Thursday, July 7, 2016

A Beginners Guide To Meditation


I recently spent sometime up at the beautiful Mohonk Mountain House in upstate New York and participated in one of the daily meditations.  Really had some time for personal reflection—something that I find is important to a healthy, fulfilled life.  Meditation is something that I personally find rewarding in everyday life.  It gives you a chance to relax, turn your mind off, and just breathe.  Below are some easy meditations that I use to help me wind down after a stressful event or when I find I need some “me” time.  You can use them whenever you feel you need a break from this busy, hectic world.

1.     Focusing on the breath
This meditation is very simple.  Focus on your breathing – in and out.  In your mind say, “inhale” as you breathe in and “exhale” as you breathe out.  Try to make your exhale longer than your inhale.
2.     Counting your breath
As you breathe in count each breath. ie. Inhale (one) exhale inhale (two) exhale.  See how many breaths you can accomplish without thinking outside thoughts.  Keep count, and when you find your mind drifting, start over.  (This one is fun because as you get better you can actually see your progress by counting).
I also recommend checking out some of the meditation apps and podcasts.  These give you more of a guided meditation, which often use more imagery.

Disclaimer: I am not a meditation leader or certified in meditation.  These are simply my personal meditations that I use in everyday life.

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