The Power of Guided Meditationprovides an accessible and easy entry point into starting a meditation practice, offering a range of practices and benefits so you can decide how to choose and integrate a program to suit your specific needs. First, explore meditation from the perspective of mindfulness. Why Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the practice of bringing the attention back to the present moment. Mindfulnessis not only meditation and meditation is not only mindfulness. Mindfulness in its most complete sense, is a way ofliving, thinking, and being that is self-aware and deliberate. Most practices as we know them in the West are rooted in mindfulness. Discover mindfulness through:BodyBreathThoughtsSoundsWalkingEatingListening/CommunicationCompassion/KindnessAnother focus of meditation isto relieve stress. Why stress relief? Particular meditation techniques induce a calm, serene state very quickly by activating theparasympathetic nervous system.These practices have the power to lower the heart rate,reduce inflammation in the body, settle the emotions, deepen the qualities of our sleep, boost the immune system,and much more. Relieve stress with:Yoga nidraBreathing exercisescalm breathing, diaphragmatic breath, square breathingProgressive muscle relaxationSleepAffirmationOr, use visualization techniques to anchor a practice. Why Visualization? Visualization lets our mind remain somewhat active as it takes instruction to create imagesinternally. The mind-body connection is powerful and we're learning more about it everyday. Visualization techniqueshave been successfully used in the fields of medicine, sports, music, and psychology for many years. Practice visualization through:Haven visualizationOasis journeyWake upColor therapyRenewalAccessing your inner geniusThere is also a useful and complete directory to reference if you have a specific issue you'd like to address or a desired meditative effectlike more energy,clarity, pain reliefthat you'd like to achieve. Depending on your goal, it will direct you to a guided meditation inthe book, or it will give you a new exercise for your particular focus. You can search throughsome common physical conditions that are often helped with meditation, or you can choose an activity from the';Quick Re-sets.' Begin a customized meditation practice right away with this versatile beginners guide.
