Meditation is still the best and cheapest gift I've ever given myself. It's a beautiful way to quiet our overactive mind, which loves to worry about the future and replays our regrets. I've meditated for a long time. (I won't tell you how long, or you might guess my age.) But for some odd reason, once I had children, I stopped, maybe because I found it hard to find the time. However, once Kyle, our son, started having so many car accidents and totaled two cars, I turned into a nervous wreck, afraid of losing him, so I picked up meditation again religiously once a day and sometimes even twice.
It's perfect for kids, too, especially children with A.D.D., A.D.H.D., Autism, Tourettes, and depression. I offered meditation to Canoga High School's Special Education classes and taught it to my students, and the teachers were surprised at how calm and focused the students became. A few kids shared that they even taught their parents. I allotted time for it in the classroom when I could or when my students begged for it because they couldn't focus. Some schools are teaching Mindfulness in schools, and the teachers that enforce it find that it also helps their students.
Some Ways Meditation Helps:
* Lowers anxiety and depression * Raises concentration
* Creates emotional balance * Immunity boost
* Pain relief * Improves productivity
* Increased creative thinking * Helps in physical health in many ways
* Lowers blood pressure * Reduces brain chatter in the head
Guidelines for Meditation:
1. Find a quiet place – no distractions. Silence your cell and tell your family that you're unavailable for 15 to 30 minutes so that you won't be interrupted (that includes animals if you know they'll bug you).
2. Sit on the floor, on a bed with pillows for support, or in a chair with your spine straight, your eyes
closed, and your palms up on your lap or beside you. (Palms are sensitive.) For beginners, it helps to have some soft music playing. There are tons of meditation music on the internet.
closed, and your palms up on your lap or beside you. (Palms are sensitive.) For beginners, it helps to have some soft music playing. There are tons of meditation music on the internet.
3. Take about five deep breaths through your nose and expel the air out of your mouth slowly. (This
helps your body to slow down.) Feel your breath going in and out… in and out. Notice how
your body vibrations are already slowing down.
4. Now, if you feel comfortable, add a mantra. Om is probably one of the most common and oldest mantras used. It is a sacred sound, which means peace. Or you could make up your own
mantra, "I love myself," or "peace."
a.) Let the mantra flow without forcing the word(s), or you might get a headache.
b.) Sometimes, you might see your mantra in different colors or sizes, or it might speed up or
slow down. That's fine.
c.) If thoughts sneak in, slowly push them away and return to your mantra.
5. If you want to meditate traditionally, raise your gaze to your third eye, your spiritual eye,
which is between your eyebrows. The third eye refers to the gate that leads to higher
consciousness. Don't force this; let it come naturally.
consciousness. Don't force this; let it come naturally.
6. You can glance at a nearby clock or cell to see how much time has passed, but open your eyes
slowly and partially. When you are ready to finish, stop your mantra, and give yourself a couple of minutes of silence; keep your mind clear of thoughts, then open your eyes very slowly. (If you come out of meditation too quickly, or someone interrupts you, sometimes you will get a horrible headache.)
slowly and partially. When you are ready to finish, stop your mantra, and give yourself a couple of minutes of silence; keep your mind clear of thoughts, then open your eyes very slowly. (If you come out of meditation too quickly, or someone interrupts you, sometimes you will get a horrible headache.)
If you find you're having a hard time meditating, or you have young children that you are trying to introduce to the concept, here are some baby steps. (Start with 5 minutes and when you feel comfortable with that time, add on a few more minutes until you can concentrate for 15 to 30 minutes. Once you feel comfortable, you can try the traditional way of meditation. Just follow the guidelines above.
1. Follow steps 1-3 in the 'How to Meditation' section, except don't close your eyes.
2. Pick a comfortable spot to stare at and just breathe through your nose and out your mouth. Look at a place on the floor, a doorknob, a plant, whatever is comfortable for you.
3. If a thought or image pops up, pretend to write it down or draw it in your imaginary journal.
4. When you are ready to stop, take a few slow deep breaths and then give yourself a couple of
minutes of silence before you start your day.
5. Try 5 minutes and when you feel comfortable with that time, add on a few more minutes until you
can only stare at something for 15 to 30 minutes. (Remember, no one is pushing you.) Then, if you want to try the traditional way of meditating, follow the guidelines above. Remember, there are a
lot of benefits to practicing traditional meditation.
I would love to hear from you after you or your children meditate for a week or two. I promise I'll write to you/them back, and I won't correct their spelling even though I used to teach English.
My e-mail is: tbboivin8 @ gmail.com, in case you have any questions or want to share your story.
My blog shares some personal stories and teaches methods about letting go, what happens when we don't forgive, and a technique that teaches you to forgive
When I feel disjointed I realize I've stopped meditating and let "the world" take over. Thanks for the reminder! JM
ReplyDeleteYes, we get so busy during the course of the day that we forget to take time out for ourselves.
ReplyDelete