3 Important Steps in any Meditation Practice

By Karen Downing

There are so many wonderful benefits to meditation, but we are often too busy to take the time to make meditation a regular part of our lives. However, to not take time to quiet your mind is to not take time for you. There is nothing better for peace of mind, lowering your stress levels and maintaining mental clarity than having a regular meditation practice.

A meditation practice can be done in many different ways and you need to find out what method of meditation works best for you. There are more active meditations as well as meditations where you simply allow your spirit to go out of your body completely and everything in between.

It is always a good idea to experiment with different types of meditation before you decide what method, or mixture of methods, will work for you. There is transcendental meditation, yoga, meditative walking, guided meditation, group meditation, and many other options available.

No matter what type of meditation you do, there are three important steps to remember.

1) Protect
2) Focus
3) Breathe

Protection
All meditations need to start with a prayer for protection, so that your meditation practice will not be interrupted on a spiritual, mental, emotional or physical level. You can say something as simple as “I am going to begin meditation; I ask that all energy in this space be clear, as to only allow for my highest good.”

Focus
This step of protection also includes turning off or removing yourself from any distractions, including cell phones, televisions and any other background noises that can cause interference with the peace of mind your are cultivating. .
The next step is to focus, even if your focus is nothingness. You can use a guided meditation, focus on your spirit guide or even focus on something more physical like walking or gardening.

Breathe
Lastly, just breathe. Connect with your breathe and allow your body to relax. As you become one with your breathe, this is usually when the Higher Self part of you will come through and when you can get moments of inspiration or even go on a dream-like visualization.

The more often that you do it, the longer you will be able to go. But, anyone can start by just finding 15 minutes a day. The morning is a great time for this as it will allow you to set your intentions for the day if you like. Or, if you are a nighttime person, it is a great way to cleanse your mind and energy after a long day’s work.

Meditation is great for learning how to quiet your mind, release stress in your life, or to help with visualization of a specific goal. I have seen many people lower their blood pressure, alleviate insomnia and improve their state of mind all by taking time to meditate.

Remember, you are the most important person in your life. If you are too stressed out to help others, then you are letting your time get away from you. By taking time to meditate, you will find that after a while, your whole world has slowed to a manageable pace and you will be able to accomplish so much more without all of the stress.

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