The Power of Meditation
“Close your eyes. Focus solely on your breath. Listen to yourself breathe. Slowly inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale. Breathe in a circular pattern. Honor your body’s continuous motion. Feel more and more peace with each breath you take. Now visualize yourself on the beach in the middle of paradise. Feel the warmth of the sun…and the gentle breeze. Hear the soothing waves rolling onto the shore. Feel the comfort of the soft sand between your toes. Connect yourself with Mother Earth. Release what no longer serves you well.” –A meditation excerpt from page 121 of “Expect the Unexpected: Bringing Peace, Healing, and Hope from the Other Side.”
Meditation is the process of being still, tuning into your body, focusing on your breath and aligning the flow of your body movement with your thought process. In essence, it’s a form of prayer, surrendering everything that’s out of your control to God and Spirit. It’s a way to recharge your spiritual battery.
Meditation comes in several varieties; one size does not fit all. It can involve sitting for several minutes in the lotus position while chanting. It can be briefly lying in bed when you wake up in the morning and concentrating on your breathing. It can be physical exercise. It can be a few minutes of silence in your car on the way to work. It can be your daily prayers. There really is no wrong way to do it. It’s a birthright that enables us to connect with our soul to get us on the right path. I always say that meditation is the best form of medication.
Here are some benefits of meditation:
1.) It helps us to release negative energy. Our daily lives are chaotic. We have a laundry list of responsibilities that must be addressed every day, which will no doubt bring at least some negative energy. Meditation helps us to diffuse that negative energy and focus on the positive.
2.) It makes us aware of what our body and soul need to be happy. When you are meditating, you are focusing on the moment, which helps you feel everything that is happening in your life at a deeper level. If an unhappy thought or feeling surfaces, you can identify it, determine why it bothers you and reconstruct your outer world to change that inner thought or feeling. Meditation removes the layers of different emotions and feelings. It makes you more aware of who you are and where you are physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
3.) It helps us tap into our intuition. When we are present and have clarity of the mind, Spirit is able to get our attention. When we are in a chaotic space (our normal, everyday lives), Spirit’s voice is there, but difficult to hear – and because of that faintness, we don’t always trust it. But when we are in a meditative state, that voice becomes much louder and more trustworthy.
4.) It allows love to flow through us. Through meditation, we become a vessel of the universal love that is all around us. Meditation helps us to access that love, to be a living example of it and to spread it to those who need it. It’s a simple tweak in our regimen that can positively affect how we experience our day.
5.) It enables us to be present. When meditating, we do not focus on the past or the future. We are 100 percent in the now. In that state, we are able to connect to God and Spirit and pick up on the signs and validations from the other side.
6.) It protects us from absorbing negative energies. Before you get out of your car and go into work, take a moment to ask God or Spirit to surround you with white light. Ask that anything ill-intentioned toward you be returned to the sender. Remember that feeling and positive energy throughout your day, and don’t hesitate to escape to a quiet place for a minute or two throughout the day to recharge and find that light again.
Meditation is like a tool in the toolbox of life. It’s there when we need it, and it can help us make the necessary adjustments to live each moment in a positive and loving state. It’s a hidden gem inside of us that can do remarkable things when we allow ourselves to go there. The best quality about it is that it’s universal. It doesn’t matter who you are, what your beliefs are or what you are facing in life – it is always available to help you reconnect with your soul and to navigate your life with grace and confidence.