Posts Tagged ‘Meditation’

The following is a guided meditation that was written for us by the good people over at The Meditation Den. If you are interested in learning more about meditation including guides, questions and answers, and other helpful advice then be sure to visit them.

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This particular meditation is called The Great Tree Meditation. It is a good exercise for anyone whether they are a beginner or more advanced. During the course of this meditative exercise you will be releasing negative emotions and drawing in positive, creative energy so if you find yourself feeling emotional do not worry, that is certainly not uncommon.

As with any meditation make sure that you are somewhere peaceful where you won’t be disturbed for the duration of the exercise. If you are disturbed or distracted then you can either start again or continue from where you left off if you feel able to slip back into it.

Lets begin.

The classic meditation position.

• To begin get yourself in a comfortable position. While the lotus is the “classic” position for meditation, if this is uncomfortable for you then you can sit with your legs stretched out or site on a chair, or even lie down on a bed or sofa. The important thing is that you are comfortable and your back is straight, allowing for proper breathwork.

• Close your eyes and focus on your breathing, allowing your muscles to relax and release any tension they may hold. Breathe deeply through your stomach so that it fully expands on inhalation and contracts to its normal size on exhalation.

• Experience the sensations that breathing brings. The coldness of the air as you inhale, and the warmth as you exhale. The air hitting the roof of your throat as it travels into your lungs.

• When you feel ready begin to focus on the points where your body is in contact with whatever is underneath it, be it floor, sofa, bed, etc. Imagine now that these points are your roots. Allow your roots to burrow deep, deep into the earth core – the heart of nature itself. You are part of nature. You are nature.

• As you exhale you are pushing out any blocked emotions and negativity you may hold, passing to earth so that it can heal you. And when you inhale you are breathing in a pure white light up through your roots that provides you with positive, healing energy.

• When you are ready begin to focus on the crown of your head. It is the head that houses the brain, and the brain which houses the mind, and the mind that houses your powers of creativity. Just as your roots burrowed down deep into the earth, now visualize branches full of lush green leaves sprouting from your head up high into the sky. The golden sun is shinning upon you.

• Now inhalation brings with it a new creative fire, new ideas and passion reinvigorated all passed down from the sun. As you exhale you are releasing any creative blocks that your mind has been holding up into the sky, letting them float away.

• You are now the Great Tree with deep roots to the earth and strong branches with beautiful leaves touching the sky. When you breathe in now you are enjoying the full benefits of being the Spirit Tree. You receive the creative energy from the sun and the emotional healing energy from the earth. And when you breathe out you are pushing away the negativity and mental blocks that stop you from being the divine self.

Continue to enjoy this meditation for as long as you desire.

I’ve written about meditation and its many benefits before here on Relaxation Haven – check out the archives for more information. Some people still find it difficult to find time to meditate or struggle to ease themselves into a meditative state. That’s why I’ve come up with these easy to follow tips on meditation.

Start With Short Sessions

It’s easy to get thrown off by the idea that you need to meditate for an hour to gain any benefit, however this is simply not true. You can experience significant benefits just by meditating for five minutes a day and you’ll probably find it a lot easier to meditate for a short amount of time to begin with.

Be Comfortable

Wherever you choose to meditate make sure it is a place that is comfortable for you. For most people this means a warm temperature and soft flooring. The way you hold your body is also important. You don’t have to sit in the lotus position if you don’t want to but that is a great posture for a beginner to meditation. You can sit however you want though, although it is recommended that you keep your back as straight as possible.

The clothes you wear can also make a difference. The best type of clothes for meditating are loose, soft and comfortable.

Breathe Slowly and Deeply

Meditation is all about focusing the mind on one thing. The easiest thing to focus on is your breathing. Breathe slowly and deeply through your nose and focus on how their air feels as it enters and then leaves your body.

Don’t Worry

One of the aims of meditation is to reduce conscious thought. However it is common, especially for beginners, to find conscious thoughts entering the mind while they’re trying to meditate. If this happens, don’t worry, your session is far from ruined. Just allow the thought to flow in and out of the mind.

Create a Routine

Meditation is most effective when it is done regularly. It is better to meditate for five minutes everyday than for an hour once a month. Find a window of time that you can use everyday and use it to meditate. You could also create a routine around this time. For example you may want to have a nice warm bath before you meditate to loosen your muscles and then perhaps read a book or listen to relaxing music for awhile afterwards.

I hope these tips will help you to enjoy meditation and all the benefits it offers.

It’s only natural that a person carries anxiety with them at some point in their life. While most of us try to live as calm and relaxing a life as possible, there are invariably situations and events beyond our control that can lead to stress and anxiety. Some manage to take these moments in their stride, but for the rest of us it just isn’t that easy. Are there any relaxation techniques that can be used for anxiety reduction?

Thankfully the answer is yes, otherwise there’d be billions of people bustling around fit to burst at any time! You can reduce anxiety by using some of the following methods:

It’s Good To Talk – This has long been the motto of British Telecom and it applies very nicely to anxiety. If you’ve got a problem that is causing you stress and anxiety then it can be very helpful to talk it over with a friend or family member. A problem shared is a problem halved.

Meditation – Ten minutes of meditation each day will help you to release any anxiety you may be holding in your mind. This is a quiet time where you empty your mind of all thoughts and just “be”. You can learn more about meditation from my article An Overview of Meditation.

Jog On – Jogging for a long period of time (over an hour is recommended) produces what is known as the “runner’s high”. After a continuous period of exercise your body releases a number of endorphins which reduce stress and anxiety, as well as relieve physical pain. Also jogging is a great way to keep fit and studies show that people in good shape are less likely to suffer from high levels of anxiety.

Self Hypnosis – Much like meditation, self hypnosis gives you a break from mental chatter. There is, however, an additional benefit to self hypnosis. You can also implant hypnotic suggestions that can help you to feel even calmer, or perhaps to achieve a personal goal of yours. This does make it a little more difficult than meditation but you can get guided self hypnosis MP3s from websites like HypnoBusters.

Cut Out The Causes – This may be the ultimate anxiety reduction technique. Take time to consider what it is in your life that causes you stress and anxiety and cut out as many as you realistically can. Obviously you can’t, for example, abandon your children (however tempting that may seem at times!) but you can stop returning the phone calls of that friend who always seems to need a big favor at the last minute or quit drinking and smoking.

I hope these anxiety reduction tips help you greatly. For more advice on relaxation be sure to check out the archives here at Relaxation Haven.