It is the process of creating a stillness and a presence to the present moment. Meditation is a brilliant adjunct to any therapy as it acts as a vehicle for stilling the mind and calming the body. Research now validates the successfulness of mindfulness practices combined with therapy for a wide range of situations. My aim is to allow you to integrate meditation naturally into your daily life – wherever and whenever you are – so that you can use it when you most need it.
I will work with your own individual lifestyle and temperament to help you develop a meditation practice that supports you where you are right now. There are a lot of common misconceptions about meditation so it’s good to have a clear understanding and definition of what it is. For this purpose, meditation can be usefully defined as the art of cultivating stillness and attunement to the present moment. These are simple skills that anyone can learn.
Meditation is not complex.
Although there are many schools of thought on meditation there is no correct or single way that is right. In order to meditate you don’t need to adopt any special posture, sit for a certain length of time or take on any particular religious or philosophical beliefs. When you begin meditating you simply learn a new set of skills. Of course you can investigate meditation further and can align yourself with a particular version of meditation if you choose, but this is entirely a matter of choice.
Meditation is easy to adapt to your own needs. You can integrate it into the busiest of lifestyles and use it for all kinds of different purposes. At work, you could do a momentary ‘spot-meditation’ to quickly destress. You could use it to heighten your enjoyment whilst walking or eating, or to prepare yourself for an exam, important meeting or public speaking.
Meditation allows you to develop a much friendlier and healthier relationship with your thoughts.
You come to see and understand how thoughts can contribute to stress and that it’s possible to live a life with less anxiety, worry and concern.
If you’re anxious or suffer from stress-related illnesses meditation can help restore the body to balance. In fact, medical research shows that meditation can help to relieve the effects of insomnia, hypertension, migraines, fatigue, pain, digestive problems and chronic illness.
Yet meditation is much more than stress-relief. People often discover a degree of tranquility and mental clarity that they never imagined possible. Life often seems to flow more smoothly and difficulties become easier to manage. However, it does require practice and persistence to be most effective.
In brief, people meditate to:
- relax
- improve their health
- remain calm
- develop increased awareness
- stimulate creativity
- cope better with pain and sadness
- find happiness, beauty and meaning
