Meditation

Meditation is a form of relaxation therapy, as well as a means of centring oneself in order to reach the realms of spirit.

If you are a beginner, it is suggested that you sit in a quiet place, switch off the phone and TV, put on a CD of relaxing music, nothing loud or distracting, light a candle and get comfortable. Begin by taking three deep breaths and exhaling fully after holding each breath for three seconds. Notice your heartbeat and become aware of your body. Relax each part of your body starting with the crown of your head working downwards. Remember breath evenly and gently as you relax. Make your mind as still as you can and when a thought comes in, just acknowledge it and let it pass away from you.

Then take yourself off to a favourite place, or a place you remember being happy in, or a very beautiful place. Notice all the colours, the smells, the warmth, the breeze, the animals, the plants, the trees, in fact every small detail of your place. Or, imagine you are floating, and then stepping onto a cloud and rising up above the earth. Alternatively you could imagine you are in a fantastic room full of beautiful things, and as you look about you, notice all the details of this room.

Meditate for about fifteen minutes, and feel totally at ease and relaxed and energised when you return back to the room. Meditation is good for the body as it relaxes every muscle in the body, regulates the heartbeat, calms the mind and cleanses the body of stress and strain. It actually slows down the brains waves and electrical current that passes through it, and also oxygenates the blood, which stimulates every organ of the body.

Many religions use meditation as part of their culture, and use it to still the mind and open the soul. Reaching up to spirit is done by firstly meditating to reach the ‘stillness’, and to open up the seven chakras, or energy centres of the body.  Meditation can be a very good release for depression, headaches and pain control, and can also be used to help asthmatics learn to control their breathing. Being fully aware of our bodies for granted and barely give a thought to how it needs rest pr a break from the stresses and strains of everyday life. Taking fifteen minutes each day for ‘me time’ is a good habit to get into, and you will find great benefit from it. None of us ever sit and listen to silence, and there is no silence in our world, so meditation enables us to hear the silence and contemplate it. Once you become practised at meditation, you will be able to do it anywhere, on a bus, train, plane, or even at work! Meditation is a form of self healing for the body.