Meditation

 If you can incorporate meditation into your daily life you can increase your sense of well-being with a deep and lasting effect  Certainly there are several different levels of meditation and over time you might want to find out more about them. However to begin with you might like to treat it as a relaxing exercise, this in itself is no mean feat, as you will discover when you first start to try it.

For best results you should wear loose clothing, try to find a spot that is quiet and peaceful.  Either sit in a comfortable upright position with your head supported, or lay flat on your back.  Breathe naturally. and try to relax your body totally. 

In the early stages it might help if you begin at your head or feet and relax one part of your body at a time, working your way up or down the length of your body.

A soft fabric eye mask is good for blotting out light that is sometimes a distracting influence.  The length of time spent meditating is entirely up to you but in the beginning half an hour a day would give you a good starting point. 

 At first it might be wise to use a timing devise, especially if you are on a tight schedule, but after a while you should be able to judge timing to within a few minutes either way.

When you feel relaxed and comfortable, try to still the chatter in your mind, as you begin you will be amazed at how much stuff is whirling about in your head.  Creating a blank space is very hard, but you will certainly be able to filter out a lot of unnecessary mind speak. 

 Now is a good time to concentrate on some positive thoughts and when your attention wanders off bring it gently back on track  It is just as important to nurture the mind as well as the body, if you don’t feed your body with junk, don’t treat your mind like a rubbish bin.  In the bible it says  As a man thinks, so is he.

At this level of meditation your thoughts have a very powerful effect, since the sub-conscious mind can’t tell the difference between reality and imagination it will believe whatever you want it to believe.  Obviously it’s best to use positive thought affirmations to suit your own special circumstances, but here are a few ideas to help you along.

·      Every day in every way I’m getting stronger and stronger.

·      I feel happy and content with my life.

·      My mind and body are totally relaxed.

·      I’m happy with the way I look and feel

·      I have a positive happy personality.

Try to use positive words rather than a negative.  For example use:

I am totally relaxed. Instead of  I am not feeling stressed.  Or

 I am fit and healthy.  Rather than  I do not feel ill.

 Even the use of negative words such as stress, illness, disease etc. can be harmful, as the brain will use them as key words and concentrate on them.  If for example you have a stressful job, don’t say "Every day I’m coping better with stress". Rather " Every day my workload is becoming easier and easier."

Once you have formed these affirmations for your meditation, it is a good idea to repeat them before you go to sleep so they become embedded in your sub-conscious.

 Once you get started you will find this a huge and fascinating subject, embracing all sorts of cultures and ideas.  All good book shops stock a selection on meditation, but it might pay to check the library first so that you can decide what you are looking for.  New age shops are a very good source of information and usually have a good stock of music especially written for meditation and relaxation.

 Meditation gives you the chance to take time out and re-charge your batteries; it soothes your soul and allows you to find an oasis of tranquillity in an otherwise hectic environment

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