Mindfulness Meditation
Learning to Turn the Mind Inward
Mindfulness Meditation encourages your attention to turn inward, thereby naturally enlivening your True Nature – your experience of “being”. For most, quieting the mind – i.e. turning the mind inward – is a challenge due to accumulated stress in our body and the incessant thoughts of the mind. Accessing moments in life to meditate is the key to developing a practice. Mindfulness Meditation will help you learn to:
1. Breathe Consciously
The breath is the link between the body and the mind. Your breath is a direct reflection of how you react to life. Paying attention to your breath in the face of any life situation and using breathing techniques designed to energize or to remain calm gives you the power to change yourself and consequently, your life. A wonderful way to begin is to take a mindful walk. Natural settings are ideal, but to develop a practice of breath awareness, mindful breathing while walking can be used anywhere at any time. Perhaps taking ten conscious breaths while taking a shower, doing dishes, or eating your favorite dessert can highlight the power held within yourself to heal the body and mind of stress. Simply choosing to slow down, and observing your breath in everyday life circumstances through Mindfulness Meditation can develop a peace-filled habit and practice.
2. Visualize
Often touted as a necessity to manifest your reality…the power of suggestion and visualization is the most effective way to train yourself to focus. Mindfulness Meditation helps you in that. The key is to first select a singular, safe, personally significant image such as the beach, a full moon, a beautiful tree… When the imagination is involved to elicit a peaceful feeling in the body your mind obliges and it opens your disposition to being more present. With practice, the grip of your habitual identification with judgment and unpleasant feelings is lessened, encouraging you to just be with the here and now as it is.
3. Use a Sound
The focused use of a sound (e.g. a vowel or a mantra) synchronizes the mind into a single, concentrated state. Paying attention to the vibrations of the tone, sound, or phrase resounding within encourages being fully present. We each hold a mantra sound within our own name. Becoming familiar with ourselves and who we are by using our own mantra is highly effective to reduce stress, reset the nervous system and release unwanted thoughts. Please feel free to contact me for a free online 15-minute Sound Healing Mantra teaching.
4. Follow Your Energy Flow
When feeling depleted or unable to sleep, choosing meditation is one way to restore the body’s natural rhythm and optimal energy flow. Notice how you feel and what your breathing rate sounds like in a moment of frustration. Is it irregular or shallow? Your breath is a prime indicator of how your body and energy levels are doing. Paying attention and consciously slowing it down determines the energy flow (prana) within the body. There are many yogic poses used and intentional breathing techniques (Pranayama) taught, as well as how to hold had postures (mudras) to quiet the mind.
5. Hand Gestures (Mudras)
Simply stated, holding the hands and fingers in specific postures can help to stimulate and affect the flow of energy in the meditating person. There is quite a variety of hand positions that are recognized as health remedies and energy amplifiers. Classes, online and one-on-one sessions provide you with options tailored to your specific health needs and meditation practice. The following are relatively well-known and highly effective:
