19 Jun
Just let go
At the end of a six-week meditation course, two women remarked that they hadn’t been to their physiotherapist which they usually did most weeks. They felt relaxed and no longer had any shoulder pain.
In other sessions, participants have commented about having less neck pain and fewer headaches.
How does attending a meditation course create such wonderful physical benefits?
Most people who come to meditation want to stop their chattering mind and be less stressed. No mention is made about the aches and pains that they accept as just being part of their life.
However, I believe one of the most important aspects when learning meditation is to discover how to ‘live’ in a relaxed body.
Consider how your body, mind and emotions are intricately woven together into a continuum of experiences. When there is an imbalance in one area, your feelings of wellbeing also slip out of balance.
Similarly, when creating a meditation practice, recognise that there is more to this than simply sitting and seeking moments of stillness.
Before doing a meditation, take a few moments to reflect on your day – and notice how your body responds.
How do your neck and solders feel? Are they tight from sitting in front of a computer for hours or playing sport? How busy is your mind? Are you replaying the day’s events and conversations, or listing all the things you didn’t do? What is your breathing like? Is it tight and uneven or flowing gently?
If you are struggling with your body and mind then sitting in meditation will be even more challenging.
You need to take time to release your day by doing the following …
Stretch your body
Start by doing some gentle stretching. Make it fun – put on your favourite music and move mindfully for about 10 minutes.
Then standing still, notice how your physical body feels – is there any warmth, tingling or softness? Is your body starting to ‘let go’ of your busy day?
Relax your body
Take your time as you gently tense and relax your body, from your feet to your face. You are creating softness in your body and stillness in your mind, and sometimes you may slip into sleep – and that is perfect because a nap is exactly what you need at that moment.
Now, you are ready to meditate
Now, when you sit in meditation, your body is relaxed and your mind is more spacious – this is the perfect combination for flowing into moments of stillness.
Also, each time you sit down to meditate have no expectations and let go of wanting to achieve something.
Instead, just ‘be’ in the moment, and as you focus on your breath and body, view them kindly and with a sense of gratitude.
You can discover how to quieten your mind and experience feelings of peace and wellbeing at our mini-workshop series. Create Calmness is on Sunday June 24 at 10.30am and repeated on Wednesday 27 June at 7.30pm. A Sound Session featuring the beautiful healing tones of the crystal singing bowls is on Sunday 1 July at 10.30am and repeated on Wednesday 4 July at 7.30pm.
I look forward to sharing this workshop series with you.