Lately, the bad news seems to pile on top of bad news, and we hardly get a breather. Economic downfall, disease, politics, violence, environmental destruction- you name it. Our nervous systems hardly have time to recover and recoup between the shocks.
Guided meditation is a tool that can help you quickly access that point of deep, therapeutic relaxation where the nervous system shifts from sympathetic activation to parasympathetic activation (stress mode to rest & digest).
When this switch happens there are immediate benefits like: lower blood pressure, improved sleep, reduction in circulating stress hormones plus a boost in mood-altering, feel-good endo chemicals, and less reactivity and more natural mindfulness— which can lead to more satisfying relationships and experiences of all kinds.
Guided meditation can be an easier practice to drop into than sitting for reflective, insight meditation ('quiet meditation') and running your own show, especially for beginners.
Listening to or reading through a guided meditation can help you drop into a profoundly relaxed mode almost immediately. There's less thinking, less 'work', less concern over if you're doing something 'right' or how much time has passed, etc.
With guided meditation, the participant is being given simple instructions and simply needs to follow along to reap their best results. It’s an especially relaxing type of meditation, and if you like the sound of the voice that’s guiding you or you’re someone who loves to read, the soothing benefits can course even more deeply, cutting through layers and layers of anxiety and stress and encouraging the natural healing power of the body and mind.
When you're being led through a meditation or visualization, the mind knows that it doesn’t have to ‘do’ or ‘search’ for anything, and that if it wanders, the instructor will gently lead them back.
All you have to do is relax, listen, and follow the instructions.
There’s an ease to this form of meditation that can be found more readily than with some other forms, which makes it often a great introduction when you’re new to meditation and want to dip your toes in to see what it’s all about. It also makes it more accessible when you're experiencing unusually large amounts of trauma, grief, or any amalgamation of unprocessed negative emotions.
With guided meditation, the nervous system calms down quickly and thoroughly, and headphones allow you to sink into a therapeutic practice almost anywhere.
Besides a host of neurophysiological benefits, when we learn to reduce our own stress we become more and more available (and willing) to help others. And helping others is a skill that’s becoming more and more crucial to the human race. We find that our compassion and empathy seem to naturally expand and our willpower increases.
Anyone can learn to help friends, family, or their community by showing them how to relax deeply using guided meditation practices.
Coaches, teachers, therapists and healers of all kinds are empowering others by showing them how guided meditation can change their brains for the better, open their hearts to more joy, and greatly improve their physical health and wellbeing.
Deep relaxation heals and regenerates, the breath centers, grounds, and relieves anxiety, and visualization or mantra can help to build compassion and intuitive connection.
Don't just take my word for it, try a guided meditation yourself. You can download 3 high quality Free Guided Meditations or Subscribe to my Mindscaping Podcast.
If you're interested in learning how to lead others in guided meditation, my upcoming training will give you the tools to understand the science behind this healing technique, the different styles and practices, using your voice, plus proper timing and delivery, and creating personalized healing protocols for your loved ones, patients and clients. Subscribe to my site at www.CNTRDwellness.com OR shoot me a an email with 'The Power of Guided Meditation Training' in the header. You'll be added to the list and will be one of the first people to have access to the course this Fall!
Jessica is a wellness instructor with over 20 years of experience living and teaching Mindfulness, Yoga, Guided Meditation, Breathwork, and Massage Therapy.
She's traveled the world to lead others in meditation, have studied practices from diverse cultures, received a traditional degree from SUNY in Behavioral Neuroscience, have trained hundreds of yoga teachers as well as led hundreds of private and public mindfulness classes, and have studied intensively with renowned experts like Dharma Yoga’s Sri Dharma Mittra.
She's also the author of the new book, “The Power of Guided Meditation: Simple Practices to Promote Wellbeing”.
Connect with her at www.CNTRDwellness.com