable position and concentrating on the breath. This permits a single-pointed focus and promotes concentration and relaxation.

When your mind and body feel calm and still, experience the silence that resides deep within you

All sounds melt away and your heart is open and at peace
Enter into the place where you feel closest to God the Creator
Offer sincere thanks for what has occurred today, whether it was part of your plan or not
Give thanks for all the many blessings that God has given you
Give thanks for all who have come into your life today
Ask for forgiveness
Ask that others in the world may find peace and love
Ask for understanding of your purpose
Rejoice in being safe in God’s presence

With the mind clear, continue to follow the breath and let all thoughts and emotions pass away
Enter into meditation and bathe in the peace that surrounds you
Stay in meditation until you feel complete

Reflection
Remember every day to Love others as God Loves you.
Each time that you pray and meditate, you are replenished and renewed as God’s Love and energy pours forth into you.
Use your energy to further Peace, Love, and the Healing of the Earth one person at a time.

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MORNING:GUIDED MEDITATION

Morning is breaking and the sky fills with the potential of a new day.

Morning Meditation
A morning meditation is a wonderful way to start every day.
The energy of the morning is tranquil as the earth and the daytime inhabitants begin to stir and prepare for the tasks that lie ahead.
A morning meditation lengthens the stillness and peace and creates a positive lasting experience and memory that you can draw on throughout the day.
Try to sit for your meditation about fifteen minutes prior to the sun actually rising.

If you are able, sit outside for your meditation practice in order to hear the dawn chorus of birds, see the remnants of night pass away, and feel the warmth of sunlight striking the earth and enveloping your own body.

No matter the weather, a morning meditation helps you to see the challenges of the day with a new perspective.
It helps you to act with intention and clarity of purpose throughout the day. You begin each new day with peace and harmony that arises out of the tranquility and stillness contained within the promise of each new day.

Pranayama
Before you begin your meditation practice, spend ten to fifteen minutes in a pranayama practice.
A breathing practice prepares the body and mind for meditation, brings the brain into alpha rhythm which is most conducive to a peaceful state of being, and provides you with the energy that you need to see you through the day.

Meditation
Choose your most comfortable seated posture.
Feel grounded and supported by the earth.
Focus on the breath and ask yourself what you want to achieve today.
Follow each exhalation and allow the breath to lengthen and deepen.
Notice the space between each breath and enter into the space.
Allow the mind to go deeper into the space between the breath.
Feel the energy of the morning cleansing and invigorating you
Develop an expansion of the breath and the mind as radiant love flows through you.
Let the mind enter the deep vastness of your life-force.
Breathe in rhythm with the energy of the morning light emerging from the sun.
Allow the mind to dissolve from a place of concentration and enter a place of stillness and peace.
Remain in this peaceful place until you sense that it is time to begin the tasks of your day.

This was taken as the sun rose over the Pacific. The ripples are caused by dolphins.

Other Morning Meditations
You can practice your morning meditation when walking, praying, or simply marveling at the sun rising.
Look at your surroundings with an awakened perspective.
Notice the plants and flowers that are in window boxes or line the side of the road. Notice trees, the shapes and colors of their leaves, the birds in the trees.
Notice the clouds, their sizes.
Feel the warmth of the sun, the touch of a breeze against your skin.
Absorb the serenity and peace of this special moment
Express your gratitude and listen for the answers that arise from within or in your encounters with people as the day progresses.

Morning Meditation
You will feel energized, renewed and willing to face the world. You will be a positive force for change as you bring your light to everyone you meet.

INNER CHILD GUIDED MEDITATION

Meditation helps You to See and Embrace the Wonders of All Life

The Inner child is a term used in psychology to describe an aspect of a person’s psyche as though it were a separate being. It lies beneath the layers of adulthood that mask the innocence and clarity with which a child views the world. The Inner Child is often used as a means of addressing emotional memories stemming from childhood and connecting to the child within can help guide you to speak from your heart and the source of truth.

The following Guided Meditation is a means of rediscovering the dreams held by a child, exploring a child’s view of looking at the world through wondrous eyes, and remembering hopes and dreams that will help you find your passion.

Before you enter into your meditation, create an appropriate environment or sacred space by lighting a candle. See yourself sitting in a safe place surrounded by the light of the sun. Feel its warm embrace nurturing you.

Guided Meditation
Sit in your chosen seated position for meditation with your back supported and the spine as straight as possible. Sit in as upright a position as you are able with your hands in a relaxed manner by your sides or on your lap. The feet are placed with the sole of the foot flat on the ground.

If you are sitting on the floor, choose your most comfortable seated position. If you are able, try placing the heel of one foot in front of the ankle of the other foot without discomfort and maintain this position for the length of time of the meditation.

The hands are relaxed and resting either on your lap or by your hips.

With the eyes gently closed, begin your meditation.
Inhale slowly and begin to notice your breath. Exhale slowly and steadily.
And continue.

Breathe steadily into the base of the lungs, feeling the belly rise gently. Exhale and release the breath in a steady stream.

Never force the breath.

And continue, concentrating on keeping each breath of equal length; breathing slowly in, exhaling slowly out.

Draw awareness to the breath until the breath is slow steady and rhythmical

If the flow of the breath is uneven, make any adjustments necessary to maintain a steady breath.

Keep your body and inner focus relaxed.

With each lengthened exhalation feel the body relax even further, staying focused only on the rhythmic flow of the breath. Feel the facial muscles relax, the shoulders drawing down and away from the ears.

With each controlled inhalation fill your body with the energy of your breath.
With the exhalation feel the arms relax, releasing further away from the body.

Feel loved and safe, surrounded by the love from the light.
Continue with this technique until you feel extremely relaxed.

See you Inner Child sitting beside you.
Hold onto your Inner Child’s hand

Feel the warmth of the hand and the embrace of the light

Hold your Inner Child to you and let your heart open
Feel light and love envelop both of you

Listen to anything that your Inner Child has to say
Tell your child that you hear what they are telling you and that you love them

Spend as long as you need to, listening to anything that you hear or experience.

All obstacles melt away
Feel joy and happiness and that life is good

Continue to hold your Inner Child as you embrace life together
Let the child dissolve into the light while you remain surrounded by the light.
Feel renewed and aware of all that life has to offer.
Draw on the energy of the light at any time.

Animals Live in the Present and Seize Moments to Play

After Your Meditation
Delight in the basic joys of life; a sunset, birds flying, colors on tree bark, the feel of grass between your toes, a refreshing drink.
Let yourself laugh and play more without fear of what others may think.
Balance work, rest and play.
See life for the precious gift that it is.

CONTEMPLATIVE MEDITATION

Word
Prayer
Spirit

Background
Centering Prayer is now more commonly known as Contemplative Meditation. It is drawn from prayer practices that began in the first century C.E. and was made popular in the 1970’s by monks from the Trappist Abbey, St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts.

They describe Contemplative Meditation as “A prayer of silence, an experience of God’s presence as the ground in which our being is rooted, the Source from whom our life emerges at every moment.”

This form of meditation is a means of centering the mind to receive God’s presence and increase awareness of God's presence in your life. It creates a peace even when awake by releasing the flow of knowledge and guidance at the level of the soul.

There is a peaceful and sacred place that abides within you. It is your refuge and your home. It is here in this hallowed sanctuary that you are safe to withdraw to discover the areas where you need to grow.

Find a quiet place to reflect on a word in Contemplative Meditation

Essence
Contemplative Meditation is a means of training the mind to concentrate, or center, on a word, a thought, a spiritual passage, or a mantra.
This type of meditation can be practiced anywhere that you have time to yourself such as walking, physical activity, or simply sitting.

Method
Choose a phrase from a spiritual book, or select a spiritual word or name.
Study the word. Notice what “speaks” to you.
Study the word again. What feelings does it evoke within you.
Return to the word a final time.
Keep focusing on the word, absorbing it, understanding it, and knowing its truth.
Merge into meditation if the situation permits.


Benefits
It expands your ability to concentrate and become aware of the thoughts, emotions, and feelings from the body as they arise.
Any time that you find yourself in a situation that is challenging, you can induce relaxation by bringing awareness to the flow of the breath and focus on a word or phrase that you have encountered during your Contemplative Meditation.
It heightens your spiritual journey and deepens your relationship with God.
Your intuition increases as it maintains an openness to hearing and following the wisdom that arises from within.

You may like to carry your word with you to deepen your spiritual connection and awareness.

AUM and OM

Om can be heard in many objects and also experienced as a ringing sound.

AUM and OM

The sound of Om is recognized as being a universal sound because it permeates the universe.

It is a sound that is inherent within everything and everyone. When you listen carefully, you can hear the sound in engines and machines, at the end of prayers, even within your own body as a sound resonating deep within you.

Om consists of the letters AUM which represent creation, maintenance, and ending. We see this in all aspects of the universe. All things have a moment when they evolve, exist, and then pass away and we acknowledge this every time we chant Om.

Your Own Om
During your meditation practice, hear the sound of Om deep within you.
As you continue to meditate upon it, the sound will evolve, becoming deeper and stronger. You experience the sound of Om during your meditation and afterwards it continues to reverberate within your life.

Only with practice does learning and understanding come.

Each time you meditate, the sound becomes more powerful in its intensity and volume. You will hear it clearly and feel it vibrate through every cell of your body.

It is your personal Om, different from mine yet both are connected to the source of Om.

Om is a pure sound emanating from the Creator therefore it is a sound that protects you and promotes goodness in your life. Also known as the first mantra, it gradually removes negativity from your consciousness and keeps your entire being focused on that which flows from God.

The Sound Current
With continuous practice of meditation and chanting Om, both externally and hearing it internally, you feel the vibration of Om throughout your body. Maintaining awareness in the third eye, located deep within the center of the head level at the space between the eyebrows, you focus on the sound, the flow, the energy within Om.

With constant study and concentration on Om, you become aware of the sound current that carries Om everywhere.

The water in the fountain comes from and always returns to the Source

The Source
Om brings a steadiness to the mind and the thought process.
If you are new to meditation, you will focus on the word of Om, then progress to its sound, then to the current of Om. Over time, you will then experience the Knowledge and the Bliss that accompanies the sound current of Om and travel to the source of the Bliss.

As the current of Om permeates all of your being, both during meditation and during your everyday existence, you experience Bliss at every moment. You have the Knowledge that you are connected to the Source and delight in being there.

The Bliss cannot be learned from reading or external study. Bliss has to be experienced. As you connect to the source of the Bliss, you will achieve freedom and peace and understanding.

Meditation and Om combined is a unique gift. Accept it and use it every day.

MEDITATION AND BREATHING

With a controlled breath there are no limits.

WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN BREATHING AND MEDITATION?

Contemplation and self-inquiry are made possible through Meditation. Meditation heightens conscious awareness of what is happening at the present moment.
Meditation reveals your present state of mind and consequently your present way of living.

When the mind is not aware, it brings about an imbalance in mood and health. Random thoughts can occur, emotions rise, and unforeseen or unwanted events occur.

When an incident actually happens or is even ONLY PERCEIVED in the mind
1. the body tenses up
2. the breath speeds up
3. becomes shallow
4. resulting in an increase in heart rate and perspiration

EXAMPLE: We’ve all used a thermometer.
Just as a thermometer can tell if your internal body temperature is too high, awareness of the breath and the meditative mind brings an awareness of the mental temperature.

What is YOUR emotional temperature?

If the mind is agitated and heated up, you can act appropriately to cool it down before it becomes too hot.

NO ONE LIKES A HOT HEAD.

If you sit in meditation and are unable to connect with the inner peace, determine what is blocking this natural state.
If you had a high temperature, you would seek the cause. In the same way, you should seek the source of inner health.

MEDITATE ON THE POSITIVE
1. Cultivate constructive driving forces by directing the mind to opposite ideas, ones that are positive to the individual and toward others
2. Negative thoughts require energy to plan and implement. They are detrimental in manner, sound, and effect
3. By maintaining a single-pointed focus of awareness via meditation, you choose to be positive and identify ways to maintain a strong mind and body, to stay resilient, and to help others.

CONTROLLING THE BREATH
In a Swedish study, published in December 2007, the researchers studied 55 healthy adults and the effect of a breathing technique that involved cycles of slow, normal, and rapid breathing exercises.

The exercises were practiced for an hour daily, 6 days a week, for 6 weeks.

48 control patients were advised to relax in an armchair for 15 minutes daily.

At the end of the study, feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression were significantly decreased and optimism was significantly increased in the breathing study group.
There was also a reduction in the sympathetic nervous system activity and a feeling of well-being with an increase in antioxidants and lower levels of cortisol.

SO, HOW DOES THE BREATH WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH MEDITATION?
Through:
1. Concentration
2. Awareness of the states of the body, e.g. tense, anxious
3. Knowledge of how to relax

Meditation improves your ability to focus and concentrate, alerting you to distracting thoughts and emotions that arise in your mind when you stop being busy.

When your mind recognizes that a situation is stressful and notices changes in the breath, you draw your awareness to the breath and slow the breath down to maintain a relaxed physical and mental state.

Eventually you maintain a relaxed and calm state wherever you go.

Meditation is the key to controlling the mind, the breath, and therefore the body.

Meditation and Spirituality

Meditation and Spirituality

How does meditation help you deepen your spirituality?
This is a vast subject with enough material for a book but I will mention some key points so that you will know that when you are meditating you are doing more than relaxing; you are getting to know, deepening, and expanding your spiritual self.

With regular practice, meditation enables you to gain control over the mind by stopping it from leaping around from one thought to another. This ability to concentrate also brings with it self-discipline. From here, the mind becomes pure as it focuses only on that which is beneficial and good.

The purpose of meditation is to connect with the Creator. Many people get distracted on the way by the feelings of peace and relaxation that they acquire and end up going no further than trying to achieve more and more relaxed, when all the while a greater experience lies ahead.

What does it mean to live a spiritual life?
Spirituality is a personal experience and is a journey of education and fulfillment. This means that people are at different places on their journey of discernment, but only when you enter the spiritual path and invite Spiritual guidance into your being do you begin leading the life you were born to live. You have an unwavering guide within you who will help you identify the choices that you need to make in your life.

You are the person responsible for making choices and changes. You have the freedom to decide when and if you are going to move away from the negativities of the past and move forward. The Spirit is never pushy and it will never make decisions for you but is always there. When you find yourself in situations that are troubling, ask for guidance.

Meditate Daily
Your meditation practice speeds up the process of identifying problem areas. The veil that covered the mind is removed and you see into the mind clearly. Here you can acknowledge the aspects hidden deep within the shadows of your mind and to set about removing them.

Clear away the debris that blocks the mind from leading a successful and productive life and transform your life anew. Practice fresh feelings of honesty and forgiveness, non-judgment and peacefulness.

Release demanding traits that are defining a lifestyle that you do not want. Enter a state of harmony and bliss by stilling the mind, surrendering to change, and reaching the highest level of awareness that enriches and nourishes you.

Meditation Strengthens Serenity
Meditation focuses your energy on the spirit. It redirects it to a place of Bliss that cannot be described, merely experienced.
Meditation brings clarity and peace and also directs all the energy involved in thinking to a single-pointed focus where it connects with the Creator.

Intuition
Trust what you sense deep within you. Listen to the still small voice inside you and hear what it is saying. Trusting in your intuition endows you with the skills to embark upon new challenges and adventures in life.

Meditation helps you see the way forward.

Visualize and Speak your Prayers
Change the way you act by acting as though what you ask for in meditation and prayer has occurred. The pressure is off you as peace arises and guidance from within moves through your life.

Meditation and Spirituality
Meditation equips you with confidence and gladness as you witness yourself succeeding in overcoming old behavior patterns. You understand that you have the tools to help you complete each step on your path. Unwavering Bliss permeates your life both during meditation and following it.

Your whole life becomes a meditation. Your whole life becomes Bliss.

When you offer your inherent gifts of kindness and generosity freely, you feel enriched and renewed by knowing that you are compassionate and doing work that helps humanity.
You owe it to yourself and to the world to live the fullest life possible, assured in the love that is awaiting you.

What you give out, you receive back.
If your thoughts and actions are positive and loving, you will receive this from others and your needs filled in abundance. You learn to live your life free from negativity.

Meditation and Peace
Inner peace comes from helping others. Living a contented life that embodies the positive benefits of connecting with the energy of the Spirit is within your reach. You gather strength in getting to know people and their unique perspectives and skills.
Keep your heart and mind open.
Become a person whose life is spiritually strong and open to the possibilities in everyone.

GUIDED MEDITATION: HEALING

Guided Meditation: Healing

The unique Life Force that exists within you flows effortlessly when all obstacles have been removed. This force is often “seen” within your mind’s eye as an internal light that promotes well-being. It is the energy that is contained within the healing process and your light can be directed to a specific area or drawn through the body as a means of maintaining and optimizing health and vitality.

This light brings an awareness of happiness and contentment that permeates all aspects of your life, including your thoughts and your actions.
If you have any illness, see a qualified medical practitioner as this is not a substitute for medical care.

Method

• Sit in your chosen seated position for meditation
• Draw awareness to the breath until the breath is slow steady and rhythmical
• Focus on seeing your healing light at the base of your spine
• Don’t strain to see the light. Simply focus on the base of the spine with a steady breath until the light appears.
• Keep your body and inner focus relaxed
• With each inhalation draw the light through the body to the crown of the head and on the exhale, see the light flowing from the crown of your head to surround you like a protective aura.
• If the mind wanders, do not judge yourself. Accept that this may happen in the beginning when you are first practicing this method. Simply draw your awareness back to the rhythmic flow of the breath and “see” your light flow from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.
• Let the flow of light continue until you feel that your body is filled and surrounded by the healing light, about three to five breaths.
• Enter into your meditation feeling the light surrounding you, concentrating on the steady flow of the breath

Benefits

There are many benefits of this guided light meditation. They include:

• Stress-reduction
• Awareness of your inner Self where calmness resides
• Ability to relax
• Increased peace
• Calmness during all situations including challenging ones
• Increased flow of energy through the body
• Clarity and balance of body and mind

This inner light meditation is powerful at blocking negative thoughts and emotions and helping you cope with daily life. When the mind is happy and content your energy flows effortlessly and your inner light shines brighter, not only within yourself, but outwardly onto other people as well.

Peace and well-being are closer than you think by feeling your light within you and surrounding you.