Family Meditation?

We live in such a fast paced world that we rarely take time for ourselves. What is even worse when we do take time for ourselves we feel guilty about it! We shouldn’t feel guilty about taking time out, there are people around the world at this very second who are taking time for them self and enjoying their time. When you don’t take time for yourself this type of a lifestyle can build up and store stress and anxiety in the body which over time can lead to illness. Even worse, we teach our children to deal with stress in the same manner we are dealing with stress. Relaxation and meditation rids the body of accumulated stress (both mental and physical) while strengthening the entire mind-body system to work more efficiently. Taking up regular forms of relaxation and meditation can promote not only improved health but also greater clarity, energy, mental awareness, confidence and creativity and fulfillment in life.

Meditation is strongly espoused in many eastern philosophies, people of any religion can practice meditation and derive considerable health benefits from it. With commitment, perseverance and regular practice, meditation can produce life-changing positive effects. By creating time and space to honor our basic need for stillness, we can transform our mental state, emotions, physical well-being and subsequent experience of life.

The stress of internal ‘mental chatting’ is deeply entrenched in our existence. Tragically, we have forgotten the simple pleasure of releasing our worries and finding the underlying thread of peace in each moment. That is not to say that we should ignore stressors and negative influences in our lives. However, mentally agonizing over our problems is counter-productive to health and well-being. Meditation can very effectively halt the vicious cycle of obsessive worry.

Still feeling cynical? Science, the very epitome of cynicism, is even acknowledging the benefits of regular meditation. Meditation has been found to balance our brains’ alpha and theta waves, thus enhancing the synergy of our creative and logical cognitive faculties. Meditators exhibit superior pain resistance to electric currents administered to the skin. Research also indicates that meditation can enhance sleep quality, mood, memory, blood pressure, mental alertness, migraines and headaches, posture and stress tolerance.

Try this exercise with your family. Find a space in your home free of distractions and clutter. Sit on the floor in a comfortable position. Instruct everyone to close their eyes and concentrate on breathing. Inhale deeply through the nose, and exhale through your mouth. Think of your favorite place to visit, maybe a park, the ocean, or beach. Imagine how you would feel if you were there right now. Allow each family member to sit peacefully as long as they can.