By Jennifer Farmer
The practice of meditation is simple, easy and available to everyone. It is a valuable way to gain a higher sense of self, find peace of mind, and improve your state of spiritual awareness.
How do you start? It can be as easy as just focusing on breathing in and out. Spending time everyday connecting to your breath will help to reduce stress, restore emotional balance, provide clarity, and accelerate healing in your life.
Meditation is not new. The practice has been around since time has begun, and it can be incorporated into the daily lives of people from all walks of life, faiths, religions, and belief systems. There is no need to change your church or culture to take up a meditation practice! As a spiritual practice, meditation is the pathway taken to raise your vibration and create a safe haven where you can retreat from the stresses of everyday life. With dedication and a time commitment, the positive benefits of meditation will blend into everyday life so that you become more aware, focused, and calmer when you go about your daily activities.
While the motivation behind starting a meditation practice is different to everyone, the benefits for all include:
- Improving overall health by reducing stress and stress-related ailments.
- Increasing happiness that will lead to a calmer, more peaceful demeanor.
- Helping deal with grief over losing loved ones.
- Strengthening concentration and focus attention spans for more productive use of time.
Physical and emotional stress management is a priority in preventing health issues, and medical experts have associated many illnesses to our state of mind, depression and other emotional problems. As we become stressed and despondent, we are at a higher risk of developing a disease because our ability to keep our immune system healthy is compromised. In response, hospitals and large medical groups are making meditation classes available to patients as a way to reduce stress and help heal some ailments.
Meditation studies have been done with patients dealing with fibromyalgia, cancer, hypertension and psoriasis. This research concludes that a faithful meditation practice can positively affect the outcome of chronic illness and can serve as a major component of one’s healing and recovery. Indeed, today’s health care professionals are demonstrating a commitment to holistic practice by asking patients to utilize meditation on their paths to recovery.
Make Meditation a Priority
Getting started with meditation can be confusing because there is so much information available via the Internet. If you are reading this and have been drawn to look into meditation, this is your validation to get started. Your next step is to just do it! I recommend that people use some kind of guided meditation to start their inner journey because they take the guess work out of what to do. As a tool, these journeys help you learn how to turn down the mental mind clutter and help you focus on one thing at a time. Many people experience frustration when they cannot get their minds to settle down. This is normal in the learning process. As with all things in life, the benefits of meditation come with consistent practice.
When you are ready to give meditation a whirl, take the following steps:
1) Schedule time on your calendar – make it a priority for seven days.
2) Prepare for your meditation by turning off all distractions.
3) Set a time goal of five minutes to start.
With practice and the steps above, the following beginner’s meditation will raise your awareness and shift your consciousness to the present moment, where peace can always be found.
- Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down.
- Take in three nice relaxing slow breaths.
- Bring your attention to the present moment.
- For the next two to three minutes, focus your awareness on your breathing without changing it.
- Now, breathe in a little deeper and exhale naturally.
- Draw your awareness inward, finding that nice quiet place within.
- Feel that inner space within you.
- Get quiet, listen and observe where you are at in the present moment.
- Relax and take another breath in and let go on the exhale.
- Allow yourself to BE where you are at this moment.
- Let the calm and peace of the moment embrace you.
- Smile and enjoy the energy within you.
And peace will be with you!
Jennifer Farmer is a gifted intuitive, medium and spiritual teacher. In 2008, Bob Olson, editor of BestPsychicMediums.com, named her as one of the Best Psychic Mediums. Jennifer has been a featured guest on radio programs including Hay House radio Spirit Connections with John Holland. Jennifer has developed a series of healthy living guided meditations to help improve your spiritual connection, reduce stress, manage chronic pain, overcome anxiety and depression, and take control of your life. In 2010, Jennifer’s meditations were featured in Yoga Magazine. She is available for phone consultations and is now available for in-person sessions in Pinellas County, FL. She offers group meditations, public demonstrations of mediumship, and signature workshops on developing intuition and spiritual development. For more information, please visit www.JenniferFarmer.com or contact her at 817.690.4208.