Meditation Practices from our Wellness Wednesday Event!
I teamed up with Heidi Coffey at H. Wilder Local Emporium in Suttons Bay, MI to lead a Wellness Wednesday Workshop! The class was an Oil Blending & Meditation Class.
Heidi and I worked with four wonderful women to create either a Stress Relief, Energizing or Focusing Blend. When finished, they each had their own roller bottle to take home, and a few of them even found other essential oil purchases in Heidi's store. After consuming veggie pizza, seven layer dip, chocolate covered strawberries, and wine, we settled down for meditation.
I truly loved being able to share three types of meditation, that I use on a weekly-to-daily basis. Below is the information I shared. Hope you enjoy it!
Meditation
Meditation is an ancient tradition, practiced all over the world.
Meditation is not about faith, but about altering consciousness, finding awareness and achieving peace.
There is not a right or wrong way to meditate. However, it is important to find a practice that meets an individual’s needs, and one that complements the individual’s personality. There are a variety of meditation techniques. Below, we will be practicing only three of them. If you feel none of the below types resonate with you, please contact Katherine, and she can work with you to find one that suits your needs.
Three Examples of Meditation
1) Focused Meditation:
Focused meditation involves concentration using any of the five senses.
For example, you can focus on something internal like your breath, or use external influences to help focus your attention like beads, a gong, or staring into a candle flame.
Practice:
- Set timer for 5 minutes.
- Lie down or sit comfortably
- For 5 minutes, focus on becoming aware of your breath.
- When you begin to notice you have thought about something besides your breath, notice it, accept it, and come back to focusing on the breath.
- When the time is completed take 3 deeps breaths and thank yourself for spending time in meditation.
- Always important to reflect on what you became aware of during or right after meditation. Space is provided at the end of these worksheets for reflection.
2) Movement Meditation:
Movement mediation is an active form of meditation where the movement guides you. This can include yoga, but the practice can be used in any activity like walking through the woods, gardening, qigong, and other gentle forms of motion.
The focus is on finding peace in the action, while being ok with the mind wandering.
Practice:
- Set timer for 5 minutes.
- Walk around the space letting your head guide you
- Where ever you look your feet follow
- This can also help reduce head/neck tension
- When the time is completed take 3 deeps breaths and thank yourself for spending time in meditation.
- Always important to reflect on what you became aware of during or right after meditation. Space is provided at the end of these worksheets for reflection.
3) Mantra Meditation:
Mantra Meditation uses a repetitive sound to clear the mind. It can be a word, phrase, or sound such as “OM.”
It doesn’t matter if the mantra is spoken loud or quietly. After chanting the mantra, one should feel more alert and in tune with their environment.
Practice:
- Set timer for 3 minutes.
- Choose a mantra
“I am exactly where I am supposed to be.”
“I am, that I am”
“I breathe in peace, I exhale peace.”
“Things are always working out for me.”
- Find a comfortable lying, seated, or standing position
- Repeat mantra, if your mind wanders comeback to repeating the mantra. It might help to have it written down on a paper so you can remember what your mantra is.
- When the time is completed take 3 deeps breaths and thank yourself for spending time in meditation.
- Always important to reflect on what you became aware of during or right after meditation. Space is provided at the end of these worksheets for reflection.
*Notice*
Please increase or decrease the time depending on your personal interest and availability.
Benefits of Meditation
- Improves concentration
- Encourages a healthy lifestyle
- Increases self-awareness
- Reduces stress & anxiety
- Eases senses of depression
- Improves sleep
- Increases acceptance
- Lower blood pressure
- Benefits the cardiovascular system and immune health
(HuffingtonPost)
“The mind, heart, and body can improve with regular meditation. Most Americans are not raised to sit and say "Om." But meditation has gained millions of converts, helping them ease chronic pain, anxiety, stress, improve heart health, boost mood and immunity, and resolve pregnancy problems.” (WebMD)
