About Meditation
"the act of giving your attention to only one thing, either as a religious activity or as a way of becoming calm and relaxed..."
The practice of Meditation has a long history as a religious and spiritual tool, for contemplation, connection and opening onesself up to the divine, across the world.
The earliest records we have mentioning meditation, according to some sources, date back to around 1500 BCE, in Vedic texts from Hinduism. But according to an article in Psychology Today, Archeologists have discovered wall art in the Indus Valley, which depicts people sitting in, what appear to be meditation postures (sitting cross-legged on the ground, hands on knees, and eyes narrowed).
In Europe, the earliest writings mentioning meditation as a practice, go back as far as around 20 BCE, in the Roman Empire, with a Hellenistic Jewish writer, called Philo of Alexandria. He wrote of "some form of "spiritual exercises" involving attention (prosoche) and concentration"" (Wikipedia). The word we use today "Meditation" comes from a Latin word "meditatum" meaning "to concentrate" or "to ponder".
So why has Meditation been used by so many different religions, and spiritual practitioners, throughout history? And why has it become so popular in recent times, outside of its devotional or spiritual context?
The practice, by itself, can be an invaluable tool in healing and stress reduction. Whether you adhere to a particular faith or not is irrelevant—millions of people all over the world believe that meditation is the way to clear your mind of extraneous thoughts so you can listen to God.
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation as a Spiritual and Wellbeing tool
Meditation has been used by countless people, and its effects experienced and known of, for thousands of years. But it wasn't until 1967 that Western Science began to understand and accept the benefits of Meditation, when Dr Herbert Benson (a Professor at the Harvard Medical School) moderated a study on meditation. This study showed that
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people meditating used 17% less oxygen,
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lowered heart rates; and
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produced increased brain waves that could help with sleep
Dr Benson went on to found the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, at Massachusetts General Hospital, which furthers scientific research into Mind Body Medicine, provides training to Medical Professionals and Teachers, as well as providing therapeutic treatment for people.
All I’ve done, is put a biological explanation on techniques that people have been utilizing for thousands of years.
In more recent years, the ongoing studies (around the world) have taught us more of what and how meditation works, which include:
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Rewiring the brain, to help people learn new thinking and behavioural patterns more easily;
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Decrease in levels of stress and anxiety (corresponding to a decrease in the size of the amygdala & therefore reduction in the sympathetic nervous system being activated (less "triggered" fight/flight/freeze/fawn response);
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Better communication between different parts of the brain;
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Improved concentration and attention, reduction in mind wandering;
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Reduction in Social Anxiety Disorder with MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction);
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Increased "Neuroplasticity" - which can help lessen age-related brain degeneration;
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Finding a sense of peace and healing, for people with PTSD (N.B. - Meditation and mindfulness are not suitable in all cases, for people who have experienced, or are carrying trauma. It's important to find a qualified trauma-informed therapeutic Meditation practitioner, first, and to discuss your needs and situation with them first, to determine whether Meditation would be suitable for you.
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Developing skills and using techniques to help you ignore and reduce (with time) "busy mind";
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Improved sleep quality;
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Decrease in "triggered" states such as anger, fear, panic;
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Improving awareness of energy (qi/ki/ch'i), inside and outside the body;
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Spiritual development;
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Energy Worker skill development.
How to begin Meditating
Who is Meditation For?
There's no one set personality type when it comes to meditation. It's a tool which can be learned at any age, and practised in a way that suits your individual needs, challenges and goals.
Don't be put off if it feels uncomfortable at first, or if it seems to make things worse. Unless you have past trauma or a history of psychological disturbances or illness (in which case it's important thatyou seek professional guidance before attempting meditation, and ongoing professional support during your meditation journey), it's absolutely safe, and doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. When we bring our full awareness to what's going on in our mind, the "monkey chatter" of our brain and the thoughts it automatically produces, will usually get louder and more irritating.
But the good news is that, with practice and a teacher (whether that's from a book, an app, a class, or in real life), in time you'll be less disturbed by the thoughts and activity, and learn to be more compassionate to, and tolerant of, your brain's activity. The less you get caught up with that inner chatter (by caught up I mean following along with the reasoning, buying into it, or trying to fight it), like a child who's misbehaving to get attention, by moving your attention to something else (like the body, or the breath), eventually they will learn that it doesn't give them the attention they seek.
If schedules are busy and it's hard to find a time to sit, meditation is something we can incorporate into activities we do everyday. From walking mindfully, to eating mindfully, to doing a body scan and grounding exercise for 2 minutes at your desk at work, when you're feeling physical effects of stress.
You don't have to be a calm or patient person to meditate. In fact the less calm and more impatient you are, the more you would probably benefit from meditation. You just need to find the right style and the right teacher for you. And then practice, being honest with yourself.
Meditation with ReikiEma
As a trained and certified therapeutic Meditation Teacher, as well as a professional Energy Worker, I have many tools at my disposal, to support and empower you on your meditation journey - whatever benefits you want, or whatever goals you have in mind, for your meditation practice.
121 Therapeutic Meditation Sessions
You can book a 1-hour 121 session with me, to take place in the beautiful, very special & relaxing environment at Juniper Clinic. Alternatively, I can offer 121 Meditation at Sutton House, or via video call, if circumstances or your preference means that's the best option.
We'll discuss what you're looking for from the session, and then you can lie back on a cosy treatment table, and relax, whilst I guide you through a specially tailored meditation to help you where you are now. If you choose to opt for additional healing, I can incorporate Reiki as part of your session, for even deeper holistic healing. Reiki has some of its roots in the Buddhist tradition, as does Mindfulness Meditation, and it works beautifully alongside meditation for an even deeper experience.
But if you're not sure about a combined treatment, or if you'd prefer a session without Reiki, that's absolutely fine.
If you wish to also include a tutorial on some meditation techniques you can use on your own, I can offer that too -and I have post-session support and resources which I can share with you, should you wish.
Online recordings and live group sessions
I have a number of recorded guided meditation videos available to watch, on my website and on my YouTube channel as well.
And if audio meditations are more your thing, then I have good news! There are several of my audio recorded meditations available to download, at my online shop, and you can stream a range of them, on the Insight Timer App, where I'm a teacher. And if you're interested in live online group meditation broadcasts, you'll find I run some live sessions on Insight Timer as well, on a donations-only basis.