The Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is a practice that is currently gaining more recognition for its importance to health and wellbeing  but, first of all, what exactly is meditation?

Meditation can be described as a state of being where the mind remains alert and focused while the body is relaxed and resting.  It can also be described as a spiritual discipline promoting balance, peace, inner strength and ultimately self-realisation.  It can also be regarded as a method of training the mind to become more focused and productive. 

It is also helpful to state what meditation isn’t and to allay some of the fears and misconceptions that have arisen around this subject.  During meditation you will not be hypnotised or controlled.  Some people fear 'opening up' in some way but you are in control of your experiences at all times.  Other people worry that they have to empty their mind altogether and switch off their thoughts completely.  With meditation, the idea is not to empty the mind altogether but to give the mind just one thing to focus on rather than letting it wander and jump from one thought to another.

Regularity of Practice

Many benefits can be gained from a regular meditation practice but the key point to note is that your practice must be regular!  Ideally you should aim for 20 minutes a day but even if you only manage 10 minutes at the beginning or end of the day, you will find that you are in a much more positive and productive state of mind.

Mental Health Benefits

Meditation is often used as a method of relieving stress.  It is calming for the mind and body so is excellent for combatting the symptoms of stress.  Meditation reduces anxiety, releases fears and improves depression.  It generates optimism and motivation and improves self-esteem and confidence.  It frees the mind from self-doubt and the internal chatter which is usually very negative in nature.  Meditation is calming and grounding – helping to put things into perspective and bringing you back to a place of peace and stillness.

With regular practice your thinking becomes clearer and quicker, leading to increased productivity and creativity. This is one of the reasons why meditation is being introduced into many workplaces nowadays as bosses hear about and recognise the benefits to their workforce.  Meditation also provides greater concentration and focus in daily life and can aid in achieving goals: for this reason it is valued as a method of improving performance in both study and sport.

 

Physical Health Benefits

Meditation can improve physical health in many ways.  Studies have been carried out to prove that it lowers blood pressure and reduces tension. The immune system is given a boost as it is under less stress when the mind is calmer.  Meditation relaxes the nervous system, reduces the intensity of headaches and migraines, relieves muscular tension and improves insomnia.  When the mind is more relaxed, digestion improves with improved absorption of nutrients, so meditation can have a very beneficial effect on conditions such as IBS.

 

Spiritual Health Benefits

Generally meditation promotes inner harmony, peace and balance. It can encourage greater inner strength, serenity and self-confidence, which leads to positive changes in all areas of life.  It increases intuition and self-awareness and encourages us to live in the present, develop forgiveness and release the emotional baggage of the past.  People often report a greater sense of wellbeing and a stronger sense of connection to others and to the world around them.

 

Helen Shortland is a Reiki Master Teacher, Meditation Teacher and Holistic Therapist based at Little London Herbal Stores on Kings Walk in Nottingham city centre.  Her next meditation course is a 4 week Vipassana (Stillpoint) Meditation course commencing Wed 10^th April 10.30-11.45am and is open to all with a basic knowledge of meditation. Cost is £28 for full course or £8 for individual classes.  Please contact Helen by emailing helenshortland@live.co.uk for further information and/or to book a place.

 

Spring Cleaning the Energy Field

One of the things we associate with Spring is spring-cleaning the home but we can also do this on an energetic level.  Spring is an excellent time to let go of the old and let fresh new energy in.  It is a time for releasing pain, anger and sadness that you have been holding onto from the past and which is weighing you down and affecting your energy levels in the present.  Is there someone you need to forgive?  Or is there a situation or person in your life now who you need to release?
 

Aura Cleansing

Anyone can benefit from cleansing the entire aura every now and again, thereby improving vitality. However anyone working as a healer needs to be particularly aware of their energy levels and cleanse themselves of any negative energies they may have picked up during the day.  It is particularly beneficial to do this before and/or after giving a healing treatment or after you have been in a negative environment. 

First of all, sit comfortably with eyes closed. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor, regulate your breathing and relax the body.  Visualize a ball of radiant white healing light just above the crown of your head, which radiates all around you, filling your auric field.  As you inhale, visualize and feel that you are drawing in a stream of pure white healing light through the soles of your feet up to your head, energizing and revitalizing your whole body and the chakras as it flows through you.  Pause and hold your breath when you reach the crown.  As you exhale, visualize a stream of pure white light flowing down from your head to your feet, cleansing all the toxins and impurities from your body out through the soles of your feet.  Pause and hold the breath.  Practice 5 more rounds.

Return to normal breathing, but breathe with long, slow, deep rhythmic breaths.  Inhale and visualize healing energy flowing from the soles of your feet up the back of your body to your head.  Exhale from your face down the front of your body to your feet.  Repeat 3 more times, circulating the energy from back to front.  Now visualize the healing energy flowing up the front of your body as you inhale and flowing down the back as you exhale.  Repeat 3 more times.

Inhale and visualize the healing energy flowing up the left side of your body. Exhale and visualize the energy flowing down the right side of your body.  Repeat 3 more times.  Inhale and visualize the healing energy flowing up the right side of your body. Exhale and visualize the energy flowing down the left side of your body.  Repeat 3 more times.  Relax and become aware of the flow of energy in and through your aura.

Cord Cutting

Cord cutting only cuts out the unhealthy aspect of a relationship or situation so please don’t worry that you will cut a person out of your life completely!  It does however result in a noticeable improvement in the relationship or situation, especially if this exercise is repeated several times.  When faced with a difficult, challenging situation, it is always more useful to do something proactive to improve things rather than just worry and fret about it constantly.  Doing an exercise like this will help you feel a little more in control of the situation and less of a victim.

Sit comfortably, close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply and rhythmically, for a few minutes. Visualise the person or situation concerned, then visualize an energy cord, like a tube if you wish, connecting you to the person or situation. Now call upon Archangel Michael and visualise him with a sapphire blue sword. Say firmly, out loud or to yourself, “Archangel Michael, Archangel Michael, Archangel Michael, I call upon you now and ask you to cut the cords of fear and negativity that connect me to _____ that are draining my energy and vitality. Thank you.”  Sit quietly for a few moments while the cords are cut.  You can also visualize the cord(s) being severed by the sapphire blue sword.  Now say “Archangel Michael, Archangel Michael, Archangel Michael, please place your blue cloak of protectoon all around me to send healing energy to any gaps or holes in my aura and to protect my energy field.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Afterwards you may feel like a weight has been shifted, you may sense increased energy or just have a feeling of peace and/or a reduction of anxiety.

Strengthening the Energy Field

To complete your cleansing and releasing exercises, the energy field should be charged with loving pink and protective golden light. 

Sit comfortably, close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply and rhythmically, for a few minutes.  Become aware of the space surrounding you, your aura, and feel that you are a part of that space.  See the space surrounding you as sacred, holy ground, an area which no-one, whether seen or unseen can enter.  Allow the space surrounding you to become slowly flooded with vibrant white light, shining down from above, coloured with pink.  Feel overwhelmed with pink energy and allow it to infuse your mind, your heart and your soul with gentleness, compassion and love.  Make your surrounding space strong and impenetrable by creating a high wall of golden light around its circumference.  Infuse the wall with more golden energy, making it even more vibrant and powerful.  Feel yourself totally submerged in the surrounding pink light and know, without any shadow of a doubt, that this is your space, your sacred and holy space, in which nothing and no-one can enter.  Spend 5 or 10 minutes in this space then start to become aware of the sounds in the room and your physical body in the chair.  Stretch a little and, when you are ready, open your eyes.

You can also visualize all the things you wish to do and achieve as if they are actually happening now.  Try to include as much detail as possible in your visualisations, such as how you would feel, act and look, but do bear in mind other people’s free will and only focus on yourself in this exercise.  If you have time, visualize these goals once a day and you’ll soon be drawing the opportunities you need to you!