Meditation

Photo: Lisa Traxler

What are the benefits of meditation?

Decision-making

One of the main benefits of meditation, I think, is to help us make decisions in our everyday lives. If we can respond to situations and choices from a deep-centred and balanced place, our decisions will reflect that. We always have a place to go, deep within ourselves, when life throws up challenges that we might not immediately know how to respond to.

Stress Relief

Other benefits of meditation are well promoted. One of the most popular is to help relieve stress. So many of us find our lives spiralling out of control - busy beyond belief, so by giving ourselves time to meditate we are able to slow down and re-balance our body, mind and spirit. It's a chance to re-align ourselves with Mother Earth, connect with our inner spirit and with the Great Mystery/Divine. On a physical level this reduces our blood pressure and acknowledges the resting of our bodies. Mentally it allows us to move away from the constant mind chatter that can cause sleeplessness, high blood pressure, stress and general anxiety.

Pain Relief

Meditation can also assist in pain relief - by focussing on the breath and dropping down into a place of peace and serenity, we can step out of the cycle of anxiety and stress that builds up with continuing chronic pain. It may not eliminate pain, but helps us to cope with it more effectively.

Depression

Meditation is a great way to help alleviate depression. It gives us back our power, which is something that we lose when we are depressed. We can feel as though our lives have no meaning, and our motivation becomes low. Meditation can be a powerful tool in helping assist us out of the trough of despair - gently, bit by bit, until we step up to a place where we start to see the light again.

Meditating at home

Follow this link for inspiration:

http://www.thesilentminute.org.uk/ - Joining in a minute of peace for one minute every night. "There is no power on earth that can withstand the united co-operation on spiritual levels of men and women of goodwill everywhere. It is for this reason that the continued and widespread observance of the Silent Minute is of such vital importance in the interest of human welfare."

If you wish to spend some time for yourself at home, meditating in peace and solitude, choose a place in your home that you always use. You can set it up comfortably with seating that suits you, perhaps pictures and statues for inspiration, and a candle to light as you set your intention to spend a few minutes on your own inner peace. This can then become your sacred space and the more you use it for meditation and quiet contemplation, the more you build up the energy vibrations in that place.

See Links for local venues where you may find Meditation opportunities.