Imagine if you could find happiness and peace without spending any money or even leaving your living room! Many people think that meditation is difficult and is about shutting your thoughts out. In fact, meditation is about acknowledging your thoughts and feelings and simply letting them float by you, like clouds. The practice of meditation can strengthen your mind and reduce stress.
Guided Meditation
There are many ways to meditate. Guided meditation helps me to concentrate on a specific action or feeling. If I am feeling stressed or angry, sometimes I like to tap into that and give myself a way to counteract those feelings by recognizing them and giving my brain a chance to feel them from a safe distance.
Guided meditation involves imagining and visualizing calming and relaxing scenes using different senses. This is usually done with the help of a guide or teacher leading you through these scenes.
I love guided meditation because it helps me feel supported. I can just go with the flow and after 10 minutes, I’m completely relaxed and ready to interact with the world again.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a popular form of guided meditation. Mindfulness is about being aware of your thoughts and surroundings without being emotionally affected by them. This is one of the most important types of meditation in my opinion. This practice is what helps people strengthen their minds. It’s a great practice to reduce stress and manage aggression & anger.
Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere. You can find a quiet place to sit or simply tune in to the present in any situation. I like to practice in a formal setting where I can sit and be quiet for a few minutes. I find that I can better handle stressful situations because of my mindfulness practice.
A simple guided meditation to start with is:
- Breathe In: Through The Nose
- Breathe Out: Through The Mouth
- Breathe In: Feel The Lungs Expanding
- Breathe Out: Feel A Sense Of Letting Go
- Breathe In: Feel The Body Getting Fuller
- Breathe Out: Feel The Release Of Any Tension
- Breathe In: Feel Alive And Awake
- Breathe Out: Feel Your Muscles Relaxing
- Breathe In: A Sense Of Fullness
- Breathe Out: Unnecessary Tension
Other examples of mindfulness in everyday situations can include paying attention to certain things one at a time.
- Breathing with purpose can help calm the mind. Practice breathing in for 3 counts and out for 4 counts while you’re going for a run.
- Try and really taste each bite of food. Notice how it feels in your mouth and as you swallow.
- Be aware of your senses. Notice one thing that you can hear and one thing you can smell/taste.
Viprassana
Another form of mindfulness meditation is Viprassana. This is an ancient Indian form of meditation that focuses on sensations throughout the body to strengthen the mind & body connection.
The goal of Viprassana is self-transformation through self-observation. This practice results in a “balanced mind full of love and compassion” according to many teachers of the practice.
My husband finds a Body Awareness or Viprassana meditation helpful for taking his mind off the stresses of the day. This entails scanning the body from head to toe (or toe to head) and paying attention to each section of the body one at a time.
Loving Kindness
If I’m struggling with negative thoughts about myself, a guided Loving Kindness meditation is wonderful at boosting my self-esteem and love. It also reminds me that the rest of the world needs these positive affirmations as well.
A Loving Kindness meditation that I practice regularly begins with the phrase:
May I be happy
May I be well
May I be safe
May I be peaceful and at ease
After repeating this a few times, I direct my thoughts and feelings towards a family member, loved one, or even someone that I’m struggling with.
May you be happy
May you be well
May you be safe
May you be peaceful and at ease
I end the meditation with:
May all beings everywhere be happy.
Transcendental
Transcendental meditation involves repeating a mantra which can be a word, phrase, or sound in a specific way. The mantra is assigned by a teacher for the individual. The individual repeats the mantra silently to themselves for 20 minutes.
The goal is to settle the mind inward to achieve relaxation and peace without having to concentrate or put forth much effort.
There are a number of celebrities who swear by Transcendental Meditation. Some of them include Oprah Winfrey, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston, and Russell Brand.
Chakra Meditation
Chakra Meditation is about bringing balance to the 7 chakras of the body. Each chakra is an energy center with a corresponding color that is associated with it. The chakras start at the base of the spine and go all the way up to the crown of the head.
You can focus on one chakra per meditation session or do an overall chakra cleansing meditation. I like to focus on one at a time.
The 7 chakras and their colors are:
- Root Chakra/Red: Base of the spine
- Sacral Chakra/Orange: Below the navel
- Solar Plexus Chakra/Yellow: Below the chest
- Heart Chakra/Green: Center of the chest
- Throat Chara/Blue: Center of the neck
- Third Eye Chakra/Indigo: Center of the forehead
- Crown Chakra/Violet: Top of the head
Many people choose to light candles or hold crystals that go along with each chakra while they meditate. I find that reciting a mantra for each specific chakra helps me to get the most out of my meditation.
Examples of specific chakra mantras are:
- Root Chakra – I am safe and secure; I am nourished and supported by Mother Earth; I am thankful for my life
- Sacral Chakra – It is my birthright to receive pleasure; My emotions are free-flowing and balanced; I breathe in powerful golden light
- Solar Plexus Chakra – I use my power for good; I am confident in the universe to see me through; I accept myself unconditionally
- Heart Chakra – I fully love and embrace who I am, even as I continue to grow; I give and receive love effortlessly and unconditionally
- Throat Chakra – I am open, clear, and honest in my communication; I communicate my feelings with ease; I nourish my spirit with creativity
- Third Eye Chakra – I am inciteful and intuitive; I see clearly and I think clearly; I trust my decisions
- Crown Chakra – I honor the sacred divinity that exists within me; I surrender to the loving will of the universe; I release doubt and welcome faith
Yoga
I practice yoga every day. Whether the style is Kundalini, Yin, Vinyasa, or any other form of yoga, they all involve postures (or asanas) and controlled breathing techniques that are great for calming the mind and toning the body.
Yoga requires balance and focus which help stay in the moment and encourages mindfulness.
There are many yoga studios and classes out there but I personally am a fan of putting on a video from YouTube and practicing at home in my living room. Sometimes I even practice in my kids’ room while they’re snacking and we all can be together. They love to crawl all over me when they’re finished snacking. 😉
Getting Started
Here are some resources to help get you started with your meditations so you can tap into your potential for happiness.
Flow State Training Program has specifically designed meditations to help improve performance and longevity.
3 Minute Meditations has a ton of meditations to choose from that are great for even the busiest of people.
This EBook is a great resource if you want to learn more about meditation and how to implement meditation into your life.
I also love to get on YouTube and search for the kind of meditation or yoga that I want for the day.
Here are a couple of resources for meditation music and sounds so you can raise your vibration whether you’re actively meditating or just have it on in the background.
*These are affiliate links that I have approved