Wellbeing

4 Meditations that could Change Your Life

Find your inner quiet space and let your troubles melt away

If you’ve ever tried meditation, you’ll know how calm and peaceful it can be to press pause and just sit with yourself for a moment. In our busy lives, we all crave a bit of solitude from time to time, but meditation has been shown to provide so much more than a little pocket of peace and quiet. Research shows it can reduce stress, control anxiety, enhance self-awareness, improve attention span and may even reduce age-related memory loss. Here are four beautiful meditations to help you find your inner peace.

Grounding

This meditation is designed to bring you back to your body and root your energy back into that of the earth. “Try this meditation if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed,” says Tania Ahsan, author of Everyday Calming Rituals (Trigger Publishing) “It is particularly good in times of uncertainty and stress, and is really useful when going through big life changes, such as a house move or divorce.” For best results, try Tania’s meditation in the morning before you start your day.

1. Sit upright on a straight-backed chair and start with your palms on your lap facing upwards.

2. Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths in and out through your nose.

3. Visualise a golden energy coming from the sky down into the top of your head and passing through every pore in your body and then out through your feet.

4. Imagine that this energy then creates roots that come out of your feet and anchor you into the earth. Because it is energy, you aren’t forced to stay in one place, those roots dynamically move with you wherever you go in the world. You are now grounded into a positive, helpful energy system.

5. Turn your palms downwards on your lap and, as soon as you do, the energy stays in your body but is no longer flowing into your crown. You can rub your hands a bit on your lap and wiggle your fingers. Then open your eyes and go into your day protected and well.

6. You may feel a bit tingly, but you should feel emotionally stronger and a bit more present in your body.

Heart rhythm

Heart Rhythm meditation is a powerful tool for inner discovery and transformation. “Heart Rhythm meditation is great for reducing stress and restoring inner calmness,” says healer Kasia Mikolajczyk (findblisswithin.com). “Through daily practice, mental and emotional undigested energy is cleared and replaced with a joyful and meaningful, harmonious and loving outlook on life.” The start of each day is the best time to try Kasia’s heart rhythm meditation.

1. Find a comfortable place where you will be able to relax and will not be disturbed.

2. Sit on a chair with your feet on the ground, spine straight, hands resting on your upper legs, palms facing up, or sitting crossed legged on a mat is also fine.

3. Make yourself comfortable and allow your body to fully relax. Start observing your breath as it flows in and out. Allow yourself to connect to your breath.

4. For the next few breaths inhale through the nose, bringing in positivity and relaxation, and exhale through the mouth, releasing all stress and tension. Continue breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, but this time extend your exhales for an extra two to three seconds. Feel your belly muscles engaging on the exhale, supporting you to extend the out-breath and let go of any stagnant air. Exhale all the air and at the end of the out-breath allow yourself to reach the space of nothingness, here with practice you will begin to sense your heartbeat. Allow the in-breath to arise naturally.

5. Now, start breathing more fully, allow your belly to expand with each inhale. Notice as you take full inhales, your chest rises and falls. For the next few moments place your focus on your chest, notice its movement. On the next inhale hold your breath at the top for three to four seconds (or as long as comfortable). In the space of stillness, I invite you to connect to the heartbeat, feel your pulse. Connect to your heart, to its rhythm, feel its strength.

6. Now start breathing just through the nose and begin balancing your breath. Start to count in time with your heart or find a count that feels good for you. To help you connect to your heart rhythm, place your palm on your heart.

7. Start with even inhales and exhales, count to your heart rhythm – 1,2,3,4,5,6 on the inhale and 1,2,3,4,5,6 on the exhale. Notice the sensation of calmness and harmony arising in your being. Continue breathing to the same count for a few moments, after which you can increase the count if you wish to.

Crystal

As one would expect, you will need a crystal to perform this meditation, but any one you’re drawn to will work. ”Chances are, if you have a crystal in your possession or have been drawn to a particular crystal, then that is the one you need right now,” says crystal healer, Gena Abbott. “Crystal meditation can be very relaxing which can help with de-stressing but on a deeper level, meditating with crystals can invoke certain energies and attributes within us like, grounding, manifesting, love or to invoke protective energy.” Try Gena’s crystal meditation at any time of day or night. Head to her website for more information on crystals and to try a special guided meditation for free, haumanu.com.au/nhm

1. Find a comfortable sitting position.

2. Place your hands in front of you with your palms facing up (this symbolises that you are ready to receive) and hold your crystal in your dominant hand.

3. Close your eyes and take a deep breath through your nose, breathing in life and consciousness into your body, letting any tension fall away.

4. Exhale through your mouth, breathing feeling its shape and texture, acknowledge its presence and give it permission to work its energy on you while you take a mental note of any thoughts and feelings that show up.

5. While you continue to breathe in, let your crystal guide you, let the visions come, let thoughts and feelings arise and breathe out anything negative.

6. In this space you are safe, in this space you are present, in this space you are healing.

7. Continue in your meditation as long as you need and revisit it as often as you like.

QI gong

Qi Gong (often spelt Chi Kung) is a system of movement and breath based on Chinese medicine, martial arts and philosophy which has been used for thousands of years in various forms. “The aim of Qi Gong is to promote the movement of Qi (energy) in the body,” says Dr Kate Bartram Brown, head of The Modern Mystery School (modernmysteryschooluk.com). “ The breath and movements of Qi Gong stimulate the life force energy to flow into areas of the mind and body that has stagnant energy.” Some have reported that The Tree Pose gives the practitioner clarity, increased Chi, it helps calm the energy of the liver, lower blood pressure and promote restful sleep whilst giving an overall boost of vital energies. Practise Kate’s suggested pose regularly and consistently for best results.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Bend your knees just slightly, allowing your weight to sink fully into your feet, so your legs and pelvis are relaxed. It’s like you are sitting on a high stool, do not tuck your tailbone under.

3. Gently roll the knees out a bit without moving your feet. Don’t allow your big toes to lose contact with the floor.

4. Then move your hands and elbows up to the level of your heart – elbows lower than wrists, palms facing your torso, creating a circle with your arms, with four or five inches between the gently extended fingers of your right and left hands – just as though you were hugging a tree.

5. Sink your shoulders down.

6. Breathe deeply and slowly. Feel relaxed, peaceful, and flexible like a powerful tree. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.

7. As you hug the tree imagine you’re also becoming a tree: feel your roots descending.

8. Use inhalation to expand body and exhalation to release unnecessary tension.

9. Hold for as long as you can: a few minutes to start with, then extend the length. Once you get past 20 minutes your whole system will feel much more refreshed.

10. Slowly with practise, the body will relax into the pose, your mind will become stiller and body will become more flexible and supple.