Benefits of Meditation
How to Reduce Stress Using Meditation
It’s no secret that meditation is calming and helps reduce stress, making you happier and healthier. But how does meditation work, and what’s the best way to do it? To get the answers, we invited online soul coach Kelly Canull of An Inward Journey to give the scoop on all things meditation.
Each and every one of us already possesses the power to radically transform our lives.
Exactly what is transformed depends on the yearnings of your very unique soul. How we begin to make that transformation, though, requires only that we be receptive to the change we wish to see in our lives. Through meditation, we gain access to the infinite spring that is our spirit, and with practice, we can embody its wisdom and love.
Meditation is incredibly beneficial. Among other things, it helps hone our power of concentration. By reducing stress, our health improves. We find that we gain perspective and learn to detach from the innumerable little problems that confound us and cause us anxiety. Most importantly, meditation helps us know ourselves – our true selves.
Meditation is a lifelong pursuit, but you can easily learn to do it. As with other things, its essence lies in its practice. There are many ways to meditate. With all of them, however, the goal is emptying the mind and opening up to the infinite inner spaces of the one cosmic consciousness. With yoga, the poses do not change – they only get deeper. The same is true with meditation. Learn the fundamentals first, and you’ll gradually go deeper.
How to meditate:
Start by sitting comfortably, either cross-legged or in a chair. There is no one correct position as long as your back is straight and you are upright.- It’s best to meditate in the quiet of the early morning.
- Heighten the atmosphere with a soft candle or incense, although this is not necessary.
- Begin to quiet your mind by focusing on only one thing. It may be the flame of the candle, a spot on the wall or motion of your natural breath. You may also recite a mantra – a word or phrase repeated over and over so that it becomes sacred to you. Whichever method you use, you are learning to concentrate your mind on precisely one thing.
- With practice, you’ll be able to maintain focus on one thing and – with more practice – empty your mind completely. This is the goal. Emptiness gives birth to insight, but it may not happen for a long time. Separate yourself from your thoughts and learn to throw them out of your mind when they arise.
Your thoughts are not the real you. They are a willing master, and until you learn that you are free already, you play the role of the willing slave.
Divine wisdom is not exclusive but available to each of us. Through meditation, we learn to empty our minds and experience the freedom that is our birthright.
Kelly Canull is an online soul coach based out of Boulder, CO. Learn more about the soul coaching benefits and how an inward journey could benefit you at her site, An Inward Journey.