Guided Meditation for Home Practice: First Steps Toward Love

12 Nov Guided Meditation for Home Practice: First Steps Toward Love

When we began this series, I wrote about the many benefits received from a regular meditation practice. Just in case you missed the post, however, the facts are repeated below. To assist you in getting a regular meditation practice started, I  followed up by posting a Receiving from Source Meditation here. This week’s practice is below. The theme is “Grounding Light.” Why “Grounding Light?” Your most intuitive tool is your own body. Grounded, you can read the many messages it is constantly sending. Being grounded connects you to your Soul’s voice. It is that voice that shows you the way to self-love. Please let me explain, then enjoy the practice.

To cultivate more love and connection in your life you need to start at home, with yourself. Loving yourself may sound easy at first. Once you begin to notice your self-talk you probably aren’t as kind as you think. But how do you change this often-unconscious thought pattern?

Answer: Baby steps… Like every worthy pursuit, you need to take it one step at a time.

Within you is a loving voice that will show you the way to correcting your judgmental, critical self. I call this loving voice your Soul. The first step to getting in touch with your Soul is to be grounded in your body.

Being grounded happens when you have full access to your energy in the present moment. You are aware of what your body is telling you; your senses are alive.

The truth is your most intuitive tool is your own body.

If you aren’t grounded, you will miss the cues that it’s always sending you.

Here’s what if feels like to be ungrounded:

• You’re spacey and unable to concentrate.
• Are physically tired even though you got a full night’s sleep.
• You’re cold even though the room is 74 degrees.
• You can’t say how you feel – physically and emotionally.
• You’re anxious or nervous but don’t know exactly why.
• You can’t find the words you are looking for in a conversation.
• You are on auto-pilot… i.e., you just drove home and you have no memory of the drive.
• You are clumsy and bang into things often.
• You’re often thinking about past or future events.
• Life has lost it beauty – you don’t see or feel it anymore.

Most of us have had these experiences at one time or another, but for many being ungrounded is a way of life.

When you are ungrounded there are several ways you can get back to the present moment and in your body:

• Bring your attention to your breath and breathe deeply.  When you’re ungrounded you often hold your breath or breathe shallowly.

• Start noticing things in your immediate surroundings. State the things you are seeing, i.e., “I notice it is a beautiful sunny day outside.” “I notice that my back hurts from sitting too long in the same position,” etc…

• Do a scan of your body starting at your toes. Ask yourself, “Can I feel my toes?” “What do they feel like?”  Move up your body until you reach your head. Don’t be surprised if there are parts of your body that you can’t feel.  If that is the case, keep your attention on them and breathe deeply, imagining that your breath is filling that part of your body.

• Take a walk in nature and allow your senses to take in your surroundings.  How does it feel to breathe the fresh air? How does the sun feel on your skin? What beauty of nature can you see? Engage all your senses.

• Do any form of exercise… run, bike, lift weights, yoga, dance. Exercise is a great way to become aware of your body and get grounded.

• If you have one, pet your dog or cat. It’s hard for your mind to be anywhere else but the present moment when you do.

• Eat crunchy foods, especially root vegetables like carrots, beets, parsnips, potatoes, and radishes.

• Drink at least 8-12 cups of water throughout the day.

• Avoid foods and substances that unground you. You’ll need to take note of the foods that unsettle you because everyone is different, but as a general guideline whole foods – fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc – are grounding and substances such refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and drugs are ungrounding.

• Do grounding meditations, i.e., imagine you have a grounding cord attached to the base of your spine and anchored to the core of the earth.  Then with your breath and your intention bring earth energy up this grounding cord and into your body. Take about 5 minutes to breathe up and down this grounding cord and feel the energy of the earth – which is nurturing, supportive and full of unconditional love for each of us.

Being grounded connects you to your Soul’s voice and that voice shows you the way to self-love – the key to all other loving relationships. This inner guidance is coming from within and it uses all your senses to communicate with you.

But you must be home to receive its messages.

I recommend you do this Grounding Light meditation to start off your day.

Why Meditate?

According to Emma Seppela, of the Center on Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, there are at least 19 scientific reasons why a person should meditate.

It improves your Health:

•Increases immune response

•Decreases pain

•Decreases inflammation on the cellular level

It boosts your Happiness:

•Increases positive emotion

•Decreases depression

•Decreases anxiety

•Decreases stress

It boosts your Social Connection:

(Yes! – that’s right it actually increases your sense of connection to others.)

•Increases social connection and emotional intelligence

•Makes you more compassionate

•Makes you feel less lonely

It boosts your Self-Control:

•Improves your ability to regulate your emotions

•Improves your ability to be introspective

It changes your Brain for the better:

•Increases grey matter

•Increases volume in areas related to emotion regulation, positive emotion and self-control

•Increases cortical thickness in areas related to paying attention

It improves your Productivity:

(I know this may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s true!)

•Increases your focus and attention

•Improves your ability to multi-task

•Improves your memory

•Improves your ability to be creative and think outside the box

It’s nice that science has caught up to what many of us have felt and been benefiting from for years. And, don’t worry if you are still struggling with starting, or being consistent with, your own meditation practice – here are some tips to help:

• The goal of meditation isn’t necessarily to empty your mind of all thought (that is only one form of meditation). Often, when you first get started your thoughts are all over the place, and that’s OK. Focus on your breath and witness the mind chatter as it comes in – it usually has something to teach you. Eventually, as you allow yourself to notice your thoughts without reacting to them they calm down.

• Pick a form of meditation that works for you. (For an overview of different meditation techniques check out: http://liveanddare.com/types-of-meditation/) There are so many ways to go. Surely you can find an approach that is right for you.

• You don’t need to be in a seated position and completely still to meditate. According to Yoga International, meditation is achieved when the mind is clear, relaxed, and inwardly focused. You can also reach that state while moving, so, if you prefer try meditating on the go, simply bring your attention to how your body feels, watch your inner dialogue without judgment, and focus on your breath.

• Choose a designated time to meditate, working your way up to 20 minutes a day. Set an alarm on your phone for the same time each day to get into a routine. Experiment which time of day is best for your schedule – morning, midday, or evening.

• Don’t judge your meditation time! One day you may feel completely relaxed and in the flow and the next you won’t be able to focus. Know that even if you don’t feel the connection in the moment, the process is having a positive effect on you.

Meditation is to your mind what a shower is to your body. You wouldn’t go without bathing and once you feel the benefits of meditating, you won’t go long without that either. It’s basic self-care that unfortunately most of us weren’t taught when we were young. But, it’s never too late to start experiencing the value of a meditation practice – every minute you put into it will pay off in spades!

About Kristin Metheny:

Kristin Metheny is an intuitive, who assists people in connecting with their inner guidance, the truest source of happiness. Kristin teaches that we really can have it ALL. Our souls tell us we are meant to be prosperous, feel great, and live a balanced, beautiful life.

Kristin’s passion is to assist everyone in living their dreams – on purpose and completely fulfilled. To that end, she teaches intuitive arts and meditation classes and offers intuitive readings and coaching.

Kristin has been on her path, studying intuitive arts, since 2002. She holds an M.A. in Social and Organizational Learning.

Kristin leads a Guided Meditation with Intuitive Guidance class at the Telluride Yoga Center, Fridays at 11:00 a.m., and is a guest teacher at conferences, including the Telluride Yoga Festival and Teluride First‘s Integrative Wellness Summit.

For more information and to download Kristin’s free Grounding Light meditation, visit www.wisdomworking.com