Meditation is quite easy to do, just find a place to sit down and practice it. Meditation is one of the most common practice of mindfulness and is readily available to all. Unlike yoga and the like, you don’t need to buy a mat just to be able to practice it. Guided meditation is just one form of meditation that you can try!
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness and meditation can actually be combined to be called as “Mindfulness Meditation”. It is a mental training that you can practice every day. The aim of this is to bring you in a state of awareness where you let go of the unwanted thoughts and just focus yourself on what you are currently doing. It helps slow down your racing thoughts by letting go of the negativity and focus on your mind and body. Mindfulness techniques varies but almost all involves breathing practice and awareness of body and mind.
The practice of mindfulness meditation actually gives us an opportunity to become more present with ourselves. We focus on the present and we let go of the wary past and the uncertain future. We are able to have a glimpse of our wisdom through meditating and we are also taught on how to stop perpetuating the unnecessary suffering that was a result of us trying to escape from the discomfort and pain we felt by experiencing living.
Guided Meditation
I bet you are curious, out of the many types of meditation, about guided meditation. What is unique in this that can’t be achieved through practicing the other types of meditation?
Guided meditation may just be another type of meditation, but it somehow requires you to be led especially when it is your first time to try it. Guided meditation is a process by which the participants meditate through the guidance provided by a trained person or a teacher. This can be done via sound recording, videos or through the use of audiovisual media where the music or verbal instructions is incorporated.
Where to Experience Guided Meditation
Internet
Since a lot of people are at home and are consistently worrying due to the coronavirus, many websites and applications now offer guided meditation services. This is helpful especially if you are having anxiety attacks and would want for your mind to momentarily drift away from your worries. It is also easily accessible at your fingertips.
Local Meditation Classes
Try looking for available meditation classes in your area. There are many meditation classes done online nowadays. You just need to pay for a minimal fee. What’s a little expense if it can ease your mind and body? Just choose which instructor you think will best guide you in meditating as each one of them has their own different styles that they use to teach their students.
Benefits of Guided Meditation
1. Guided meditation improves your overall cognitive abilities and helps you to focus more. You will also notice that you are able to concentrate more, develop your skills quicker and increase your memory powers.
2. It also gives you a magical experience through guided meditation where your mind goes through a journey that is not stressful and you will enjoy more.
3. Guided meditation helps clear your mind of your worrisome thoughts and feelings. Hence, you will have a clearer mind and be able to declutter whatever it is that might be causing the anxiousness that you feel.
4. Guided meditation was also found to be helpful in improving the mental well-being for people who are suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental disorders. It has an ability to slow down the brain waves of the brain, lessening the stressors that triggers the hyperactivity of the brain causing anxiety attacks.
5. Meditation, as a form of relaxation, allows your body to rest and restore the balance in it.
6. There are also remarkable researches which shows that guided meditation improves sleep quality of people who are having sleeping difficulties. Meditation helps quiet your thoughts which is a good way of having a good night sleep.
7. Meditation was also found to decrease the inflammatory processes at the cellular level by neutralizing acidosis and lessening the pain that one is experiencing.
8. Meditation, as a relaxation technique, is able to modestly lower the blood pressure. The reduction of stress has been significant in lowering the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of people who are known to be suffering from hypertension.
9. Guided meditation also stimulates the right side of the brain, improving the visualization skills of a person. It also strengthens the connection between the right and left side of the brain as it works together.
10. Lastly, Meditation was proven to improve the physical health of a person by decreasing the metabolism and improving the heart rate, breathing and brain waves of a person. The release of the muscular tension also relaxes the body.
How to do Guided Meditation?
If you are not a fan of phone applications or group classes, you may try to meditate on your own by watching or listening to guided meditation videos that you can find online. Here’s what you should prepare and do during guided meditation:
- Remove all the possible distractions by turning of your phone, television or anything that might possibly let your mind drift away.
- Find a comfortable place where you can sit or lie down. Some may prefer to sit on the bed (just make sure that you are not going to sleep!).
- Close your eyes and breathe naturally. Take some time on breathing and let the guide take it from there.
- Allow the guide to bring you to a state of meditation. Focus on what you are feeling throughout the whole process.
Let us know what if you were able to try Guided Meditation! Is it good?