Meditation Information
I have included below an explanation of terms that are frequently used in meditation sessions and on my CD in case some of the concepts aren’t familiar. Hopefully this page will help develop your practice by further enriching your knowledge and understanding.Angels
These beings of light are common to most of the world’s religions and have an important function as our celestial guides in our spiritual development as we journey through our lives. They are the embodiment of loving kindness. It is important to note that Angels are not worshipped as God is worshipped, but rather we invoke them to work with us in our everyday lives to connect us with the source and so help us manage any stresses and strains.
There are many documented (both ancient and modern) encounters between angels and humans and we are invited by the Angelic Realm to ask them to help us with whatever struggle we may have. This can be done through meditation and with a sincere desire to connect and be helped. Our requests will be granted provided it is for the good of all. All that is asked of us in return is to remember to thank the Angels for their help.
There are many realms of Angels and it is said that we are all allocated at least one Guardian Angel to walk with us through this life. Developing a relationship with your Guardian Angel can, again, be done through meditation and prayer. Through stilling the mind we are open to connecting back to the source and to receiving guidance from the Angelic Realm.
Some people have found Angel cards helpful sources of help and guidance and a means of connecting to the Angels. Through ‘receiving’ a message from a chosen card in a deck we can often be helped as we meditate on the message through the day. Choosing the right Angel Cards is very much up to each individual – and there are many wonderful Angel cards to look at. Like choosing a crystal find a set that ‘speaks’ to you. As a start I have posted on the links page details of some Angel Cards as a suggested start to your search.
Breathing
Our breathing mirrors our state of mind. Observe the breathing of a person sleeping peacefully and compare it to that of someone when rushing around. When we meditate, we slow our breathing down to a point where it is as deep and lengthy as that of a sleeping person.
Furthermore, we can use our breath as a means of stilling our minds. By focusing on our breathing and involving ourselves in our breathing pattern, we find it easier to stop our mind thinking and so connect with our inner stillness.
Chakras
This word from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit and means “wheels of energy”. According to the Yogic Tradition, we have seven main personal energy centres from the base of our spinal cord to the crown of our head.
In addition, our bodies have a further 32,000 smaller chakras known as nadis, which can be cross-referenced with acupuncture and shiatsu points.
Each chakra spins - the lower chakras spinning more slowly than the higher ones and the direction of the spin differs in men and women. Each chakra also has its own colour and together they form the spectrum of the rainbow. Every main chakra has within its field major organs and glands, so the energetic system of our body is related to our physiological make-up. Also, each chakra has a function to enable us to achieve balance which may be over-ridden by our emotions and intellectual capabilities. For example, the base chakra is concerned with being rooted, grounded and secure. It is aligned with the earth and is concerned with “nourishment” in its broadest sense. If we have worries or concerns to do with money, career or material possessions, this chakra’s function becomes overloaded, resulting in an imbalance in the surrounding organs and glands that creates symptoms such as abdominal distension, diarrhoea, constipation, haemorrhoids, etc. Each chakra also has both an elemental and a planetary relationship, and is affiliated with crystals and essential oils.
Through yoga, meditation and receiving any form of energetic healing, (see Healing section) we are able to balance the seven main chakras; in deeper meditation, we can open them. Balanced chakras lead to a balance at all levels; when the chakra centres are spinning and glowing in vibrant colour, our organs and glands are affected positively and we experience a feeling of well-being and balance.
On my CD there are chakra-balancing meditations which can be done safely every day until you feel your chakras are balanced (click here to go to The Shop to view the CD).
New and additional chakras are coming into our being. I will be updating the website on this in due course. Jude Currevan has written a book on the 8th Chakra (click here for links)
Crystals
Since crystals can add a beautiful new dimension to your meditation practice, I recommend that you visit a local crystal shop to spend some time handling the different crystals and feeling their energy. You may find that you are attracted to a certain crystal, and holding it during meditation will greatly enhance your meditation practice.
As a start, I would recommend the following crystals which are very easily available and not particularly expensive.
Quartz is a wonderful starting point. Use this in your mediation to amplify and regulate energy and at the same time quartz absorbs and release stress. It is also a good crystal to keep near your computer to absorb the negative energies but avoid sleeping with this crystal in a bedroom as it can inhibit sleep by the increase of energy it brings to the room.
Rose Quartz is a crystal of love and peace. It opens the heart chakra and brings deep healing by calming and reassuring. Meditate with this stone and connect with the loving energy which brings peace and understanding. It is particularly helpful in times of crisis.
Amethyst is an extremely powerful and protective stone and vibrates on a very high level. Meditate with this stone to tune into higher thoughts and a deeper sense of self.
You can find further references on the Links page.
Energy
Everything on this planet is energetic. We are all made up of energy waves which become denser and denser to form matter. All material objects are energetic and vibrate. The more dense the object, the more slowly it vibrates. So, a heavy wooden table vibrates at a much slower speed than an adult human being, who vibrates at a much slower speed than a plant. Our energy needs to be clear and vibrating fully to be in balance. However, when our energy is blocked by strong emotions or negative thoughts, or by overdosing on stimulants such as caffeine or alcohol, we feel out of sorts.
Our energetic body is centred in the chakras, each of which is connected to an energy field around us (click here to read about chakras).
Therapies such as Homoeopathy, Acupuncture, Reflexology and Healing treat the energetic body by bringing it back into balance and so initiating healing and resolution (click here for one-on-one healing information).
Grounding Cords
It is essential to feel safe and secure when meditating, and a successful technique that has been used historically is to ground ourselves through our grounding cords. On the CD I ensure that each meditation is opened with directions on how to ground you through the grounding cord. We visualise these cords coming from the centre of ourselves going down through the soles of our feet to the centre of the earth. Some people describe them as “roots” which further enhances the concept of being earthed and secure.
Guided Visualisation
This differs from meditation by taking you on a guided journey facilitated by a meditation leader or teacher. It is often accompanied by music. A guided visualisation is a very good place to start meditating, as it teaches us to focus the mind, be still, be relaxed, and find the quiet place within. Most guided visualisations speak to the subconscious and so enhance relaxation and feelings of well-being.
Healing
This is a very broad term for resolution of any dis-ease. In my view we have a huge capacity to self direct our healing. When we eat sensibly, exercise regularly, meditate regularly, and have a positive attitude to life, we are contributing greatly to our well-being and balance. Stresses and strains of life, however, can create feelings of imbalance and then the body throws out signs and symptoms to alert us to this. Each of us expresses our body’s reaction to stress in different ways: some may experience headaches; others may have digestive difficulties; others may have pain in joints or pain somewhere in the body; some may have feelings of powerlessness and anxiety.
And so our body talks to us about its needs and its imbalances through signs and symptoms; and by listening to this we can help ourselves to heal. Meditation can help us greatly to connect with our body’s language and to heal many known medical conditions. This has been tried and tested through medical research and scientific experiments which have shown that meditation can even help long-term chronic complaints such as blood pressure and diabetes. It can, therefore, be safely used in conjunction with any other form of healing.
Although most healing can be self directed there are times when we need to turn to the assistance of a qualified medical practitioner to walk our healing path with us. This is a personal choice and people tend to find their healer when they are ready to do the work and make the changes necessary to achieve balance and wholeness.
Click here for the Courses Page to view upcoming courses on healing.
Meditation
The word meditation comes from Latin word meaning “to reflect” and the Sanskrit word for wisdom. Both of these meanings define very nicely the state we try to achieve when we meditate. Many of us go into meditation to find stillness and connect with our true self, which is separate from our perception of time and space, and from the concerns of our mind and emotions. The same state can be achieved through prayer.
The purpose of meditation is to awaken in us the sky-like nature of mind, and to introduce us to that which we really are, our unchanging pure awareness which underlies the whole of life and death.
"In the stillness of meditation, we glimpse and return to that deep inner nature that we have so long ago lost sight of amid the busyness and distraction of our minds… We are fragmented into so many different aspects. We don’t know who we really are, or what aspects of ourselves we should identify or believe in. So many contradictory voices, dictates, and feelings fight for control over our inner lives that we find ourselves scattered everywhere, in all directions, leaving nobody at home. Meditation then is, bringing the mind home…" ~ Sogyal Rinpoche
Click here for the Courses Page to view upcoming courses on meditation.
Mindfulness
This is a Buddhist meditation technique which helps us to still our mind. The essence of meditation is training in mindfulness.
Another way of practising mindfulness is to be fully present. How often do we find ourselves eating a meal, reading a book and listening to music all at the same time? How often have you driven home and wondered how you got there? In both of these cases we are not present in the moment. Our mind is scattered. By practicing mindfulness, we focus completely on what is happening in the present.
Just as mindfulness helps us to meditate, so meditation helps us to practice mindfulness in our daily lives.
Practice and Routine
When we begin to meditate we are distracted by the mind. The mind does not want to be by-passed and will employ all means possible to distract us. Once we have understood this fact, our meditation practice becomes easier. The mind will devise all sorts of reasons why it is not possible to practice meditation regularly and in a routine. You will be amazed at the excuses that come up. I strongly urge, therefore, that a time is set aside every day when you INTEND to meditate. Practice and intention lead to meditation; random moments snatched in our busy schedules tend not to. Initially, therefore, set aside 5 to 10 minutes in the day when you won’t be disturbed, and meditate. Beginners may need the support of my CD to start them on their path. The CD has tracks of various lengths which can be fitted into any mediation slot that suits (click here for The Shop to view the CD).
Relaxation
Before we can meditate effectively we must be relaxed physically. It is essential, therefore, to sit or lie down in a comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed by telephone, doorbells, children, pets, etc. If you are able to sit in the full lotus position, this is the optimum way to meditate. However, I strongly advise that only those people who are able to sit comfortably in this position should attempt this. It is perfectly acceptable – and just as effective – to meditate in a chair or lying down.