GODDESS Health & Wellness, LLC influences and promotes deep relaxation breathing techniques and meditation as forms of coping, healing, and wellness. We do offer classes to individuals or groups interested in learning more about these methods.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a transcendent state of consciousness where a person is able to be free of stress, negative thoughts and in deep concentration. In this state the mind is clear and functioning at a high rate of efficiency.
The goal of meditation is to achieve this transcendent state of mind that the ancient Egyptians called Amenta. To get there you have to go through 2 pre-requisite stages. They are relaxation and concentration. If you only achieve one or two of those stages you are doing great! If you achieve what follows you will become a master of it yourself.
Step 1. Assume a comfortable position. Meditation can be done in the classic sitting positions, sitting in a chair or while laying on the floor in the Mummy Pose. Choose a position which is most comfortable for you.
Step 2. Focus your attention on controlled deep breathing. Deep breathing is essential for the attainment of meditation because it activates all of the physiological effects associated with the parasympathetic aspect of the autonomic nervous system described previously. Controlled deep breathing stimulates the production of endorphins which are brain chemicals that tells the nervous system to be calm, to relax, allows the mind to focus and a host of other physiological effects that help the mind/body to heal and balance.
Step 3. Feel tension leave your body with each breath that you take. Each time you exhale experience your body becoming lighter and “sinking into the earth”. Continue this phase until you experience all the stress leave from your body. Scan your body from head to toe until you have eliminated all the tension from your body.
Step 4. Keep your mind focused exclusively on the process of breathing i.e. inhalation and each exhalation. Follow the breath with your mind as it slowly and smoothly moves into your nostrils and down into your lungs as you breathe in. Follow the flow of breath with your mind as you slowly exhale and allow the air to smooth leave your nostrils. Observe this process exclusively without thinking about any other thought. As thoughts enter into your mind, do not allow yourself to focus on them. Once you become aware that you are experiencing outside thoughts, re-focus your attention on the process of breathing again.
Step 5. As you breathe in and out use your mind to image energy being drawn up from your lower abdomen through your spine and to the top of your head. Image the energy being sent through your arms and through your legs, into your hands and feet as you exhale.
Benefits of Meditation:
Meditation reduces stress and helps to eliminate anxiety. Meditation is also helpful in activating the body’s natural ability to heal itself. The process of meditation will put you in touch with the life force that flows through the body. The life force is accessed through controlled breathing. Visualization and breath control is used to move the life force through the body and into areas where known ailments exist.
In meditation we learn to turn off the flow of thoughts or to focus on one thought at a time. This is a kind of self discipline increases our effectiveness in setting and achieving goals, and improves self esteem.
Physiologically, meditation creates a deep state of relaxation in a relatively short time. The body’s metabolism is slowed as the oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, respiratory rate, heart rate and blood pressure are decreased. Lactic acid, as substance produced by the metabolism of the skeletal muscles and associated with anxiety and tension is reduced.
These physiological actions produce psychological states that provide us with a sense of control over our thoughts and actions, thus our lives. We are actually relieved from the burden of thinking, allowing the nervous system to relax and regenerate.
Meditation is a powerful tool for spiritual awareness, physical and mental health, and breaking the cycles of addiction, dependency and maladaptive behaviors. Anyone interested in learning meditation should secure an experienced and knowledgeable instructor.