The Power of Meditation
What happens when we calm the mind? It makes room for answers, according to our Psychic Source Advisors. "Prayer is asking; meditation is receiving," says Advisor Kali. This is just one of the many benefits of meditating regularly, even for just a few minutes per day. But that's not all. Meditation helps you to separate out what's just noisy mind chatter from what's important, and actually prioritize what's most important, according to Psychic Betty. Often you will find a new perspective on things you felt were important before you began to meditate. Often things become more important—things that are emotionally and physically nurturing. Often things you felt were important become less overwhelming when a different perspective takes place. Think of it this way. When meditating, you are clearing away the clutter and making a peaceful place for your spirit and mind to rest when the outside world starts to overwhelm us. You are going within to create a place of peace to rest your weary spirit and mind. It is yours. Just for you and you alone, if you chose.
Meditation is:
Whether or not you are being physically active, or being still, it is your mind and spirit—working in unison through mindful meditation— that creates new ways of thinking, relaxing, and breathing.
Meditation is:
Meditation is an act of quieting the mind and an act of mindfulness.Meditation is also an act of creation.Meditation is an act of self-love and self-care.Meditation gives us an opportunity to find joy, love and peace in this world, and in our own spirit.
Whether or not you are being physically active, or being still, it is your mind and spirit—working in unison through mindful meditation— that creates new ways of thinking, relaxing, and breathing.
It isn't easy. That's why it's called "a practice."
Our minds resist. That's what minds do. We are constantly bombarding ourselves with thoughts, observations, and judgments, as anyone who has tried to learn to meditate knows full well. Ever tried listening to a quiet voice when someone else keeps talking over everyone? It can be pretty near impossible. As meditation tunes down the noise in our heads, it opens up a new channel of awareness, thought, and reality. Meditation enables us to pay attention to the quiet voice of our own intuition, and in that way, tap into our own divine Source. Through meditation, both questions and answers become more accessible and clearer."Go. Go. Go." is all we know.
Many people feel we must rush and perform at every waking moment; and if we are not physically active and producing, we are worthless. This is the recording that millions repeat in their minds upon waking up every day. Then we realize our life, as planned, is not working and something seems missing. Our spirit knows there is more to this life. We try to find different ways to enjoy life, and this experience, a bit more. Some buy more or consume more; while some just want a quiet place in the world to stop and relax. So, we go on vacation, come back, and realize we worked harder on our time away. The relaxing part never really happened. When the world gets overwhelming we try to find ways to seek shelter. Before now, we have always sought outside of ourselves, but with meditation, we learn to go within and enjoy the simple joys of peace and pleasures the natural world offers.
From Go to Slow
When we try to learn meditation, we try to go from, "Go. Go. Go." to "Slow. Slow. Slow.". However, we forget that it takes time to learn to put on the brakes when you have been going so hard for so long. Many people think they must find a quiet, secluded room; that this room must be set up with special symbols, music, or incense. While it is true some people do require these things to relax, you can also meditate while gardening, washing dishes, taking a bath or shower, or just gently walking. Many people also meditate when they craft or cook. We all know people meditate while practicing Tai Chi, so why not meditate while doing another activity that brings us peace? Whether you practice meditation while moving, or carve out some time to sit still, it all starts with our breath.
Quiet the Mind with Conscious Breathing
According to Psychic Advisor Anthony, make a practice of sitting in a comfortable spot indoors or outdoors for 20 minutes at the beginning and end of each day, simply counting your breaths. “I call it ‘conscious breathing,’” he says. “In my line of psychic work, I can tell you that our thoughts determine our future, but most of that thinking, 90% of it in fact, is unconscious! Only 10% of our mind bubbles to the surface and becomes the chatty mind voice in our heads that we identify with our ego. Let ‘Chatty Kathy’ talk about whatever she wants, but only think about your breath! 1... 2... 3... and while you do that, seek out the places in your body where the electric bioenergy is hiding and making your muscles tense up. Find that tension hiding deep in your muscles; even the ones in your face that make subtle expressions as you listen to your mind's voice and respond to your thoughts.
Seek out all that tension and let your attention float in and out with your breath and relax. Just be in the moment! Let your daily concerns go. 1... 2... 3... even think about God or a Higher Being if you must think about something, but not your chatty mind voice. Don’t try to shut it up, just let it go on wherever it’s going with your focus. Expand your inner space and relax more and more with each breath.”
Simple Steps to Meditate
Learning to meditate can be a simple process that can be practiced by following a few simple steps.
Step 1 – Find a Place to Meditate
The first step is finding a peaceful place where you can perform your meditation without distractions. You don’t want people or sounds to distract you, especially when you’re just beginning to establish a meditation routine. This place should be calming and quiet where you can concentrate. Feeling relaxed and safe during meditation is essential.
Step 2 – Find a Comfortable Meditation Posture
Once you have a spot that you will be mediating the next step is to find a position in which you’re comfortable. This posture should not cause any muscle tension and should be relaxing but not lying down. You want to be relaxed enough to meditate but not to fall asleep. If it feels intimidating to sit on the floor, purchase a cushion that’s specially designed to support you during meditation. You want a cushion that’s firm and durable enough to handle regular use.
Sitting on the floor, positioned on the end of your meditation cushion, start with the quarter lotus. This position involves loosely crossing your legs with your feet under the knee of the opposing leg. With the quarter lotus, you’re in a position that’s relatively easy for your body to hold. Another low-pressure position is the half lotus. Cross one leg and place your foot on top of the opposite thigh. The other leg folds under the foot and can sit underneath the knee or thigh. With the full lotus, each foot rests on top of the opposing thigh.
If you can’t or don’t want to cross your legs, try to sit in the Burmese position. Bend your knees and place your feet, tops down, against the floor. Because this meditation posture is comfortable, it’s a relaxed position.
For those who simply can’t sit on the floor, there’s another option. With the seiza position, you kneel and place a rolled-up yoga mat behind your knees for added comfort. If you do yoga, this position is like an elevated Virasana (or Hero Pose).
Finally, if sitting in a chair is more comfortable for you, embrace it. To ensure proper posture for meditation, sit without leaning against the chairback with your feet firmly on the floor. Finally, align your knees and hips to create a comfortable position you can sustain during meditation.
Step 3 – Clear your Mind to Meditate
Once you are in your comfortable position it is time to begin to clear your mind. You can do this by taking deep breaths and concentrating on how you are breathing while you let all your other thoughts slip away. Deep breathing and focusing on our breath can bring back that state of balance that is so easy to lose when we are stressed or panicked. We might feel that everything is spinning out of our control but that’s not the case—control is as close as your breath and your breath is always with you! In tuning down the chaos you can allow balance and clarity back into your life.
It may be difficult at first to not start thinking about things going on in your life, but this time should be dedicated to only focusing on your body and breathing. In meditation, we become quiet, not just in our posture, but in our state of mind as the body follows the mind. When you feel yourself drifting to the thoughts that create a stressful emotional state, go back to your breathing. Five minutes or an hour… time is up to you. If your thoughts come in, it is OK as long as you let them leave at the same time. This should be a very relaxing time but it is best advised to practice your meditation when you are well-rested so that you do not fall asleep.
Step 4 - Add a Little Laughing Meditation to your Daily Meditation Practice
Laughter as a form of meditation is one of the most powerful ways to affect your mood and elevate your energy. Start by stretching and tensing and relaxing your muscles and face. Start feeling silly by making funny faces; use a mirror if it helps. Stick out your tongue, and roll your eyes back, no one is watching! Now take a moment to recount something that had you laughing so heartily that you could barely contain yourself. Don’t take time to wonder what the neighbors think of you cackling away, lose yourself in the moment. Start with giggles and move to out loud laughing, start to feel the laughter in your whole body, and enjoy the ache in your facial muscles, the tears in your eyes, the tingling in your hands! Let your whole body be engulfed in the laughter. Let the laughter descend naturally, let the peaceful feeling of a good laugh blanket you in joy.
Laughter allows us to temporarily rise above our stress and briefly feel a sense of relief that no pill or homeopathic remedy can provide. Walk away from your laughing meditation knowing that laughter really is the best medicine!
Bonus - Draw on Imagery and Visualization
Psychic Source has curated dozens of Advisor-led guided meditations that make use of soothing sounds and visualization to lead you on a meditative journey. You can be your own leader and guide yourself through a guided imagery process with a little direction. Remember, practice makes perfect.
This particular relaxation exercise is especially attractive to anyone who enjoys the beach.
Begin by getting yourself into a meditative state as described above. Clear your mind as much as possible from all distractions such as outside noises. Imagine a bright, warm, sunny beach. You feel the very warm sand between your toes. You feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. It tingles. You see the ocean stretching out in front of you. The beach is quiet and peaceful. The sun reflects off the water. You see a few seagulls in the air. You see the ocean moving, the waves. You can also hear the waves as they flow in and out. You smell the salty air.
A cool breeze comes off the ocean. It feels good on your face and arms. You sit down in the sand and feel your body relax completely as you listen to the waves. The sun continues to warm your face and body. You feel relaxed, supported by the earth and warmed by the sun, totally connected with “the all.” Distracting thoughts occur, but you are able to let them go as soon as they occur. Drifting is easy with the sound of the waves, the feel of the sun, the smell of the salty air, and the sight of the ocean and the waves in front of you. You are making progress. You let go of tension and drift away...
When you are ready to come back to the present, count backward from five to one. You become more alert and aware of your surroundings as you count. When you feel comfortable, stand up and stretch your body… look around... what do you see? What do you smell? What do you hear? Bring yourself back to the present moment.
When life just gets tough and you need a break, try something like this to help, even for just 5-10 minutes a day. With a guided imagery such as the one above, you can take yourself to any location on earth if you know enough of the details about that place, without ever leaving your house. It’s the world’s most affordable mental vacation!
The Dangers of Meditation
Meditation is safe and life-enhancing. Like anything that promotes inner work and spiritual growth, it can uncover issues which need to be worked through. When committing to a daily meditation practice, there are a few things to watch out for.
• Escapism at the expense of living your life: While you are meditating, you may experience such a sense of peace that the real world begins to pale in comparison. Allow that peace to permeate the rest of your waking life, and don’t to get so attached to your meditative bliss that you stop living your life in the now.
• Being Unprepared for the Dark Night of the Soul: Meditation can also stir things up and uncover unhealed parts of yourself. This experience actually can lead to a deeper connection with Spirit if you continue to meditate and work through it. Our Advsiors can help.
• Hyper Realistic Dreams: An excess of energy from meditation can lead to clear dreams that feel very real, making them appear more like visions than dreams. Speaking to an Advisor can allay your fears and help you find meaning in what you are experiencing, which can take away their power and help you to decode the message.
Our Advisors Can Guide you Through It
One of the most powerful ways to experience meditation is through a guided process. Hearing a trusted voice lead you through the process of quieting and noticing can make it easier to tune in and provide a safe and meaningful way to go on a journey of self-discovery. You may find our Guided Meditation Podcasts a useful way to focus. You could also ask an Advisor who specializes in meditation to create a special guided meditation for you based on the theme of your reading while you are still on the phone. This can be a powerful way to tap into your own intuition and Spirit Guides, with someone well-versed in symbolic meaning and metaphor, which can be a helpful way to reframe the situation.
When practiced daily as a ritual, meditation can become a positive aspect of your life. It will be easier the more you practice, and you will notice a change in your own behavior. You will notice that overall, you feel less stressed and have more mental and physical energy. With practice, you may also find answers to the questions which have eluded you. If that does not work, call your favorite Advisor at Psychic Source, but for peace of mind and love of life, you can find it right from your own Psychic Source within!
Learn more about meditation and find an Advisor who can guide you in meditation by using the filter on Our Advisors page for Meditation, found under the subject area for Life, Destiny and Meaning. You can also learn more about how to meditate in our Guide to Meditation.
Looking for some Guided Meditations to get started? Psychic Source offers a variety of free podcasts you can download and listen to whenever you need to help clean your soul and eliminate negative energy.
Video Transcript
Lily: Meditation is about connecting with your life source and with God's source.
Kali: There is a difference between prayer and meditation. Prayer is asking, meditation is receiving.
Stevie: When we are meditating we are truly giving back and recharging our soul.
Lily: We need to quiet the mind, shut down the mind, open the heart, and connect with our souls.
Betty: Meditation has a calmness, and it brings to the forefront what is important, and it kind of gets rid of the residue.
Kali: I feel that a lot of people think there is a right or wrong way to do it and there really isn't. It's what's good for you.
Betty: The beauty of it is, it can be done anywhere. You can even walk and meditate.
Stevie: Even in the shower, you're getting ready to go to work, if you can just take that five minutes to just really be at the present.
Bridgette: Have fun with meditation and enjoy it.
Kali: If you can only do it for 1 minute or 15 minutes, do that. Do what makes you feel good.
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