Meditation is an important part of my daily practise. I meditate for at least 20 minutes daily, in the morning before I get ready for work or my day ahead. Once suffering from anxiety and low self-esteem, daily meditation has helped me regain my self-confidence and restore balance and harmony to my life.
My life has moved on greatly from where I once was. If you’d have seen me then and looked at me now you would think that we were two different people. Even my own family members when asked would never have believed that I would come on as far in life as I have. It has taken time, patience and persistence. It has not been easy. Meditation for me has been the key for my development and it can be for you too. However, this does not mean we need to be Buddhist monks in order to achieve the calmness and well-being that meditation can bring. Meditation is after all and acquired skill that you need to persevere with.
Meditation is a great tool in helping reverse the effects of stress and in calming the mind and emotions. When under threat the adrenal glands release certain hormones so that the body can prepare for the “flight or fight” response. This in turn causes the muscles to tense, blood pressure to increase making our heart beat more intensely and our breathing to become faster and shallower. As I mentioned before I had quite severe panic attacks. This was in part my body’s reaction to stress; part of my own fight or flight response. This response is part of our ancestral make-up when we had to run from wild animals or at times of real danger. In today’s life some people find that this response is provoked not only at times of real danger but also when people are faced with what they perceive as stressful situations.
During meditation, the brain waves alter to a distinctive alpha pattern. Whilst meditating one can experience enhanced mental awareness whilst simultaneously feeling a deep relaxation.
People who regularly meditate can move into this mode at will. This allows them to counter stress more efficiently and helps lower the blood pressure and combat muscle pain. When I felt that things were overwhelming me I would regularly go to the bathroom and take a few moments to breathe deeply and get into the “zone”. I now do this merely by thinking peace.
Meditation is the key to spiritual and psychic development but also to calming our mind and emotions and is excellent for relieving stress.
Stress creates a fog over our mind so that we cannot see or perceive situations with clarity and it clouds our judgement. Meditation helps to lift this fog so that we can see situations as they really are and react to them in a more calm and positive manner.
When your mind and body are calm you can access your intuition, your imagination and this is where your hopes, dreams and creativity come from. When you can access this source of creativity and wisdom you will find that you will be able to attract what you want in life more easily. You will also be clearer about what you want to attract and create in your life.
When you realise this the possibilities are endless. No longer will you be stuck with the humdrum of life, but realise that you are able to create your own reality, one that fits with your view of how the world should be. You will be able to create in your life everything that you feel you need. In this though one needs to be mindful of the grasping of the ego. We must create from a spiritual want, not just a materialistic viewpoint.
Task: Meditation Practice
Try to meditate daily. Find a time that is suitable to you. You may prefer meditating in the morning, as I do, or in the evening when the kids are in bed. Try to do at least ten minutes a day, ideally twenty minutes daily. Sit in a comfortable position, in a chair and make sure your feet are connected to the floor. If you are short (like me!) put a cushion or similar under your feet. Sit with your back straight. If your agile enough you can sit on the floor cross legged like a yogi. You can always lie down but be careful not to fall asleep. Always remember to see the roots developing from your feet grounding you. Record your experiences and how it makes you feel in a journal.
Extracted in part from my book “Walking in the Light: A Seeker’s Guide to Spiritual Development” available in paperback and on Kindle from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (see my author page links below).
Angel Reis 