This morning while I was eating my breakfast, I was going over my emails when I came across this quote.
“True silence is to the spirit what sleep is to the body…nourishment and refreshment.” – William Penn
It made me think of my morning meditation where I was in silence and refreshing my soul.
Last month I attended a 4 day Meditation Retreat in St. George, Utah. I have been a meditator for many years but this retreat brought me to a new level and I learned more about the benefits of meditation. I have always meditated in the morning before my day starts but adding in an additional afternoon meditation has revitalized me for the evening’s activities and helped me to refocus.
If you have been a bit skeptical of meditation or don’t understand the purpose here are some physical benefits of meditation:
Decreased heart rate
Normalization of blood pressure
Quiets breathing
Reduced stress hormones
Reduce sweating
Gets the person out of the“fight-or-flight” response
Deepak Chopra said, “In this world of turbulence and stress, meditation offers access to an inner sanctuary of quiet, centered awareness. From this platform, you will be better able to make life-affirming choices that benefit your emotional and physical well-being it will help you expand your internal reference point, so that little by little you remember you essential nature as infinite and eternal.”
As to some of the emotional/spiritual benefits he also said, “Meditation takes us beyond the mental prison of doubt, anxiety, and judgment to the silent field of expanded awareness in which we remember our essential nature as peaceful, centered, and creative. Just a few minutes a day allows us to experience wholeness in our lives, which supports balance, healing, and transformation.”
So how do you meditate? There are many methods and was out there but the easiest way to start is to find a quiet place, sit comfortably, breathe deeply in and out through your nose, and let go of your thoughts. How do you do that you say?? That is the interesting thing, thoughts will come in and out but don’t judge them just let them come then go back to your mantra. A mantra is a phrase that you can say over and over during the meditation to help focus your mind and let go of the thoughts. It can be as simple as saying, “Be still,” over and over again in your mind. When you start, meditate for a few minutes then work up to a half hour twice a day. (That will most likely take some time. I know it did for me.) Just remember that doing something is better than nothing. As you meditate you will slip into a place called, “the gap” or the place between your thoughts. That is the place where the body relaxes fully and lets go! (I would like to live there.) During a meditation you usually slip in and out of “the gap”.
If you would like to know more, I will be teaching a meditation class at the first of next year. If you are interested in coming email me and I will make sure you receive the particulars. I am hoping to film it and make if available to those that can’t come as well. If you are interested in other classes, fill out this anonymous survey so I have a better idea of what people are interested in learning. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VCCNM5T