| Meditation |
| Most people who think of meditation think of the Eastern style of meditation where you have to crunch yourself up into a pretzel shape and say "ommmme" over and over again. Not so. Meditation can be a very powerful, freeing, and satisfying experience. Through meditation, one can meet their spirit guides, get answers to inner questions, reconnect with past loved ones, or simply go deep within themselves and heal the inner wounds accumulated over a lifetime. Meditation is a wonderful way to spend a few minutes each day. It doesn't have to take long, and there is no special equipment needed. Just a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lay, some soothing music if you like, and maybe a candle or two. You don't even have to close your eyes if you don't want to. Some find it very successful to focus on the flame of a candle or other focal point while meditating. Some find it easier to lay down....and if you fall asleep, that's ok too. You may find that you get the best rest you'e had in weeks. For me, meditation works best sitting either on the floor lotus position, or in a comfy chair with my feet flat on the ground. If you feel the need to ground and connect with Mother Earth, then sitting up in a chair is best. I light a candle and maybe some inscense. Then I sit back, relax, take several deep breaths, inhaling through my nose for the count of six........holding it,..........then releasing it through my mouth for the count of six. Then my meditation begins. Don't be discouraged if you find it difficult to remain focused at first. Learning to meditate takes time. And don't expect a big out of body experience the first time out either. Instead, just go into it with a desire for relaxation and peace. I sometimes repeat a "mantra" or word over and over again. If you choose to use the mantra method, pick a word or phrase that is easy to say, just a sylable or two. I like to use words like Peace, Free or Center. For those of us have busy minds and tend to day dream, you might find it helpful to use visualisation during your meditation. I have a few favorites I will share with you. One of my favorites is called "The Swiss Army House". You can read and try out this wonderful meditation by linking to my good friend Draevyn's site Shaman Shanty In this meditation, you design your dream home in your mind, furnish it, discover a magical mirror that enables you to connect with the universe and you are able to throw your troubles into your magic pond in the backyard. It's truely and inspired work There are other great meditations too. There are some wonderful books out on it, and several authors like Sylvia Browne has at least one meditation in almost all of her books. Another wonderful resource is a website called Learning Meditation. On this site, there are downloadable guided meditations that will take you through quick and easy meditations and visualisations. Each are no longer than 10 minutes long, and are easy to fallow. I encourage everyone to give it a try. So there you go, now you know meditation doesn't have to be boring, and it doesn't have to be hard. It doesn't even have to take long. Just take some time and have fun with it. It's not meant to be rocket science, just enjoy yourself and get what you can out of it. |
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