Meditation?

This is for those who have done some meditation and also for those who never tried before.

How easy it is to get busy and chaotic in a daily life of choirs, job, family, kids and on and on the list goes on. We get so caught up in things, we don’t even realize that we have completely taken the time away from us. Our own selves. We are no longer properly resting, we gave up our daily or even let it be weekly meditations (for those who don’t meditate it can be an activity that makes you at peace) and now we are sinking in our own thoughts of constant worries to a point that we don’t even notice that this is why we are not able to even get a simple thing as a “good sleep”.

Just think about it. Meditation is such an amazing thing for your body, your nervous system, and your soul. At the time of meditation we allow ourselves to calm down, slow down the brain activity of all the non-stop thoughts and worries that keep circulating in our head and connect with our inner self, our soul. When it’s done on regular basis, we get into that wonderful peaceful state much quicker. We are also able to hear what our soul is trying to convey to us. What it needs, what it wants and how to go about our life’s journey, because now we are more in tune with our senses and aware of the inner wisdom our soul holds. Because we are able to become more still, calm and aware at this time it leads us to have a much more worry free day. This also leads to more restful sleep and stronger immune system. Meditation helps us to be more open, compassionate, have a bigger heart towards things and people, and be more forgiving and loving. Oh, the benefits of meditation are known and spoken in now day and age constantly. So why are we allowing the craziness of daily life get in the way of such great thing? We must not forget how healing, soul feeding and wonderful it is for us. We must find at least 15 minutes every day to meditate and free ourselves of all that clutter in our heads.

Let’s make that a promise to ourselves. Just like a daily need for food, let’s make it a necessity to survive.

If you don’t know how to meditate start with guided meditation. You can find so many great guided meditations on YouTube now. Find the one that sound just right for you, and relax. As you can master the part of letting go of thoughts, as you get better at emptying your mind you can then practice on your own by using visualization or just a breathing techniques.

To visualize- as you lay with your eyes closed start with the top of your head. Visualize the white light entering the crown of your head filling it with this illuminating light, continue down to your throat, your arms, down to your chest. Stop for a minute to concentrate on the heart chakra as you visualize the light filling your heart, removing all the dark corners by filling it with light until your heart is glowing with light and radiating with love (all visually) and (don’t forget to breath slow deep breaths as you do this the whole time). Now continue letting this light flow down to your belly, thighs, legs, all the way down to your toes until you are completely covered in the light. Once you are done

Ujjay Pranayama or Ocean brath  (try this breathing technique)

My favorite pranayama- breathing technique is Ocean breath also known as Ujjayi breath. It’s known as a balancing and calming breath which helps to increase oxygen to the lungs and builds internal body heat. It tones the lungs and helps a healthy flow of prana, while regulating blood pressure.

It’s great to use this kind of breath when you have anxiety, when you need to calm yourself from a stressful situation, when you practice yoga and can also be used in meditation.

Here is how it works:

You inhale and exhale through your nose only, while you do that try to say “ha” with your mouth closed, do it slowly. As the throat passage is narrowed so is the airway- creating a hissing sound. By contracting you throat you create a balanced breathing, slowly taking in and out the oxygen and calming down the mind.

Love and Light

Julia Shestak

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