Quite often you feel you are just too busy to stop and take the time to meditate - the 'I just don't have time' syndrome.  The irony being that if you took the time to stop and meditate you would get more done, be more focussed, have greater composure - your tasks would simplify and feel more manageable - you'd be calmer and more in control. Stopping and turning your focus inwards and doing something as beautiful as meditating, is a gift you should give yourself daily. 

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I believe if people mediated during their working day, productivity and creativity would increase, stress levels would lower and people would communicate more openly and honestly. Doctors are now recommending meditation to people for various conditions but notably for blood pressure. Meditation has been proven to maintain healthy blood pressure, prevent high blood pressure and reduce medication in those with hypertension. Hypertension contributes to the major causes of disease and death, including heart disease, heart attack, stroke and kidney failure, so meditation is a helpful aid for people with these health conditions and others. Reducing stress is a key reason people turn to meditation but some of the other benefits include:

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• Enhancing self-awareness

• Controlling anxiety

• Promoting wellbeing and happiness

• Increasing focus and attention span

• Improving sleep

• Incentivises - more creativity, desire to exercise etc

• Increases empathy and compassion

• Promotes calmness, peace, and self-control

• Enhances immune system

• Releases muscle tension

• Aids post-operative healing

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There are numerous books on the power of meditation, so you can do further research. The Healing Power of Meditation, edited by Andy Fraser, Why Meditate? Because it Works by Jillian Lavender and The Healing Power of Sound by Dr M. Gaynor.

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There are many different types of meditation out there; transcendental, walking, body scanning, mantras, breathing based, mindfulness exercises, Qi Gong, Tai Chi etc. Sometimes meditation can mean very different things to people. The meditation I have always engaged in and trained in is guided meditations. These are spoken meditations, with music in the background, that take you on a journey usually through nature,  with an animal or with colours, for example.

 

You are led by the words and music until you find a place of peace for rest and relaxation. You are left here, for a period of time, with just the music playing. The meditation guide then brings you back, usually reversing your journey  until you are safely grounded and ready to open your eyes. I have always meditated with Light of Hope CIC (also known as The Hope Centre) and trained with them in writing and leading meditations. You can visit their website here - Light of Hope CIC

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