Meditation has a long history of increasing calmness and physical relaxation, coping with illness and improving health. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, some research suggests that mediation may physically change the brain and body and could potentially help to improve many health problems and promote healthy behaviors. (nccih.nih.gov). This can include the decrease in, or illumination of stress, depression and anxiety which often promotes fear and worry. An easy way to think of meditation is a workout for your brain that strengthens your ability to focus.
Guided meditation can be a powerful tool to elicit change your life, particularly because of the way guided meditation works. Guided meditation is a process where one or more individuals is guided by a trained practitioner, teacher or narrator through meditation in an effort to relax your body and mind. During this process, your brain begins to lose distinction between imagination and reality; you feel like you’re having a real experience, even though you’re being guided through an imagined event. Through this you can find a wonderful sense of peace. The great part about this form of mediation is the ability to relax and let go.
One of the most popular guided meditations is offered through author and public speaker, Deepak Chopra. Many of his guided instruction begin with very simple breathing exercises, and the mantra – “So-hum” which is supposed to be the natural sound of the breath. As the mantra is repeated, people begin to find their center, and place of peace. In terms of making a distinction between regular meditation and guided mediation, Chopra says “Meditation can remove stress and replace it with a dose of inner peace. It’s one of the best tools we have to balance our emotions, deal with physical and psychological distress, and promote the peace of the present moment. But it can be tough to meditate without a teacher or guide...Meditating on your own requires some effort, while guided meditations literally walk you through a meditation and help you find a calm and peaceful state—one step at a time.” This practice offers a coach or guide so that you have a better sense of focus when we enter a meditative state and eliminate stress from your space.
It’s important that you understand that fear is closed energy, and referred to as inverted faith. It shows up when we lose sight of our outward faith, and have an occurring about the way our life is unfolding. Worry, by definition gives way to anxiety or unease, allowing one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles. The beauty of guided mediation is having a voice to bring you to a state of perspective and a place of peace. Instead of focusing on our fears and worries, we focus on the presence of everything around us and how insignificant our problems are when it comes to the grand scheme, and the peace we can find when we take out some time to focus on our inner-calm.
There are a number of resources you can find online to begin the guided meditation process. One that I particularly like is Headspace. As their site notes, meditation is difficult for some people to understand and some people find it easier when they are guided through. What I love about Headspace, is the guider’s calm voice, and the fact that it is really geared towards beginners. There app is easy to download and you can find headspace wherever you go. Explore what’s out there and find the right resource for you. Some find it easy to listen to guided meditation through YouTube. Others find it helpful to download a guided meditation series. Others find it convenient to carry the meditation on their phones through apps. No matter what resource you use, you can release your fears and worries when you’re comfortable letting go, and being coached through the process. In this practice, you will find peace.
