Common wisdom tells us that we need to learn to relax, to breath, to let go of stress (or at least attempt to control it) ultimately; to meditate. Words easily said. However, while most of us have the desire to alleviate the stressors in our lives, few of us have the time or energy to figure out ‘how’ to do it.
If we are honest, we may even admit to being ‘turned off’ by the concept of traditional meditation or at the very least, we find ourselves unable to create the expected environment; a quite room, the same time each day, a yogi posture while sitting on the floor with legs folded in front of us, our minds clear and able to exist in a state of ‘quite’ for 20 minutes or more.
This is where Western Meditation and the concept of Guided Meditation comes in to play. It is important to understand that meditation does not have to be done in the ‘traditional’ way to be effective. There is NO right or wrong way to do it. Western Mediation recognizes that meditation is possible in a noisy room. It doesn’t require that you meditate at the exactly same time every day. It more often than not is done in a comfortable chair and allows for many short moments of meditation rather than a fixed amount of time.
Primarily, Guided Meditation works because it gives our ‘busy’ minds something to concentrate on. It is a combination of the spoken word with soothing and complimentary music playing in the background. Guided Meditations can cover a vast array of subjects. They can focus on relaxation, help you work through issues, challenge you to explore new ideas, inspire you with affirmations and, if you choose, facilitate connections to your spiritual beliefs. A good Guided Meditation will fully engage your imagination and temporarily take you ‘away’ from your daily routine.
A Guided Meditation or Guided Visualization will generally start by walking you through breathing exercises. These exercises help with relaxation and work toward putting you in a more comfortable ‘frame of mind.’ You will then be given a series of verbal pictures that will take you through a story or situation relevant to the meditation. Generally, the story will lead you to a place where you will be given quite time to reflect and contemplate. Finally, you will be gently brought back to a wakened conscious state. You should fully expect to find yourself more relaxed and in a thoughtful state of mind.
The Guided Meditation Project offers a number of Guided Meditations, both in CD format and in downloadable MP3 format. We invite you to take a FREE ‘Journey’ with us today. Simply sign up for our newsletter and you will immediately be sent a link to a complimentary 10 minute Guided Meditation. We are looking forward to sharing it with you…
