Meditation: An Introduction To the Stillness Within
What is meditation anyway? You’re probably thinking of someone sitting cross-legged on the floor or crisscross applesauce as my child might say. Then this same said person is loudly chanting oooommmmm, for all to hear, with thumb & index finger touching in a mudra…..
Well meditation can certainly be that, if that’s how one chooses to meditate. It can be also done sitting in a chair & lying down. Yes, I did say lying down. If you fall asleep that’s your body’s way of telling you that sleep may be a bit more important than this meditation stuff at the moment.
But before you figure out your ideal position, what is meditation for? Most likely you may have heard that meditation is about achieving inner peace, quieting the mind & that’s correct. There are also other benefits to meditation
Meditation has been proven to have a significant therapeutic effect on both physical & mental conditions. Having trouble with anxiety? Meditation can help decrease anxiety symptoms assisting with increased coping skills during times of high anxiety or stress. Difficulty with chronic or debilitating pain? Meditation can assist with that, stilling the mind helping you control your responses to the pain, which in turn can lessen the pains negative effect on you.
When done regularly meditation can enhance ones self-awareness & promote personal & spiritual growth. In it’s more advanced forms meditation can take you beyond a “self” centered perspective of yourself & your immediate surroundings to an exploration of all that we are connected with.
Best of all meditation can be done at your own pace & at your own time, in your own unique way. So starting of for a few minutes a day is better than nothing. Find a time & a place where you will not be disturbed even if this means waiting until the kids are in bed or before they get up as you sip your coffee/tea in silence. At work & need to center yourself? Go outside weather permitted, into another room or sit quietly in your own space for a few seconds & don’t forget to breathe.
Clearing the lungs of old stale air & letting fresh air reach down deep into your organs is very cleansing & refreshing. You can do this by breathing in through your nose counting slowly until 4, holding your breath in for 2 counts then, exhaling (out the nose or mouth, which ever you prefer) slowly to the count of four. This can be a great pick me up any time of day
For myself meditation is something that helps center me & it allows me to be more focused for what needs to be done that day. And of course I experience many other benefits as well. I personally use different techniques based on my needs at the time.
If your finding it difficult to start a meditation practice there are many good resources out there on the internet & even at the public library. However, if you are looking for a more guided experience I can assist you with that. Through guided imagery/meditation.
Some of the meditation topics we can explore:
Health & Healing
Grounding
Relaxation
Pain relief
Stress relief
Stilling a restless mind
Decreasing Anger
Decreasing Anxiety
Releasing Fear
Coping with grief
Increasing self-awareness
Forgiveness for self & others
Creating abundance
Increasing creativity
Connecting with higher self
Creating an inner sanctuary, a sacred space within (a place you can return to every time you meditate).
Connecting with spirit guides.
One example of using guided imagery/meditation I used with one of my clients was focused primarily on health & healing. The client was experiencing an unexplained mass on her breast. We utilized techniques to decrease her anxiety in regards to her health concern & I used guided visualizations for the client to “picture” the mass reducing in size. The client has since visited her healthcare provider who stated that the mass no longer existed. **This is just one example & results vary with each individual & circumstance.
Wherever your path takes you meditation can be a great tool to go down that path with a clear mind, a greater sense of self, & clear intentions no matter what the future holds.
With many blessings,
Tabby Sapene MSW, LISW-S
Oasis Of The Heart, LLC
