(ThySistas.com) I remember my first meditation experience happening around 1996 or 1997. A gentleman who was a friend of a friend was offering a class on meditation. Prior to then I knew nothing about meditation, but I paid my $25 and I took the class anyway.
Since the class was geared towards beginners there was not a lot of chanting mantras and things I would have considered over the top. We learned breathing techniques that helped us to clear our mind and to relax. If I didn’t take anything else from that experience, I was able to grasp the importance of simply breathing when I find myself stressed or anxious. To this very day that one meditation class has stuck with me.
When you mention the word meditation some people immediately think of monks in robes and Tina Turner chanting in the movie What’s Love Got to Do With It? Some people don’t believe it in and some folks think its witchcraft. That’s crazy right?
People meditate for different reasons. Some meditate to gain clarity, to open themselves up to hear from God and to seek relief from things ailing them such as fear, anger and confusion. Some meditate to reach their higher self.
My personal reasons for meditating are to relax, to de-stress and to
prevent stress. I try my hardest to start my day off meditating if only for 5 or 10 minutes. However, I have found myself going even longer. Meditation is like eating a good breakfast. It starts my day off just right. I notice when I fail to meditate sometimes my day does not go as smooth as I would like it to. I may feel a little frazzled and in the environment of my job this can easily happen if I allow it.
Also meditation always acts as a precursor to my time in prayer. I’m more open to share my thoughts with God, to receive from him and to pray for others. Then when my session is done I feel light as a feather.
Some have asked what do I do when I meditate. Well I turn the TV and the lights off and I find a comfortable position. I play my meditation music from my phone and I began breathing. Being trained in voice in the past helps the breathing techniques to come fairly easy. Usually while meditating my breathing becomes very shallow and I’m very calm.
My goal is to clear my mind of clutter. Lord now that’s a hard one, but I’m getting there. I eventually find myself visualizing the goals I want to achieve and I see myself in positive situations where I want to be.
Now you might be asking how you can clear your mind when you’re thinking about all of that. Well the thoughts are more like a dream, but the clutter is not there. I basically find myself visualizing my goals and what I want. I’m also learning to bring myself back when my mind begins to wander.
There are a number of benefits of meditating.
1. It boosts your health and it increases your immune function.
2. Meditation decreases pain, anxiety, stress and depression.
3. It makes you happier, more compassionate and it increases your social connection.
4. You gain more self-control and you are better at regulating your emotions.
5. You’re able to multi-task better, improve your memory and increase your attention andThe list goes on and on.
I will say this. I can attest 100% that I am less stressful (not totally there yet), but less stressful non-the-less when I meditate or even take the time to inhale and exhale. It helps me not only while I’m doing it, but throughout the day.
I have attended a total of two meditation classes, in addition to my very first one. I attended one earlier this winter and another this summer with Selena J. and I must say I was relaxed, happy and I felt lighter than when I stepped in. So much that I plan on making it a regular part of my “me time”.
So in a nutshell meditation has helped me to handle stress a little better, react differently to difficult situations and I rarely get anxious. Now mind you I’m not walking around like an angel with a halo over my head. I’m no where there, but I’m better than what I used to be and I am striving to improve every day.
Staff Writer; Eleanie Campbell
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