1) Balances you

2) Brings you peace

3) Expands your perception

4) Enables you to better engage life

5) Effects are accumulative when practiced daily

Your environment…

Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. Create a ritual space that’s inviting and peaceful… one which encourages your spirit to return to daily. Place some favorite spiritual items nearby…stones, special crystals, picture of loved ones, statues, etc. Consider lighting a candle and/or playing soft background music. Sit in a soft, comfortable chair and wear an eye mask.

Your Intention…

Begin with sacred intent. Spend a few minutes in prayer before you begin to meditate. Suggestions: Pray for our earth and for the comfort of all those who are suffering. Be sure to include your own personal petitions.

Your Breath…

Begin your meditation time consciously breathing. Breathe-in deeply (from your belly, not your chest) Then exhale very slowly. On your inhalation, image you are bringing in the ocean’s tide…envision its sea water gently washing over you, cleansing and refreshing your body, mind, and spirit. On your exhalation, imagine the sea’s tide powerfully receding, taking back into the ocean all of your fatigue, anxiety, and fear.

Letting go…

Continue to breathe consciously until you begin to feel relaxed. Allow your thoughts to subside. Create a mantra (such as the word peace). Whenever thoughts pop up, silently say your mantra. Continue breathing consciously, feeling your thoughts drift away. It’s important to remember the nature of the mind is to be active. Don’t be discouraged when random thoughts keep appearing. This is normal. With constant, continued practice your mind will learn to settle down.

Daily practice…

Meditating occasionally brings occasional peace. Meditating daily brings continual peace. Our outer world is challenging and often chaotic. When we allow our Selves to accumulate stress daily without any relief we become pressure cookers, ready to blow at any given moment. Meditation allows us to regulate our pressure valve. Each time we sit quietly in meditation we slough-off the stress and negative forces we picked up that day. Daily practice is like cultivating a beautiful garden. The more we lovingly tend our garden, the more peace we experience. And, who among us does not want or need this? The bottom line: to reap the many magical benefits of meditation, it needs to become a priority in your life.

How much time should you meditate?

20 minutes twice a day is ideal…once in the AM and once in the PM. However, any time is better than none. Most importantly is making a commitment to your Self to take/make time to establish a daily practice.

The take-aways…

With continual practice, you will discover your life becomes more manageable. You will begin to feel less pressure and more joy. You will begin developing more of an attitude of gratitude. The peace experienced from daily meditation will enhance every area of your life. Really…??? Absolutely!!! Eventually, you will find you truly look forward to your meditation time. It won’t be just another thing you feel you have to do!