Meditation can be a powerful tool for changing your outlook on life, as well as improving your overall health and wellness (Dacher, 2006). The techniques are not hard to follow, but they can create changes in your life if used correctly. Meditating as little as 30 minutes/three days a week, I have experienced benefits that have significantly reduced my stress levels and given me a few moments of joy and relaxation.
The Contemplative meditation practices by Elliott Dacher have benefited me by reducing my stress level and granting me inner peace. I continued to use at least two of them at least three days a week. My favorites are the Subtle Mind and Meeting Asclepius. Since implementing these two exercises into my life, they have become a common practice of allowing time for me to clear my head and reflect on the day. Sinking gently into a relaxed state of mind, I allow the chattering thoughts to escape my mind as I replace them with thoughts off loving-kindness and a witnessing mind. This feeling leaves me with a strong sense of peace, joy, love and total relaxation.
The steps I have developed to implement these practices into my daily life. 1. To continue using the contemplative meditations practices and add more days in the future. 2. Learn to practice and focus on positive emotion, I have tendency to focus on too many negative thoughts and emotions since I began meditating. I also need to put more faith into my psycho-spiritual beliefs and get back in touch with my religious beliefs. 3. Incorporate relaxing music on my desk top computer, so I can be in a comfortable/less stressful state of mind while completing my homework. 4. Continue to exercise on a regular basis with the local First Nation members and find ways to incorporate some of the relaxation techniques I have learned into my exercise program.
References
Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health. The path of human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Miles,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I am guilty of not practicing these medatative practices as much as I should. I can only imagine how much it has helped you to focus for 30 minutes a few times a week. I am still a beginner at this and honestly, some of the best medatative moments I have experienced have simply been though the practice of yoga and focusing on my breathing throughout the postures. Have you tried that? Sometimes it's the simple things and that one works for me.