Meditation Techniques for Relaxation
If you need to relax and refocus then it's time to meditate. Meditation is one of the easiest and most effective ways you can learn to relax and let go of stress. Some of the benefits people receive from meditation are: relaxation, awareness, clear thinking, stress reduction, finding answers, feeling loved, feeling connected, and healing mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Meditation techniques vary greatly since there are so many different ways to meditate developed by cultures around the world. A lot of the techniques accomplish the same benefits listed above, and some techniques are for specific types of benefits. Meditation in a basic form can often be the simplest and most effective method of healing, although everyone is different and I am sure there is a meditation technique that anyone including you will resonate with and gain many benefits from if you integrate it into your lifestyle on a regular basis.
I encourage you to read through the techniques and tools listed and practice some of them or perhaps all of them. Then you can narrow down to using certain techniques that you feel work best for you, and focus on those.
General Meditation Guidelines
First of all let your body relax. Gently shaking out your arms and legs will help your muscles to relax in preparation for meditation. In general energy flows best through the body during meditation when your back is straight, chin just slightly tucked in keeping your neck straight as well, and with your knees and elbows slightly bend rather than being locked straight. This is just a general guideline for improving your comfort and practice of meditation. Sometimes you may not be in circumstances that allow you to maintain good posture. Don't let that stop you from meditating. You can almost always meditate wherever you are, and in whatever conditions you may find yourself. I must warn against doing meditations that put you into deep states of trance while driving or operating heavy machinery. This can be very dangerous.
Relaxation Meditations
All meditation is essentially relaxation meditation, because relaxed awareness is the alpha/theta brain wave state of consciousness that meditators enter when they practice most meditations. These meditations however, are specifically for inducing relaxation in the body, mind, and spirit. If you have a lot of stress and find it hard to relax, then these meditations are the best to start with, because they will immediately help you to relax and destress. It will also help to start with these meditations because the more relaxed you are, the easier it is to meditate, and also the more you meditate, the easier it is to relax. These meditations will prep you for some of the more advanced meditations listed below.
Waves of Relaxation Meditation - Start by relaxing your body and taking some slow deep breaths into your belly. Then bring your awareness to the top of your head and imagine a wave of calming, relaxing pastel blue energy starting to wash through your head removing tension and allowing all the muscles in your head to relax. Repeat the words relax and relaxation in your mind as you visualize. Feel this wave of relaxation move down over your neck and throat as you affirm "relax, relaxation". Then feel it moving down over your shoulders, "relax, relaxation". Then over your chest, upper back, biceps, and elbows, "relax, relaxation". Then down over your belly, lower back, forearms and wrists, "relax, relaxation". Then down your body over your pelvis, bum, hands and fingers, "relax, relaxation". Then over your thighs to your knees, "relax, relaxation". Down your lower legs over your calves, "relax, relaxation". Down your ankles, feet, and toes, "relax, relaxation". Then the pastel blue energy wave sweeps out your toes leaving you very relaxed and calm. You can repeat this Wave over and over to achieve deeper and deeper states of relaxation. This technique is very effective.
Earth Gravity Relaxation Meditation - (It may be best to be laying down for this one, although it's not necessary) Start by relaxing your body and taking some slow deep breaths into your belly. Get a sense of how your body feels. Sense where there's tension in your body and what kind of tension it is. Then get a sense of the earth beneath you, supporting you. Feel and get a sense of the gravitational pull. Amplify and focus on the gravitational pull and feel it pulling your body towards the earth. Sink into the gravity and feel it's effect on your body. Let go of your tension allowing the earths gravity to pull it away, pulling at your muscles until they release and relax. Feel the state of relaxation that the earths gravity provides you. Your body becomes heavy and muscles limp and relaxed. Let every part of your body get pulled naturally by gravity, releasing and relaxing each and every muscle. Move your awareness from your head down through to your toes and back up to your head stopping at any part of your body that is still holding tension and letting gravity release and relax it before moving on. You can keep repeating this sensing as long as you need to.
Breath Meditations
A very simple and powerful technique which is universally used to calm and focus the mind. Prana is the sanskrit word for breath energy. It is revitalizing and healing. The more aware of the breath you are, the more prana you receive from the breath. Energy follows awareness, so when you are aware of the breath you charge it with energy. Our body naturally requires oxygen to live, and it sends that oxygen throughout the whole body, via the blood vessels. When we charge that oxygen with a spiritual energy through our awareness our physical system will naturally distribute that energy within the breath to the whole body. With focus on the breath, we receive balanced energy throughout the whole body.
Simple Breath Awareness Meditation - Relax and focus your mind on your breathing. Breath in and out naturally, don't force your breathing in any way. Just let your breath be natural and be aware of how it feels to breath. Be aware of any changes the breath may go through during the meditation. If your mind wanders onto other thoughts, bring it back to the breath as soon as you realize it's gone astray, and let go of whatever thoughts caused you to wander.
Breath Visualization Meditation - Relax and focus on your breathing. Take slow deep breathes filling up your lower abdomen full and exhaling fully with each breath. As you breath in, visualize white energy coming in with the breath and filling your body. As you breath out visualize black or darker energy leaving from your body. The white energy that comes into your body replenishes and heals. The dark black energy that leaves your body is stagnant and useless. After breathing in white and out dark for awhile you can start to visualize a transition that you've cleaned out the darkness from all parts of the body, and now you are breathing in and out white energy. Your body is filled with white healing and rejuvenating energy.
Colour Breathing Meditation - Relax and focus on your breathing. Take slow deep breathes filling up your lower abdomen full and exhaling completely with each breath. Begin visualizing that you are breathing in and out the colour red, sensing and feeling the red energy fill your body completely. Do this for 3 to 9 breathes or more if you like. Then do the same for the colour orange. After 3 to 9 breathes of orange, move on to yellow, then green, blue, indigo, and violet. If you like you can end there, or go back down the colour spectrum from violet, to indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. You can also add different metal colours if you feel so inclined, such as copper, silver, and gold.
Yogic Square Breathing / Kundalini Breath Meditation - Begin to relax and then breath in for a count of 3, then hold for a count of 3, then breath out for a count of 3, then hold for a count of 3. Repeat for as long as you want. If you find a count of 3 is very simple, then move up to a count of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Don't push yourself though, it's best to work at a number count that is just slightly challenging you because it keeps you focussed. This meditation can lead to very deep states of trance.
Pranayama Hemispheric Synchronization Meditation - Relax your body, then begin by placing your middle three fingers on your third eye (center of lower forehead), with your thumb and pinky finger positioned so they can plug your nostrils individually. Start by plugging your left nostril and breathing out your right nostril for a count of 3, then breathing in your right nostril for a count of 3, then plugging your right nostril while unplugging the left and breathing out your left nostril for a count of 3, then breathing in your left nostril for a count of 3, then plugging your left nostril while unplugging the right and breathing out again for a count of 3. Continue this cycle of breathing in and out back and forth between left and right nostrils. Again if you find a count of 3 is too simple then move up to a higher count. This meditation will synchronize and balance your left and right brain hemisphere activitiy.
Pranayama Hemi-Synch Square Breathing Meditation - This meditation is a combination of the two previous meditations. To do it, simply follow the instruction of the Pranayama Hemispheric Synchronization Meditation above, but after every exhalation and every inhalation hold between breathes for another 3 count (Or whatever count you're using).
Visualization Meditations
Visualization meditation can be very powerful and effective. Our subconscious can easily manifest things even if they defy the normal laws of scientific understanding. In the cases of the superpsychic children that can accomplish incredible feats of telekinesis, telepathy, and clairvoyance. These children often use a method of visualization. When closing the eyes, you imagine a sort of television screen centered at your third eye and then project images onto that screen as though you were watching a movie of your own creation. The more you practice visualization, the better the results you will achieve. Then you too can accomplish superpsychic feats just by visualizing them as crystal clear as possible and they will actually happen in the conscious world.
Earth Grounding Meditation - Close your eyes and relax your body. Focus your awareness on the space behind your bellybutton. Visualize this space as being full of an orange, yellow, and red energy swirling like a ball. Then visualize a red cord that extends out the bottom of this ball and heads toward the earth beneath you. It connects you to the surface of the earth and keeps going deeper into the earth. It passes through the earths crust, through rock and metals, down, down, down, deeper, and deeper until it gets to the center of the earth, the molten hot earth core. There it attaches to the earth's core and connects you to the center of the earth. This red cord has fully rooted itself there, and will remain there. Now imagine it pulsing the earths energy back up the cord to nourish and heal you. Follow one of the pulses as it rises up through the cord up and up passing again by all the molten rock and metals and through the earths crust up and into your body to the red, orange and yellow ball of energy behind your bellybutton. There it fills you with nourishing healing earth energy, and exchanges with you any energy that you need to let go of. Any stress that you are holding onto or problems that you are dealing with, you can send it down through the cord to the center of the earth and the earth will return to you a fresh new energy to help you relax and deal with your challenges. When you feel replenished enough, send a thank you message down through the cord to the earth and then bring your consciousness back and open your eyes.
Tree Grounding Meditation - Close your eyes and relax with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Visualize your favourite kind of tree. Picture it as vividly as possible, noting how it's branches spread out from it's trunk. Noting the texture and feel of it's bark and perhaps sap or resin. Note how it smells, and what colour it is. Now hug the tree and feel it's energy coursing through you, connecting you to the earth through it's roots, and connecting you to the sky through it's branches. Visualize and feel yourself shapeshifting into and becoming the tree. Feel the strength of your strong stable wooden body. Feel and sense the stability and firmness that you have through your deep network of roots that grip so securely to the earth. Feel and sense how your branches feel stretching out towards the sky with your leaves and/or needles as the delicate sensors at the ends of your branching nerve-networks (You may want to physically stretch your arms out at this point and maybe even sway in a breeze). Fully become the tree and feel the sense of peace that accompanies this state of being. Then you can slowly shift awareness back into yourself hugging the tree, remaining with the experience and energy that the tree has provided. As you are disconnecting from the tree, say thank you, and then bring yourself back to conscious awareness and open your eyes.
New Technology Meditation Tools
Our states of consciousness change depending on our activity or inactivity. From beta brain wave states of consciouness when we are awake and active, to delta brain wave states when we are in deep sleep. By practicing meditation on a regular basis we gain better control over our ability to enter into theta and alpha states of consciousness which allow us to relax, recharge and enter states of high psychic activity and awareness. There have been many scientific studies trying to understand consciousness and help us to achieve these beneficial states of consciousness. From these studies scientists and researchers have come up with some simple technology devices and methods for easily attaining these states of consciousness within minutes and with very little effort. In this time of rapid evolution and busy work schedules, our culture can use these tools effectively to maintain spiritual equilibrium without having to devote themselves to years of meditation training in monasteries or in the mountains. You don't even have to practice yoga. Many of these techniques are ideal for people of today's world. I have experienced all of the following technological meditation tools, and can vouch for their effectiveness. I have done a lot of yoga and qi gong practice as well as learning meditation with buddhist monks in monasteries. The states of consciousness achieved during intensive meditation retreats and meditative practices are identical to the states of consciousness achieved through these technologies. I encourage you to try them, although some naturalist may prefer the satisfaction of accomplishment from an intensive meditation training, while others will be very satisfied with the quick delivering states of consciousness that these technologies allow. Both methods give the same results.
Mind Machines / Sound & Light Device - A mind machine, or sound and light device is a piece of hardware with headphones, and LED light goggles. The headphones play different sound frequencies into each ear to activate different parts of the brain through matching and entraining brainwave rhythms. The light goggles flash lights over your closed eyelids in rhythms and frequencies similarly matching and entraining the brain waves into certain states of consciousness. The advantage to such a device, is that you can at any time sit down and plug in a meditation program for the state of consciouness desired (accelerated learning, relaxation, deep relaxation, sleep, visions, alertness, energizing, chakra healing, etc...). You can control the exact length of time for the meditation, the intensity, and intention very easily with the push of a few buttons. Everything is accounted for and without any effort you will be in the desired state of consciousness very quickly and easily.
Some of you may be thinking that this sounds like a device you will become addicted to, or have to use as a crutch in order to enter these states of consciousness. This is simply not true. The fact is that the device will train you to know how to enter these states of consciousness easily, and eventually you will not even need the machine so much because as soon as you decide you would like to enter a state of consciouness, you can just will it and you will enter that state. This happens because your mind becomes accustomed to knowing what these different states of consciouness feel like and can easily return to them through memory triggers. There are also neuro-linguistics programming triggers or autsuggestion triggers that you can specifically train yourself for, so that you won't need the machine for anything more than to learn the states of consciouness.
Here are my recommended Mind Machine Suppliers. There are many different models to choose from with many different features and functions. They all work great, check them out and find the one that suits your needs.
Wellness Tools - Mind Machines & CES
CES (Cranial-Electro-Stimulation) - This is another useful device for altering consciousness very quickly. It works similarly to a mind machine by entraining brain waves with frequencies. This difference is that while mind machines use sound and light frequencies to entrain consciousness, CES devices use electrical frequencies to entrain consciousness. Our body has within it a system of very thin electrical wiring all throughout it which is called the nervous system and nerve network. Our nervous system controls our bioelectrical functioning sending signals back and forth through the nerve network in order for each part of our body to maintain communication of certain stimulus and activity and report it to the brain.
A CES device works by connecting an electrode to each of your earlobes. When the device is turned on it starts to pulse low levels of electrical current through your body. The intensity starts low and can be raised to a comfortable level that feels stimulating. Some of the older models of CES devices only has one frequency for entering one state of consciousness (Often the Beta State). Some of the devices, such as the one I have, only do the beta state on their own, but have plugs so you can connect it to a mind machine, and thus control the electrical output through the mind machines controls. Some of the newer CES models have full control built in so that you can easily change your state of consciousness with the push of a button and they are small devices that will fit in your pocket, so you can use them while doing other activities like studying, jogging, exercising, meditating, etc... I really feel that CES devices are an amazing tool of the new age. It surprises me that so many people have yet to discover them. To be able to very simply control your state of consciousness can provide you numerous benefits, particularly improving your ability to meditate. If you're interested in CES devices you can find more information at the link below.
Wellness Tools - Mind Machines & CES
Music Therapy Music / Sound Healing Music - There are many types of music that will aid you in meditation. Some of them have been done intuitively, others scientifically, and some use a combination of science and inuition. Being a certified sound healer and teacher of sound healing, I understand that both are very important to use. We all have two brain hemispheres, one for logical thinking, and one for intuitive thinking. Therefore we should get best results in meditation when both brains are being stimulated. Sound healing music generally uses a lot of different frequencies and musical intervals to entrain and activate different parts of our body. Specific rhythms are used to entrain brain waves and alter consciousness. These same methods are all functions of the mind machines sound aspect as well, although if you want to save your money and get similar results, you can easily find music therapy cd's that will alter consciousness in the same way (Without the light frequencies of course). The cd's I've worked on entrain you to alpha and theta brain wave states which are best for aware relaxation with heightened psychic activity. You can take a look and listen to samples of these cd's through the link below. I'll soon be adding more links to music therapy cd's.
Music Therapy Sound Healing cds by me, Tulku Ngakpa Yeshe 'Ja' Shel and friends
On the same subject, there is also software available that allows you to turn any of your music that you already have into music therapy brain wave entrainment music. It allows you to run filters through the music file for any desired state of consciousness. The power of this kind of software is incredible. It means that you don't have to learn all the scientific information to create music therapy music. You can simply create your music intuitively then run the filters through it to apply all the specific scientific features that will alter consciousnes of the listener. This is one of the greatest tools for you, if you are a musician. They don't leave anything out either, you can use any or all of the known scientific sound healing techniques with this software. The software is called Brain Sound Studio and you can read about all it's functions and features at the link below. They also have an array of other very interesting consciousness products as well as music therapy cd sets.
Transparent Corp Software (Brain Sound Studio)